Just something cute I wrote. I haven't posted anything so far so I figured I'd give it a shot. The characters in this story are both 19 and its the summer break after their first year in college. I hope you guys like it!
Clarence's Discovery
Nick and I were sitting in his apartment in the dark on the couch in pajamas. That consisted of boxers and pants. That’s it. I had to admit… Without a shirt on Nick was pretty good looking. He was trying to show me this disgusting gore movie that I wasn’t interested in. I really love animals, I always have and 3 had died so far. I couldn’t tell him that that sort for thing bothered me! He wouldn’t understand and I finally got to spend the night here without drunk college students ruining it. And besides, he mostly chose it because we’d already watched every other horror movie on his shelf down to his little sister’s Big Bird Goes To Japan (which I have to admit had an extremely depressing ending) that she had forgotten last time she was here. His cat Tyne’s collar jingled as he crawled down the stairs. Tyne was still a kitten, he was at most 7 months old so he sort of looked like an adult cat now but his mind was still in kitten form.
I didn’t want to look any faggier than I already felt at the moment and I definitely didn’t want to look it in front of Nick’s six-pack, so I decided I wasn’t going to play with the cutest cat on the planet. But Tyne had other plans… He was already used to me coming over in the morning to walk to school with Nick and playing with him while I waited. So I guess he assumed I would. He walked up to the couch , arched his back and sprung himself on the couch. He then proceeded to rub himself against my back to get my attention.
“Oh is he bothering you?” said Nick out of nowhere nearly giving me a heart attack, causing me to gasp, which I guess sounded like a yes to Nick, “C’mere Tyne. Leave Clarence alone.”
He proceeded then to pick up Tyne and place him on the floor and I assumed Tyne ran off. So I started to watch people get cut up on DVD. I started to make fun of it because one character in the movie had a weird accent. I impersonated his voice badly and started throwing in lines that killed the suspense moments. To my surprise the second I did that Nick started hysterically laughing and said “I’ve been holding back doing that this WHOLE time!!!”
So we both sat there laughing whenever the character came on the screen and either me or Nick would say something weird. Nick then said something along the lines of “Oh cucumbers! If this guy keeps killing my friends I’ll have to go to the funeral and I’ll miss that new tween Disney movie!!” I started to laugh so hard I started to kick my feet because I could barely breathe. That’s when I thought I felt something hit my feet, I looked down. False alarm, nothing was there. So then the movie was about midway through and it started to get actually interesting so we were both quiet.
Something pounced on my foot and I looked down, it was Tyne. He started nibbling it and rubbing his face against it. He was playing with my foot. I held my breath and tried to concentrate on the movie. The main character’s girlfriend was about to be sliced to pieces alive. Interesting, not really, I wished the cat would stop. I tried to pull my foot away and Tyne held on to the bottom of my pants. So I put my foot back down and kind of angled it so that he could only get the top of my foot from where he was standing, the rest of my foot was facing underneath the couch. Because my plan wasn’t thought out it hadn’t been 10 minutes before Tyne was underneath the couch and nibbling the bottom of my foot which luckily for me was very ticklish.
I froze up and held my breath again trying to pull my foot away without Nick noticing as the main character ran into the room where the girlfriend was hanging above the meat grinder screaming. I couldn’t hold it though, I started giggling and I pulled my foot quickly up on top of the couch and accidentally on top of Nick’s. I looked over at him and he was staring looking extremely confused.
“Umm…” Nick said carefully, “Are you ok?”
“Y-yeah! I just, the cat, Tyne, he umm…” I stammered.
We sat there in an awkward silence. What was I supposed to say? Nick adjusted his position to face me and sat with one foot on the couch Indian style and the other on the floor so that he was facing me. He then jumped with a startled look then bent over and picked up Tyne. You could see his thought process as his eyes moved from me, to the cat, to me then he got it, I could tell cause his eyes seemed to grin.
“W-What are you looking at me like that for?” I asked nervously.
“It’s ok the cat has like a weird foot fetish or something. He attacks everyone’s feet. I think he likes the way they jump when he grabs them. He tends to bite a little too. He’s just playing though.” Nick explained.
