Under the Fig Tree

All of the usual disclaimers apply to this story. If you are underage or it is illegal to read such material in your area, please decline from reading further. Also, please respect the copyright licences and do not reproduce this story wholly or partly without my permission. Even though this is primarily a love story, it contains explicit homosexual acts between consenting adults. While this is a work of fiction, some of it is based on real experiences from my most recent two years at college and so the names of the characters have been changed to preserve anonymity.

Your thoughts are always appreciated and I really love hearing from you all. Your generous words are the reason I continue to write.

planning_a_prisonbreak@hotmail.com

David

• Prologue -

"When am I going to catch something?" the child asked his grandfather as they sat on the bank of the dam, fishing rods in hand.

"Fishing is a patience game," he responded. "You just have to wait for the fish to come to you."

They had been sitting there for about an hour while grandma was keeping a watchful eye from the kitchen window.

From there, she could see down to the dam and along the row mango trees, behind which the grassy knoll was situated and young Harrison's favourite Moreton Bay Fig Tree stood. Grandma packed a plastic container with an assortment of freshly baked chocolate brownies and biscuits and filled a thermos with hot chocolate before making the short walk down to where her two men were sitting by the water's edge.

"I thought you boys might like some morning tea," she said as she emerged from behind the shed.

Harrison stood up quickly, and seeing that he was about to leave his rod just sitting on the muddy embankment, his Grandad grabbed hold of it.

"You go and grab us some goodies while I'll watch the lines," he said.

Little Harry raced up the bank and gave his Grandma a big hug, taking from her the container of snacks and the thermos of hot chocolate.

"You're the greatest, Grandma!" he said energetically as he ran back to his seat by the water.

"Are you boys going to be down here much longer? Should I expect you for lunch?" she asked.

"We'll see how we go," Grandad called out to her. "Depends if we catch something or not."

"Well don't expect to be let back inside with an empty ice box!" she threatened while making her way back to the house.

The boys fished for most of the morning, snacking on their treats and occasionally refilling their cups with some more of Grandma's excellent hot chocolate. It was a relatively warm summer's day with the little breeze that was stirring quite high above them, barely caressing the tops of the trees at the height of the valley. Still without a fish to show for their hard work, neither Grandad nor Harry was too concerned. They were quite content to be sitting in each other's company, enjoying the beautiful day in what was Harry's favourite place on Earth. He loved coming here to his Grandparents' property because of how close it made him feel to nature.

"I spy with my little eye, something beginning with 'w'," Grandad said.

After some thought, Harry answered excitedly, sure that he had figured it out. "Wind!"

"Can you see any wind, little man?" he asked.

"Yes!" he lied, his giggling giving him away.

"Keep guessing."

Harry searched frantically for other possible answers. "W...w...w...wild... wild animals!"

"Do you see any tigers or lions around the place?" he was asked.

"Water!" Harry shouted. "That's got to be it!"

"And what's in the water?" Grandad persisted.

"Fish, and probably sharks, and... whales? Is it whales?"

"What else is in the water?"

Harry looked into the water and when it struck his eye, he pointed. "Weed!"

"Very right you are!" said Grandad, congratulating him.

"I'm 'zervant aren't I, Grandad?" Harry smiled.

"Oh little man, you are very observant," the older man said, unable to contain his laughter.

Time rolled on by and still, they hadn't managed to catch a single fish. Harrison and his grandfather began to pack away their various fishing paraphernalia and took it to the shed. But when Grandad suggested they return to the main house, Harry protested.

"But I want to keep playing 'I Spy'! I was winning," he said.

"All right, but we'll have to go back for lunch at some stage. Best of five!"

Past the dam and beyond the row of mango trees, the best friends found themselves in Harry's favourite spot of all - on the grassy knoll under the fig tree. Together, they sat in the shade and identified various objects, making each other guess what they were thinking of, all out of sight of the main house and from Grandma's curious gaze. Before too long, she was ringing the bell to call them to lunch and they had to interrupt their game. Needless to say, they were back in their shady spot for Round Two right after they'd finished their sandwiches. Their eagerness to spend time outdoors had existed ever since Harry was born, and his obsession with the grassy knoll continued to amuse his Grandparents for many years into the future.

"Boys," Grandma said to herself as she washed the lunch plates. "Who can understand them?"

• I -

It was such a humid day and the sweat poured off Daniel Coombes as he lined up the kick that would either win or lose the match for his college soccer team. His heart beat furiously in his chest and he felt a little light-headed when he considered how much depended on him scoring this goal. He was always the optimist and tried to use the power of positive thinking to his advantage. Today, this was not the case and while he attempted to mentally calculate trajectories and velocities, he found his mind wandering. Nobody cared about who he was anymore. They didn't care about the awards he had received or the games he had won for his team in high school. They would only remember him as being the boy who either scored the winning goal in this, the grand final for the inter-college trophy, or the guy who missed his opportunity and lost the match for his team. Doubts began to flood his mind.

Two years earlier, Daniel had graduated from high school as valedictorian - the highest academic achiever of his cohort - with an impressive tertiary entrance ranking that assured him a place in one of Australia's most prestigious universities. He had been a very popular student in high school both amongst his teachers and his peers because of his kind and friendly nature, his good looks, and his talents in many areas of school life. A competent public speaker and debater, Daniel was elected by his peers as School Captain in his final year and recruited to the school's debating team early on in his high school career - a team which had once won the state championships and made it to the grand final on two other occasions. As an orator, he was constantly called upon by the principal to speak at school functions to showcase the talent that existed at Palm Grove State High.

On the field, Daniel was a competent soccer player and had been very popular among his teammates, not just because of his stamina and accurate right kick, but because of his modesty and ability to lead a team. During high school, his coach had requested that he take on the role as team captain but with already so much on his plate, he had to decline the offer. Even without the Number 1 jersey, he outshone many of his teammates both in offense and defence, including the captain, but he always remained level-headed after a big win and shared the victory with his team. He had been playing soccer since the age of five, and the many seasons of kicking the ball around the field had kept him in top shape. He wasn't as ripped across the middle as he would like to be and spent many hours in the gym to compensate, but his cardio fitness was second to none and he had muscular legs and a cute bubble but to die for. All in all, Daniel was very happy with his appearance. He kept his brown hair cut fairly short for sport, claiming that it helped him to stay more aerodynamic when running around the field. During the off season, he let it grow a little longer so that it hung over his face, but not so long that it covered his remarkable hazel eyes which he was renowned for.

Daniel was a very good looking boy with a perfect olive complexion and delicate facial features, but he was strictly off limits. He had been dating his girlfriend Louise Marsh for three years and the pair was inseparable. They had met through the debating team and even though she was a year younger, she kept him on his feet intellectually and physically. She would push him to go jogging with her on weekends and they would often study together at one of their houses a few days each week after school. She always came to his soccer games, and he always spent the time with her that she deserved. They were the perfect couple, and on the night of Daniel's graduation, Louise had given him her virginity. It was an experience that neither of them would ever forget, and Louise explained that it was something special to remember her by while he was at university and she was completing her final year of school.

In terms of the Performing Arts, Daniel couldn't sing, dance or act to save his life, but the fact that he gave it a go and didn't mind having a laugh at himself was well received by his toughest critics - his peers. He'd auditioned for the school's musical rendition of "Chicago" as a bit of a joke, but the Drama teachers had been impressed with his audition and gave him a major role. Nobody had really heard him sing before and he was definitely no Zac Effron (his mate Todd's words), but he loved giving things a go, often to the dismay of his parents. Having secured friends in so many areas of life, Daniel was the boy voted most likely to succeed in life when ballots were taken at the school formal. But he often felt that there were increased pressures placed on him to do well because of his previous accomplishments, and his parents were certainly the driving force behind this anxiety. He had opted to study law and economics at university, not because these were fields of study he particularly enjoyed, but because they paid well would make his parents proud. The university in Sydney he chose equipped graduates with the skills they needed to make it big time in the legal profession and its reputation for success was second to none.

There was never a doubt in his mind that he would go to such a prestigious university and his parents certainly had the money to buy him an apartment in the city so that he could concentrate on his studies without having to commute over two hours each day. He had decided, however, that he wanted to spend at least the first year of university living on campus in a college - the Australian equivalent to residential dormitories. His parents tried to talk him out of the idea, arguing that the social aspect of college life would serve as a considerable distraction to his study. This was exactly the reason that he wanted to live on campus. His argument was convincing given his history of success on the debating team. He told his parents that the convenience of college, including the three hot meals that were provided each day, his room cleaned weekly and the convenience of having his washing done for him, far outweighed the possible distractions. Besides, his best friend, Todd Innings, had been accepted at a college and he couldn't imagine being separated from his best buddy. Even if they went to different colleges, Daniel thought, it would be better than him being stuck in an inner city apartment all by himself.

Indeed, while Todd got accepted to an all boys college infamous for its brutal Orientation Week pranks on freshmen, Daniel was accepted at a coeducational residential college, known for its wild parties back in the 1970s.

Since then, a lot had changed and the current Dean had introduced a strict policy when it came to noise disturbances (and an even stricter disciplinary scheme for those who did not comply). A lot went on right under the Dean's nose that she never knew about, but the residents were still careful in fear that they'd be expelled if they were caught being too rowdy and disorderly. During the Orientation Week activities that were designed to keep the nervous freshmen so busy that they would forget about being homesick, Daniel had made some wonderful friends and really settled in well to college living. He quickly formed a friendship with a girl named Jacqui. She came from the same small town four hours west in which Daniel's father had been born and where his extended family still lived today. She was a budding vet, and even though Daniel didn't know the first thing when it came to looking after animals, they had so much in common and hit it off right away. He also spent a lot of time with Jacqui's friend, Tara, who was studying dentistry and her boyfriend, Harrison, who was training to become a doctor. Both of them were incredibly nice people and Daniel felt confident that making friends with other students who had a similar work ethic would be beneficial. The four of them hung out for most of the week, discussing their expectations of university. As happy as he was to be making new friends so quickly, Daniel had been eager to start his classes and settle in to university life more broadly.

He didn't really enjoy his classes too much in first year, but there was no refuting the fact that he had excelled, achieving a Grade Point Average of 6.5 out of 7 and a number of commendations from the Dean of Law. His parents were of course very proud and encouraged Daniel to spend a second year in college, citing his brilliant results on the obvious convenience of college life. Daniel didn't protest as he had enjoyed his college experience in first year and very much looked forward to living on the same floor as Tara and Jacqui the following year. They had shared some great laughs and Daniel he was looking forward to many more in the proceeding year. Unfortunately, Harrison had opted to move out after his first year. With his intense study schedule, he was hardly ever around for meal times and felt that he wasn't getting enough for his money. He moved into a shared house with two other people from his degree, and while Tara was a little put out that he wasn't going to be just down the hall that year, her family's strong Christian values made it inappropriate for her to move in with her boyfriend at the tender age of eighteen. He still came over most nights after class to spend some time with Tara, sometimes spending the night and other times, taking the long walk back home.

The move between high school and university had been a massive transition that Daniel had felt he wasn't quite prepared for. He had gone from being the very big fish in a relatively small pond to a microorganism in the ocean.

Nobody knew his name or his outstanding qualities which had seen him receive many privileges and favours in high school, and despite looking forward to a sense of anonymity at university, he missed having people look up to him and admire him for the jock that he was. Even his girlfriend seemed to be a little more distant these days, not just in terms of geography, but also when it came to their relationship. Louise had started her first year at the same university as Daniel commenced his second year, but she fast became absorbed in university life and had very little time to spend with the boy whose side she had never left in high school. Even Todd had made a whole heap of new friends and rarely had time to spend with him any more. He and Todd used to go surfing most weekends and tell each other everything, even the most mundane details of quotidian life. Now, Todd was always out clubbing with other friends or busy trying to catch up on assessment he hadn't yet completed.

It was these thoughts that ran through Daniel's head as he prepared to take the kick for goal. He saw himself on a downhill slide, losing all of the groundwork he had built for himself over the years. His family were proud of him, but at what cost? As he ran towards the ball, his belief in himself diminished and gave way to a sense of pessimism. He knew as soon as his foot struck the ball that the kick had not been a winner. It took off from the ground and flew straight into the arms of the waiting goal keeper. The spectators cheered knowing that the game was as good as over, and a very dejected Daniel walked to the side of the field with his head hung low and his shoulders slumped.

The reality of the situation came crashing down around him as he realised that he had failed and let his team down.

There was nobody in the crowd to offer him support, only the intimidating smug looks from his victorious opponents and their supporters who had by now begun to chant the college's war cry. He sat on a seat with his head in his hands just staring at the ground, ignoring the consolatory pats on the shoulder he received from his teammates as they made their way off the field. He knew he had tried his hardest, but he had little to show for it given how shattered he felt.

It was as he sat there, wallowing in the grand final defeat, that his good mate and Tara's boyfriend, Harrison O'Brien, sat beside him on the seat. He hadn't even known that Harry had been at the game and was a little taken aback when the boy sat alongside him.

"Dan, you played so well," said Harry with a smile. "I know you played your hardest out there today on the field. It was a close match."

Harrison was, simply put, the most stunning guy Daniel had ever laid eyes upon. From the very first day they had met almost a year and a half ago, Daniel had noted that Harry was a stand out in the looks department. He was incredibly athletic having played for his state in schoolboys' rugby during high school and the result was a body which epitomised the male form. His muscles weren't too accentuated like the guys who spent hours pumping iron in the gym, but they stood out in all of the right places. He had large, flat pecs which resembled the chiselled chest plates worn by Roman warriors, all supported by a strong upper quadrant and very broad shoulders which gave him breadth and upper body strength with which to tackle the fiercest of opponents on the rugby field. He had large, muscular thighs, which were the result of years of playing rugby in his backyard at home, and powerful legs which could take him from a standing position into an all out sprint in no time flat. He had a fairly large ass which always got him a lot of female attention, but it was the one part of his body he disliked immensely and he tried to reduce its size by doing numerous exercises daily targeting the glutes. He was the only one who really cared about his disproportionate derriere.

Something else which had struck Daniel about Harry was his impeccable sense of style and fashion. He made it look like he'd thrown on his clothes at the last minute as he walked out the door, failing to style his hair and shave, yet it was this casual indifference to his physical appearance which made the whole look work. He couldn't be classed as metrosexual because vanity was very uncharacteristic of Harry. He was just naturally good looking and built like a brick dunny. He let his light brown hair grow fairly thick into a sort of mop so that it covered his ears and the back of his neck. His fringe, however, had been cut in such a way that it was off his forehead entirely and didn't block his peripheral vision - serving a practical purpose when it came to rugby league.

He had been asked to model for numerous publications, including the junior National Rugby League calendar and a swimsuit catalogue for Quiksilver, but he was far too modest to pose for the camera dressed in so very little, exposing his body to objectification of horny middle aged women. He had the girl of his dreams in Tara, and was happy that she respected him for the person he was on the inside rather than the God he was on the outside. Tara, of course, was thrilled to be dating a guy who was as ripped as he was intelligent. Getting into the medical program without hesitation, Harry thrived under the long contact hours and difficult exam preparation, and he loved every minute he spent learning new things about the human body. He was particularly interested in human movement and sport's nutrition, but he still had a few years to make up his mind as to whether he would specialise in sport's medicine, become a general practitioner, or focus his attentions on surgery. Harrison knew so much but he was never over-confident or arrogant about it, and it was this na‹ve humility which had allowed him to make so many friends and which had ultimately made him appeal to Tara.

Once asked in a game of truth or dare at college who he would turn gay for, Daniel had jokingly answered, "Harrison." Everyone had laughed, including Harry who blew him a kiss and had promised to put out later that night if Dan was still interested. The banter was hilarious and familiar to Daniel, who his friends knew was in a relationship with Louise and felt very confident about his heterosexuality, but everyone knew that Harrison was an absolute stud and Daniel, too, was certainly willing to acknowledge the fact. They were such good mates and he knew very well that there were few girls who'd pass by an opportunity to get him into bed. Hell, if there was even the slightest chance that Daniel could turn gay in the future, he knew that Harry would be the culprit. Daniel felt fortunate to be Tara's next door neighbour this year as it gave him a chance to see his friend on the many occasions that he stopped by. He was not so na‹ve to think that Harry was there to see him, but he enjoyed the guy's company all the same.

"Cheers, Harry, but I kind of screwed it up for everyone out there today. Should have scored that last goal and instead, I kicked it right to him," said Daniel, still looking at the ground.

"Danny, look at me, buddy. You're the reason the team made it to the grand final in the first place! They should be apologising to you for letting you down, man," stated Harry.

He always managed to make Daniel feel better about himself when he was feeling down. He just had such a good way with people that Dan put down to his instinctive bedside manner that he knew would make Harrison a really good doctor. He could feel himself cheering up already having Harry polish his ego the way he was.

Daniel looked at him and smiled. "Thanks, dude. What made you come to the game today?"

"I had a bit of study to do and it was too hot back home, so I thought I'd come over to the campus and study while watching your grand final. Kill two birds with one stone," he said with a grin.

"Well I'm glad you could make it. You'll have to let me know when your next rugby match is on so I can make sure I'm there."

"I'm playing next Saturday over on Field 3, but I know exams are coming up so don't feel like you have to be there or anything," said Harry.

"Nah, I'll definitely be there to return the favour," Daniel said, standing up.

"You just headed back to college now?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, mate," Daniel answered. "How about you? Are you going back home now?"

"I thought I might stop by college for a bit too and see if Tara is around. Might take her out for dinner tonight or something."

"Oh cool," said Daniel. "Walk with me then?"

"Sure, Dan."

The field that Daniel had been playing on was right on the far side of campus near the pool and the tennis courts, and so it was a thirty minute walk back to college across the university grounds. Harry questioned Dan about all of his mid year assessment and asked him how he was feeling about his exams, and a long conversation began. Harry announced that he had a difficult practical rotation coming up specialising on mental health at one of the city hospitals, and they also discussed this in some depth. While the details of their conversation are seemingly irrelevant, it is noteworthy that they each felt at perfect ease in one another's company. They enjoyed that the conversation seemed to flow naturally and was not forced, but most of all, they were just content to be spending some time catching up together. Normally, Jacqui and Tara were around as well and the boys rarely found time just to themselves. It was a very pleasant walk back to college that afternoon, but Daniel felt for Harry having to walk all the way back to his place off campus later that night.

"Did you win?" shouted Jacqui excitedly as Dan entered the hallway with Harry following behind him.

"Nah, we sucked today," answered Daniel, again feeling a little guilty.

"Yeah, but he was amazing out there. You should have seen the goal he head butted in just before half time. Fucking unbelievable," boasted Harry, proudly.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't make it Dan, I've got this stupid practical report due in tomorrow and I've still got loads to do," apologised Jacqui. "It's going to be another late one for me tonight."

Out of all Daniel's friends, he knew of nobody who worked harder than Jacqui did. She had many contact hours at university and when she wasn't at class, she was usually in her room studying. If Daniel woke up through the night and had to go to the toilet, he would see her light still on at 2am as she read over lecture notes and developed questions for herself to answer. Her system obviously worked as she achieved very good grades, but there we no doubting her commitment to the coursework which she obviously loved. Jacqui was a beautiful human being and a great friend.

"It's okay, Jacq," said Daniel while unlocking his door. "Besides, I would have been pretty embarrassed if you'd seen me mess up like I did."

"Jesus Christ. He just won't get it through his head," laughed Harry. "You didn't mess up, Daniel Coombes. If I hear you say that one more time, look out."

"What are you gonna do, spank him?" asked Jacqui, with a raised brow.

"Oh, he'd enjoy my hand on his ass way too much. It'll be much worse than that," he said with a very cheeky smile forming.

"Whatever, I know you just wanna touch my ass, Harry. You just have to ask man, and for a small fee, we might be able to arrange something," said Dan with a smirk.

"Oh you little fag," laughed Harry, running towards Daniel who managed to just get inside his room and shut the door before he could get there.

"Your ass is mine when you come out, Coombes," warned Harry.

"I bet you'd like that, O'Brien," Daniel shouted from the inside.

In the corridor, Harry waited with Jacqui until Tara had finished up on the phone with her parents.

"Harrison, I thought I heard your voice!" she said happily as she opened her door and saw him standing there.

"Hey," he said, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. "Want to go out for dinner tonight?"

"Sure, gimme a sec to get ready?"

"Yep."

They soon left for dinner and Jacqui shut her door to recommence work on her assignment. With all of the other doors on the floor closed as well, Daniel was hit with an eerie sense of solitude. He had so much study to do, but he was feeling very unmotivated and instead just lay on his bed thinking about life while listening to some music through his headphones. Eventually, the sweat from the soccer match which had dried on his skin began to smell and Daniel decided to take a shower before heading down to dinner for the night, alone.

Later in the evening, he called his girlfriend, Louise, to tell her the outcome of the soccer game. She picked up after a few rings.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Louise, it's Dan," he said.

"Oh hey, Dan. I can't talk for long, I have an exam to study for. What's up?" she said a little too impatiently for Daniel's liking.

"Just wanted to tell you that we didn't win the soccer comp this year. The competition was too good for us."

"That sucks, bad luck honey. I know how much you wanted it..."

"Yeah..."

There was a long uncomfortable silence before they both began talking at the same time.

"So how was your..."

"What's on tomorrow..."

They paused.

"Daniel, I think you and I need to talk," she said. "You know, in person."

"What?"

"We should meet up to talk about a few things that neither of us really wants to talk about," she clarified.

"Oh, okay. I'll stop by your college then a little later tonight?" Daniel asked.

She thought about it before answering. "Okay, make it after nine though."

When Daniel hung up, he knew that his relationship with Louise would be coming to an end tonight. He'd been with her now for three years and the thought of that chapter of his life coming to an end was something he preferred not to think about right now. He opened his property law textbook and began to revise some of the earlier chapters, keeping a close eye on the clock.

• II -

Daniel lay in bed that night with a very heavy mind. Indeed, upon arriving at Louise's college, she had dumped him and claimed that their relationship had lost its spark. He knew that, and had felt exactly the same way for at least six months now, but he was always certain that things would pick up again when he wasn't so busy with his university work. Unfortunately, they were both always kept busy with their study and other activities and they hardly ever had time to spend together, so they had begun to pull away from one another almost without even realising it. Daniel wished that Tara or Harry were around so that he could talk to them about it, but they had gone out for dinner and Daniel guessed that they were spending the night at his house off campus. Jacqui, too, was kept busy and as much as he wanted to knock on her door and tell her everything, he resisted distracting her from her assignment. With all of these thoughts weighing on his mind and no way to vent them except through replaying them over and over in his head, it was ages before he fell asleep that night. He couldn't help but feel that his life was fast spinning out of control.

The next week of classes were nothing to write home about for Daniel, who attended, took notes, and studied hard when he was back in his room. With the demands of soccer now over for another year, he had more time to spend reading set material and more time to himself, whether it be in the form of watching TV or sneaking in an extra hour of sleep through the day when he would have normally had training. Jacqui, Tara and Harry were also keeping busy, and were looking forward to having a break from classes next week for a study vacation, before two jam-packed weeks of exams and a month of holidays.

On the Friday before Daniel's study week, he heard Harry enter the corridor and come into his room.

"Daniel, buddy, you still coming to my footy game tomorrow arvo?" he asked.

"Oh shit, I had forgotten all about that! Yeah, I'll be there," responded Daniel.

"You don't have to. I mean, I know it's really busy for you right now and everything."

"It's fine. I'll bring my textbook along and do some study while I'm there," said Daniel, not wanting to miss the game.

"Cool, make sure you get a good seat," he said before walking into Tara's room next door.

Daniel was taking a bit of a break from study by watching television when Tara knocked on his door and came into his room. She and Daniel often had long chats in his room while she sat on his bed and he sat at his desk. A lot of the time, she would watch Australian Idol in his room as well because of his great television set. Daniel often thought that a more jealous boy friend might have a bit to say about that, but as far as Harry was concerned, he would have trusted Dan with his life and knew that nothing would ever happen between the two of them.

"Dan, would you be up for a night out tomorrow night? Harry and I were going to hit up some of the clubs in the city before we get stuck into some serious study, and wondered whether you and Jacqui would like to join us," she suggested.

"Yeah, I'd love to. I'm not so sure about Jacqui though, she might be pretty busy," Daniel replied.

"Hmm I thought that might be the case. I'll ask her when she gets back from class."

Harry poked his head around the corner and flashed his dazzling pearly whites.

"Are you going to come, Dan?" he asked.

"Just told Tara I'd be there. What time are you going to leave here?" he asked.

"Well, my game doesn't finish until around five so I thought he could catch a bus into the city and have dinner and a movie before heading somewhere a little more up tempo. What do you think?"

"Sounds good. Hopefully Jacqui can make it too," said Daniel.

"Yeah, what would everyone think if I was out with two guys?" joked Tara.

"Well with me and Dan around, I reckon everyone would think you were the luckiest chick on the planet," stated Harry.

"I agree," laughed Daniel. "Not every college chick gets to be escorted by two of the hottest guys around."

"Oh Harry, he just said you were hot," Tara giggled from behind her hand. "Maybe I should stay home and just let you two boys go together then."

Daniel hadn't realised it when he said it, but he had indeed just told Harrison that he thought he was hot. He panicked and immediately tried to cover his tracks, but Harry had heard and wasn't going to let him forget it.

"You're only human, Danny. I won't hold it against you," he joked in a display of feigned superiority.

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that..." but Harry cut him off.

"I know exactly what you meant. I'm flattered, really. But just keep it in your pants for now, man," said Harry, elbowing Daniel in the side and causing Tara to laugh even harder.

Daniel was clearly becoming flustered that he couldn't justify himself and Harry hated seeing him squirm like this.

"I'm just kidding around," he said. "Sorry Danny, but it was too good to miss."

"It's all good, but you know what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, buddy."

"Cool," said Daniel, breathing a sigh of relief.

"What's all the commotion out here?" asked Jacqui, opening her door and pretending to be angry at having been disturbed.

"You couldn't be angry if your life depended on it, J! Drop the facade!" said Tara, knowingly.

"Alright, alright, you caught me. What's happening guys?" she asked.

"Well, we thought you might like to come out with the three of us tomorrow night," said Harry. "Grab a bite to eat, catch a flick, and then see where the night takes us."

"I'd love to, but I just don't think I can. I have so much work to do, but you three should still go," said Jacqui, feeling guilty about having to say no.

"Come on Jacq," said Daniel. "It's never the same without you. I'll even buy you popcorn and save you a seat on my lap."

"Whoa, settle down cowboy. You and Louise have only been apart for a week," Tara pointed out.

"It's a deal Danny boy, but it's got to be popcorn and a drink," she said with a serious expression.

"Wow, Dan hasn't lost his charm with the ladies," said Harry, winking at Daniel.

Tara couldn't resist. "Maybe you could learn a thing or too, baby." At this, everybody laughed as Tara and Harry went into Tara's room and Jacqui shut her door once again.

Daniel loved these people. The distance that had grown between him and his mate, Todd, had disturbed him at first but he was now starting to believe that it was happening for a reason. These three special people who had fallen into his life 'deus ex machina' style back in first year really had been the best thing to happen to him in many years. He'd always had plenty of friends, but none so close as Jacqui, Tara and Harry.

It was the day of Harry's big rugby game and Daniel had been quite productive in the morning. He'd worked through an entire week of lectures except for one course, which he hoped to finish that afternoon while watching the game. He took off for lunch feeling quite proud of himself, but when he came back, he found Tara crying in her room with her door ajar and immediately went in to sit beside her on the bed.

