Part III - Chapter 9

I couldn't believe my eyes. It was as if seeing a ghost in front of me, it might as well have. Is this even real? I asked myself as my body was completely frozen, my eyes wide in shock. Daniel Thompson, the first boy I ever loved, was standing before me in the checkout lane.

He looked as handsome as ever, the same cute boy I was familiar with was now a dashing man. I still recognized him after all these years. He looked the same, only a bit older and much more good-looking. He had grown a goatee and had his curly hair cut short, and he seemed to have grown taller as well.

He smiled at me, and seeing that beautiful smile for the first time in six years felt as if someone had ripped my heart right out of my chest. "You… Look amazing," he said with a chuckle mixed with a sigh, as if he was truly in awe to see me after all these years. His voice was deeper than it was when I last heard him. "It's great to see you. You work here, huh?"

I nervously fidgeted with my fingers. "Y-yeah, I do," I said, barely able to speak. There was so much I wanted to say to him. I was astonished, I was overjoyed, I was angry and sad. Seeing him again after thinking about him every single day throughout my teen years—it was painful.

We took a moment just gazing at each other, as if we were both still trying to come to terms with reuniting. He looked down and shook his head with another chuckle. "I… I know," he said, as if he knew what I was thinking about. "I know that we're both thinking the same thing, aren't we?"

What, that you told me how much you liked me and I felt the same way, then you left and I never heard from you again? That you hurt me? That I still wear the bracelet you gave me to this day? Thoughts were overflowing my mind with things I just wanted to say to him right there, but I knew I couldn't. I just looked away from him silently for a moment before the person behind him in line asked him to hurry up. I cleared my throat. "Your groceries," is all I said, gesturing to the basket of groceries he was holding.

He nodded, beginning to load the items from his basket onto the conveyor while I scanned them and bagged them, trying to compose myself. My hands were still shaky, I was still so shocked.

"How will you be paying?" I asked, trying to keep my cool as best as I could as I looked at him again. "Debit," he said, pulling out his black leather wallet from inside his jacket before getting his card. He paid for his items before the receipt came out of the printer, in which I ripped out and gave to him.

He put away his wallet before taking out a pen from his jacket's chest pocket, clicking it before writing something on his receipt. He gave the receipt back to me as our fingers touched briefly. I felt a flutter from inside my chest at the contact.

"What is this?" I asked him.

He clicked his pen again and put it back in his pocket. "It's my phone number. I'd really like to see you again, Cody," he said with a small smile. "If you feel the same way… Please, text me. I understand if you won't, but…" He inhaled deeply. "I'd love to see you."

I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'll think about it," I said softly.

"That's all I ask," he said before picking up his grocery bags. He gave me one last smile. "If you decide not to, then… This is goodbye."

I just nodded at him before he walked off with his groceries. I just watched as he walked away, my heart thumping strong in my chest. I still couldn't believe that just happened—I had to try and tell myself that I didn't hallucinate that encounter.

I looked at Daniel's receipt in my hand. It was his phone number, written in that messy handwriting that I was familiar with, and a smiley face beside it. It reminded me of the first time he wrote me a note in class on the first day of freshman year of high school.

I pulled up my sleeve, looking at Daniel's bracelet around my wrist. I took a moment to remember when we were only boys, and he took my arm and put his bracelet around my wrist.

"I know guys like us aren't allowed to be boyfriends—so this is all I can give you for now," Daniel said with a smile. "Maybe one day… When we're older, maybe we'll be able to be together."

It wasn't until the customer in line rudely snapped me out of my daze where I came back to reality. I apologized before going back to my job bagging groceries, but Daniel just couldn't leave my mind.

I wonder if he really was right. I wonder if we could really be together now that we're older… I thought to myself, my heart thumping in my chest at the thought. But I'm sure that's probably just wishful thinking.

---

Back at home after work, I sat on my bed and stared at Daniel's receipt in one hand and my phone in the other. I was nervous as hell, probably the most nervous I'd ever been in my life. My hands were shaking.

Just text him, I told myself. He wants you to. He wouldn't have given you his number if he didn't.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath as I took a moment to think. I want to see him. I have so many unanswered questions that I need the answers to.