“Oh.” I replied
So that pretty much ended that. I mean nothing more need be said, right? Well I felt a bit embarrassed but he just explained everything about the cat and didn’t mention that I laughed at all so maybe he didn’t care? So we both looked at the screen and kept watching the movie. The girl had already been rescued and we were lost.
“Mind if I rewind Ticklish?” Nick asked. He said it so smoothly I almost didn’t catch it. I sat there for a second kind of dumbfounded.
“Wait what do you me--” I started to ask trying desperately to act like nothing happened.
Nick started to laugh “Oh my god dude don’t even try. There was no other reason for you to be laughing and squirming.”
I felt my masculinity decreasing with every word. “But I’m not!” I tried. Even I knew it was over with. Now he had something on me. I got nervous.
“If you say you aren’t ticklish one more time I’m sure even you know where this will end.”
There was that word again. I didn’t like when he said that… did I? I needed to draw, I needed a distraction, this was getting weird. He started smiling evilly at me, as if he were above me--figuratively of course. I didn’t think like that --why was I even thinking that I shouldn’t be thinking things like that?! Did that even make sense?
“Anybody in there?” Nick asked, tilting his head slightly.
“I’m here! I mean what?” Smooth Clarence.
“Just forget it,” Nick said giving up.
He was really disappointed. He kind of pouted in his basketball playing masculinity. I remembered when he was laughing. His laugh is really nice sounding. For a laugh anyway. Not that it really matters cause I really don’t care much what his laugh sounds like. I’m not gay or anything. His laugh just sounds nice that’s all.
“Fine,” I said confidently, “But I’m not ga--ticklish! I’m not ticklish at all!” FUCK!!! Now he was going to think I was some sort of psycho faggy freak! How the fuck was I going to get out of this?
Nick sort of paused for a second then sighed. What was he thinking about?
“I warned you, and yet…” Nick said mournfully, but the solemn face turned into a grin, “…you still ask for it anyway!”
He pounced his arms on to my ribcage and I became a giggling fit. I was mortified, and oddly, happy. It’s a weird feeling, you feel like you wish they’d stop right now, but at the same time you want to… no. Never mind. I’m not like that.
Just as fast as it started it stopped once he confirmed what was already a fact. It was almost too soon. He tickled really violently though, I could still feel his hands on my sides. When I tried to get away he had grabbed me back towards him. I still remembered his hands touching my skin. My face felt warm.
“You ok? Your face is beat red. Dude there’s nothing wrong with being ticklish,” He laughed, “I think everyone is. Just not everywhere like you”
“Is that so?” I grinned, intrigued, “Does everyone include you?”
“It does,” He said imitating my intrigued voice, “Do I sense a battle?”
“I think you do,” I replied.
With that Nick stood up from the couch and alongside the side table. He then proceeded to cover his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I asked very confused.
“Giving you 20 seconds to hide. You and I both know you are going to lose.”
“You’re an ass.”
“I know.”
Rather than hiding, I decided I’d quietly walk up to him from behind since he was facing the wall. The numbers were getting smaller and smaller as I positioned my hands hovering above his sides. 3...2...1 I attacked, he gasped in surprise and his reflexes caused his elbows to accidentally invade either side of my chest. I stumbled backwards, tripped over one of his sisters toys, landed shoulder blades first on the wooden floor causing my head to slam against it. When I opened my eyes it was tomorrow.
I woke up with an stabbing headache and attempted to sit up with a grunt. I quickly laid back down when I discovered that made my head feel worse. That’s when I noticed I was in a bed and under covers. I also just so happened to notice Nick was lying next to me asleep, he was lying on top of the covers. I looked at the clock and it was 9AM. I reached out my hand slowly. He was lying next to me in a bed. I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t exactly recall what had happened the night before but all I was thinking of was his sleeping face. My hand finally made contact with his cheek and his eyes shot open and he lifted himself up and crawled over to me. Which was kind of funny but I was still a bit too startled to say anything.
“Thank God!! Jesus Christ thank God!! I swear you had me freaking out last night I thought I killed you!” Nick said completely out of breath.
