Chapter 30-1 "Moving on, Counting Stripes"
Friendship is weird, you can have friends that you've met in your childhood neighborhood or friends from school when you were still a kid and whenever you meet again even after so many years without keeping contact you still have that connection. You can have friends whom you talk with on a daily basis. You can have friends that you made connections related to where you work, where you study, where you live now, friends exclusively from online platforms and games, and even exclusively from where you simply go from time to time. Can have friends that can feel like family members, some times even more valuable than family and some that you feel and wish to be more than just friends...
Life can go hard on you sometimes, so its good to find, to have someone...
During 2022 I reconnected with some friends that I never expected to talk with again ever. Enters Fabian, whom i haven't seen since highschool, never really kept contact with him, nor did i know it was him when we met again. It was around 2AM, i was coming back from the birthday of my nephew when my car simply died and i was stranded out of town in the rain, i had already activated my car insurance number asking for help, but the estimate wait was around 1 hour so i started checking for possible places near on my phone that i could call for help until finding one mechanical workshop still open at that time. The guy came alone in a truck and he looked angry as if he didn't want to be there, but if your service is open at that hour you could have just decided not to go. He was a stocky tiger, around maybe 170-175cm (5.5 ft) in height, shorty as many people are when near my 191cm (6.2 ft), but he was definitely stronger, looking like a fit dad body, but then his voice had a certain tone to it that made me think that i've heard it before, despite surely never meeting anyone like that before.
There I was, almost 3AM in a small and stuffy workshop. The place was a mess, smell of oil, several tires around, a lot of motorcycles, wenches and tools scattered around everywhere, a small desk in one of the corners having several empty beer can on it, the desk standing near a door that looked like a bathroom while i sat on a very old sleeper sofa that had several blankets throw around to cover the holes it had and drifted with half of my mind watching the tiger working on my car some meters away and the other half just checking and swapping profiles on Tinder when i was scared almost into a heart attack when i heard the tiger who had approached me without me paying attention.
???? - So I guess you really don't remember me? That question is the bane of my existence, so many people ask me that. I didn't really change much after my school years and I reckon that, but usually people that ask me that are ones that you could never really affiliate with their past versions.
Ch0w - Sorry... I'm pretty tired, your voice is not weird to me, but the rest of you... I don't think we really met before, did we? By that point I was trying to run on my mind that it could be someone I've gone out with in some of the several parties and raves I went to as the quarantine lockdown was finally over.
???? - We haven't seen each other since the 9th grade so it's valid I guess. I heard a bit of disappointment or maybe sadness as he talked but then it kicked back in, there was this tiger that i did know in the past, we made several projects that year together as one of our weird professors had randomly separated the class in duos and those would be permanent duos for science projects that whole year.
Ch0w - Fabian? I replied, he used to be a more timid kid than i was at that time in the past, we only attended class together that year as the next one his family had moved away to somewhere else. While I was still processing everything he just sat beside me on the couch laughing.
Fabian - Yes indeed, but who's that? Your wife? girlfriend? I was still checking Tinder on my phone, I'm bissexual and luckily at that time a girl was on my phone screen before I locked it and put my phone away. It's not like I feel it's an important thing to say right away after meeting someone for the first time, or in this case basically meeting someone for the first time again after so many years.
Ch0w - No one important right now
Fabian - So you're one of those huh? I guess you really are a dog haha
Ch0w - If only, what about you? That question was fastly answered by him showing his wedding ring. Apparently he married before he joined the army where he worked as an engineer, then some problems happened and he opted into leaving without really explaining the reasons and i didn't really want to pressure him on that.
Fabian - But what about you? So you're still single? What about me, my life was not even close nor exciting nor felt worth compared to his journey of traveling around with his family, joining the army, getting engineering degree, making a family. No, I was just an outcast even among my group of close friends that had already moved on with their lives. I was a math and computing/hardware teacher both at a private school and public school at that time, even my most exciting experiences were just basically near death accidents that I had managed to survive.
Ch0w - Yeah, I'm back to being single since 2021 I think, why?
Fabian - I mean how? You have good looks, it shouldn't be a problem getting someone, but maybe being single is the best choice you've made. I've been married basically ever since finishing highschool.
Ch0w - At least it shows how committed and loyal you are, being together for that long, commitment that's a rare and amazing one to find nowadays.
