< Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Lance ushered AJ into the house and shut the door. "Mama? Daddy?" There was no response and so just in case, he called out again. "MAMA, YOU HOME?" Again, silence. "They’re not home from work."

AJ grinned. Now that he knew the coast was clear he pulled Lance close and kissed him hungrily, eager to finally do what he’d had to watch Josh and Christina do all during lunch and between classes. When he finally pulled away, he grinned. "That was the hello from this morning," he whispered against Lance’s mouth.

The room was spinning and Lance had to hold onto AJ for balance. His head was swimming at the feel of AJ’s mouth pressed against his, their lips and tongues working together passionately. He rubbed his nose against AJ’s playfully as he leaned in to kiss his boyfriend this time. They kissed a second time until finally Lance had to pull away. He dropped his knapsack from his shoulders, lightening his load. AJ did the same and they grinned. "That was to say good-bye for this morning, and I’ll see you at lunch."

Their schedules didn’t permit them to see one another between classes, unless one or both of them wanted to be late. Which sometimes they did decide to make a trip across the school to see one another, but most often they would just agree to wait until lunch. AJ’s now swollen lips curled into a grin and he felt his stomach flip a few times. They toed off their shoes and Lance grabbed a hold of AJ’s hand so he could lead him through the house. As a last minute thought, AJ shook his head and grabbed their knapsacks.

"What are you getting those for?" Lance asked, confused. He was under the impression that since they had the house to themselves until at least five, they would spend the good portion of it kissing. After his parents came home they could do homework. He’d still not told them about AJ, and his feelings about the other boy and with as many close calls as they’d had, he knew he was going to have to do it soon. They hadn’t gone past kissing, just recently started using their tongues to be exact, but the more he was with the older boy, the more comfortable Lance got and a few times he’d wanted to touch his boyfriend, inappropriately. The thought sent chills down his spine and a smile to his face.

"In case they come home early, we can have our bags close by if we have to pretend we’re reading." They would be going to the basement. They always did as that was where Lance always did his homework if he was watching TV. Plus it always gave them more time to fix themselves up when Lance’s parents came home. They could hear the car in the driveway and the door opening, and by the time his parents realized they were in the basement, they could be away from each other and pretend to be reading their books. Lance and AJ had their alone time down to a science.

Lance grinned and kissed his boyfriend again. He was almost instantly lost in the delicious rush that followed AJ’s kisses. "That’s because you’re so smart."

Lance relocked the door and they carried their bags down to the basement. They flicked on MTV, turned the volume down low and sat down next to each other on the couch. It took less than the time for a video to play for them to be kissing, their legs tangled as Lance pushed AJ so that he was laying down. Lance parted his lips hoping that AJ would take the hint and kiss him deeper. He loved it when AJ took charge, but this time his boyfriend pulled away and shook his head.

"I want you to kiss me."

"I am kissing you," Lance whimpered. They were positioned so that he was half on top of AJ, wedged against the back of the couch. Against his thigh, he could feel AJ’s hardness and it excited him. With great difficulty, Lance opened his eyes and looked at his boyfriend, who was just as flushed as he was. He very quickly looked at the clock that was hanging on the wall. They had only been kissing for twenty minutes, and based on when his parents usually came home from work, they had about forty more.

"I want you to kiss me, not you kiss me back," AJ clarified. His hand was drawing random circles on Lance’s lower back, while his other hand was rooted firmly behind Lance’s head. The first time they had kissed while laying down, having Lance’s hard erection pressed against his leg had kind of freaked AJ out. It was just another reminder that Lance wasn’t a girl and that this meant he was gay, or at least bisexual. But when he had closed his eyes and kissed Lance, all reservations had flown out of his mind and he could only think about how wonderful love was.

AJ looked up as Lance’s face flushed a deeper shade of red. The younger boy only scrunched up his nose and nodded. "Umm, okay."

"Please," AJ whispered as he brought Lance’s head down to his. "Kiss me how you want me to kiss you. Show me what you want." The proof that Lance was enjoying this as much as AJ was hardened against his thigh, causing his own groin to throb.

