Bate Club Pt. 04

Thursday morning. Oscar woke and stretched. His eyes blinked open, taking in a clear blue summer sky. He knew it'd be another hot one in Sydney today, and without bothering to check the weather forecast, he confidently predicted yet another storm in the afternoon. He looked across at the cute boy sleeping on the other side of his hotel bed. As quietly as possible, he extricated himself from the covers. He wanted to get a few laps in at the pool without disturbing the furniture.

"Where you goin'?" a disturbed Billy asked, yawning.

"For a swim."

"Fuck, you're keen, aren't ya?" Billy rubbed his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, bro. I tried not to wake you up."

Billy rolled over and farted.

"I reckon a morning swim in summer is the best way to start the day," declared Oscar.

"Yeah, nah, that's bullshit," Billy replied, still half-asleep, mumbling into his pillow. "Sex is."

Billy's comment gave Oscar an idea. He found his swimming trunks. They were blue, with little pictures of yellow rubber duckies across the fabric. His wife had bought them for him a few years ago. He dropped them onto the carpet, stepped his feet into the legs, and bent down provocatively to grab the fabric from around his ankles. He pulled the trunks up nice and slow, giving Billy a sweet eyeful of his juicy brown hole. "You like that?" he winked.

Billy rolled over to watch the show. "What's for breakfast?"

Oscar thought Billy really did mean breakfast. "Included in the hotel package. If you want, we can go and eat once I've dried off after my swim." He tied the string around the waistband.

Billy, suddenly wide awake, climbed out of bed. "You know what I meant, you fuckin' tease." He crash-tackled Oscar to the ground, ripped his trunks off, wedged his cheeks apart, and smashed his face in between them.

Face down on the carpet, Oscar writhed as he felt his sexy guest eating him out like he hadn't eaten for a month. He boned up hard. He'd forgotten all about the pool. His hips gyrated as he started to fuck the floor.

Billy came up for air. "You wave your sweet fuckin' pussy at me like that first thing in the morning, this is what happens."

Oscar moaned loudly. He reached around, grabbed the back of Billy's head, and pulled him in even tighter. The feeling of Billy's rough tongue licking and sucking on his hole was bliss. It was like being devoured by a crazed animal.

"Fuckin' love your cunt, bro."

Oscar fucked the carpet hard as Billy poked his tongue into his hungry hole. "Oh my fucking god, dude." There was no doubt the redhead knew exactly what he was doing.

Billy's expert tongue levelled up. "Gonna make you bust, bruh." He went in even deeper.

Oscar lost his mind. He came all over the carpet. "Stop, dude," he pleaded, "please stop."

Billy felt Oscar's sphincter twitching on his tongue. Job done. He pulled his musty face back out, grabbing fresh air, and when Oscar rolled over, four or five ropes had been fired onto the carpet. "Housekeeping's not gonna like that," he smirked.

Oscar pulled his swimming trunks back up. His cock was still hard, and he did his best to tuck it inside. He tried to focus on the problem at hand, but it wasn't easy. "Quick, I need to mop it up."

Billy giggled to himself as he watched his host run to the bathroom to grab toilet paper. "I'm sure they get these carpets steam cleaned every few months, mate. I'm sure it's no big deal." He waited until Oscar had tidied up and flushed. He pulled him close, kissing him deeply. "Have you ever tasted your own pussy before?" he asked. "My whole face reeks of you."

Oscar was completely speechless. He noticed a tangy taste in his mouth.

"Go do your laps," Billy finished, "then we can get some breakkie." He gave Oscar's freshly-devoured ass a light tap.

Oscar went downstairs to the pool, his mind still spinning.

Billy washed his face and brushed his teeth.

*

Oscar waded into the cool water. Swimming was good for his mind as well as his body. Some days, swimming was an opportunity to think long and hard about difficult problems that were looming large in his life. Other days, he barely thought at all, letting his mind go blank, focusing only on the rhythm of his muscular arms as they moved through the water and his feet kicking behind him. At his local aquatic centre, he was accustomed to tracing a black line on the bottom of the Olympic-sized pool as he swam up and back in his lane. There wasn't one here: the hotel pool was much shorter in length, and shallower. It wasn't primarily designed for exercise, but for kids and families to play in. At this time of day, he had the facility to himself. He could hear muffled city traffic bubbling up from the street, but not much else.

He pulled his goggles over his eyes, adjusted the elastic, and pushed off from the wall.

As he swam, Oscar tried to imagine what might happen if he told his wife he wanted a trial separation. He felt an initial spark of hope, but no sooner had the thought popped into his head than he realised how bad an idea it was. He was frustrated with where their marriage was going, and so, he assumed, was she, but he didn't know for sure. They hadn't had any serious conversations about it. They'd avoided the topic, perhaps both thinking that turning their backs on their problems would magically make them go away. Suggesting a trial separation would come completely out of the blue for her. He'd need to lay the groundwork first.

But Billy had gotten deep, way deep under his skin. It felt so fucking good to be desired again, but the question in Oscar's mind was how long Billy's interest in him might last. Maybe he'd be bored of him by next week, but Oscar hadn't felt these kinds of fiery emotions in such a long time. They felt powerful and electric, but he knew that if he surrendered completely to them, the collateral damage could be immense. He'd lose his marriage, he'd possibly lose the kids, and they'd have to sell the house, too: their hefty mortgage wasn't even close to being paid off. It'd create an emotional minefield that might even destroy his friendship with his wife. He'd heard stories where breakups were so toxic, so poisonous, that the participants never spoke to each other again except through lawyers. He didn't want that.

He remembered the feeling of Billy's hungry tongue up his ass. He remembered how he moaned when he came all over the carpet. His head buzzed. He'd love to wake up like that every morning for the rest of his life.

He remembered how reticent Billy had been to give him his number yesterday morning when it appeared they'd be parting ways. He remembered Billy saying it was a bad idea, and his warning for Oscar to take a step back. He recalled Billy's words: "You don't wanna get messed up with someone like me. I'm trash, and I don't wanna fuck up your life." He remembered yesterday afternoon, thinking that perhaps Billy was right. He'd seriously considered deleting his number from his phone, but didn't.