Fabian - Yeah... I noticed that despite what i've said it clearly had hit some nerve as he looked kinda depressed and deflated again. From what I clearly remember it was always hard to read him during highschool, except for when he was sad. He had a habit of taking a very long breath while picking between his teeth with his finger as if he was trying to remove something stuck between them despite having nothing there and then faking an excuse that there was something there and he would turn to face the other way or just simply leave. Maybe he just forgot that it never worked on me after all those years.
Ch0w - I guess there's a problem? Do you wanna talk about it? I was at that time basically treating him as some kids, students that i help talking when i notice problems, like i always wished someone talked to me in the past to ascertain certain things and doubts. Fabian pointed to something on the desk in the corner, something I didn't notice before among the beer cans, a pistol.
Fabian - I've been thinking of using that for a long time. I almost did use it months ago when I found my wife cheating on me due to me getting home earlier that day, but i couldn't. I could have killed both of them right there, but I didn't. I've started sleeping here some weeks ago so i'd only focus on working instead of facing her using that facade daily while close to my son at home. She has too much influence on our neighbors and on people from the church we go to and could easily say anything that could mark me as an awful person specially since she also found some old files and photos i had, some not so old... I had several bombshells dropped on me in the past from people talking to me to the point that i always wondered if i should have graduated as a psychologist instead of being a graduated programmer turned teacher, even a psychologist which i used to go during my college years talked more about her life problems to me in regard her family than i used to talk to her, she did however point my need to help others looking a lot like a sad clown syndrome, forgetting about myself and putting others always first; still i was shocked to hear anything like that from Fabian.
Fabian - Don't worry I know it's not worth it, otherwise well... wanting to change topics I asked if he worked alone there and there were other 2 people that worked there for him during the day, but they usually went home at 6PM. A chiming sound broke our talk as his cell phone rang and I heard him cussing as he read some message before facepalming and looking as tired as I was.
Fabian - Sorry, I can't really finish fixing your car. It needs a special part that i dont have here on my stock. I had asked for one, but the place only opens at 7AM.
Ch0w - It's not like I have anywhere to go tomorrow morning and it's already what? Past 3AM?
Fabian - I could take you home?
Ch0w - It would be funny, what about your wife?
Fabian - I mean take you to your home. He was almost way too flustered from that joke, his face and the inside of his ears going red.
Ch0w - Don't worry I'm fine waiting here with you, unless you want me to go? I guess I'm disturbing you from sleeping?
Fabian - No, you can stay if you want, it's nice seeing you again. That was my time to get flustered by such direct honesty, making me look away from the deep hazel eyes which that strong tiger had looking back at mine.Despite both of us really tired we spend hours talking about the past, remembering things we did, talking about how awful some of our professors and classmates were until falling asleep. Waking up was startling to say the least, I ended up slouching my head on Fabian's shoulder in a way that our faces were almost meeting for a weird kiss which we only noticed when suddenly we heard a voice calling.
????? - Boss? Boss? In front of us was a young hyena in a gray uniform.
????? - Sorry to wake you up. Did you drink too much here again yesterday? At least you were not alone this time. That instantly made Fabian jump back and away from me and from the sofa as the hyena was clearly enjoying and laughing at the whole situation.
That's not what it looks like! The hyena, still making fun of it all, managed to say exactly the same words which Fabian had basically screamed at him at the same time.
????? - Ain't that what they always say?
Ch0w - Nothing really happened. I guess we were both tired from spending the night talking shit about awful friends from the past. I'm a friend of your boss.
Blake - Name is Blake, then I guess this part here is for your car? Brennan asked me to bring it here as I was passing by his store on my way here. He lifted a plastic bag that he carried with him containing a small box.
Blake - Then again it means that you two slept like that sober? Man i knew i should have tried harder in the past, but maybe i was never your type right Fabian? The tiger looked possessed as if being stuck in a mix of anger, rage, confusion, shame while sweating a lot without managing to say anything back at the hyena before Blake disappeared from sight to start opening the metal doors of the workshop for another day of work and checking around supply boxes.
