A Love Like Fireflies

"No, I'll show you." Josh opened his laptop, typed in a password, and the site came up. The screen said "Str8 Frat Dudes."

"They don't know how to spell," Pete observed.

"Yeah, I don't care about that, amazingly enough," Josh replied drily. "But this site has the most fucking gorgeous guys on it."

"So, what, you look at pictures of them? Or videos?"

"Yeah, they have all that. But the best part is the live shows."

"Live? Like sex chat kinda things?"

"Sort of. The guy comes on, and you can type things to him on the computer and he reads them and responds. It's kind of interactive. It cost me all of my spending money for the month to get access to the live shows, but it's totally worth it."

"But wouldn't you rather have a guy here with you, in person?"

"Well, duh. But I don't have that, do I? I mean, I have a hot guy here with me, but he's straight. Or sort of gay. I mean, he sleeps with a guy, but he's not gay. Not really."

"Oh, shut up."

"Look, here comes the live show for tonight. Oh! It's Rick! I love him! I caught his first show last week, and he was amazing. Totally hot. I got so worked up--that's how I ended up at that club that you found me in the gutter outside of."

"Good times," Pete noted, deadpan.

"Well, wait until you see him. This guy is so gorgeous and fucking hot that even you might fall for him. Ooh, here he comes."

Pete wasn't looking at the screen, wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Hey to all my buddies out there! It's Rick, back with you for another hot session. Thanks to everyone who sent email after my first show last week--you guys are awesome!"

The voice.

"I want to send a special shout out to Josh, who sent me the hottest email. Hey Josh, I see you're online tonight. How are you, buddy?"

That fucking voice. It had to be.

"Oh! Pete! Help me type a message back. Please? I'm so slow with these things on."

Pete sat next to Josh, and dragged his eyes, unwilling, to the computer screen. It was Nick. He was naked, of course, and his cock was rising as he read the messages of adulation that filled the screen.

"Type, 'You are so fucking hot, Rick, I can hardly stand it.' Type that for me, okay?"

Pete did as Josh asked, his mind twisting into a knot, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing here, what the hell Nick was doing there.

Pete watched Nick read the message.

"No, Josh, you're fucking hot."

Pete couldn't believe he was hearing this.

"Type, 'Did you end up going on a date with that girl?'" Josh asked, in a husky voice.

Pete looked at him. "Why do you want to know about that?"

"Because he's straight, and that gets me going. I love straight guys who do this kind of thing--it's so hot."

Pete typed the message, with shaking hands. Rage? Confusion? Sadness? All of it. He watched the screen.

"Oh, yeah. It was crazy. We fucked like three times, and then we were so sweaty and funky we had to get in the shower. All she had was this fruity body wash stuff, and I ended up smelling like a chick. It sucked."

That was the smell. Nick was telling their lives right there on the screen.

"See? Isn't he smokin' hot? And just look at that grin when he talks about having sex. God, he's killing me!" Josh tugged at the sheets, and Pete could see the outline of his cock clearly through the covers.

Nick was stroking his hard cock now, rubbing it slowly up and down using that lazy stroke that Pete had seen him use so many times during their time living together. He ran his fingers up and down the entire length of his cock, enjoying every inch. In spite of himself, Pete was getting hard too. He hated that his body responded to Nick, even in this bizarre setting. Fuck, what was he doing? What were they doing?

Josh was hanging on Nick's every word, running his eyes over every inch of his body. One of the other viewers asked Nick to show them his asshole, and he obliged, turning around and spreading his cheeks. His asshole winked at the camera, as Nick looked back over his shoulder to talk to his viewers.

"You guys like having your hole licked? I never knew how good it could be until last week. Oh my god I got my hole worked over. It was fucking awesome!"

"Oh, fuuuuck," Josh groaned. "How hot is that? I would totally bury my face in that ass."

So, apparently, would Pete. And he had. And now Nick was telling the world about it. Something snapped inside Pete.

"Hey, Josh, I, um--"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Could I, um, help you out with your, um, issue?" He gestured to the outline of Josh's prick.

Josh was stunned. And more turned on than he could have imagined.

"You would do that for me?"

"Yes, I think I would. Something about Nick there on the screen makes me want to do it."

"Rick."

"What?"

"His name is Rick."