"Aw Tara, it will be okay. What's up?" he asked, pulling her to his side in a sort of hug.

She blew her nose before answering. "I just had a massive fight with Harry."

"What happened?"

"He still won't tell his parents that we're dating," she cried. "He said when we first started going out that he didn't want to tell his parents right away. I understood, because he knew they wouldn't want him having a girl friend while he was studying at university. My parents feel the same way about me having a boyfriend and studying dentistry, but I still told them the truth because I love him. But it's been, what, nearly two years now and he still won't tell them about us." She began to sob uncontrollably.

Daniel didn't quite know what to say. He found himself sympathising more with Harry, whose parents were much like his own. His parents hadn't liked it when he started going out with Louise, and his father admitted only the other day that he was relieved their relationship had come to an end so that Dan could be better prepared for the difficult years ahead. But he certainly understood Tara's logic as well. If Harry loved her enough, surely he would have the confidence to tell his parents about the relationship. He would be upset as well if someone he loved wouldn't tell anyone they were actually dating.

"Maybe he's just waiting for the right time, Tara," Daniel encouraged. "You know it's not an easy thing for him to do. His parents might stop paying for him to come to uni here if they know he's seeing someone."

"Bullshit," wept Tara. "Harry's dreamt of studying medicine for years. There's no way his parents would pull the plug on his dream, for Christ's sake."

"So where do things stand now then?"

"Well I told him to get fucked and he left, so I guess he's back home preparing for the game tonight. There's no way I'm going out later though. You and Jacqui can still go with him if you like."

"Don't worry about that yet, I just want to make sure you're okay. Are you still together then or what?" asked Daniel, genuinely concerned.

"Yeah we are, but he knows that I'm angry about this. I just need some time to myself for a bit," said Tara, reaching for a tissue and wiping the tears away from her eyes. "Ahh look at me, I'm a mess. I'm so sorry you had to see me like this, Dan."

"It's okay, I'm always right next door if you need me." He gave her a tight hug to let her know that he meant what he said. "By the way, Tara," he said, looking over his shoulder as he walked out the door. "I think you should talk to Jacqui about this. She's way better at this shit than I am and she'll know what to do for sure."

"Thanks, Dan," she said, a smile appearing on her face for the first time since the fight.

A couple of hours later, Daniel was sitting on the grandstand overlooking Field 3. Quite a few spectators had gathered to watch the annual clash between the university's School of Medicine and School of Law rugby teams. It was always a heated affair with a history of great rivalry and bad blood between the two schools. It was not rare, for instance, for an all out brawl to occur at some stage throughout the match. There was so much more at stake than the champion's trophy. The winning team would have bragging rights for the year and would have the pleasure of ridiculing the losing team in the school's annual comedy revue. The spectators were always a fiery lot who took a great sense of pride in their faculty, usually rocking up in their school's colours. Daniel, who was a student within the School of Law and who had friends playing on their football team, felt guilty at heart for inwardly supporting the School of Medicine because of Harry. He was determined to sit there and study criminology while the game and the spectators carried on around him, yet he found that the game actually played out very differently.

He was staring at the blank page in front of him before the game started when he felt a sudden impulse to search for Harry as the players were entering the field. The boys made eye contact and the smile on Harry's face told Daniel that he was very happy to see him. The last thing Dan wanted was for Harry to wave goofily and draw attention to him there on the grandstand, but Harry let his huge smile do all the talking. He was glad Dan had come to watch the match. But while Dan had been determined to recap one last topic for the day before partying it up that night, he found that he couldn't take his eyes off the field. He liked to watch the rugby on the television due to the game's fast pace and inherent intensity - characteristics which soccer had sometimes been criticised for lacking. Today, however, he found himself constantly drawn to the player in jersey twelve - Harrison O'Brien. There was no doubt about it; the guy was a dead set stud. In his tight team jersey, his solid biceps almost tore away the seams which formed the sleeves. Similarly, the small satin shorts he was wearing hugged his muscular ass and barely contained his gargantuan legs, bursting with power and strength. With a moderate growth of hair over his arms and legs that was masculine without being unattractive, a tan which was not unhealthily dark but complemented and enhanced his already olive complexion, a light covering of sweat which made his body shimmer in the golden glow of the afternoon sun, and those hypnotic green eyes that tugged at the heartstrings with immense depth and sincerity, Harrison O'Brien was sex. He was passionate, wild, animalistic, sex.

Daniel realised that he had been watching Harry run, kick and tackle his away around the field for twenty minutes without looking at his work once. He shut the blank notepad sitting in his lap and continued to watch the game, no longer pretending to study. At half time, the School of Medicine had scored two tries and converted them both, whereas the School of Law hadn't scored any but had kicked a penalty goal, making the score 12-2. Daniel was immersed in the game and had been watching the players prepare for the second half when he received a message on his phone from Jacqui:

"Dan, not going out tonight sorry. Tara's upset and I'm gonna stay with her."

Daniel replied, saying that he probably wouldn't go out either now that she and Tara weren't going. He was certain that Harry wouldn't want to go without the girls anyway. He felt bad for Harry, who had spent a lot of time organising what they would be doing. Through a Facebook event page he had made especially for the night, he kept them posted with updates like where they would be going for dinner and what movie they'd be seeing. He hated to be the bearer of bad news but he'd tell Harry after the game. Daniel knew he was going to be upset at Tara for screwing everything up because of her fixation with him not telling his parents about their relationship, but he was reluctant to take sides and enter into the politics. He was good friends with them both and knew that taking a side could be an unwise move.

The second half of the football match started and the School of Law found some form, scoring a try within the first three minutes and managing to convert it, bringing the score to 12-8. This put pressure on the budding doctors, who started to make stupid errors on the field. A couple of the players were penalised for being offside, another threw an obvious forward pass, and the captain was sent off the field for a very dangerous tackle. While the wheels appeared to be falling off for the School of Medicine team, Dan noticed that Harry kept his composure and continued to shine on the field, gaining many metres every time he had the ball. He absolutely dominated the competition with his strength, agility and endurance. Even when Harry wasn't in possession of the ball, Daniel found that he was watching him. It wasn't just because Harry was one of the few players he knew, but because he literally could not find the will to take his eyes off of this most amazing and talented athlete.

Daniel started to question his feelings. Why couldn't he take his eyes off this guy? Why did he sense that his feelings stemmed from something far more than mere admiration? What was it about Harry that made him different from any other guy, and why had his dick been hard the entire game? Daniel was transfixed and it wasn't until somebody sitting next to him in the grandstand started talking to him that he snapped out of his reverie.

"Close game this year," said an attractive redhead sitting next to him.

"What? Oh... sorry. Yeah, it is," he managed to say.

"So who are you here for? Law or medicine? Or are you like me and supporting a boyfriend?" she laughed. "I'm totally just kidding."

Daniel pretended to laugh at the comment, despite being taken aback initially. "Law for me, but I have friends on both teams. Who does your partner play for?"

"He's in law too. Jason Packham, number three out there. Maybe you know him?" she asked, curiously.

"Yeah, I know Jason. We've taken a few classes together before. That's pretty cool then," Daniel smiled.

"Definitely. I'm Ashleigh, by the way," she said, extending her hand.

"Dan. It's nice to meet you."

Ashleigh kept talking to Daniel for the rest of the game, despite him wishing she'd stop distracting him with small talk so he could just watch the game in peace. At one stage, Daniel was watching Harry when he stopped running and fell behind the other players, hunched over with his hands on his knees breathing heavily. Dan was immediately worried and stood up, about to make his way down onto the field to see if everything was alright. Harry walked over to the side of the field and met with a drink boy, who handed him a small device from which Harry inhaled.

Dan then realised that it was Harry's asthma puffer, and remembering that Harry suffered from asthma, he sat down again and kept a careful eye on him. After sitting on the bench for a few minutes and regaining his breath, Harry swapped with one of the interchanges and again ran out onto the field.

Daniel remembered the time that he and Harry had been on campus one day when a thick dust storm rolled in from South Australia thanks to the strong North Easterly winds. The dust layer had been heavy and everything was coated in the dirty dusty particles - even the sun had been slightly obscured. On this particular day, Daniel and Harry had grabbed a bite to eat at the refectory when Harry had become grossly short of breath and needed his inhaler, which kept in his backpack. Harry, fast becoming flustered, threw the bag to Daniel and asked him to find the inhaler between very constricted breaths. Daniel had managed to find it amongst an array of paraphernalia at the bottom of the back, but it had given them both a fright and they agreed to stay indoors until the dust storm passed.

Having experienced the aggressive nature of Harry's attacks, he was worried for the boy who was now running around the field as if nothing had happened.

Five minutes before the end of the game, the score was still at 12-8 and either team could win it in the closing seconds. Ashleigh was rooting around in her handbag for her phone and accidentally elbowed the can of drink she had put next to her on the seat. She sent Coca-cola flying all over the seat of the grandstand, soaking Daniel's jeans with sticky soft drink.

"Shit! I'm sorry," she gasped, immediately finding some tissues in her bag and soaking up the mess.

"Fuck," complained Dan. "I only bought these last week."

"Here, let me..." she said, attempting to soak up the moisture from his lap with her tissues and making Daniel feel really uncomfortable, given his erect state.

"Stop," he ordered. "I'll clean it up myself."

'Stupid bitch,' he thought to himself while adjusting his package without drawing attention to himself and walking over to the drinking fountain behind the grandstand. He collected water in his hands and applied it to the spill, hoping it would take some of the stickiness away. Suddenly, he heard an excited roar from the crowd. He couldn't see what was happening, but judging by the excited shouts, he guessed that somebody had broken free from the pack and was racing towards the try line.

"Go Med!" he heard somebody shout before the crowd erupted in screams of jubilation.

As Harrison O'Brien threw a dummy pass to his teammate and dodged the assault from the oncoming winger, he ducked and weaved in a display of fine footwork, finesse and agility to break through the defensive line and run the 55 metres to the try line, planting the ball right beneath the goalposts. He was hit with a wave of euphoria as he heard the cries of the crowd. With only a few minutes left on the clock, his teammates ran up to him and grabbed him in a tight embrace, knowing that Harry's try had secured their victory. With all of the guys celebrating around him, Harry looked up into the grandstand hoping to see Daniel and see the big smile on his face. Daniel, however, was no longer sitting in the spot he'd been occupying for the entire game and Harry knew that could mean only one thing - he'd missed seeing him score the epic try. He scowered the stand with his eyes and couldn't see his mate anywhere, and disappointed, he turned to his teammates and tried to feign a smile.

"What's up, buddy?" his captain, Brody, asked him. "You just scored the winning try. You should be over the moon."

"Yeah, I am, really," he said, grabbing his captain's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.

"A few of the boys are going out afterwards - do you want to come along? We're gonna meet outside the exhibition hall at around 8pm for pre drinks and take a taxi from there."

"Thanks man, I appreciate the offer but I've got other plans tonight. Have fun though."

"You sure? We're gonna do a centurion in the car park. C'mon dude, it'll be awesome."

Harry was firm in his answer. "Can't get out of the plans I already have, but cheers, Brody."

Harry walked off the field sat down, taking a swig from his bottle of Gatorade and screwing the lid on tightly.

Daniel, upon witnessing the team congratulating Harry, realised that he'd just missed his mate score the winning try and felt furious for letting himself be distracted by the annoying girl who had sat next to him. He immediately ran along the edge of the field and took a seat beside Harry.

"Wow, congrats man. That was a brilliant try!" he said, putting his arm around Harry's shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks," Harry said coldly, looking at the ground.

"What's up, who died?" Daniel joked.

"Pretty sure you didn't even see my try dude, but whatever. We still on for tonight?"

Harry appeared to be quite upset that Daniel hadn't been there to see his great work and he felt horrible. Not only had he been caught not being there to see the try, but he now had to tell Harry that the evening's activities had been cancelled because Tara was staying home and Jacqui was going to be keeping her company.

"I'm sorry, buddy, but the clumsy whore beside me soaked me to the skin with her drink. Had to go get cleaned up," he said, examining the fabric around his crotch and thighs.

Harry laughed. "You sure? Those wet patches look awfully suspicious."

"That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!" winked Daniel. "Congrats on the big win, though. I watched every other second of the game, I promise, and you were the star out there."

"Thanks, bro."

"Are you doing okay? It looked like it was all getting a bit too much there at one stage," said Daniel.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just ran a little short on breath, no biggie. Get much work done then?" he asked.

"You've got to be kidding! I didn't even put pen to paper the whole time."

Harry put his hand in Dan's lap and felt the fabric. Dan's dick jerked at Harry's touch and he prayed his mate wouldn't notice.

"It's so sticky! You sure that cute redhead up there wasn't giving you something more than a lap full of soda?"

Harry said, eyeing him suspiciously.

Dan laughed. "Oh yeah, you know I love a bit of a hand job up in there in the stands while I watch a group of dudes run around and tackle each other."

"I knew it," he giggled. As Harry withdrew his hand from Daniel's lap, he accidentally brushed it against Dan's hard crotch and pulled away quickly, a look of fear flashing across his face.

"Fuck, I'm sorry dude. I didn't mean to..." he started.

"It's okay, I know you wanted to feel me up," Daniel laughed, making light of the situation.

"You're onto me. I'm gonna have to be more subtle next time," he said, relieved that he hadn't offended his bud.

But Daniel couldn't leave things there. He felt he needed to justify his erection so Harry wouldn't think he'd been the cause of that too.

"I haven't gotten off for I don't know how long. Definitely not since Louise and I broke up last weekend," he stated timidly.

"Yeah, I could tell you were packing some serious wood down there," Harry ventured. "I'll make it my personal mission to get you laid tonight, I promise. What time are we meeting the others?"

Daniel couldn't avoid the topic any longer. He had to tell Harry that it had all been cancelled.

"Umm I don't think it's happening any more. Tara kind of... pulled the pin on it," said Dan, feeling embarrassed.

"What do you mean? Why?" Harry asked.

"She said you guys fought today and she wasn't in the mood to go out tonight," he replied. "But look, it's none of my business, Harry. You two need to sort it out between yourselves. Just let Jacq and I know when everything is sorted out."

"Did she tell you what we fought about?" asked Harry, after some thought.

"Yeah, but I'm not entering into that one," Dan warned.

"Fuck, just because she's pissed at me, doesn't mean the night has to be ruined. The three of us can still have a great time. Tell Jacqui to meet us somewhere," Harry instructed.

"I don't think you understand," said Daniel. "Jacqui is staying home with Tara because she's still pretty upset about it all. I figured I'd just stay back too, but you're welcome to come back to mine and play the Wii or whatever."

Harry was gutted. He had been looking forward to the night for so many reasons. The four of them saw each other often enough, but they rarely had the chance to go out together and just let their hair down. He'd put a lot of effort into organising the night and felt incredibly bitter towards Tara, who, in his mind, had really thrown a spanner in the works. Then there was the fact that his best mates, Daniel and Jacqui, appeared to be siding with her by spending the night together back at college without him. He felt so ostracised and alone, and it hurt badly.

"I see how it is, Danny," he said.

"How what is?" asked Daniel, intrigued.

"You've picked Tara over me because you all live together. It's so fucking obvious," said Harry, standing up and starting to walk away. Daniel latched onto the back of his jersey and stopped him.

"Sit the fuck down," Daniel said, angrily.

Harry sat. "Dan, let's get real here for a minute. Tara has got Jacqui's shoulder to cry on whenever she wants, and I always assumed that you'd have my back when I needed a mate or whatever, but when push comes to shove, it's clear that you're more worried about what Tara will think," he said. "She's got both of you guys wrapped around her little finger and I'm left with nobody."

Harry's words struck Daniel to the core. He had not wanted to take sides in this conflict because he knew he'd end up hurting somebody, but he never realised that by not taking a side, he was actually betraying Harry in some small regard - the same Harry who had always been there for him regardless of the circumstances. It was Harry who spoke again first.

"I'm not mad at you, Dan. I'm sorry for getting so worked up. It's just that I've been looking forward to this all week," he said, calmly. "I can't believe a simple argument has blown into all this."

"I know, me too," said Daniel. "Look, I just assumed that because Tara and Jacqui weren't going, you wouldn't want to go out anymore."

"That's ridiculous. You and I can still do something, if you're up for that?" Harry suggested.

"Yeah, what do you have in mind?" Dan asked.

"Well who says we have to change our plans just because they've decided they're not going to come? We'll grab a bite to eat somewhere, bum around the cinema for a bit and then hit up the city," Harry suggested.

"That sounds great. I'm definitely up for that," Daniel remarked.

"Cool, then how about we head back to mine so I can get freshened up a little and then we head off?" Harry asked.

"Ummm, I'd prefer to head back to college, mate. I need to get out of these wet jeans."

"But my clothes are back home..." Harry pointed out.

"I'm sure there'll be something that fits you in my wardrobe, don't stress," Dan laughed.

"Alrighty, sounds good, bud. It'll be quicker going back to yours anyway - so much closer," he said.

Daniel was elated. There had just been hundreds of eyes on this jock just minutes earlier as he ran around the field and won the game for his team. Everyone had been in absolute awe of him, practically worshipping the ground he walked on. He could have gone out and celebrated with his teammates tonight, but he had instead chosen Dan and Dan alone to share the victory with him. He hadn't quite looked forward to something so much for a very long time and he wondered why. What was different about tonight from other occasions? The answer came to him as he and Harry stood up and began walking back towards college. He was virtually going out on a date with another guy.

And not just any kind of date with any normal guy, but going out for dinner and a movie with Harrison O'Brien - the guy he'd practically spent the last hour transfixed on and had even sprung a boner over. 'What the fuck is happening to me?' he thought to himself. 'We're just mates.'

It didn't take them too long to reach the college, and when they arrived on the corridor, they found that Jacqui's door was open but she was nowhere to be found, whereas Tara's was closed.

"You think maybe Jacqui is in there with Tara?" Harry asked Daniel.

"Yeah, I reckon," said Daniel, opening his door. "Come in, bro. Make yourself comfortable."

As they entered the room, Daniel pulled the door shut behind him and put his study materials on his desk. Harry, however, threw off his shoes and shocks and whipped off his shirt, laying himself down on Dan's bed flat on his stomach. Daniel inhaled sharply as he turned around and his mate laying there, his bronzed back exposed in all its splendour. The firm muscles of his shoulder blades were apparent as Harry lay there with his eyes closed. Dan was amazed at the stunning way in which his broad shoulders tapered down into such a slender waist, disappearing into his skimpy rugby pants. His ass looked so hot, bulging in the tight shorts and producing two very edible satin-clad mounds. Daniel studied the large thighs which emerged from their confines with his eyes, his gaze taking in every minute detail and following the linear path of his very sexy legs. He even found himself staring at the guy's feet, which were broad across the centre with a fairly low arch. The skin there was tanned just like the rest of his body.

From Daniel's position, it looked so smooth and he craved to feel it beneath his fingers. Everything about this boy was absolute perfection, and Daniel began to chub up in his jeans as he examined the God lying on his bed. He had never had this reaction to another boy before, and it scared the hell of out him. But then again, he'd never met a boy as beautiful as Harry. Tara Connelly was one lucky bitch to call him her boyfriend.

"It feels so good to lie down," Harry said suddenly, opening his eyes and rolling onto his back. He raised his knees into the air and hugged them with his muscular forearms, pulling his heels to rest against his ass so that his feet were flat against the bedspread below.

"We've got a big night ahead of us yet! Don't you go falling asleep there!" Daniel giggled, now bright red in the face and trying to conceal his bulging crotch with a manila folder from his desk.

"Can I borrow a towel? I might go and grab a shower down the hall," Harry said. "I smell rank after the rugby game."

"Yeah, sure." He threw Harry a towel and a plastic container with a cake of soap in it, before Harry headed to the communal bathroom shared by all the residents on the floor.

Daniel took his time getting dressed, choosing his clothes carefully. He put had put on a blue polo shirt and some shorts, but changed his mind after looking in the mirror and opted for a tee shirt and some jeans instead. It was a far more casual look, but still Daniel stressed over his appearance. He was styling his hair when Harry came into the room with the towel around his waist. Daniel couldn't help but notice Harry's reflection in the mirror and the sizeable bulge his crotch made in the front of the towel.

"Nice and clean again," he said, shutting the door and locking it.

"Yeah, I bet," said Daniel, trying to focus on his hair but with very little success.

"Dude, no, you're doing it all wrong. Look, like this," Harry said as he put his hand through Daniel's hair and adjusted the way it sat. With just a couple of unabashed strokes through his hair, even Daniel was impressed with the look. It had all been so simple, but suddenly his look went from being one that was intentionally styled with gel to one that was sexy, natural and unpretentious. Daniel loved it.

"Alright, what have you got for me to wear, Danny boy?" Harry asked, clearly impressed with his work.

Daniel opened the wardrobe door and let him take his pick. He knew that whatever Harry chose, it would look good on him as he just had such a way with clothes. They hugged his body in all of the right places and Tara had once even commented that he could even make a brown paper bag look trendy.

"I'll go outside while you get dressed if you want," said Daniel.

"Nah it's okay. I need you to help me pick something out."

Daniel grabbed the pair of shorts and the blue polo shirt he had picked for himself earlier and threw them on the bed. He hadn't liked how they looked on him, and wondered how Harry would make them work for him.

"Can I borrow some briefs too, Dan? Sorry, I'll wash them before I hand them back to you!" Harry pleaded.

"I have lice dude. You still wanna wear them?"

"That's hot. Definitely," he laughed. "But you are kidding right?"

"Of course. Go ahead, top drawer," Dan informed him.

"Cheers. Oh, these ones have monkeys on them! Can I wear these ones?"

Daniel knew the pair he was talking about and smiled. "Yeah you can wear those, but I want them back. They're my favourites."

It was then that Harry dropped his towel to the floor and Daniel sneaked a quick glance in the mirror at the merchandise. It was the first time he had ever seen Harry completely naked, and he certainly wasn't disappointed with what he saw. Harry kept his pubes trimmed fairly short, accentuating the size of his impressive cock. It was a good three inches in this soft state, hanging over two large, egg-shaped testes. Although it was only a quick glance, Daniel was most in awe of the foreskin which concealed the head of Harry's dick. Being cut himself, Daniel hadn't really seen an uncircumcised penis before and he was intrigued. Even his own father was cut and this almost alien appendage between Harry's legs really piqued his curiosity. But as quickly as his dick had come into view, it was again hidden, this time within Dan's very own Mitch Dowd monkey briefs. It gave him a bit of a thrill to know that this superstar of the rugby field was wearing his briefs. Dan's eyes travelled north to explore Harry's exposed washboard abs - small water droplets having collected on them in the shower and glimmering in the light.

Harry reached for the towel and dried his chest and abs before pulling on the polo shirt that Dan had picked out for him. However, instead of doing up the bottom button and adjusting the collar, he just let it be. It gave him a look of rugged nonchalance and made him look hot.

"Fuck," Daniel moaned a little too audibly as Harry pulled on the jeans.

"What's that, Dan?" Harry said, looking up at Dan who had been admiring him.

"You make everything look like it was actually made for you. My shit suits you better than it suits me," he said in disbelief.

He just laughed. "Whatever, bro. All of your clothes are a little tight on me but provided they look alright, I don't really mind. Let's get out of this place and grab some dinner."

Dan turned off the light and shut the door behind him as they prepared to take the short walk into town to eat.

• III -

The boys were thoroughly enjoying their foot long subs and judging by the way they were tearing into them, onlookers would have guessed that neither of them had eaten in days.

"You must be really enjoying that chicken fillet sub - you haven't said a word since we arrived," said Harry.

"Sorry, just have a lot on my mind tonight," Daniel answered honestly.

"Like what?" Harry probed.

"Like... exams and stuff."

"Forget all about that stuff tonight. We're gonna have a blast not giving a stuff about uni for just one night," Harry reiterated.

"How's your sub then?" asked Dan, trying to change the subject.

"Mate, the meatball sub is always good. Can't go past it."

Daniel felt uneasy, almost as if he was betraying Tara by being out with Harry tonight. It wasn't just because the two of them were fighting and he hadn't taken her side, but also because of the improper thoughts he was beginning to foster for Harry. The conversation seemed to stall and the silence between them was deafening. As Harry finished his dinner, he resolved to get to the bottom of it once and for all.

"Alright spill, Danny. You're not fooling anyone. What's up?"

"Nothing," Daniel replied bluntly.

"Is it Louise? Seriously, man, you need to get over her."

"Nah I'm cool with the whole Louise scenario. I feel relieved that it's over more than anything," he confessed.

"What? Why?" asked Harry.

"We were both just too busy and I was starting to feel like spending time with her was too much of a chore.

Besides," he answered, "I think we'd kind of lost that spark that made us special to each other in the first place."

"If it's not Louise that's weighing on your mind, what is it?" Harry pushed.

"Just drop it, Harry. I don't want to talk about it."

"I know you've had a rough week, but that's why I organised all this tonight - to help you forget about all that.

You're my best mate, Danny, just tell me what's going on so I can help," demanded Harry with a look of genuine sympathy on his face. It almost made Daniel feel guilty for being such a jerk.

"What time is the movie?" Daniel asked, again changing the subject.

"We're not leaving here until you tell me what's going on inside that head of yours."

"Alright then, why don't you tell me what the deal is with Tara? Why don't you tell your parents about her? You know that would mean the world to her."

Harry didn't talk as he absorbed Dan's words and processed them, trying his hardest to give an honest and thoughtful response.

"Dan, I would if I could. But there is so much at stake and they may cut me off completely if they know I'm seeing someone."

"That's rubbish and you know it. I'm not buying into that. I've always imagined your parents to be the most loving people," said Dan.

"I don't want to talk about it at the moment," Harry said suddenly.

"My, look how the tables have turned!" laughed Daniel sarcastically.

"I promise I will explain everything to you, Daniel," said Harry with a very serious expression on his face. "But a Subway restaurant just isn't the place to do it."

"Alright, but I'm going to keep prying until you tell me, okay?"

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Harry chuckled. "Let's get to this movie, buddy."

Upon arriving at the movie complex and buying their tickets, Harry told Dan to go into the cinema and grab a seat while he went to the bathroom. Daniel did as he was instructed and waited patiently for Harry to return. In the meantime, he thought about the conversation they'd just shared. Things definitely didn't add up and he intended to get to the bottom of it. The lights dimmed and the previews for upcoming releases started flashing across the screen.

Harry returned promptly carrying two drinks and a large carton of freshly made popcorn.

"What the hell is all this?" Dan asked, surprised.

"I'm just pulling a leaf out of the old 'Coombes Guide to Dating'. I figure I should definitely keep my date happy and you can't go far wrong with popcorn and Coke combo," Harry laughed, handing Dan his drink and the popcorn as he sat down.

"Well your date is very impressed," joked Daniel. "But don't try to make any moves on me in the dark or you might just be leaving the cinema alone, buddy."

"Awww, and here I was thinking I'd get to sit in your lap like you offered Jacqui last night if she tagged along,"

Harry reminded him.

"You have a memory like a fucking elephant!" said Daniel.

"I just know what I want and I go for it. Can't blame a guy for trying!"

"Pervert," laughed Daniel, grabbing a hand full of popcorn and throwing at him. Harry picked up the loose pieces and stuffed them in his mouth.

They had chosen to watch an action movie and it was spectacular to say the least. The latest trend was to watch movies in 3D, and while you paid more for the privilege, the special effects were brilliant. The film was very engaging and Daniel found that all of things that had been on his mind earlier in the night disappeared as he became immersed in the cinematic experience of the big screen in three dimensions and the surround sound. He was somewhat startled, then, when Harry nudged him gently in the side with his elbow and began whispering in his ear.