“What happened..?” I asked scratching my head.
“You went to tickle me I think but I elbowed you and you fell and hit your head and oh my God you gave me a fucking heart attack!” He said and… he looked scared.
He cared. Mr. Popular Nicholas the Basketball Jock cared about someone like me, whatever that is.
“What’s wrong? Are you ok? OK that was a dumb question but really what’s the matter?” Nick panicked.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m completely fine.” I said a bit shocked. Did I look sad? I didn’t feel sad at all. I was actually very happy somehow.
“Clarence, you’re crying. Something is wrong,” Nick said dead serious, his tone sent a chill down my back.
I put my hand up to my cheek. He was right, I was crying. I didn’t feel sad though, and the headaches weren’t that bad. I guess… “I’ve never felt this happy before,” I whispered.
“Huh?” Nick said notifying me that I was speaking out loud.
“Nothing!” I said blushing. That sounded way too gay. There was no way I’d ever say that out loud again.
“Don’t lie to me. I can’t take liars.” Nick said in that same serious tone.
I got scared. I could’ve said I’ve never felt that happy before but… Why was I that happy? What reason did I have to be crying tears of joy?
I just stared. I sat up to confront him but I didn’t know what to tell him. “I… I don’t know why.”
He looked at me and shook his head with disappointment. The next few tears I shed weren’t happy. Nicholas just looked away. It was better that way. We shouldn’t have been friends anyway. He deserved to have better friends than someone like I was. He deserved better than me.
My face felt hot and I began to start heaving sobs. He looked back at me kind of shocked. I shut my eyes and bent my knees up and hid my face in my folded arms. I was pathetic. I didn’t want him to see me like this.
He put an arm around me but I shook my head and tried to pull away but he was stronger than I was. He put his other arm around me as well and pulled me into a tight hug. I started to sob heavier on his bare shoulder. He began to stroke my back and whisper things like “Shh, its ok,” to me. I eventually calmed down on his smooth, warm, shoulder.
I looked up at him and said “Thank you,”
“Don’t worry about it.. Was it something I said that made you--” Nick started before I cut him off.
“No!! You didn’t do anything wrong. Everything you did was perfect!” I exclaimed.
“Perfect?”
“I mean really good..?” How was I going to get out of this?
“What did I do that was perfect? You woke up and I was asleep,” He half-laughed.
He made it so that now I had to tell the truth. What was I going to say? I loved watching you sleep? I enjoyed listening to your laughter? I thought you were very good looking? I was thrilled when you touched me? That’s when I realized what the truth was.
“I cried because you cared about me, and well, that made me happy I guess…I started to cry harder when I realized you didn’t care about me…the way I hoped you did or something. I don’t know” I tried to explain. I’d never felt so awkward before.
“Umm.. Are you--I don’t mean this in a bad way or anything it’s just a question! But, are you gay?” he asked, sort of emphasizing the last word more than he had to.
I looked down at the covers where my feet were and fiddled around with my feet so that I didn’t feel so strange.
“I guess… I am.”
“Oh.. I like you Clarence, I mean it I really like you. But I don’t think I’m, well, that way. You are my best friend right now. I never felt this comfortable around anyone before so I‘m letting you know that right now you are my still my best friend because who you like doesn’t make a difference to me. I‘m just not interested in you like that. I really am sorry if I sound like I jerk right now I was just kind of caught off guard, you know?” He said, trying his best I guess. I don’t think anyone is prepared to have their best friend suddenly become a fucking dirty fag.
I half smiled. The other half was screaming.
He hugged me again and gave a bit of a snuggle as he adjusted his arms.
“Hey come on, it’s ok. Cheer up, man!” He said squeezing me with the last sentence.
“Nah.. I think I should just go ho--!!!”
He began to tickle my sides before I could finish my sentence making me explode in giggles because I had been caught off guard.
“I said cheer up!” He said with fake anger, causing me to laugh harder, “We’re going to the movies!!”
He’d let up with the tickling, but my smile stayed. “What are we seeing?”
“A chick flick to celebrate you coming out”
“You’re a dick”
“Yeah I know. But that’s what makes me attractive.”