"Oh, right. Yeah, that's what I meant. Rick."

"Isn't your roommate's name Nick?"

"Why, yes, yes it is. Now, enough about him. Let's see what we can do for you."

Pete lifted the laptop up and to the side of the bed, and then pulled the covers back slowly. Josh was naked under the covers, and his cock throbbed on his belly.

"There's vaseline under the bed," murmured Josh, beside himself with how boned he was, and how dreams he hadn't dared to dream were about to come true.

Pete retrieved the jar, and noted with a surreal sense of humor that it was Nick's preferred brand. He opened it, scooped up a healthy dollop, and turned to the task at hand.

Josh's was about to be the third dick he had ever touched in his life, including his own. He took a deep breath, and reached out for it. Josh moaned, and his hips bucked with excitement.

"Whoa, there, big fella," Pete chuckled. "No rush here. Let's take this slow."

"I don't think I can do slow right now," Josh muttered through clenched teeth.

Pete took hold of Josh's cock, and rubbed up and down. It was then that he realized there was something different about it, different from his and Nick's.

"Josh, you're--"

"Uncut, yeah. It's a little different. Is that okay?"

Pete remembered the baths with Imre and Karvaly. "Oh, I've seen plenty of them. I just haven't ever touched one." He slid his slick fist along the length of Josh's cock. "It's kind of awesome. I love how the skin slides up and down."

Josh breathed in short gasps. "I kind of love it too, especially right now."

They heard some groaning from the laptop, and realized they had completely forgotten about Nick. Rick. Whatever.

"Oh, god, it feels so good," he was saying, as he stroked his cock up and down. Pete knew he was just a few minutes away--he could tell by the way his toes curled.

Pete matched Nick stroke for stroke on Josh, and Josh felt the synchronicity. He moaned, Nick moaned, Pete stroked, Nick stroked. He sped up as Nick did, as he always did toward the end, and he could hear Josh panting on the bed next to him.

"Oh, oh, oh!" Nick said, and Josh echoed him. Pete watched for the first spurt to shoot out of Nick's cock, and when he saw it he tightened his grip on Josh's prick. Josh groaned and a long rope of hot white cum shot out across his chest. Pete kept up a tight, fast rhythm, determined to completely drain his friend in need.

"Ohhhhh, that was fucking amazing," Nick/Rick was saying on the screen.

"I have to agree," panted Josh. This was the first time he'd been able to cum for a full week, and he was shivering in its aftermath. He looked up at Pete. "Thank you, Pete. You have no idea--"

Pete stopped him by pressing his mouth against Josh's, kissing him fiercely, as if he were trying to reach through him and kiss the image of Nick inside him. He didn't think, he just did it. And Josh was happy he did.

"--how much this means to me," Josh finished, when the kiss had faded. Who was this not-gay, not-straight man he had found?

"Don't mention it." Pete paused. "I mean, seriously, don't mention it. It'll be our little secret, okay?

"But, Pete, I got off, and Rick," he gestured to the screen, where Nick was rubbing his load into his chest, prolonging the experience for maximum effect (and maximum pay, Pete thought), "Got off. But you didn't. Can I help you with that?" Josh winked at him.

"Yeah, nothing makes a handjob like the rubbing of wrist braces."

"Who said I'd use my hands?" Josh blew Pete a kiss.

Pete, Straight Pete, the one who used to hate getting naked, or even being around naked people, stood and dropped his pants without another word. Josh swung his legs off the bed, and Pete stood before him. Josh leaned forward, and Pete's cock entered the mouth of the second man ever. This was getting to be a bad habit, Pete knew, but he also knew that he needed--that he deserved--this pleasure. And a pleasure it was; Josh was an accomplished practitioner, and he shortly had Pete panting raggedly and leaning on his bobbing head for support. Pete shot his load eagerly, urgently, without second thoughts. Josh took the entire load, and licked and suckled at Pete's retreating cock as it returned to its resting size. Or almost that size--Pete was still so overwhelmed by the twisted events of the evening that his prick remained on hot standby--who knew what would come next?

Josh kissed the tip of his cock several times, and then lay back. Pete pulled his pants and boxers up from around his ankles, tucked his confused but happy prick back into its place, and stood awkwardly for a moment.