"What do you think so far?" he asked in a hushed tone.

"It's good," replied Daniel, "although I don't think I'll be watching it again when it comes out on DVD. It's really something you have to see in the cinema."

"Yeah, I agree," Harry concurred. "Hey, I'm going to get a choc top from the candy bar. Do you want anything?"

"Yeah grab me some M&Ms if you wouldn't mind, bro." Dan grabbed his wallet out but Harry left before he could give him the money.

When Harry returned, he sat down and handed over the goodies.

"Let me fix you up for that, dude," said Daniel, pulling out a few dollars in change from his wallet and holding his hand out for Daniel to take it.

"I'm not gonna let you pay me, just deal with it," said Harry, resolutely.

"Take the fucking money," Daniel said, trying to sound serious but giggling as the elderly woman sitting in front of him glared at them over her shoulder. Harry felt guilty when he saw the woman's dismay and stopped resisting, so Daniel forced the money into his pocket. He could feel Harry's firm, warm thigh through the thin fabric of the pocket and shivers went down his spine. His hand was only millimetres from Harry's most private parts and he had to restrain himself from reaching further into the pocket to grasp his dick.

'Pull yourself together Daniel, you douchebag!' he thought, mentally reprimanding himself as he quickly removed his hand.

By the time the movie finished, the boys headed to the bus stop to catch a ride into the city. Daniel owned a car, but with so little room to park on campus and priority parking at college going to staff and third year students, he was forced to leave it at home and take public transport everywhere. Luckily, the system was fairly reliable and there were never too many hassles.

"Good movie?" Daniel asked as they queued.

"Yeah, I really enjoyed it but I reckon it could have probably ended half an hour before it did," said Harry.

"Mmm you're right, and those cardboard 3D glasses you have to wear were really starting to hurt the bridge of my nose," he complained.

"Aww, does poor little Danny need a bandaid?" Harry asked mockingly, reaching out and giving Dan's nose a once-over with his hand. "Oh yes, it's as I feared. I think I'm going to have to operate."

Daniel laughed hysterically. "Get your cotton pickin' hands off face! I wouldn't know where they've been!"

"Alright, alright," Harry laughed, "but FYI, I happen to have very clean and steady hands. These babies are gonna be doing surgery one day."

"Yeah, whatever, Dr Seuss," teased Dan. "Fox in socks with blocks and clocks, sir. That's about the strength of your doctoring capabilities."

"Luckily for you, I used to love that sort of stuff as a kid. I'll take that as a compliment."

The boys arrived in the inner city at around 10pm, and Dan let Harry take charge as he'd already planned everything prior. Harry led him to a club on the far side of the city called The Metro - a popular establishment among wealthy university students who were able to afford the $15 cover charge and the overpriced beverages.

They had both been there many times before, but usually in larger groups with other people. Daniel recalled the time he had been with some of the guys from his soccer team and they'd been kicked out after he'd vomited over the railing of the upstairs balcony. However, having a lot of study to do the following day and in the coming week, they both decided that they weren't going to get completely wasted tonight and write off their study time tomorrow, as they had done so many times previously.

After being checked for ID and receiving access inside, the boys were hit by an almost paralysing wall of sound which reverberated off the many glass fixtures and hangings. Inside the club was very dark, with the walls painted black and the light heavily dimmed. A strobe light illuminated the dance floor on the ground level, which was already packed with the people by the time they arrived. Many groups of people had congregated around sitting areas, sipping away on drinks while a long queue formed at the bar for refills. The loud techno music and the wild moves being displayed on the dance floor helped to create a kind of carefree atmosphere in the club, and Daniel soon found that his resolution not to drink much in favour of having a level head about him tomorrow was an almost impossible ask of himself. He and Harry went to the bar and started the night with a glass of beer.

While they were looking around for somewhere to go, Harry spotted some people he knew from his course and decided to join up with them. All of the necessary introductions were made, and everyone was soon getting along like they'd known each other for years. Despite it being a night out and a break away from all things academic, the conversation soon found its way to the inevitable topic of coursework and university. Daniel felt slightly excluded from the exchange due to the medical nature of the conversation, but he tried his best to contribute his limited input wherever possible.

"So what do you study, Daniel?" asked the guy sitting next to him. Daniel looked up and immediately felt guilty for forgetting the guy's name after the introductions just a short while ago. Judging by the pitch of his voice and the small lisp he spoke with, Daniel got the impression that the guy was gay. His wiry, straight hair, feminine facial features and overt piercings also sent alarm bells ringing for Daniel, who felt inexplicably uncomfortable in his presence. He had known of a few gay people at school and uni, but he'd never really spoken to anyone who liked the same sex before. His parents had said many negative things at home before relating to homosexuality, such as the prevalence of STIs and the inability for gays to feel anything more than a sense of lust for their partners. Dan was old enough to make up his own mind and usually detested his parents very prejudiced views towards minority groups. Normally he would be okay with meeting someone who was gay, but tonight it was a very different scenario. He had recently come to find himself staring at Harry and taking in his very attractive features. He found himself on numerous occasions appraising the physical beauty of the young jock, and was also unable to explain the impure he thoughts he had begun to have about him. Harry had always just been a friend and a close friend at that, but the constant sexual innuendo and banter between the two of them was beginning to have an effect on him - he was starting to consider the possibility that he may not be as straight as he once thought.

"I'm doing Economics/Law," Dan said wearily.

"Oh cool, we're very similar then. I'm doing Business Management at Sydney Tech and hope to one day own a little juice place of my own," said the stranger.

"Sounds good to me," Daniel said with a smile, not wanting to patronise the guy or intimidate him by explaining the vast difference between Economics and Business Management. "How do you know the others here then?"

"Well," he began, "my partner here, Josh, is studying Medicine over at Sydney Uni and knows a bunch of the guys.

I usually tag along with his mates - you all seem like really nice people."

Daniel had felt so certain that the guy was gay, but now that it was confirmed, he felt disarmed and didn't really have any reason not to like the guy. It wasn't as if he was trying to cover it up or anything. He was upfront and honest, and in a way, Daniel wished he could be that way with himself.

Just then, the boy who Dan guessed was Josh looked over and smiled at him. "It's Josh," he said, offering his hand.

"I didn't quite catch your name earlier, I'm sorry."

Dan was surprised by just how friendly everyone was being. He quickly glanced over at Harry who was deep in conversation with a girl he recognised as Annabel, Harry's housemate, and he felt a wave of jealousy come crashing down on him. He looked back at Josh trying to forget the beaming smile he had seen on Harry's face.

"Um... I'm Dan," he mumbled. "Dan Coombes."

"Please to meet ya, Dan," said a very cheerful Josh. "I hope Marcus here hasn't been spreading shit already. I leave him alone for one minute and he's already chatting up the hottest guy in the room."

"What? Me?" asked Dan, baffled by the forward remark but also a little flattered. He felt his face beginning to burn up and worried that he was glowing a bright shade of red. "I dunno what to say!" he laughed.

"I dunno what to say either!" Marcus protested. "He told me the same thing a few minute ago! What am I supposed to believe?" he said with as smirk.

Josh leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips to silence him. Daniel couldn't help but to stare at them as they engaged in such a public display of affection. He was amazed at how comfortable they were with each other and with themselves, and he didn't recall ever feeling that way at any stage during the time he was with Louise. Looking at Josh, he would never have guessed he was gay. Dan had to concede that the dude was hot. He had a relatively deep voice and a masculinity that Marcus seemed to lack. He again looked over at Harry who was laughing his head off at something Annabel had told him. Harry really was a spectacular guy and at that moment, he wished it was him in Annabel's chair making him laugh so profusely. Marcus snapped him out of his daydream.

"So where's your girlfriend tonight?" he asked. "Is she here?"

"What? Oh, nah I'm single," Daniel said.

"I thought for sure that a guy like you would be in a relationship," Josh piped in.

"What do you mean, 'like me'?" he asked, a little offended.

"Guys who are as good looking and as intelligent as you don't stay single for long, Dan," Marcus clarified.

"Aw shucks," said Daniel, not really knowing where to look. "Well I just broke up with my girlfriend last week."

"Ah, I'm sorry man, that must be hard for you," said Marcus sadly.

"Thanks, but it was probably for the best. I'm staying pretty busy," Dan admitted.

"But everyone needs a little bit of down time too," said Josh. "Partners are good for that. They make sure you keep a pretty good balance... well, when they're not calling you up for hour long conversations the night before an exam or not letting you get out of bed all day on the weekend," he laughed.

"Don't pretend you don't love it," Marcus teased, grabbing Josh's hand and lacing their fingers together.

"You guys really make a nice couple," Dan offered. "It's kind of nice to see."

"Thanks buddy," said Josh. "Look, I know it's probably not your scene but how would you like to come with us to The Fox tonight after we finish up here? Might get in a few good hours before it closes."

"You mean the gay club over on Elizabeth Street?" asked Dan, suddenly becoming a little anxious.

"The one and only!" Marcus giggled. "You don't have to come, but I reckon you'd have a great time. Everyone there is so friendly."

"I dunno guys, I've never been to a gay club before. I don't think it's really my thing," he confessed.

"You don't have to be gay to go there, and we're not going to turn you queer or anything," Marcus rebutted.

"Although we'll sure as hell try," Josh said under his breath, causing all the boys to laugh.

"Look guys, I appreciate the offer, really, but Harry's made all the plans for tonight and I'm kind of just following him."

"Oh you're Harry's mate?" asked Josh. "I've known Harry for a few years now, even before we started university actually. We both went to the Uni of Sydney for a Science immersion program back in high school, and we ended up swapping email addresses and staying in touch until voila, here we are now both studying the same thing."

"That's awesome!" Dan remarked. "He's a pretty wild one, our Harry."

"Christ yes!" laughed Josh. "He'd kill me if he knew I was telling you this, but all of the first years had an 'end of semester' cocktail party last year to celebrate finishing exams and going on summer break. Well, we were all dressed up and..."

The words blurred as Daniel looked over at Harry and noticed that he still only had the one beer in front of him that he'd barely touched all night. Daniel himself had consumed at least six or seven standard drinks and was beginning to feel a buzz from the liquor. Harry had promised to get him laid tonight as a kind of sympathetic gesture for his break up with Louise, and yet here he was fawning all over his own housemate. Dan felt almost betrayed in a way as the night had promised to be so exciting. As the alcohol kicked in, Dan was feeling extremely frustrated and broke out into a sweat, feeling hot around the neck of his shirt. He was glad he hadn't chosen to wear the polo shirt that Harry was now dressed in, with its high sitting collar and irritating coarse cotton texture.

"...he was just lying there, totally exposed and everyone thought it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen," Josh finished, barely able to contain his laughter recounting the story.

"Sounds hilarious," Daniel lied, feigning a laugh, "but if you'll excuse me boys, I'm just heading off to the little boys' room."

As Daniel stood up, his head spun a little bit and he found it difficult to walk in a straight line. It usually took more than six drinks to get him this tipsy, but the short time frame in which he had consumed the drinks had really contributed to the strong effect they were having on him. He managed to make it to the bathroom without making too much of a fool of himself, but fumbled around with his jeans, trying to get the fly undone. Eventually, he was able to free his cock and peed like a racehorse while standing at the urinal, but as he shook the remaining drops from his flaccid dick, the bathroom door swung open and another patron took a spot next to him, perhaps a little closer than bathroom etiquette would have deemed acceptable.

"Look at the scum they let into these places," Dan heard Harry say, and he looked over at him with a smile.

"Yeah, the standard is pretty low judging by your appearance here," said Dan.

"How's your night going so far?" Harry asked.

"It's not bad. I've been talking to your friend, Josh, and his boyfriend, Marcus. They seem like reasonable guys,"

Daniel said, pulling up his zip and walking over to the basins.

"Yeah, I saw you guys talking. They're both really cool. Hey, they've invited us out to The Fox afterwards. Wanna go?" Harry asked.

"What? You're seriously considering taking them up on their offer?" Daniel asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, why not? It'll be a bit of a fun and we've got nothing better to do. Besides, Tara will believe me when I say I didn't cheat on her if you can verify we went to a gay bar," he laughed.

"I thought you'd wanna get back home to dear Annabel," fired Dan, a little bitter.

"What the fuck? Are you serious bro? She's just my housemate! Eww that's gross, I can't believe you'd even go there!" Harry said with a look of disgust on his face.

"You two sure seemed to be getting along pretty well tonight. You're in buddy," Dan laughed, feeling appalled with himself.

"No way! First and foremost, just because Tara and I are fighting, doesn't mean I'd ever cheat on her and secondly, I hardly ever see Annabel! We've got different timetables and rarely get to catch up, so it's nice to come out tonight and talk over a few drinks," Harry said, correcting Daniel's false assumptions while finishing up at the urinal and making his way over the basin beside which Dan was now standing.

"Alright, I guess I believe you. But why a sudden interest in the gay bar? That was never in the plans for the night."

"Because it's a bit of light hearted fun, Danny. I promised I'd get you laid tonight, didn't I? And well... with that cute little ass of yours, I don't think you'll have any problems picking up over at The Fox," Harry said cheekily.

"But what if we get hit on by other dudes?" Daniel asked seriously, not really seeing Harry's humour.

"Then you should be flattered! If it's too much, we can go home, I promise. But at least give it a try and you might just enjoy yourself. I've never been either so it'll be a new experience for us both," Harry said enthusiastically.

"Okay, I'll go but the minute it gets weird, I'm outta there," he promised.

"Sweet. Well, it'll just be the four of us - most of the others are pussying out and heading back home."

The boys made their way back to the main area and noticed that the numbers had considerably diminished. They, too, said their farewells and headed across town with Marcus and Josh. After getting quite hot in the club, the cool night air was a welcome change so they all chose to walk rather than fork out a taxi fare.

It was already 1am by the time they arrived at The Fox, and Dan found upon entering that the club had a very different atmosphere to that of The Metro. There was a live musician playing a guitar and singing songs from the 80s and 90s, and the dance floor was absolutely packed with both guys and girls, though few were actually crossing the gender divide and dancing together. It was quite obvious to Daniel that this was a gay club just by looking at the clientele. Many of the guys were dressed effeminately, wearing fluffy sashes without a shirt and extremely tight jeans, usually with their arm wrapped around another guy or their body grinding into another dude on the dance floor.

Daniel didn't quite know where to look. The chicks, many of whom had shortly cropped hair, Daniel mistook for guys and he was very weirded out by the whole thing. He was feeling uncomfortable, not because the people here repulsed him, but because he here with Harry, who was the epitome of masculinity and someone he was starting to see in a different light. He wondered whether the guys here had started off like him, thinking they were straight, then inexplicably falling for another boy and turning gay. He was scared by this prospect, and Harry sensed his discomfort.

"Just tell me when you're ready to leave - we don't have to stick around," he said, grabbing Dan by bicep and giving him a bit of a reassuring squeeze.

"I feel like I should be covering my ass," Dan joked.

Harry laughed pretty hard at the comment. "Don't flatter yourself, bro. It's not all that great."

"But you said it was cute earlier," Dan protested, displaying a sense of disappointment which was jocular in nature.

"Yeah, well, I'm starting to sober up now," he laughed.

'You've only had one drink all night, what the hell are you on about?' Daniel thought. "Well then, can I get you another drink?" he asked instead.

"Sure, that'd be great man," Harry said.

Harry took in his surroundings while Daniel went to the bar. He'd never stepped foot in a gay bar before because he'd always worried what people he knew would think if they saw him there. Would they jump to the conclusion that he was gay? He wondered why he was so worried about it because in reality, nobody would ever pick a jock like him to be gay. But deep down, he still worried. Was it a guilty conscience? He had a nagging feeling that all his sexual innuendo with Dan and his inability to tell his parents about Tara were evidence of something much more sinister. He preferred not to even think about that. He distracted himself with rugby and working out, and between his busy schedule, he would frequently visit Tara and usually leave feeling satisfied sexually. These were all things that didn't require too much brain power so they were easy ways for Harry to distract himself.

Tonight, he planned to drink very little so that he could have some study time tomorrow. But he wanted Daniel to think that he was wasted so not to appear like wimp. He cared a lot about what other people thought of him - particularly someone he valued as much as Daniel. Another added benefit of not drinking was he'd be able to think quickly on his feet in case an unpleasant situation arose. Such an occasion presented itself while Daniel was queuing for drinks. A guy approached Harry wearing just a pair of tight black jeans and a vest that was typically worn with a suit, but in this case it was just over his naked torso.

"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" the guy asked Harry.

"Oh, I've got one coming thanks buddy. Cheers anyway," Harry responded.

"Well I've got the next one then," the guy said. "I'm Justin, by the way."

"Nice to meet ya, I'm Harrison but my mates call me Harry."

"So, you single Harry?" Justin asked him, eying him all over.

Harry suddenly felt very uncomfortable under the dude's gaze. He felt that he was being inspected like a piece of meat, and he did not like where all this was heading. He needed to think quickly.

"Nah, I'm in a relationship," said Harry nervously.

"Oh who's the lucky guy?" Justin pressed further.

"Umm... well, the thing is..." Harry stuttered.

Just then, Daniel returned to the spot he'd left Harry and saw that he was chatting to a guy who was very blatantly out of the closet and appeared to be chatting him up.

"Harry, here's your drink, bro," said Dan, eying the stranger.

"Thanks, stud," said Harry, relieved to have just been granted an out. Dan looked at him quizzically and he leaned in and bit the bottom of his earlobe playfully, whispering, "I'm sorry Dan, just play along."

Daniel smiled. "No worries, man. Who's this you're talking to?" he asked, wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder and pulling him closer to him.

"I'm Justin!" he said excitedly. "Wow, you two are fucking hot! If you ever want to add another guy to your bedroom fun, make sure you let me know," he giggled.

"Nah, not interested bud. He's all mine," stated Daniel proudly, giving Harry a playful spank on the ass.

"Aw, that's so cute. I wouldn't be letting him go if he was mine either," Justin admitted.

Harry couldn't believe how well Daniel was playing along. He was pretty damn good at pretending to be gay and if he was honest with himself, it felt kind of cool pretending to be his boyfriend. He put his right hand in the back pocket of Dan's jeans and felt up his firm globes through the material just to be a bit of a tease. He knew he could get away with it for now, and if Dan confronted him about it later, he'd just say he was trying to play along as best he could.

"So how long have you guys been dating?" Justin questioned.

"Well it's been almost six months now," Harry said quickly before Dan could contradict him.

"Best six months of my life," Dan chimed in, making it sound authentic. His erection was every bit authentic, but lucky Harry couldn't see that. He took a sip of his drink.

"Did you meet at a club or were you friends beforehand or what?" he asked impatiently, keen to hear of this tremendous love story.

"Well," said Dan as if starting an epic tale, "I'd been working as a pool boy over the summer to earn a little extra money. Harry's parents saw my ad in the paper and hired me to scoop the leaves, balance the chemicals, you know the drill." Dan looked over at Harry raised an eye brow, clearly entertained and curious to see where the story was going. Daniel decided to get even with him for putting him in this situation. "You know what, Harry tells the story so much better than me. Let him tell you," Dan said with a cocky smile.

"Oh thanks, Daniel," he said, giving Dan a death stare. "Well as Dan said, he was cleaning my pool over the summer and this one day when I was home by myself, he showed up to scoop leaves wearing the skimpiest Speedo I've ever seen. Well I just couldn't stop staring at him and he caught me with my eyes locked on his cute bubble butt." Harry paused and squeezed it through Dan's pocked for effect, causing Daniel to jump a little. "Next thing I know, he's in the pool doing laps and asking me to join him."

"This sounds so hot. Man I wish I had a pool boy as hot as Dan," Justin giggled. Harry looked over at Daniel and gave him a very knowing smile.

"Needless to say, my charm won him over and he hopped in with me," Daniel interrupted.

"Hey, who's telling this story, buddy?" Harry asked, pretending to sound angry but coming across as adorable.

"I was just going to tell Justin about the way you carried me back to your bedroom and had your way with me,"

Daniel giggled, shooting Harry a very sarcastic look, "but if you'd prefer to tell him then be my guest."

"Shhh, let's not tell him about that," Harry said, trying to escape having to make up intimate details on the spot. "Let me just say that I love this dude more than I can ever say." He turned to Daniel and offered him a smile that was so sincere and genuine that Daniel felt for an instant that he wasn't actually playing the game any more. Dan's heart melted, and knowing that this could be the one time in his life he'd ever get away with it, he leaned and kissed Harry on his right cheek.

Harry's heart raced at a hundred miles an hour as this beautiful boy kissed him so delicately. It was a feeling her had never before experienced, and while it was a huge thrill at first, he fast remembered that Dan was putting on an act to fool Justin, and he immediately felt disappointed. A very big part of him wished Daniel was kissing him for real, and while he couldn't explain it, he knew that's what he wanted.

Justin was visibly tenting in his tight jeans and made no attempt to cover it in any way. He grabbed his erect dick through his pants and tried to rearrange it a little as Harry and Dan pretended not to watch. "You boys should go out there and dance together," Justin finally said. "Every eye in the room will be on you, I swear to God!"

"Nah, we like to play it low," Harry said. "I wouldn't mind but Daniel here hates all the attention."

"Get your sweet ass out there on the dance floor, bitch, and we'll see who hates the attention then," Daniel said, putting his empty glass on the nearby table and forcefully pushing Harry in the direction of the dance floor.

As if cued to perfection, the musician finished the up beat song that he had been playing. He began to pluck away tenderly at his guitar strings, signalling the start of a slower, more romantic ballad. Harry threw his arms around Dan's neck and moved close to him.

"I'm so sorry Daniel, I owe you big time," said Harry apologetically. "I had no idea the night would turn out like this."

"Just make this dance good. We'll discuss punishment later," he laughed.

The beautiful tenor voice of the musician and twangy staccato plucks of the strings complemented one another perfectly. The music flooded their senses and they began to sway with one another, blocking out all that was happening around them.

"It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart.

Without saying a word, you can light up the dark.

Try as I may I can never explain, What I hear when you don't say a thing.

"The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.

There's a truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall.

You say it best, when you say nothing at all."

Many of the people who had been dancing moved to the side of the floor to watch these two incredibly attractive guys dance so elegantly together. Harry withdrew his arms from around Dan's neck and moved them to his waist, pulling him closer. Dan rested head on Harry's soft shoulder, closing his eyes and letting Harry dictate their movement. Pressing into Harry's Adonis-like body, Daniel felt unbelievably safe. He peeked out of one eye and saw that Justin's words had been prophetic - indeed, all eyes in the room were on them. His heart pounded even faster and he felt Harry pull him into a tight embrace.

"All day long I can hear people talking out loud But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd.

Try as they may, they can never define What's been said between your heart and mine."

His body was pressed so closely to Harry's that he could hear the boy's heart beating. It spoke to him words of love, and as the music reached a crescendo going into the final chorus, Daniel felt incredibly emotional. He was so sensitive to the subtle harmonics of the music, and each dissonant chord which was then resolved by the dominant struck a chord within his very own heart. Tears began forming in his eyes as Harry scratched his back through his shirt. Harry, too, was feeling totally at peace, and while he had originally intended to exaggerate his movements on the dance floor to give everyone a bit of a show, he found that he didn't even have to think about what he was doing. He did what felt natural and comfortable, and prayed he wasn't upsetting Dan too much in the process. As the song neared its climactic key change into the final chorus, Daniel pushed his body tight against Harry's and felt the groove of every muscle against his body. But perhaps most incredibly of all, he felt Harry's crotch press against his own and to his surprise, Harry was sporting a very hard boner. He wanted to reach down and touch it to let Harry know that he approved, but he simply smiled to himself and continued to rest his head on Harry's shoulder.

"The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.

There's truth in your eyes saying you'll never leave me.

The touch of your hand says you'll catch me wherever I fall.

You say it best, when you say nothing at all.

"You say it best, when you say nothing at all."

As the musician sung the final word and strummed the last chord of the song, the many spectators who had gathered around the edge of the dance floor to watch Dan and Harry dance erupted in applause. It was a moment that Daniel would never forget. He felt so at one with Harry and was grateful for the opportunity to dance to closely with him, but he was sad that they were only messing around and Harry would never know how he truly felt. Harry let go of him and they looked at each other for the longest time, before one final tight embrace.

"What happens at The Fox..." whispered Harry.

"...stays at The Fox," completed Dan, with a wink. "Not a word of this to anyone, okay?"

"Yep, I promise," smiled Harry, patting Dan on the back as they pulled apart and walked off the dance floor.

While Harry went to get them another drink, Josh and Marcus who had gone their own way earlier came over to talk to Daniel.

"Holy crap! That was un-freggin-believable!" shouted Marcus.

"I've been trying to turn Harry gay for years, and you come along and do it just like that!" Josh stated.

"We were only messing around because this f... guy was flirting with Harry. I was pretending to be his partner so the dude would back off a little," said Daniel, attempting to justify the dance.

"You can't fake that shit! You two were burning up the dance floor out there. That was passion like I've never seen it before," Marcus observed.

"Yeah, I think I need a cold shower," Josh joked.

"Well, what can I say? I starred in 'Chicago' at school. I'm a natural actor," Dan laughed, trying to evade the issue at hand.

Harry came back with what appeared to be vodka (but was actually iced water) for himself and a rum and coke for Daniel.

"Harry! You and Dan were incredible out there," Josh noted, patting him on the back.

"Yeah... I think we pulled it off, Danny," Harry said.

"Every guy in this room thinks that you two are pretty deeply in love," said Josh. "And to be honest, I'm not convinced they're wrong."

"Whatever Joshua," laughed Harry, brushing off the implication that it was anything more than an act. "You ready to head off home Dan? It's been a big night."

"Yeah, sure am. Lemme just finish this drink. Was nice to meet you guys tonight," said Dan.

Outside, the boys waited for a taxi to take them back. Daniel was feeling well and truly buzzed and really struggled to walk in a straight line, whereas Harry had consumed very little alcohol but pretended to be quite tipsy. It wasn't cool to stay sober on a Saturday night as he had done and didn't want Dan to think less of him for it. It was a beautiful night outside and as they stood there waiting for the taxi, there were a number of things on their minds that they wanted to talk about but were too scared to do so. Dan fidgeted with his phone while Harry looked down at his shoes, trying to think of how to word his apology.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry," said Harry. "I feel terrible for what I forced you into tonight. It wasn't supposed to happen like this."

"What are you sorry for?" Daniel asked. "It was a great night."

"Well you were uncomfortable from the start about coming to the gay bar, and then I practically made you pretend to be gay for the rest of the night just so some dude wouldn't keep hitting on me. I feel like I used you," Harry frowned.

But it was Daniel who felt bad for feeling like he had used Harry. He had enjoyed the night so much that he'd forgotten at times he was only supposed to be pretending he was in a relationship with Harry. Their dance had only sparked within him desire to be held in Harry arm's again. It was these impure thoughts which made Dan feel guilty.

"Look, I don't feel used in the slightest. It was all just a bit of fun that we'll have probably forgotten by morning,"

Daniel lied as he recalled kissing Harry on the cheek and feeling the incredible sensation of having Harry's erection pressed into his crotch.

"Well it's morning now and I sure haven't forgotten," said Harry. "You were such a brilliant actor in there, you know. That Justin guy really bought the story!"

"You weren't so bad yourself, Mr O'Brien. You could have won an Oscar for your role as Lord of the Dance."

