Date: Mon, 9 Oct 2000 17:11:56 -0400
From: vader5 <vader5@gateway.net>
Subject: Oliver and I: Installment 5: Gay/Highschool

Hi everyone, Al here. As I promised, here is part 5 of 'Oliver and I'.  I'd
like to thank everyone who took the time to write me.  I've received many
kind words, and have made some new friends.  There is so much more to write
and so little time to do it, but I will try my best to get the parts
finished quickly.  Thanks again for your support.  Enjoy!


Oliver and I
Installment #5:


The morning was cool and I closed my eyes as a cool breeze swept gently
across my face.  I was situated on a large bench on the back patio of my
home with my knees drawn up to my chin.  My eyes fluttered open in time to
see the first morning rays of sunshine penetrate the thick leaves of the
lush, green grape arbor that hovered over my head.  I watched intently as
the sun slowly peaked over the edge of the broad forest of trees in the
distance.  The morning dew began to sparkle like a thousand little stars
spread out on a green blanket of grass, and I could feel the dampness of
the air melt away from my face.  My short blond hair swayed in the breeze
and I squinted my blue eyes from the approaching sphere of fire.  It was
the middle of September, and the mornings were growing cooler.  I looked
down at my watch briefly before returning my gaze to the sunrise before me.
It was nearly 7:00 AM, and I had been outside for roughly an hour.  This
was something I did a lot on a Saturday like today, because it gave me time
to think.  I let out a short sigh and returned to my thoughts.  I had been
thinking about my life during the last month and a half, and the corner of
my mouth pulled into a smile as a mental image of Oliver's boyish features
and deep blue eyes appeared in my mind.  Since the day we parted in
Atlanta, the two of us had stayed in constant contact with each other.  It
was by phone mostly-about once a week-and occasionally I would get an
e-mail or two.  And who could forget the post cards?  I had received a ton
of them, and I hung on to every one.  Florida, Texas, Colorado, Las Vegas,
San Francisco, Montana, Mississippi, Michigan, and many other places were
engraved on the small pile of post cards from him.  When we talked-though
not for very long-Oliver would enthusiastically describe the details of his
week.  He was having fun, and that made me happy.  And I had to admit I was
a little jealous of the fact that he was out traveling while I was here in
the all too familiar state of Ohio.  But that feeling quickly faded last
week when he called.  It was so nice to hear his strong, German accent over
the phone.  He sounded very excited, and wasted no time in telling me the
good news.  His bus would be arriving in Cleveland on the following
Saturday and he needed someone to pick him up.  That was today, and I could
remember barely containing my own excitement as I said my good-byes and
hung up the phone.  I was so happy that I felt that I just had to tell
someone, so needless to say I found my dad in the house and relayed the
news.  He just smiled and told me that I could drive up to get him, since
he would be busy at school at some meeting.  Oliver was due in Cleveland at
around 10:00 AM, so I would leave in about an hour, since Cleveland was an
hour's drive from home.  I had been so anxious that I had barely slept the
night before, and now I was outside watching the sunrise as I waited to
leave.  A few moments later I was tired of sitting so I stood up and began
to walk out into the field of tall grass at the edge of the woods.  I
walked with the sun to my back and continued to think.  For the last week I
had been in total motion.  My brother could move into his own room, my
father had decided, so that Oliver could bunk up with me while he was here.
He saw no point in making Oliver sleep on the sofa, so he said he could
stay with me.  He was, after all, my friend.  Well as you might have
guessed I needed no further encouragement and set about helping my brother
move out.  I also went out and picked up an extra bed and dresser for my
room.  I spent every night after school for the whole week getting the room
cleaned up and ready for Oliver when he came.  'Boy will he be surprised
when he finds out where he's sleeping,' I thought to myself as I continued
my walk through the field.  This year was definitely going to be cool!  For
the next hour I walked around with a permanent grin on my face as I thought
about all the things we would do this year-together.

When 8:00 AM came I made my way back to the house and went inside.  My dad
was at the kitchen table with his cup of morning coffee and a plate of
toast.

"Good morning," he said as he sipped his coffee.