But I was just so damn nervous to even shoot him a text. What if he leaves me on read, without a response just like when he stopped replying to my emails back when we were younger? I'm just so scared of whatever happens. It's just all too much.

Even though I told myself that, my fingers found themselves typing out Daniel's number into the recipient field. What am I doing… I asked myself, beginning to type out a message.

"This is Cody. Is this Daniel?" I decided that a simple, straightforward message was the way to go. I hesitated for a moment—but my thumb hit 'send' before my mind could talk myself out of it.

My eyes stayed glued to the screen, waiting to see what he could possibly message back with. My heart was pounding. I still can't believe this is happening, I thought to myself.

I patiently waited for Daniel to message back. My mind kept flipping back and forth between thinking he wasn't going to answer, or what he possibly would have to say to me…

Soon, my phone chimes again, and I widened my eyes seeing a message back from Daniel. I opened up our message log to see what he had to say.

"Cody, I'm really, really happy you decided to message me. I know you probably have so many questions regarding how we left things. Meet me at Dejoria on Friday night at 9PM. I promise you, I'll tell you everything then."

Dejoria… That fancy restaurant up on sixteenth street in the city, I thought to myself. I was still completely stunned that after all these years, I would finally see him again. And I would finally get answers about what had happened after that fateful day.

I don't know if I have the strength to face him again, I thought to myself. Just seeing him at the store nearly tore me apart. I don't know if I could handle sitting down and talking to him.

But I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down. On the other hand… I need this. I need the closure. I don't care if we were merely boys back then—he meant a lot to me. And I deserve to know what happened.

I closed my eyes as I laid down on the bed, reminiscing on the memories that Daniel and I shared. From those friendly notes he would write to me in class, to the laughs we would share while we'd talk during lunch, to the emails that we would exchange, to the moment he stole my very first kiss…

I exhaled deeply and opened my eyes. Alright, I thought to myself as I stared up at the ceiling. I'll see him.

---

The day had finally come when I would meet Daniel that evening. I hadn't texted Daniel back since he sent that message, I didn't see what else there was to talk about before seeing him. I wasn't going to strike up any kind of small talk until I heard what he had to say.

I decided that a freshly-ironed coloured dress shirt would be nice paired with belted black dress pants. I looked in the mirror, undoing a few of the top buttons of the shirt before running my fingers through my blonde hair. I was pretty, this I knew. But I wonder if Daniel still thought I was after all this time.

I rolled up my sleeves and took a deep breath. I wondered if I should wear any jewelry, perhaps a simple silver chain around my neck, but I decided that Daniel's bracelet around my wrist was all I needed.

After I finished getting ready, I took a few selfies in the bathroom mirror before choosing which ones to upload to my Flumblr. I took a bit of a while deciding on what the caption should be. Usually, people captioned their selfie sets with lyrics to their favourite song or their favourite poem. I usually went with a one-liner from a book I read.

I decided on something simple and related to the photos.

"There's no love like the first."

---

My parents asked me what I was dressed up so fancy for, and if I had finally met a girl to take out. Because I didn't have time nor the energy to make up something else, I just told them I was going out for a while, because I'm an adult. And surprisingly, they respected that.

Driving down to the city, my heart was racing as all I could think about was how this evening could possibly go down. I just didn't know what to expect, I felt like I was going to explode.

I finally pulled up to an empty spot at the parking lot of the restaurant, taking a moment to close my eyes and calm myself down as I let the power of smooth jazz take over me. One of the reasons I was so fond of jazz was because of how the music could transport me to a completely different realm. It was a shame that I didn't have a knack for playing music, it would be amazing to become a blues artist.

Anyway, I took my time to just feel the music as I inhaled and exhaled deeply as I tried to relax. Alright… I'm already here, and it's already a few minutes past nine. I need to go in there, I told myself. What's the worst that could happen, really?

I took one last deep breath before checking my teeth in the mirror. I exited my car before locking the door, heading inside the restaurant. When I entered, I noticed that the restaurant had a sophisticated, elegant atmosphere. The wallpaper was of a classy plum colour, the booth seats of dark velvet, and crystal chandeliers hung over each booth.

I walked up to the main counter, where a woman with long eyelashes bowed to me. "Hello. Welcome to Dejoria. For how many?"