He remembered the inner warmth he felt last night, cuddled up with the sexy redhead as they watched a movie. It felt so right. And he recalled the last thing Billy said to him last night. 'I feel like I lost a sister this arvo, but on the same day, I feel like I found a boy. Move back to Sydney. We've got a spare room. You could move in with us, if you wanted to.' The sentences were etched into his consciousness.

First, it felt like Billy was pushing him away, but now, it felt like he was pulling him close. He remembered Billy telling him last night that he didn't want him to go home. How much of this was Billy's reaction to losing his housemate yesterday, and how much of it was genuine? It was all so confusing.

Oscar's lithe, athletic body pushed through the water. His mind whirred.

Did Billy make the offer to move in just because they needed someone to share the rent? He couldn't possibly believe that'd be the case. They'd find another housemate soon enough -- Newtown was a suburb in high demand. Or did he say it because he genuinely didn't want Oscar to leave?

Oscar couldn't quite believe he was considering blowing his life up for this. The risk was if (or more likely when) Billy's passion for him eventually cooled, he'd be left without anyone or anything.

He thought back to last night, trying to hold a sensible phone conversation with his wife while Billy deepthroated him. And then he remembered the crestfallen expression on Billy's face when he told him he had to leave at the end of the week.

He pulled up at the deeper end of the pool, resting his goggles on his forehead. He sucked in a few deep breaths.

He imagined another possibility -- telling his wife he needed to leave the relationship because he'd come to the sudden realisation that he was gay.

A single thought preoccupied his whole consciousness.

I don't know what to do.

*

He stepped out of the water just as the first of today's many holidaying families showed up. Screeching kids with pool noodles whacked the hell out of each other, splashing water everywhere while their post-breakfast parents observed from a safe distance. Oscar towelled off and caught the elevator back to his room.

Billy was sitting on the couch, watching breakfast TV. A coffee sat on the table in front of him. "Good swim?" he asked.

"Yeah. You hungry?"

"Yeah, bruh," said Billy. "You said there was breakfast downstairs?"

"Lemme get changed, then we'll head down."

Oscar collected cereal, fruit and yoghurt from the buffet, while Billy piled fried eggs, greasy sausages and buttery toast onto a heaving plate. They each had a coffee in front of them. "What're you gonna do today?"

Billy thought while he buttered a thick piece of toast. "No idea. Should probably head back home at some point," he said, trying to manufacture some distance between them.

Oscar ate some cereal, totally unsure what to say in response. Things felt a little awkward. He looked down at Billy's breakfast heart attack.

Billy looked out the window, wondering why he'd said that. He had no need to go back home. He had nothing at all to do today -- if it wasn't for last night's storm, he would've been on a building site right now, hauling bricks.

Oscar sighed dejectedly. "I'm so fucked up right now, dude." He dropped his spoon into his bowl of cereal.

Billy raised his eyebrows as he slammed a yolk-drenched piece of toast into his face. He wished he knew what to say.

"I don't know what to do. Like, one minute you're telling me to stay away from you, then the next, you're offering me your spare room."

Billy remembered last night's conversation. He had the feeling there was still some more of it to run. He knew he felt something for Oscar, but he also knew he needed to maintain some distance. The last thing he wanted was for Oscar to ruin his life over him. "I shouldn't have said anything about our spare room, if that's what you're thinking. We'll find someone. I kind of wasn't really being serious. I know you've got your job in Canberra to think about, plus your family."

Oscar's bottom lip trembled. "I remember you saying you wished I didn't have to go home at the end of the week."

Billy didn't reply, but his face betrayed the truth. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this way about a boy. Situations like this were rare for him, and he knew he didn't have the skills. One way or the other, he knew he was gonna fuck this up, so maybe pushing Oscar away was best for each of them. In his heart, it felt like storm clouds were about to roll in. Outside, the sky was a deep, vivid blue.

This wasn't the right place for the conversation Oscar wanted to have, but it was certainly the right time. "I don't know where you came from," he started, "but meeting you has made me realise just how unhappy I've been."

Billy put his knife and fork down.

"I thought I loved her," Oscar continued, "but I don't think I do. Not in that way, at least. She's a great person, but we're just not into each other anymore, we've grown apart, and it feels like I'm wasting time. I thought I loved my homelife, but I think I've just been tolerating it. We've been together ten years, and I can't imagine ten years more. Like, I don't ever wanna be one of those people who stay together for the sake of the kids." Oscar thought hard. "Like, don't get me wrong, I love my kids, and I'll always want what's best for them, but there are plenty of couples who separate and still manage to make things work out." He paused. "I don't think I can go back home."

"Jesus," whispered Billy. He'd done many things in his life, but he never thought a root rat like him could ever be a homewrecker. He hoped Oscar wasn't gonna do anything rash.

"Wait," said Oscar. "Let me rephrase that. I have to go back home, but I don't think things can ever be the same. I have to sort some things out. I need to have that conversation. This isn't the life I want." He paused for a second. "I think my marriage is over."

Billy was gobsmacked. "What, because of me?"

"Partially because of you, mate, though it isn't your fault." Oscar paused for a second, taking stock. "Without meaning to, you've made me realise some important shit, but at the same time, it's fair to say that nobody has ever gotten into my head the way you have. And I know you've been throwing out all these warnings and red flags, bro, but like, if anything, the more you try to throw me off your trail, the more I want you."

Billy wasn't sure what to say. That was never his intention.

"Something is seriously fucked up in my life," Oscar continued, "and maybe I'm better off being in a relationship with a dude."

Billy backed up. "Bruh. Wait a sec. Who said anything about a relationship?"

Oscar cleared his throat. He didn't want to get ahead of himself. "No ... like ... I mean ... not with you ... well, not necessarily, but ... things aren't working out well at home, and like, something needs to change."

Billy ate quietly, trying his best to process whatever the fuck was going on right now.