"Morning," I responded.  I walked over to the counter and poured myself a
cup of coffee as well.

"I'll be going to my meeting soon," my dad said.  "Are getting ready to
pick up Oliver?"

"Yeah, I'm leaving now."

"Alright, just be careful.  Your brother will be at a friend's house for
the rest of the weekend, so I'll drop him off on the way to school.  I'll
see you later, okay?"

"Okay, bye," I said as I gave my dad a pat on the back before walking
outside.  I patted my back pocket to make sure that I had my wallet and
took out my keys.  I started up the car and drove away.  My dad had let me
borrow his truck since I didn't have a car of my own, so I wanted to be
extra careful not to damage it.  The ride there was quiet with the
exception of the radio, and I arrived at the Greyhound bus station in
Cleveland around 9:15 AM.  I wanted to be there early in case the bus came
early.  I didn't want Oliver waiting in the bus station.  I found a great
spot to park and went inside.  I had taken the bus from here before, about
a year ago, and the place hadn't changed much since then.  A high domed
ceiling arched over the large chamber and there was a nice food court at
one end of the station so I found an empty table and sat down.  Every
fifteen minutes I got up and checked the schedule board to see if bus 83
was running on time.  When it came closer to 10:00 AM I learned that there
was going to be a delay so I just sat back and tried to relax.  Soon it was
almost 10:30 and I was beginning to nod off with my head buried in my hands
on the tabletop.

"Attention, attention in the terminal.  Bus 83 now arriving from Columbus,
Ohio at gate 4," sounded a loud voice over the central intercom.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes as I turned my head towards the other end of
the terminal.  Once my eyes fell on gate 3 I stood up and walked over with
all speed.  When I reached the gate I could see the bus just pulling in, so
I waited inside, out of the way.  A few minutes later the doors swung open
and people began entering the terminal from the bus.  I stood far enough
off to the side-up against the wall actually-to avoid getting knocked over
by the obviously anxious and not to mention cranky passengers.  I couldn't
blame them though.  Going Greyhound isn't like going Anderson.  Any number
of problems can come up-especially layovers and delays.  Then my heart
leapt as an all too familiar face became visible in the crowd.  It was
Oliver, and he was standing there looking quite confused in all directions
as he tried almost in vain to hold on to his luggage.  He definitely had
acquired some more stuff in his travels.  I walked slowly over and stood
behind him.

"You look a little lost stranger," I said aloud.  Oliver did a complete
one-eighty and lost half of his luggage in the process.  Our eyes met and
Oliver's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Albert!" he shouted as he dropped the rest of his luggage at his feet.  A
broad smile swept across my face as I took in the sight of him.

"How the hell are ya?" I said as we threw our arms around each other in a
crushing embrace.  I held him tight as I inhaled the scent of his cologne.

"I'm better now.  It's so good to see you."

"It's good to see you too man.  I really missed you," I said as we stood
back to get a look at one another.

"You're looking good," he stated.

"You too."

"You're just being nice.  I feel like crap.  I was afraid to sleep on those
busses."

"That's why I don't go Greyhound anymore," I said with a small burst of
laughter.  "Come on, I'll help you with those bags.  The truck's around
back."

"You came up by yourself?"

"Yeah, my dad's at a school meeting right now, so he lent me his truck to
come get you."

"Cool.  What time is it?"

"About 10:45 AM."  I picked up the other half of his luggage and we walked
outside to where the truck was parked.  It had an extended cab so I took
everything and put it on the back seat.  I opened up the passenger side,
and after Oliver hopped in I started up the car.

"Thanks again so much for picking me up.  I really appreciate it."

"No problem man, no problem at all."  Our eyes met again and I couldn't
hold back any longer.  "Com'ere," I said as I put an arm around him and
pressed my lips to his.  He returned the embrace and our tongues explored
each other's mouths as if it were for the first time.  After what seemed
like an eternity, our mouths separated and our eyes slowly opened.  I
looked deep into his blue eyes and found the same sparkle that had been
there when we first met.

"That was nice," Oliver said as he gave my hand a squeeze.

