Unexpected Reunion Ch. 02

I was disappointed, but I'd enjoyed the coffee. I shook the hand he offered and put my foot in my mouth. "See you around." He didn't even flinch.

"Not likely," he grinned, "that'd require a lot more personal time than you'd be willing to spend." He wiggled his fingers at me. "It takes me a long time to 'see' people."

I shivered at the idea of having him study me with those hands. If I got a shock just from a handshake, what the hell would a full facial or body touch be like? "Maybe some other time when we get to know each other better."

That stopped him. He seemed to look right at me. "Uh, yeah... Later." He left while I watched him weave his way around the tables. It took him a little while, and I almost got up to help, but he seemed to remember the path we took to get to the table and he managed. The worst thing to do was to baby someone who was disabled; it made them feel less than a person.

* * * * *

Tommy

I was greeted back at the apartment by two very unhappy women. They both ruled my life and felt I couldn't do anything without them. I suppose having two blond beauties taking care of a guy wasn't the worst fate in the world. Only one of them was human, and she was being a bitch. "Where the hell have you been?"

I shrugged. "Checking out the campus, meeting new people, and buying some things."

"You didn't take your phone, or Chelsea." Heather meant well, but she was taking the big sister thing a bit far. I wasn't an invalid. "What if something had happened?"

"I'd have gotten help from someone." I set the bag on the counter and felt my way to the cabinets. We had moved in a month ago, a few weeks before school started, and I still hadn't memorized where everything was yet. "Which cabinet has the glasses again?"

"The one to the left of the sink; bottom shelf."

"Thanks." She was good about some things; she didn't try to do everything for me. All in all, Heather was a great older sister. She enjoyed the fact I was gay and relished being able to sit with me and guy watch. I had to admit; it was a lot of fun to listen to her descriptions of guys. Some of her details were enough to make any gay man hard. I think she did that on purpose.

I felt her touch my hair and the back of my shirt. "What the hell happened?"

I'd forgotten that my hair was a mess from when Tony knocked me down. I probably had dirt on my shirt also. "Oh, I got knocked down by a guy rushing to get his books."

"What?" I could hear her going into "killer bitch" mode.

"I'm fine, Heather. I wasn't hurt and the guy was really apologetic. He even bought me a drink and made sure I was ok." I realized I didn't want to give her Tony's name.

She cooled down and started fussing with my hair. "What's his name?"

"Anthony." It wasn't a lie; that was Tony's real name.

"Was he nice?" She loved playing with my hair almost as much as I did. Most blonds have thin, straight hair. I basically had wavy brunette hair but it was blond. Thanks, Mom.

"Yeah; he seemed to know how to deal with blind people too. He had the elbow leading, guide the hands to utensils thing down."

"Cute?"

I flinched. "How the hell would I know, Heather? I can't see him and I wasn't going to ask a stranger if I can feel him up."

She let go of my hair. "Sorry."

I knew she wanted me to find someone. I was heading for my 20th birthday and I was still a virgin. Not that it was a crime to be a virgin; but I'd have liked to have had a boyfriend and maybe been kissed by then. I grinned and wiggled my eyebrows at Heather. "He gave great voice."

She tried to get more out of me, but I wasn't ready. How do you tell your sister that you're still in love with your straight best friend, and that he's the one who bowled you over physically and emotionally in one afternoon? You don't if you want to keep your sanity and privacy. No, it was best to keep things quiet.

I didn't meet up with Tony again for a couple weeks. We didn't share any classes. I was at the campus NABS meeting when we met again. I was coming out of the meeting, talking with a couple other students, when I heard that deep, resonant voice that had infiltrated a few of my dreams. "Charlie?"

I'd only had a couple classes where I'd been introduced as Tommy before I'd bumped into Tony. It'd been fairly easy to get people to switch names. I looked up in the general direction of the voice; not that I could see him but it was polite and indicated I'd heard him. "Hey Tony, what are you doing here?"

I indicated to Chelsea I wanted to find a place to stop, and she took me aside. She was the perfect guide dog. Tony came up and stood about a couple feet from my right. "I'm picking up a friend to go 'hear' a movie." He chuckled; it sent shivers down my spine. "What are you up to?"

I shrugged. "Getting to know the network so I can function as normal as possible."

"I hear a tall, Italian!" It was Kellie. She was one of the senior students and head of the campus NABS. She made her way to us and sniffed. "Charlie, are you flirting with my date?"

