It was nearly summer, William and Aydan were back to being friends and he got to work in an ice cream shop where he had nice co-workers and as an employee benefit he was allowed to eat as much ice cream as he fancied. What was there not to be smile about?
Or, well, what were there not to smile about before Claudia showed up to his apartments door, tears on her cheeks and smudged mascara under her eyes. She didn't just look upset, but also enraged.
''What's wrong?'' Aydan asked immediately and tried to put his hand on Claudia's shoulder, but she shoved it off and stormed in the apartment.
Aydan closed the door and followed her into the spacious living room. Aydan's apartment wasn't white and polished like the houses William and Claudia lived in.
The penthouse had two floors and the upper one was a loft: it had black metallic a spiral staircase and railings, leaving the space open. The walls were rustic, made of red bricks, the ceiling was gabled and the windows were old and huge.
In the loft were Aydan's kind size bed, that had black bedclothes, a dress rack and a desktop. The ground floor had rustic looking brown sofas, a big wooden coffee table, high bookshelves, tv and a small kitchen. It was an impressive looking apartment, even if Aydan wasn't too strict about the cleaning part.
''Do you even want to go with me anymore?'' So, back to the current situation: Claudia was standing in the the living room and stared at Aydan with accusative and hurt glare.
''Well, I, uh..'' Aydan stammered. He was so not prepared for this kind of conversation.
He should have been, but as he had never dated before and had no experience about these kind of do-we-need-to-break-up-or-not fights, he was absolutely dumbfounded.
''Want to know what I think?'' Aydan had never seen Claudia like that. She looked to so angry and upset Aydan was afraid to even ask what she had in mind.
''I think you're in love with William.'' She accused before he got his mouth open.
''What?'' Aydan exclaimed, shocked and not believing what Claudia had just said.
''I said you're in love with William.'' She repeated.
''What? No way. I'm not gay.'' Aydan denied immediately.
''Do you even believe that?'' Claudia cried out, more tears pouring on her cheeks.
''I'm really not. I can't be.'' Aydan insisted, trying to walk closer to Claudia, but she cringed away again.
''Uh-huh. I dare you to try and kiss him. Then you'll see if I'm right or not. If it doesn't make you feel anything at all, then come back to me and I'll admit I was wrong.'' Claudia spat, crossing her arms defiantly.
Kiss William? Really, kiss William?
''You don't mean that.'' Aydan said and looked at Claudia distraughtly. There was no way he was going to do that, absolutely no way.
''I do. Go ahead and try it. Then, and only then, come back and talk to me.'' Claudia said and without further notice she stormed out of the apartment.
Aydan slumped on the sofa, his eyes towards the door that was just slammed shut. Claudia had surely gotten it all wrong, and it would be a horrible idea to kiss William, right?
It would be a horrible, horrible idea — yet he was tempted to do it. Just to see, if Claudia was right or not.
***
After a long deliberation Aydan decided he wasn't going to do it. After all it wasn't just something he could try and do. Not when there were William and their friendship on the line. That wasn't something Aydan was ready to risk, because he had already lost William once. There was no way he was going to do anything idiotic and lose him again.
Unfortunately Claudia's words had filled his thoughts, the seed had been sown and it was growing in his mind. It was corrupting his mind and obscuring his ability to think straight.
It wasn't just what Claudia had said, thought, since Aydan was actually intrigued about the thought of how William's lips would feel against his, what he would taste like. He already knew what it was like to hug William, and if they had done that, was kissing actually that much different?
Okay, stop. What the heck, Aydan? Stop it now, Aydan scolded himself.
He had just finished his shift at the ice cream shop and was on his way to practice with William. He really needed to get a grip on himself before he saw him, otherwise all hell would break loose.
For the first time in months Aydan really felt like he needed a smoke, but since that was going to happen, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a couple of deep breaths.
In front of him the mansion stood in its magnificent grandeur, and there was no other cars in the yard but William's black one. Aydan pressed the doorbell, and after a brief moment William came to open the door.
''You're early.'' He said and smiled.
''Yeah. It's just you and me then?'' Aydan asked, referring to the empty house and the missing cars.