"Well," said Oscar, composing himself as best he could, "if you need to go back home today, maybe we can catch up again tonight if you're free. I'll probably go out for a walk after breakkie. I need to try to clear my head."

Billy waited a long, long time, before he replied. "Want some company?" He smiled a crooked half-smile. "I don't have anything else to do today."

Oscar's heart caught fire. He tried to reply as casually as he could. "Yeah, that'd be sweet as."

*

An hour later, the boys were standing on Campbell Parade, with the vast expanse of Bondi Beach right in front of them. They each wore t-shirts, shorts and sneakers -- the traditional January uniform in Australia. Sunglasses were mandatory today; the sand was a bright golden white.

Oscar had already done the Bondi to Coogee trek just two days ago, but he loved it so much, he wanted to do it again. He couldn't wait to show off one of his favourite parts of Sydney to his new mate.

They set off, heading south. Expensive beachfront houses lay to their right, with the endless Pacific Ocean sprawled on their left. Billy took a quick pitstop at the public toilets at Tamarama, and Oscar refilled their water bottles while he waited. They got to Bronte, and Billy insisted on taking a break. He sat down on a concrete slab, perving on the muscled gym junkies through his dark shades. Oscar knew exactly what Billy's game was.

"Fuck, dude, this is the best beach ever," ogled Billy.

"Can't disagree," Oscar replied as a muscled dude with a massive pair of tattooed pecs strolled by.

"You fuckin' see that guy?" perved Billy.

"Couldn't miss him."

"I'd love to feel his pecs make a sweet passage for my dick. Then, just as I'm about to cum, I'd jerk myself off all over his face."

Oscar's cock twitched at the thought.

Billy rearranged his junk. "Best beach ever, bruh."

Oscar took his cap off for a second, running his fingers through his shaggy hair. "Best beach ever," he nodded. It wasn't easy, but he eventually dragged Billy away to continue their walk. He slapped him on the knee. "Come on. Let's keep going."

"Dude," protested Billy, "I could literally sit here all fuckin' day." Reluctantly, he got to his feet and trudged off dejectedly behind the half-Latino.

They walked past Waverley cemetery and around the narrow beach at Clovelly. The path had become hilly and demanding.

"Wait," wheezed Billy, "Can we stop for a sec? I need a rest." They approached a carpark just off to the side of the beach.

Oscar was in a groove and the finish line was in sight, but he relented. "Yeak, OK."

They sat side by side on a bench. The ocean stretched far and wide before them. This was a busy part of the track, with joggers and walkers of all descriptions heading past in both directions. Billy couldn't help noticing the wide variety of languages spoken by people walking by. This truly was a beautiful part of his city, attracting people from all reaches of the globe, and one he'd never bothered to discover before. He slugged some water.

Oscar let him sit for a moment before asking a question. "Can you tell me about your arm tatt, mate? It's beautiful." He studied the intricate patterns, wondering about the themes and motifs hidden within.

The freckled redhead narrowed his eyes beneath his shades. "Didn't I tell you about that last night?"

"Yeah, you said you got it done professionally, and that it cost you two grand, but not to ask how you got the money."

"I did sex work," Billy answered.

Oscar gasped.

"So after I got out of jail," Billy continued, "I didn't have a job. I mean, not having a job was the reason I ended up in jail in the first place. Like, it's hard to pay rent when there's no income, bro. So the whole time I'm behind bars, I'm fucking and sucking 24/7, and I'm thinking there must be a way to monetise this on the outside. I mean, I love sex, and if I could get paid for it, like, wouldn't that be the best thing ever? So when I got out, I started selling my pussy and mouth."

Oscar remembered their discussion about the age difference between them. He remembered Billy saying he'd had sex with blokes twice his age. Maybe this was how.

"Anyway," continued the redhead, "I discovered that it pays well, and before I knew it, I had more money in my account than I'd ever had in my life. I'd always wanted a tatt that covered the entire length of my arm, so ..."

There was a pause in conversation. Oscar had a million questions, but he didn't want to press too hard. "Why'd you stop?" he asked. Suddenly, he wasn't interested so much in Billy's tatt.

"Sex work? I didn't find it fulfilling. Like, don't get me wrong, I'm 100% pro sex work, but it didn't leave me in a good place, mentally. So I got an apprenticeship instead. In terms of income, it was a step down, but I felt better on the inside, if that makes sense."

"Do you know why it fucked with your head?" asked Oscar.

"Sex work?"

"Yeah."

Billy tilted his head to one side, thinking. "Not sure. Maybe it was guilt about taking money for something I would've gladly done for free."

"Must've been hard to find partners," Oscar mused. "When you're in that line of work, I mean." He ran his fingertip up and down Billy's arm. He didn't know, but the hairs on the back of his friend's neck stood up.

"Yeah, it was." Billy's mouth was dry. He felt a little nervous.

"Not so much anymore?" Oscar turned to face him, full of desire. He'd never kissed a boy in public before, but he sensed it was just about to happen.

"S'pose not, hey." Their faces moved closer and their lips connected. "Fuck, bro," whispered Billy, tenderly touching his friend's face. As their mouths opened and their tongues touched, their kiss became more passionate.

"Oi," they heard. Heavy footsteps approached. Billy ignored them. He craned his arm around Oscar's neck, pulling him even closer. "Oi," slightly louder.

The boys broke their kiss to see two shirtless alphas standing over their park bench, casting menacing shade. "Save that sick bullshit for the privacy of your own home," said one of them. "Nobody needs to see two disgusting faggots kissing in public."

Oscar felt scared. He wondered if they'd crossed a line.

Billy couldn't give a shit. "Get fucked, dickheads. Who died and made you the cops?"

One of the thugs leered closer. "Maybe I did."

It was barely noon, but Billy smelt liquor on his breath. He raised his eyebrows. "Wait a sec. You died, and then you made yourself the cops?" He scratched his head comedically. "How the fuck does *that* work?"

The alpha got even more serious. "Listen, you fuckin' smartarse prick. Take your homo faggot bullshit somewhere else. Families are walking past, watching you. They're probably throwing up on the inside. You're disgusting."