They were still laughing as the taxi arrived and drove them back towards the university.

"Why don't you just stay over tonight?" asked Harry. "We'll save on the cab fare and you can just walk back to college when you get up in the morning."

"Yeah, okay," said Dan. "But I'll have to borrow some PJs. Will that be okay?"

"I dunno, man, that's a pretty big ask. I mean, that's a bit queer don't you think?" Harry posed.

"Pretty much everything you're wearing right now, down to those monkey briefs, is mine! The least you can do is lend me some boxers!" Dan said, unable to detect Harry's sarcasm in this slightly inebriated state. "After what we've just done, you think letting me borrow your clothes is queer?"

"Dude, relax! I'll lend you some boxers, don't panic! If I can handle pretending to be your boyfriend for the last couple of hours, I'm pretty sure I can handle you wearing my boxers," he said, finding Dan's offense hilarious.

The taxi driver looked into the rear-view mirror and eyed them a little suspiciously at all of the gay references that were being made, but dropped them off outside Harry's place in good time and they split the fare.

They sneaked in the front door and shut it quietly so as not to wake Annabel, whose room was located on the ground level. Harry wouldn't even turn on the light, so Dan was forced to navigate the steps in the dark as they ascended towards Harry's bedroom. His third housemate, Christian, who also lived upstairs, was out of town at the moment, and Harry was relieved upon reaching the top level that he hadn't disturbed Annabel who had come home much earlier in the night. They entered Harry's room at the end of the hallway and shut the door. Only then did Harry switch on the light.

"I gotta admit," said Dan, "this isn't what I had in mind when you promised to get me laid tonight." Harry laughed hysterically, rolling around on his mattress which he kept on the floor. He claimed that after buying a new computer and workstation, he'd not been able to afford a bed frame.

"Man, I just wanna sleep so badly. I'll grab the mattress off Christian's bed and bring it in here for you to sleep on,"

said Harry, again turning off the light and opening the door. Daniel quickly made his way over to Harry's chest of drawers and found a pair of boxers, and while Harry was still in Christian's room grabbing the mattress, he stripped off out of his clothes and threw them on. He loved the cool feel of satin boxers against his thighs, especially after he'd been wearing something hot like jeans.

Harry re-entered the room dragging the mattress behind him and was only able to fit it through the door by tipping it on its side. He had a fairly small room and with much of it taken up by his computer study area and chest of drawers, it was necessary for the boys to push the two mattresses together in order to fit them in. Dan helped by clearing a space on the floor next to Harry's bed which was strewn with laundry he had yet to do.

"Just throw those dirty clothes over there in the corner. I would've tidied up a bit if I'd known I was expecting company," said Harry.

"No worries. Hell, you know what my room is like," Dan smirked.

When the bed was comfortably in the door and on the floor, Harry was just able to shut the door around it and turned on the light again.

Dan covered his eyes. "Jesus! That's bright!"

"Yeah, sorry. I just need to grab you a sheet out of the wardrobe for your bed and get changed out of these clothes," said Harry.

While Harry did this, Dan slipped out the door and went to the bathroom. He needed to pee badly and wanted to splash some water on his face also. As he looked in the mirror, he couldn't help but feel that the reflection which stared back at him was a different person to the one who'd been in the mirror earlier in the night when he styled his hair. So much had happened that night. He'd found himself jealous of Harry's housemate, Annabel, while they were at The Metro and she'd managed to make him laugh. He even found that their usual banter and double entendre took on a deeper meaning. He was wishing that Harry meant all of the things he said, from saying he had a cute ass to saying he wanted to sit in Dan's lap at the movies like Jacqui had been invited to do. But it was pretending that they were dating to throw Justin off the scent which had affected him the most. Hearing Harry make up a story about how they had met, experiencing a very special dance in his arms, feeling his dick press into to him, being able to kiss him and getting away with it - these were moments of the night that he would never forget. What had started out as one final night of celebration before exams started had turned out to be a sexual awakening of sorts. 'I'm turning gay for this guy,' Daniel whispered under his breath before splashing cold water from the basin on his tired face.

In a way, all of this scared him. He had gone from breaking up with his girlfriend of two years to suddenly developing feelings for another guy. His parents would not approve at all if they knew. What was confusing him most was that he feared Harry wouldn't want to be his friend any more if he knew, but at the same time, it was almost as if Harry was encouraging him. Even after their night of pretending to be gay, Harry invited him back to his place to spend the night in his room. Was he that comfortable with his sexuality that he could move between acting gay and sharing his room with another guy, not once questioning his own sexuality? He was certain that Harry hadn't been drunk for any of it, so with his inhibitions in tact, why was he so cool about all of this?

As Dan walked into Harry's bedroom, he found Harry lying on his bed on top of the sheet dressed only in the monkey briefs. The light was still on, but Harry appeared to be fast asleep. His eyes were closed and his breaths were heavy. Before Daniel turned off the light, he took one last look at the beautiful specimen before him, lying there so gracefully and at peace with the world. He was truly a beautiful man, and as wrong as it was to want him for himself, he got into his bed wishing he had the guts to tell Harry how he felt.

It was already going on 3am and Daniel was having trouble getting to sleep. So many things raced through his head when he shut his eyes, but it was hopeless to attribute the blame to the unfamiliar bedroom or the fact that he'd drunk a tiny bit too much. It was like the sweetest form of torture imaginable having Harry sleeping next to him, within only an arm's reach. He tossed and turned trying to get comfortable, trying to void his mind of all Harry related matters.

Harry was also having trouble sleeping. The last time that he'd been part of a sleepover was probably back in Grade 8 or 9, and he wasn't used to having someone else sleep in his small room. He had spent the night in Tara's room many times and shared the bed with her, but this was so much different. Daniel wasn't just a guy off the footy team or some friend from school. He was an incredible friend whose displays of altruism were evident in all that he did. He knew of nobody else who would pretend to be gay just to get him out of a tricky situation, and not only that, but Dan wasn't even angry afterwards and didn't seem to want anything in return. During the dance they'd shared, he'd developed a hard on while Daniel was close to him and he was certain that Dan would have felt it but again, he hadn't made a big deal out of it. Tonight, he'd stuck by Harry through everything, even though his friend Tara was distressed. It was this loyalty he'd shown to him and the maturity he displayed in many of life's facets that made him more than just a friend in Harry's eyes. He felt wide awake and didn't hold much hope of getting any sleep before dawn.

Just as Daniel felt himself starting to doze off, the deafening silence of the bedroom was broken as Harry whispered something quietly.

"Dan, are you still awake, bro?"

Daniel had heard the words clearly and was capable of responding, but in this sleepy state, his brain couldn't register whether it was real or whether he'd simply conjured Harry's words in his head.

"Yeah," he responded quietly, in the hopes that if he'd been wrong, Harry wouldn't hear him and think he was talking in his sleep.

"I can't sleep," Harry stated, still in a whisper.

"Me neither." Dan rolled onto his back and lay there, staring at the ceiling.

Harry scooted over onto the other mattress and lay on his back beside Dan. He put his head on the pillow and turned it to the left to look at the person laying there.

"Wanna come for a jog with me?" said Harry, half joking.

"Ugh get real! That's the last thing I want to do right now," Daniel proclaimed.

"Well what's the first thing you want to do, then?" Harry asked, rolling onto his side to face Dan and supporting his head with his closed left fist.

"Sleep!" Daniel responded quickly.

"Aww, you poor old man," Harry teased.

"I really don't know how Tara puts up with you when you're like this," said Dan groggily. "She's got more patience than me, that's for sure."

"Oh she knows how to tame this beast," Harry winked.

"Well if you're expecting me to put out, you've got another thing coming, buddy," Daniel laughed, rolling onto his side and facing away from Harry. He thought that this would give Harry the message that he didn't want to talk and that he should try to get some sleep back in his own bed, but he was mistaken.

"Not even a massage? Tara usually gives me a good massage before I go to sleep," Harry lied. He knew he was being annoying, but it was fun to tease Dan because he knew the guy could take a joke. "Relaxes all my muscles and makes it easier for me to fall asleep."

"Alright, fuck, I'll give you a massage but only for a little while and then you've got to sleep, okay?"

Harry was surprised that Dan relented so easily. He instantly felt bad for being such an asshole and depriving Daniel of sleep. For starters, Tara never gave him a massage before bed. The only reason he'd brought it up was to be annoying. But now that Dan had agreed to it, there was no way he was going to turn down the offer. He rolled over onto his stomach and lay there on Dan's mattress, waiting for him to begin.

Truth be told, Daniel was very excited about the prospect of touching Harry's muscular back and tanned skin. He worried that he'd appeared a little overeager to give him a massage, but upon seeing Harry laying there waiting for him, all of his worries dissipated. He sat up and assumed a position which would give him comfortable access to Harry's back.

"Does she normally use any oils and shit?" Daniel asked.

"What?"

"Tara, you moron. Does she normally use massage oil or something?" Daniel repeated.

"Oh... no, she just uses her hands," Harry lied. "But she can get away with that because her hands are so soft. I'd better go grab you some oil from the bathroom."

Harry practically ran to the bathroom and was back within seconds, carrying what appeared to be a squeeze bottle of tomato sauce. After handing the bottle to Daniel, he resumed his position on his stomach and closed his eyes, anticipating the first touch. Dan squeezed some of the oil into his hands and rubbed them together, before applying them to Harry's back gingerly.

Harry moaned involuntarily as Dan touched him so gently. His hands felt incredible. They were coarse like a rugged man's should be, but they felt so sensual on his back as Dan rubbed in the oil. Tara had never given him a massage before, but he knew right then that even if she had, it would never be able to match the standard set by Dan's ministrations. He expertly applied the oil to his shoulders and the nape of his neck, before getting some more oil from the bottle and rubbing into his solid shoulder blades and lower back. He would rub his hands up and down the length of Harry's spine, carefully working the skin and ensuring that every square inch of his back received the admiration it deserved. Harry even spread his arms out in front of him and Dan willingly rubbed some oil into the stud's sexy, athletic biceps. He squeezed the muscles and assessed their firmness and strength, before massaging them and working the stress out of Harry's body.

His hands began to work of their own accord as Daniel looked down at Harry's ass, barely hidden in his favourite monkey briefs. There was something extremely erotic about Harry wearing his favourite pair of undies, and the fact that he had such a beautiful ass only augmented his desire to want to lift the waistband of the briefs and massage his most amazing buttocks. Daniel felt himself get hard in no time as these thoughts entered his brain. Harry's skin felt so good under his fingertips. It wasn't rubbery or like elastic, but rather soft, gentle, and angelic. He wondered what it would be like to kiss Harry's back. Would the boy resist? Not only would Harry resist, but he would most likely bash him up if he knew he harboured such desires, Dan thought.

He had been massaging Harry for about fifteen minutes when the oil on Harry's back was beginning to run dry. He debated whether he should stop, but he was enjoying it too much and wanted the experience to last a bit longer.

Thus, he stopped massaging and began to lightly scratch Harry's skin with his nails. Within an instant, goosebumps began to form all over Harry's skin and Dan knew that he was enjoying the thrill. Dan's Mum had done this to him as child when he struggled to sleep at night, and it was an almost orgasmic kind of sensation. He longed to be a child so that he could experience the feeling again. He ran his fingers up and down Harry's back lengthways, before alternating and scratching across the width of Harry's very broad back and running his fingers right down the side of his torso until his hands came into contact with the mattress. There he stopped and did not pursue anything further. It was one thing to scratch Harry's back, but another thing entirely to oil up and massage his front. Daniel didn't realise it but Harry would have let him had it not been for the obvious erection which strained for release against the sexy underwear Dan had leant him.

He withdrew his hands from the Harry's back lay back down on the mattress beside him. For a minute, he thought Harry was asleep as he didn't make a move or say a word. After a few minutes, however, he spoke.

"That was the best thing I've ever felt in my life!" he said with a beaming smile on his face.

"So I'm better than Tara, then?" Dan asked, keen to know how he compared to Harry's girlfriend.

"Oh man, she's got nothing on you. You're gonna have to teach her how to do that! Fuck, I'm so hard!" Harry said with unabashed excitement.

"Whoa, too much info!" Daniel said, inwardly proud of himself for giving this football stud a woody. "Alright, you said you'd try to get some sleep after that."

"Wait!" Harry protested. "Let me do you now."

Dan couldn't hide his grin. He wanted Harry to massage his back so badly but had been too afraid to ask. "I dunno, what if you do a bad job? I'm not sure I could handle that," he teased.

"That's impossible. I'm good with my hands," Harry said with a wink.

"Alright, Casanova, do your worst."

Daniel heard Harry squeeze some oil into his hands before enthusiastically applying it to his back. If Dan thought it felt good to touch Harry's bare back, it was nothing compared to feeling of Harry touching his. It sent shivers down his spine which did not go unnoticed by Harry, and his already rigid dick only became even harder, trapped beneath in body and the mattress below. He could feel some precum leaking from the tip of his cock and he prayed it wasn't staining the front of the boxers. How would he ever explain that when he had to give them back?

Harry hadn't lied when he said that he was good with his hands. What made Harry's ministrations so spine-tingling was the fact that each of his fingers were working individually to stimulate him. Not only were they steady and surgically precise, but they had a knack for knowing where he was tight and cramped. He was carrying a lot of his exam stress in his shoulders, and Harry worked them rigorously until they had significantly loosened. He applied more oil to his hands before working Dan's neck, which was stiff from spending so long sitting in his hard chair and leaning over his desk to study. Harry casually rubbed the rest of Dan's athletic back, occasionally coming across a tense region and spending some extra time to unwind the knots which had formed.

"You're so tense," Harry whispered.

"Yeah, but you're working wonders," said Daniel, somewhat muffled by the pillow.

"Told ya I was good," said Harry, sounding pleased with himself.

As Harry continued his heavenly assault on Daniel's back, Daniel closed his eyes and let himself become absorbed in the sensuality of the experience. It felt so good having this tough jock treat him so tenderly. It was like he was in the middle of a dream that he never wanted to come to an end. Had he been dreaming the whole thing? He remembered almost dozing off and wondered whether he had indeed dreamt the whole thing. He'd been having a few dreams about Harry lately which often usually involved the two of them in a situation not too different from the one playing out in Harry's room right now. He worried that it was another one of those fantasies. He suddenly panicked.

"Harry?" he asked a little distressed, sitting up on the mattress.

"Yeah Danny, what's wrong?"

"Oh thank God," said Daniel, relieved, laying himself back down. "Nothing's wrong."

"Just relax, buddy. I'm not quite done with you yet," Harry assured him.

As he closed his eyes again knowing for certain that this was not a dream, he suddenly felt Harry casually slip a hand inside the waistband of his boxers and begin to massage the top of his glutes and crevice of his ass. It was a region he hadn't dared to explore when he massaged Harry, and yet there was no indication that Harry was pushing the boundaries in a sexual nature. After a few minutes of tender rubbing, he removed his hand and gently released the waistband so it sat flush against Dan's skin without snapping back into place and hurting him. He then continued as normal and went back to massaging the tight muscles of Dan's back.

But having felt Harry touch him in such a private place that so few people had even been before, he wanted more.

His cock throbbed beneath him and he felt the moist silk fabric of his boxers against his thigh where he'd been leaking precum. Harry was making him feel so turned on and the sexual tension in the air was unmistakable. He had never felt so horny in all his life, but what was such a strong physical drive for sexual release was also intertwined with feelings of passion and love for the boy who was making him feel so good. His body was aching for Harry. He wanted Harry to feel what he was feeling. His desire for sleep had long since passed and his body craved release from all the pent up energy.

Harry then did as Daniel had done to him and used his nails to scratch Dan's back, signalling to him that the end of the massage was near. He moved his hands in a circular motion, starting in the middle on Dan's back and gradually moving to the sides of his body and his neck and shoulders. As he reached Daniel's lower back, Dan found himself wishing for Harry to again move beyond the waistband of his boxers. It occurred to him that Harry was perhaps a little nervous and may need some positive reinforcement. In those few seconds, he hoped and prayed that Harry would take a risk. His prayers were answered. Again, Harry's hand slipped inside the boxers and tentatively scratched the skin at the top of Daniel's ass. It was now or never. Daniel made his move.

"Oh fuck," he moaned. "Yeah, that's it."

Harry needed no further prompting. He grabbed the waistband of the boxers and began lowering them, aided by Dan who raised up off the bed a little to give him better access. However, the front of the boxers became snagged around Dan's huge erection which had hooked itself in the button fly. Harry tried to pull them down but when it became obvious that something was in the way, he reached his hand around to Dan's front and put it straight on the guilty obtrusion. Dan shuddered as he felt Harry touch his dick through the silky material.

"Holy fuck!" he moaned, unable to control himself.

"Jesus..." Harry gasped.

He didn't move his hand. He just kept it there as he thought about what to do next. In the end, he gave into his desire and unsnagged Dan's cock from the button fly, proceeding to lower the boxers all the way to Dan's feet.

Daniel kicked them off onto the floor, remaining on his stomach. Now with free access to his ass, Harry oiled up his hands again and began to massage the globes in front of him. They had a spongy kind of quality to them, but were at the same time tight, resistant and firm. He had touched his fair share of chicks' breasts in his time, but this was something else entirely. Dan had a perfect bubble ass and Harry just couldn't get enough of it. With his hands still glistening with an oil coating, Harry began to massage deep within Dan's previously untraversed crevice. It felt so warm and inviting, just like the many female clits he had fingered over the years, but it differed in its masculine aroma. It was intoxicating to Harry, who was so turned on by the whole thing that he had leaked what felt like gallons of precum into Dan's monkey briefs. He felt the rim of Dan's tightly puckered hole and rubbed his middle finger back and forward over it, teasing it and hoping he'd be granted entry. The massage oiled served to lubricate the tightly closed orifice, which began to falter in its safeguard as Harry applied a little pressure.

"Dan," he said, his voice faltering ever so slightly. He paused as he tried to articulate himself. "Please tell me to stop if I'm hurting you."

Daniel responded by reaching around and feeling Harry up through his briefs. He knew Harry was pretty big, but nothing could have prepared him for the surprise of feeling Harry's bulging erection as it strained for release from its tight confines. Harry had leaked profusely and Dan's fingertips became sticky where he'd touched the gushing tip of the perpetrating hydrant. As he began to stroke the monster organ behind him through the material, the tip of Harry's middle finger slipped inside his virgin hole. His finger became engulfed by an inviting warmth and as he cautiously proceeded further into this unchartered territory, he used his free hand to feel Daniel's cock without the interference of the boxers. It was the first time he'd ever had his hand around a dick that wasn't his own, and it felt good. It was a decent six and a half inches of solid flesh, and the fact that Dan had undoubtedly used it to pleasure his conquests made it only more appealing in Harry's eyes.

"Danny, you're so fucking hot, dude. You've got me so worked up back here," he laughed.

"I can tell," said Dan, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

Harry was most intrigued by the absence of Dan's foreskin, and he examined the head of Dan's penis by rubbing his lubed palm over it numerous times. Dan was most sensitive just under his piss slit and felt his orgasm building too quickly as Harry inspected his unfamiliar cock. He grabbed Harry's hand and moved it to the base of his cock, and Harry got the message. He began to weigh Dan's balls in his palm while gently prodding them with his thumb and forefinger to see if they were as spongy as his own. Satisfied that they were, he traced light circles around the scrotum with his finger and Daniel moaned in ecstasy.

Daniel's senses were in overdrive. Never had he expected the night to proceed in such a manner, but he wanted it to last as long as possible. He rolled over so that he was now facing Harry and proceeded to remove his very sexy monkey briefs from the hunk who was wearing them. As he struggled to lower them over his bulky thighs, Harry gave a knowing smile and helped him out by tugging them off his legs completely and kicking them somewhere into the distance. It was Daniel's turn to admire Harry's impressive shaft. What he had seen dormant at three inches earlier in the evening when Harry was dressing in his college bedroom had come to life and stood at an intimidating eight and a half inches perpendicular to Harry's muscled body. As if its length weren't dazzling enough, it had a very thick girth which gave it the appearance of an ancient battering ram - a very powerful tool used to pummel open empire fortifications. The helmet of Harry's rock hard dick was covered with foreskin, and Dan hesitantly reached forward to touch it. It was electrifying for both of them. Dan's breath caught as he felt the colossal tool in his hand, and Harry's heart skipped beat having his best friend touch him so tenderly.

Dan slowly began to pull the foreskin back to expose the large mushroom shaped head beneath the sheath, and looking up to Harry for signs of permission to proceed further, he found only the greatest pleasure and approval plastered across his handsome visage. Thus, he pulled back the foreskin all the way and with the greatest care in the world and touched the bulbous purple head of Harry's organ. It felt similar to his own except perhaps a little moister, due either to the fact that it hadn't been exposed to the air so much, or because he continued to leak his potent precum. Dan didn't know the reason why and didn't really care, for right now, all that mattered to him was that Harry had trusted him with it, and he had entrusted his heart to Harry in return.

Using his hands to appraise the engorged penis, he was able to feel a large network of veins which added an almost ribbed texture to Harry's pole. He wondered how it felt to be skewered on the pole with those veins protruding in all directions. He also began to wonder whether Tara had played this much attention to Harry's dick and whether she truly appreciated the intricacies that he deemed to be so important. He doubted it very much. He allowed the foreskin to again cover Harry's sensitive head and sitting up, he looked at Harry, who was still feeling him up, and smiled.

"I never thought I'd be saying this about another guy, but you're so freggin' hot!" said Daniel.

"You're not bad yourself, Coombes," said Harry, his eyes taking in Dan's naked form from head to toe.

That said, he grabbed the oil bottle and squeezed some more into his hands, lathering up Dan's fully erect penis and jacking it off in slow, deep strokes. It was clear to Daniel that Harry knew what he was doing. The masturbatory technique was familiar, expert and professional. It was obvious that Harry had jerked off his own dick often enough to know what felt good and what did not, and it showed not only in the speed with which his lubed hand glided up and down the shaft, but also through the firm grasp he had on his cock, which was not so tight as to cause any discomfort in the slightest. Whilst Harry had never even seen a cut dick before, his instinct told him to treat it as if it were his own, and that he did. He was treating Dan's manhood with the utmost respect and admiration, and it was a form of attention Dan's dick had never received before. He had been jerked off by a few girls, but it had never been this good. He began to realise that only another male could possibly pleasure him this well because only they knew what it felt like. He closed his eyes and let himself become absorbed in the heavenly experience of having Harry O'Brien pleasuring him. The slippery sounds of the lube and Harry's guttural breaths filled the room, making Dan only hornier and adding to the complete sensory experience. He loved looking at Harry's bulging biceps as his powerful arms pounded away at his cock.

While the feelings in his groin were unlike any he had ever felt, he didn't want to cum too soon. He thought that a good way to hold off a little bit longer might be to focus his attention on Harry and allow him to experience this indescribable pleasure he was now receiving. He lathered his right hand in the massage oil and applied it to Harry's rigid shaft, gently coating it from top to bottom in the oil.

"You don't have to, Danny," Harry urged, showing the true extent to his altruism.

"I want you to feel how good this is," he explained.

"Thanks buddy," Harry said with a smile.

Satisfied that the tool was well smeared in the oil, he began to slowly pump his fist up and down the shaft. Harry began moaning loudly and picked up the pace on Dan's cock, changing from the previously slow, deep strokes to shorter, faster, more desperate thrusts of his hand. While Dan hadn't the opportunity to build in intensity, he attempted to mimic Harry strokes to keep the two of them in sync with one another. Harry spread his legs a little wider to give Daniel better access to his crotch, and he was rewarded by Dan moving closer towards him and sitting with his ass touching his thigh. This was so much more than a locker room circle jerk or buddies just jacking off at a sleepover. Their close physical proximity suggested that a mutual understanding existed between these two boys - an understanding that their friendship was special and transcended everything else at that point in time. Dan pounded Harry's dick with desperate earnest, all the time looking at his face and losing himself in the boy's beauty. Harry felt the all too familiar churning in his balls and tried to stall by ceasing to stroke Dan's cock and instead playing with his balls. As he predicted, Daniel stopping stroking him and replicated the action by fondling Harry's heavy balls in his oily hand.

"This is some totally fucked-up shit," said Harry, "but I feel like I've been missing out my entire life!"

"Yeah!" was all Dan could muster as he felt his impending orgasm.

Even without stroking his cock, Harry's very touch was enough to send Daniel over the edge. It was an ecstatic feeling just to have this handsome jock paying such close attention to the most private parts of his body.

"I'm gonna shoot, man!" Daniel moaned as Harry kept playing with his balls.

He took his hands off Harry's dick and began stroking himself to climax with Harry forcefully grabbing his balls.

"Yeah, shoot buddy. I got your nut sack in my hand, can feel your load pumping away down here. Shoot it, Dan!"

he encouraged in his sexiest voice.

That was all it took for Daniel to reach his climax, and as the wave of ecstasy hit him, his toes curled and his body quivered uncontrollably. Never before had an orgasm hit him as hard as this one did.

"Ohhhh holy fuck!" he moaned loudly, his voice breaking in the middle as the wave of pleasure consumed in entire body. "Oh god, mmmm." He fired numerous powerful streams of cum, painting his abs and chest with his spent seed. One thick rope even reached his chin, and upon realising how he must look to Harry, he began to feel incredibly awkward and embarrassed. He need not have worried, however, as Harry was enjoying the sight of Daniel writhing below him. It made him feel good to know that he had contributed to Dan's high.

"That's it bro, keep strokin'," whispered Harry, continuing to tug Dan's balls and roll them around roughly in his hand. He always thoroughly enjoyed those ten second following climax as he came off his high and settled into a kind of post-orgasmic bliss. He wanted Dan to enjoy this experience just as much.

Dan stroked himself until only small droplets of semen dribbled from his dick and gathered in the join of his hand.

Normally, he wouldn't have hesitated stealing a quick lick and tasting the enticing saltiness of his hot load, but in Harry's company, he already felt foolish enough for covering himself in his own semen. Harry quickly grabbed multiple tissues from his nightstand and used them to wipe Dan's abdomen clear of cum. After disposing of the tissues, he sat back down next to Daniel and smiled.

"Looks like I missed a bit," he giggled, using the back of his hand to wipe the last trace of cum from Dan's chin.

"That was incredible!" Dan said, still reeling from the intensity of the experience.

"It sure looked like you were enjoying yourself," Harry remarked.

Dan looked into Harry's lap and saw his dick still fully erect and leaking precum as profusely as ever. Harry had been so eager to please him that he'd ignored his own needs.

"Looks like lil' Harry needs some attention too," Dan chuckled, reaching into Harry's lap with his cum-soaked hand and giving his cock a few strokes, eliciting a moan from Harry's lips.

"Mmm Danny, grab some more oil, bro."

Daniel applied some more massage oil to his hands and used one to lather the length of Harry's shaft and the other to caress Harry's sensitive perineum. Whenever Dan beat off in his bed, he loved the feeling of the sheet or the quilt pressed firmly between his legs, rubbing this private area located on the underside of his hole and behind his balls.

He hoped that by stimulating this region for Harry, it would have a similar effect. His slick hand was gaining momentum as it accelerated up and down Harry's tremendous tool. On the downstroke, the foreskin was pulled down and the impressive head of Harry's club exposed, only to be concealed again on the upstroke. This repetitive process created the friction necessary against the rim of his bulbous, purple head to entice Harry ever closer to orgasm.

