Stand Together: A Gay Enemies to Lovers Novella Page 2

  Mathew managed to reach out his hand as though to grab onto the air, grab for his life. He was plummeting slowly backward and just before the splash, the world had gone black.

  Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the last words before water filled his ears: “SHIT! SOMEBODY, HELP!”

  AIDAN

  IN A MOMENT OF PANIC Aidan’s legs turned to lead. Mathew fainted at the edge of the pool and fell into the water. What Aidan was trained for and did as a summer job mattered now more than ever.

  One sees children on beach splashing around before sinking, people getting cramps while in water, and is ready to move without thinking. Aidan saved dozens from drowning, many more from a simple fright. Now, when the guy he hated more than anyone in his life, fell into the abyss, he could not move.

  All he managed was shout a cry for help, but no one could hear him. The pool was empty and even if someone were to be passing by there was no time. Aidan had to take control over his body - he had to move his legs.

  Moments dragged for an eternity as Aidan’s fists clenched in suspense. His head was shaking as though denying it would make it all go away. A person was about to experience the worst kind of pain - the pain slashing through lungs as they get filled with water. He had to do something or live with it for the rest of his days.

  Aidan’s toes wiggled.

  Success. He could move again. He knew he could.

  Mathew’s body had already drifted away from the edge and there was no time to lose.

  Aidan’s reached the pool in four large steps and dived head first into the water. He reached Mathew in a matter of seconds, wrapped his left arm below Mathew’s arms, tightly held his torso, his fingertips feeling the pale, smooth skin while he propelled the two of them towards the surface.

  He swam using his right arm only and reached the edge of the pool. To some water would be a deadly enemy, those who fainted and fell into it most of all, but Aidan used it, made it into his ally. Mathew’s body was light and Aidan could get enough acceleration from pushing it up, making it easier to throw onto the tiles by the pool.

  Mathew’s torso landed on the surface and his face slammed the floor. Aidan pushed Mathew’s ass forward and grabbed his legs to get his whole body on the dry tiles. There was no time to lose and Aidan jumped out of the pool, turned Mathew on his back, checked for pules while turning his head to a side and letting the excess water drain from his mouth and lips.

  Mathew wasn’t breathing.

  Aida turned Mathew’s head back to center, pinched his nose and took a deep breath. He held Mathew’s mouth open and despite all his professional training, in the back of Aidan’s mind what came next resembled something he did not want to thin of. Get your head straight, he thought and pressed his lips on Mathew’s. He blew four breaths of air into Mathew’s mouth and pressed his ear against it - still not breathing. He pinched Mathew’s nose again and repeated it. Still nothing.

  “Come on.” Aidan was panting. Fear started growing in him. He took too long to respond. “Come on, man, don’t die.” Guilt was building up from his guts, clutching his heart and settling in his throat.

  Aidan repeated the cycle again and checked for pulse. Still beating but Mathew wasn’t breathing for close to two minutes. Time was running out.

  Aidan couldn’t let him die. He questioned his opinions while sweat started mixing with the water dropping from his hair. He must save Mathew, if for nothing else than for the sake of his own soul.

  If the stars had aligned properly and the day had been good, they could have even been friends.

  Aidan repeated the cycle. On the third breath Mathew’s whole body jerked and he started coughing.

  Aidan stepped back to give him some breathing space. Water came pouring from Mathew’s mouth and nose. His coughing rang against the walls and whales of pain, choking gasps and whimpers mixed to create the most frightening symphony.

  Aidan knelt beside Mathew and raised his head, helped him turn and Mathew was on his knees now, lingering on the line of vomiting. His breathing steadied and he fell silent for a long moment.

  “Wh…” He coughed again, his voice breaking and weak. “What happened?”

  “We should get you to the hospital,” said Aidan and raised Mathew, not losing time. He knew the procedure well enough, reviving someone was just half of the trouble. Pneumonia and an array of other complications were the next thing to conquer.

  As Aidan helped Mathew walk toward the small hospital branch on campus, he told him everything that had happened.

