Under Cover of Darness

FRIDAY AFTERNOON

It seemed to a lot of people that Jon Grainger and Dan London had been friends forever. They had stuck together through playgroup, primary school and now, were still together even through the stresses of secondary. Being 18 was a pretty tough age for any student – and it certainly helped to have a close and trusted compadré to help you when you were feeling down. Even so, it certainly seemed to Lucie Evans that they had been joined at the hip for long enough! Still sore over her feelings for Jon – she resented the closeness the two boys had for each other. Jon: a well built, macho, muscled – yet slightly squat - rugby player almost seemed like the complete opposite of Dan. Delicate, tall and with skin that you’d swear was airbrushed, Dan was a keen sportsman also but seemed more suited to the role of waterboy. In their relationship of over 10 years, Jon definitely wore the trousers.

Maybe it would’ve been easier for Lucie if Jon had been able to tell her straight out whether he liked her or not. Unfortunately for Jon, his macho image prevented him from showing the confusion he had felt at this admission. He had never had a girlfriend before! If he was truly honest with himself, he was not sure how he really felt about getting into a relationship of that sort – but how would he tell Lucie that without losing face? The answer was public humiliation – on Lucie’s part. Rejected infront of almost the whole school, Lucie had been a private laughing stock for weeks and she had vowed to get revenge on Jon. Jon honestly felt terrible for having to defuse the problem that way but to him it had seemed the only way out.

It was coming to the end of term and the “Jon Incident” – as Lucie’s friends had named it – was well behind everyone. Soon they would be in Y13, with fresh opportunities, new starts and still more work! The holidays were looming and everyone was looking forward to putting away their books and getting out into the summer sunshine. It seemed to Lucie as if she was the only one still stuck under the grey clouds of winter. Not seeing Jon for a whole 6 weeks, absolute torture! The last time she would see him would be at Sports Day and then he would probably ignore her as well. It looked like these last few weeks would be the only precious time she had left with him. Sighing heavily, she carried on walking to her last lesson, determined to make the most of a bad job…

Meanwhile on the other side of the school Jon, Dan and some of their friends were eagerly discussing this week’s camping trip.

“This is going to be so cool!” Dan said excitedly to Jon. Jon nodded in agreement.

“It’ll be amazing! I mean – we’ve only had about 1 trip this whole year and now at least we get to stay overnight.”

“…Mmm, yeah I guess…”

“What’ja mean “Yeah I guess?”! It’s going to be fucking brilliant!”

Smacking Dan lightly on the shoulder, Jon turned away grinning but behind their outward expressions both boys were thinking the same thing… ‘Will I be able to keep my hands off him this time…?’

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

It had been a long trudge up the hill and all the boys were tired from the day’s exertions.

“OK!” Mr Redborough called out. “Let’s make camp here guys! Everyone set out their tents 5m away from each other like we plotted in the classroom.”

Grunting noises of approval, everyone took off their heavy packs and set out to make camp.

“Ooof.” Dan dropped his heavy pack on the ground not at all carefully.

“Oy! Watch out man! That’s all our provisions and shit in there!” Jon said tetchily.

“Yeah I know – just it gets a LITTLE heavy carrying about 10 stone on with you ALL day.” Dan replied.

Jon ignored him and set to pitching up the tent.

“Hey – you gonna help or what?”

“…Lemme just rest for a second willya?!”

Rolling his eyes, Jon pulled out a tentpeg and started hammering it into the ground. Whistling a rocky tune under his breath, he thought back to the last camping trip with Dan…

*** All the boys had gone to bed late that night after sitting up by the campfire telling dirty jokes and singing rude songs. Jon had crawled into his bed absolutely bushed…except he had not been able to sleep. He had lain awake – listening to the soft rhythmic breathing of Dan, just a few centimetres away from him. Thoughts crept into his head. ‘You could reach out and touch him…go on…he’d never know…sliding your hand under his sleeping bag…under his shorts…touching his soft, silky penis…’ Jon shook himself hard mentally. “I’m fucking STRAIGHT!” he thought, “STRAIGHT!” However there was no way he could deny that familiar shape rising up against his sleeping bag. Taking a deep sigh Jon thought “Tonight…but tonight only…” before his hand slipped under and he began to…***

“OW! FUCKING HELL!”

“What is it NOW?!” Dan yelled as he came running over from where he had been perched on his pack. “…Oh my God! What the hell did you do to yourself?”

Jon’s index finger was bright red and the nail was oozing blood steadily onto the ground.

“…I wasn’t concentrating OK?” Inside Jon flushed as crimson as the pool of blood growing on the grass and desperately tried to will the erection growing inside his pants down.

Luckily Dan didn’t seem to notice in his concern. Taking Jon’s large hand in his small delicate paw, he caressed the back of it gently. Jon looked at Dan. The boy’s face was a picture of compassion. Slowly, he traced small circles over Jon’s knuckles. Taking a deep breath and still trying to win a losing battle against his genitalia, Jon whispered,

“…Dan…?”

At this Dan looked up into Jon’s eyes. His cheeks were flushed and he met Jon’s gaze shyly.