"There's more where that came from," I said with a lop-sided grin on my
face.  "Later, though.  In the meantime, I'm going to show you some of
Cleveland while we're here.  If of course you're not too tired."

"Sounds like fun.  Do we have to be at your place by a certain time?"

"Nah," I said with a wave of my hand.  "We've got the rest of the day.  As
long as we're back by dark my dad won't care.  I can always say the bus had
a long layover in Columbus so it was late getting in," I stated
matter-of-factly.

"Great."

With that we pulled out of the station and drove off.  I had been to
Cleveland countless times and knew pretty much the whole layout of the
city, so I pointed out few major landmarks and other different buildings
and places as we drove up and down the streets.  This went on for about
10-15 minutes before I found a descent place to park near the lake.  It was
colder here than at home due to the lake, but the bright sun kept things
warm enough to walk around without jackets.

"Are you hungry?" I asked as we stepped out of the truck.

"Starving," he replied as he rubbed his stomach.

"Good.  There's a nice place off the lake in that direction."

"Is it far?"

"No.  It's only a ten-minute walk from here.  The food's great."

"Alright, let's go."

"I thought you'd want to have something to eat before the drive home."

"Hell yeah.  I haven't eaten anything since early yesterday."

"Well you should like this place."  As we walked down the street we made
small talk about his trip from Columbus, and what he thought about Ohio so
far.  Like I figured, he hadn't been able to see much since the bus never
stopped for long enough in one place.  I could tell he was enjoying the
walk.  Like me, he had a hard time sitting in one spot for too long, and
the exercise seemed to bring a little color back into his face.  When we
got to the diner we walked in and took a seat.

"This is a nice little place," Oliver said as he let his gaze travel in a
broad sweep of the interior.  "I especially like the view," he added,
looking at the lake through the tall glass view port we were seated in
front of.

"Yeah, it's nice isn't it?  My uncle and I usually come here before a
hockey game."

"You like hockey?"  Oliver's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, I go to a game once in a while.  The Lumberjacks play here.  Maybe
if my uncle gets tickets this year we can all come up and see a game."

"I'd love that.  I really like hockey.  Do you watch many games on TV?"

"I used to, but I don't follow it too much with school and all."

"Oh that's right.  You did start school already, didn't you?"

"Yup, August 23rd," I said almost painfully as I rolled my eyes.

"Wow, that's really early."

"I know."

"So how are you liking your senior year?"

"It's off to a roaring start."  The sarcasm was dripping from my voice.
"To start off with, we've switched over to a 90 minute block schedule-so we
get out of school later in the day-and because the administrators didn't
know how to run the scheduling program correctly, everyone's class
schedules were messed up.  So for the first week was spent adjusting
everyone's schedule so they got the classes they needed.  Other than all of
that mess, it's been okay.  I've got two art classes in the morning-which I
love-and I've got the first lunch period this year.  Once you get used to
the scheduling it's not so bad, except for that fact that you have to sit
for 90 minutes straight."

"Sounds exciting.  Well at least you won't get bored, since there seems to
be a lot of bugs to work out."

"Yeah, the administration.  The new principle sucks.  This is her second
year at our school.  She's from some elementary school and doesn't have a
clue when it comes to secondary education.  She doesn't get along with the
teachers either."

"Another plus," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Weren't you happy to graduate and leave high school?"

"Yeah.  I didn't have many friends anyway, so there wasn't anything for me
to miss.  I wanted to get out on my own and do some things for myself.  I
wanted to get out and meet other people.  Don't worry though, it'll all go
by fast," he said reassuringly.

"Everyone keeps telling me that but I don't feel any better."

"I can fix that," he said with a grin.

"I'll bet you can."  I looked over to my left and spotted the waitress
approaching our table.  She was young-about our age-and probably went to a
local school.

"Hi guys, my name's Jennifer and I'll be your waitress this morning.  Sorry
about the wait.  What can I get you to drink while you're looking at the
menu?"

"I'll have water and a coffee please," I said.

"A coke for me," Oliver answered.

"How do you like your coffee?"

"Black."

"Okay, be right back."  She smiled and her long brown hair fluttered as she
walked towards the kitchen.  When she was finally out of sight I felt
Oliver's hand reach over and grab mine.  I turned and our blue eyes met.

