Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 14:25:01 +0100 (BST)
From: Philippe Invictus <nifty_pad@yahoo.com>
Subject: THE PAD: Chapter I

This is a work of fiction.  It will eventually contain sexual acts between
men.  If gay sex is illegal in your area, or you are a minor, or you just
don't like queer sex (what are you doing in this site to begin with?) then
read no more.  Comments, questions, and ideas are more than welcome and
would be truly appreciated.  Please put 'Nifty' in the subject line and
send it to nifty_pad@yahoo.com.  And since this is my first attempt at
writing, please be kind.  Thanks.



	Wow. The pad was just like what I had imagined.  I had
talked with the interior decorator hours and hours on end
and I have been here during its construction to make sure
that things go well, but I had no idea it would be this
wonderful.  The well-lighted hallway opened up to the living
room where my entertainment center was placed in one corner,
flanked by these soft black leather seats.  Everything is in
synch with the minimalist theme I had seen in several
magazines.  It has three rooms, one is for me obviously, the
one adjacent to my room would become the study
room/library/computer center.  The other room would be for
my mom's best friend's son, Alex.  I have heard of Alex ever
since I can remember but I have only actually met him once,
or maybe twice.  That was a long time ago though, we were
only kids by then, and now, I'd be living on my own.  Shit!
I still can't believe this.

    I can't even begin to put a price tag on this place.
It's obvious that my mom didn't spare anything.  I have all
the equipments I'll ever need, or even know how to use. O my
God.  They even bought me a brand new laptop.  Geez, I'm
starting to feel giddy.  I can't wait to try out all the new
gadgets and appliances.  It sure is great being the only
child and having rich parents that will provide for
everything.  Yup, we're pretty well-off.  My parents are
into the automotive business, not the actual cars, but they
manufacture and distribute the parts of the vehicles
actually.  If I'm not mistaken, we're the largest
distributor and manufacturer of automotive parts in the
country, so I pretty much get what I want in life.  Just
like this amazing pad!  So even though my parents' house is
also in the city, an hour's drive away from my school,
actually, they still insisted on letting me experience
independence. Okay, fine, I admit. My dad didn't like the
idea initially, but I used all my "convincing" powers for
them allow me to live on my own.  I threatened, I cajoled, I
sweet-talked, I begged and, I won.

    "I can't believe you got me everything.  Geez, thanks
Pa.  Thanks Ma."

    "Of course we got you everything.  How can we expect
you to have decent grades if you have to worry about where
you're gonna sleep at night?"  said my Dad as his eyes
twinkled in pride.  I love the way my dad looks at me.  It's
like I'm the center of his universe.  And most often than
not, I feel that way.  He has given me more than everything
growing up.  To quote him, I'm his pride and joy.  I can't
help but feel teary eyed as I hug them tight.  This would be
the first time that I'd be completely on my own.  Well, sort
of.  If only I could think of a way to get rid of Alex
before the second semester.  I'm sure I'll come up of
something.  I mean, its not that I'm a complete spoiled
brat, I just want to experience being completely alone.  And
living with someone - o God, does he still have those
pimples?! - is not really what I had in mind.

    "I'll give you more than decent grades, promise.  Ok,
now you have to let me go mom."  I whimpered as my mom
hugged me tightly still.  I swear, sometimes I think she
wants to strangle me.  "Don't worry Ma, I'll take care of
myself.  I'll call every night if you want.  You don't have
to worry.  Besides, it's not as if I'm going to another
country or something.  You can always come and visit."

    "I'm not worried...  Maybe just a little.  Just don't
forget to eat breakfast. Stop that dieting nonsense, you
hear?  And that is what I want, you call me every night.  If
you don't, we'll storm in here and drag your skinny ass back
home."  I can see tears streaming down her cheeks now.  "And
be nice to Alex.  I'm sure you'll like each other."  I know
that despite her flaws, my mom loves me too.  And I do love
her.  It's just that sometimes it gets too crowded at home,
if you know what I mean.

     "Ok.  Don't worry.  Alex and I will get along really
well.  Now, you have to go before you miss your flight."  My
parents are spending their 25th anniversary/3rd honeymoon in
Hawaii.  I insisted that they take this much needed vacation
despite their insistence that they wanna see me settled in
first.