In the upcoming days, weeks me and fabian kept track and talked more with each other, even managing to support him or more like pest him into quitting smoking, and at least managing to make him smoke way less as well making him start to run along with me 3x per week as well going back to the gym. On Thursday and Friday nights, I was always stopping at night around after 9PM at his workshop to just hang out, drink and watch something on TV whenever I also didn't bring with me my PS4 so we would play at least until 2AM on Thursdays, and almost until the next morning during Fridays, thus everything was fine, great actually until that one night when we were already kinda drunk and he asked me something really unexpected.
Fabian - Say... why are you doing this? Why are you wasting time on me? That really surprised me. Apparently he was thinking about it for a long time as despite us playing and talking shit moments ago that question was posed in a very serious way.
Ch0w - No reason, I like helping people, especially friends. It's a major flaw of mine going out of my way to help or at least try to help. Which was indeed true, despite also not totally the full and complete truth.
Fabian - Is that it, really? Was he really that surprised or he actually expected something more, did he really live that closeted and away from any friends? He didn't have a facebook nor any kind of social media where you could find him, his wife on the other hand the full social media package. It was also always really hard to talk to him through simple messaging as he always forgot to check them out. Somehow even my parents and some of my grandmas used a lot more social media and apps than him, and he was just on early his 30s like me.
Ch0w - Do I really need a reason to help out a friend?
Fabian - I guess not, but...
Ch0w - Also, I do enjoy your company, I mean I like hanging out with you.
Fabian - There's a reason people, friends did get away from me, unless they are work related, I'm just a mess.
Ch0w - You're not a mess, you're a lot of things, but not a mess. You're funny, strong despite being a little out of shape, and should be smarter than me and a lot of other people as you're an engineer who graduated from a military academy, heck you're an ex-military, you're kind, you're hot. Maybe sometimes still a little aloof and hard to read, just like back in highschool, but so far I see no problems, also you're a good father who's always thinking of his family and son first.
Fabian - ...so you think I'm hot then?
Ch0w - I mean nothing wrong when stating facts right? And you only paid attention to that? Also i remember vaguely that the first time we talked back when my car broke you said something like "How are you still single if you're so beautiful and handsome and fit and..."
Fabian - Okay I get it. Thanks anyway, I appreciate it. But about that last part, I made a deal with her yesterday
Ch0w - Her? You finally went back to your house to talk to your wife?
Fabian - We agreed we'd keep the appearances for the sake of our son, but we'd bear no responsibility towards each other anymore. So I'm returning to sleep most of the days at our house, but I guess I'll keep sleeping here on Thursdays and Weekends, unless there's some family event I may need to attend. Meaning that i may as well start going out again and why i download that same app of yours on my phone. I could easily have you as my wingman while... Maybe It was the booze, maybe It was because I was confused with everything related to him and what he had just said. Despite knowing that i shouldn't really judge him about that weird secrecy based on what i did in the past, It somehow pained me to the point that I've completely lost track of whatever else he kept talking about. It was amazing his loyalty and responsibility toward maintaining a family even though he had been deeply betrayed by his wife. Would I have done the same ? Would I have accepted things like that? Maybe not? It's hard to think about things like that. My friends usually point to me as the most loyal and helpful of them all, being the reason that whenever something goes wrong i'm usually the fast dial of them, but...
Fabian - So are you in?
Ch0w - Sorry, in for what again.
Fabian - Like as i was saying i've been with only one partner ever since finishing highschool, there's a lot i like to do and now that i'm semi-free, semi-single if you would, if you could maybe even try something together with me if that's okay and not too weird for you? Anticipation was almost killing me as I've heard everything already imagining If he was actually feeling something similar to what I've been for some time now
Fabian - Like maybe we could get some girls together, as a duo for a threesome or a foursome. What ? You don't like the Idea? You look almost disappointed.
Ch0w - No, don't worry, just surprised and a bit drunk.
Fabian - So you're ok with It?
Ch0w - Yeah sure, that would bê interesting. Whenever you find someone up to it just warn me beforehand i'll also be trying some of them and sending them to you, so do start to check your phone more.
Weeks passed by fast, he was indeed more free as he said. His semi-single life was thriving, it was no surprise that someone like him, especially after some help with his look from me, could easily get laid. I've managed to even call him to hangout with me and some of my friends from work during some weekends, Fabian being okay with that as no one from my friends really knew that he was married, nor they would actually care at all, but was still a concern for the tiger. After they met for the first time, my friends John (also a big feline like Fabian, but an albino Puma), Wagner (a Rat) and Victor (a Ferret), with John directly asking him if he was actually my new boyfriend after all, putting both of us in a weird spotlight.