“…I…”

“JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH!”

At this exclamation the two boys sprung apart. Mr Redborough stood over them. This interruption was enough to give Jon a figurative “cold shower” and he jumped to his feet.

“What the hell happened to your finger Grainger?”

“Em…well… I was hammering in a tentpeg Sir, and…”

“Oh I see,” Mr Redborough grimaced knowingly, “Hammering in a tentpeg eh? Well try and keep your mind on the job at hand next time,” He nodded at Jon’s crotch. “Not on the thing in your pants.”

Shaking his head he walked off to oversee the rest of the campsite. There was silence for a few seconds.

“…Erm…”

“…Well…”

And then together, “Let’s finish off this tent!”

SATURDAY EVENING

“What’s the difference between a blonde and a mosquito? The mosquito stops sucking when you slap it!”

A roar of appreciative male laughter rose to meet this as the large ring of boys sat closely around the campfire.

“OK men! That’s it for tonight,” Mr Redborough intoned, “Off to bed now and be ready for 9am tomorrow! Goodnight all!”

Mumbled goodnights echoed around the campsite as the fire was doused and all the boys set off to their respective tents and sleeping bags. As Jon and Dan walked silently towards their tent amidst the rowdiness of the others, they were both thinking over the event of earlier. Both of them secretly hoped that nothing…and everything would happen tonight. Yawning, they stumbled into their tent and zipped up the front entrance. An awkward silence met them inside. Uncomfortable feelings filled the air and choked them. Breaking the atmosphere at last, Jon spoke.

“…I’m off for a piss…be back in a minute.”

As Jon left the tent, Dan fell back on his sleeping bag and covered his face with his hands. What the hell was happening to him?! These feelings…Jon was meant to be his friend! Surely they were not right. Both the boys were Roman Catholic, but Dan was the stronger devotee of the two. Sighing heavily to himself he thought of all the times he had had to repress reaching out for Jon and falling into his arms…plus what would Jon think?! Jon was a straight-laced masculine male right? He had wanted to go into the Army since he was like 12! What would someone like that think of these…Dan didn’t even want to say the word in his head…homosexual tendencies that he’d been showing lately! Biting his lip, his train of thought was disrupted by Jon re-entering the tent.

“Alright?”

“If alright’s long, low and slightly to the left – then yeah.” Jon grinned, and the two boys exchanged a tentative smile and laugh.

Somehow they managed to maintain a slightly stilted conversation until about 10pm and then the mood fell to silent thinking again. Both of the boys climbed into their sleeping bags still fully clothed – under the pretence it would take less time to get dressed tomorrow – but really not to show their shyness at undressing infront of each other. They lay quietly for a while and then Jon’s voice cut through.

“…Dan, have you ever…?”

Silence again for a few seconds and then,

“…Ever what…?”

“…You know…done stuff with a girl.”

Silence…

“…What kind of stuff…?”

“…Like fingering and stuff…”

Silence…

“…No…”

“…OK…”

“…I’d tell you if I had, I mean I’d want to boast about it right?”

They both laughed fake laughs and then silence. Dan asked,

“…Have you…?”

“…No…”

The hush seemed to last into infinity for the two boys. In their heads, they had both decided simultaneously that now was the time to act…they had to discover each other’s true feelings for each other. Slowly and with utmost caution, two hands were lifted out of two sleeping bags and with exquisite care stretched across to the other’s bed. The small distance between them felt like miles. The hands extended…and touched. Both of them shot back to their respective homes. Then together they both whispered…

“Did you just…”

“…No…”

“…Yes…”

Dan sucked in his breath. So he was all alone. He had admitted it to Jon who would probably go and tell all the boys that he had been trying to hold his hand. A tear dripped down his face.

5cm away Jon was kicking himself. Why, why, why had he said “No”?! He lay there in the silent claustrophobia of the tent. It was no good…he was going to have to show Dan how he felt now. As quietly as was possible, he shuffled his ‘bag as near as Dan as was possible, closing the small gap between their bodies to only a few millimetres. Withdrawing his hand, he laid it on top of Dan’s sleeping bag as softly as possible. There was no movement from the boy underneath so Jon decided to continue. Slowly, slowly, he trailed his hand down the slender figure of Dan until he found what he was looking for. That unmistakable place he had so longed to touch. Gently he squeezed it through the quilted fabric and heard a quiet groan escape. Biting his lip and taking a deep breath, he continued to massage it, harder and harder, squeezing and rubbing up and down as Dan’s erection began to show through the material. Dan’s moans grew faster as now both boys struggled to keep quiet.

“Uhh…Jonnn!!!!!!!!!!”

And then suddenly it was all over. Even as Jon had spilled his load into his pants, he felt the stickiness under his hand of Dan’s cum also. Both boys lay still for a second and then the calm was broken by the sound of a zipper. In the dark, Jon could just make out Dan’s white form. He lay on his side, not trying to disguise the shape of his still erect penis touching his stomach. At this, Jon’s also began to rise again. He was letting him in…letting him do what he’d always wanted. And this time – Jon decided – this was an invitation he was not going to refuse…