After several minutes of this intense motion, his wrist and indeed his forearm began to tire; his strokes were beginning to lose their depth and rhythm. Still rubbing the underside of Harry's balls, Dan snaked his fingers ever closer to Harry's hole. He aggressively massaged the area, and with Harry leaning back against his open palms on the mattress behind him, he felt an urge to slowly buck his hips, fucking Dan's hand. Dan grazed his puckered hole with his index finger, and Harry whimpered slightly with desperation. He began bucking his hips with some urgency, desperate to get off as he became consumed by lust. Harry's ass rose off the floor and thrust his hungry cock into Dan's hand and Dan positioned his lubed finger at the entrance to his hole, waiting for the inevitable lowering of his ass back to the floor. As Harry's ass lowered on the descending thrust, Dan's probing finger gently slipped inside, causing Harry to gasp uncontrollably. He guessed that he was probably the first to ever gain entrance to Harry's chute. He inched his finger in further each time Harry thrust into his hand, careful not to hurt this hunk he admired so much.

Harry was too far gone to worry about his pride. It felt incredible to actually have Daniel inside him, and driven by his desire for release, he continued to fuck in and out of Daniel's strong grasp.

"I'm so close Danny. So fucking close..." he panted.

"Yeah Harry, I got you bro."

Daniel felt Harry's tight hole clench around his invasive finger, signalling the orgasm about to hit. His muscles contracted and he was gripped with an all-consuming tidal wave of intense ecstasy. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and he could smell the masculine aroma of his sweat and Daniel's, who was pounding his cock furiously in an attempt to take Harry over the edge.

"Danny... Danny... oh god... YES!" he groaned, closing his eyes as his asshole contracted and torrents of his cum spewed forth, jettisoning from the fiery tip of his cock. Again, Daniel copped the airborne load over his left pectoral muscle, splattering and coating his abs as his cascaded down his torso. There were five intense volleys of cum, all of which landed on Dan, who refused to take his hands off Harry's cock and back away until Harry had finished. He sat there baring the brunt of Harry's powerful load until it subsided, merely oozing from the piss slit. When he eventually opened his eyes, he saw Daniel looking back at him, covered in his cum. The reality of the situation hit him hard. He felt incredibly guilty and embarrassed for what he had done.

"Wow!" breathed Daniel. "That was amazing."

"Yeah," said Harry, timidly.

"Can you grab me a tissue, Harry?" he asked.

"Oh... yeah, of course... sorry."

Upon passing a tissue to Daniel, he stood up and made for the door. "I need a shower. Have to get all this oil off."

His very shallow breaths suggested to Dan that Harry's asthma was affecting him after their physical activity, but he didn't want to raise the topic right now.

Daniel lay there after cleaning himself up, feeling a little empty inside. He and Harry had just shared the most intimate of moments and he'd enjoyed it thoroughly, but he wanted to lay with Harry now and tell him how he felt. He wanted to confess his true feelings to the boy he knew he loved and clear his chest of the burden, and yet Harry had made off for the shower, leaving him with the impression that he was feeling dirty by what they had done. It broke Dan's heart and he hoped they could talk about it when Harry returned.

Harry was sitting on the floor of the shower with the hot steamy water pouring over his fatigued body, his mind processing everything had happened that night. He had always been such good friends with Daniel, not just because he was Tara's neighbour, but because he was a caring and respectful boy who was interesting, a great influence and the very best of listeners. He loved that they were always able to joke around with each other without being taken too seriously. The good fun they always had together reassured Harry that Daniel was a lifelong friend and someone he could always rely on to be there for him.

Tonight, however, things had gotten out of control quite rapidly. One minute, they were enjoying some dinner and grabbing a movie, and the next they were pretending to be a gay couple to avoid unwanted attention. He was willing to take responsibility for all this as Daniel hadn't even wanted to go to the gay club in the first place, and yet Harry had pushed him to do so and then put him in this most uncomfortable predicament. He had just received the most amazing massage of his life from the guy which left him feeling reenergised and very turned on, and he enjoyed being able to return the favour. He realised that he had initiated the whole thing by continuing with the sexual banter long after he should have stopped.

As if all this wasn't enough, they had somehow gone from massaging to jerking one another off. It had been one of the most intense orgasms of his life, and he was sure that his ministrations on Daniel were equally as well received.

But he couldn't get the image of Daniel covered his cum out of his mind. It was such a pervasive picture - Dan laying there, degraded beyond repute, and yet he had a smile on his face, willingly subservient and docile to Harry.

He had been blinded by his lust, and instead of putting on the brakes, he had encouraged the proceedings of the evening. He felt incredibly ashamed of what he had done.

He must have been sitting there under the shower for at least thirty minutes before he thought of Daniel back in his room, probably asleep by this stage. Daniel was so sweet and innocent, and he had trusted Harry so much. For leading him astray, Harry could never forgive himself. He felt his sensitive hole tingle from its attention not even an hour earlier, and Harry was disgusted in himself. He hadn't even protested at all when Daniel stuck his finger in his ass as he had been too consumed by lust. He couldn't even claim that he had been too inebriated from drinking to excess that night as he had drunk responsibly and hadn't gotten himself drunk. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he had enjoyed the experience too much to stop Daniel from doing what he had done. As he had neared his orgasm, he recalled wishing that it was instead Daniel's cock he was impaled on. For one of the first times in Harry's adult life, he was scared. He had practically cheated on his girlfriend with another man and he had enjoyed it. He wanted to be sick.

"Harry? Are you okay?" Daniel asked suddenly, knocking on the bathroom door.

'Fuck,' Harry thought. "Yeah, I'm alright. Be out in a sec," he called.

Even after his lust was satisfied, Daniel didn't seem to be repulsed in the slightest by what they had done. He had helped Harry to get off, and now here he was showing concern by making sure that Harry was okay. This only served to make Harry feel even guiltier for using him in such a heinous way. He finally turned off the water and stepped out of the shower, drying himself off and throwing on a clean pair of boxers. He put Dan's monkey briefs, which now smelt rank with sweat, into the dirty laundry basket to wash at a later date.

When he got back to his bedroom, a ray of sunshine was beginning to peak through the curtains of his windows.

Already, the sun was rising and he'd received no sleep whatsoever. He also saw Daniel laying on the spare mattress and facing towards the door, eagerly anticipating his return. Dan smiled at him, and he attempted to smile back but his lack of sincerity was quickly registered and Daniel became puzzled.

"What's wrong?" Daniel asked as Harry straightened up his bedding and lay down.

"Nothing. The sun's up already so we should try to get at least some sleep. I'll set my alarm for 11, okay?" Harry said, shortly.

"Alright," said Daniel.

He wanted so badly to crawl in beside Harry and cradle him, or have Harry spoon him from behind, but he sensed that the boy he felt so strongly for was still trying to get his head around the events of the evening and what it all meant. He would give Harry the space he needed but in the meantime, he had some thinking of his own to do. Did liking Harry really make him gay? After all, he'd never had a crush on a guy before and Harry was the first. When he considered everything that he wanted to with Harry, he saw more than just the sex and the affectionate gestures.

He saw a life spent together, he saw himself coming out to his parents for this boy he loved, and he saw a future abundant with happiness. It was something he'd never had with Louise. As much as he wanted Harry to feel the same way, he knew it was very unlikely given his strong family values and fear of negative judgement.

"Harry?" Dan asked quietly.

"Go to sleep, Dan," Harry responded.

"I'm so sorry if I hurt you. I didn't mean for it to happen. We were just lying there and you wanted a massage...

and I didn't want to say no... and before I knew it, I was kind of..."

"For fuck's sake, forget about it. It happened. We don't need a fucking coroner's enquiry," Harry said angrily, rolling away from Dan to face the wall.

"Oh... okay then," Dan managed to say, fighting the urge to cry. Harry had never spoken to him so abruptly before, and it really hit him hard.

In the hours to follow, Harry eventually succumbed to his fatigue and lay there seemingly blissfully, despite the whirlwind of negative thoughts which consumed him. Daniel, on the other hand, was not so fortunate to find sleep and so he lay there for many hours to come, reliving Harry's painful words many times over in his head. When he thought about the way Harry had used him to get off, he felt violated and cheap. Harry had instigated all the moves throughout the night, from demanding that Dan go out with him, to suggesting that Dan massage him, to even being the first to grab his cock and initiate the wank. In the end, it all became too much to bear. Deprived of sleep and feeling depressed - his face moist with tears - he threw on the clothes he'd been wearing the night before and left, not really knowing where to go, but holding onto the belief that anywhere would be better at that moment than Harry's bedroom.

• IV -

Harry's dreams were surprisingly peaceful despite the confusion and feelings of self-anger he was harbouring. He dreamt of days spent on his Grandparents' property, where he had fished for bream in the dam and occasionally seen an eel or turtle during his childhood. He dreamt of the grassy knoll which overlooked the parklands on the border of the property, and remembered the days that he and his grandad sat there to eat a picnic lunch under the shade of the grand Moreton Bay Fig Tree. Its ancient trunk towered many metres into the air with thick branches dispersing in all directions. The tree looked almost prehistoric in its appearance, like a prop straight out of the set from Jurassic Park. Its dense green foliage was like an expansive umbrella, providing the grassy knoll with so much shade and protection from the hot midday sun. They had seen wild birds of the rainforest feasting on the abundant figs and complacent kangaroos munch away on the grass seed just metres away from them, and for Harry growing up, this was a Garden of Eden in every sense. His dreams were filled of happier times spent in this utopia, but the image of his Grandad, a father figure in his life who he respected more than anyone, was somewhat hazy in the dream. The man who had so often sat with him on the knoll or on the bank of the dam was replaced by a younger, attractive boy Harry guessed to be Daniel. As they sat there in Harry's special place, they talked about life and what the future had in store, just the two of them, uninterrupted, unworried. The dream filled with images of the two boys locked together in each other's arms, Daniel lying in the lush green grass with Harry on top of him, the two of them making out.

As Harry pressed his crotch into Daniel who lay there looking so angelic and innocent, he felt Daniel's luscious hands caressing his back and working their magic on his tired and aching muscles. He felt Daniel nibbling on his ear, whispering sweet nothings that nobody else could hear. His secrets were spoken like the tranquil winds which teased the upper branches of the treetops and whistled over the valley, having a natural calming effect on Harry as he melted into the boy below him. And how beautiful this boy was. With a face far more remarkable than any of the frivolous women to appear in Browning's poetry, a body chiselled of flesh and bone, unable to be replicated in stone by any of Nathaniel Hawthorne's fabled great sculptors, and a smile that put even Da Vinci's "La Jaconde" to shame, Daniel Coombes was nothing less than a Godsend - a blessing sent from the highest power in Harry's life, meant to accompany him on his journey through life. And Harry didn't even need to sacrifice a rib.

"I love you," Daniel whispered, lying so placidly in Harry's garden.

"And I love you," Harry smiled back.

It had been many years since Harry had last visited his Grandparents' property, but being there now in his reverie, he was overwhelmed by the peace and tranquillity that the surroundings offered him. It stood in stark contrast to the stress and chaos of the world beyond the boundary of trees. He wished he could block it out of his consciousness and lay there on the grassy knoll in this private sanctuary with Daniel forever. But the outside world began to call for him and while he resisted its attempts to lure him away, its beckoning took him unwillingly back into the real world through the sounding of his alarm, which had struck 11am. And just like that, it was over.

He was startled by the alarm clock when he woke up that morning and bolted upright in his bed as it sounded loudly. As he wiped the sleep from his heavy eyes, he thought about the dream he had just had. He recalled the fine details vividly, remembering that he'd been with Daniel and that they'd been making out, confessing their love for one another. Where had the dream come from? It was so totally out of the blue! He thought back to what they had done together earlier in the morning and felt a sick feeling in his stomach, and suddenly remembered that Daniel had been lying on the mattress next to him when he'd gone to sleep. His eyes searched the room frantically for Dan, but he wasn't there and nor were his clothes. Harry felt absolutely terrible, and tried to remember the last thing he'd said to Daniel before going off to sleep. He couldn't remember the exact wording, but he knew that it was harsh and uncalled for. Daniel had done nothing wrong at all. He'd simply looked out for Harry and made sure that he was doing okay, but in return, Harry had let his guilt and frustration get to him and he'd snapped aggressively at the boy.

It was no wonder Dan had left, but he just prayed that he wouldn't mention anything to Tara. That was a whole other situation he was going to have to deal with.

But these feelings of guilt for his treatment of Daniel were outweighed by his disgust for what they had done together. Despite showering before sleeping, Harry felt dirty. He could still smell faint trances of the massage oil and he swore he could feel Daniel's cum on his hand, despite washing it off so vigorously with the abrasive Solvol soap that he'd given himself a gravel rash. He again recounted the dream in his mind and suddenly felt nauseous. He'd never even considered the possibility before that he could be gay, and yet he had taken things to a whole new level last night, not only by jacking off with his buddy, but by subconsciously wishing that they would become intimate through his dreams.

As he walked down the hallway to grab a shower, he smelt Annabel in the kitchen downstairs cooking a Sunday morning brunch. The aroma of bacon and fried eggs did nothing for his stomach and he felt the compulsion to be sick. He ran to the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind him, hoping that Annabel wouldn't hear him heaving his guts.

Daniel, meanwhile, was back in his college room lying on his bed. He'd sneaked in without of the others knowing he was back, locked his door and curled up in the foetal position. He wasn't feeling angry or upset but strangely devoid of all emotion as he lie there, numb. During the several hours he spent in this position, he was totally unresponsive to everything that was happening around him. Jacqui had knocked on his door much earlier to ask if he wanted to walk down to breakfast with her, but when he didn't respond, she assumed that he'd either gotten lucky the night before and hadn't spent the night at college, or that he'd just spent the night at Harry's. Similarly, Tara had also knocked and planned to ask him about his night, and whether Harry had mentioned anything to him about her or their argument. She met up with Jacqui a bit later and together, they decided that it must have been a very good night indeed.

It was nearly lunch time when Daniel felt his phone vibrate in his pocket telling him that he had received a message, but he couldn't seem to find the motivation to take it out of his pocket and check it. It wasn't until he heard Harry's voice outside his door in the corridor that he eventually decided to get up and do something productive with his day, despite feeling like shit. He checked his phone and found message from Harry, which had been sent thirty minutes earlier. It read:

"Dan, we should talk. I'll be over soon to see Tara and will stop by. Harry."

Daniel immediately felt anxious. He didn't really want to see or talk to Harry right now and feared that the conversation would be one he didn't really want to have. Upon hearing the boy outside talking to Tara and Jacqui in the hall, Dan opened his door and put on a brave face.

"Whoa, it's Dan!" yelled Tara, excitedly.

"You must have had a big night if you're only getting up now!" Jacqui noted.

"Oh yeah, he had a big night alright. You should have seen him hit the dance floor," Harry joked.

How could he be so complacent after everything that happened the night before? Dan had to admit that Harry looked a little worse for wear this morning, with quite heavy bags under his eyes and just a fatigued air about him in general. If Harry looked this bad, he wondered how he must look in the mirror right now.

"Yeah, pretty wild night alright," said Dan with a knowing look at Harry. "You couldn't even begin to imagine."

Harry shot him a dirty look. "Yeah Dan ended up heading back to college at around 3am and I just went back to mine. Did you get much sleep, buddy?"

Daniel didn't want to lie for Harry's sake, but didn't see how he could avoid it. "Oh yeah, I had an amazing sleep, can't you tell?"

"You look like you've been hit by a bus," said Jacqui. "Did you have much to drink last night?"

"A little," Daniel answered truthfully, "but I didn't do anything I regret so it's all good."

Tara turned to Harry. "And you, did you drink last night?" she asked, concerned.

Harry suddenly faced a dilemma. If he said he had drunk last night, he would face Tara's wrath but if he told the truth and said that he hadn't really drunk, then he would be virtually admitting to Dan that he was sober when he initiated the activities of the night.

"Oh... yeah I got pretty hammered," he lied.

Daniel detected the lie immediately and sensed he knew Harry's motives. It only made him feel angrier and even more violated. Harry was trying to blame the alcohol for his actions last night, and Daniel knew that this was not the case. Why couldn't he just admit to initiating it and enjoying it like Dan knew he had.

"But you have exams to study for! And what if someone tried to take advantage of you?" Tara shouted.

Harry laughed. "Don't worry about that! Daniel was there to make sure that nobody took advantage of me." He kissed Tara on the cheek, and satisfied with his answer, she grabbed him in a hug and kissed him on the lips. Daniel felt sick watching their very public display of affection in the hallway and decided he'd had enough.

"Alright guys, I'm heading out for a bit to grab some lunch and to study somewhere. See you later," he said, walking back into him room to grab his wallet and some study materials.

"Oh Dan," said Harry, breaking away from Tara momentarily. "Can I talk to you for a sec? I found out about that girl you were checking out last night over near the bar."

"Can it wait?" Daniel asked moodily.

"No."

They stared each other down a little and while Tara was preoccupied with her chipped nail, Jacqui noticed the exchange and sensed for the first time that was some awry between these two friends. She would have to ask Daniel about it later.

Harry followed Daniel into his room and pulled the door shut behind him.

"So Daniel, we have to talk," said Harry seriously.

"Yea, I guess," Dan acknowledged.

"Look, about last night, I was tanked and I don't really remember what we did but I don't want things to be awkward," he lied.

"Oh, you got hammered off a beer and a glass of iced water?" accused Dan.

"What?" Harry asked.

"You didn't get drunk last night, dude. You remember everything that happened and as much as you might try to deny it, it happened. Remember? What was it you said to me? 'Don't need a fucking coroner's enquiry'," Daniel mocked.

"Shit, I mean I kind of remember what happened, but neither of us are queers and it's not as if guys don't experiment with stuff like that all the time," said Harry, almost trying to reassure himself of the fact more than he was Dan.

"I get that you're feeling confused about it, I mean I am too, but we've been through too much to let it destroy out friendship," said Daniel with earnest.

"I agree, but when I see you, I see..." Harry paused.

"You see what?" Dan urged.

"I... I see what we did, you know... and I just feel dirty."

"Thanks man," said Daniel sarcastically, "I'm glad you see me as some kind of cheap whore."

"Oh, no I didn't mean it like that..." Harry said quickly, "It's just that..."

"It's just that you enjoyed it and you're scared what that means," Daniel said, finishing Harry's sentence.

"What? No way. We were just two horny guys desperate to get off and we just happened to be there to help each other out. That's it."

Daniel paused for a moment to take it all in. "Okay," he said eventually, "I'm not going to fight with you Harry, but for now I'm starving and I really have to do some work."

"Of course," smiled Harry. "I'm sorry, Daniel, I didn't mean to imply you were cheap or anything. I'm just confused, that's all."

"I know," said Daniel, grabbing him by the shoulder and giving him a squeeze. "Look after yourself, okay?"

"I will."

Harry exited Daniel's room and went straight into Tara's, the two of them having obviously resolved their conflict temporarily. Daniel, meanwhile, decided that he needed to have a shower badly. His chest was somewhat crusty with the remnants of his load and Harry's. He changed out of the clothes he'd been wearing for so long now and had a very relaxing shower. When he got back to his room and changed, he heard Jacqui calling out to him.

"Hey Dan, do you want a date for lunch?" Jacqui sung out from her room across the hall.

"Yeah, sure," Daniel said enthusiastically.

"Okay, I thought we could go to that Italian restaurant in town. I'll just get ready," she said.

"Cool, I'm ready whenever you are," said Dan, tying his shoelaces.

As he finished up and was sitting on his bed waiting for Jacqui to get ready, he heard giggles through the wall from Tara's room. He heard Jacqui laughing like a little schoolgirl, followed by, "Shush! I'm not sure they've left yet.

Harry!" The giggling onslaught continued.

"Are you almost ready, Jacq?" he asked somewhat impatiently.

"Just about, one sec."

He then heard a thud against the paper-thin wall and guessed that they were carelessly rearranging themselves on the bed. This was followed by more giggling. It was all too much for Daniel to take. He felt so cheated and to make matters worse, it was as if Harry was flaunting it right in his face. He got up and shut his door, walking into Jacqui's room.

"We need to go, now," he said.

Jacqui read the distress all over his face and knew that something was severely wrong. "Okay, let's go, Dan."

They left the college grounds and walked into the small nearby town which was always overflowing with university students. Those who were sick of college food would frequent the many restaurants in the town, not necessarily because the food was of a Michelin star standard, but because anything was better than the slop served at college.

Daniel would make a habit of eating out on Sundays when college food was particularly bad, and today, he was just glad to have Jacqui's company. After they had ordered their meals and were waiting for them to arrive, Jacqui finally acknowledged the elephant in the room: Daniel's strange attitude.

"What's going on Dan? You really don't seem yourself today. Did something happen while you were out last night?"

she asked, looking him in the eye.

"Yeah kind of. Look, I don't even know where to start," he said, resisting her gaze and fidgeting with his cutlery.

"I want to know everything," she said, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. "You know it won't go past me."

Even though Jacqui knew all of the involved parties, he knew that anything he told her wouldn't go any further. She was his most trusted friend and at the moment, he really needed someone to talk to.

"I didn't come back to my room last night," he began. "Actually, I stayed over at Harry's place to save on the cab fare."

"Oh, cool," she said. "Well that was convenient." But Daniel didn't say anything and she soon realised that something was amiss. "Oh, why did he say that you came back to college then?"

"I don't know what's come over me lately. I..."

"One step at a time, Dan. Why did he lie by saying you slept back at college if you really didn't?" she persisted.

"And we were just lying there and he said he couldn't sleep and..."

"But why did he..."

"...and before I knew it, we were messing around..." he mumbled.

"Wait, what?"

"...and I think I might love him, Jacq," Dan confessed. "I think I might be gay."

She had heard the words clearly, but she wasn't sure she had heard correctly. Daniel Coombes was so straight it wasn't even funny.

"Are you sure, Dan?" she asked.

"No, I'm not sure of anything any more but I know it's not normal to feel like this about another guy," he said, looking at the tablecloth. "I just want to hold him and have him tell me everything is going to be okay."

Jacqui stood up and walked around to Dan's side of the table, grabbing him a tight embrace and not giving a damn about the attention they were getting.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered in his ear. "You're the most courageous guy I know, Daniel. It's not going to change anything between us, I hope you realise that."

Upon returning to her side of the table, she noticed that the corners of Dan's eyes were moist with tears, and he quickly wiped them away.

"Thanks Jacq," he said, averting his gaze once again.

"You don't have to feel embarrassed about this, you know."

"Yeah, I really do. Harry can't even look me in the eye after what happened last night."

"Fill me in," she instructed.

For the next several minutes, Daniel recounted to Jacqui the events of the previous day, from the football game in the afternoon to the sexual escapades of the early morning. He skimmed over the details, but he said enough for Jacqui to know what he was talking about. Listening to his fond recollections of the previous day and his night spent with Harry, her heart really went out to him. It couldn't be easy for him right now, and she only wished she could help him more.

"So you've had feelings for him for quite some time?" she said, making sure she understood.

"Kind of, but I just didn't realise it until I saw him playing footy yesterday. I thought that it might just be a physical thing, but I know now that it's a whole lot more than that," Dan responded.

"Just give him some time and maybe he'll come around," she said optimistically.

"Nah, he and Tara are in her room right now making out and probably at it like rabbits," he said dejectedly. "He doesn't even care about how I feel about all this, just so long as nothing ruins his jock reputation."

"It's only natural that he'd turn to Tara right now, Dan. Think about it. He's probably just as confused by what happened as you are and being the macho kind of guy that he is, he'll want to prove to himself that he can still...

you know...that all the parts still work," she euphemised. "He's just got a case of the guilts."

"It's little consolation," Dan said. "Right now, I feel like jumping from a really tall building or bridge and hoping the impact kills me."

"Don't talk like that!" she cried, horrified. "Dan, you are such an amazing guy and I can't imagine the world without you in it! If Harry doesn't know what he's missing out on, then that's his problem. He would be so lucky to have a boyfriend like you."

Dan blushed. Jacqui really did know just what to say. "Thanks."

Their meals arrived and Daniel as began to eat his pizza, he realised that he was hungrier than he had thought. The last thing he ate was some M&Ms back at the cinema, and that was almost sixteen hours ago. Jacqui was pleased to see that he hadn't lost his appetite.

"Have you always known that you might be...?" Jacqui asked, reluctant to say the word.

"Gay? You can say it," Dan laughed. "No, I haven't always known. I guess that looking back, I've never really had future plans with any of my girlfriends. I never saw myself marrying any of them and having a family, if you get what I mean. Maybe that was a sign.

"Do you see yourself as having all of that some day?" she asked.

Dan took a bite of his pizza and thought about her question for awhile before he answered. "I don't really know what I want, Jacq. All I know is that for the first time last night, I genuinely felt like I loved somebody. I kissed him for fuck's sake and it was amazing!"

"Ohh how did he react to that one?" Jacqui giggled.

"He didn't care in the slightest because it was all part of our little charade. He was just pretending but oh man, I kept imagining it was real," said Daniel, reminiscing with his eyes staring vaguely into the distance.

"Who suggested the charade idea, by the way?" she asked, intrigued.

"He did."

"And who suggested that you go to the gay club in the first place?"

"His friend, Josh."

"But Harry ultimately said you guys should go, right?" Jacqui rebutted.

"Yeah... but..."

"And did Harry invite you back to his place or did you do?" she continued.

"He did," Daniel answered, bowing his head.

"And you said he brought up the massage idea?"

"Yes, but I was the one who..."

"Daniel, listen to yourself! He made all the moves and you just went along with them because you're such a good friend. He's got a lot to answer for here," Jacqui explained.

"What are you trying to say?" Daniel asked, confused.

"I just can't seem to get past the idea that he instigated everything last night, Dan. I think Harry's a very confused boy too."

"Maybe you're right," Daniel sighed, "but it doesn't change the fact that whenever he sees me, he's reminded of what we did. He told me when he came over before that he feels 'dirty' Jacq, like I'm some fucking prostitute off the street he uses to bust a nut."

Daniel felt the anger inside him reach a boiling point, and suddenly the last piece of pizza on his plate didn't look so appetising. He lay his knife and fork across the plate to show he'd finished eating, and took a sip of drink to calm himself down.

"Are you going to tell your parents, Dan?" Jacqui asked as she, too, finished her meal.

"Maybe one day, but definitely not until I'm comfortable enough to admit it to myself," he responded.

"I understand, but you have to remember that you just had the confidence to tell me, and I couldn't be happier for you," she said with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, but you don't know my parents. They're gonna absolutely flip, and I'm an only child which doesn't help either."

"Why would they flip?" she asked.

"Because they have such high expectations of me! It's always been about graduating law school and earning heaps of money."

"But you're still going to do those things," said Jacqui. "You're still going to make them so proud. They can't be mad at your for being honest with yourself, Dan."

"We'll see," he said as he stood up and went inside to pay. "I'll get all this, I'll meet you back out here."

When they arrived back at college, Daniel feeling relieved at finally getting so much off his chest and Jacqui proud of his courage, Tara's door was open and she was on her computer, while Harry was sitting on her bed reading a textbook. They heard the hall door open and both looked up to see them as they came in. Harry glanced from Daniel to Jacqui and then back to Daniel, trying to figure out whether he had told her anything about what had happened. He knew that they were pretty close and had at times even wondered whether they might have underlying feelings for one another. Jacqui's face, however, gave nothing away and Harry was forced to stew in his own guilty conscience.

"Mr O'Brien," Jacqui said while opening her door. "Get your behind in my room this instant."

"Yes ma'am!" he said, jumping to attention and saluting.