Lance licked his lips before kissing AJ with every ounce of desire and passion he could find. He parted AJ’s lips with his tongue and plunged his tongue inside, licking and tasting every possible inch. In an effort to get closer, he pressed his body harder against AJ’s. Both of them yelped as they ground erotically against each other. It had been innocent and not expected, but after the first jolt of electricity flowed through Lance’s body, he couldn’t refrain from doing it again.

"What..." Lance asked with a whimper. He shut his eyes tight and tried to breathe, which was difficult with the multitude of sensations that he’d been bombarded with. "What was that?"

AJ moved his hips, grinding against Lance’s lower body. He bit his lip and trembled at the delicious pain it elicited. "It’s ...us ..." He bit out roughly. They were moving too fast and he was afraid that Lance would get scared and stop, but at the same time he couldn’t help himself. AJ was surprised when he opened his eyes to see Lance looking down at him, raw hunger in his eyes.

"It feels good," Lance admitted. He knew they should stop, but he didn’t want to. He trusted AJ and knew that his boyfriend wouldn’t take advantage of him or do anything he wasn’t ready for. But in that moment, Lance knew that whatever this was, he was more than ready for it. His throbbing groin was begging him for it. With that thought in mind, he began to grind down harder, keeping his eyes focused on AJ’s.

AJ’s body gave a twitch and his hand slipped from where it had been resting on Lance’s back, down to his ass. At that exact same time, he grabbed tightly in reaction to the way Lance had swiveled his hips just enough to change the angle and consequently, the pressure of the friction. With his hand cupping Lance there, it gave them more leverage and he moaned against his boyfriends throat. It wasn’t until he realized where his hand was that he moved it.

"No," Lance pleaded. AJ’s hand on his backside had initially taken him off guard, but he found that he liked it. He liked the pressure of AJ’s hand, the way he would touch him and the way it gave them more leverage as they were moving against each other. He felt a sense of loss when AJ moved his hand. "Keep it there..."

"Here?" AJ asked as he moved his hand back. He received a nod and a kiss from Lance in response

They continued like this for about ten minutes before they both collapsed in exhaustion. The tension was still building up in their groins, it was nearly painful now, but at the same time, the pain was addictive. Lance relaxed against AJ, his whole body a mass of nerves. His pulse was racing and he had to concentrate to return his breathing to normal. "That felt so good." The admission was barely audible. "I’m sorry I stopped."

AJ shook his head and ran his fingers through Lance’s hair. "Don’t be sorry." He paused as Lance tilted his head and they could look each other in the eye.

"Did it feel good for you too?" Lance asked timidly. He propped himself up so that he was on his side. AJ shifted so that they could both fit comfortably and that Lance wasn’t squeezed against the back of the sofa.

"Yeah." AJ licked his lips, he found that he was still able to taste Lance on them. He couldn’t help but lean in and kiss him again. He already missed the feel of their mouths pressed against each other. The kiss was short and sweet, but enough to make AJ’s body tingle. "Do you want to feel how much I liked it?"

Lance bit his lip nervously. He felt his breathing become erratic again and his pulse started to race. He looked down at AJ’s body which was trembling. His eyes roamed down AJ’s chest and stomach, which was slightly uncovered as his tee shirt had risen up. For a brief second, he contemplated leaning down to lick at his belly button but stopped himself once he realized what else he could lick at down there. Lance was most definitely not ready for that. He brought his eyes back up to AJ’s inquisitive gaze and before he could have second thoughts, he nodded.

"Okay."

"Are you sure?" AJ wanted to be sure that Lance was totally okay with it. He held his breath and tried to keep his face as neutral as possible. He didn’t want Lance doing it only because he thought AJ wanted him to. He caressed Lance’s pale skin, tracing his eyes, nose and lips. "Because if you’re not, it’s okay."

"No," Lance assured him. "I want to." He held his breath as AJ slowly moved his hand from Lance’s face to take his hand. AJ placed their joined hands on his stomach and hesitantly, moved it further down towards his groin. Their eyes remained locked until Lance felt the rough material of denim under his hand. It was then that he looked down, watching their hands make the decent down to the obvious bulge.

"Is this okay?" AJ asked. He just needed reassurance that Lance was okay with what they were doing. The way Lance’s eyes widened and his lips curled into a grin was exactly what he was looking for.