My heart sank. I'd known Tony was straight, but having it confirmed was still a little painful. "No, Chelsea is." I bet Chelsea gave me a dirty look. She was very serious about her job and was obscenely dedicated. She didn't even pay attention to attempts to pet her till the guide harness was off.

Tony kept right up with the word play. I heard him bend down and kiss Kellie. "How do you know I wasn't flirting with, Charlie?"

She sighed. "Whatever. We're still on for a listen and retell session, right?"

Tony laughed. "Yes. I look forward to having you tell me what images you get in your perverted mental theater from the sounds and dialogue." He leaned over to me. "She's a riot. You should hear her commentary on what the characters are doing behind her eyes."

I grinned. "I'm sure it's no worse than the images I come up with."

"Oh, now that would be fun: comparative mental theaters." She seemed to get really excited about that. "Want to join us, Charlie? It'll be loads of fun."

Did I want to hang around like a third wheel while Tony was on a date? Hell no. "No thanks, Chelsea has been on duty all day and I should get back to the apartment. I've got lots of notes to transcribe."

"Ok, maybe another time."

"Yeah, that'd be fun." Like a root canal. I don't know why I'd gotten my hopes up. I guess a part of me was still an infatuated fifteen-year-old.

"See you around, Charlie." Tony sounded a little disappointed. Maybe he'd wanted the company. Oh well, life sucked some times.

I went back to the apartment and began to print out my day's notes. Yay for braille printers.

* * * * *

Tony

I'd kept an eye out for Charlie for weeks. It felt like months. I couldn't believe I was jacking off over a guy I'd met once. There was no explaining it; just one short hour talking and I'd felt more connected to Charlie than any guy since Tommy. There was no way I was going to let him get away without at least trying to explore the connection. I knew that if anyone would know Charlie, it'd be Kellie. She knew every disabled student on campus.

She was also my best friend. She'd been the first friend I'd made when I came to Burnell. I'd learned more about living from her than anyone else in my life. I also knew I could get anything out of her if I were to take her to a movie. Kellie loved movies. She would listen to them and play the scenes in her mind. Then she'd compose her own story and would retell it afterwards over dinner. Usually, she had a pretty good grasp of what went on up on the screen, but every so often she went in tangents that were unbelievably funny.

It'd been a stroke of luck that I saw Charlie come out. He had a guide dog with him; she was a beautiful golden retriever. We didn't get to talk much before Kellie showed up. A part of me really wanted to beg off the movie and spend time with Charlie. I didn't, that'd have been rude to do to Kellie. I wished Charlie had taken her up on her offer to join us. He almost looked depressed as we started off to the movie and he headed home.

"I didn't know you knew Charlie." Kellie was curious. "Is he cute? He sounds cute."

I grinned. Kellie knew I was gay. I was 'out' on campus. I didn't wander around with pride shirts or anything; but I was honest when asked and wasn't shy about expressing myself. "Oh yeah, cute isn't the word. He's lean, muscular, long blond hair, clean shaven, and these pouty lips that almost beg to be kissed."

She shivered. "Oh, turn around. I've got to find that out for myself."

"Hands off, bitch, I saw him first."

She sighed. "With my luck the guy'd be gay."

Actually, I had no idea. A lot of gaydar comes from glances and body language. Blind people have a very different body language and I didn't know any "out" gay blind men. "Who knows? Reading blind people is like trying to understand braille."

She laughed. "I bet his sister could tell us."

"He has a sister?" He hadn't mentioned it. Of course, we'd only talked once. I hadn't told him about my family either.

"Yeah. She's a senior and transferred here to help him start out away from home." She frowned, her brows furrowing. "I haven't actually met her and can't remember her name. I only know about her because she's his emergency contact."

"So, what do you know about him? She who knows all."

Kellie laughed. "Not much, really. He's in liberal arts, writing major. I know he's won some sort of awards and scholarships. He was blinded when he was sixteen in an auto accident." She smiled and her voice got a little excited. "He also has every high-tech blind assistance tool and software you can get. We've already tagged him for becoming the chapter secretary. He has a braille printer and other gizmos that make it easy for him to reproduce stuff."

"That's cool." Once Kellie switched to technobabble, I knew I'd gotten everything I could out of her about Charlie. It wasn't much, but at least I knew something. If he was a writing major, I'd just have to hang around the English Department a bit more frequently.