  “You saved me,” said Mathew, his chest trembling.

  I couldn’t let you die, thought Aidan, but he said nothing. He looked at Mathew, his eyes lingered on Mathew’s weary face. For nearly a year Aidan thought Mathew’s swimming was a popularity stunt, yet seeing him put his life on the line for it made something snap inside Aidan’s head. Despite knowing very well Mathew hated Aidan as much as it went in the other direction, a new avenue. What Aidan had felt back in his dormitory, what he tried so vigorously to pres out of his head, suddenly started making sense. Blinded by his prejudice, Aidan failed to see the attraction, the wanting which was always present between the two of them.

  Even if Mathew goes on hating Aidan, he now had a chance to close that dreadful chapter of his life. As they walked in through the large hospital doors, Aidan accepted his terrifying feelings and was willing to move on. All he ever needed to an out. He needed to exit that animosity ridden relationship, that rivalry between them, even if it meant moving away or hurting over a suddenly broken heart.

  MATHEW

  MATHEW WAS STILL DIZZY when he was admitted. He fell asleep soon after his vitals were checked and a nurse attached an IV vitamin cocktail. Aidan lingered around shortly but said very little. He seemed incredibly uncomfortable watching the nurse unpack a needle. He was still in his swimming boxer-briefs and dropping water all over the floor.

  He scratched his head before he left, tapped Mathew’s shoulder and said: “Take care, man.”

  Mathew managed to whisper a thanks before his head fell on the pillow. His eyes were starting to roll and he was falling asleep while Aidan walked away. Mathew’s gaze lingered on Aidan’s broad shoulders, moving back and forth, his hips moving as fluidly as ocean’s current, his round ass tightly packed in the swimming boxers.

  He slept until the morning without disturbance. He was checked, X-rayed and forced back into bed. He rested for a long while before fast-paced steps burst into the room and Lizzy stormed toward the bed.

  “That shitface told no one what had happened,” she snapped. “Are you okay, Matty? Nurse Becky said Aidan brought you hear. He didn’t think to look for me, I had to spend half a day worried sick before daring to come around and ask about you.”

  Mathew was glad to see Lizzy’s worry. It made him feel safer knowing she broke the rules and passed all the nurses unstopped outside the visiting hours. She seemed positively outraged, but it was not just.

  “He saved me, Liz,” said Mathew.

  She sat down and made her usual mockingly sad face, caressed his hair and said: “Are you sure, Matty? Are you sure he didn’t push you?”

  Mathew burst laughing and realized it had been a while since he last laughed.

  They talked a little Mathew told her all he knew, which was not too much except how he got cocky. He blushed when he realized it all sounded as though he wanted to impress Aidan. He did, in fact, want to show off his determination and by the way it all turned out no one will ever question the determination, but skills.

  “Was it so hard for you to buy a condom?” Lizzy asked, slamming right into the core of things. “I told you to get laid, not completely fucked.”

  Mathew blushed and looked away. He wanted to ask her… It made his heart start racing, he was short of breath and his palms started to sweat. He had to ask her, but the fear was killing him.

  “How did you know?” he asked and regretted it. He wanted her to leave and forget.

  �
��What? That you’re gay?” she snorted. “When have you once shown the slightest interest in a girl? You hang around the hottest chicks on campus all day long, including yours truly, and unless you have some super weird fetish and are into Amish girls or something, you must be gay.”

  Mathew was looking at her bewildered. The way she talked about it as if it were nothing at all, nothing worth fighting or crying about, it made him speechless.

  “Also, you have a gay face,” she said.

  Mathew laughed loudly again: “What’s that?”

  “I don’t know.” She shrugged. “But you have it.” After a pause, she laid her hand on his. “Do me a favor and listen to me the next time. We should go to a club, find you a sugar daddy to relieve the stress.”

  “Um…” Mathew looked at his hands. “I’m not sure about that.”

  An image of Aidan popped into his mind, kneeling while Mathew coughed on the tiles. Mathew thought he knew what he wanted.