Lance licked his lips as he let AJ lead his hand to the hardness of AJ’s erection. He was only touching him through his pants, but it was still exciting and new and after AJ had whimpered loudly, thrusting his hips involuntarily, Lance found himself feeling more comfortable. He stroked it gently a few times, loving the way AJ’s eyes fluttered shut and his lips parted with a sigh.


"Did you ..." Lance asked breathlessly against AJ’s ear. His hand hadn’t stopped moving, and so Lance’s voice startled him. "...want to, you know. Touch mine?"

AJ’s heart leapt from his chest to his throat and his eyes flew open. They stared deep into each others’ eyes. AJ was searching for some sort of sign that told him whether or not Lance genuinely was offering. He saw the fear of rejection as well as the genuine excitement in Lance’s face and he nodded. "Yeah."

"You do?." Lance involuntarily spread his legs a bit, bending one at the knee. He was still on his side with AJ on his back. In one movement, AJ had shifted so that they were facing one another, both on their sides and chest to chest. AJ leaned in and nearly licked Lance’s tonsils.

"Yeah," he whimpered against Lance’s mouth. "I do."

Lance held on for about two seconds after AJ cupped his erection before his orgasm rocked him hard and fast. AJ had applied the briefest amount of pressure, and realized that for his age, Lance was surprisingly large. That revelation caused for AJ to cup him more forcefully to see just how large Lance was through his jeans. There was a loud grunt and a cry of surprise as Lance started to shake and AJ could feel a warmth against the denim. Had AJ not been so surprised at Lance’s climax, he would have probably done the same right at that moment.

It was by far, the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to Lance. He wasn’t sure if he was more upset about the mess he’d made in front of AJ, or the fact that AJ could do that to him and he couldn’t do it back. The basement was silent except for the sound of their laboured breathing and Lance jumped up off of the couch quickly.

"I can’t believe ...I’m so embarrassed." He looked down at his jeans to see a giant wet spot on the front, further proving his inexperience. With a brief glance to his boyfriend, Lance saw a grin on the older boy’s face and felt his blush deepen. Somewhere in his mind he knew that AJ wasn’t laughing at him, but in that moment, he was too embarrassed to think of anything else.

"That was ..." AJ started to say before he was cut off by Lance rushing up the stairs. He was about to say that it was the coolest thing he’d ever seen or felt in his whole life and how awesome it was to know that he’d done that to Lance, but he hadn’t been given the chance. Once the fact that he’d been left there alone, clothes all wrinkled and lips still swollen from their kisses, AJ started to panic. "...the stupidest thing I've ever done." He finished sadly. "God, now he’s going to hate me."

AJ stood up and readjusted himself. Lance’s panic attack was the perfect antidote to the erection he’d had and he sighed as he decided whether or not he should go upstairs to see if his boyfriend was okay. He should have stopped things sooner, but it had felt so good, and Lance had been so willing to continue. Five minutes passed by before AJ realized that he didn’t care if Lance hated him, he had to make sure that he was okay.

"Lance?"

AJ headed towards the door he knew led to Lance’s bedroom. It was open and the room inside was empty. He then went to the bathroom, which was closed. He knocked on the door and called again.

"Lance?"

There was no answer forthcoming. The door clicked and AJ knew that Lance had unlocked it. Hesitantly, he opened it up and saw Lance sitting on the floor, a towel over his head.

"You okay, baby?" AJ cringed at the use of the endearment. This was definitely not the best time to start using it, no matter how many times he’d had to bite his tongue before.

Lance’s shame returned at the particular endearment that AJ had used. Just as he had feared, AJ was mocking him for having no restraint, for having cum at the slightest touch. "Ha ha." He bit out from under the towel. "Thanks!"

AJ frowned. He was confused and wasn’t sure what Lance was sarcastically thanking him for. "For what?"

Lance grabbed at the towel and threw it across the bathroom. He’d changed from his soiled briefs and jeans to a new pair of both. After quickly cleaning himself up with a towel, he’d sat down and had been sitting on the bathroom floor since. He looked up at AJ who was looking at him with an expression of concern in his brown eyes. "For calling me a baby. I know that I'm just a kid and can’t help myself."

Realization that Lance thought he was calling him a baby dawned on AJ and he blushed. He cursed himself and sat down on the floor next to Lance. There was a moment of pain when Lance moved away. "I didn’t mean it like that."