     After the usual parting rituals, they finally left!  I
am totally alone now!  The fab wall clock says that it's
already 9.30, that means I'll have a few hours before Alex
arrives.  I went into my bedroom and I can't help but admire
the room.  Everything was just the way I wanted it.  I had a
king sized bed, with a mattress that I myself had chosen not
too soft, not too hard.  The silk sheets were of navy blue
color, with a black wall behind it.  On it was a large
picture of me, taken candidly from a play that I took part
in.  The dark wood paneling went well with everything.  I
even have a closet that I could almost walk in!  I decided
to lie down for a few minutes and try to savor my new
freedom.

     Just as I was about to drift off, my cell rang.  It's
my Aunt Nikki, well she's not really my aunt.  She's Alex's
mom, my mom's best friend and someone that's been part of
our family since I can remember.  She just wanted me to know
that Alex was on his way over, he'll be here earlier than
planned.  Darn, my day has already been spoiled.  I wanted
to spend a few moments of tranquility and now, her geek son
is coming earlier.

     Last time I saw Alex, he was around 14 or 15 years old.
We were having one of my mom's famous dinners and he was
there.  I couldn't help laughing out loud when I saw him
with thick metal wires on his mouth.  His lips protruded
like he was sucking on a slice of orange.  To make matters
worse, his face was covered with red, pimples.  It was a
good thing that he wore thick glasses which covered a third
of his face.  We later learned that he was shipped to Europe
or some other land for secondary school so I haven't really
seen him since then.  I learned that he was really good at
computers or something.  Boy, couldn't I get someone else as
a roommate?

     Just then, I heard the waves of the ocean crashing into
the entire place.  That's my doorbell.  Cool, huh?  Guess
its time to face my roomy and set the ground rules.  Ha,
let's see if he can stand -

     "Hi!  You must be Lawrence.  I'm Alex."

    My jaw was literally hanging open before I managed to
shake his extended hand.

     "Uhm, come in.  I'm Lawrence.  But you already know
that.  You must be Alex.  Hi Alex.  Your mom just called to
say that you were coming earlier than you were supposed to."
Stop it Lawrence!  You're babbling like a crazy fool!  I
managed to shut up and smile at him instead.  God he's
gorgeous.  He looks like a god.  His body is just perfect,
as is his face.  He IS perfect.  I can't believe this!  The
geek Alex turned out to be a Greek fucking God.  I can see
his pecs move in his tight shirt as he lifts his bag.

     "Sorry for being early, my mom had to attend this
meeting and the driver had to drop me off earlier instead."

     "O. that's no problem.  No problem at all."  I say,
giving him my flirting look.  O God no.  Stop it Lawrence.
You can't be flirting with him!  It's too close to home.
Shit.  Why can't he just have been the geek I knew?  Why
does he have to be a God?  How the hell am I supposed to get
my hands off him, when all I wanna do is eat him?

     While he was settling in his room, I cooked some
vegetarian pasta with carbonara sauce.  It took me some time
to decide what type of sauce to make, but I ended up with
carbonara for it would look best on my black plates.  Yup!
My mom got me the black plates and fab utensils that I told
her I preferred over the multi-colored ones she chose for
our own house.  All items in the pad followed the general
feel of the entire place.  Black, white, silver and dark
blue.  As Alex and I sat down, I couldn't help but just
stare at him.

     "Hey, this carbonara is great!  I didn't know you could
cook too.," intoned Alex after tasting my meal.

     "Thanks, my mom taught me how to cook since I was
young."  I replied, still staring at him, searching his
pretty face for any imperfection.  I want something to focus
on and convince myself that he ain't as great as he looks.
Shit!  He has the clearest skin in the world and his almond
eyes are crystal clear!  I feel like it could swallow me up
any moment. and those lips. Dear God, those lips.

     "My mom back here wouldn't let me touch the pans but I
had to learn to cook if I wanted to survive in Australia.  I
didn't have any maids or anything so I had to do everything
on my own."

     "Australia?  I thought you were in Europe."

     "I wish.  But unfortunately, I spent the last three
years in Australia, in the ranch that my grandpa bought
before he died.  My dad wouldn't let me stay in a dormitory
so I lived outside the city.  I raised chickens and all
kinds of animals, until I called my mom and told her that I
would run away if I had to but I couldn't stand the
kangaroos any more.  So here I am."

     "Kangaroos?  Ei, that seems cool."

    "Not if you see them daily jumping up and down.," he
said smiling, showing me his beautiful set of teeth.  I
didn't know how to respond, so I just smiled back at him,
thinking that I would do everything in my power to have this
perfect specimen of manhood.