I didn't have to start stalking the English Department though; I bumped into him again that Friday night. Of all places, it was at the GLBA social. That took guts to be a blind guy and come openly to a gay social gathering. Ok, technically he didn't have to be gay to attend, just gay tolerant, but even that was better than nothing.

He looked so fucking hot I was sweating. His hair was out full, perfectly styled. He was wearing a snug fitting shirt that practically screamed "I work out daily" and jeans that proved he had an ample package but didn't put him "on display". All in all, he looked good enough to eat. Chelsea stood next to him, looking dedicated and well behaved as usual. I decided that if he was going to go to the trouble to make himself irresistible, I wouldn't bother trying to resist.

The look on his face when I came over and asked if he wanted to dance was priceless.

* * * * *

Tommy

I couldn't believe Heather had pushed, coerced and lambasted me into coming to a gay social. It wasn't like anyone would be interested anyway. Still, it would have been nice to make a few gay friends. I'd asked Dad how he'd managed to get together with Josh one time. He'd smiled whimsically and said "no guts, no glory". I had no idea what that meant at the time but I was beginning to figure it out. If I didn't take chances, I wouldn't get opportunities to find what I wanted.

It was scary as hell to walk into the place. It was scarier knowing that Heather had chosen my clothes. She'd bought me a shirt that she said looked incredible on me. I didn't see the point of showing off a body when the face wasn't worth looking at. A part of me knew it couldn't be that bad; no one had ever made gasps of horror, thrown up or run away. I knew I wasn't a Frankenstein's monster; but I could feel the scars. I didn't need my fingers to feel them; I could feel them in my skin and around my face: hard, unyielding, and jagged.

At least the shirt felt nice and the jeans were comfortable. I admit that I'd run my hands over the shirt more than once after I'd put it on. It was a stretch-velvet, and so it fulfilled my love for tactile sensations. She said it was a deep, sapphire blue and that since I was a "winter" it was perfect for me. What ever the hell a "winter" was I could have cared less; I remembered sapphire blue though, and at least it felt good.

I stood around and tried not to look lost. Of course, how does a blind person look standing alone at a party? I had no idea. I only knew I felt alone. Having Chelsea pressed against my leg was comforting, but I really wanted to be pressed against someone big and strong. God I was desperate. They were playing some music with a good beat, which made it easier to dance to. I didn't dance. I was certain I'd look like a white Ray Charles and that was just not a pretty sight. They'd just switched to some slower music when I practically dropped my drink; I heard that voice again. "Care to dance?"

My head snapped up to where I thought his face must have been. "Tony?"

"Small world, huh?" He sounded amused.

"Where's Kellie?" Maybe they had gay friends and were lending support.

"I don't know, probably with her boyfriend." He honestly sounded like he didn't care.

I tried to chew on that bit of information. "I thought you were her boyfriend."

He laughed. "Oh, hell no. I love her to death, but if I had to live with her I'd probably kill her for real." I felt his hand touch my arm lightly. "Come on."

He took my cup from me. I still had enough wits about me to tell Chelsea to stay before led me to the dance floor. I was shaking like a leaf. Was Tony gay? I'd spent my entire life convincing myself he was straight and that was why he never showed any interest in me. I wasn't ready to let go of that little illusion. The idea that he was gay and hadn't been interested was worse.

It took me a little while to loosen up enough to let him lead. He slowly brought us into a soft rocking step and let me get the feel of how he moved before guiding us around. He still moved well; I guess the years of martial arts hadn't been a waste. I could also finally figure out a little of what he looked like. He was fucking huge: big, and beefy like his dad, but without the Santa gut. He also smelled good; it was only the smell of clean man and powder but it was just right.

They played a couple slow songs in a row, and by the time the DJ played another high tempo song, I'd melted against him completely and had my cheek pressed against his chest & shoulder. He must have been six-three. He loosened his grip and cleared his throat. We hadn't actually talked the entire time. "How about something to cool down with?"

That was fine with me. If I'd stayed in his arms any longer I might not have been willing to let go. He guided me effortlessly from the floor and back to Chelsea with only the faintest of holds on my elbow. "Soda or punch?"

"Do they have diet?"

He must have looked over the table for a moment, but he made an affirmative sound and got us a couple cups. We sat down. I could feel him looking at me, but neither of us was talking. I really wanted to know what he was thinking. "I guess why I'm here is pretty obvious, huh?"

