Joey drifted out of dreamland into a foggy consciousness with the morning sun radiating through the sheer white curtains that did little to filter the light. His room was dimly light except for streaks of sunlight dancing across the space and highlighting the bed they slept in like stage lights. He could feel the heat radiating from Bobby's thin muscular body against his back as well as Bobby's stiffness pressed against his ass. Bobby had one arm draped over Joey's body that held the two of them close.
He let his eyes close again, allowing himself to sink back into the safety of Bobby's presence behind him. He could feel Bobby's warm breath on his neck sending tingles through his body each time the man behind him exhaled.
He couldn't remember a time in which he felt so peaceful. He couldn't remember a time when he was the little spoon. At that moment, Joey allowed himself to just be, to be content, to be peaceful, and to be... gay.
His mind drifted back to last night and how Tre acted so weird after fucking him by the fire. Joey still felt confused and truthfully, kind of hurt by Tre. He wondered why he just left like that after something that felt so intimate. He could feel his heart inching higher in his throat with each flash of him chasing Tre up the stairs.
The body behind him shifted a little bringing Joey back to the present, back to Bobby. He thought about the stark contrast between Bobby and Tre. Where Bobby felt safe to Joey, Tre now seemed to be the opposite. He acted as if he cared but thinking back, Joey saw things differently. Tre was selfish, even manipulative in how he acted over the short time they'd known each other.
Joey's recent chaos seemed to settle down with Bobby. There in bed, in Bobby's arms, Joey felt a small streak of embarrassment seeping into his heart. He had spent his weekend hungry, almost needy for dick. It was like he had spent his entire life starving for something he didn't know he wanted until he got it. Then his hunger was insatiable like a druggy feigning for his next fix.
Bobby's presence seemed to somehow satiate Joey's cravings, quiet his chaos and settle his mind. Over the past couple of days, it seemed all Joey could think about was sex. He didn't care who or how, he didn't even care where. But here, being held by this man, he felt something different. He felt something he couldn't quite describe. He felt... calm.
Then it hit him! He was leaving tomorrow. Bobby would have the old Camero up and running and Joey would pull away, watching this man fade into the past from the rearview mirror. His heart sank into his stomach over that image in his mind's eye. He began to already miss Bobby even though his warm body was still pressed tight against Joey's.
He was brought back out of his thoughts one more time when he felt Bobby's lips press a soft kiss against the skin of his neck. "Hey you." Joey whispered.
Stretching his one free arm and the rest of his body for the first time Bobby groaned "Good mornin Sunshine." before resuming his hold on Joey. "How did ya sleep?" Bobby inquired after a long yawn.
"Best sleep I've had in a while!" Joey answered, his voice a little louder this time.
"Me too." Bobby whispered almost seeming unsure of what he was admitting to.
The two lay there in silence for several minutes with Bobby's breath still brushing across Joey's neck. Joey felt Bobby's hand move up his stomach and come to rest on his hip before Bobby took a deep breath.
"Joey?" Bobby broke the silence. He didn't wait for Joey to respond, "Last night, what was going on? You looked pissed when I hit you with the door."
"Just some shit with Tre." Joey answered trying to be as vague as possible. That embarrassment he started to feel a short time ago, was back in excess.
Bobby's hand rubbed up Joey's side, over the ripples of his rib cage, and back down in a slow back-and-forth pattern in the silence of the room. He thought about the shower with Joey. He was shocked by the impulsive need he had felt for the other man. He was confused and didn't know what had come over him, what drove him into that bathroom.
"Any regrets?" Bobby's voice shook when his words came out, his hand still caressing Bobby's side.
"About what?"
"Last night." Bobby clarified his question.
Joey's pause induced a little insecurity in Bobby. As much as he didn't understand his own actions last night, he didn't regret any of them. "None that involve you." Joey responded after trying to find the right words.
He thought about some of the things he suddenly did regret, but there was none where Bobby was concerned. The stranger, Tre... going farther back, Bobby's dad Charlie. Oh my God, Bobby's dad! The list was growing by the minute.
