This Is 25

[NECub]

The following story is fiction, but the premise is based on real life experiences.

Needless to say, 2020 was off to a terrible start. Even without a global pandemic, life had become abysmally bad. 

My name is Mark. I had just turned 25. I grew up in New England. Small high school, team sports, honors and AP classes, etc. I went to a state school, did pretty well there majoring in a Pre-Med field but never took the step to follow through with medical school. After graduating I took a job at a prestigious R&D facility. The only problem was that it was located in my hometown. With 150 kids in my graduating class, you can imagine the gay scene left a lot to be desired, to say the least. I applied for months to other jobs, but finally after lots of interviews and being edged-out by someone else, I got one. So right after I turned 25 around Christmas I packed up and moved in with some old college friends in Boston with a spare room.

The first few days were great. But things quickly went down hill. I bounced my car off a couple guardrails and got a DWI (being a straight edge kid from a rural town, I had never even gotten so much as a speeding ticket). My childhood friend committed suicide. The guy I had been dating for six months in Boston before the move decided to go back to his ex. And some of my friends decided that I was damaged goods after the DWI and never spoke to me again. I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider jumping into the harbor and ending it.

Pre-social distancing, I was pretty active sexually. I'd have one or two hookups a week. I'm a bottom. I'm pretty average looking, brown hair, brown eyes, beard. I'm not fit but I'm not fat either. I've been told I'm actually very charismatic, which probably explains why I've managed to hook up and date guys way out of my league. But during this time I didn't really care about looks or anything else. Just their dicks. Most of them were one time things. I took them all and never used a condom. If I'm being honest I hadn't used condoms since I was 21. The youngest was an 18 year old hockey player at Harvard. The oldest was some grandpa in an alley near Methadone Mile. And everything in between. Blowjobs in club bathrooms, shady hotel sex, etc. I'm still amazed that I didn't catch anything. Looking back on it, I think I was channeling my depression into other outlets, mainly sex.

By early February it was all finally too much. I was walking back to my apartment. A married guy had messaged me to come over from, he bred me then kicked me out saying his wife and kid were on their way home. It was pretty early and not very far, but it had turned windy and cold, so I ordered an Uber. Only instead of going home, I went downtown to a bar I liked. It was small, nothing special but that was why I liked it. I had a  beer, then started walking along the water. I stopped and looked out over the black water for what seemed like forever before jumping over the railing that separated the sidewalk from the water. I closed my eyes and fell forward, the shock of the water sending knives of cold through my skin. I felt a strange sensation of moving back towards shore instead of farther out, and suddenly felt myself on dry land. 

"Are you okay? Stay with me, don't fall asleep", a low but warm voice said. That's when I turned my head and saw Michael, the man that would change my life in more ways than one in the coming weeks. 

........................................

This is my first time writing. Kind of a long preamble but setting the stage for later. Feedback appreciated. 

[Petereater]

Great start, looking forward to the next step...

[Sphincter]

For a small towne Boy, you sure do get around a lot. 😉 Hope you continue the story.

[shinelover]

Very interesting start. I can't wait to see where this goes.

[negchaserlooking]

look forward to hearing more about Michael and your life changes

[seattlebbbtm]

Intriguing

[HardaddyMA]

more please!

[boy4you]

Yes keep going. 

[biboy85]

Yes please 

[leatherpunk16]

Wow, how very current and relatable. 

[NECub]

Part 2: The Introduction

"There are clean towels in the closet and a robe. I'll put your clothes in the dryer", said Michael. He left the bathroom with door ajar. Still a bit disoriented, I stripped and looked at the enormous bathroom. The shower had no handles, but just a series of buttons. It was made entirely of glass, and the wall across from it looked out over the harbor district. Finally I figured out how to get the hot water running, and started to remember what happened.

"Can you stand?", he asked. I replied yes. After getting my legs under me, I took a couple of deep breaths. "Thanks for the help. I'm ok though. i'll order and Uber and head home", I said. "I think your phone is somewhere out there", he said jerking his head toward the harbor. "Why don't you come to my place? I'm close by, you can dry off and then I'll call you a car. Since I just pulled you out of there I won't take no for an answer". At that moment my legs gave out again, but I never hit the ground. He put my arm around him and started walking me towards the nearest building. It had little restaurants and a gallery on the ground floor but he took us through another door. The doorman looked at me but apparently knew better than to ask questions.

When we got in the elevator, I finally was able to take in my new acquaintance. He looked fairly young, maybe late 30"s. He had grey eyes and dark hair that was beginning to show signs of grey. He wore a white shirt and khakis. I'm not very fashionable but if i had to guess he had just ruined at $1000 pair of shoes going into the water. I could tell he wasn't muscular, but thick and bulky from what I felt under the shirt. More of a powerlifter than anything. That and his height probably explained why he had no problem supporting me, he was easily 4 inches taller than me (and I'm 6ft 4in, so I would know). I could also see the dark outlines of tattoos underneath the wet shirt, and I thought i saw  the protrusions of piercings sticking out around his nipples; though I dismissed the body modifications as the result of the early stages of hypothermia. We entered the apartment and looking back on it now, it was somewhere that I would only ever dream of living. The exterior walls were all glass, the kitchen something out of cooking show. The walls were white with dark wooden floors, and accent furniture strewn around. A gas fire pit was going and classical music drifted through the space.