“You’re still a dick.”
Clarence's Discovery
Nick and I were sitting in his apartment in the dark on the couch in pajamas. That consisted of boxers and pants. That’s it. I had to admit… Without a shirt on Nick was pretty good looking. He was trying to show me this disgusting gore movie that I wasn’t interested in. I really love animals, I always have and 3 had died so far. I couldn’t tell him that that sort for thing bothered me! He wouldn’t understand and I finally got to spend the night here without drunk college students ruining it. And besides, he mostly chose it because we’d already watched every other horror movie on his shelf down to his little sister’s Big Bird Goes To Japan (which I have to admit had an extremely depressing ending) that she had forgotten last time she was here. His cat Tyne’s collar jingled as he crawled down the stairs. Tyne was still a kitten, he was at most 7 months old so he sort of looked like an adult cat now but his mind was still in kitten form.
I didn’t want to look any faggier than I already felt at the moment and I definitely didn’t want to look it in front of Nick’s six-pack, so I decided I wasn’t going to play with the cutest cat on the planet. But Tyne had other plans… He was already used to me coming over in the morning to walk to school with Nick and playing with him while I waited. So I guess he assumed I would. He walked up to the couch , arched his back and sprung himself on the couch. He then proceeded to rub himself against my back to get my attention.
“Oh is he bothering you?” said Nick out of nowhere nearly giving me a heart attack, causing me to gasp, which I guess sounded like a yes to Nick, “C’mere Tyne. Leave Clarence alone.”
He proceeded then to pick up Tyne and place him on the floor and I assumed Tyne ran off. So I started to watch people get cut up on DVD. I started to make fun of it because one character in the movie had a weird accent. I impersonated his voice badly and started throwing in lines that killed the suspense moments. To my surprise the second I did that Nick started hysterically laughing and said “I’ve been holding back doing that this WHOLE time!!!”
So we both sat there laughing whenever the character came on the screen and either me or Nick would say something weird. Nick then said something along the lines of “Oh cucumbers! If this guy keeps killing my friends I’ll have to go to the funeral and I’ll miss that new tween Disney movie!!” I started to laugh so hard I started to kick my feet because I could barely breathe. That’s when I thought I felt something hit my feet, I looked down. False alarm, nothing was there. So then the movie was about midway through and it started to get actually interesting so we were both quiet.
Something pounced on my foot and I looked down, it was Tyne. He started nibbling it and rubbing his face against it. He was playing with my foot. I held my breath and tried to concentrate on the movie. The main character’s girlfriend was about to be sliced to pieces alive. Interesting, not really, I wished the cat would stop. I tried to pull my foot away and Tyne held on to the bottom of my pants. So I put my foot back down and kind of angled it so that he could only get the top of my foot from where he was standing, the rest of my foot was facing underneath the couch. Because my plan wasn’t thought out it hadn’t been 10 minutes before Tyne was underneath the couch and nibbling the bottom of my foot which luckily for me was very ticklish.
I froze up and held my breath again trying to pull my foot away without Nick noticing as the main character ran into the room where the girlfriend was hanging above the meat grinder screaming. I couldn’t hold it though, I started giggling and I pulled my foot quickly up on top of the couch and accidentally on top of Nick’s. I looked over at him and he was staring looking extremely confused.
“Umm…” Nick said carefully, “Are you ok?”
“Y-yeah! I just, the cat, Tyne, he umm…” I stammered.
We sat there in an awkward silence. What was I supposed to say? Nick adjusted his position to face me and sat with one foot on the couch Indian style and the other on the floor so that he was facing me. He then jumped with a startled look then bent over and picked up Tyne. You could see his thought process as his eyes moved from me, to the cat, to me then he got it, I could tell cause his eyes seemed to grin.
“W-What are you looking at me like that for?” I asked nervously.
“It’s ok the cat has like a weird foot fetish or something. He attacks everyone’s feet. I think he likes the way they jump when he grabs them. He tends to bite a little too. He’s just playing though.” Nick explained.