     "Lawrence, uhm, listen.  Before I forget, I just wanna
thank you for letting me crash here.  I know that you bought
this place so you can be on your own.  Don't worry, I
promise not to be in your way.  I'd be spending most of the
time in my room, so you really don't have to worry about
me."
     What?! Is he out of his mind?  I want him in "my" room,
not his.
     "Hey, don't worry about it.  It's not really a problem.
Besides, I owe this place to you.  My dad wouldn't have
agreed to this if you weren't here.  So you're doing me the
favor, not the other way around.  Besides, I need someone to
help me clean the place."  Okay.  I sort of, lied.  We
already bought the place before he came into the picture.
But hey, it didn't hurt when my mom told my dad that Alex
would be here.
       "O, sure, you can expect that.  I'll even clean the
house twice a day if you want me to.  I mean, it's the least
I can do.  Besides, I'm used to it.  Back in Aussie, I had a
huge ranch all to myself.  So I'm quite used to it."
    "I was just kidding Alex.  I don't want Aunt Nikki to
bite my head off!  Listen, we'll both do all the household
chores, k?  We'll share everything equally.  For starters,
you get to wash tonight's plates, since I cooked," I said to
him teasingly.

                           ~~**~~

     Days later, we finally settled into our individual
routines.  College life has taken a lot of our time and Alex
seems to have adjusted fairly well both in school and with
his new home.  I had gotten to know him better and I must
admit that, though his image still leaves me catching my
breath sometimes, my initial infatuation for him is slowly
waning.  Well that's the thing with me, you see.  The more I
get to know and befriend someone, the less I tend to like
them romantically.  It's the classic celebrity infatuation
syndrome.  You like someone because you impose on them what
and how you want them to be.  They're not real people but
objects of lust, etc.  So Alex has been pulled down from
that pedestal and brought to earth.

     Part of our routine is to go to the gym early in the
morning together.  He usually drags me off my bed and to the
gym.  After an hour or so of working out, we go to our
individual classes.  I'm taking business management while
his taking journalism.  We meet up for lunch in the school
cafeteria where he helps me finish a paper that I was
supposed to do the night before.  Alex, you see, is totally
opposite of me.  He does everything he's supposed to, while
I come up with the most astounding excuses.  He takes
sometime warming up to people while I just pry them out of
their shells.  I'm the performer, he's the audience.  We're
on the opposite ends of the spectrum which I guess is what
makes us gel so well.  He listens, I talk.  He eats, I cook.
Plus, he does the dishes, which I just abhor. And yes, I'm
gay, he's straight.

    It was while we were watching my DVD of The Godfather
that the inevitable happened.  I was lying down on the sofa
when the phone rang.  He was about to answer it when I told
him to tell whoever it was that I wasn't home.  He hates
when I ask him to do this, but he does it nonetheless.  I
was concentrating on the movie when I heard him repeat the
caller's name and my heart dropped to the floor.

     "Michael?... Uhm, Lawrence's not here right now...
He's. He's at the mall.  I'll just tell him to
call you back.. Ok.  Yes.  I'll make sure of
that.  Yes...  Yes. I'll make sure that he calls
you back.  Thanks.  Bye."

     I was looking at his face the entire time
and I saw his expression change, he was clearly
annoyed.

     "Uhm, what did he say?"

     "He said that you should stop avoiding him
and call him, before he makes his move.  What
did he mean by that?"

"I dunno. Uhm. Did he, uhm, say anything else?,"
                        I
asked, feeling my heart just race a bit faster.

"No, he didn't.  He was just shouting threats at
                       the
phone.  So Lawrence, why are avoiding him?  What
did you do?"

     "I'm not!  I didn't know that it was him
who called, I just didn't want to be disturbed.
And besides, I didn't do anything to him.  As a
matter of fact, it was him who did me.  I mean,
something to me.  Can we get back to the movie
now?"  I said, giving him an irritated look.
Thank God he let the subject drop.  I just
wasn't ready to explain to him about me yet.  So
I can't exactly tell him that I met Michael last
Saturday at a gay bar downtown while he went
home for the weekend, without revealing my
sexuality, can I? And I can't exactly tell him
that I slept with Michael, can I?  Jesus.  What
is wrong with the guys now?  Isn't it possible
to get a decent lay any more?  Michael was just
a momentarily thing.  I told him that clearly.
And he's not getting it.  He's been pestering me
since that night.  I better sort it out before
he says anything else.

  Just then, my mobile phone rang.  I know it's
                     Michael
even before I see his name flashing on my cell.

     "Yes."

     "Hey, why are you avoiding me?"  Alex, was
right.  He really is shouting.  I stood up and
went to my room so that I could have some
privacy.