  The following day Mathew was allowed to leave. He should abstain from swimming for the rest of the week but it would be useful to train his lungs and breathing, nurse Becky said. Mathew used the rest of the day to study and walk around but on the day after he got himself ready for gym.

  A little bit of running on a treadmill without straining himself would do him good.

  Mathew wore blue jeans and a black T-shirt when he entered the brightly lit room. He passed the empty counter and headed for the locker room to change into his shorts and training T-shirt. Just as he reached for the locker room door, it opened and Aidan nearly bumped into Mathew.

  “Oh…” said Aidan and took a step back. “Sorry.”

  Mathew used the space Aidan provided to sneak in, smiling as a thanks. Aidan stood at the door for a moment before he shut it and turned around.

  “How are you?” he asked.

  “Uh… You know. I’m fine but I can’t practice till next week,” Mathew said. “Gotta get my lungs back in shape.”

  Aidan nodded but didn’t move. He stood, one hand still on the doorknob, and looked at Mathew, then down at Mathew’s feet, than again into his eyes. Mathew felt he needed to say something. He knew he had a lot to say but he couldn’t start. Aidan looked the way Mathew felt, and that was the trouble. It had been easy calling each other names, not knowing each other and having no interest to learn about one another, but things changed.

  Just as Mathew let the first few words stumble over his lips, Aidan spoke as well: “I’m really…” Then both fell silent and chuckled. “You go first,” said Aidan.

  “Um… I just wanted to thank you. I mean, uh, I could have died if it weren’t for you,” said Mathew and looked away.

  “I’m glad you alright,” said Aidan. “We got off on a wrong foot, you and I.”

  Silence ensued once again. A lingering question was playing on the tip of Mathew’s tongue. The doors of such conversations were open now - the worst case scenario was going back to the way things used to be.

  “Do you think that’s something we could change?” asked Mathew. He was far from willing to take the blame for their relationship and the way it all played out, but he was in Aidan’s debt.

  “Maybe,” said Aidan. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

  AIDAN

  AIDAN LEFT MATHEW in the locker room to change. A part of him, the one part he recognized more and more over the course of the last few days wanted to stay around, unseen, and look at Mathew take off his shirt. He wished he could see Mathew wiggle out of the blue jeans, then bend forward to pick up his shorts. If only he could.

  While Mathew lay in the hospital wing, Aidan thought about visiting but couldn’t think of a reason good enough. Why on Earth would Mathew want to see him. There was no knowing he would be grateful at all, nor would Aidan hold him in debt. If anything, Aidan had to do it for his own sake, for some peace of mind.

  Mathew walked out and climbed the treadmill next to Aidan’s. He turned it on and started walking, slowly at first but soon his pace intensified and reached Aidan’s level. They ran in silence and after a while Aidan felt he was ready to work on his triceps.

  Mathew soon followed him into the other room. He headed for the horizontal seated leg press, sat down and placed his feet on the platform. His shorts were tight and Aidan caught a glimpse of Mathew’s ass, tensing as Mathew pushed the platform forward.

  He peaked a few more times, each time holding his breath, his lips slightly open. He licked them quickly and inhaled.

  “You’re wasting you time,” he said, his voice suddenly breaking.

  “What?” asked Mathew.

  “It’s not about your legs,” said Aidan and left the lat machine. He walked toward Mathew, his eyes jumping back and forth between Mathew’s eyes and upper thighs. Smooth, pale skin had only hints of very light, soft hair and Aidan found himself wanting to press his lips against them, move them slowly upward. “The trick is to work you hips.”

  “Surely I need more strength to sustain it,” Mathew disagreed and pushed the platform again. His legs straightened and Aidan’s eyes fell onto Mathew’s crotch. He’d seen glimpses of Mathew’s dick before, in the shower, casually and with no interest. Being a gay athlete and surrounded by other naked men in the shower killed the curiosity in the locker room - Aidan had to learn how to ignore the forbidden fruit or be ridiculed for getting a hard-on amongst dozen other guys. Now Mathew was covered and there was only hints and traces, reviving the long lost curiosity in Aidan.