“Oh.” I replied
So that pretty much ended that. I mean nothing more need be said, right? Well I felt a bit embarrassed but he just explained everything about the cat and didn’t mention that I laughed at all so maybe he didn’t care? So we both looked at the screen and kept watching the movie. The girl had already been rescued and we were lost.
“Mind if I rewind Ticklish?” Nick asked. He said it so smoothly I almost didn’t catch it. I sat there for a second kind of dumbfounded.
“Wait what do you me--” I started to ask trying desperately to act like nothing happened.
Nick started to laugh “Oh my god dude don’t even try. There was no other reason for you to be laughing and squirming.”
I felt my masculinity decreasing with every word. “But I’m not!” I tried. Even I knew it was over with. Now he had something on me. I got nervous.
“If you say you aren’t ticklish one more time I’m sure even you know where this will end.”
There was that word again. I didn’t like when he said that… did I? I needed to draw, I needed a distraction, this was getting weird. He started smiling evilly at me, as if he were above me--figuratively of course. I didn’t think like that --why was I even thinking that I shouldn’t be thinking things like that?! Did that even make sense?
“Anybody in there?” Nick asked, tilting his head slightly.
“I’m here! I mean what?” Smooth Clarence.
“Just forget it,” Nick said giving up.
He was really disappointed. He kind of pouted in his basketball playing masculinity. I remembered when he was laughing. His laugh is really nice sounding. For a laugh anyway. Not that it really matters cause I really don’t care much what his laugh sounds like. I’m not gay or anything. His laugh just sounds nice that’s all.
“Fine,” I said confidently, “But I’m not ga--ticklish! I’m not ticklish at all!” FUCK!!! Now he was going to think I was some sort of psycho faggy freak! How the fuck was I going to get out of this?
Nick sort of paused for a second then sighed. What was he thinking about?
“I warned you, and yet…” Nick said mournfully, but the solemn face turned into a grin, “…you still ask for it anyway!”
He pounced his arms on to my ribcage and I became a giggling fit. I was mortified, and oddly, happy. It’s a weird feeling, you feel like you wish they’d stop right now, but at the same time you want to… no. Never mind. I’m not like that.
Just as fast as it started it stopped once he confirmed what was already a fact. It was almost too soon. He tickled really violently though, I could still feel his hands on my sides. When I tried to get away he had grabbed me back towards him. I still remembered his hands touching my skin. My face felt warm.
“You ok? Your face is beat red. Dude there’s nothing wrong with being ticklish,” He laughed, “I think everyone is. Just not everywhere like you”
“Is that so?” I grinned, intrigued, “Does everyone include you?”
“It does,” He said imitating my intrigued voice, “Do I sense a battle?”
“I think you do,” I replied.
With that Nick stood up from the couch and alongside the side table. He then proceeded to cover his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I asked very confused.
“Giving you 20 seconds to hide. You and I both know you are going to lose.”
“You’re an ass.”
“I know.”
Rather than hiding, I decided I’d quietly walk up to him from behind since he was facing the wall. The numbers were getting smaller and smaller as I positioned my hands hovering above his sides. 3...2...1 I attacked, he gasped in surprise and his reflexes caused his elbows to accidentally invade either side of my chest. I stumbled backwards, tripped over one of his sisters toys, landed shoulder blades first on the wooden floor causing my head to slam against it. When I opened my eyes it was tomorrow.
I woke up with an stabbing headache and attempted to sit up with a grunt. I quickly laid back down when I discovered that made my head feel worse. That’s when I noticed I was in a bed and under covers. I also just so happened to notice Nick was lying next to me asleep, he was lying on top of the covers. I looked at the clock and it was 9AM. I reached out my hand slowly. He was lying next to me in a bed. I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t exactly recall what had happened the night before but all I was thinking of was his sleeping face. My hand finally made contact with his cheek and his eyes shot open and he lifted himself up and crawled over to me. Which was kind of funny but I was still a bit too startled to say anything.
“Thank God!! Jesus Christ thank God!! I swear you had me freaking out last night I thought I killed you!” Nick said completely out of breath.
“What happened..?” I asked scratching my head.