"Nobody's complained," said Billy, "but we'll stop if anyone does."

"I'm complaining," sneered the thug.

Confidently, Billy stood up, facing him. "Unfortunately, the complaints window is closed right now," he said sarcastically, "so maybe leave me and my boy alone. We aren't bothering you, so maybe don't bother us. Have a nice day."

Oscar was terrified. These guys were massive, and Billy was as skinny as a rake. He feared Billy was about to get snapped in half.

The alpha moved closer, menacingly. "I'm gonna make such a fuckin' mess out of you, you filthy fuckin' faggot cocksucker."

Before the thug could blink, Billy punched him hard in the gut, doubling him over. His second blow slugged him in the jaw. Billy's nemesis fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes. He looked across at his potential second adversary. "You wanna end up the same way as your dickhead loudmouth mate?" The second thug backed away quickly, his palms held up in meek surrender.

Oscar was gobsmacked. Billy had balls the size of watermelons.

The skinny redhead stretched his fingers and shook feeling back into his hand. His knuckles stung. It hurt like fuck, but it was totally worth it.

Oscar wasn't sure what to say or do, but Billy's explanation came unsolicited. "As soon as he called us faggots, he was dead. I fuckin' hate that word." He rubbed his knuckles. "Even though I wasn't in a seriously hard prison, a dude still needs to know how to defend himself. After what I said last night, I'd hate for you to think jail was all about endless sex with hot blokes. I went to the gym and I learned how to fight. It's about getting respect, not only from others, but for yourself."

Oscar was almost breathless. His heart was pounding. "You called me your boy."

Billy wrapped his arms around Oscar's waist. He'd already decided to take the rest of the week off work. He'd cook up a plausible excuse. "Until you need to go back to Canberra, you're my boy."

Oscar didn't ever want to go back. Right now, he felt like he was floating on a cloud. They kissed deeply, and as their lips parted, they heard an ambulance pull up, sirens blaring. A pair of paramedics scooped the fallen thug from the pavement and lifted him onto a stretcher. Billy had probably busted his jaw. Despite how many people saw what happened, not a single witness stepped forward to point their finger at the wiry redhead. It seemed clear to everyone that he'd been provoked and was acting in self-defence.

The boys continued their walk, hand in hand, but Billy's grip slipped as he discovered the steep incline on the side of Gordon's Bay. Shit. Another fucking hill. "Thank fuck you refilled our water bottles, this walk is fuckin' killer."

"We're almost there," Oscar encouraged. "I'll buy you a cold beer when we get to Coogee. It'll be worth it."

Billy's pale face became red as they trudged up Cliffbrook Parade. Top of ascent seemed distant. His knuckles still stung. "Is that ambulance still nearby?" he joked. He watched Oscar pick up the pace. "Fuck me dead, you're a fit cunt," he gasped between short breaths. Every spoken syllable came with a cost. "Wait ... for me ... at the ... top ... of the hill ... you fuckin' ... prick."

He reached the crest to find Oscar sitting on a bench, casually sipping water. "This is a suicide mission," Billly gasped. "I reckon the Kokoda Trail would be easier than that."

"Fuckin' wuss," laughed Oscar. He shoved his water bottle back into his backpack. "We're almost there, bro. It's nearly beer o'clock. We can grab a feed at the pub if you're hungry." The iconic Coogee Bay Hotel was just ten minutes away, all downhill.

*

The boys sat at the bar on tall stools, cool beers in front of them. "Well deserved reward," said Billy, necking half of his schooner in a few short gulps. His pale freckled face was still flushed, but the room was air conditioned.

"What did you think of the walk?" asked Oscar, sipping his beer.

"I loved hitting that homophobic cunt for six," said Billy, "and the scenery was pretty sweet. Like, I never knew that path existed. I thought the only way to get from beach to beach was by road."

"What was the best bit?"

Billy sipped his beer. "Well, the second best bit was Bronte. I wasn't kidding. I could've sat at that beach until sunset watching men. Fuck me dead, mate, there were some hot bodies out there. Next time I go to Bronte, I'm gonna pitch a tent in the park behind the beach and offer free blowies."

Imagining this, Oscar nearly pitched a tent in his pants. "The cops'll move you on, bruh."

Billy grinned. "Then I'll suck the cops off, too."

"So if that was the second best part," questioned Oscar, "what was the best part?"

"Sitting on a park bench, sucking face with you."

Oscar nearly died.

"I'm so fuckin' into you, Oscy," Billy admitted. "Like, I can't remember the last time I ever felt this way. I don't want you to go home. I wish you could stay here, but I know you can't." He sipped his beer.

"Is this all because your housemate moved out?"

"Nah, mate. Like, if you're thinking I'm settin' you up as a substitute for her, that ain't it. I just really like you, bro. Simple as."

At least one of Oscar's doubts was cleared up. "I like you too, Billy, and I don't want to go home either, but I'm scared." Oscar paused, sipping his beer. "You make me feel scared."

"What? How?" Billy was surprised.

"Because I'll go home, bust up with the wife, it'll be fucking miserable, I'll have heaps of emotional shit to wade through plus having to work out what to do with the house and kids, then I'll come back to Sydney to hang out with you, but in the meantime, you would've found someone new, and then I'll have nothing and nobody." He sighed. "This is a week in paradise, but it isn't my life. It can't be."

Billy sipped his beer. He sensed the importance of this conversation. "You said yourself you reckon it's over between you and her."

Oscar's thoughts scattered. He wasn't sure how to frame his concerns. "Yeah, but ... I mean ... fuck, mate, I'm all over the shop right now. I can't think straight." He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. "They're two different things. Yes, I'm not happy at home, and something needs to change. *I* reckon it's over, but she and I haven't talked properly. I need to try, because deep down I'll regret not having tried, at least for her sake. I can't go back and say 'sorry, see ya' and then piss off. I don't want that shit on my conscience. But I also don't really want to invest time and energy in something that still ultimately isn't gonna give me what I want."

"What *do* you want, then?" Billy asked.