"Um… I'm here for Daniel Thompson," I said, suddenly feeling nervous again just by saying his name.

"Let me see," she said, taking a moment to check for something on her tablet. "Ah, yes! Okay, please follow me," she said to me as she went around the counter, beckoning for me to follow her.

I followed her down to the dining hall, leading me through a path where couples were dressed up and dining with each other in each booth. Finally, she stopped at a booth in the corner, gesturing to the seat with a smile. I looked over to see Daniel, and my heart skipped a beat seeing him smile at me.

I gulped. God, he's stunning, was the only thought in my mind.

"Cody, I'm so happy you came," Daniel said. He was dressed in a formal jacket over a button-down shirt, and it looked great on him. I slid into the booth seat across from him as the host walked away. "Hi," is all I could say to Daniel.

"Hi," he said back to me with that beautiful smile still plastered on his face. The chandelier light reflected off the silver stud in his ear, making it sparkle.

"Sorry that I'm a few minutes late. I'm usually really early for things."

He chuckled. "That's true. You usually are pretty punctual. But don't worry, I don't mind at all. I only got here just a few minutes ago, too."

I felt a sting in my chest from him remembering that about me. Like he hadn't forgotten about what we had. Maybe it wasn't as deep as I was making it to be, but I couldn't help but feel so deeply for him.

He sighed before smiling again. "I'm… I'm really happy you decided to come. Really."

"What if I didn't? Would you just be sitting here alone for the evening?" I asked him. He chuckled. "Well, yeah. But I wouldn't mind. I love the food here," he said as he opened up the menu on the table.

"You've been here before?" I asked as I opened the menu and looked over the different dishes they had.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Yeah… I've had a date here before…" He said with a bit of a nervous tone, as if he was afraid I'd be upset at that. But it didn't bother me too much, since I've had a fair share of 'dates' myself.

"Anyway, you can order anything you like. It's on me," he said with a nod. Even though I should have insisted on splitting the bill, I felt that he did kind of owe me. Paying for my meal was really the least he could do.

I decided on having chicken, while Daniel decided on a steak. We both had fancy sparkling water to drink, as we weren't old enough to order alcohol yet. The waiter took our orders before leaving.

Daniel looked at my wrist and smiled softly. "You're still wearing it after all this time," he said. I looked at my wrist and noticed he was looking at his bracelet. I blushed before pulling my hands away, folding them in my lap. "I… I've always worn it," I said in a quiet voice, looking away from him shyly for a moment before looking at him again.

He smiled as his eyes sparkled, almost like he was about to begin to cry with tears of happiness. "It suits you."

The two of us just took a quiet moment to reflect on the day we spent together when we confessed our feelings to one another.

I sighed deeply. "You really hurt me back then, Daniel."

"I know. And I'm so sorry. It wasn't my intention," he said sadly before taking a deep breath. "So, I think it's about time you heard about what happened back then, and why you hadn't heard from me ever since," Daniel said as my hands were fidgeting in my lap. I didn't know why, but I was nervous as to what I was about to hear.

The waiter returned with our sparkling waters. Daniel took a sip of his water, then took a deep breath before he began to speak. "Well… It was back in twenty-twelve, wasn't it? That day back when we told each other that we liked each other, and I gave you my bracelet," he said, fondly remembering that moment. "But I'll also never forget coming home, feeling like I was on top of the world—and seeing my parents in the kitchen, just sitting there, quietly staring at nothing. It was as if someone had died." His smile faltered, and he exhaled deeply as he closed his eyes. "My mom looked at me, and she was like; 'we received a phone call. Sit down.' And of course, I sat down right away and asked her what was wrong. My dad had his head in his hands, while my mother looked as if she had been crying."

I only quietly listened as Daniel continued to talk. He sucked in a breath. "She said that her and my dad received a phone call from one of my friend's parents. It was about someone seeing you and me kissing," he said. "And at that moment, I remember feeling my soul leave my body. My parents are pretty religious, and I knew that they probably weren't going to take it well if they ever found out about me and you. And you know, my dad's Jamaican. Typically, it's taboo for men to be with other men back in the islands. He was pissed." He sighed again, taking a moment to compose himself again. "So, they told me that they would send me away to a catholic boarding school in another city. Told me I would never talk to you again. I would never forget their words; 'you're forbidden from ever coming in contact with that boy ever again.'"