“You went to tickle me I think but I elbowed you and you fell and hit your head and oh my God you gave me a fucking heart attack!” He said and… he looked scared.
He cared. Mr. Popular Nicholas the Basketball Jock cared about someone like me, whatever that is.
“What’s wrong? Are you ok? OK that was a dumb question but really what’s the matter?” Nick panicked.
“Nothing’s wrong. I’m completely fine.” I said a bit shocked. Did I look sad? I didn’t feel sad at all. I was actually very happy somehow.
“Clarence, you’re crying. Something is wrong,” Nick said dead serious, his tone sent a chill down my back.
I put my hand up to my cheek. He was right, I was crying. I didn’t feel sad though, and the headaches weren’t that bad. I guess… “I’ve never felt this happy before,” I whispered.
“Huh?” Nick said notifying me that I was speaking out loud.
“Nothing!” I said blushing. That sounded way too gay. There was no way I’d ever say that out loud again.
“Don’t lie to me. I can’t take liars.” Nick said in that same serious tone.
I got scared. I could’ve said I’ve never felt that happy before but… Why was I that happy? What reason did I have to be crying tears of joy?
I just stared. I sat up to confront him but I didn’t know what to tell him. “I… I don’t know why.”
He looked at me and shook his head with disappointment. The next few tears I shed weren’t happy. Nicholas just looked away. It was better that way. We shouldn’t have been friends anyway. He deserved to have better friends than someone like I was. He deserved better than me.
My face felt hot and I began to start heaving sobs. He looked back at me kind of shocked. I shut my eyes and bent my knees up and hid my face in my folded arms. I was pathetic. I didn’t want him to see me like this.
He put an arm around me but I shook my head and tried to pull away but he was stronger than I was. He put his other arm around me as well and pulled me into a tight hug. I started to sob heavier on his bare shoulder. He began to stroke my back and whisper things like “Shh, its ok,” to me. I eventually calmed down on his smooth, warm, shoulder.
I looked up at him and said “Thank you,”
“Don’t worry about it.. Was it something I said that made you--” Nick started before I cut him off.
“No!! You didn’t do anything wrong. Everything you did was perfect!” I exclaimed.
“Perfect?”
“I mean really good..?” How was I going to get out of this?
“What did I do that was perfect? You woke up and I was asleep,” He half-laughed.
He made it so that now I had to tell the truth. What was I going to say? I loved watching you sleep? I enjoyed listening to your laughter? I thought you were very good looking? I was thrilled when you touched me? That’s when I realized what the truth was.
“I cried because you cared about me, and well, that made me happy I guess…I started to cry harder when I realized you didn’t care about me…the way I hoped you did or something. I don’t know” I tried to explain. I’d never felt so awkward before.
“Umm.. Are you--I don’t mean this in a bad way or anything it’s just a question! But, are you gay?” he asked, sort of emphasizing the last word more than he had to.
I looked down at the covers where my feet were and fiddled around with my feet so that I didn’t feel so strange.
“I guess… I am.”
“Oh.. I like you Clarence, I mean it I really like you. But I don’t think I’m, well, that way. You are my best friend right now. I never felt this comfortable around anyone before so I‘m letting you know that right now you are my still my best friend because who you like doesn’t make a difference to me. I‘m just not interested in you like that. I really am sorry if I sound like I jerk right now I was just kind of caught off guard, you know?” He said, trying his best I guess. I don’t think anyone is prepared to have their best friend suddenly become a fucking dirty fag.
I half smiled. The other half was screaming.
He hugged me again and gave a bit of a snuggle as he adjusted his arms.
“Hey come on, it’s ok. Cheer up, man!” He said squeezing me with the last sentence.
“Nah.. I think I should just go ho--!!!”
He began to tickle my sides before I could finish my sentence making me explode in giggles because I had been caught off guard.
“I said cheer up!” He said with fake anger, causing me to laugh harder, “We’re going to the movies!!”
He’d let up with the tickling, but my smile stayed. “What are we seeing?”
“A chick flick to celebrate you coming out”
“You’re a dick”
“Yeah I know. But that’s what makes me attractive.”
“You’re still a dick.”