"You." Oscar's eyes drilled deep into Billy's blue irises. "I want you," he whispered, "but I know I can't have you."

Billy moved his bar stool closer. He wrapped his arms around Oscar's neck, pulling him close for a deep kiss. He couldn't give a fuck who saw them kissing or what they might've thought. "I really like you, Oscy. I want you too."

Oscar's dark brown eyes were droopy with lust. "I can't decide."

"Who said you have to decide anything?" Billy sensed Oscar was starting to panic and tried to talk him down. "We've only known each other for two days. There's no need to get ahead of yourself. Like, go home, sort shit out, then come back."

Oscar knew it wasn't gonna be that easy. This was probably gonna be one of the most difficult things he'd ever have to do.

"I'll still be here when you're ready," Billy said.

Oscar shook his head in denial. "No you won't. Like, that's the problem."

Billy exhaled. "Mate, in the past two days, I've already told you I've been to jail and I've been a rent boy. I don't tell anyone this shit, but I told you. I felt comfortable enough to tell you. I felt safe telling you. I've had a colourful past, but I felt confident you wouldn't judge me on it, and you haven't. Like, doesn't that mean something? To both of us?"

Oscar smiled tentatively. "Maybe."

"Besides, I haven't had a proper boyfriend in ages. Like you said before, it never would've worked when I was whoring myself out, and I get more than enough dick on building sites. But then, like, suddenly you show up, and it ... like, it changes shit. I don't know how else to put it." Billy paused for a second, sipping his cold beer. "So I swear, Oscy, if you come back, I'll be here."

Oscar drowned in Billy's beautiful pale blue eyes.

"It's only been a couple of days, but for me, it's been a big couple of days," said Billy. "And hey," he smiled thinking back to their conversation after bate club, "we both like footy."

"Yeah," Oscar replied, grinning from ear to ear. "We should totally go to a game some time."

Billy imagined sitting in the crowd with Oscar, enjoying the on-field contest, then taking him somewhere secluded at half time for a quiet fuck. He couldn't wait. He sculled the rest of his beer, slamming the glass down hard on the bar. "You ever fucked in a public place before?"

Oscar thought hard. Maybe with a woman, but if he did, it was a long time ago. Never with a man. "Nup," came his answer.

"First time for everything, bro. Come with me." Billy grabbed Oscar by the hand and dragged him into the men's bathroom.

Billy led them to a cubicle and locked the door behind them.

In the tight, confined space, their faces slammed into each other. Their mouths were hungry and alive, feeding off each other's passion and lust. Billy pulled Oscar's shorts down and turned him around to face the door. He spat on his fingers and ran them across Oscar's twitching hole. "You want this?" he teased. He slipped a finger inside.

Oscar felt light-headed. "Oh my fucking god, dude," he gasped. "I want you inside me so fucking bad."

Billy pulled his dick out of his shorts. He spat into the palm of his hand, smeared the slick moisture across his shaft, and pushed the head inside Oscar's tight pussy.

Oscar winced -- it stung a little as Billy forced himself inside.

Billy built up a rhythm. "You like that, Oscy?"

Oscar's fingertips were curled around the top of the toilet door, which began slamming back and forth in time with Billy's thrusts. Billy grabbed Oscar's face, turned him around, and as their tongues touched, Oscar moaned uncontrollably into Billy's sweet mouth.

Billy picked up the pace. "Fuck, bruh, you've got a sweet cunt. So fuckin' tight." He reached around to grab Oscar's swollen penis. "You've got a sweet cock, too."

As Oscar felt Billy's tongue licking his ear, he lost his mind. Thick white semen cannoned out of his cock, smashing against the cubicle door. And as his hole gripped tightly around the redhead's pale shaft, Billy pulled out and came violently all over Oscar's plump brown cheeks.

In a confined space, two sweaty post-orgasmic boys tried desperately to catch their breath. Billy craned down to lick his load off Oscar's skin. Oscar, his shorts still pooled around his ankles, turned to face the boy who'd turned his entire life upside-down. "I love you," he whispered. His pussy tingled. His seed dribbled down the toilet door. The words escaped his lips without thinking.

Billy kissed him on the lips. "I love you too, Oscy."

Oscar wept for a moment, and Billy held him close. "Come on," said the redhead, "we should probably get out of here before we get busted." For the first time, he noticed how much the bathroom stank. "Besides, it fuckin' reeks bad in here."

The boys pulled their shorts up, brushed themselves down, made themselves as presentable as possible given the circumstances, and exited the cubicle. They stood at the wash basins, casually washing their hands. Someone came in, and as if on cue, the door of the cubicle the boys had just been in fell down with an almighty crash. They'd literally fucked the door right off its hinges. "Wasn't us," Billy said casually, shrugging.

They left the bathroom and headed back out into the street. They took their shoes off and walked along the sandy beach, hand in hand, enjoying the sunshine. They sat down for a while, each getting sand in their cracks. Later, they walked through a park beside the beach. A friendly volleyball game was in progress, and as the boys showed some casual interest in proceedings, they were asked if they wanted to join in. They joined opposite teams, each taking their shirts off. Billy did his best, but he was constantly distracted by the athleticism of his new friend on the opposite side of the net.

*

Later that night, the boys were back at Oscar's hotel. They were wading in the floodlit pool, maybe four or five metres apart from each other. Everything was quiet; they had the water to themselves. Oscar wore his trunks with rubber duckies on the print, but Billy hadn't brought anything to swim in. He wore his shorts. He'd throw them in the clothes dryer when they were done. "So this is where you swam this morning before breakkie?"

"Yeah," said Oscar.

"Must be hard swimming laps when you're dodging kids with nerf guns and pool noodles and shit."

"There's nobody here that early. Families are still eating breakkie that time of day."

Billy looked around. "There's nobody here now, either. Wanna do some laps, Oscy? Gotta keep your fitness levels up after that volleyball game," he joked, comically pumping his biceps.

Oscar giggled. "Not right now, mate. I've got other things on my mind."

"Oh yeah?" teased Billy. "What kind of things?"