  "Listen, Michael.  I'm not avoiding you coz I
                     have no
reason to.  I told you several times already to
stop bothering me.  What happened between us was
just a one-night stand.  It was just sex.  A one-
time, heat-of-the-moment thing.  You were horny,
I was horny.  It was just SEX, ok?! Plain and
simple.  It didn't mean anything, not to me or
to you.  It never did and it never will.  Do you
get that?! Now. Stop pestering me."  I ended the
call before he could respond.  I hope he finally
gets the message.  I know that was a little bit
rude, but hey, saying it nicely doesn't get the
message across so, what's the point of being
nice?  I was starting to feel relieved but when
I looked up, Alex was standing by the door.

     "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was
just going to tell you that your favorite part
is on.  It's the baptism already."

     "Oh. okay. uhm.. How long have you been
standing there?"  I didn't have to hear his
answer when I saw him look at the floor and
blush.

     "I.. I guess you heard everything then.
Listen, Alex, I need to talk to you.  I mean,
jeez. I didn't want to come out this way," I say
the last part almost to myself.

 "Lawrence, you don't have to explain anything.
                      It's
none of my business."

     I stopped the movie and we were sitting in
front of one another in the living room.  I have
never felt so nervous in my entire life.  I
mean, I have outed myself several times to my
closest friends, but never to a family member.
And that's what Alex is to me now-- a family
member.  Even though it's only recently that we
got to know one another, I have always known
about Alex, and well he's my closest friend
right now.

     "Listen Lawrence, you don't have to explain
anything.
I mean that.  It's none of my business or
anybody else's for that matter."  He stood up
before I could say anything.  He was on his way
to the dining room when the intensity of my
voice startled both of us.

     "Damn it Alex!  Will you get your ass back
to the chair and listen to what I have to say?!"
He hesitantly sat back on the chair.  We just
sat there for what seemed like a century before
he looked at me straight in the eye and muttered
three words that would forever change our
relationship.

     "Lawrence, I know."

"I know that you heard the conversation Alex and
                      I -"

     "No, it's not just the call.  Lawrence, I
know that you're gay for a long time now.  I've
suspected it from the moment your jaws dropped
when you saw me.  I mean, let's face it.  You
were gawking at me."  He smiled when he said
this, but his humor was lost on me.  I didn't
know how to react.  So for once, I just let him
do the talking.

     ""Remember the third day when I still
didn't have my towels?  You told me to get it in
your room and that day I saw some gay porn,
several actually.  It was then that I confirmed
my suspicions about you.  To be honest, I was a
little shocked at first.  I mean, Ma always told
us about your girl troubles, so I couldn't
believe it at first.  But the porn confirmed
it."  My face felt like it was on fire.
I can feel the blood rushing to it and I was
red, not in anger but in embarrassment.  I never
thought he saw my porn.

     "I. I..didn't."  I didn't know what to say.
I was still searching my mind for the right
words but he beat me to it.

     "You don't have to worry.  I won't tell
anyone, especially not my family.  So you
hungry?  You better be, coz I'm gonna cook lamb
chops like you've never tasted before."  With
that, he stood up and went to the kitchen,
leaving me still thrown at what just happened.

     Over the best lamb chops I've ever had, I
still couldn't look at him in the eye.  I wanted
to tell him how I felt so with one long draw of
breath, I looked at him and opened myself up.

 "Alex, I didn't know that you knew.  But I have
                      long
wanted to tell you since you got here.  You were
right, I was gawking at you then.  You just
looked incredibly. different I mean.  Last time
I saw you, you had thick glasses....  And well ,
you were such a geek then.  No offense.  But
when you walked in the door, you looked totally
different, to say the least.
     "I guess I was just waiting for the right
time to tell you.  But we both know there isn't
any right time.  I guess I was just scared.
Scared, that you might freak out and run back
home.  And that would mean that your parents
knowing and then my parents.  In as much as I
want to tell them that their only child is gay,
I know I'm not yet ready.  They're not yet
ready.  I dunno.  I'm not just prepared to that
yet. Not right now. So I put off telling you
until. until this happened.
     "You're right.  It's nobody's business, but
I wanted you to know coz you mean so much to me
now.  We're not just flat mates, but you're like
the brother I never had.  I'm just extremely
thankful that you're cool with this."
     "What's the big deal?  I mean, I don't go
telling people that I'm straight, right?  So I
don't see why you should either.  Now, eat up.
Your mom has been asking me if you're eating
right.  She said she's holding me personally
accountable for your weight."  He smiled at me
and with that simple gesture, the ice has been
crushed and I never felt closer to anyone in my
life.


                      ~~*~~