"I really missed you," he said in that German accent that I loved so much.

"I missed you too," I replied as I gave his hand a light squeeze.  "I'm so
glad we're together again."

"Me too.  It's so good to be able to look into your eyes again."  My head
tilted away from him, as I blushed a little.

"This has been the longest month and a half in my life," I said, meeting
his gaze once again.

"Well it's over now, and I look forward to spending the next many months
ahead with you."  The sincerity in his ocean blue eyes captivated me, and
for a moment I was in a daze.  Moments later I came to my senses and lent
him a smile.

"We'd better decide what we want to eat before the waitress comes back," I
said.

"That sounds like a good idea."  The two of us looked over the menus and no
sooner did we put them down did Jennifer return with a pencil and pad in
her hand.

"Are you ready to order?"

"Yeah," I said.  We placed our orders and with another 'Be right back'
Jennifer headed back for the kitchen.  Oliver and I were now staring at
each other again, and I could feel his foot rub gently up and down my leg.
The two of us smiled as I returned the motion.

"So, have you enjoyed your trip so far?  I'm eager to hear about it."

"Oh I wish you could have been with me.  It was all so much fun."

"Spill."

"Later.  I've got plenty of time to talk about my adventures.  Right now I
just want to spend some time with you."

"Sounds good to me."  I noticed that his skin was a little darker than when
we last saw each other.  "I see you were able to get a tan while you were
out West."

"Yeah, I spent a lot of time in the desert areas.  I got tanned all over my
face, neck, arms, and legs.  But everywhere else I'm almost white.  It
makes me look weird."  I giggled.

"Aw quit your complaining.  I wish I could tan as easily as you.  Instead I
get a good burn once a year and stay a light tan for the rest of the
summer.  Other than that I'm white as can be."

"How is it that your dad has such an olive complexion then?"

"My grandma is a full-blooded Italian.  She can be in the sun for only 20
minutes before she gets a full tan.  My dad takes after her.  He has her
hazel eyes and short temper too.  I take after my grandfather who was all
German.  Blue eyes, blond hair, and a white complexion.  My mom's side of
the family was all German as well, so I take after her too."

"Well that explains it.  I like your skin white like that though.  It makes
your eyes stand out more."

"You're just being nice," I said sarcastically.

"I mean it.  Besides, you're not that white.  It's not like you're pale or
anything."

"I guess."

A short time later the waitress came back with our food and handed each
plate to us.

"Thanks," we told her in unison.

"Oh you're welcome.  If you need anything else just let me know.  I'll be
checking back with you later."  With a smile she spun on one heel and left
us to our lunch.

"Finally!  Real food!" Oliver said with excitement as he dug into the food
on his plate.  I couldn't help but smile as I started on my own food.  Not
much was said while we ate-instead we would glance occasionally out at the
view of the lake through the window before us.  That was just fine with me.
I was content enough to have him near me.  There would be plenty of time
later to talk.  When we finally finished our lunch it was a little after
12:00 noon, so I paid the bill and we were on our way.

"Thanks for lunch man, I appreciate it."

"No problem.  Are you ready to see the rest of the sights?"

"Yup.  Where to first?"

"I don't know.  We'll figure that out when we get out on the road."

"Cool, I can't wait."

As soon as we got back to the truck we hopped in and drove off.  I headed
down the street a little ways to where the Rock and Roll hall of fame was
located on the lakeshore.  As we drew closer to the tall, modern pyramid of
glass paneling Oliver looked on with curiosity.

"Is this the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?" he asked with excitement.

"The one and only," I replied as I headed over to find a spot to park.

"Wow, this place looks cool."  I parked the truck and we got out.

"Well, we can walk from here.  How did you hear about this place?"

"I met some guys back in San Francisco who had been here, and they were
talking about how neat it was.  Is it?"

"I guess we'll find out together."

"You mean you've never seen it?"

"Nope.  I never found the extra time to swing by."

"Then let's go."

