Page 18 of Jacked
Gym bros beating their meat after a HARD workout. WATCH NOW.
I scroll past those as fast as I can, ignoring the niggle of curiosity in the back of my head. The next results are from Reddit. And, holy shit, there are alot. Post after post with titles like “I’m straight but dicks are nice to look at”and “I’m not into guys at all, but I love to jerk off with my friends.”
Those twisted, tight knots in my stomach finally start to loosen. I’m not alone and it isn’t weird at all. I click on the first post.
U/GymRat98
Okay, hear me out… there’s nothing gay about liking the way dicks look. If you think about it, it’s no different from admiring another guy’s pecs or biceps or beard. It’s just appreciation for masculinity. Why does society think that’s so gay?
I nod in agreement. GymRat98 is right, there’s nothing wrong with appreciating the things that make us men. I can think Slater’s dick looked nice without wanting to suck it or something. I click to the next post.
U/HandyMan
There’s no better form of male bonding than jerking off together. I know you all are going to start commenting that I’m gay, but seriously, think about it! It’s just dudes sharing the primal experience of self-satisfying. If you don’t touch each other then it’s not gay at all. And you get all those awesome bonding chemicals and shit after, so you feel closer to your friends, which is awesome. There’s no downside, seriously.
I chuckle and let out a breath of relief. Handyman is right too. I was getting myself all worked up over nothing. It’s all just male bonding. Slater is a cool guy and I trust him, that’s all last night was. I read through a few more posts, all of them with similar outlooks. If anything, assuming that jerking off together or admiring the way Slater, or other guys, look is gay ishomophobic and toxic. What we did was downright evolved and enlightened if you ask me.
I laugh again at how stupid I was being before. I shoot a text back to Logan telling him that the city is awesome and my new job kicks ass, and then I pocket my phone again. Feeling a hell of a lot lighter, I take my time walking back in the direction I came, making my way towards Sweat.
I managed to sign a couple of clients this week and I have them both on my schedule this morning. Plus, the guys told me the weekends are always busy, so I’m hoping I can pick up a few more. By the time I get to the gym, I can’t even remember what I was so twisted up about when I woke up. Last night was no big deal at all. I’m sure Slater feels the same way.
We’re just bros bonding. It doesn’t have to be anything deeper than that.
SLATER
I feel fucking energized this morning. I practically spring out of bed, stopping just long enough to tug on my shorts before I fling my bedroom door open and stroll out into the apartment. It’s dead silent, but that’s not surprising since I almost always wake up before AJ.
I don’t know what it is this morning, but there’s a little extra spring in my step and I can’t stop smiling. I can’t remember what AJ said his weekend work schedule looks like, but as I fill up the coffee machine I start making a mental list of cool shit we could get up to. We haven’t checked out Millenium park yet, that might be worth a trip. Or we could hit the sports complex near Lincoln Park and try out the batting cages. More and more ideas tumble around in my head until this weekend feels like I’m thinking too small. Would AJ be up for going out to the West Coast with mefor a visit sometime? I wonder if he’s ever surfed before. It’s getting late in the year for the more chill summer waves, but maybe he would be up for planning a trip in the next couple of months. We could hit the beaches for a few days and then head up north to see Cas and Nolan.
The thought of introducing him to my brother and best friend makes my insides feel even more electrified. I whistle to myself as I pack in the coffee grounds and turn on the machine. At least coffee is one thing I always manage to get right. I pull open the refrigerator and peek inside, eyeing the carton of eggs and the various fruits and veggies inside. AJ hasn’t been all that impressed with my attempts to cook so far, so maybe it would be better to wait for him to wake up before I attempt anything. He did promise to teach me how to cook, I’ve just been getting ahead of myself.
I putter around the kitchen for a few minutes and then decide to take advantage of my good mood by tidying up the apartment a bit. It’s mostly my shit lying around, after all. I pop in my earbuds and put on a playlist. While I clean, I dance to the music, silently mouthing along with the lyrics so I won’t wake my roomie, and I let myself think just a little bit about last night.
It was fun. It was different. Maybe that’s why I’m feeling so hyped this morning. It’s as though AJ and I have a funny little secret and there’s something kind of exciting about that. It’s like when I was twelve and I stole a candy bar from the grocery store. I knew it was wrong, but that was the thrill of it. I just grabbed it off the shelf and stuffed it into my backpack, then walked out. I left it in there the rest of the day, walking around knowing I had it while no one else knew that I took it without paying. When I finally pulled it out and ate it, it was the best damn candy I ever tasted. I told Nolan about it the next day and he acted like I was going to turn into some kind of hardened criminal, which kind of took the fun out of it.
I huff a laugh at the memory and toss the last of my junk into my bedroom. I pop my earbuds out and stop outside of AJ’s door. Is it rude to wake him to ask about breakfast? Fuck it. I rap my knuckles against the door and wait. I can’t hear any movement inside and after a minute, I grab the doorknob and ease it open.
My stomach sinks at the sight of his empty bed, his sheets all askew like he took off in a hurry this morning. Shit. Did last night freak him out?
Shit, shit, shit.
Maybe he just had an early client. Or maybe he woke up feeling as energized as I did and decided to go for a workout. I’m sure it’s fine. And if it’s not, well, he has to come home sooner or later, and I’ll make sure we smooth everything out. We have to.
I stand in his doorway for a few extra seconds, then finally pull the door closed again.
Come to think of it, a workout sounds nice. I pop back into my room and get dressed properly, putting on a jock under my shorts and a t-shirt. I turn off the coffee machine, leaving the untouched coffee in the pot, and then I slip on my shoes and head out.
As usual, I notice some appreciative looks from guys on the sidewalk as I head through the neighborhood towards Sweat. AJ asked me yesterday if it bothers me, so maybe that’s why I’m noticing it a little extra this morning. Does it bother me?
A dude walking a couple of dogs lowers his sunglasses to blatantly check me out and a little thrill zips through me. No, it definitely doesn’t bother me, but for the first time I wonder if itshouldbother me. Like, that guy is thinking about doing dirty, sexual, super gay things with me right now, right? That’s what that look meant. My body heats and a shiver runs down my spine, but I still don’t think it’s disgust. I think it’s… excitement?
But… I don’t want to do dirty, sexual, super gay things with that guy… do I?
I glance over my shoulder since he’s long past now, and the view of his back before he disappears out of sight doesn’t clear up a damn thing.
Maybe what happened last night with AJ just screwed with my head. My brother and my best friend are gay, for fuck’s sake, I think I would know if I was too. I’m not some raging homophobe either. If I wanted to suck a dick, I’d just suck a dick, no big deal.
I stumble over that thought though, nearly tripping over a crack in the sidewalk.
