[EN] For you are mine at last - JeffBarcode

Chapter 3

Guided by the acting coach, they reach the end of the brief meditation session. Lying on the floor in the darkened room used to be his favorite part of performing warm ups. Clearing his head for even a few minutes, even through guided exercises, felt really good. And he thought today would be the same, but listening to Barcode's breathing while he's lying beside him, the last thing he manages to do is relax.

Jeff takes a moment before opening his eyes and takes a few deep breaths before sitting up and rubbing them. Beside him, Barcode stretches while still lying down, drawing Jeff's eyes to the little skin that shows when his T-shirt rides up to his waist.

The exercises that follow are easier to do than he had expected. They involve a little more of body awareness than physical contact and judging from the time they've been there, Jeff figures that for today he'll be free of stress.

"Now, I want you to face each other."

And that's enough for a warning sign to go off in his head.

Barcode approaches without hesitation as Jeff puts off whatever it is by fixing his hair with a tie. The coach asks them to put their palms together and try to follow in synchronized movements until it becomes natural or something like that. He can't really pay attention, too busy wiping his sweaty hands on his pants.

With no options left, Jeff takes a deep breath and gets closer. Touching Barcode was never a problem, right? Although now the meaning is different, it is a simple workshop, that's all.

When the palms of their hands touch, Jeff doesn't even breathe. Barcode is the one who takes the initiative to start a movement, raising his left hand and Jeff's right just above their heads, then guiding them down in a circle to the level of their hips.

Trying to assure himself he's totally capable of handling it, Jeff repeats the movement now with the other hand, watching what he's doing.

"I want you to look at each other." The coach's voice sounds low as if to not disturb them.

For a moment Jeff closes his eyes again and takes yet another deep breath. He feels the pressure of their hands together increase and a familiar heat invades his body. When he opens his eyes again Barcode is very close, staring at him. Jeff blinks a few times as he returns the boy's subtle nod, and they resume the exercise.

The tension goes away as the movements get wider, their bodies moving closer as necessary. It doesn't take long for their movements to become natural. Like everything else they do together, they simply know each other's next move and both follow through.

When Jeff realizes, he is reflecting the younger's smile. He doesn't know how long they stay at it or if there was in fact a guide to this point of exercise, but their hands move away and start to touch each other's arms. And Jeff feels so good feeling Barcode's hands pressing the back of his elbows, that he settles almost between his arms, holding him by the waist through his t-shirt.

He feels Barcode's fingers move timidly over the skin of his arms and slowly go under the sleeve of his T-shirt. Instinctively, he ends up doing the same, moving his hands from his waist to his elbows and making their bodies touch. That's when Jeff registers they've never been this close, not physically. He never allowed himself to think about how Barcode's body frame is wider than his own, although he's obviously noticed. And from this distance, Jeff notes the heat coming from Barcode's body invades him full force.

"Good. You can move away little by little."

The coach's voice suddenly brings Jeff back to reality and there is no little by little that could keep him close to the other anymore. In a stride, Jeff is away, finally free... and cold. Crossing his arms is the feeble attempt he uses to try and protect himself from the thousands of things he believes he needs to get away from at that moment.