"I've never, ah... done that before. Ya know? Sex with a man. I see it all the time around here." he stopped and reworded his thoughts, "Not sex, but I know my dad and his friends are all doin it." Bobby quieted for a few seconds trying to slow his thoughts. "I was afraid to follow you to the bathroom. But it was like I, like I couldn't stop myself." He finished, sucking a deep breath into his lungs and pushing it back out.
Joey rustled around to face him and watched the confusion wash over his face as he spoke his truth. He listened not only to the words Bobby spoke but also to his body language and read the utter discomfort coming from him. "Until this weekend, I hadn't really thought much about guys." Joey responded. "There were a couple times I remember flipping through porn and felt curious, but nothing that pulled me in to follow through." He continued admitting. He paused for a few seconds to watch Bobby's reaction before finishing. "I'm glad I met you." because he was. His words were genuine and caused Bobby to raise his eyes and face Joey.
Joey moved in closer to hug Bobby. He squeezed a little and could feel a tremble reverberating from deep in his new friend's core and his heart filled with compassion.
"I meant that!" Joey whispered. "I am so glad I met you. This weekend has been crazy. My car died, I ended up here, Tre happened..." He sighed a heavy breath before continuing, "and I lost all my common sense. Until this morning." Pulling back to look into Bobby's doe-like brown eyes, Joey offered a warm smile. "Something in you spoke to something in me."
"What do ya mean?" Joey's declaration did nothing to smooth the confusion running through Bobby's mind.
"I don't know. I don't know what it means, I only know that looking back, I don't recognize who I've been all weekend." Joey breathed deeply again and rested his hand on Bobby's cheek. "But this morning, waking up in your arms felt... safe!" Joey added emphasis to the last word to give it grip.
Bobby nodded his understanding, telling Joey he felt something "comforting" when he woke up behind him before pulling Joey back into his chest.
They held their embrace for a few quiet moments before Joey pulled free, shifted around in the bed, and nestled his shaggy head on Bobby's chest. "I'm kinda sad I'm leaving tomorrow." He admitted remembering the mental image of the other man in his rearview mirror.
"Maybe I'll follow ya?" Bobby nearly choked on his own words in between giggles. There's nothing really holding me here. He thought to himself. He contemplated the things and people in his life. He had an absent girlfriend that he really needed to break up with, especially after last night. He had a job, working for his dad but that was really going nowhere in this town. Most of his high school friends had moved on to bigger things in better places. "I really don't have anything holding me here. Mechanic jobs are everywhere and probably pay a bunch more than my dad does!" He reasoned out loud. "Where are ya going when you leave here?" He continued to ponder the possibilities.
"A little city south of Toledo." Joey told him knowing it was unlikely or even foolish for Bobby to consider a move two hours away with someone he'd just met. He still felt the smallest seedling of hope sprout.
Joey lay on Bobby's chest for another hour, the two just talking about anything, everything, and nothing. They shared their school experiences, old girlfriends, and likes and dislikes in general before they could hear others in the house waking and starting to shuffle around.
"Hey, I should probably get outta here." Bobby said, breaking the chit chat that they had been sharing. "Go check in with my dad, let him know I'm alive or whatever. What are ya doing later?"
"Ah, I don't know. I was thinking of going for a drive!" His sarcastic words came out in between overzealous huffs.
Bobby shook his head grinning at Joey's poor acting. "How bout I come get ya later and we grab something to eat. On me." Bobby didn't have to wait long for a response, Joey agreed almost before he had finished speaking.
They finalized their dinner plans before they reluctantly rolled out of bed and started gathering their clothes. Bobby would be back to get Joey at five, they'd eat at a local hole-in-the-wall diner and Bobby would show Joey some of his favorite hangout spots.
When everything was settled and they were dressed, Joey followed Bobby downstairs, past a couple of sets of prying eyes in the kitchen and out to the front porch. Bobby started down the steps before stopping and returning to Joey.
He stepped back up to the top step facing Joey who was still on the porch and extended his arms. Joey took the hint and closed the few step distance between them and was quickly wrapped back up in Bobby's arms.
Joey melted in the comfort of Bobby's embrace yet again. A soft whimper escaped his throat before Bobby leaned away from him. He put his hand on Joey's face and leaned in slowly, pushing his lips to Joey's. "I'll see ya later." He told Joey as he pulled and turned away. He threw his hand up in a smiling wave goodbye as he pulled away.