Boy on the Towpath

by Andrew Foote

Chapter 2

An interesting meeting for sure but I wondered if I'd perhaps over stretched the mark. After all I'd only had the one chat with Tom and now I'm allowing his mother to do a full CRB check on me.

Oh sod it! I've nothing to hide so even if he gets bored with me there's no harm done.

I must say I was vaguely disappointed that he didn't visit the following day but I countered this by reminding myself that whilst he might just be the only person in my life just now, I wasn't the only person in his. It's all a case of perspective and in any event he'd brightened up my otherwise dull life if only for a short while.

The following Wednesday my patience was rewarded.

"Hey Stu it's me! Can I come in?"

"Yeah great! Come on down!"

Tom almost fell into the boat, ran over to me and gave me a big hug.

"Hey! What did I do to deserve that?"

"Sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have but...."

"Silly sod! I've not been hugged in an age and never by someone as cute as you. Don't ever hesitate 'cos I can handle any amount of that!"

"Cool! Thanks. So you think I'm cute then!"

"Cute, fun to be around and a privilege to know. How's that."

"That's quite a lot. I'm not sure about the cute bit though – it makes me girly sort of."

"Okay point taken. You're not cute at all. Better?"

Tom scrunched up his nose.

"Well.... You're gay so coming from you I guess it's okay. I might just be a touch pissed off if somebody else said it about me though. No you can think I'm cute. It's sort of flattering actually!"

"Sorted! Anyway, what've you been up to?"

"Nothing much. I'm not normally allowed out during the week but my Mum made an exception today. My aunt and uncle, you know the ones with the cruiser? Well they came over on Sunday and so I had to stay in so to make up for it she said it was okay for today."

"She knows you're here?"

"Yep. No problem. She's put in for this CRV thing by the way. Just thought I'd tell you."

"That's CRB as in criminal records bureaux. It's just to satisfy her that I'm not the sort of person to harm you in any way and that I've no previous criminal record."

"And have you? A criminal record?"

"Shit no! A law abiding citizen all my life!"

"Thank fuck.... I mean thank heavens for that. Sorry I shouldn't swear."

"It's cool. Just not in front of your Mum! By the way. I'll be taking the boat up to Headingly next Sunday and I just wondered if you would like to come along for the ride? You must clear it with your Mum first in fact if she would like to come as well then fine."

"Oh wow! I'd love to! Could I try driving it as well?"

"If you ask me nicely!"

"Like raping me" Tom giggled.

"Exactly. You have to say please first and thank you after!"

Tom fairly creased up with laughter!

"I won't tell my Mum that bit! She just might not let me come!"

"Please don't! I really want you to come with me. It wasn't some throw-away offer.

Look here's my phone number. Call me once you and she have discussed it or get her to call me just so as I know one way or the other."

I gave Tom my business card which he studied carefully before replying.

"Is that your email address?"

"Yes. Why d'you ask?"

"You on MSN?"

"I am but it's best not to IM me. It might get misconstrued. Do you understand what I mean?"

"Yeah I suppose so. We get this sort of pep-talk at school. You know the sort of thing. Good secrets and bad secrets, the one I ignore 'no talking to strangers!' Oh and what's this grooming shit all about?"

"Well it's when adults befriend kids and gain their trust with the intention of having sex with them. Moulding them into that way of thinking."

"You're not doing that to me though."

"No!"

"Oh.... Okay."

"Don't sound so disappointed!"

Poor Tom blushed ten shades of scarlet and he knew it!

"Oh bollocks! Me and my big gob!"

"It's okay! I was only joking. How about we go for a walk?"

We left the boat and set off up the towpath towards the bridge that the engineers were rebuilding.

To my untrained eyes it looked for all the world like it was finished but the stop boards were still in place were they'd drained a short section of the canal.

Boys will be boys and Tom intended to walk along the canal bottom and before I could caution him against this, he took a running jump off the towpath into eight inches of wet silt, promptly slipped over and attempting to get back up slipped again plastering himself in black smelly mud.