When I finally emerged from the shower, I noticed my clothes were gone and a large white bath robe hung near the shower. I felt embarrassed that a man I had just met may have seen me naked given the circumstances. I may get around a lot, but I know when to be modest. There were two doors, one seemed to lead to a bedroom so I exited through the one that led down the hall. When I arrived back in the kitchen, Michael was standing behind the island pouring soup into two bowls, with a loaf of bread on a cutting board and two glasses of wine in front of him.

"I hope you like chowder. I figured you could use a warm meal. If you don't like wine, I can get you something else". He had changed into joggers and a  white shirt that left no doubt in my mind I hadn't imagined the tattoos or piercings.

"Um thank you. I don't want to impose though. I can just grab my clothes and get out of your hair." He looked at me as he set the bowl down in front of me. His look wasn't angry or hostile. It was very patient and even warm, but I still felt compelled to sit. "What is your name?", he asked. "Um, Mark". "Do you prefer Mark or Marcus?"

I thought this was a weird question. Everyone had always called me Mark. "I don't really have a preference. What is yours?", I replied. "I'm Michael." As he sat down next to me his knee brushed mine, and I shamefully recoiled a bit. It was like he had zapped me when we touched. I could feel my pulse in my ears, and I think he could hear it. I began to eat, not even considering that he may have put something in the food or wine to make me helpless (I had been roofied and assaulted before when I was 23 so it was something that I normally was wary of).

"Do you need to use your shower now too?", I asked. "No no, I have three, I rinsed off quickly", he chuckled. Despite myself I was wondering what he would look like in the glass shower I was in. "So now that we've both eaten and warmed up a bit, are you going to tell me why you decided to go for a swim in the harbor in February? I'm not sure those Louboutins are going to survive, so I think a story is a fair trade don't you?"

............................................

Edited April 8, 2020 by NECub

[NECub]

Part 3: The Run In

I don't know why, but I felt compelled to tell him everything. So for the next half hour I did. My background, where things had started to go wrong, everything (minus the sex stuff). I think maybe it is easier to bare our souls to strangers because they don't know us as intimately, so it's easier to not feel judged as someone who knows us better and has an opinion of us. He listed intently, rarely saying a word. I'm not sure he even blinked the entire time. I kind of trailed off at the end, and we sat there in silence for a moment before he asked me the one question I hadn't ever been asked. "Are you sure you're ok?" We talked a little more. Mostly about my life, whether or not I liked cats or dogs, some current events, what I was reading etc. "It's getting late, and I feel like I've intruded long enough". If I was being honest, I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. For whatever reason I had just exposed myself to a total stranger. "Of course, i'm sure you're exhausted. You're clothes are laid out on the bench in the bathroom. I'll call you a car". As I got dressed, I tried to remember when he would have gotten up to lay out my clothes, he hadn't moved in an hour since we sat down. As I got to the door, he handed me a business card with his name and just a phone number. "In case you ever need someone to talk to", he said as he opened the door. I swear he still hadn't blinked. As I got into the Uber, I realized to my horror that I had a raging erection. I hadn't even noticed but I was mortified thinking that he had.

The next day was Friday. I took the train to my normal stop to get to work, although I was a little late but that was ok. I planned on taking a late lunch and running to the phone store down the street to get a new one. I got to my desk and took my computer out. I started working and before long it was noon. I decided to wait a little longer before going to the store, but opened my desk drawer for a protein bar. On top of the bars though was a complete surprise: a box containing a brand new phone, the latest model. No note, card, or anything. Being the tech wary millennial I am, I brought it to my buddy in IT to make sure it wasn't bugged or filled with malware, but I didn't tell him where it came from. After checking it out, he assured me it was just a regular phone. Now even though I can pay for everything myself with no problem I decided to take it. If there was nothing wrong with it I was ok taking a gift from an admirer.

The weekend and following week were uneventful. I didn't even have a hook up. It's like my sex drive had evaporated. That Saturday my friends convinced me to go to a theme night at a new club. It was a leather/fetish event so I figured I may as well. I showered and douched in case I got lucky. When we got there we stripped down out of our warmer clothes. I had chosen booty shorts with a red harness and mesh tank with a backwards hat. It was a great night. My friend and I split some molly, and after an hour I was feeling great. He got us a round of drinks and was getting handsy. We had never hooked up but it seemed like he really wanted it tonight. I told him I was going to the bathroom then I would get us another drink. The bathroom was away from the crowd, so it wasn't too noisy in line. As I stood there checking my phone, I heard someone say "Seems like you're doing better than the other night." Before I even turned around I had goosebumps on my body yet felt extremely flushed. There was Michael, all 6'8 and 240lbs of him. He was wearing knee high black and red socks, red sneakers, a red jockstrap, and a black harness with some leather straps around his huge biceps. For what I am convinced is the first time, I saw him smile at me. "I know it's a small city, but what are the odds of meeting each other here", he chuckled.

............................................................

[leatherpunk16]

I like your style and storytelling. Instead of cutting straight to sex, you develop these characters and make them human instead of pigs. Good job.

[yourcummyass]

It is very nice to read a story by someone who is actually literate. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, plot and character development and everything. More, please.

[bootedrbrboi4poz]

Great first two chapters. Can't wait for more.