''Yup, mom's out of country and dad's having some meeting. He's out of town, I think.'' William answered.
When they went down to the pool and started changing to swimsuits, Aydan found it way more difficult than normally. It had started when he couldn't stop staring at William's lips, barely able to hear what he was talking about.
When they changed, Aydan had to avoid looking at William. He had seen William's body about a million times, but now that the thought of kissing him had filled Aydan's mind, well..
What's wrong with you? Keep your dirty thoughts where they belong, Aydan scolded himself again, but it didn't seem to help at all.
Maybe water would help instead. It did.. for a moment. They swam a couple of miles as a warmup, and Aydan made sure his focus was on the movement. After the warmup was done Aydan swam and William took time.
''Oh, that's a horrible record.'' William gaped, looking at the number in the screen.
''Yeah.. Just get in the pool.'' Aydan avoided his gaze and got up from the pool. He was now sitting by the pool, his legs still in water. William just shook his head and jumped in the water.
William's record was definitely good, but then again, he didn't have any of those disturbing ideas in his mind. Anyway, what happened next was partly his fault too.
William swam in front of Aydan, between his legs that were in the water and leaned to look at the screen from the phone Aydan was holding. He was simply too close for Aydan, swiping away his ability to think coherently.
''What..?'' William began, when Aydan put down the phone on the side of the pool and pulled him closer. Aydan's hands were on William's nape, holding him still, as he pressed his lips lightly against William's. His lips were indeed very soft and warm, but Aydan could only feel them for a short instant.
''What the hell, Aydan?'' William exclaimed and broke away from Aydan's hold.
''I..'' Aydan started, horrified of what he had just done.
''Stop playing with me.'' William snapped, his eyes filled with agony. He was so tall he could just stand at the shallow end of the pool.
''I'm sorry, I —'' Aydan started apologising, but before he could finish, William pointed at the door.
''Just go. Leave. Now.'' He said and turned his back to Aydan, who had no other option than to take his belongings and leave the room.
Aydan pulled on his jeans and his shirt, not bothering with his shoes. His heart was pounding and his face drained from colour, as he walked up the stairs.
He was nearly at the front door, when he realised he was still barefoot and dangling the shoes on his hand. Aydan halted there, looking at the door and his shoes in turns.
Somehow he just couldn't get his feet moving and every cell of his body yelled for him to turn back. He couldn't leave things like that. Not after he had seen the agony in William's eyes. The agony he had caused.
Aydan turned around and nearly ran down the stairs back to the swimming pool. He didn't hesitate by the door, but rushed straight in.
William, who had been sitting by the pool, turned to look at the door after hearing it open. He got on his feet, but didn't say anything. Although tears ran down his cheeks, he didn't bother to wipe them away. William just stared at Aydan, who flounced to him across the room.
''You know what? I'm not playing with you.'' Aydan stated and then he was in front of William, pulling him close once more. Aydan's hands were firm and he didn't hesitate: he needed this.
Aydan pressed his lips on William's vigorously, nibbling his lower lip and teasing with his lips, until William opened his mouth slightly. Slowly, haltingly he answered the kiss.
Aydan lifted him up, his arms around William's waist and twirled them around. They were still kissing, more certainly and William's arms rested on Aydan's shoulders, his fingers intertwined in Aydan's hair. William let out a muffled laugh and Aydan grinned, their lips still pressed together.
''So not playing with you.'' He whispered and slowly set William down on his feet.
''This is.. you are..'' William stammered, slightly out of breath.
''Yeah.'' Aydan wondered smiling widely, still holding William in his embrace. His heart was fluttering and his body felt vibrant like the kiss had somehow awoken him and made him pulse with energy.
''I still can't believe what just happened.'' William said later, when they were hanging out by the pool.
They had been there for a good while, and soon it would already be time for the evening practice. Neither of them had their mind on swimming, though. They were laying on a soft rug William had spread on the tiles near the pool. Without the rug the tiles were chilly, but with it it was warm enough to lay on the floor.
They didn't cuddle each other, but instead just laid there next to each other. They didn't talk, because something unprecedented had happened, and now they needed to digest and analyse it.
