Queer Affairs

8. Acid Hands

Pete watched his best friend space in and out for the next two weeks and dodge Kian like the plague. By then a rumor began to float around that Kian had a boyfriend. By the time it reached James, the story morphed into Kian being caught having a threesome with two guys. Oh course James knew how easily rumors spread and changed as it grew into a monster. Yet, it bothered him.

"Hey, when are you going to talk about it?" Pete got out of his car after parking behind James. It was Friday night and they were going to get dressed for his birthday party. He was finally turning eighteen and one of his friends decided to rent a place to celebrate with everyone invited.

"Talk about what?" James walked up to his room and threw his bag on the bed.

"About Kian, what else?" Pete punched James in the arm exasperated.

"What's there to talk about? Him having a boyfriend or apparently a threesome? Him shoving his tongue down my throat or jerking me off in school? Or maybe how I hate that I like everything he does and I am so confused because I don't know what exactly I should do or how to act. Is that it Pete? IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT ME TO TALK ABOUT?" James exploded and locked himself in his walk in closet.

"Whoa, he jerked you off?"

"THAT'S ALL YOU GOT FROM WHAT I SAID?!" James shouted again from inside his closet.

"Sorry, but I think you need to stop fighting it. If you like him then tell him. If you want him then steal him away but don't groan like an old man angry at the world because someone else has the balls to do what you couldn't." Pete sat on the floor in front of the closet.

"Look Jay. You are my best friend. I love you like a brother but right now it is killing me seeing you like this. It's even affecting your grades in school. You're not eating or sleeping right and why? Because of your mom and dad?"

"What do you know? It's over for me if I tell them or if I'm caught. My gay life would be over before it even began."

"Jay you literally cannot hide in the closet forever. Besides if your parents kick you out or whatever then, I got you. You know my mom loves you and besides today you are officially eighteen. Live your truth." Pete sighed at the silence and waited for James to open the closet door.

"Pete, I'm scared. I feel like if I admit that I am gay then my whole life will turn upside down."

"Or it will turn for the better."

"Pete, you make everything sound so easy. It isn't." James opened the door and crawled towards his best friend.

"I know it isn't easy. Something like confronting your sexuality after seventeen years of being straight is not easy but confronting it when you have a support system does make it easier to handle. My mom isn't prejudiced and will have your back and so will I. You don't have to be alone in this and I'm sure Jason would be happy about it." Pete hugged James.

"I'm sure he will. Thank you for always knowing what to say. I still don't think I am ready for my parents but maybe I'll start Kian. I'll ask him tonight to go on a date with me. Small steps." James took a deep breath feeling a bit better.

They both dressed and left for the rented cabin Jason got until Sunday. By the time they arrived the party was in full blast. Bodies were bumping, alcohol was spilled, kids with red beady eyes from edibles swayed to the music from the live DJ and the smell of hormones filled the air. It was beautiful.

"Damn if it isn't the birthday booooooyyyyy!" Jason called out from a mic by the DJ table. The whole party cheered in James' direction raising their cups in the air.

"James James James James..." Everyone chanted until he walked up to the cup that Jason held out and chugged it. The crowd went wild when James held the cup upside down signaling he finished.

"How does it feel to be semi-adult now?" Jason chuckled and led James and Pete to the bar.

"I don't know yet. I'll tell you once I get more drinks in me." James laughed and Pete shook his head, resigning to be the one to look out after James.

A few hours in, the party was still packed and crazy. James was drunk and leaning on his elbows on the bar swaying slightly to the music. For the first time in a long time his mind felt free. It was a blank space that couldn't be bothered to be occupied. Jason was dancing like he was broken but laugh as his friends did the same. James chuckled and allowed his grey hazy eyes to glance over the sweaty teenage bodies but stopped at the sight of Kian flirting with another guy.

He watched as Kian caressed the guy's cheek and giggled at the things he said. The shorter guy blushed and ran a dainty finger down Kian's broad chest. James felt anger rage within him and the alcohol made it much worse. That should be his finger on Kian's chest. With the alcohol giving him liquid courage, he charged up to the couple growing in fury as he witnessed the guy attempt to kiss Kian.

"What the fuck?!" James pulled the guy away from Kian a bit too hard, making the guy fall. James swayed a bit looking at the bot on the floor enraged.

"What the hell is your problem?" The petit boy stood up and approached James without hesitation.

"You're my problem. Don't touch him!" James swung with full force punching the guy in the stomach knowing if he broke the guy's nose, things would have been much worse.

"James!" Kian called out. Tears threatened to spill from James' eyes so he ran away into the crowd of heated bodies and blindly entered a bathroom.

"Um, this bathroom is occupied, you know." A deep voice made James jump, startled. Then the sound of the guy peeing made him register he entered with someone mid business.

Without turning around he whispered, "Sorry, I didn't notice. I just needed to hide. I won't look."

"Well, that's fine I guess... you're the birthday boy aren't you?" The guy flushed and proceeded to wash his hands. James nodded unsure if the guy saw. "I've been wanting to give you my present all night. I was watching you by the bar." James turned finally curious to see who owned that deep voice but to his surprise it was no one he knew.

"W-What do you mean?" James hiccupped away the small alert going off in his mind that he should run. The boozed swirled inside him. His mind couldn't process the situation that was unfolding.

"What I mean is this." The tall pale man with broad shoulders and overly packed muscles closed the space between them and slammed their lips together. James froze in shock and then slowly registered how bad the situation was.

He struggled against the unknown man but he was too strong and James was too drunk. Tears flooded out of his eyes as the man's lips branded kisses on every inch of exposed skin. "Stop," James shouted but it was no use. The man continued to kiss him and grab his manhood. Bile rose to his throat. Everything felt disgusting. "Get off me asshole." James pleaded but the man chuckled and shoved a hand in his pants grabbed James ass.

James struggled harder. He couldn't break free of the monster trying to rape him. His mind spun. He wanted to vomit. None of it felt good. None of it felt like Kian. He only liked Kian's touch, no one else. The man having his way with him was rough and unapologetically vile. His hands felt like acid on his skin stripping away his innocence. Kian never did anything this disgusting. He was gentle and gave chances to leave or stop. Not like this. 

A bang sounded against the door pulling the attackers attention away. James used that moment to knee the man in his massive erection and high tailing it out of the bathroom. He ran outside into the backyard and hid under the cover of the night behind a tree. How could this happen?