I sadly looked away. "I know it's not your fault, it was your parents influencing you at a young age… But on the other hand, you didn't make any effort to even fight for us," I said with a slightly raised tone.

"I know," Daniel said with a defeated tone. "But what could I do? I was a scared teenager, thinking that my parents always had the final say in how my life would go. I always thought they knew what was right," he said. "I wanted to reach out to you, Cody. But I was scared. I was scared of what would happen if I went behind my parents' back and disobeyed them. I was scared you hated me for completely disappearing without a word. I was scared of what my friends thought of me, scared of my own feelings, scared of this newfound sexuality. I was scared of everything. So me being scared and confused, I only followed what my parents wanted for me. They just always seemed to have the answers."

I went silent after that. I felt bad for what I said, I didn't even consider how Daniel must have been feeling. I never thought that maybe he was dealing with all of this harder than I was, and there was a lot of pressure to fit into certain expectations of him. Maybe he seemed to have his whole life together on the outside from how cheery he was, but I guess there's always more going on in someone's life than what meets the eye.

Daniel sighed. "Believe me, Cody. I wanted to talk to you so badly. I spent so many days wondering how you were doing, wishing I could just see you again and hear your voice. Even if we were young back then, you were always special to me." A blush began to creep up on his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "I'm sorry for not choosing to reach out to you these past few years. I was just worried that even if I tried to reach out to you after all this time, that you wouldn't have wanted to hear from me."

I felt myself begin to blush as well. Hearing those words from Daniel began to reawaken the feelings I had for him from long ago. I always just assumed that he just dropped me and moved on with his life. Maybe I would have wanted to hear from him, maybe I wouldn't have—but that didn't matter now. "I'm just glad we did end up running into each other after all this time."

He smiled. "I am, too."

I reached for a breadstick from the bread basket, taking a bite. Delicious. "What made you come back?" I asked, taking a sip of my water.

"Well, I actually go to Fortuna for business. I'm staying with my family for a few days because my sister's graduating high school," he said. "My mom asked me to go out and buy some groceries, and…" He gestured to the both of us with his hands. "Here we are."

"Here we are indeed," I said back to him with a smile. Somehow, finally knowing the truth behind Daniel's disappearance from back then relieved me. I felt at ease knowing what happened.

The waiter came with our meals, and our food looked and smelled delicious. Both of us began to eat, and the chicken was cooked to perfection. The blend of herbs used for seasoning was divine.

"It's delicious," I said before wiping my mouth with the linen napkin, then took a sip of my water. Daniel smiled. "The food is great here, isn't it?" He cut his steak, that was cooked to a perfect medium-rare, and had a bite. He hummed in amusement as he wiped his mouth.

"Yeah, it sure is," I said as I continued to eat. The two of us quietly continued to eat, enjoying the elegant atmosphere as the sounds of clinking glasses and soft classical music could be heard in the background.

"So, you're going to Fortuna for business? What are you planning on doing after that?" I asked curiously.

Daniel nodded. "Well, I'm planning to graduate with a business degree and further my studies so I can become a stockbroker," he said before eating again.

He hasn't changed his career plan since we were young? I asked myself while we continued to eat. Well, more like the career plan his parents chose for him.

"What about you? Did you start working at the grocery right after graduating high school?" He asked me.

I shook my head. "No, I… Went to university for a semester, but, um…" I thought about Julian, and our little love affair… and how he left me to go teach at a school far, far away from me. But I tried not to let the thoughts of heartbreak ruin this evening—as I was here with Daniel. "I went through a bad breakup with someone at school, and it really affected me, so… I decided to put school on hold to be home."

"Oh, damn, I'm sorry to hear about that. Breakups suck," Daniel said sympathetically. "I would know. I'd had some pretty bad breakups with quite a few girls."

Something about knowing that Daniel had been with females after me should have bothered me, but it didn't. After all, he said I was always special to him. Plus, he said 'quite a few girls,' but not guys, so I assumed that means I was the only guy he ever felt anything for. It made me feel… Really good.

I looked at my wrist again. "This bracelet… Was it something special to you?" I asked as I held my wrist in my other hand.