Lance crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head the other way. His embarrassment was overriding any common sense at the moment.

"I thought that was the coolest thing ever. And I'm sorry that I scared you and you probably hate me now. I should have stopped us..."

"I don’t hate you," Lance said in surprise. He figured that if anything, it was the other way around. "Why would I hate you?"

"Because I was pushing you. I asked if you wanted to touch me..." AJ’s cheeks were a brilliant shade of red and he couldn’t look Lance in the eye. "I should have known that you weren’t ready."

"I’m not ready to under the clothes touch," Lance admitted truthfully. "Not below the waist anyways. Above the waist ...like my back is okay. Maybe my stomach ..I like when you rest your hand on my back and sometimes I hope you will slide it under my tee shirt and touch my skin on my back.." Now it was Lance who was red in the face. He hadn’t ever been this vocal about what he’d wanted before, but it was good to get it off of his chest. "That I like, but under the clothes is.." Lance shook his head.

"And today? Why did you get up and run away?"

"I didn’t mind touching you over the clothes. That was sexy," Lance grinned at the way AJ blushed. He leaned in and whispered into AJ’s ear. "You’re sexy, especially how you moved when I was touching you. I was glad you said something because I wouldn’t have."

"But..."

"But then when you touched me.." He saw AJ frown and smiled reassuringly at him. "I didn’t mind you touching me. I wanted you to touch me. But then when you did ...I ..."

"Came," AJ whispered. Lance nodded.

"Yeah. And I was so surprised. It felt so good," Lance closed his eyes and tried to recapture the feeling of absolute bliss that he’d felt in that moment. "But I ...it was so fast. You barely touched me. I touched you for so long and nothing, but when you touched me. Why couldn’t I make you feel that way?"

"I guess I can hold off longer," AJ said truthfully. He knew it probably had a bit to do with the fact that he was fifteen, nearly sixteen and spent quite a bit of alone time experimenting with his body. What Lance didn’t know was that he’d been holding onto his last bit of reserve with every piece of power he could muster up. Had Lance not asked if he wanted to touch him, AJ was about ten seconds away from doing the exact same thing Lance had done. "But that’s not such a bad thing," AJ assured him. "It’s good because it lets me know that I'm doing something right. That you’re enjoying it when I touch you."

"So you don’t think I’m a baby?" Lance asked with hope in his eyes. He felt much better now, knowing that AJ didn’t hate him for being so young and immature. He smiled as AJ leaned in to kiss him softly. He took the time to lick the entire surface of Lance’s lips before sliding his tongue in between perfectly white, aligned teeth.

"You’re my baby," AJ informed Lance in a tone that told him that it wasn’t debatable.

"I like that, being your baby."

They kissed for a few more minutes until the sound of someone calling Lance’s name startled them apart.

"Oh shit." Lance checked his watch to see that it was indeed five. It was nearly five after.

"How are we going to explain this?" AJ asked. They could tell that Diane Bass was still downstairs.

"Come on!" Lance stood up and opened the bathroom door, checking the hall for clearance. Thankfully there was no one there and they escaped to the hall and down into Lance’s room.

"Lance?" Diane called again. This time she received an answer.

"Mom, in here!"

Moments later, Diane was at her son’s door, a warm smile on her face. "Hello boys, how was both of your days?"

"Good mom."


"Fine Mrs. Bass."

"Alexander, are you staying for dinner?"

AJ looked at Lance who nodded. "Yeah, is that okay? We’ve got a lot of math to work on tonight."

Diane nodded. "Sounds good. We’re having spaghetti tonight." Both boys’ eyes opened wide and smiles appeared.

"I’m going to..." AJ looked awkwardly between Lance and his mother. He felt guilty about what they’d been doing only moments earlier knowing that she had no idea they were even more than friends. He’d told his mother the night that he and Lance had first gotten together, but Lance had been waiting for the exact right time. "Go downstairs and get started."

It was in that moment that Lance knew he had to tell his mother. She was looking at him oddly, which meant she knew that something was up. They exchanged a look before he turned to AJ. "I’ll be down in a few, okay?" He gave AJ a look that said for him to be patient, hoping that AJ understood. Judging on the way AJ’s face paled and his eyes bugged out, he’d understood the message.