"This, for starters." Oscar waded across, wrapped his arms around Billy's waist, and reeled him in. As he felt Billy's eager tongue swirling around in his mouth, shockwaves travelled down his spine to his cock. Their kiss ended, and a thin rope of saliva connected their lips. "You're so fuckin' cute," he whispered, stroking Billy's freckled cheek. They kissed again, but more slowly, and much more tenderly. In this moment, it felt to Oscar as if only two people existed in the world.

Billy, grinning, swam away towards the other end of the pool. He couldn't remember ever feeling this happy.

"Where you goin'?" asked Oscar.

"Nowhere, bruh," came Billy's quiet reply. "Goin' nowhere."

*

The boys watched raindrops land lightly on the water's surface, just before a thunderclap exploded high above them. Quickly, they grabbed their things and headed back up to the 20th floor. Lightning tore a hole in the sky. Billy walked to the window and gazed out across the harbour, mesmerised. The Opera House looked magnificent tonight.

"You're dripping pool water all over the carpet," said Oscar.

Billy remembered what had happened earlier this morning. "Housekeeping's gonna have the shits with you," he laughed. He peeled his soaking shorts off, wrung them out in the bathroom, and threw them into the dryer. He walked back to the window and watched the storm naked.

Oscar stood next to him, and together, they watched mother nature light up the sky.

"I meant what I said before," Billy whispered. "I love you, Oscy."

Oscar wrapped an arm around Billy's skinny waist. "I need to ring the missus. Do me a favour?"

"What?" questioned innocent Billy.

"Don't ... like ... don't fuckin' ... don't fuckin' do anything while I'm on the phone."

Billy nodded. He understood the gravity of the moment. No blowjobs.

Oscar dialled, putting the call on speaker. "Hey, babe," he said. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Oscy," replied his wife. He thought she sounded tired. There was a resigned sigh to her voice. "Thanks for calling. What did you get up to today?"

"Swim in the morning before breakfast, followed by another long walk. Feet are getting a bit tender, but they're still holding up. Even played some volleyball this arvo. What about you?"

"Same old. You're back home on Saturday, right?" She couldn't keep doing this on her own. Keeping their household on the straight and narrow was a two person job.

Oscar heard his kids in the background. "Yeah. I've got tonight, then tomorrow night, then I'll be home Saturday arvo." He paused for a second. "You missing me?"

His wife's lack of enthusiasm told the whole story. "Kids are, yeah."

Billy heard it all. Silently, his heart broke for him. Fuck that shit.

"What are they doing?" Oscar asked.

"Colouring in," his wife answered.

Oscar and his wife talked for a few more minutes.

"Hey," said his wife, "before you go, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Oscar waited.

"Last night, when we were talking, after we were done and you were about to hang up, you ... like, I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure how to ask this, but ... but were you with someone?"

Oscar gulped. Fuck. How could she know? "Why are you asking me that?"

"Because we said goodbye, and I was about to end the call, but just before I did, I heard what I call your orgasm voice. And you called somebody 'bro'." She waited a beat. "Well, at least that's what it sounded like to me."

The silence on Oscar's end of the line was incriminating.

"Did I imagine that?" his wife pressed.

"I think it might've been the TV," came Oscar's weak defence.

"Bullshit," spat his wife, trying hard to control her emotions. "I know your voice, Oscar. I don't believe you." The kids looked up at her from their colouring in, concerned. "I've been stewing on this all day. I didn't sleep properly last night. I want to know. Was someone with you?"

Oscar was about to lie that he'd been watching porn, and that that's what she'd heard, but he knew that'd be instant death. He came clean. "Yeah, there was."

"Wait. You're saying there was someone in your hotel room when you and I were on the phone last night?"

"Yeah." A desperate mind creates desperate avenues, and just for a second, he was gonna tell his wife it was the cute Filipino housekeeping boy who couldn't keep his mouth off his dick. He decided not to embellish further.

"So what were they doing?" His wife still hadn't established gender. She'd cut his balls off if he was fucking another chick.

"He was sucking my dick." Oscar gulped. His truth could no longer be taken back.

"Another one of your Grindr hookups?" Oscar heard his wife's shallow breath. "That's what your annual Sydney trips are for, aren't they? They aren't about going for long walks, they aren't about clearing your head, they aren't about 'alone time', they're all about getting your fuckin' dick sucked, aren't they?"

Oscar tried to steady himself. "Well, maybe if you sucked my dick once in a while ..."

He left his sentence unsteadily unfinished. Billy, listening in, roared silently. Go, Oscy.

"Oh, so this is my fault, is it?" came his wife's strident reply.

"I never said that."

"So who's fault is it, then?"

"Look," said Oscar, "that's the wrong way to think about it. I mean, you knew I was bi when we got married. You knew I liked men. We don't have sex very often anymore, and when we do, it's usually me who initiates it."

His wife began to backtrack, just a little. "Oscy, sometimes it's not that easy ... there's a lot of stress in my life, what with the kids, their schools, and everything else ..."

Oscar took a brave step forward. "I know, but it gets tiring being the only one who tries to initiate sex. And it gets harder and harder each time, because I can tell you aren't into it anymore. It feels like you're doing me a favour, like sex is a chore for you. It feels like you aren't interested in me anymore, so I just stop trying. You never say nice things to me, you never ... I mean ... like, whenever we fuck lately, you just fuckin' lie there, like you're thinking of anything else in the world but me. It's like you're waiting for me to be done so you can do a fuckin' crossword or something."

"I guess that's true," his wife admitted.

"Can you imagine how that makes me feel? Like, I'm in good shape for my age, and men are obviously still interested in me, so I don't know why I can't seem to get you interested."

The silence on the other end of the line was deafening, but eventually, his wife asked an important question. "Do you think about men when we have sex, Oscar?"

"No," came Oscar's direct reply. "I think of you."

"But you're still into men, though, right?"

"You know I'm bisexual. I've never hidden that from you. I've never even tried to."

"Well, yeah, but given how long we've been together, I'd hoped that you'd eventually..."