Daniel sheepishly rubbed his arm. "Uh… Honestly, it was just something I won at an arcade when I was younger. I just wore it 'cause I thought it made a nice accessory," he admitted. "But at the time I gave it to you, it really was the only thing I could give you… I wish I could have given you something of more sentimental value."

I shook my head and smiled. "It's perfect," is all I said as he smiled back at me. Maybe it may not have been very significant to him, but it meant so much to me.

I wonder if it was appropriate to ask a certain question that was in the back of my mind the whole time. Just ask him…

I cleared my throat. "Are you single now?" I asked carefully. I hope he's single… I don't want to get my hopes up going out with him like this just for him to already be with someone.

Daniel took a moment to have another piece of steak, taking his time to chew it before swallowing. "Y-yeah, I'm single…" He said with an awkward chuckle. "What about you?"

I smiled, feeling butterflies in my stomach knowing that he was available. "I'm single, too."

"Oh, yeah?" He seemed to smile wider at that. He raised his glass of sparkling water. "To the single life, then," he said. I chuckled and raised my glass as well, lightly clinking it with his. "Indeed," I said before we both took a long sip of our water.

I still couldn't believe I was here, having dinner with Daniel. It felt so familiar and comfortable, yet I still felt giddy inside. Like we were still the boys we once were, having lunch together.

I could feel the same warm sensation in my chest that my younger self did whenever I thought of Daniel.

---

Daniel and I spent the evening briefly catching each other up on our lives while eating our meal. It wasn't hard to just end up talking about books I've read recently, my friendship with Nia, and a few stories from work. He would respond to everything I had to say, and it seemed like he was interested in anything I wanted to talk about. I really missed this.

The waiter took away our finished dishes as Daniel told me all about the friends he made at boarding school and how he became the school's star basketball player, and his experiences in university so far. I wasn't surprised that Daniel had so much to talk about when it came to school, he always had a charismatic charm about himself that would easily make him popular.

I wonder what life would have been like for the both of us if Daniel stayed, I thought to myself, staring at the wallpaper in deep thought. Would we have lasted all through high school? Would we have lasted maybe even through university too…?

"Cody? Everything alright?" Daniel asked me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking… About back then, I mean," I said with a quiet voice. "It always seemed that the odds were against us. The school, our families, even your friends."

Daniel sighed. "I'm sorry they weren't exactly welcoming to you. They always thought it was weird that I was so interested in 'a little white boy' like you. But I couldn't help but talk about you so much, I guess they suspected that you were 'a bad influence' on me."

I widened my eyes. "Me? A bad influence? But I didn't even do anything…"

"I know. But you know how it is, them thinking that someone as cute as you would… You know, 'take me off the straight path,'" he said with air quotations. "They weren't about that kind of thing."

"Well, they were right, weren't they?" I said. Daniel chuckled. "They were. But I don't mind at all. 'Cause I liked you so much. And…" He sheepishly looked away. "After tonight, I think I still do."

I began to blush deeply as I smiled a bit, rubbing the back of my neck. I couldn't believe after all this time, he still liked me. I used to think I'd never see him again, and here we were, having dinner together and him professing his feelings for me all over again. And I had to admit, I felt the same way. "I have to say… I do too. I spent so long in my teenage years still having feelings for only you, and seeing you again just really brought all those feelings back."

Daniel smiled broadly. "I'm… Really happy to hear that, Cody. I feel the exact same way."

I bit my lip shyly while Daniel called over the waiter to pay the bill. He used his fancy, shiny card to pay for our dinner before leaving a tip for the waiter. He looked at me, his hand gently reaching for mine from across the table, feeling my face heat up even more. "You know, there's a hotel right across the street from here. Would you maybe want to…" He raised a brow. "Get a room where we could talk more privately?"

I smirked, knowing exactly what he was implying. Yes, we're no longer just boys. Now we can show each other how much we truly mean to each other, without being scared of people watching or telling us we can't. We can be free, together. "Yeah, I'd love that," I said to him. "Let's go right now."

Daniel chuckled. "Okay. Let's go, then."

---

Daniel and I ended up making our way to the hotel. My heart was beating quickly in my chest as we ventured to the other side of the street. It wasn't a very fancy hotel, but that didn't matter to me. All I cared about was getting to spend some time with Daniel alone.