He laughed. "Probably the same reason I am." He leaned closer and I could smell him again. He'd used a spearmint mouthwash or gum. "I'm looking for someone to spend time with."

I swallowed. "Found anyone yet?"

I trembled as I felt his fingers stroke my cheek. I wanted to pull away. I didn’t want anyone tracing the scars. If it had been anyone but Tony I'd have jerked back; but he was my oldest friend and I'd loved him for too long to not crave his touch. "I hope so." He whispered it right into my lips before kissing me.

* * * * *

Tony

I know I was being forward as hell, but Charlie wasn't putting up any resistance. He was nervous, but it was obvious by the bulge that had brushed my thigh a few times during our dance that he was receptive. I thought I'd stumble over myself with relief. I wanted to walk him right off that dance floor and back to my place. I wasn't going to; I didn't want sex. There was something about him that told me to go slow, and be careful; it told me it'd be worth it.

When our lips met, I thought I was going to explode. I'd been right; he had lips that were begging to be kissed. I couldn't believe he didn't have a boyfriend. He'd had half the men in the room eyeing him with open lust; he couldn't see it of course. I guess the fact he was blind was intimidating to most guys. He couldn't flirt back unless you made the first move; you also had to look for cues other than his eyes. I hoped that he'd give me a chance.

Charlie actually sighed as I pulled back. It was so cute. He was also trembling, which wasn't so cute. I think that was the moment I realized he wasn't nervous; he was scared. "You ok?"

He nodded, looking stunned. "Yeah, I've just never kissed anyone before."

That threw me. I couldn't possibly have been his first guy. Ok, maybe he was a virgin but totally untouched? That was impossible. "No one?"

He blushed and looked down. "Parents and relatives don't count."

"Wow." I couldn't think of a response to that. I slid my hand over to his and took it gently. "I'm sorry if I pushed."

He looked up quickly. "No, I wanted it. I just didn't expect it."

I decided to press forward. "So, you're not seeing anyone?" Why did I always chew on my toes around him? I never made those mistakes around Kellie or her friends.

Thankfully, he giggled. "No, not physically or personally." He gave me a killer grin. "I'm taking applicants though."

That was a line I couldn't pass up. "I guess I'll need to apply in person?"

He looked like he wanted another kiss; I wanted another kiss. I laced my fingers into his hair and pulled him back to me. He didn't even flinch. This time his mouth opened a little and I flicked my tongue in to touch his. He whimpered and kind of melted. I didn’t feel like we were going fast; it felt like we were catching up. It didn't make any sense but I didn't care. When I pulled back, he whispered. "That was a great application."

I got the job.

* * * * *

Tommy

By the time I came around and realized I was dating my best friend, it was too late to tell him the truth. I'd managed to keep him and Heather from meeting. Honestly, it was exhausting. Every day it got harder not to fuck up. I wanted so badly to tell him who I was; but I was too scared of how he'd react. It was the week before Thanksgiving when things finally came to a head.

Tony had been so incredibly patient. I'd only given him the sketchiest details of my past. I knew he wanted more, but I was too scared to give it to him. He also didn't push for more physical intimacy. He seemed content with cuddling and kissing. Ok, he wasn't content but he was willing to wait till I was ready. He was a great cuddler. I spent at least a couple evenings a week at his place curled up on the couch. Chelsea loved him. I'd even managed to talk about Heather without giving myself away; I'd called her by her first name, "Charlotte".

We were on our last date before Thanksgiving break. Tony had taken me to a small Italian kitchen, which was not surprising, and then we'd walked the town. It was cold but not down to freezing, and it was nice to have him near. I loved the smell of late autumn. The first raindrop caught me by complete surprise. I could normally sense rain. I guess I was a little distracted.

We were drenched by the time we got to his apartment. I was laughing in spite of the cold. I'd never been caught in the rain before. Tony got us out of our rain soaked clothes and wrapped me in a blanket. Fortunately, his roommates had left after their classes that day. He left me on the couch while he put my clothes in the dryer. My shivering eased after he came back and he wrapped himself around me, pulling me to him. I'd never actually felt his skin against mine. Only our arms and the tops of my shoulders were touching, but I realized I wanted more. I sat up a little and kind of shrugged to let my blanket slip down to my low back. Tony waited for a few moments before he enfolded his arms around me and pulled me against his beefy chest.