Dan couldn't believe it. He had just confided so much in Jacqui, and now she was going to confront Harry about it!

He was outraged.

"Where's my invite?" Tara asked, pretending to take offence.

"Oh this is a strictly 'behind closed doors' kind of event, Tara," she laughed.

"Fine, well Daniel and I will have our own private meeting, just you watch," she said. "C'mon Dan, into my room, pronto!"

Jacqui and Tara shut their doors respectively once their invitees had taken up a position on the bed. Harry was fretting that Daniel had spilled, and both he and Daniel were now worrying that Harry was about to face an interrogation. The boys need not have feared though. Jacqui was far more discrete and was always using her head.

"Harry," she began, "I need your help."

"Well, I'll see what I can do," he said.

"How well would you say you know Daniel?" she asked him.

'Is this a trick question?' he thought. 'Oh man, she must know!' He again tried to read her face but she was always such a closed book. "Umm, I'd say I know him pretty well."

"Well then, you know it is Dan's birthday just after exams, right?"

"Shit, is it really?" Harry asked, surprised Dan hadn't mentioned it to him. "Man, I really need to check my Facebook more often."

Jacqui laughed. "You remember last year when we all went out to celebrate with him at the Casino, don't you?"

"Oh do I ever! My bank account has been a deficit ever since."

"Well, I wanted to do something special this year just to say that we're thinking of him. I don't think it's easy for him at the moment, you know, after the whole break-up with Louise thing," she lied.

"Oh... yeah, that's gotta be tough. They were dating for a long time," said Harry. This made Harry feel worse for taking advantage of him the night before, knowing that he was so vulnerable after the break-up.

"Anyway, I want to celebrate his birthday in style, but I don't really have any good ideas. I thought you may have some suggestions, given that you're such good mates and everything."

'Was that sarcasm in her voice?' Harry thought. 'No way, she's just trying to be nice. Why do I have such a guilty conscience? Daniel wouldn't have told her anything, surely.'

While Harry sat there thinking, Jacqui looked closely at the boy and tried to imagine him dancing closely with Daniel, who had recounted the story of their moving dance over lunch. She smiled to herself, imagining them together holding hands, or kissing one another. They were both such jocks and as she gave Harry the once over, she struggled to visualise him doing all the things Daniel said he had done last night. He just radiated such masculine vibes.

"Well... anything?" she asked as she saw Harry's mind clearly working overtime.

"How about a weekend away, just the four of us? You, me, Tara and Dan," he proposed.

"That's not a bad idea, why don't you elaborate," she smirked.

"Well, we could drive up to my place, which is about three hours north, and spend a couple of days there. I'm sure Mum and Dad won't mind putting us up in the house, and we'd still be pretty close to the beach and everything," he said.

Jacqui had to admit that she really liked the idea. A few days in a different place might just be what everyone needed after exams were over and everybody would be feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally. From Dan's perspective, knowing that Harry was taking such an active role in his birthday would also be a huge bonus.

"Alrighty, well we could use my car to get there," Jacqui proposed. "I like this idea Harry - I like it a lot."

"Awesome, it'd be great fun having you guys come up and spend a night, and I think it'd be a nice break for Dan too. Should we mention it to him yet?" Harry asked.

"No, you can tell Tara but I'd prefer to keep it a secret from Dan for now until it gets a bit closer and we know for sure. Deal?"

"Deal, baby!" Harry said, standing up and making for the door. "Dan's lucky to have a friend like you, Jacqui, always looking out for him."

"You know where my door is, Harry."

"Yeah, thanks."

The exchange that had occurred in Tara's room while Harry and Jacqui devised their birthday plan for Daniel was actually quite different in nature. When Daniel entered her room, he was immediately taken aback by the very raw smell of sex. There was no hiding the musky, masculine aroma in the room which Dan had smelled last night when he was with Harry and they had jacked each other off. He immediately felt apprehensive about being in here, knowing what Tara and Harry had probably done while he was having lunch with Jacqui. Not only was he repulsed, but he was incredibly jealous. He wished that he was in Tara's position, having Harry as a boyfriend. He felt guilty for the feelings he harboured for her boyfriend, and couldn't look her in the eye as they talked.

"I don't know what you said to Harry last night, Dan, but thank you so much," she said before she gave him a very warm hug.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked, bamboozled.

"Well, Harry came over this morning to tell me that he was finally going to tell his parents about us. Isn't that great!"

she said, beaming.

"Oh... that's wonderful news," said Dan, trying to sound happy for her.

"Yeah, but I don't know why he had the sudden change of heart. Did you say something to him, or did he mention anything to you about it?" she queried.

Daniel knew the reason why Harry had the sudden change of heart all right. It was because he felt guilty, just like the cheating husband who brings home a bouquet of flowers to his wife after work because he feels guilty about his affair. How could he possibly tell her the truth and break her heart? Harry would never forgive him. He tried to think quickly on his feet so that he could offer her a plausible explanation, despite feeling like he'd been hit by a tonne of bricks. How could Harry hurt him so badly? Was he so na‹ve that he didn't recognise the feelings that Dan was carrying for him?

"I don't know, Tara," he said, looking into her rubbish bin on the floor and seeing a used condom.

"He's just been so great today. I just love morning sex," she boasted.

"Whoa! Too much info there!" he said, appalled.

"Aw c'mon, lighten up a bit. Just because you're not getting any," she teased, elbowing him in the side. "So what do you think Jacqui and Harry are talking about?"

"I dunno," muttered Dan, vaguely. "Hey, I really have to get stuck into some study. I have so much I needed to get done today."

"Oh okay then, ditch me!" she joked. "Let me know when you're ready for dinner."

Daniel pulled his door shut and sat down at his desk in front of an open textbook, but he just couldn't concentrate on his work. As hard as he tried to focus on global currencies, he couldn't stop thinking about Tara's words. Harry was planning to tell his parents about their relationship. While it wasn't necessarily that big of a deal to anyone else, for Harry, it was massive. He didn't want to have to face the shame of telling them a few months down the track that they had broken up, and swore to himself that he wanted to be certain about his partner before he would tell his parents about it. What upset Daniel the most was that he was inspired to do this right after their brief sexual encounter, suggesting that Dan was the catalyst for it all. Could Harry really be feeling so dirty and guilty about the whole thing? Dan could have sworn that the look in his eyes that night was far more than just lust. There was a passion in Harry's eyes which he couldn't quite explain, and he feared that he was repressing his true desires in order to do what was more socially acceptable.

The next three weeks were the toughest of his life. His days revolved around endless reading, note-taking and memorising with very little time for anything else. He bought a lot of pre-packaged food and ate his meals in his room to maximise his study time. He knew that Jacqui and Tara were doing the same thing, and on the rare occasions that they'd pass each other in the hall on the way to the bathroom, they'd talk briefly about how their study was going and return to their rooms once again. The routine became not only monotonous after awhile, but it also left Daniel feeling quite melancholy. He felt as if he had nothing to really look forward to, and even as he confidently blitzed each exam one by one, the longer he spent confined to his room only added to his sense of despair.

By the final week of exams, Daniel was practically pulling his hair out. The yellow paint on his walls had been flaking off all year, exposing the darker rendered brickwork underneath, and Dan was beginning to see shapes and patterns emerging. He felt like he was going insane, held captive not only to the university's tough academic demands but to the very desires of his heart. He only had one exam left which he felt reasonably confident about, but he hadn't seen Harry in weeks and it was really tearing him apart inside. As he lay in bed one night, he pictured his funeral and who would be there if he were to suddenly pass away. Would Louise attend after everything they'd once shared together? Would his college friends cry or be upset? Would Harry even bother to show up? From there, he would begin to think of ways he could possibly take his life. He thought of overdoses, nooses and poisons, as well as highway overpasses and strong ocean rips, but he knew he didn't have the guts to follow through with any of them.

He just lay there, crying, with nobody to hear him but the figures he had conjured in the paintwork.

Then two days before holidays were due to start and Daniel had finished all of his exams, Harry rocked up at his door looking rather pleased with himself. He barged his way in and sat in the computer chair while Dan was sorting through a file in his wardrobe.

"Well if it isn't my brother to another mother!" said Harry.

"You're so black," Dan laughed back. "What do you want?"

"I don't have to want something! Surely I can just visit you whenever my heart so desires," Harry responded, pretending to by insulted.

Daniel scoffed. "Let me check your forehead, you sure you don't have a temperature or something?"

"Oh ha-ha, you're so funny Coombes. Anyway, how are you feeling about all your exams? Ace 'em?" he asked.

Daniel wanted to be short with Harry and treat him like dirt, just as he felt Harry had treated him lately. He wanted Harry to know how upset he'd been and pay for all of the shit he'd done, but with the beautiful boy sitting there in his room being so friendly to him, how could he possibly hold a grudge?

"I think I did okay," said Daniel, trying not to sound too big headed. "Yours?"

"Yeah, not bad. I think I'll pass," he laughed. "Hey, I wanted to run an idea by you."

"Shoot."

"Well, I know someone is turning twenty on Sunday and I wondered whether you might like to... I don't know...

come and spend the weekend chez moi?" he offered with a cheeky grin.

"You serious?!" Daniel asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, definitely. Jacqui and Tara are up for it, and we thought we'd drive up on Saturday in Jacqui's car and then spend the weekend at my place or whatever before heading back on Sunday night," Harry said.

"That sounds so cool!" Daniel exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. "Yeah, I'd love to."

"Sweet bro, my parents are looking forward to meeting you and the girls. Just pack a sleeping bag and some spare clothes, and it'll be the best birthday you've ever had, I guarantee it."

"My parents will be pretty cut that I'm not home to celebrate it with them, but fuck it. We do the same shit every year and it'll be great to do something a little bit different," explained Dan. "Thanks, man, I appreciate it so much."

"No worries, bro," said Harry, standing up and giving Dan a quick hug.

After Harry left, Dan took a minute to process everything. He was really going to Harry's place for the weekend!

He suddenly had something to look forward to and smiled uncontrollably to himself. This really was going to be the best birthday ever. He phoned his parents to tell them about his birthday plans and they were really excited for him.

His mother, as usual, had a series of questions to ask about where he would be staying, how far away Harry's family lived, etc, but the truth was that he didn't really know many of the answers to be able to give them to her.

Despite feeling sad that they wouldn't see their son until the late afternoon on his birthday, they were happy that he would be having a good time with friends. He'd worked hard all semester and deserved a break.

Harry was also feeling pretty excited about the weekend ahead. He'd found the exam period to be really exhausting and was looking forward to a relaxing weekend with the gang. He knew that the others felt the same way too. The last time they had planned something together, he'd had a fight with Tara and it had to be cancelled. This time, however, he was sure that nothing would stand in their way of having a great time. It had been such a thrill for him to tell Dan about the weekend he had in store and seeing the excited look on his face. Daniel was a hot guy, and being able to cheer him up and make him smile was something he prided himself on as best friend. Deep down, he wished that it was just going to be the two of them on the weekend, but it was Jacqui who had organised to do something special and he could hardly just exclude his girlfriend either. The more time that passed since his sexual encounter with Dan a few weeks earlier, the more confident Harry felt that it had just been something they had done in the heat of the moment, and the feelings of disgust which had consumed him earlier were long gone. He now found himself thinking about their night together a lot and wondered whether it would happen again if they were put in a similar situation. Although he would never admit it aloud, part of him wanted to try it again, except he wanted to push the boundaries and go even further next time. He thought of his dream and wondered what it would be like to actually kiss another boy. He craved to see Dan naked again and treat his body with the respect it deserved. He very much regretted latching on to Tara after he was hit by the guilts last time, and she still expected him to tell his parents about their relationship, but how could he when it was Dan who never seemed to be too far from his mind. Harry felt a stirring in his loins as thought about the sleeping arrangement for the weekend, and upon resolving to cross that bridge when they came to it, he closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep. In this dreamy realm, he saw chocolate brownies and biscuits, kangaroos and birds, turtles and hot chocolate in beakers, but perhaps most appetising and most beautiful of all, he saw the one thing he'd secretly longed for all his life - Daniel Coombes, lying there in the shade, beckoning him with those remarkable hazel eyes and seductive charm. If he could only ever have Daniel in his dreams, then he wished he could sleep forever.

• V -

The long anticipated Saturday before Dan's birthday arrived, marking not only the end of exams for everyone and a one month mid-year break, but also signalling the start of what would undoubtedly be a terrific weekend away for Daniel, Harry, Tara and Jacqui. They had planned to load up the car and head off at around 1pm, before picking up Harry along the way from his shared house and driving straight up the coast to Newcastle, hopefully arriving by about 3:30 or 4:00. The three at college packed up all of their gear and picked up Harry in good time, who was waiting out the front of his place with a backpack and a suitcase. There was barely enough room in the car for all of them and their stuff, but everyone was in too good of a mood to complain about the tight fit.

Tara was sitting in the front passenger's seat next to Jacqui, who was driving. Jacqui asked that Harry and Tara swap seats as they got closer to his place so that he could navigate. Daniel and Harry occupied the back seats, safely out of reach of the radio which Tara was guarding with her life. Her choice in music drove even Jacqui insane, but knowing she would never win the battle, she let Tara dictate the choice of music for the duration of the trip, much to Dan's and Harry's dismay. Despite it being winter, they were fortunate enough to have fantastic, fine weather, which wasn't so hot as to require the air conditioning, but warm enough that they were comfortable with the windows up.

About thirty minutes into the trip, questions were starting to be asked about what they'd actually be doing at Harry's place over the course of their stay.

"I mean, I like to know what I'm getting myself in for," Tara joked from the front.

"Well, it's going to be fairly intense," said Harry. "We'll be doing the high ropes and abseiling this afternoon, followed by river rafting and the good old obstacle course tomorrow."

"What the fuck!" Tara yelled, frightening Jacqui and almost making her veer off the road. "I thought this was supposed to be a relaxing weekend away!"

Harry turned towards Daniel, whose expression of shock horror communicated Tara's point precisely. "I'm totally just kidding guys. Sheesh, lighten up a little, will ya!"

"Well then you'd better tell us what's really in store," said Jacqui, focussed on the road.

"Okay, when we arrive home, we'll be tourists and do the foreshore and all that kind of crap. Maybe have a BBQ dinner down there with the parents if they're up for it."

"Yum," said Tara. "And then what?"

"Well, mum tells me that my Grandparents' are on a cruise at the moment, so I thought we could spend the night on their properly in the Hunter Valley. You'll love it Jacqui, so many animals and stuff," said Harry, sounding like a professional salesman.

"Oh I can't wait, that sounds so beautiful!" she proclaimed.

"They've converted Grandad's tool shed into a bungalow, so it'll be hell private, especially without them at home.

We'll spend the night there and maybe hit up some of the markets tomorrow or do some wine tasting around the valley."

"You just want to get me pissed for my birthday!" Dan interrupted.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

"Well I've got to drive everyone back tomorrow, but I'll be sure to spit out all of the wine into the bucket and not drink any," said Jacqui.

"You a swallower or a spitter?" Tara asked her.

"Sorry?" asked Jacqui, clearly not detecting Tara's sarcasm and sexual innuendo.

"Don't listen to her Jacq," said Harry. "She's being rude."

"As her future dentist, I need to know these things Harrison!" she said with a smirk.

"You're gross," he testified.

"You love it."

Actually, he didn't love it. He had found her sense of humour to be quite an appealing quality when they first met, but now it just seemed to irritate him more than anything. He really didn't want her to be there this weekend which revealed a lot about his feelings towards their relationship, but he couldn't help but feel that she'd try to pressure him into telling his parents about their relationship while she was there. This was something that he was definitely trying to avoid for as long as possible. This was something that Daniel had wondered about also, and the last thing that he wanted on his birthday was to hear that Harry had told his parents about Tara. He knew that it would break his heart if such an event were to occur.

With about only thirty minutes to go until they reached Harry's place, Jacqui felt like she needed a break from driving. Tara and Jacqui ended up swapping seats with Harry and Daniel so that Harry was navigating and Dan was driving. Harry was quick to take advantage of the radio, and changed it to one of the local stations that he preferred listening to. Everyone was pleased at the change of music, except for Tara who complained about it for the rest of the trip.

With Harry's great direction-giving, Daniel was able to find his way to Harry's without any real problems at all.

After they left the highway, they found themselves driving past one of the industrial areas of Newcastle which made it such a demographically heterogeneous city. After driving down the coastal road and catching a glimpse of the water, they drove towards a suburban area of town, pulling into the driveway of a house which reminded Dan very much of his own. It was a single storey house which appeared to be quite large. The house was rendered in a kind of terracotta coloured wash, and it's landscaping was elegant to say the least. Jacqui commented privately to Dan that she felt like she'd just stepped into the pages of "Better Homes and Gardens" or "Country Living."

The large timber door opened and Harry's parents stepped outside to greet their son and his guests. Daniel was immediately impressed by them. Harry was a dead ringer of his father, who towered over everyone at an impressive 6'2". He had a very solid frame, which Daniel later learned came with being a full time fire-fighter. Dan could imagine him posing for the cover of the annual charity calendar that the fireys released each year, but felt guilty later when he realised he'd been thinking about Harry's Dad in this way. The man introduced himself to everyone as Dan, which sparked a few jokes and laughs about the two of them sharing the same name.

"You never told me that your father and I have the same name," said Daniel.

"There are lots of things I don't tell you, but I'm sure I would have got around to telling you that one some day,"

Harry joked.

Harry's Mum was a very pleasant woman named Joanna, who lectured in Town Planning at the local Newcastle University. Daniel knew all of this prior to arriving and as such, he was able to communicate with Jo without feeling like a complete douche. Daniel noticed that Tara was trying incredibly hard to make a good impression by addressing them by their surnames despite being invited to address them less formally, and by saying things like, "Harry has told me so much about you both." Daniel highly doubted that considering Harry rarely spoke of his parents to anybody. He didn't know why - they were clearly very kind and loving people.

They all eventually made their way inside and settled down in the spacious family room, where Harry's Mum brought out several plates of appetising nibbles she had prepared.

"Just a little something for you after such a long drive," she said.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble, Mum," said Harry, a little embarrassed.

"But we're so grateful that you did," Daniel butted in. "Thank you so much for letting us stay with you this weekend."

"You're very welcome, Daniel," said Harry's father. "When Harry told us that he wanted to have some friends over, we were only too pleased."

"We do worry that he spends too much time studying and not enough time socialising," his mother added.

Daniel wished that his parents felt the same way! If they had things their way, Dan wouldn't be socialising at all.

"So Jacqui, I hear you're going to be a veterinarian," said Harry's father. "Has that been a goal of yours for some time?"

"Oh Dan, I just love animals," she said. "I always have done from as early as I can remember. Mum tells me stories about when I was little and I would rescue injured bugs in the backyard and nurse them back to health until they were ready to be released again. I really love it."

"Well from Harry has told us about you, it seems as if you're well-suited to the job with all those high distinctions you keep getting," said Harry's mother, before biting into an hors d'oeuvre.

Jacqui blushed, clearly uncomfortable talking about her achievements. "I think Harry has probably exaggerated significantly."

"And Tara, what is it that you are studying, dear?" asked Harry's Mum.

"Oh, I study dentistry," she said, both surprised and offended that Harry's parents seemed to know about everyone else except for her.

"Oh how interesting! Harry, you must stay friends with this one. You never know when having a dentist friend could come in handy," Harry's father joked.

Finally, Harry's parents turned to Dan at the same time and he knew that he was about to face the third degree about his studies and interests. He wanted to make a good impression and was feeling nervous that he would somehow mess it all up.

"Daniel," said Harry's Dad said, somewhat seriously. "Law and Economics, that sounds like a very difficult combination. When do you find time to yourself?" he asked.

Dan looked over at Harry who was looking at the floor, feeling embarrassed by his parents' rigorous questioning.

Daniel was amazed at how much these people knew and remembered about him based on what Harry must have told them.

"It can get quite hectic," Daniel said with a smile, "but I think provided you enjoy what you do, that's the main thing."

"Quite right," Harry's mother agreed. "Harry tells us you're quite the soccer star too!"

"Mum!" Harry groaned.

"What? We're not embarrassing you, are we?" she asked.

Daniel quickly intervened. "I don't know about a soccer star, but I play for college sometimes and I really love the game."

"I think you are going to go a very long way," Harry's Dad said. "You should come and stay with us some time while Harry's here on holidays. I studied a bit of law at uni, you know, and I think we could have some very interesting discussions."

"That sounds great!" Daniel smiled, turning towards a very red-faced Harry.

After they all made some more small talk and finished off the rest of the nibbles, Joanna asked them what they had planned for the rest of the weekend and was delighted to hear that they intended to spend the night at her parents' (Harry's Grandparents') property in the valley.

"I thought we could all have a BBQ dinner tonight down by the waterfront," she suggested. "I went out this morning and bought all the food, so I hope you're all hungry."

"That sounds lovely," said Jacqui. "You're really looking after us well."

The four amigos piled into Jacqui's car and drove down to the foreshore, where they spent the rest of the afternoon walking the length of the beach and relaxing on the sand. None of them dared to jump into the cold water at this time of the year, but they still managed to have a great time. Just as it was getting dark, they met up with Harry's parents at one of the barbeques and picnic tables which overlooked the water and prepared the best evening meal Daniel had eaten since the last time he visited home. Harry, too, was impressed by the barbeque as he'd been living on packaged soups and noodles over the exam period. As they began to eat their steak and burgers, Harry's father, Dan, spoke up.

"Jacqui, I think you are going to love it out at Harry's Grandparents' place. It's almost like a little wildlife reserve out there. Paul, that's Harry's Grandad, and I completely refurbished the back shed a few years ago and turned it into a really nice little bungalow for guests. It's all one bit room with a private little bathroom on the side. It's got a lounge area with a TV, a kitchenette and a big king sized bed as well," he said. "Provided you girls don't mind sharing the bed, I thought Harry and Daniel could set up their sleeping bags on the floor."

"It sounds like the perfect spot," said Jacqui, swallowing a mouthful of salad. "I'm sure we'll have a fantastic night."

Daniel immediately felt excited about what lay ahead. He hadn't been sure what the sleeping arrangement would be but he was glad that they'll all be together. Harry had feared that he'd be expected to share a room with Tara up in the main house, but knowing that his father expected them to have the bungalow made it easy to sort out the sleeping arrangements. He was as excited about sleeping next to Dan as Dan was sleeping next to him. Tara was a little put out that she wouldn't have a private room with Harry, but knowing that he'd be sleeping in the same room offered some solace. As for Jacqui, she didn't really mind what the arrangement was although she was happy that Daniel would get to share the floor with Harry. She was starting to think of ways that she could lure Tara from the room to give them some alone time together if it came to that.

Everybody enjoyed their meal and praised Dan, Harry's father, for his culinary abilities. But just as they were getting ready to leave, Jo brought out a massive birthday cake shaped like a soccer field from the esky.

"Whoa! That's incredible!" remarked Dan, stunned that she would go to so much effort for his benefit.

"What, this? Oh honey, don't be silly. I just whipped this up this morning while I was by myself in the kitchen. Harry mentioned that it was your birthday tomorrow and I never really need much of a reason to bake anyway!" she laughed.

She lit the candles and everyone joined in to sing 'Happy Birthday', including some of the people who were walking past at the time with their dogs.

Daniel blew out his candles. "I don't know what to say, Dan and Jo. I'm so happy to be spending my birthday up here with your family, and of course you guys," he said, looking around at his friends. "I'm having such a blast."

"Glad to hear it, buddy," smiled Harry, throwing an arm around his mate's shoulder. Daniel felt so at ease and it was as if all of his troubles had completely done away. He felt like a different person entirely from the depressed soul who had sat in his room just days earlier and considered bringing his life to a premature end.

"You've gotta make a wish now," said Jacqui, offering Dan a wink as he looked at her.

"Yeah, and if you touch the bottom with the knife, you have to kiss the closest girl," said Tara, pushing Jacqui towards him.

Daniel laughed. "Okay, lemme think."

Dan didn't need to spend much thinking about what he would wish for at all. He closed his eyes and wished that he could find the courage to reveal his true feelings to Harry - to tell him how he felt about their friendship and how he wished they would share something so much more. He also wished that Harry would in some small way be able to return his feelings, despite the chances of such a proposition being slim to none. He opened his eyes and made the first cut in the very decorative cake. The knife touched the bottom with a very audible "clunk."

"Alright, Jacqui, you're the closest. Time for a kiss," said Tara, laughing.

"You were definitely closer," laughed Jacqui, outraged by Tara's scheme.

"No way, you have bigger feet than I do and they were definitely closer to Dan than mine were," she argued.

"Yeah well your mouth is bigger and I'm sure Dan could here it louder than he could hear mine." This comment made everybody laugh.

"Oh for Christ's sake, allow me," said Harry, who was definitely the closest person to Dan at the time as he still had his arm around Dan's shoulder. He leaned in and planted a puckered kiss on Daniel's cheek, holding the pose while Jacqui dug around in her bag for her camera and took a photo. Even Harry's parents found this to be hilarious.

"Happy Birthday Danny boy!" said Harry playfully.

Daniel was on cloud nine and really loved having Harry kiss him on the cheek! It was the best birthday present anyone could have given him! Tara was about to make a quick-witted remark about getting jealous, but caught her tongue at the last minute, not wanting to arouse suspicion between Harry's parents about their relationship.

After they'd each eaten a piece of cake (or two pieces in the case Harry and Daniel), Jo and Dan headed back home in their car, while the others hopped in Jacqui's car with Harry directing them towards his Grandparents' private retreat in the valley. It was already 8:00pm by the time they began to drive through the hinterland, but with a beautiful full moon overhead, the valley was stunningly lit and the ghostly silhouettes of the vineyards were a real sight when they came into view. Jacqui even pulled over a few times so that she could take some photos. Jacqui could have spent hours there, but she knew that they had to press on if they were to reach their destination. She was very impressed by what she saw here and was very much looking forward getting to Harry's Grandparents' property so she could see more.

When they eventually arrived, the night sky was so clear that Jacqui barely needed her headlights when navigating the bush road that led to their house. They unloaded the car and moved all of their stuff into the bungalow around the side of the property. Harry found the key for the shed-turn-bungalow in its usual location at the bottom of the rain gauge, where it was kept in case of an emergency. Despite the shroud of darkness, Daniel loved everything he saw here. It was so picturesque, from the grass plains around the house and bungalow to the bushland in the distance. He saw what appeared to be a dam just down the hill a little more and saw the row a row of quite large fruit trees which he was longing to climb. Jacqui even saw a green tree frog while she was carrying her bag down to the shed and again stopped to photograph it from a variety of angles.

Once all of their stuff had been loaded, Harry gave them a bit of a tour, excluding the main house which was all locked up while his Grandparents were cruising around the pacific. He took a torch with him, but it wasn't really needed as the moon provided enough light for them to see their surroundings. Harry took his guests to the citrus trees on the upper side of the property near the bush track, and he proudly showed them some of the ceramic ornaments he and his grandma had made for the garden when he was just a little tyke.

"Aww, how old were you when you made these?" Tara asked him, picking up a ceramic mushroom house and one of the little elves who lived inside.

"Probably five or six," he laughed. "I probably wouldn't able to do as good a job now."

"Oh Harry, I just love grapefruit," Jacqui said, pointing towards the very old grapefruit tree in the corner of the orchard.

"Go and pick a couple. We can cut 'em open and sprinkle them with sugar and they'll be delicious," he said.