"Eventually what?" he challenged. "That I'd eventually lose my attraction to men? This is who I am. It's never gonna change. I thought you knew that. I thought you accepted that." He paused for a second. "You hate the fact I'm bi, don't you?"

"I've never liked it," his wife admitted. "I wish you weren't."

"So why'd you marry me? So what was your plan? Were you hoping I'd eventually get cock out of my system, and that ignoring me sexually was the way to do it?"

Oscar knew he deserved an answer to this vitally important question, but three hundred kilometres away in Canberra, his wife frowned. Something about their call didn't feel right to her. "Wait a second. Am I ... have you ... have you got me on speaker?"

"Yeah, just 'cause my hands are busy right now."

"Is the guy who was there last night there?"

"Yeah," admitted Oscar. He wasn't gonna lie.

"So your cocksucker is there, listening to our entire conversation. He's hearing everything we're talking about, is he?"

Oscar began to stutter. "He's not ... he's not my ... that's not how ..."

His half-admission was more than enough for her. "What the actual fuck, dude? Shouldn't this be a private conversation between you and me?"

Oscar had no defence to his wife's legitimate question. Instead, he changed tack. "Maybe I'm not bisexual after all. Like, you're the only woman I've ever had sex with since we first started seeing each other, but things aren't working out, are they?" Oscar lit the fuse. "So maybe I'm gay."

He heard her weeping down the line. "I always knew you were." Her shoulders sagged, suddenly feeling the weight of the entire world on her shoulders. "I don't know why I married you. I don't know why I did this to myself. I guess it was because I hoped I was wrong, but I guess I wasn't." He heard her sobbing. "How can you possibly be gay? Like, we've got two kids. I mean, you were straight enough to impregnate me twice, and we still have sex every now and again, so I don't get it." He listened as she tried to control her breathing. "I swear this 'bisexual' bullshit is total fuckin' bullshit. It's just an excuse for people who aren't courageous enough to pick a side." She reflected on the very last thing Oscar had said. "Well, I guess I should be happy for you now that you've finally picked one."

Oscar felt her scorn dripping down the line. "I'll be home on Saturday," he said, hoping to deflect and shut down.

He heard her hang up. He instantly burst into tears.

Billy hugged him unconditionally, holding him close as Oscar's entire frame wracked with sobs. He ran his soothing fingers through Oscar's thick shaggy hair. "That was the bravest thing I reckon I've ever seen anyone ever do."

Oscar didn't feel brave. Right now, he felt like a dead man walking, feeling uncertain having just gambled his entire adulthood on someone he'd known for half a week. He concentrated on his breathing, trying to keep it deep and steady. He cried again, just for a moment, realising that when he got back home it was gonna be like wading through shit, but for now, he was still here, in Sydney, with tonight and tomorrow still to go. "Thanks for not bein' a dick," he sobbed.

The clothes dryer went bing. Billy's shorts were dry.

"How long were you two together?"

"Almost a decade." Oscar wiped his eyes.

Billy emitted a low whistle. "Fuck. My record is about two months."

Oscar smiled cautiously. "That fills me with hope."

"Well, yeah," said Billy, "but that was before I met you." The clothes dryer, demanding attention, went bing again. Billy got up to retrieve his warm shorts. "Remember when we were at the pub earlier and I said you don't need to make a decision?"

"Yeah," replied Oscar.

"Feels to me like you just did."

Oscar breathed. "Feels like I did too."

"How do you feel?"

Oscar exhaled. "Conflicted. Shattered. Like I've wasted ten years of my life. Destroyed. Uplifted. Sad. Happy."

"You're not gay, though, right?"

Oscar smiled cautiously. "Fuck, dude, I don't fuckin' know what I am. I watch a lot of straight porn, and let's just say I'm into the tits as much as I'm into the dicks."

Billy thought a conversation about their respective porn tastes was long overdue. "So you're still into a bit of frontbum?" asked Billy.

Oscar half-smiled. "Not so much a vagina fan these days."

Billy knew nothing about relationships, especially not long term ones, but he had the sense to give Oscar space to process. This wasn't the time to pepper him with questions. "Wanna watch a movie?"

Oscar looked out the window. There'd been a few raindrops, but apparently there'd been no major storm. He turned to face Billy. "Do you have to work tomorrow?"

"Nah. I'm gonna call in sick tomorrow. There's an unseasonal outbreak of covid goin' around town, y'see, and I don't wanna spread it." Billy traced a fingertip across Oscar's bulging torso. "Pick something for us to watch," he said, getting up to retrieve a couple of beers from the minibar.

"Hey," inquired Oscar, "before you press play, how are your knuckles?"

"Holding up." Billy examined the backs of his hands. They'd seen worse.

"You reckon I'm brave? Watching you knock that guy out was the bravest thing *I've* ever seen. Like, dude, I thought those pricks were gonna throw us into the sea. I was so scared, and you stood up to them."

"Maybe bravery comes in different forms," concluded Billy.

The boys settled in to watch a movie. Oscar felt desperately for his wife. He still loved her, but in a very different way now. Anyway, that was tomorrow's problem. He'd be home in a couple of days, but for now, he was here with Billy, living in the moment, and that was all that mattered.

The film ended and they prepared for sleep.

"I love you," whispered Oscar. He turned the light out.

"I love you too," Billy replied. His soft penis nestled into Oscar's back as he hugged him from behind.

*

Oscar woke up around 3am to take a piss. He did his best to move quietly, but by the time he came back to bed, Billy was awake, lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. "Are you OK?" he asked.

Oscar climbed back underneath the covers. He knew what his friend was referring to. "Not sure."

Billy rolled over to face him. "We can talk about shit if you want to."

Oscar's brown eyes gleamed in the darkness. He pressed his lips to Billy's. "I'd rather do something else," he whispered.

Billy knew what was on Oscar's mind. "Don't turn on the lights," he pleaded.

"Wait, am I that ugly?" parried Oscar.

Billy cheekily pinched one of the half-Latino's nipples. "Yeah, bro, you're fuckin' hideous," he laughed. "Have you ever had sex in the dark before?"