Fabian - Who knows, not yet at least He said it as a joke, which made me glad that he accepted joking like that with others as my friends can be very unhinged in regard to insufferable lewd jokes and that would be only the start.
Despite he managing to get in contact and going out with some of the girls i directed to his number, Fabian also during that time warned and called me about several potential hookups that he had supposedly worked things out for the so expected threesome, which never happened as whenever we got there there was nothing, no one or the person who would answer the door was not really who we were looking for, a lot of times forcing us to either drive back during very late at night or deciding to just go drink somewhere so we'd not lose the night.
This one night was different, i was not okay, i was stressed out with having a lot of problems caused my last girlfriend trying to burn me, talking shit about me, which later i discovered it was possible one the reasons i've lost a working spot after a great interview directly with the manager of a business, having being personally appointed for the Dev team spot they were lacking and then i was simply let go, as my ex was actually friends with said manager's wife. This way, after another failed night accompanying Fabian into another failed hookup and drinking a lot myself as this time he was the one driving, he made the same repetitive joke he always did.
Fabian - I guess it will be another unresolved and unsatisfying HARD night...
Ch0w - Why?
Fabian - Because we failed to score?
Ch0w - Is that it?
Fabian - Is there something wrong?
Ch0w - A lot of things actually.
Fabian - Do you wanna talk about it?
Ch0w - Forget about it, just let's get back already. And so we drove back not talking anything else, not in silence because the car radio was set on a station, the only one working fine that night due a lot of rainstorms probably fucking up all radio signals as well our phone signals. It kept playing through a mix of several awful pop rock and country love songs with the likes of "lady antebellum - need you now" that didn't actually help the situation, but I guess we both reached a conclusion that it was better than actual dead silence. Way more tired or drunk than I expected I've fallen asleep during the car trip back only to wake up again in an already well known place and sofa by now, inside Fabian's workshop, but with no tiger insight. It was already 6AM, by now the sun should have risen already, but it felt like it was still night as the heavy rainstorm kept on going. My attention was caught by the sound of a toilet flushing followed by the great image of Fabian using only a pair of black socks and a small and very tight white briefs, not the first time i've seen the strong stocky tiger semi-naked and again not the first time that he noticing me stare excused himself to put on something
Fabian - Sorry, everything got soaked when I removed you from the car, I forgot that the workshop did not have any space left due so many bikes here and so I had to park outside behind your car before getting inside here first looking for an umbrella and cape to get you from...
Ch0w - It's fine, just talk slower and turn it down a little. I said adjusting myself and sitting on the sofa closing my eyes before feeling Fabian sitting right beside me and pulling some of the covers over his lap.
Ch0w - I'm okay, a little hangover, but okay don't worry.
Fabian - You drank way more than usual last night, not surprised.
Ch0w - Sorry for yesterday, it's not your fault, at least not completely.
Fabian - Uhh thanks, but what do you mean by that?
Ch0w - I had a similar problem in the past that I didn't think would happen again, so I'll be straight before my light drunken stupor goes completely away and I regret not doing it.
Ch0w - Do you like me?
Fabian - What are you asking me? I like you a lot, we're friends right? You helped me a lot to make things so much better and...
Ch0w - No, not like that, not only as friends. I mean, I've clearly seen you almost always sporting and trying to hide a hardon whenever you caught me changing in the showers at the gym, also noticed that most of the time is only when i'm around or when i enter the showers when you're already there.
Ch0w - Because you know... i do like you, more than that I said, this time turning around to face him while still sitting right beside him on the sofa. His eyes, his beautiful hazel eyes showed that he was scared, nervous, but did not retract nor looked away from mine, in fact I was the one to actually look away after a way too prolonged silence between us, after forcing a fake smile as I kept talking.
Ch0w - I guess you don't, at least this way I can maybe try to set things straight. If you don't want to see me anymore it's okay too, i kinda understand as it would not be the first time for me anyway. Faking smiles is so easy, almost a second nature I'd say. Taking a very long and deep sigh I looked at the rain still storming outside through a window before finally starting to move, standing up and getting out of the sofa when being surprisingly pulled down by my arm forcing me to fall back and landing on Fabian's who caught me in a long almost desperate like kiss that slowly became more calm.