"Are you sure?" AJ couldn’t go without asking.

"I have to." They shared a friendly smile before AJ excused himself to head downstairs and wait in excruciating nervousness.

"Mama, can we talk?" Lance asked nervously.

Diane swallowed thickly and nodded. "Can we do it in the kitchen, sweetie? I’ve got the water on for the pasta."

"Okay," Lance stood up on shaking legs and followed his mother down the stairs and towards the kitchen. As they were about to enter, she stopped and turned to face him.

"You know that we love you, no matter what, right baby? That you’ll always be our baby boy."

Lance felt a lump form in his throat and he fought not to cry and throw his hands around his mother’s waist in gratitude. He nodded, trembling. "Y..yes mama."

"So what would you like to tell me, and why is Alexander downstairs for this? Don’t you want him here?"

Lance’s eyes bugged out of his head and he had stopped breathing for a few minutes. He dropped the plastic tub of margarine he’d been carrying to the table and spun around to face his mama. Her smile was warm, her eyes kind and he shook his head. "I want to do this myself. I need to do this myself."

Diane put the spaghetti in the boiling water, added salt and gave it a stir. Once it was all right, she grabbed a hold of her son’s hands and sat him down with her at the table.

"I ...AJ is ...my boyfriend." Lance saw the way his mother’s eyes watered and her lip trembled. "We’re ...boyfriends. I’m gay mama."

"Oh baby," Diane pulled her son close and hugged him tightly. Although she knew that he and AJ were friends since he’d met Nick and Justin, it wasn’t until he was coming over to the house so frequently, and Lance was going to AJ’s that she realized that there was something deeper going on. Not to mention that both boys were easily distracted, and when so, spoke louder than they thought they were. She had never knowingly eavesdropped, and truthfully hadn’t heard anything incriminating, but it was the tone of voice they used when speaking together that had forced her to seriously contemplate the fact that her son was involved with AJ on a more than platonic level. She had discussed it with her husband who admitted that it wasn’t what he had been expecting of his son, but it was his life and if he wanted to spend it in the company of men, it was his god given right to do so.

Since then, they’d been waiting for Lance to go to them and tell them. Diane hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

"Are ...you mad?" Lance asked, trembling. He wasn’t sure what to expect and was thankful that it wasn’t anger. He wasn’t sure what he would have done had they kicked him out and disowned him.

"Of course not. Disappointed that you didn’t tell us before, but you're telling us now so... That’s okay. How long?"

"Just ...two weeks."

"Since you’ve known?"

Lance shook his head. It was the first day I met him, Mama. We went to the Quad for lunch and I saw him and my whole world was different." Lance’s explanation was interrupted by his father arriving home.

"Diane? Lance? Stacey?"

"In the kitchen Jim," Diane answered. At the sight of his father, Lance’s tremble grew worse. "It’s okay sweetie," his mama assured him kindly.

"Hello darling," Jim said as he kissed his wife sweetly on the forehead. "Hello son."

"Hi daddy."

"Where’s your sister?"

Lance shrugged. Diane answered. "She’s having dinner at her friend Mindy’s house. It’s just us and Alexander."

Jim raised an eyebrow at his wife who nodded. "Oh?"

"Daddy..." Lance started. He held his breath and closed his eyes.

"Yes son?"

"I was just telling Mama. That AJ and I ..." He accepted the bottle of water his mother retrieved for him with a smile. "...he’s my boyfriend. I’m ..."

"Gay?"

Lance nodded. His father didn’t seem surprised and that unnerved him. He suspected they knew and made a mental note to ask them about it when he had more time. Right now, he knew that AJ was probably freaking out downstairs and if he didn’t get down there soon, would be a basket case. "Yeah, is that okay?"

"Are you asking my permission?" Jim asked skeptically. "Because.."

"I’m not asking if it’s okay that I can be gay, because I am Daddy. I want to know if that’s okay, like you don’t hate me and aren’t going to kick me out and disown me."

The fear in Lance’s eyes caused for Jim to stifle the laughter that was bubbling up inside of his chest. Instead, he pretended to think about it. "You’re fourteen right?" Lance nodded. "I’ve been investing in you for fourteen years, there’s no way I’m throwing that all away because you’ve gone out and got yourself a boyfriend. If I did that, there would be no recouping my money when I'm too old to work and you’ve got to take care of me. You owe me for fourteen years of room and board, not to mention incidentals. You’re not getting out of this family that easy son!"