"Well, that was ... amazing," he finally said. "I've never done anything like this before." He was pretty sure that no one else had either--an impromptu handjob while watching his straight boyfriend seduce anonymous gay men on the computer under an assumed name? Followed by a blowjob from an injured man whose life he may have saved? Yeah, that doesn't happen.

"You're amazing, Pete." Josh said, laying back on his pillow, comfortable for the first time in a week.

"Well, I'd better get going," Pete said. "Nick's going to be home soon, and I think we have some stuff to talk about."

"Things okay between you two?"

"Well, I think they just got a little more complicated," Pete replied.

"Oh, sorry. I shouldn't have--"

"No, it's not you. It's me. And him. It's just kind of a mess right now. But that's my deal. You just rest and I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay. Bye, Pete. And thanks. For the wanks!"

Pete laughed. That Josh was a funny guy. His smile faded once he was in the hallway, walking back to whatever would happen with Nick.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Pete was back in their room before Nick arrived. When he entered, Pete looked up from the novel he was reading for his English 101 class.

"Hey," Nick said, hanging up his jacket.

"Hey," Pete replied. "How'd it go tonight, Rick?"

Nick froze. He closed his eyes slowly, shaking his head. Fuck.

"What?" he said, knowing perfectly well what Pete had said.

"I asked you how it went tonight."

Nick heaved a sigh. He was still facing the closet, unable to look at Pete.

"How did you find out?"

Pete considered how to respond to his. "Let's just say we have a friend in common. Name of Josh. You remember him, right? The one who sent you the hottest email?"

Nick's shoulders slumped, stricken.

"Yeah," Pete continued. "Turns out that's my friend Josh too. Small world, huh?"

Nick turned to face Pete.

"Look, Pete, you know I need the money. I'm only doing this because there's no way I can stay here unless I earn enough to pay my way. This pays better than anything else I could find. It doesn't mean anything to me--those guys don't mean anything to me."

"Well, you sure mean a lot to them. To one of them, at least. We watched you tonight, both of us. I watched you tell all of our secrets to a bunch of strangers; all he saw was a hot guy beating his meat. That's all you are to those people, you know."

"That's all I need to be, Petey. They get off, I get paid."

"But what about me?"

"This has nothing to do with you!"

"I know that now. I don't know if I want to have anything to do with you anymore either."

Nick sat down on the bed, exasperated.

"Look, I don't get you. You knew what you were getting when we got together. You knew what I'm like. I never led you to think otherwise."

Pete looked up at him, angry tears in his eyes.

"But you said you loved me."

"I do. I do, more than anyone ever in my life. You are the one great thing I have going, and I want us to be together for, like, ever."

"But if I'm not enough for you ..." Pete trailed off.

"No one is enough for anyone! You are amazing, you are unbelievable. Fuck, Petey, you made me fall in love with you and I've never done that--with anyone. You're a dude, for fuck's sake, and I love you anyway." He paused here. "Maybe I love you because of that. You're not like anything else in my life, but you can't be the only thing in my life."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I still need to be with women. It's just how I'm wired. But when I've done that, I need to be able to come home to you. The rest is just playtime, it's motions and friction. This is love. This is where my heart is."

Nick was tearing up too now. He had never put his relationship into these words, and it surprised even him to hear it. He continued.

"And you need to be able to do the same thing. If this Josh guy turns your crank, then you should go for it. But I just need to know that you'll be back in my bed at night, and that we're okay."

Pete sniffled. "Yeah, about that ..."

"Yeah?" Nick looked at Pete, reading his face. The grin played at the corner of his mouth. "Oh, I get it. He turned your crank tonight, didn't he?"

Pete nodded. "And I turned his. It was because of you, you know. We did it along with you."

"Oh my god, that is so hot." Nick grinned. He had intended to seduce his web audience--he just didn't know it would work on those closest to home.

"Yeah, it kind of was, now that I think about it," Pete agreed.

Nick leaned down, and kissed Pete.

"So, we okay?" he asked.

Pete nodded. "Yeah, I think we are. Just do me one favor, okay? Take a shower after you finish with one of your women. You smelled like my grandma's bathroom last time."

Nick burst out laughing. "Deal."

They lay down together, turned out the lights, looked at the ceiling.

"Petey, we're going to be okay, right? I mean, we'll always have each other."

Pete counted the stars. "We will. And that's more than enough."

THE END