Fabian - It stubs as much as I imagined. I heard him saying after the kiss about my beard.
Ch0w - You're not one to actually complain about it, mine is trimmed compared to yours.
Fabian - I... i really like you, it's just i've never done anything with another guy besides jerking along if that counts. That got me by surprise and I looked at him questioning what I had heard.
Fabian - I served in the army, remember? It was almost impossible not to see other guys jerking, but it was not like there was an option. It's different when being with you, I'm extremely worried about everything and... I kissed him this time, cutting him from talking. It was always weird and cute to somehow see that strong figure acting so nervously like a teenager. Not at all what anyone who didn't really know him would expect from observing that stocky and manly ex-military now car mechanic, always so gruff using a dirty gray uniform when working.
Fabian - Today is sunday, so no one will barge in here today. We have a lot of time so i can thoroughly examine and evaluate you closely and check you for some calibrations maybe.
Ch0w - Man that was way too corny even for y... He hugged me so strongly that I couldn't move or get away even if I really wanted, easily lifting me up along with him as he got up from the sofa before lying down on it in a better position with me resting on top of him. I could easily feel his cock throbbing inside his briefs against my own hardon inside my pants which I rapidly removed throwing it at the floor followed by my shirt.
Ch0w - I guess you like what you see. I said restarting to grinding my own erection against his just as i lied back against his chest, into the hug of those strong arms which once more almost locked me back in place into for another several series of kisses while we kept grinding until I was softly licking his neck, his sweat and then biting his ear when then i've heard him struggling to control himself and starting to moan so loud that it could easily be heard by someone if the neighboring buildings around were not also commercial places that were closed, he came so much that my own boxer had become basically soggy from his cum.
Fabian - Sorry, it was just too much. I couldn't control myself from doing it. Maybe we should move to clean this, it would be weird if tomorrow people saw marks of it on the sofa and smelled it. But I didn't budge, and despite the fact that he could easily move me away he kept lying there as I started to talk.
Ch0w - As if this place, among the smell of tires, machines and oil already did not strongly smell of sweat. Sure not only your sweat, your workers too, but yours being the stronger one as well the very clear smell cum in the air that has always been there. You may not leave jizz marks anywhere, but the smell is clearly there and anyone who enters here especially at night, like i always did, or coming here in the morning can clearly smell it. Why do you think that Blake always immediately opens all the windows AND most importantly turns on all the fans when opening the workshop even when it's not hot at all ? What? I stopped and asked as Fabian had put on a very clear smug face while I talked.
Fabian - You said that you smelled it all this time, every time since you started coming here, but never ever complained or talked anything about it. So I can assume that you really like my smell that much? Again he strongly locked me against his chest with his arms around me, still with that smug smile before rolling us and switching our position so that now I was under that strong muscled body looking up to that face still smiling at me as he raised his body from mine almost as if ready to do a series of push-ups, but stopping right there looming over me, letting me feel and touch his chest while basking me with his musk, sweat and breath. He lowered down, resting on his elbows as if planking over me, rubbing his body against mine, spreading even more of his jizz against me, grinding against my still hard cock when i've finally came as he deeply tongue kissed not giving me any chance to possibly refute that complete invasion of my mouth, making me utterly dominated by him and i didnt care. As much as I may seem bossy, or have a clear "commanding alpha air" due my posture, body and some of my actions, I always preferred being dominated, not that I would not also enjoy being the one dominating and in control sometimes, but it always felt better, totally surprising when someone actually took the control away from me for once. He completely laid down his big body over me to rest, his nose deeply buried in my hair near my right ear, slowly breathing and clearly smelling me.
Fabian - I like your smell too.
Ch0w - I thought you were worried about people smelling your cum, but now they will smell 2 different ones. I said as the mix of both his cum and mine were already drying up and kinda glued not only our underwear against each other, but also part of our body near and around our abdomens. He didn't reply, we slept together like that quietly until around 10AM, both his and my erection had come back and were clearly fighting again against each other, but we just wanted to keep on embracing just like that, listening to nothing but the rain outside finally subsiding and each other breathing, hearing that big cat seeming to actually purr, was indeed the start of something great, but unbeknownst to us would not really last as much as we, or maybe as much as I actually expected to last....