Lance started to giggle as his father pulled him from the chair and hugged him tightly. His wife telling him her suspicions of Lance and AJ’s relationship had come to a surprise, but not one that he couldn’t recover from. It was endearing how afraid his son was about his lifestyle, but at the same time, showed the respect he had for his parents. Jim couldn’t have asked for a better son and was thankful every day for the family God had blessed him with.

"And I have to look at the bright side."

"Which is?" Lance asked.

"At least you won’t be coming up to me when you’re seventeen saying you got him pregnant."

Diane rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Jim!"

"Hey, I'm just saying. No shotgun wedding for this child."

"Dad, you’re so silly." Lance laughed. The final obstacle between him being able to fully enjoy his relationship with AJ was gone and now he could breathe easily when at home and talking about his day with his parents. It didn’t change anything per se, with their actual relationship, but now that his parents knew, Lance could stop feeling so guilty about keeping AJ a secret.

"I might be silly, but I'm right. Now go get washed up for dinner. Grab that boyfriend of yours and get your butts up here."

Lance scrambled down the stairs to find AJ sitting in front of the TV, looking down at his hands which were folded in his lap. At the sound of Lance, he looked up quickly. It had been quite a while and although he hadn’t heard any screaming, the silence could have been just as bad.

"Come on, we gotta get washed up for dinner," Lance said as he motioned for AJ to follow him. He knew AJ wanted answers. "I’ll tell you upstairs."

They were on their way to the bathroom upstairs when Diane’s voice stopped them. "Just come in here and wash your hands boys."

AJ had been hoping for the extra time to find out from Lance what had happened. Lance was grinning, so it must have gone well, but he was still curious. "Yes ma’am."

"Mooom," Lance said. "We’re just gonna use the washroom upstairs."

"Come in here," Jim’s voice boomed. The two teens jumped and scurried into the kitchen, taking turns at the sink. Finally, they were all sitting at the table, an awkward silence settled around them.

"So," Jim Bass said as he poured parmesan cheese over his plate of pasta. "What are your intentions with our son?"

AJ hadn’t been expecting that question, and as he swallowed, he coughed which caused for the pasta to get stuck in his throat. He started to cough, trembling so much he nearly knocked over his glass of water.

"Jim Bass" Diane scolded as she gently patted AJ’s back.

"What?" Jim asked. He chuckled as he gave AJ a concerned look. "Is he okay?"

‘I’m ....fine..." AJ coughed. He accepted the glass of water that Lance’s mom gave him. All eyes were on him until they were sure he was breathing normally.

"I’m sorry," Jim apologized. "I thought it might break the ice. I guess ..."

"Wrong timing?" AJ offered. The adrenaline was still pumping in his veins. He looked over at Lance who still had concern in his eyes, but was grinning.

"We hear that you two are dating," Diane said with a grin. She covered AJ’s hand with her own, to let him know that it was fine with them. "We think it’s great."

"You’re not mad?"

Both of Lance’s parents shook their heads. "We agree that there need to be ground rules, but it would be the same as if it were a girl that Lance were bringing home with him."

Both teens nodded They’d been expecting this.

"We want you both to be careful and respectful when you’re in the house. We don’t want you doing anything we would not approve of. Whether we are or are not at home."

Lance nodded. AJ followed suit.

Jim cleared his throat as he swallowed a mouthful of pasta. "No being in rooms with closed doors. So if you’re studying in Lance’s room, we would like the door open please."

"Yes sir," Lance knew this already.

"We want to meet your parents," Diane said warmly.

"My mom." AJ corrected her. "It’s just me and my mom."

"Well then, we want to meet your mother."

AJ nodded. "She wants to meet you too. She knew she would have to wait until Lance told you, but I’ll let her know you want to meet her."

"Well, that’s settled then." Jim said. "Now, lets see if we can finish this meal without someone choking to death."

AJ grinned as he felt Lance’s foot brush up against his at the table. The two shared a private smile, unaware of the smile that Lance’s parents were also sharing.

End Chapter 24


Chapter 25 >