Aydan could barely move, even though his body was itching to jump at William and kiss him breathless. It surely didn't help William was only wearing his swimming trunks. Aydan could literally feel the warmth that was radiating from his body, and now that he had gotten a taste.. well, it was torture not to do it again.
William's phone beeped and he sat up to read the text. He had turned his back to Aydan, who just couldn't stop staring.
His blue eyes revered the sight: the broad shoulders and the narrow hips. The biceps and the strong, yet delicate area around his shoulder blades. Aydan had seen all that before, but it had never had such an impact on him.
Aydan couldn't get his eyes off from the groove of William's back. It looked so sculpture like Aydan had to reach his fingers and trail them along William's spine. William breathed sharply, almost dropping his phone, but he didn't tell Aydan to stop.
Aydan trailed his fingertips on his back, on the arcs of his deltoid muscles, along the corners of his shoulder blades and down to his lower back.
William's skin was on goosebumps and he was breathing shallowly, yet he seemed to lean on the touch.
Just by touching his back, Aydan could already feel something happening inside his pants. He had had sex with his girlfriend, he had seen the curves of Claudia's body — yet nothing compared to what he was feeling now, just by touching William's back.
Aydan felt like he would lose his mind, if he couldn't get William closer. He would go crazy, if he didn't get to do so without delay.
Aydan inched closer to William until he was sitting so close to him their bodies nearly touched. William still didn't turn to look at Aydan, instead it seemed like he was waiting. He was waiting for Aydan's next move, still like even the slightest movement would make Aydan change his mind.
Aydan planted a kiss on William's neck tentatively. He didn't want to do anything that William wasn't ready to do, but as William bent his head offering more skin for Aydan, he proceeded with his lips.
A small moan escaped from William's lips when Aydan pulled him closer, hands around his hips.
Aydan was wrong saying he would go crazy if he didn't get William closer, because the touch of his warm skin against Aydan's was the thing that erased every rational thought from Aydan's mind.
The salt of William's skin, the way he leaned his body closer, the quiet moans he made,.. Yup, Aydan was a dead man.
When he couldn't take it anymore, he gently turned William to face him. William's face was flustered, his cheeks slightly reddened and his brown eyes huge and dark when they found Aydan's blue ones.
Then his hands were around Aydan and he pulled him to an eager kiss. Only when they needed to pull out to breathe, Aydan moved his lips and gently kissed the scars on William's forehead. There was no part of him that wasn't worth loving.
Then his lips moved to William's temple and down to his cheek and jaw, while gingerly tipping William to lay on his back. Aydan hovered on top of him, uncertain what to do next.
''Can I?'' He whispered hoarsely. William nodded, not trusting his voice. Aydan craned to take of his shirt, and even if it was something William had seen a million times, his eyes widened and darkened with desire. Aydan bent down on top of him, leaning on his knees and elbows.
They kissed again and when Aydan moved his lips to William's neck and down to his chest, William dug his fingers on Aydan's back.
William was breathing heavily and every little sound that escaped from his mouth aroused Aydan even more, until the world around them disappeared. It was just the urgency, the burning need and pleasure that felt so good it nearly hurt.
Is this it how it's supposed to feel like? Aydan thought, closing his eyes when his lips touched the sensitive skin of William's lower belly and the skin right above the rim of his swimming trunks. Aydan teased him with his lips and his tongue, making William squirm.
Even better. How could it possibly be even better..? But it was, and it was only getting better. Better and better and better. What a torture.
When Aydan's hands found the rim of William's trunks and he slowly began to undress those, William tensed underneath him. Aydan halted, his eyes asking if he should stop there.
''I haven't done this before.'' William breathed.
''We don't have to.'' Aydan said quickly.
''I want to.'' William replied and his cheeks turned red, like he couldn't believe what he had just said.
Aydan didn't need more persuasion, and in no time the trunks got tossed on the floor. Then he unbuttoned his jeans, pulled them off with his swimming trunks and leaned his body on William's. There was no layers left between them, nothing to keep them apart.
By then the kisses had gotten frantic. The touches demanding. Aydan picked a condom from his wallet and lifted William's legs on his sides, his eyes never leaving William's when he..
Oh my —