Road to Anywhere (boyxboy)

Chapter 10: Hidden

"Can I touch it?"

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Are you ok?" Morton suddenly looks at Oliver, to see him choking on his sandwich. He reaches a hand forwards, to pat him on the back. 

Once he has finally regained his composure, he looks back at Morton. "No. You are not going naked in that lake." 

"What…why?" Morton whines. "I'm hot, I'm sweaty, I probably smell…" 

"Morton. Think about the past few hours. We just had a narrow escape from localville because you spontaneously decided to run amongst cows. What do you think they would do if they were to see you running around naked?" 

"I'm not streaking on a pitch in front of a crowd. I just want to swim. Plus there is no one around. That place is miles back." Morton looks out at the inviting lake. "Besides, Jasper and Tom did it." 

"Who?" 

Morton smiles at Oliver. "The two guys in that 'One hot summer' book in Clark's shop.

"That's just a made up story. People don't do that in real life." Oliver rolls his eyes, as he resumes his food, but Morton shakes his head in disagreement. 

"I'm going in. I'll keep my boxers on." He puts his half eaten sandwich on the dashboard and opens the door. Oliver sighs heavily. He knows that there is no point in stopping him. It would probably be better anyhow if he stayed where he was, in case they had to make a dash for it. 

He stares out of the front window, as Morton's clothes make a trail towards the water. First the shoes and socks, followed by the t-shirt, then the jeans. Soon, Morton is down to just his underwear. He turns to see Oliver watching him from behind the steering wheel. "Come on. Live a little." He shouts. 

Oliver didn't know why he suddenly felt paralysed in the seat of the camper. Was it because he didn't want to enter the lake? Maybe it was the fear of more drama from the locals appearing out of nowhere.  Perhaps it was getting undressed in front of Morton. But Oliver knew that it was none of these things. Not really. The real reason was Morton himself. 

Seeing him there, stripped down, virtually naked, Oliver couldn't deny the obvious. Something he may have known since they had bonded over the Spanish teacher. He had kept it at bay, that nagging thought, convinced that Morton saw him as nothing more than a friend. But Oliver had been wondering if something had changed. That touch to his knee in the van, the hand resting on his shoulder. Was Morton thinking the same?

"Hey, why aren't you moving?" Morton shouts again, with Oliver realising he had been sitting for far too long, trying to get his thoughts in order. Morton walks back to the campervan and heads to the driver's door and opens it. He holds out a hand for Oliver to take. "Come in with me, please." 

He briefly glances at Morton up and down. Morton was not overly built. Just a shade stockier than him and a little taller. Morton had often joked that he and Oliver were like brothers from another mother. Their tastes in men, virtually identical. Masculine, well built, a little older…and that was why right now, Oliver was struggling to face the possibility he may see Morton as something more.

Oliver puts down his sandwich and takes Morton's hand. "I swear, if this brings trouble…" 

"It won't, just relax." Morton reassures, as he lets go of Oliver, who begins to pull his t-shirt over his head. Morton half watches as the pendant around Oliver's neck falls back onto his chest. His friend's skin, not an inch of hair on it. "I didn't know you waxed?" Morton comments. 

It causes Oliver to look down on himself and subconsciously touch his skin. "Yeah I do, have done for a while." 

"Can I touch it?" 

"Huh?" Oliver looks at Morton who was staring at his pecs. 

"I've been thinking about it, y'know…whether I should wax. I just shave it at the moment, but it gets itchy and stuff." Morton now looks at Oliver, who is looking back at him. The connection felt like something unspoken was taking place. As if one was trying to suss the others' true intentions. 

Oliver knew in the back of his mind that Morton was possibly using the request as an excuse. He knew Morton had been with other males, felt many a bare waxed chest before now, but if his friend felt the need to play this game of innocence, then who was he to object? "Go ahead." Oliver says, feeling a little bolder than a moment before, suspecting that his inkling that these feelings may be mutual. 

Morton visibly swallows as he reaches forwards and lightly brushes over the division between Oliver's pecs. "...And you do this yourself?" He questions, his voice sounding quiet as if they were in secret. 

"I go to a place." Oliver replies, his voice matching the calmness of Morton's as he suddenly doesn't know where to look and wonders if Morton can feel his beating heart through his chest.

Morton suddenly retracts his hand, instantly clearing his throat. It pulls them both from the moment. "So, let's go." Morton says as he turns his back on Oliver and heads to the water's edge, leaving Oliver to question what the hell just happened and why he suddenly felt like a bundle of nerves. He carries on undressing, his eyes not once straying from his friend as his silhouette slowly becomes shrouded by the evening sun. Now stripped down to his underwear, Oliver begins to follow Morton towards the lake…