Harvesting some of the fruit, Jacqui followed behind the others as they made their way down to the dam just past the bungalow. It was a fairly large body of water, and while the moonlight made it difficult to calculate just how deep it was, Daniel assumed that it would be deep enough for an inexperienced swimmer to drown in.

"Are there any fish in there?" asked Tara.

"There used to be. Grandad and I would come fishing here all the time," he said reminiscently.

"Can we fish here tomorrow?" Dan asked.

"Mate, we can do whatever you want tomorrow, it's your birthday," said Harry.

"Why don't you boys fish tonight?" proposed Jacqui. "It's such a lovely night for it, and Tara and I could go for a bit of a bush walk down in the scrub at the back of the property."

"But it's so dark," complained Tara.

"We'll take a torch and leave a trail of bread crumbs in case we get lost," Jacqui laughed, rolling her eyes at a very unenthusiastic Tara.

"Okay, that sounds great!" said Harry. "We can put in a couple of hours at the dam while Jacqui and Tara occupy themselves down the back. Make sure you take your mobile though in case you get into trouble or something," he warned.

"Will do."

Tara and Jacqui changed out of their flip flops into runners and headed off down to the back of the property with torch and camera in hand. Daniel and Harry, meanwhile, walked up to the back patio of the house and collected the fishing rods and some basic tackle that they would need, as well as some fold up seats to sit on. They used some bread as bait and cast their lines into the otherwise still water, waiting for a bite.

"I used to do this with Grandad nearly every weekend," said Harry, breaking the calm silence of the night. "Never used to catch that much, mind you, except the odd cold here and there."

"I don't mind if I catch anything or not, it's just nice to be fishing again," Dan confessed. "I don't remember the last time I wet a line."

"Yeah, me neither, bro," Harry responded.

Again, there was silence between them. Daniel had so much that he wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth, the words just wouldn't come. Harry was in the same boat, so to speak. There were many things he wished that he could say to Daniel right now, but the moment was just too special to ruin by talking. He tried to catch a glimpse of Daniel out the corner of his eye, and saw the boy looking gracefully out over the water and into the distance. He could get used to nights like this, fishing with Daniel and pretending that nothing else mattered. He decided to strike up a conversation.

"Are you going to do anything with your parents for your birthday when you get home tomorrow?" he asked.

"Nah, we'll probably just go out to dinner or something lame. Nothing will compare to how much fun today has been though, and I'm sure tomorrow will be just as good," stated Daniel.

"I'm glad you're having a good time. I think we all needed a bit of a break from all that shit going on at uni. Man, I don't remember a time when I've ever been so stressed," recounted Harry.

"Yeah, it was pretty intense."

There was silence until Daniel found the confidence to address what was really on his mind. "Are you planning to tell your parents about Tara this weekend?" he asked, out of the blue.

Harry was a little bit surprised by the question. He felt like Dan had been sitting on it since they started fishing an hour or so earlier.

"Did she tell you about that?"

"Yeah, she mentioned it," said Dan.

"Okay. I don't know, Dan, I just can't see us lasting. She just gets on my nerves so much and I don't really see a future for us. I don't think my parents are all that fond of her either," Harry admitted.

"What are you gonna do?" he asked.

"I think I'll leave things go over the holidays and wait until we start back at uni again next month, then break things off. It'll be so hard though," he said sadly, looking out over the dam into the spaceless void where he'd seen Dan looking earlier. "What do you think about that?"

"It doesn't really matter very much what I think, mate," Dan argued. "I mean, she's a great friend to me and I don't want to see her hurting, but you've got to do what feels right for you, too."

"Yeah, I know. I hate to hurt her, but it's kind of inevitable I guess," said Harry.

Daniel reeled in his line and found that his bait had been eaten. "Little bastards, I didn't even know I'd been taken,"

he said, grabbing some more bread and spearing it on his hook, before casting his rod as far as he could.

"Maybe I should check mine, too," Harry said to himself as he began to bring in his line and inspect his bait, which was still fully in tact.

"Is there someone else in the picture?" Dan asked suddenly.

"What?" clarified Harry.

"Are you interested in someone else?" Dan repeated bluntly.

"I'd never cheat on Tara, Dan. I'm not like that."

"But there is someone else, then?" Dan probed.

"I didn't say that!" he protested.

"You didn't have to, buddy."

Harry, feeling cornered, was having trouble evading Daniel's questions. No wonder he excelled at law. But how could he possibly admit that the other person in the picture was him? If Dan was repulsed, chances are there friendship would never be the same.

"What does it matter, anyway?" Harry asked weakly.

"What does it matter? Dude, look at us. I'm pretty sure we've always told each other everything. I don't understand the hesitation," said Daniel.

"It's complicated, Dan," Harry reasoned.

"Do I know her?" he insisted.

"Dan..."

"Oh fuck, it's Jacqui, isn't it? You like Jacqui!"

"Shut the fuck up and listen to me! It's not Jacqui, and it's not something that I particularly want to talk about right now. When the time comes, I promise you'll be the first person to know," said Harry, trying to calm himself down.

Just then, Dan felt something tugging at his line and he excitedly began to play the perpetrator as if it were a large cobia or trout.

"I've got something on here!" he yelled excitedly.

"Cool man, reel him in!" Harry encouraged, getting out of his chair and squatting on the ground beside his more successful fishing partner, leaving the butt of his rod firmly planted in the clay.

Daniel wound his reel furiously, bringing his prized catch upon the bank. He soon realised that he had hooked an old rubber boot which had found its way into the dam, and while he failed to see the humour at first, Harry's fit of laughter allowed him to see the funny side of the situation.

"Oh man, I thought it was gonna be something really good!" Daniel laughed.

"Yeah, so did I! Ah well, at least I don't feel like such a loser now for not catching something," Harry giggled.

"And don't think I've forgotten what we were talking about before I snagged the boot, brofus. This conversation definitely isn't over," promised Daniel.

But before Harry could respond, the voices of Jacqui and Tara could be heard coming from the scrub as they approached the dam. When they came into view, Tara was soaking wet and Jacqui had removed her jumper, wrapping it around the girl's shoulders.

"What the hell happened to you?" Daniel asked.

"Well, little Miss Britney Spears here was showing off her circus tricks on that big log that goes across the stream and she fell in," Jacqui laughed.

"It's not funny!" Jacqui chided. "The water was cold as and I could be covered in leeches for all you know."

"Well you're definitely not hopping in bed with me tonight before you take a shower," declared Jacqui. "Let's go inside and get you cleaned up."

As they walked towards the bungalow, Daniel looked at his watch and saw that it was nearing midnight. Harry and Daniel consequently packed up their fishing gear and put it back on his grandparents' patio, before returning to the bungalow and sitting in front of the television with Jacqui while they waited for Tara in the shower. She spent ages rubbing herself with soap and inspecting for leeches, but satisfied she had escaped from the water unharmed, she finished up in the bathroom and threw on her pyjamas.

"Are you all ready for bed?" she said when she came out into the main room.

"Yeah," said Harry, "but I think I'll probably have a shower before hitting the sack."

"Me too," said Daniel.

"And me three," Jacqui joined in.

The three of them took their turn in the shower and emerged from the bathroom in their night time attire. Harry had to do a double take when Dan came out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of green briefs which hugged his bulging package and gripped his tight buns. He decided to take his shower before anyone noticed him staring, although Jacqui hadn't missed the lingering glance and reminded herself to tell Daniel about it later. Harry and Dan spread their sleeping bags out on the floor next to each other with only very little space between them, while Jacqui and Tara got rid of the decorative cushions off the bed and threw the heavy quilt onto the floor. Harry, dressed in a pair of black briefs similar to the ones Dan was currently wearing, jumped up to lock the door and turn off the light, before returning to his sleeping bag and zipping himself inside half way.

For a few minutes, the four of them lay in silence, but soon the inevitable laughter began as happens when four young people get together for a sleepover.

"Ooh Tara, you feel so good," Jacqui said, trying to sound sensual but bursting into a fit of laughter in the process.

"Jacq, what do you call that manoeuvre? Harry hasn't tried that one out before," said Tara, laughing as well.

"I don't know if I like the sound of what's going on up there," Harry giggled.

"Oh you're just jealous Harry," Jacqui noted.

"Jealous? Me? No way. Daniel and I are getting very comfortable on the floor down here," he said. Daniel felt himself growing hard in his briefs as Harry pretended to be getting up to no good with him. He rolled over onto his stomach in the sleeping bag and pressed his hard cock into the floor. He didn't see the harm in playing along as they were all clearly just joking.

"Just a bit lower Harry. Yeah, right there. That's it. Mmm," he teased.

"What are you two up to?" Jacqui laughed, trying to catch Daniel eye in the dark so she could give him a smile.

"We're having so much fun down here. Does that feel good, Danny?"

"The best, Harry baby."

The girls giggled uncontrollably on the bed, but this really wasn't doing anything for Dan's erection, nor for his genuine feelings of desire for Harry. The guy had virtually admitted to him earlier that he was interested in somebody else, and while he pretended to be unaffected, it had really hit him for a six. He had to concede that he was feeling happy that Harry was going to end things with Tara but he hoped she would come out of it okay.

"Let's play truth or dare," Jacqui suddenly suggested, "except without the dare part."

"So like truth or truth?" Tara asked.

"Exactly, Tara."

"Why do I get the feeling this little game has all been preconceived?" Harry asked.

"I wouldn't have any idea what you're talking about, Harrison," laughed Jacqui.

"Oh c'mon, you guys totally hatched this up while Dan and I were fishing and you were down in the bush," he said accusingly.

"I'm up for it if you are," said Daniel.

"Alright, but we each get one pass card to use if there's a question we don't want to answer. Deal?"

"I dunno about that," Tara giggled.

"Well if that's the only condition, I guess we can do that," Jacqui said, consulting Tara.

"Alright, but only one pass card each."

With the rules established, there was a sense of excitement in the room to start the game. Tara said that because she accidentally fell in the stream, she should be the one to start out of sympathy. The others knew they wouldn't win, so they agreed to her idea and let her ask the first question. She pretended to think carefully for a little while before springing the first question on Daniel.

"Daniel, what's one thing you'd change about yourself if you could?" she asked.

"Jeez, that's deep for the first question," Dan laughed. "Ummm, well I guess if I could change anything, it would be my hopeless sense of style."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"You've seen me getting ready to go out before. I have no idea what looks good or what to do with my hair or any of that kinda stuff. You seem to have a knack for it," Dan said.

"You're not too bad, mate. You just need not to care so much and it will all work for you, I promise," Harry reassured him, taking his arm out of his sleeping bag and patting Daniel on the top of his head.

Daniel was having a hard time keeping himself under control. He was again spending the night within an arm's reach of the boy he craved to be with more than anything, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself. He could feel his hard cock throbbing as he grinded it into the floor.

"Because you answered the question, you get to ask the next question to whoever you want," said Tara.

"Alright, my question goes to Jacqui," he said. "Jacq, I've always wanted to know the answer to this question and I'm sorry if my asking it offends you, but have you ever been all the way with another a guy before?"

"That's a really good question, and I want to answer it but I just need to think about it first," she said. She considered her answer long and hard, and Tara actually nudged her in the side at one stage to make sure she hadn't fallen asleep. "The furthest I've gone with a guy before is kissing, and Dan, it was with your friend Todd on the night of your birthday party last year. We were coming back to the uni and everyone had drunk a little too much that night, and he was walking with me back towards our college. He was twirling his fingers in the middle of my back and lightly blowing air on the side of my neck, and I think he really knew how to get a girl turned on, but as much as I wanted to take him back to my room, it just didn't feel right so he ended up just going back to his college. I called him the next morning but he was really disinterested in me and I felt really let down. I probably should have said something to you earlier, Dan."

"I can't believe him!" Dan said, outraged. "You're totally off limits! We don't even keep in touch any more, but I had no idea he made a move on you like that. I'm so sorry, Jacqui."

"It's alright, really. No hard feelings," she reassured him. "Alright, my question goes to Harry."

"Just wait, Dan and I are in the middle of something here," he said, pretending to moan. "Oh God, Danny, you're so big."

"Take it, bitch," Daniel laughed.

"Oh give it a break you two," said Tara, hurtling a cushion at them, "or else Jacqui and I will really put on a show."

"So keeping with the running theme, Harry," Jacqui said, "have you ever been with another dude before and how far did you go?"

Daniel froze. Jacqui really wasn't taking any prisoners and he felt proud that he had such a great friend. He knew that she was asking the question for his own benefit to watch Harry squirm, and he was very curious to see how he'd answer. If Harry used a pass card, it was a little obvious to everyone that he had fooled around with a guy before, which left either telling the truth about their encounter together or lying.

When Harry heard the question, he was shocked as well. He didn't quite know how to go about answering it. He had the same logic as Dan about using the pass card, but he knew that by lying, Daniel would be able to pick him up on it. He wasn't ready to confess the truth, especially with his girlfriend in the room, so he resolved to tell a lie and hope that Daniel kept his mouth shut.

"Well," he said, gathering his thoughts, "the most I've ever done with a guy before was giving Dan a big birthday kiss tonight. Oh, and of course the intercourse we're having right now, but you guys can't really see that."

"I've heard stories about what footy players get up to in the change rooms," said Jacqui after hearing his answer.

"You sure you don't have any hot locker room stories to tell..." she prompted.

Harry just laughed, a little uncomfortably. "No, I guarantee it. Which makes it my turn to ask a question now, and I choose Tara."

While Harry thought of a question to ask, Daniel tried to justify his logic. He had lied in a game where they were all supposed to be honest with one another, and while he understood Harry's decision to keep quiet to some extent, he couldn't help but feel a little bit hurt. On the one hand, Harry was lying beside him, almost flirting with him on occasion, and yet on the other, he'd been too proud to admit that he had jerked off with another guy.

"Tara," Harry finally began, "do you like to listen to music while you have sex?"

She laughed aloud at the question. "But you already know the answer to that!" she said.

"I know, but Jacqui and Dan don't," he said teasingly.

"Alright. Yes, Harry, I do like to listen to music during sex," she answered.

"And what music would that be?" he continued.

"I'm pretty sure that counts as a second question," she said defensively, "but I'll answer it anyway and say Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Can't go past the divas when it comes to setting the mood."

"Oh God, I think I want to be sick," said Daniel.

"How do you think I feel?!" said Harry.

Tara didn't require much time to think about her next question, choosing to ask Daniel once again. "Dan, you get the same question Jacqui asked Harry. Have you ever messed around with a guy before?"

While he thought about the ramifications of answering honestly, using a pass card or lying, he felt Harry roll over in his sleeping back and grab him by the arm. It was a comforting sort of grip that Harry had on him, and it told Daniel that Harry wanted him to lie as well.

"Umm... well..." Dan started. It was pitch black in the room and the friends could barely see their hands in front of their faces, and Harry moved closer yet to Dan and grabbed him in a hug through their sleeping bags. It felt so good to have Harry hold him, and he wished that he could fall asleep in the boy's strong arms and wake up that way in the morning. Alas, Harry loosened his grip, but lay down so closely next to Dan and their exposed sides were touching from the shoulder down.

"I have messed around with one guy before," he finally answered. He felt Harry's body go rigid beside him.

"Really? I want details, tell us more," Tara pleaded.

"Fuck, Tara, give the guy a break!" said Harry. "Christ."

"I'm sorry, Dan, I didn't mean to push. I'm just so curious to hear about it," she said, somewhat apologetically.

"Nah, it's all good. It was just a late night thing that happened once. We were both pretty drunk and he suggested we give each other massages, and next thing I knew, we were having a wank together. Well, more like we were wanking each other, but you get the idea."

"That's so hot!" she said. "Who was the guy? Would I know him?"

Harry reached down and placed his hand on top of Dan's forearm, gently moving his hand up and down the length of his arm, lightly caressing the skin as he went. This was almost a desperate plea on Harry's behalf not to mention his name. He never had any intention to do so, and having Harry so scared by the prospect saddened him. He reached beside him and grabbed Harry's hand, squeezing it tightly as he gave his answer.

"There's no point me revealing his name. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even know who he is anyway," Dan lied.

Harry pulled Daniel into a very tight embrace. He never really expected Dan to spill, but after he'd actually told the truth about his experience with another guy, he worried that he may go all the way and reveal who he did it with as well. He suddenly felt guilty that he'd lied and avoided the difficult question, while Dan had faced it head on and come out of it with his integrity.

But Tara hadn't finished quite yet. "Did you enjoy it? As in, would you do it again if you had the chance?" she proceeded.

"You've asked him like a million questions!" said Jacqui, not quite believing Tara's audacity.

"Dan doesn't mind, do you Dan?"

"He's just too polite to say he doesn't mind," Harry intervened.

"But it's kind of nifty, don't you think? Two guys getting it on. I find that so bizarre, but sort of... erotic as well,"

she conceded.

"Tara!" Dan said, feeling angry inside. "I'm gay, which means yes, I enjoyed it and yes, I would do it again if I had the chance. Are you satisfied now?" Dan got out of his sleeping bag and headed to the bathroom, where he shut the door behind him and sat on the closed lid of the toilet seat, tears pouring down his face. He hadn't intended to come out of the closet tonight, but Tara had got to him and he just couldn't keep his emotions in check.

He heard a light knock on the door, Jacqui asking if she could come in, and when he didn't answer to the contrary, she filed in with Harry following behind. As Daniel stood up, they each took a side and grabbed him in a tight embrace. His tears flowed freely as they continued to hold him, neither of them saying a word. When Dan tried to speak, Harry shushed him by placing his index finger over his mouth, but all the while continuing to hold him close.

"We love you, Daniel," said Jacqui, "and we're so proud of how courageous you are. Aren't we, Harry?"

"Yeah..." he simply said, resting his head on Dan's shoulder, closing his eyes and cradling him from behind.

"Everything is going to be okay, you have us."

"Thanks guys," Dan whispered. "I feel bad for Tara, I over-reacted."

"No, not at all," said Jacqui.

"She was way out of line, dude. She feels pretty bad, but you don't have to face her until you're ready," Harry assured him.

"I need to see her," Dan said in a committed fashion.

He left the bathroom and walked out into the main sleeping area where Tara was sitting on the bed, waiting for something to happen. She immediately jumped up and ran towards him with open arms.

"I'm so so sorry," she said, beginning to cry herself. "I didn't mean to push like that, really."

"It's okay, I'm fine. It's just that your question stirred up some emotions that I had to get out," he explained.

"So we're all good then?" she confirmed.

"We're all good," he responded with a smile.

"This is awesome, we can check out hot guys together now," she laughed. "And I can take you shopping with me.

I've always wanted to have a gay best friend."

Everyone laughed at the way Tara was rambling, including Dan, who was able to have a good laugh at himself as well.

The four of them sat around the television and ate the grapefruit that Jacqui had picked earlier in the evening, having been halved, sprinkled with sugar and refrigerated for a few hours. Everyone agreed that they were a delicious, refreshing snack, and eventually partook in a big group hug before returning to their beds. After a few last minute toilet calls, Harry turned off the lights and the silence which fell over the room was evidence enough that the game had well and truly come to an end.

Both Harry and Daniel were lying on top of the sleeping bags in just their briefs as the events of the night had left them feeling quite hot. Daniel's heart was still pounding irregularly fast, and as if on cue, Harry put his hand on Daniel's chest and felt the rapid beating. He didn't need high distinctions in his cardio courses to tell him that Daniel was still feeling worked up about things. He offered the only suggestion he could think of.

"Want a massage?" he whispered to Daniel.

Daniel chuckled. "I'm all right I think, but thanks anyway." He rolled onto his side to face away from Harry and towards the bed.

"Well, just know that I've always got your back no matter what," Harry whispered in Dan's ear, rolling onto his side as well and spooning himself behind this beautiful boy. He lightly pressed his crotch into Dan's brief clad ass, hoping like hell that Daniel wouldn't take offence and push him away.

But it was actually the complete opposite. Daniel felt so safe and protected having someone as strong and powerful as Harry nestled in behind him. The stud's powerful arms wove their way under his own arms and wrapped themselves around his bare torso. He felt Harry's semi-erect cock probing at his crevice through the material, and as much as he wanted to treat himself this birthday, he knew he couldn't stand to face Harry's outright rejection once again. Never had he been so at peace with the world as he did at that moment, and as his twentieth year in existence came to be, he fell asleep with the love of his life and his very best friend tessellated behind him like a jigsaw piece.

It was, unfortunately, short lived. Several hours later at around 3am, Harry's breathing became quite shallow and he was unable to get enough of the oxygen he needed to breathe. He tried to take short, quick breaths to get his lungs working, but it was as if his chest seized up and prevented him from respiring. Harry had fought a very private battle with asthma ever since he was a young child, and on several occasions, his attacks had been so severe that he'd been taken to hospital and put on a breathing apparatus. But the many trips to the hospital hadn't deterred him from his dream of becoming a doctor so that he could help other sick people and cure them of their maladies.

His gasps for air were loud enough to wake Daniel, who opened his eyes to find Harry sitting up in one of the lounge chairs with his hands on his chest, eyes closed, trying his hardest to inhale deeper breaths. Daniel got up and sat next to him on the chair, placing one hand firmly in the middle of his back and the other one his leg, just letting him know that he was there. Harry immediately pointed towards his bag next to the door and Daniel guessed that he needed his puffer. He searched frantically through the bag and found it by itself in one of the pockets at the front. He presented the device to Harry, who took a few puffs from it and then tried to collect his breaths at a steady pace.

Eventually, he began to breathe normally again and Daniel gave a sigh of relief. Jacqui and Tara slept soundly through the whole ordeal, but Harry was grateful to have Dan's support.

"Are you okay now?" he asked.

"I think so," Harry responded. "It's the carpet in here that's the problem. This room has been locked up for ages and there's heaps of dust in the fibres."

"Would you prefer to sleep outside?" Daniel asked him. "Is there somewhere we can go?"

"Yeah, and I know just the spot," said Harry. "Bring your sleeping bag."

After quietly leaving the bungalow, they walked down past the dam until they encountered the row of mango trees Daniel had seen earlier and secretly wanted to climb. As he walked past, he looked up into one of the trees and saw that Harry's Grandad had constructed a fort across a few of the branches. He wished that his childhood had been filled with such fun and adventure. They continued past the mango trees and walked up a bit of a hill until they reached a large grassy flat. In the chalky glow of the moonlight, Daniel could make out the dense mass of trees of the rainforest in the distance.

"This is the grassy knoll," said Harry. "And this," he said, placing his palm against the bark of a massive tree trunk, "is my favourite tree in the world."

"Wow, it's huge," Dan admired, following the long trunk with his eyes. "What is it?"

"It's a Moreton Bay Fig," Harry responded. "Here, lie underneath it and look at the sky through the leaves."

The boys rolled out their sleeping bags on the grass under the expansive reach of the fig tree and looked through its foliage at the night sky painted above. It was like a kaleidoscope of shapes and patterns, with the dark, pointed leaves silhouetted against the backdrop of the moon lit sky. The stars were the magical centrepiece, with sparkling constellations speckled across the almost iridescent backdrop.

"It's... beautiful," said Daniel, not quite being able to find the words to describe this sublime view of the night sky.

"It sure is. I used to love lying here as a kid and looking at the stars and clouds, but for some reason I let myself get too busy to keep it up," Harry recounted sadly.

They lay there in silence, admiring the breathtaking brilliance of the night sky. Finally, Harry spoke.

"So Happy Birthday, man," he said, turning his head to look at Daniel who was still looking up at the sky.

"Thanks! Wow, I'm not a teenager any more," he realised.

"Nope, you sure aren't!" Harry paused. "You know, Dan, I'm so proud of you for what you did tonight. That took real guts, and I think you're such a brave guy."

"Or stupid, one or the other," said Daniel.

"It was a huge step and I admire you so much for being so honest with yourself," Harry congratulated him.

"When you're with such a good group of friends who you trust entirely, it's easy," Daniel explained.

"Well I'm glad you realise you can trust me, and you know it's not going to change our friendship in anyway."

Daniel was relieved. "Thanks, man. I appreciate that."

"And thanks for not mentioning my name to Tara when she asked who you did all that stuff with," Harry added. "I hated lying when Jacqui asked me about it, but I was so worried about what they'd think of me if I admitted to it."

"I understand," said Daniel.

"But it was wrong not to just pass on the question if I didn't want to answer it truthfully."

Again, Harry paused before speaking, choosing his words with careful deliberation.

"Because I lied in there, I'm going to let you ask me anything you want and I promise I'll answer it honestly," said Harry. "No pass cards."

"Are you sure about that?" Dan said, starting to feel a bit excited by this opportunity.

"Yep, shoot."

"Alright, well I think you know what I'm going to ask," Daniel advised.

"Yeah, I can probably guess," Harry nodded.

"Back when we were fishing tonight, you virtually admitted that you were interested in someone other than Tara. I realise it's complicated and probably none of my business, but please just tell me who it is," Dan asked.

"Okay, I promise I'll answer the question in a minute, but tell me why you want to know so badly first."

Dan's heart was beating faster and faster. His birthday wish was becoming true right before his eyes. He was presented with the perfect moment to express his feelings to Harry, and he quickly calculated the risks.

"Why? Because I love you, Harry, and because I probably always will."

"Wh... what?" Harry asked, dumbfounded.

"You heard me."

"Yeah I know, but I'm still trying to understand. How do you know? Maybe you just feel that way because we were drunk that night and messed around a bit," Harry muttered.

"Well, maybe it's because my heart melts every time you look my way and smile that beaming smile. Or maybe it's because it kills me inside to see you with someone else, or to see Tara and wonder what she'd do if she knew how I felt about you. That special night we shared together meant so much to me, but then you pushed me away and it broke my heart, Harry. I see you when I try to get to sleep at night, and even then my dreams are filled with thoughts of you. I can't concentrate on any one thing for long periods of time without thinking of you and wondering what you're doing and whether you're okay. But perhaps most telling of all is the way my heart skips a beat and I forget that I need to breathe every time you're near me. If that isn't evidence of my feelings for you, then what is?"

said Daniel, turning to look at Harry with a tear-stained face.

Harry continued to look up at the stars.

"Do you ever wonder if there are other forms of life out there?" Harry asked him, contemplatively.

"Yeah, I sometimes think about it," said Daniel, a little bit confused.

"You know, Earth is so small in the grand scheme of things. We would barely even register as a pin prick when you put our planet or even our galaxy in the broader context of the universe," Harry explained.

Daniel had just poured his heart out to Harry, and here he was rambling about the universe and avoiding talking about the issue at hand. He was starting to feel a little agitated.

"I don't see what any of this has to do with my situation," said Daniel sternly.

"Well, think of it this way. Our Earth is so small, and we're like tiny little ants roaming around all over the place.

When I look up at the stars, I remember how small and insignificant I am and realise that anything that's troubling me isn't all that big either. It's a way of looking at things which helps me face some of my fears," said Harry, still looking skyward.

"You still haven't answered my question from earlier though," Daniel reminded him.

Harry turned to him and smiled. "No. No, I haven't. And if it wasn't for this amazing lightshow tonight, I'd probably never find the guts to answer it," he said with a sincerity Daniel had never before seen from Harry. "You know, Dan, I worry so much about what other people think of me that I sometimes let it take control of me. I work my ass off at uni because I feel that my parents expect a flawless transcript, I play football and keep myself in shape because I feel that my friends won't want to be my friends any more if I don't, and I date Tara because I know people will judge me if I don't have a girlfriend. My whole life, it's been the same."

"I'm sorry to hear that man," Daniel responded.

"What do you expect from me?" Harry asked him.

"Umm... nothing much really, just your friendship I guess," replied Dan as honestly as he could.