"Well yeah," replied the half-Latino, "but it's not really all that dark in here anyway. Sydney never sleeps, and even though it's the middle of the night, there's light seeping in from outside. I mean, even though it's night outside, I can still see your eyes."

Billy fumbled for a button on the wall, just beside the bed. Blockout blinds automatically whirred down, and suddenly, the room was completely dark.

Oscar held his hand up in front of his face. "I can't see anything at all."

"But you can hear me, right?" said Billy.

"Yeah."

"And you can feel me?"

"Yeah." Oscar's cock was so fucking hard right now. His head felt light.

"And you can smell me?"

Oscar's nostrils were on fire. "You smell so fucking good, bruh." The boys fumbled around in complete black for a few seconds, and luckily, nobody poked anyone's eyes out, but eventually, their mouths met and they kissed again.

This was one of the most intimate things Oscar had ever done. It was as if he'd temporarily lost the gift of sight, and all he had to go on was his remaining four senses, while feeling completely safe with the person he was with.

"I can taste you," whispered the redhead. He forced his tongue into Oscar's mouth as he ran his fingers through his shaggy mane.

"Hopefully not too bad. I mean, I brushed my teeth before we came to bed," explained a semi-embarrassed Oscar.

That wasn't at all what Billy meant. They kissed some more, rubbing their dicks together under the covers. "Fuck me," he whispered. Oscar had no chance of finding his bottle of lube, and Billy knew. "I want you to eat me out first."

Oscar remembered how the day had started: with Billy's tongue buried deep in his pussy. In the darkness, he threw the covers back. He fumbled around to find Billy's calves and ankles, and positioning himself strategically, Oscar threw the skinny redhead's legs backwards and upwards. He salivated as the sweaty tang of Billy's pussy tickled his nostrils.

Oscar's nose eventually led him to his prey.

He placed tender butterfly kisses on Billy's inner thighs, hearing him moan in response. He licked and drooled, moving closer, ever closer, play-biting pale white skin until, after what felt to Billy like aeons, he zeroed in.

As Oscar's tongue scraped across Billy's sphincter, he felt a pair of hands gripping the back of his head. "Fuck yeah, bro, eat my fuckin' hole."

"I've never done this before," Oscar admitted, looking up yet seeing nothing.

"Really?" asked an incredulous Billy.

"Yeah. Well, maybe once or twice, but fuck, if I ever did, it was a long time ago. My missus isn't into this shit, and most of my anonymous Grindr hookups are basic suck and fuck encounters." He went back to work. "I really like it, though."

Billy closed his eyes, though given how dark the room was, it really didn't matter. "I like it too, mate." He ran his fingers through Oscar's hair.

Oscar moved up to suck on one of Billy's nuts. He tongued it, spreading saliva everywhere, getting it nice and sloppy wet, before moving across to the other one. As Billy felt Oscar's fingers teasing the base of his painfully erect cock, sparks travelled from the base of his spinal column to his brain. "I need you to fuck me now, bro. You've got me ... like ... your tongue has got me right on the fuckin' edge ... I need to feel you inside me so fuckin' bad right now."

Oscar licked his hand and rubbed it into his cock. It wasn't gonna be enough. He spat into his palm, then stroked himself. "You're gonna have to help me," he pleaded. "I can't see anything."

"Yeah, I got you, bruh," came Billy's reply. He felt the heat of Oscar's dick as it approached. He grasped it, lined it up, and guided it in. He moaned as he felt the Canberran bottom out inside him. "Fuck, Oscy, your cock is perfect."

This wasn't gonna last long. "Fuck, bro," gasped Oscar, "I can't ... you're ... I'm gonna ..."

"Let it all go," cooed Billy, wrapping an arm around Oscar's back.

Oscar's dick twitched and flexed inside Billy's pussy, spewing a thick torrent of sperm deep inside him. The intensity of his silent orgasm was enough to make his frame collapse hard onto Billy, almost suffocating him with his body weight. Billy wrapped his other arm around his partner, wanting him, needing him, encouraging him to spill every last drop inside of him.

As Oscar pulled out, he sensed a source of warmth he hadn't expected.

"My tummy's all wet," said Billy. Oscar's fingers fumbled in the darkness, eventually finding Billy's belly button. It contained a smallish pool of warm liquid, but there were streaks creased all over his abdomen and torso. "Bro, you totally fucked the cum out of me."

Oscar's tongue licked the length and breadth of Billy's frame, desperate to get it all. In the black darkness, he found Billy's mouth, and together, they shared his sweet load.

"Fuck, bruh," sweated Billy, "that was the best fuckin' sex."

Oscar's mind exploded. How had this happened? From a safe but stale suburban hetero relationship, to going to a bate club and meeting this guy completely by chance, to his marriage imploding in the face of the most intense sex he'd ever experienced in his life? He couldn't reply. He couldn't respond. He didn't have any words he could offer that would make any sense. All he could do was rest his head on Billy's chest. He felt a warm pair of comforting arms embracing him.

Two boys lay in complete darkness, holding each other. They could smell each other, and their mouths were full of the taste of Billy's sperm. They lay there for five minutes, maybe ten, listening to each other breathe.

"I need to take a shit," said Billy, squirming a little. "That was a massive fuckin' load. You filled me up, bro, and I can't hold it in anymore. I don't wanna wet the bed, and housekeeping already hates your fuckin' guts."

Oscar laughed, lifting his head off Billy's chest.

As the redhead stood up, feeling his way towards the bathroom, Oscar could only hope he knew where he was going. He heard him bump into one or two things along the way, but eventually, he got there.

Oscar found the button on the wall that Billy had pressed earlier, and the blockout blinds began to retract. Sydney's soft, twinkling night light began to refract into their room once more. He heard the toilet flush, followed by Billy's soft approaching footsteps.

Billy climbed back into bed. "Oscy Oscy Oscy. Oi oi oi."

Oscar chuckled. His reply was a well-worn Aussie response. "Fuckin' dickhead."

The boys quickly fell back asleep.