With that we walked in and I paid our admission fee before continuing into
the mammoth and oddly shaped structure.  Every showcase we passed held some
relic of the recent past, and I was reminded of all the times my father
pulled out and played records of Elvis or the Beatles.  Everything from
musical instruments to wax clones of famous musicians was on display.  We
spent almost two hours wandering the winding halls and twisting staircases
through history.  Oliver and I had a lot of fun too.  There were some
things that we found really cool, and then there were those things that we
couldn't help but laugh at.  Fashion had definitely changed a lot in the
last thirty years!  This was a place that my dad would have really
appreciated.  I mean, I'm talking about a guy who wore bell-bottoms and
moccasins for most of his young life.  With a few more hours to kill we set
out towards the Science Center.  This place was one of my favorite places
in Cleveland because of all the cool displays and Omnimax Theater.  Oliver
was really excited and he nearly drug me from one end of the complex to the
other, trying to take it all it at once as if he was going to miss
something.  The place was huge, and almost every display was interactive in
one way or another.  We really wanted to go to the theater but we knew
there wouldn't be time so I brought Oliver in to have a look at it.  We
stood at the base of the seating column as we stared up at the impressive
blue dome that enveloped the whole stadium-like theater.  No matter how
many times I went in there I was always amazed.

"This is awesome!" Oliver said.

"Isn't it cool?"

"I wish we had more time."

"Don't worry, we'll come back another day-when we have more time."

"Really?"

"Sure.  I promise.  Now let's go back to the truck.  There's a few places
we can drive by before we head home."

"You lead the way."

Half an hour later we were back in the truck and I started driving towards
the downtown area.  The traffic was heavy now, but I made it by Gund Arena
(the hockey stadium) and on past Jacob's field-home to the Indians.  When
we finally reached the city limits it was nearly 5:00 PM and we had an hour
of travel ahead.

"So what did you think?"

"I had a great time.  Thanks so much for today, it was really cool."
Oliver put his hand on my lap as his loving gaze fell over me.

"I'm glad you had fun," I said, taking my eyes off the road long enough to
cast him a smile and a quick glance.  The shadows of the early sunset
danced playfully across his smooth, chiseled face as he slumped back
against the seat and let out a small yawn.  Before long he was leaning
against my shoulder-still with one hand on my lap.

"I really missed you," he whispered as he snuggled closer.

"Me too man, me too."  I leaned over and kissed the top of his head as I
continued to drive.  We had been on the road for only twenty minutes, and
still it was light outside.  Oliver was now sound asleep, huddled close to
my side.  He was so cute when he slept, and I stole a glance of him
whenever I could.  I could feel the warmth of his body against mine, and I
felt complete again.  Only his slow, shallow breathing broke the deafening
silence that surrounded us.  I wanted so bad to hold him in my arms, but I
knew that the sooner we got home, the sooner I would be able to do so.

The rest of the ride was quiet, and I was pulling into my driveway at about
7:00.  My house sits back a good distance from the street, and I brought
the truck to a stop in front of the locked gate that guarded the entrance
to the property.  Oliver was still asleep, and as much as I hated to wake
him, I gave him a soft shake on the shoulder.

"Wake up my love," I whispered softly into his ear.

"Huh?  Wha?" he said, rubbing his tired eyes.

"We're here," I replied.  "I'll be just a sec."  I got out of the truck and
proceeded to unlock and swing open the gate.  I was back in the truck
quickly and drove the remaining distance to the house.  I parked the truck
in front of the garage and removed the key from the ignition.  My father
was outside in the garden, cramming in as much work as he could before
dark-as always.  Oliver stepped out and began rummaging though the back
seat for all of his luggage.  After we had taken all of his things out of
the truck my dad came over.

"Hey, you made it!" he said as he reached out and shook Oliver's hand.

"Yes, it's good to see you sir."

"It's good to see you as well.  How was the trip in?  I heard you went
Greyhound."  My dad made a sarcastic smile with the last remark.

"Interesting," Oliver said with a laugh.

"I figured."

"You've got a nice place here," Oliver commented as he looked across the
surrounding landscape.

"Thanks.  It's not much, but we like to call it home.  Albert can let you
into the house and show you where you can keep your stuff."

"Great."

