I didn't have to wait long for my next "fix" as a vicarious warrior. I don't even believe Dave cared as much about borrowing my wheels as he got a kick out of relating his adventures to his underclassman roommate, who, he rightly perceived, was fast morphing into a loyal sidekick. Some of the details, like just how far their private matches would sometimes get carried, didn't actually come out until later. When they did it was without embarrassment. Dave considered himself a normal, hormone-rich superjock, and once it was clear that our conversations were strictly between us he began to share more than I ever expected he would. I have thought ever since that if I were as forthright about the things I felt and thought and did as my roommate was, I would be a better and a happier person.

Leaving the dinner table a couple of weeks after the water fight, Dave asked Danny what he was doing that evening. Danny had a report to complete, but it was a short one and he expected to have it wrapped up by nine. "Why don't you drop by my room after?"

"You're on, Stud. See you at nine."

When Dave arrived the door was open, and Danny was still at his computer. "You busy? I can come back later."

"Naw, I'm all finished. Just surfing around waiting for you. You want to see some jpegs of last season's dual meet against Western?" Dave rested his arms on the back of Danny's chair and watched the slide show, while Danny supplied a running commentary on the wrestlers. The chair had a low back, and Dave switched to supporting his arms on Danny's broad shoulders. Coming at last to grabs of Danny's own match, it was Dave who offered the commentary, a few wry jabs at Danny's form ^Ö or lack thereof - which had them both chuckling.

"He almost had you pinned there, Champ..(click)... Lucky he was so scrawny or you wouldn't have made the escape."

"Scrawny like hell. Look at his arms, you blind weenie."

"There. He nearly has you again. I thought somebody said you won this match."

"I did, asshole..(click)....See? Reversal and ...(click)...pin. Winnah. You think you could do any better than he did, wimp?"

"No problem. Guess I showed you last week out there on the lawn."

"I don't remember any great moves from you. How about you show me again?" Danny stood up and peeled off his sweat shirt, flexed for his guest, then closed the door and threw the bolt. "C'mon, I need to wake myself up with some real tough competition....... but you'll have to do." He surprised Dave by removing his sweat pants and moving to the center of the room in only his jockeys. Dave did the same, laying his clothes on a big old leather sofa. They went into a crouch and locked up. What followed was not exactly tournament-level competition. Their only cushion was the old shag carpet, not a mat, and they were both looking for some friendly mayhem, not a victim. Danny managed a headlock and a trip for the first takedown, but Dave's quick reflexes earned him an escape and eventually a takedown of his own. Football conditioning had begun, and he was in great shape. Wrestling season was months away, and Danny was not yet working out. He did, however, manage to trap one of Dave's arms beneath him and then straddled him. Once he had his legs wrapped around Dave's and hooked his feet inside Dave's ankles, it took only steady outward pressure against his legs and his crotch to convince his opponent to submit.

They lie on the carpet for a breather. Danny reached over and rubbed Dave's

hairy leg with his foot. "Hey, you are a natural at this shit. Why don't you come out for the squad this winter? I'd sure dig having you for a workout partner."

"Nah, I wrestled in high school and I did OK, but not enough for a scholarship. Being as I'm no genius, if I hope to get a degree, football and track are as much as I can handle. And if I don't graduate my old man will kick my butt clear across the state. I admit wrestling's a real turn on, though. I don't get this pumped from football. You're not ready to go back to studying, I hope."

"Hell, I told you I'd be over by nine, and I was." He dove on his new partner and they rolled around the floor, grunting and sweating. trying desperately for top position. Dave trapped Danny's head in his armpit and cranked on the pressure. "You're grossing me out!" muttered Danny.

"You want to give up, wimp? Huh?" Dave locked his hands together and doubled the pressure.

"That's an illegal hold, for Chrissake!"

"You didn't say anything about rules, Shirley. We're fighting for submission, didn't you know?"

"Fine. Anything goes then." With one hand Danny jabbed at his opponent's bicep, while his other hand reached behind and firmly goosed Dave in the ass.

Dave let go. "You dirty bastard!" he cried.

"Shh. There are fifty guys trying to study, you know." (That was probably an exaggeration. The noises of scuffling and of lively argumentation came from other study rooms from time to time, and on weekends a couple of girls were often smuggled above the ground floor for what were known as "biology lab assignments." A bolted study room door was the accepted equivalent of a "Do Not Disturb" sign).

Dave grabbed a fistful of Danny's hair and maneuvered the varsity wrestler's head between his legs, which he proceeded to squeeze together. He then leaned forward, grabbed the waistband of Danny's jockeys and gave him a wedgie. Being heavier - and probably stronger - Danny wrapped his arms around Dave's hips, rose to his knees, then managed to stand and throw him onto the sofa. Yanking his head free, he climbed onto Dave and grabbed for his arms. They rolled onto the carpet in a mutual bear hug and again were struggling intensely for dominance. Their chests were pressed tightly together and legs were interlocked. About that time Dave realized that they were both rock hard, and he could tell that he was starting to leak. His high school coach had told them never to be ashamed of a good hard on, that the guy with the hardest bone usually won his match. Reflexively they began grinding, and little groans made it obvious that they were both enjoying themselves. Danny dug his chin into his opponent's neck and Dave retaliated in kind. This lockup lasted for several minutes, without a word being spoken.

"Let go a second," said Danny. Thinking Danny might have gotten a cramp in his back, Dave released his grip. Danny got up and switched off the ceiling light so that the only illumination in the room came from the computer screen. Then Danny lie back down on top of Dave and they encircled one another with flexed arms.

At last Danny said, "Are you glad you came by?"

"God yes. This has been great. I'm gonna sleep like a log tonight. You aren't mad about the submission stuff, are you?"

"Does it look like I'm mad?" He reached down and adjusted the lump in his briefs. "What do you say we hit the showers and head for bed. Do you realize we've been wrestling for over an hour? I've got an eight o'clock tomorrow."

"When's my next lesson, Coach?"

"Whenever you say.

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