  “Nah, nah, nah,” said Aidan, “your legs will improve naturally over time, as you practice. You should get your hips moving.”

  “You’re messing with me, right?” Mathew had a faint hint of a smile in the corner of his sharply outlined lips. “It’s the other way around.”

  On any other day Aidan would quit there. With any other person, he would not bother. Mathew was stubborn, something Aidan normally despised, but he had just recently learned the world was not monochrome and there may have been more to it than he had first assumed.

  “I’m not messing with you, that’s what I did from the start,” said Aidan. “I’ll show you.”

  Aidan spread his legs and extended his arms straight ahead, he moved his left foot outward and started leaning to the left, bending his knee. He lowered his whole body and stretched his muscles, twisting his torso to the left as he went down. He held the position for ten seconds and returned. He repeated it twice and switched to his right.

  “Try doing it,” he said after he had finished. “It’ll hurt like hell and exhaust you at the start but you’ll see improvement in a few weeks if you stick to it.”

  Mathew was looking at him as if his whole world had turned upside down.

  Aidan shrugged and returned to the lat machine. He watched as Mathew climbed out of the machine and took the position. He lowered to his left side and held his level for a while before his straight and emotionless face turned into one of surprise and sudden pain.

  “Shit,” he squeaked. Aidan jumped toward him and just as Mathew was losing balance Aidan grabbed his hands. Aidan barely pushed but Mathew, having just a little bit of support under the palms of his hands managed to move back up. He then burst laughing. “It looked way easier when you did it,” Mathew said and hid his face, still chuckling a little. Aidan smiled.

  “Do it again,” he said.

  Mathew moved down again, his hands just an inch above Aidan’s, trembling a little and ready to grab for support. He bent his knee and stretched his other leg, lingering on the thin line between keeping his balance and falling down. His hands touched Aidan’s again and shivers rocketed through Aidan’s arms, his muscles tensed and he gave a little upward push.

  “Do the other side,” said Aidan. Mathew had a nervous look, his eyes locked onto Aidan’s chest, his face transitioning from the pale white into pink.

  Mathew switched his feet and moved down but as he reached the lowest level he could get to his balance was off and he wiggled, only making it worse. The next moment he was tryin
g to straighten up but he lost it, moved his feet and waved his arms. He plummeted forward.

  Aidan spread his arms and wrapped them around Mathew, their chests bumped into one another. Aidan’s heart was pounding as Mathew raised his head and looked at him. Their eyes locked and they gazed at each other for one eternal moment.

  Aidan’s mind was racing faster than ever. He felt every inch of his being alarmed. Mathew wasn’t moving either, he simply looked into Aidan’s eyes, then at his lips. Aidan forced his head to clear and leaned forward. Mathew threw his head back and closed his eyes.

  Aidan felt Mathew’s minty breath on his skin, their lips only an inch apart. He moved his head forward a little. All his nerves were on fire, his head dizzy and drunk with wanting. He pressed his lips against Mathews and pulled Mathew’s whole body up.

  He felt tingling down his spine as their lips pressed against each other. Mathew was now standing on his own feet, his arms wrapping around Aidan’s body, resting on his upper back, one hand moving over the back of Aidan’s head, fingers going through his short, black hair.

  MATHEW

  MATHEW ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN when Aidan pressed his lips against his. His fingertips glazed the surface of Aidan’s skin just below the hairline. It was all he had wanted and only now realized. It was as though all the bad memories disappeared, all the anxiety lifted and he was free.

  The magic did not last for too long as chatter from the entrance made him pushed back.

  “No,” he said. Aidan took a step back at once. A moment later Aidan turned around and headed for the lat machine while Mathew stood still. He reluctantly turned around and went into the locker room.

  All the reality rushed back into his head. That was not what he wanted. That was far from what he was supposed to do. How disappointed his mother would be if someone told her. He risked too much for the sake of a boner. There could never be anything real between him and Aidan, not after all that hatred. After all, he did not owe Aidan anything.