"Come on, I'll show you around," I said as I scooped up some of his luggage
and started for the front door.

"So, where am I staying?" he asked as we walked into the house and turned
left down the hall.

"Right in here."  I opened the door at the very end of the hallway and set
his things on the bed closest to the door.

"Here?"  Oliver looked puzzled as he glanced at the other bed in the room.

"My brother's new room is next door," I said, letting a big smile spread
across my face.  Oliver's eyes lit up as he stared at me in disbelief.

"You mean..."

"We're roomies," I said, giving him a pat on the back.

"That is too cool!"  He dropped his things on the bed and gave me a hug.
"Thanks for taking me in.  This is going to be great."

"You're welcome.  Thank you for coming."

"I haven't yet," he said with a grin.

"You will later," I shot back as I kissed him.

"Wait," he said as he pulled away abruptly.  "Where's your brother?"

"He's gone with friends for the weekend."

"That's good."  The worry began to drain from his face as we kissed once
more before returning to the pile of belongings on his bed.  Oliver bent
down and began to open some of the bags.  "Where can I put all of this
stuff?"

"Wherever you'd like," I replied with my arms spread wide to encompass the
room.  "You've got a whole empty dresser over here, half a closet, a desk,
and some shelves."

"Okay."

"You need help?"

"That would be nice," he said, looking up at me expectantly.

"Alright then, let's get crackin'," I said as I rubbed my hands together.
I let him open all of his bags and cases to remove his things.  I didn't
want to go through his stuff unless he said otherwise.  Instead I put away
most of his clothes in the empty dresser, and place some things on the
shelves on the wall.  It took us almost an hour to get things sorted out
and put away.  A lot of it consisted of souvenirs from his recent
travels-everything from shirts and hats to little trinkets ('dust
collectors' as I call them).  We both sat down on his bed and sighed.

"That's everything.  Thanks man."

"No problem," I said as I threw an arm around his shoulder.  "Anything for
you my love."  I leaned over and kissed his cheek, and I could feel him
blush slightly.  He turned, kissed me back, and smiled.

"You're the best."

"I know," I said with a smile.

"Bastard," he giggled as he jabbed me in the side.

"Ouch!" I said as I rubbed my side with one hand.  I couldn't help but
smile, and the two of us laid back on the bed with our feet dangling over
the side.  It was quiet now, and only our breathing could be heard over the
soft hum of the ceiling fan.

"I can't believe I get to spend the next year in the same room with you,"
Oliver spoke up.

"And you were worried about not getting to spend quality time with each
other!" I said smiling.  "I couldn't believe it either.  My dad decided on
it about two weeks ago, so I went out and got you a bed and an extra
dresser to put you stuff in."

"Wow, you really went all out.  Now I feel bad."

"What for?" I asked, turning my head in his direction with a quizzical
look.

"Cause I feel like I'm getting pampered for doing nothing."

"Hey, I'm the one who invited you over.  It's the least I could do.  Just
you being here with me makes it all worth while.  I want you to be able to
feel at home here, so make yourself comfortable."

"If you insist," he replied with a little smile.

"I do."

"Um, do you think I could take a shower?"

"Only on one condition."

"What's that?"

"Stop asking for permission.  This is going to be your home too for a
while, so act like it.  If you want a shower, go take one.  You don't need
to ask."

"Sorry.  It just doesn't seem right.  I don't want to walk around like I
own the place."

"Bullshit.  Do whatever you'd like.  I figured I'd say something now,
because the formalness eventually would irritate my dad, and then he'd tell
you what I'm telling you in more colorful words.  Then you'd really feel
weird."

"I guess you're right.  Thanks.  You can't join me, can you?"

"Not tonight.  Soon though-I hope."

"I look forward to that."

"Me too."  I stood up and kissed his thin, warm lips before he picked up
some clean clothes and made his way to the bathroom.  I turned the bedroom
light off and walked down the hallway into the kitchen/family room area and
sat down on the couch in front of the TV.  I heard the door opening behind
me and I turned my head to see my father walking in after a long day of
collecting what was left of the produce in the garden.

"Hey dad."

"Hey Albert.  So, is your friend settling in okay?"