"Welcome," the clerk at the front desk in the foyer greeted. "How may I assist you this evening?"

"Hey, good evening," Daniel greeted. "I know it's very last minute, but do you think we could get a room for two overnight?" I felt his arm wrap around my waist, and I immediately blushed at the contact and felt butterflies in my stomach. His hand rested on the side of my hip, and even his slight touch just felt so right.

"Let's see…" The clerk checked on their computer, clicking about while their eyes grazed the screen. "We have a clean room available, but it only has one full-size bed. Will that be alright?"

"Perfect," Daniel said smoothly, pulling me closer to him as I smiled and blushed even deeper.

The clerk told us our room number before giving us our keycards. We thanked them before heading to the elevator, where it seemed that other people were also heading up as well. Though the elevator was crowded, I could feel Daniel's hand reach for mine as he smiled at me, and I squeezed his hand back and smiled back at him.

Finally, the elevator reached our floor, and Daniel and I made our way down the hallway to find our room. My heart was beating so quickly I thought it was going to burst.

We got to our room and Daniel unlocked the door with the key card, and we both headed inside. The room was small, but it looked like it was nice and clean—which is all that really mattered.

"We're finally alone," Daniel said softly, slowly walking up to me as he placed his hand on my cheek. His hand was warm, and every touch no matter how gentle made me melt. "You… Are so beautiful. Always were."

I smiled at him as I raised a brow. "What are you gonna do?"

"Something I've dreamed about doing for so long," is all he said before he leaned in and nearly smashed his lips against mine. I smiled against his lips, kissing him back as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as his hands slowly rubbed my upper arms. His kiss was strong and passionate, as if he had been eagerly waiting to do this all night.

Kissing him felt absolutely euphoric. It was the same feeling I felt back then as a teenager when Daniel and I kissed for the first time, like I knew everything was going to be okay as long as I had him.

Just kissing like this was so perfect—it was passionate yet still had a bit of innocence, like we were revisiting something fond from long ago that we both loved. But this time we were adults, and we could finally show each other how much we meant to each other without any limitations. We could finally use our bodies to tell each other exactly what we were feeling that words could barely describe.

We continued to make out, feelings of both desire and tenderness balancing each other out in perfect harmony. His mouth was so warm and his lips were so soft, I felt like I was on cloud nine. Daniel walked me backwards towards the bed, as I felt my legs hit the edge of the bed before I fell back and felt my back hit the mattress. He climbed over me, his hands roaming my body through my clothes while I ran one hand through his soft curls, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss as we couldn't keep our lips apart. It was like we were addicted to the taste of each other.

I felt him bite down on my lower lip as I whimpered softly, his lips capturing every little noise that would slip from my own. Maybe we should have been taking it slow to embrace every moment we had together, but we were both so eager and hungry, wanting nothing more than to ravish each other as if it was our last night on earth.

Daniel sat up and shook off his jacket as it fell to the floor, then undid the buttons of his shirt as I bit my lip and watched him. He finally undid the last button before taking it off, and he had a perfect toned body that only made me want him more.

I ran a hand up his abs to his chest, admiring how beautiful his dark skin looked glowing under the moonlight. "You're perfect," I breathily let out as he chuckled. "Nah, far from it… But you, on the other hand…" He took my hand and kissed the back of it, making me giggle.

He leaned down to kiss me again as I happily accepted. We began to make out again, our kisses growing heated and sultry, as I felt his fingers begin to work at the buttons of my own shirt. Once he got my shirt open, I sat up and took it off, leaving it to the side as we dove right back in to kissing again.

"Mmm… Daniel…" I moaned against his lips. He gently pulled away before placing his hands on either side of my face as he looked into my eyes. "Yeah, Cody?" He gently whispered.

"I have to tell you… Um, I'm not a virgin," I said in a quiet voice, suddenly feeling ashamed. I wonder if that would make him disgusted or angry with me…

"I don't mind at all. I'm not either," Daniel said with a gentle voice. "I mean… I've been with girls, but… I-I've never been intimate with another guy, until now…"

I ran my hand through his hair again before placing my hand on his cheek as I gazed into his gorgeous deep brown eyes. The look in his eyes showed much he wanted this. They were filled with need, and I wanted nothing more than for him to take me and claim me.

