One Hot Summer (boyxboy)

Chapter 22: Skimming stones

"What? That's it?" No sex tips?"
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"Hey! How are you feeling?" Molly walks over to Thomas who has just entered the kitchen. She looks at his poorly cheek, planting a gentle kiss on it. 

"Don't give him sympathy Molly. He's been out drinking. He's brought it on himself." His grandpa shuffles over to his easy chair and settles upon it. 

"Is that so?" she smiles in amusement. "Well you only live once, but don't let me down again Tom, I seriously thought you were ill."

"Sorry Molly." Thomas bows his head a little. 

"No harm done." She grins and turns her attention to the wicker box on the table. "Grandpa, I brought you some goodies from the farm." She begins to unpack the food and places it on the table. 

Her grandfather gives a slight nod. She knows him well enough that this was his way of a Thankyou. "Where's that old man you live with? Can't be bothered to say hello?" 

Molly looks at her grandfather a little hurt. "Grandpa, why do you have to say that? Jim is good to me. We are happy." Her grandfather doesn't answer. "I'm not staying long, I just dropped this off anyways. Jim and I have to go to town." She looks over to Jasper. "Sweetie you ready? We'll drop you off back at the house first."

"I'll take him back." Thomas suddenly pipes up. Jasper looks at Thomas in surprise. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" Molly says a little sarcastically, but is also grateful as then at least they don't have to double back on themselves.

"I'm ok now. I can help with the afternoon's work." Thomas adds. 

"I've got the afternoon free." Jasper adds, so we can do whatever." The comment, although intended to be an innocent one, suddenly got Jasper's stomach feeling a little fluttery.

Thomas looks at Jasper, trying to hide an inner surge of excitement hearing the fun they may potentially have on this summer's afternoon. 

***

"No no no. You do it like this." Thomas is currently teaching Jasper how to skim stones over the lake. The older picks yet another flat stone from the ground and angles his arm in  position to allow the smooth pebble to skim over the water's surface. They both watch as the stone makes one...two...three touches to the lake before disappearing all together. Thomas again turns to Jasper. "See. Just like that." 

Jasper looks at Thomas after watching the success of his efforts before scanning the ground for a decent stone. "Remember, it has to be smooth and flat," Thomas adds. 

"I know I know!" Jasper huffs out as he bends over to pick up a suitable candidate. He holds the stone between his fingers and flicks it across the water, as Thomas had done so. Unfortunately it doesn't have the same result and once again sinks to the bottom of the lake. "Ah! I don't know how you fucking do it. I quit." Jasper now turns from the lake, moving further towards the trees, finally stopping at a large tree with a thick trunk, which Jasper proceeds to slump against.

Thomas looks behind him briefly before deciding to return to his skimming, making light work of two more stones as they dance across the surface, before heading toward the younger who looked a little fed up as he sat, knees bent, arms resting lazily on either side. Jasper lets out a huge yawn as Thomas settles down beside him. 

"Are you that bored?" Thomas chuckles as Jasper tries to stifle his yawn a little.

Jasper rolls his head to the left on the tree trunk, looking at Thomas who is smiling at him. Jasper glances briefly at the olders mouth. His lips a beautiful shape, framing an angelic smile. He looks away again before getting too lost in his imagination. "You've had the morning to sleep it off...I haven't." 

"Ah yes." Thomas nodded, as if briefly forgetting, then remembering Jasper had been up early as usual. "What did you have to do this morning?" He asks.

"Pig houses." Jasper replies. "Make pig houses." He then lets out a light chuckle, causing Thomas to question it.

"What's so funny?" He asks, leaning a little to his side, facing Jasper.

Jasper takes a light hearted sigh…"Uncle. He took it upon himself to chat with me about girls." 

Thomas briefly puts a hand to his mouth in slight shock or maybe the embarrassment of it, but also to stop himself bursting with laughter. "Wow! I bet that was interesting." 

"His intentions were honest enough I guess. It was just a little awkward." Jasper sighs, trying to stifle yet another yawn. 

"He is a good guy...your uncle. He's good to Molly. He makes her happy. She wasn't happy for a long time." Thomas looks down at his fingers as if to distract himself from the potential deepness of this conversation. 

Jasper looks at Thomas, the silence becoming more obvious between them. Jasper thinks back to how his grandfather treated him. "Why are you still at your grandfather's? I mean you're at uni...you could just stay there." 

Thomas looks at Jasper with real sadness. God knows how many times he wanted to just walk away. "He has no one but Molly and I. Plus he's getting old." Jasper offers a weak smile. It was nice to see Thomas' vulnerable side for a change, even if it was through sadness.

Thomas felt more than aware that he was letting his guard down a little with Jasper and was keen to change the subject.  He clears his throat and adjusts his position against the tree a little more, so he is facing Jasper's profile. "So tell me. What did you learn from Jim?"

"How to approach girls mainly." Jasper nods in approval, as if to demonstrate how impressive his uncle's knowledge is.

Thomas laughs out loud. "Oh yeah? So what does that entail?" 

Jasper holds his left hand out and begins to point to each finger in turn, reeling off the tips. "First it's eye contact, let them know you're interested, second it's paying a compliment, with third, making conversation." Jasper glances at Thomas at this point, who seems to be rather invested in what Jasper is telling him. 

"Go on…" he prompts, so Jasper continues. 

"Well once a conversation is established, the idea of a date can be slipped in." 

"Very clever." Thomas nods, part smiling, with his bottom lip protruding. Jasper mirrors the face before carrying on. 

"During the date, you may try to hold hands and if you're really lucky, snatch a kiss at the end of the date." Jasper now lets his hands drop back down onto his lap. 

Thomas looks at Jasper confused. "What? That's it?" No sex tips?"

"God no." Not from my uncle. That would be too cringe. Anyways I know all that! I'd be teaching him." Jasper laughs, pulling an uneasy face.

The atmosphere again quietens down, with the sound of the water taking focus. Thomas looks at Jasper who has now rested his head back on the tree, eyes closed. The fatigue finally hitting him. Thomas quietly watches as Jasper's breathing gets heavier and slower as the younger seems to have drifted off into a doze. Thomas sees Jasper's lips part slightly as his face becomes more relaxed.

Thomas finds himself wanting to moisten his own lips and begins to pull them both in his mouth, his tongue lightly brushing over the area as he gets the desire to move a little closer to Jasper. 

Slowly at first, Thomas edges his leg and shoulder in which he is leaning on a little nearer. Wriggling as silently as he can, until he is just a few inches from Jasper's face, Thomas gazes down at the younger's lips as he slowly closes his eyes, now just a fraction apart.