"Yeah.  We got all of his stuff unpacked and put away.  He's in the shower
now."

"That's good.  I hope he'll adjust okay."

"I don't think he'll have any problem with that."  After he washed his
hands, my dad walked over and sat down next to me.

"So I take it you two are getting along fine?"

"Yeah.  He's really cool, and we've got so much in common.  I really enjoy
spending time with him."

"Just what I need.  Another sci-fi fanatic in the house," he said with a
sarcastic tone as he rolled his eyes and grinned.

"You're funny.  Ha.  Ha." I mocked.

"Well I hope he makes himself at home.  I'm just glad you two have become
such good friends.  He's a year older than you, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"What's he gonna do while we're at school?"

"That's up to him really.  We haven't talked much about it, but I think he
wants to find a job, so I told him I could help him find one.  Something
during the day so that he'll have something to do while we're gone.  If he
wanted he could even come with us from time to time, and we could just say
he's a foreign exchange student or something."

"Looks like you guys have it figured out so I'll leave you to it.  I'm
going to bed.  Goodnight."

"Goodnight," I said as we kissed each other on the cheek.  It was an old
Italian custom passed down from his mother, the only full-blooded Italian
in the family.  Despite our large German background, we were definitely
influenced by our Italian blood in many ways.  The short temper and
stubbornness of the men in my family were our most visible German traits.

When I heard the water stop running in the shower I walked back into
my-our-room and got a fresh pair of boxers for myself.  I returned to the
couch with the boxers in hand and waited.  A short time after Oliver
appeared in the doorway wearing boxers and a T-shirt, so I stood up and
walked over.

"It's all yours," he said as he stepped past me and into our room.  'Our
room'-I could get used to saying that.  I walked into the bathroom and
closed the door behind me.  I stopped in front of the mirror and smiled ear
to ear.  Traced onto the foggy mirror were the words I love you.  'What a
sweetheart!' I thought to myself.  He just had to get all sentimental on
me, didn't he.  I reached up and wiped away the message that was now filed
safely in my mind.

After I was done showering I stepped out into the now dark hallway wearing
only my boxers.  I walked as softly as I could to the bedroom door and
opened it.  The light was out, and I could barely make out Oliver's form in
his bed.  Thinking he was asleep, I walked across the room to my bed trying
not to wake him.

"I've been waiting for you," a familiar voice said from the darkness.  I
stopped, turned around, and walked over to his bedside, where I knelt down
to meet his gaze.

"Thanks for the message," I said as we kissed softly.

"I'm glad you liked it."  We kissed again, allowing our tongues to part
each other's lips.  When we pulled away Oliver let his fingers play over
the soft hair that covered my bare chest.  "Stay with me tonight.  Please?"
he asked, his eyes almost pleading it.

"Just a moment."  I got up and locked the door to our room.  "That's
better."  Oliver pulled the sheets back and moved over as I crawled in
beside him.  I had given him the larger of the two beds, so there was
plenty of room to fit two comfortably.  I brought my arm around Oliver as
he snuggled close and put his head next to mine on the pillow.  He let his
hand stay on my chest, just over my pounding heart.  The rise and fall of
my chest brought his hand with it, and I felt myself start to relax as we
got settled in.  Oliver's warmth radiated from under the covers, and it
felt great on my bare skin.

"I really miss laying here like this.  It was hell not having you there to
hold me for all those nights I was alone.  I don't ever want to leave you."

"I don't ever want you to go.  I just want to be with you," I whispered
into his ear.

"It makes me happy to hear you say that."

"I'd do anything to make you happy."  I began to stroke his short, light
brown hair and he let his head fall onto my shoulder.

"I know.  Thanks for everything.  You're the best friend I've ever had."

"Thanks," I said.  I could feel my face turn red in the blackness of the
room.  "I love you."

"I love you too."

Then, for the first time in nearly two months, we fell asleep in each
other's arms.  I was in heaven...


I hope you enjoyed this 5th installment. Questions?  Comments?  Email me at
vader5@gateway.net.  Even if you just want to talk, I'd be happy to hear
from you.  The rest will come as quickly as I can write it!  Take care!