"You know… After all this time, I still feel the same way about you, but even more now… So please, please take me," I needily let out, feeling my face heat up in embarrassment at my own words. But I meant it, I wanted him so damn much. Forget Julian, forget Nathan's friends and all that 'being a slut' bullshit… I don't need anyone else as long as I have Daniel.

Daniel smiled and kissed me again. "Anything you like, Cody. I was hoping I'd be able to take you anyway," he said before we began kissing all over again, each kiss getting my body hotter and hotter by the second. His lips moved from mine to kiss his way down my neck as I leaned my head back and sighed, his lips softly peppering my skin as he showered my chest with gentle yet eager kisses.

I was feeling so dizzy just from kissing him, I barely noticed that I was hard in my pants. They felt much too tight, as if they were restraining me, and I wished Daniel would take them off already.

As if reading my mind, he moved up and kissed me again as I gladly reciprocated it, his hands moving down to begin undoing my belt. Once he unbuckled it, he swiftly pulled it off, tossing it onto the floor before undoing the front of my pants. I could only watch him in awe as he pulled them down and let them fall to the floor, leaving me in my black trunks.

He then got up from the bed and began to undo his own pants, quickly getting them off of him so he could return to me. He was wearing dark red boxer shorts, and he had such a beautiful athletic physique, from his sculpted abs to his toned legs. He looked absolutely delicious.

He smiled as he climbed over me again, kissing me tenderly. It felt so good to just kiss him, I hadn't kissed anyone since Julian. Well, there was that boy I kissed at the party, but I had forgotten all about that. But Daniel was different, and I knew he felt the same way, as he was just as needy for me as I was for him. We just couldn't get enough of each other.

He grinded his hips against me, and I moaned softly feeling his erection rubbing up against mine through our underwear. "D-Daniel…" I sighed out, as he moaned while grinding against me again.

We spent a bit of a while just rubbing ourselves up against each other while letting out moans and whimpers. "Nnn… Daniel, just take me already, please…" I let out in a breathy voice. He nodded. "Yeah, of course, Cody. As long as you're sure."

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, please. I want it. I want you." I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before looking into his eyes again. "I don't think I've wanted anything more than to make love with the first boy I ever loved."

He chuckled softly before kissing me again. "Then that's what I'll do," he said, reaching for the waistband of my trunks before pulling them down my legs, my erection springing free. He tossed my underwear aside as he took a moment to admire how I looked, stark naked under him. It made me feel so shy. "D-don't stare so much, okay?"

"Oh, sorry! You're just so amazing, Cody. Inside and out," he said with a dreamy sigh. "I'm so grateful that I got this second chance to be with you. I wouldn't trade it for the world."

I blushed furiously at Daniel's words before he began to pull down his boxers as I watched. He took them off, revealing his beautiful cock. It was the perfect length that was maybe around seven or eight inches, circumcised, and it was dark and gorgeous, just like him. I felt myself getting more aroused staring at him in all his glory.

"Do you want to be on top or bottom?" Daniel asked me. I was a bit surprised he asked, since I thought it would have been obvious that I would be bottoming. Nevertheless, I appreciated him asking. "I prefer being the bottom," I said.

"Alright. Spread your legs for me?" Daniel asked me, and I nodded as I spread my legs and pulled back my knees. Daniel cursed out loud. "Shit, I don't have a condom…"

I shook my head. "You don't need one… I want you to raw me," I said desperately. He looked at me with wide eyes. "A-are you sure?"

"Yes, I… I never had anyone cum in me before, I want you to be the first," I said shyly, looking at him with needy eyes. Daniel smiled and leaned in to kiss me. "If that's what you want, then I'll be more than happy to."

I smiled back at him and kissed him again before he seemed to gather his saliva in his mouth before spitting into his hand. He then grabbed his cock and jerked himself, getting his cock slick with spit. He spat into his hand again to lubricate himself even more before he positioned himself, holding his cock in his hand as he aimed it at my hole. I whined feeling his tip pressing against my entrance.

Daniel looked at me. "Do you want me to put it in?"