"Exactly, and that's what makes you so different from everybody else." Harry pointed to the sky again. "Look at the stars, Dan, and tell me what you see."

"I see hundreds of thousands of fireballs that are probably millions of light-years away," answered Dan, a little intrigued. "Why? What do you see?"

"I see something so sublime that I can't quite explain it. It's beyond what my mere human mind can comprehend, but it still manages to take my breath away every time. I don't need a logical explanation to tell me that it's beautiful."

Daniel waited anxiously as Harry took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"I know I've ranted for way too long but the point I'm trying to make is that some things don't need to be understood to be appreciated. I see you, Daniel, and I'm absolutely blown away by your sensitivity, your compassion and your loyalty, just as I know so many of your friends are. I'll never be able to explain the way my mind works... I mean, we're both guys and I shouldn't feel like this... but I find you really attractive both on the inside and the out, and I think I might just love you too."

Dan was stunned when he heard Harry's utterance. Was this really happening? He could feel his heart going in overdrive and a shiver went down his spine as he realised that Harry's eyes were glistening with tears.

"I need more than an 'I think', Harry. Are you sure?" Daniel confirmed.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm worried sick what other people will think when they find out, but as I said before, in the grand scheme of things, who gives a fuck what they think. Yeah, I'm sure," said Harry, nodding his head in the affirmative.

But Daniel was still feeling sceptical. "How is this even possible? Last time, you practically jumped into bed with Tara the minute you were finished with me. What's different now?"

"I'm so sorry about all of that," said Harry, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "I loved every minute of what we did together that night and if I had things my way, we would have done so much more together. When we were pretending to be gay so that the dude would back off a little, it felt so real and it was the most amazing thing ever.

And what about that dance?! But after I got off, my common sense kicked in and I had so many things running through my mind. I felt so guilty for using you the way I had, I felt bad for messing around behind Tara's back, but worst of all, I worried why I had enjoyed it so much. I worried that I might be... you know... gay. It was easier to push you away than it was to deal with my demons."

Harry propped himself up on his elbow and admired Dan's semi-naked form before him. The boy was a remarkable sight, and he longed for Dan to say something.

"What did you do then?" he asked, still refusing to comment on Harry's admission.

"So to prove to myself that I was still straight and that nothing had changed, I got back with Tara and made her a whole heap of promises I could never keep. And it felt good for awhile, but it wasn't anywhere near as fulfilling as the night I spent with you. I started having dreams about you and in those few weeks of exams, I was practically going crazy locked away in my room, wishing I could spend some time with you but knowing that I probably shouldn't distract you from your study. Jacqui suggested we do something special to celebrate your birthday and I had the idea to bring you up here for the weekend. Then tonight, you come out of the closet and tell me that you feeling something for me, and I realised that I've been depriving us both of the opportunity for real, enduring happiness. If you could find the confidence to say it, then I thought should be able to as well. Fuck, I'm proud to admit. I love you, Dan Coombes!

If Daniel hadn't been convinced before, he was now. Harry had looked into his eyes and deep within his soul as he explained his behaviour over the last few weeks. He spoke with such heartfelt earnest and Daniel believed every word he had said.

"Stop talking and get your ass over here, O'Brien!"

Harry didn't need any convincing. He slid over onto Dan's sleeping bag and grabbed the waiting boy in a desperate embrace. Lying on their sides, Dan wrapped his arms around Harry's back and squeezed as tightly as possible, never wanting to let go of the boy of his dreams. Their naked skin was touching and both of them could feel the electricity that the contact was generating. Both boys had goosebumps over their skin, and Dan's nipples stood erect at Harry's touch.

"Can we get into the sleeping bag?" Harry asked in a whisper.

Daniel didn't bother to answer. He simply pulled down the zip on the front of the sleeping bag and got inside, lifting the front of the bag to invite Harry in with him. With these two athletic young men occupying the bag, there was very little room inside. Their bodies were pressed closely together as they faced each other and Daniel could feel Harry's hard cock pressing against his own growing erection. On impulse, he thrust his hips forward so that their dicks were pushed together with even greater force.

Harry inspected Dan's face closely, pulling one of his arms free of the bag and gently feeling his facial contours. He touched Daniel's nose and appraised the height of the boy's cheek bones by feeling for them with his fingers, before moving to Dan's chin and jaw line. He did this in such a way that was not intimidating or judgemental, but rather tender and loving. He was eager to learn so much more about this beautiful boy, starting with his exquisite face. He even rubbed his hand through Dan's shortly cropped hair, feeling its silky smoothness. He noted that if he were a bird, he'd love to nest in these soft strands. Daniel freed his right hand from the sleeping bag and copied Harry's movements, tenderly exploring his face before moving to Harry's sexy mop of hair. He felt Harry rubbing his smooth foot up the length of his leg, and he showed his approval by interlocking their legs together bringing their cocks into ever tighter frot contact. Neither of them anticipated it feeling so good.

Daniel suddenly felt the compulsion to take charge, and rolled over in the sleeping bag so that Harry was on the bottom with his back flat on the ground. Harry, not used to taking such a submissive role, immediately wrapped his bulky thighs around Dan's waist and locked him into position. Still, their dicks were pressed together as they were always meant to be. Daniel put his hands on the ground next to Harry's ears and propped his head and shoulders up so that there was quite a distance between their faces.

"How does it feel not to be in control for once?" Daniel asked him mischievously.

"You're just under the illusion that you're in control. I could have you on your back in no time if I wanted," Harry laughed.

"And do you want to?" Daniel giggled.

"No way, I'm loving the view from down here, pool boy," said Harry, laughing like crazy.

"Hey, that was a pretty good story I thought. Can't you see me working your pool in a pair of Speedos?" Dan teased.

"I can see you working my pool in a whole lot less than that," Harry winked.

Daniel looked down on the beautiful face which stared back up at him and he couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Harry was as good as his. Never in his wildest dreams had he ever imagined the two of them sharing a moment as special as this. It wasn't driven by lust like their last encounter had been. It was fuelled by their desire to be as one and to share an intimacy that neither of them had experienced prior.

"This is the best birthday ever," Daniel smiled.

"You know what, Dan?" Harry said.

"What's that?"

"I had a dream recently about the two of us lying in this very spot, under this fig tree," Harry told him.

"And what were we doing?"

Harry effortlessly flipped Daniel over onto his back and laced the fingers of his left and right hands, placing them palms down on Dan's rib cage and resting his chin on the summit they created. He eyed Dan from this position like a sad puppy, showing off his very cute and cuddly side. This was almost as if to say, "Are you sure you want to know?"

Daniel threw back his head and laughed, wrapping his legs around Harry's waist just as a submissive Harry had done to him earlier. "Go on then, show me,"

Harry rose up off Dan's chest and slowly lowered his head until his lips were just millimetres from Dan's. He aimed to look into Daniel's eyes to see whether he would be met with any resistance, but he saw only Dan's closed eyelids where he had shut them in anticipation for Harry's next move. Reading this as a sign to proceed further, Harry closed the distance between them and lightly brushed his lips against Daniel's. He was surprised that a boy's lips could feel so soft and inviting, and he lingered before pulling away, but as soon as he had, he immediately wanted to experience the sensation of their lips touching once again. Daniel opened his eyes and put his hand on the back of Harry's head, pulling him back down so they would kiss again. The experience was heightened by the intensity and ferocity of their locked eyes, which sought within each other evidence of long-suppressed desires.

Daniel's hand found its way to Harry's back, where he slowly began to trace patterns with his nails, stimulating Harry's nerves and ameliorating the sensations he was already experiencing. It was a gesture inspired by love and its message was not missed by Harry, who, in turn, began to trace the flush contours of Dan's lips with his tongue. He slowly began to thrust his hips so that he was almost fucking Daniel through their briefs, and although instinctive by nature, he couldn't help but feel that his body was taking control of him and making demands of its own. The warmth generated by the sleeping bag was causing the boys to sweat, and the fine layer of moisture produced between them facilitated the complex interlocking of their muscles by lubricating Harry's washboard abs and Dan's developing six pack.

While Daniel reciprocated Harry's lip tracing manoeuvre, he looked up into the boy's eyes and saw Harry's exposed soul; vulnerable, giving and more beautiful than words were capable of describing. He'd dreamt of doing these things with Harry, but never had he expected that the boy of his affections would reveal his love for him and proceed to make love to him in this way. Just days before, he'd considered throwing in the towel on life and giving in to the demons which had tormented him viciously over the last few weeks, but here with his guardian angel protecting him, these hard times passed were a distant reality. Harry really had saved his life, or at least provided him with an existence much richer and more fulfilling than the one he'd left behind. It was redemption, and in having faith that Harry would not let him down, he entrusted his soul to this boy most divine. Life as he knew it was changed forever.

It was all too much for Daniel to take and he began to cry tears of happiness. Harry saw the tears, and he used the pad of his thumb to wipe them away. Daniel lifted his head slightly and despite straining his neck to do so, he kissed Harry with desperation. Harry put cradled his hand behind Dan's head as he lowered it, making sure that its impact with the ground was cushioned. After a few intimate minutes of tender kissing, Dan granted Harry access inside and Harry's tongue quickly darted into the foreign cavern. Needless to say, they each took their time discovering each other and learning the intricacies of their fellow man.

Suddenly, Daniel thought of Jacqui and Tara sleeping in the shed and tensed.

"What's up?" Harry asked, worried that he'd done something wrong.

"What if the others find us out here? We're really screwed then," warned Daniel.

"It's okay. It's still dark so there's no way they'll be awake for quite a few hours yet, and even if they stumble out of the shed, they won't venture down here," said Harry.

"I'll take your word for it, but maybe we should try to get some sleep," Dan sighed.

"I guess you're right."

Harry rolled off Dan and cuddled in beside him, the two of them lying on their sides and facing each other. Harry eased his hand down towards Dan's still hard cock and gave it several strokes through the fabric of his briefs.

Daniel moaned, but grabbed his wrist and brought Harry's hand to his abdomen, lacing their fingers together.

"Let's leave it go 'til another day. We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other better," stated Dan. "Let today be about just you and me."

"I know, I'm just so excited," said Harry, like a child. "I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime to love you, Dan, but I know that you are definitely worth it. What's a couple more weeks then?"

Daniel kissed him with vigour. Despite the many intense moments of making out which occurred that night, the sensation still felt new and incredible. He basked in Harry's immense physical beauty as they lay there together like two peas in a pod. As they reluctantly began to give in to the temptation of sleep, Harry grabbed Daniel's hand and held it to his heart. It was like a well tuned metronome which kept a steady beat, reverberating off the interior walls of Dan's body. He felt in sync with the rhythm of Harry's being, and as their hearts beat as one, he dozed into a blissful slumber at perfect peace with himself, with the love of his life, and with the world around him more broadly.

A kookaburra perched high in the fig tree laughed gleefully as the sun rose over the horizon and the first signs of daybreak began to appear over the valley. The pickers worked vineyards several fields over while the local fauna woke to the breaking dawn and went in search of berries and insects. While Jacqui and Tara slept soundly in the warmth of their king-sized bed and comfortable mattress, undisturbed until their alarm sounded later in the morning, Daniel Coombes and Harrison O'Brien lay snugly on the grassy knoll with the heat generated from their closely pressed naked bodies keeping one another warm. Flourishing within this Garden of Eden was a partnership so exquisite and well-matched that its longevity was assured, not by means of propagation, but through the very principles of love on which the relationship was founded - there, under the fig tree, where it had all begun.

• Epilogue -

It was the first week of class for the new semester and Daniel and Harry hadn't seen each other for the entire duration of the holidays. Keen to pick up where they had left off, Daniel stopped over at Harry's place on the first night back. They were halfway up the steps when Harry leapt forward and grabbed the waistband of Daniel's shorts from behind, preventing him from further ascending the stairs.

"What are you gonna do now, buddy?" Harry asked slyly.

Daniel looked over his shoulder at Harry and grinned. He looked so sexy standing there in his blue polo shirt and shorts with a playful expression on his face. Harry arched his eyebrow as if still expecting an answer to his question, and when it didn't come, he moved up so closely behind Daniel that barely any light could pass between them.

Pressing his body firmly against Daniel's and wrapping his arm around his waist, he sneaked his hand up the inside of Daniel's shirt and again felt the hard muscles which resided there. Daniel moaned and turned his head to again look straight ahead towards the top of the stairs, and Harry, unable to resist the exposed flesh on Daniel's neck, went in for the kill. He kissed Daniel's neck and under his ear, tenderly running his tongue over the skin and savouring the masculine scent which emanated from every pore of Daniel's body. They were both extremely turned on, and Daniel felt Harry's boner jab him in the crevice of his ass through his shorts. He reached behind him and grabbed Harry's hard dick and gave it a few strokes through the soft material. The amazing sensations he was experiencing at Daniel's hand only inspired him to reciprocate the indescribable experience, so after grabbing the bottom of Daniel's shirt and pulling it off over his head, he carelessly threw it on the step below and began to focus his attentions below the belt. He unzipped Daniel's fly and undid the button on his shorts, making them fall to the floor at his feet. Daniel's hard dick was making a large protrusion in his briefs, and Harry's hand quickly found its way inside the elastic waistband and began to feel him up. Daniel's balls were so warm and Harry loved having his hand around them.

Daniel, still fondling Harry through his shorts, expertly unbuttoned them and Harry assisted with his free hand in guiding them to the floor. Dan purposely moved backwards slightly so that his scantly clad ass came into contact with Harry's barely concealed package, and the feeling was electrifying. Harry threw off his shirt as well, not wanting to fall behind. He began to feel Daniel's strong arms by squeezing the tight muscles under his palm and fingers. It was still amazing to him that someone as masculine and as strong as Daniel could be so gentle and delicate.

"Fuck, Danny," Harry moaned loudly. "You feel so good."

"What if Annabel or Christian hear and come out into the living room?" asked Daniel, fearing they'd be caught.

"Then we'll give them a show," Harry winked as he proceeded to pull down Daniel's last remaining piece of clothing and lassoed it around his head, throwing it to the top step.

Daniel, in his naked state, spun around on the step met Harry in a tender kiss, their bodies firmly pressed against one another as they made a declaration of their love. Harry had one hand on Daniel's neck, gently massaging the skin and stimulating the tiny hairs which grew there. Harry was weaving his other hand through the soft crop of hair on Daniel's head, his fingers intertwining with the chestnut strands in an affectionate and insatiable manner. These actions made Daniel shiver all over and Harry knew he was having the desired effect. Both of them had their eyes closed, letting their bodies say all that needed to be said. In this most intimate of moments, Daniel was reluctant to pull down Harry's briefs for fear that the intimacy would be lost. But as he moved his hand to Harry's waist and began to tug them down, Harry's eyes closed more tightly and his kiss only became more desperate. Upon receiving this affirmation, he continued to pull Harry's briefs to the floor and moved close to the boy again so that their erect dicks were touching. Daniel's heart was racing at a million miles an hour, as was Harry's.

"Do you trust me?" asked Harry, out of the blue.

"Yeah, why?" said Daniel, curiously.

"Lay down on the steps for a quick sec," Harry instructed.

Daniel did was he was told, laying awkwardly alone the rise of the steps. Harry then lay down on top of him and instructed Daniel to wrap his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist, which he did willingly. Harry began to stand slowly, not wanting to lose his balance in this precarious situation, and stood straight with Daniel wrapped around his front. Daniel held on tightly as Harry walked up the remaining steps and down the upstairs hallway, pushing Daniel's back into one of the walls and making out with him like his life depended on it. Harry had done this many times before with chicks he'd picked up, but never had he anticipated that he'd find himself in this situation, with a strong guy like Daniel wrapped to his front making passionate love to him. Daniel was heavier than any girl he'd been with, but he loved showing off his strength and impressing Daniel with his bulging muscles. With Daniel's back against the wall, Harry was able to push hard against the boy and feel his naked flesh come into strong physical contact with his own. As the forces of gravity began to drag Daniel ever so lower, their cocks fell out of alignment and were no longer touching. This upset Harry, who was very much enjoying the sensation of their duelling swords and thus in a massive feat of strength and endurance, heaved Daniel upwards so he was back in his original position. Their erect nipped grazed each other and their tight abs came together like a sort of neatly fitting jigsaw as Harry suckled on the side of Daniel's strong neck. It was getting hot inside and beads of sweat were beginning to form on their foreheads and on their abdomens, making their bodies shimmer as if they had just been coated in oil like soldiers before a mighty ancient battle. Daniel's salty sweat was wildly erotic and Harry couldn't get enough of it on his darting tongue. It drove him insane with lust and passion, and he began to rock his body backward and forward in a fucking motion, sliding his hard pole under Daniel's balls and along his ultra sensitive perineum.

"Ah God, that's brilliant," Daniel whispered between kisses, loving playing the submissive role to Harry's dominance and power.

"You like that?" Harry asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Fuck yeah!" Daniel moaned.

Harry continued to pin Daniel to the wall while holding him there with his brute upper body strength, and using his right hand, he gave his own cock a few vigorous strokes. He then pushed his waist as far forward as possible, attempting to get the head of his cock somewhere near Daniel's hole. He was successful, and Daniel felt the warm spongy head of Harry's dick inside his moist crevice, rubbing against his sensitive virgin hole.

"Christ! I can't describe how good that feels! Please be careful, bro," Daniel begged.

"I'm not going to hurt you Danny, just relax and enjoy it," said Harry with that reassuring smile Daniel had become used to.

Daniel began to jack off to the feeling of Harry's dick brushing against his hole. He wanted to feel Harry inside of him more than anything in the world.

"Why don't we go to your bedroom?" Dan suggested.

"I was just going to suggest the same thing," said Harry excitedly. "Hold on tight, buddy boy." He pulled Daniel from the wall and walked towards his upstairs bedroom - the scene of their very first encounter together.

As they entered the room, Harry shut the door with his foot and carried Daniel, still harnessed to his front, to the centre of the room and lowered him onto the mattress. As Daniel's naked back made contact with the soft Egyptian cotton of Harry's sheets, he knew he should release his arms and legs from around Harry, but he didn't. Harry didn't make any attempt to pull back either, and so they lay there on his bed continuing to make out with a passion just as intense as they first time they had kissed just four weeks ago at Harry's Grandparents' house. In this position with Daniel almost bent in half, Harry had better access to Daniel's ass and so he began a steady rocking motion, sliding his dick like a piston back and forth over Daniel's sensitive hole.

"Oh God, lube up, Harry. I need you in me," Daniel begged.

"Are you sure about this, bro? Maybe you should do me first. I'm so scared I'll hurt you," said Harry.

"Nah, go for it."

Harry got up from the mattress and went to his drawer where he removed a push bottle of lube and a condom. As he began to tear open the small sachet, Daniel grabbed him by the wrist.

"What do you need that for?" Daniel asked.

"Oh, I just assumed..." Harry started.

"I trust you with my life, and if you tell me that you're clean, then I believe you. I'm just dying to feel you in me, with or without the rubber," Daniel explained. "Neither of us is going to play around behind each other's backs, right?"

"Right," Harry smiled, throwing the condom into the distance and leaning down to kiss Dan with intense passion.

While they were making out, Harry dispensed some lube onto his hand and after rubbing it in a little, he probed at Dan's tingling hole. His forefinger pushed through Dan's sphincter, gradually becoming further entrenched in the warmth offered by this canal. When he reached the knuckle, he stopped kissing Dan and pulled back a little, looking for evidence of pain or discomfort on his face. Daniel, however, was consumed by a hunger for his hole to be filled and this lustful desire was apparent all over his face, from his fiery eyes to his open mouth, moaning for Harry to continue. Harry inserted his lubricated finger all the way in and massaged the inside of Dan's chute, hoping to relax the muscle here so that it would eventually expand to the size of his cock without causing Daniel too much pain.

After a few minutes of this, he began to withdraw his finger, before adding a second and repeating the process.

Daniel's grunted at the obvious discomfort, but he soon relaxed into it and began to enjoy the feeling of having Harry touch him where he'd never been touched before.

"I'm so ready, just do it," Daniel moaned.

"Be patient, buddy. You'll thank me later," Harry whispered, kissing his ear and licking the sensitive area behind Dan's lobe which always got Dan so riled up.

Harry deposited some more lube onto his hand, this time rubbing some into his own cock and some into Daniel's.

Daniel slowly began to stroke his lubed dick, enjoying the feeling of Harry again massaging his love chute with his fingers while preparing his shaft. Harry loved the feeling of having his fingers embedded so deeply inside of Dan. He saw it not as a gesture of his dominance, but as testimony of his love to Dan by taking the time to make sure he didn't hurt his best mate.

Believing that Daniel's hole was now ready to take his massive shaft, he withdrew his fingers and instructed Dan to tell him if it hurt too much. He lined up the head of his dick with Dan's hungry hole, and slowly began to push forward trying to enter this most sacred of sites. It took him a few attempts but get it right but Harry finally found the mark and Dan's hole began to give way to the lurking intruder.

"Shit!" Daniel moaned, closing his eyes tightly and praying that the feel of pain would soon make way for the pleasure he'd been dreaming about for some time.

As the head of his dick sunk into the tight orifice, Harry bent down and kissed Dan with great desperation. He hated to see Dan suffering because of him, but he froze with his dick in place while Dan got used to the invading pole.

"I love you so much, Danny," he panted, pushing Dan's hand away from his dick and starting to stroke it himself.

Daniel was in sensory overload with Harry's veiny shaft stimulating his ass, Harry's tongue probing at his mouth, and Harry's hand carefully working his cock. He was totally at Harry's mercy and that was just the way he liked it.

Harry pushed in further, and while the sensation was uncomfortable for Daniel, he did his best not to let it show. He just let Harry keep pushing forward until he was a good half way in. There, he stopped again and worshipped Dan's body beneath him with his hands. His muscles were glistening with sweat and this turned Harry on incredibly. He lowered his head and licked each of Dan's nipples, spending a few minutes teasing the soft flesh on each with his teeth. Dan bucked wildly on the bed, wrapping his legs around Harry's waist and encouraging his lover to push further into him. With Dan's heels digging into his ass, he entered several more inches into Daniel, who tossed his head from side to side and covered his eyes with his forearm to cover his tears. Harry, fearing he had gone too far, began to slowly pull out but Daniel kept him firmly in place by squeezing tightly with his legs and preventing him from withdrawing further.

"I'll get used to it, just stay there for a second," Dan instructed.

Harry kept his dick stationary in Dan's love canal while he bent down and began kiss Dan's throat and Adam's apple affectionately. Harry's delicate kisses sent Daniel into overdrive. He writhed around on the mattress, curing curling his toes and thrusting his cock in and out of Harry's hand.

"Are you ready for me to go all the way?" Harry asked.

"Yep, do it, stud," Daniel said cheekily.

Harry repositioned himself so that Daniel was bent beneath him at an angle to take the full length of his shaft. Harry's secured Dan's legs over his shoulders, and supporting his own weight in his outstretched arms, he slowly pushed in all of the way until his short, spiked pubes pressed against Dan's soft ass. Daniel winced, but Harry was there to kiss away his tears and to whisper sweet words of encouragement in his ear. Engulfed by this moist, warm tunnel, Harry felt like he could cum at any minute. It was so incredibly tight and unlike any girl he had ever been with before. The tight grip of Dan's ring pulsated around his shaft as he began to slowly withdraw his cock until he was half way in, before again inserting his cock all the way and brushing against Dan's sensitive prostate. He kept pounding Daniel's cock furiously, hoping that he was somehow making Dan feel as good as he felt at that moment.

He picked up some speed and began to fuck Dan at a steady rhythm, withdrawing his cock until he was about three quarters out and then hammering it in so that his pubes made contact with Daniel's balls, and his own balls bounced roughly against Dan's firm ass cheeks. Without the artificiality of the condom between them, their skin on skin contact was wildly erotic. Daniel could feel the protruding vein from Harry's cock as it pummelled in and out of him at great speed, while Harry was blown away by the velvety smoothness of Dan's insides as they attempted to grip his moving dick.

"You're so fucking big!" moaned Daniel between breaths. "You feel incredible inside me."

"You've got no idea how good this feels," Harry gasped as he picked up the pace on Daniel's cock. He quickly leant down and kissed the boy who had so willingly submitted to him.

Although dialogue between them had ceased temporarily, the room was by no means silent. Harry's lubed hand sliding up and down Dan's very erect pole made a sticky, wet sound, amplified somewhat by the gallons of precum which were leaking from the tip. Harry had been running low on lube, but the precum aided in making sure that he didn't run dry. Then there was the rhythmic sound of Harry's shaft impaling Daniel, again with a moist timbre although with a deeper resonation as his balls banged against Dan's ass, making the scoundscape that was being generated percussive in nature.

Harry felt a familiar tingling in his balls and his instincts (and medical training) told him that without a condom, he should pull out. But he was reluctant to do so and decided to let Dan make the decision.

"I'm close baby, do you want me to pull out?" he asked.

"Don't you dare! I wanna feel you inside me all the way 'til the end," Dan instructed him.

He smiled. There was no getting this hot lay pregnant and as he felt his impending orgasm, he massaged Dan's balls firmly in his palm and beat his dick even faster.

"I'm about to cum, Harry," said Daniel.

"Shoot, man. I don't care, shoot it all over me," Harry grunted as he thrust haphazardly into Dan's warm hole, too far gone to worry about making a mess.

His erratic fucking meant that his cock was not entering Dan in the same smooth, mechanical fashion as he had been earlier and thus his cock probed off course, prodding Dan's love nut and inspiring an orgasm within the boy so wild and pleasurable that the moans were deafening. Harry could feel Dan's cock pulsate before large quantities of the boy's seed shot through the air and landed all over Harry's chest and abs, painting him with sticky white goo. It was still hot as it made contact with him. This, combined with Dan's hole contracting as his sensory system reached the height of pleasure, was the catalyst for the wave of ecstasy which overcame him. With Dan's chute almost milking his cock of its seminal fluid, his orgasm hit and he felt prolific volleys of his cum fire deep into Dan's loins.

"Ohhhh fuck!" he cried out as he shivered from the pleasure he was experiencing. Daniel could feel Harry's dick expanding inside him and felt his warm load fill him to the brink.

Harry just collapsed on top of Dan with his dick still firmed planted inside his hole. He had just experienced the best sex of his life, and he wanted to experience the afterglow with this most remarkable boy who he loved beyond words. They kissed, looking at each other through glassy eyes having developed a whole new level of respect for one another over the course of the hour just passed. Daniel had given everything he had to Harry, and he had treated it with so much admiration and respect that he knew beyond doubt he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this most special boy.

As they lay there together basking in the post-sex high having witnessed each other's supreme sexual power, Daniel rubbed his hands over the erotic grooves of Harry's abs and smiled.

"I may have caught an old boot that night we went fishing, but I sure hooked a pretty hot fish in you, Mr O'Brien,"

he giggled. Harry smiled, too exhausted to think of a witty comment in return. He just lay there, the peaceful grin not leaving his face for a second.

"I'm meeting with my parents next weekend to tell them about us," said Harry out of the blue, his soft cock finally slipping free from Dan's ass.

"Oh. Are you sure, Harry? There's no pressure," said Dan, worried that he was forcing Harry into something he wasn't comfortable with.

"They'll be happier to hear I'm with you than to hear I'm with Tara, I guarantee it," said Harry. "And besides, with someone so remarkable as you as my inspiration, it will be the simplest thing in the world to do."

They kissed again before Harry led Daniel by the hand to the shower, where getting washed up was secondary to Round Two of the evening's activities.

• The End -