I nodded and bit down on my lip. "Mmm, yes please," I moaned out wantonly. He smiled before looking down at his dick again. "I've… Never done anal before, so I'll try my best."

"I don't think you can screw it up, I mean… All you're doing is sticking your dick in me," I said, making Daniel laugh. "You might be right," he said. "Okay… I'm gonna do it."

He took his time to properly align himself before slowly pushing himself in me, making the both of us moan in unison. Daniel slowly sheathed himself all the way inside me as I dropped my jaw, crying out his name as a loud moan followed. Fuck, it felt so good! I loved the feeling of his cock penetrating me deeply as my walls clenched around him. It was much different to have a raw cock inside me than a protected one. "D-Daniel… Ah, your cock is in me… Mmm…!"

He leaned down to kiss me when he was fully inside me, gripping my thighs as he slowly moved his hips back before thrusting into me as I whimpered. He continued to thrust back and forth within me, making me let out short breaths as I closed my eyes, wrapping my legs around him and pulled him closer with my legs to encourage him to fuck me deeper.

"You feel so good," Daniel murmured, getting a good rhythm of slowly pulling back before snapping his hips forward to thrust into me as I would moan loudly with each heave. I was taking his cock as if my body had been aching for him, like I needed him for me to live.

"F-faster, Daniel… I want more," I moaned out, wrapping my arms around his neck as he picked up the pace, thrusting back and forth as he'd let my name slip from his lips. Each time he'd moan my name in pleasure along with a snap of his hips, I could feel shockwaves all throughout my body.

Soon, I felt him hit a certain spot inside of me, making me widen my eyes as I cried out his name. "Daniel! Ah… Right there…"

"Right there, yeah?" Daniel breathily moaned in my ear, thrusting deeper into me, feeling the head of his cock dig into my prostate again as all I could do was grip a hand in his curly hair and cry out his name, tears of bliss forming in my eyes from the overwhelming pleasure. Our bodies were becoming one.

He kept pushing himself in and out of me, fucking me nice and hard as his grip tightened on me, like he didn't want to let me go. Like he just wanted to fuck me for eternity. The way he was battering my prostate, my mind was hazy with nothing but pure bliss, while pleasure overtook my body. I could feel myself getting closer and closer to my orgasm, and by the way he was thrusting, I could tell that he was ready to burst as well.

We were both sweaty, panting messes as our chests were pressed together while he fucked me. "I-I love you, Daniel!" I cried out, not even thinking about what I was saying. I could only yell out the same thing over and over again with each time he would thrust back into me, my nails practically clawing into his back. "I love you… I love you… I love you… Fuck…"

And just like that, both of us came at the same time, the two of us crying out each other's names as we both came. I shut my eyes and as my mind and body was completely washed over with pure pleasure, my nails digging into his back and my back arching off the bed as I ejaculated, feeling his cock spasm within me as he filled me with his load.

Both of us took our time to catch our breaths and calm down from our orgasm high, holding each other tightly. I could feel his heart beating against me, and the feeling couldn't have been more comforting. Daniel and I just made love… Not just have sex, but made love.

"Cody… Are you okay?" Daniel asked me, breaking the silence of what was just us breathing heavily. I took a deep breath before nodding. "Y-yes, I am."

Daniel slowly pulled himself from me, and even though his cock was no longer in me, I still felt full with his semen. He cupped my face in his hands and smiled at me. "Did you mean that?"

"Huh?"

"You said you love me," he said with a smile, looking into my eyes. "Did you really mean that?"

I felt myself become embarrassed as I looked away. I can't believe I really said that out loud… I only reunited with him today and I already told him I loved him!? I must be crazy…

But then again… I do love him. I only want to be with him, I thought to myself. I want nothing more than to be Daniel's.

I smiled back at him, placing my hand over his. "I do… I love you, Daniel."

I could see tears forming in his eyes before they rolled down his cheeks. "I'm so happy to hear that…" He whispered softly, as if God had answered his prayers. "I love you too. I always have. It's always been you."

I gasped before he kissed me again, and I felt that nothing, absolutely nothing could bring me down. Daniel was mine, and I was his. I wrapped my arms around him before we leaned our foreheads against each other, smiling. My heart was beating wildly in my chest as his bracelet still hung loosely from my wrist.

There is truly no love like the first.