I reached out and grabbed his hand and hauled him out.

He looked in disbelief at his mud caked clothes and promptly burst into tears.

"My mum will kill me! Oh God Stu! She'll never let me come on your boat ever again! Just look at me!"

I held him close muddying up my own clothes in the process.

It never occurred to me that maybe I shouldn't be doing this. I just couldn't bear to see him crying.

"It'll be okay I promise. Your Mum only need know what she needs to know and that won't be very much. Let's go back and get you cleaned up."

We retraced out steps back to the boat. Tom was still sobbing and I suddenly realised just how vulnerable he actually was.

Despite his near adult conversation he was still a kid inside and my heart went out to him.

"Okay Tom, lose the clothes and get yourself in the shower and when you're done I don't expect to see not one bit of mud anywhere okay?"

My jeans and sweatshirt were a bit of a mess so I stripped out of them and put them in the washing machine along with all of Toms gear and set the machine to run a eighty degree cycle with prewash.

Then I set about cleaning off his trainers. Shit what a state!

By the time I heard the shower pump switch off I had managed to do a passable job on them and hopefully slightly soiled trainers would be all his Mum would see as evidence of his accident.

I had been so immersed in my duties that I hadn't prepared myself for what came next.

Tom exited the shower room naked bar a hand towel to save his modesty.

"Well? How do I look?"

"Oh so fucking gorgeous!"

Tom smiled.

"How did I know you would say something like that? First I'm cute and now gorgeous. I'm having a good day!"

"Here. Let me find you a bath towel."

"No it's okay. I'll just go and sit by the stove. You've got enough washing to do without having to do a bath towel as well."

He must have seen me looking at him as he went to sit down as he wiggled his bare bum at me and giggled "dirty old sod!"

"Less of the old if you don't mind!"

I made us both some tea and cracked open a packet of chocolate biscuits and took them over to where he was sitting on the couch.

I never in my wildest dreams did I think I would say this but he was truly beautiful. Slender frame but not skinny. Flawless skin even pretty feet.

I was fighting an erection and fortunately for me, doing a half decent job of hiding it!

"Are you going to stare at me for the rest of the afternoon or are you going to sit down?"

"I'm sorry but...."

"But what?"

"Never mind. Just 'but' will do for now! Want to watch TV?"

"Yes please. Err.... You know after you pulled me out of the mud?"

"Yes?"

"You cuddled me because I was crying."

"Yes I did. And?"

"It was nice is all. I felt safe and wanted. I've never felt like that before."

"That's because you are safe here and wanted and before you come out with some cheeky comment, for all the right reasons."

"I wasn't going to be cheeky, honest. I just wanted to ask you, could you....I mean would you.... Cuddle me again? Like now?"

It was far and away against my better judgement but I couldn't refuse him anything at that point.

I pulled him towards me and wrapped my arms around his chest, his back against my chest.

He turned and looked up at me – smiling.

"Thank you Stu. This is heaven."

The odd thing was I didn't feel in the slightest aroused. There was nothing sexual in what we were doing and this despite Tom being nine parts naked and me wearing nothing but a pair of shorts. It just felt so very right somehow.

As for Tom? Well he was asleep five minutes later. That is what I call trust with a capital 'T'.

The TV remote was on the table, way out of my reach and so I had to endure one and a half hours of 'Strictly Come Dancing' the worst form or torture known to mankind but I can honestly say I could have watched back-to-back episodes for the rest of my days so long as I could remain in the right here and now.

By the time the wash load was done and dried my legs had gone to sleep but I didn't care. I was cuddling this boy-made-of-satin and I seriously didn't want it to end but time was marching on.

I lent down and kissed the top of Tom's head.

"Time to wake up Tom."

He stirred and muttered something gibberish then stretched full length on top of me.

In doing so the pathetic excuse for a towel dropped to the floor rendering the poor kid totally naked.

Puberty obviously hadn't taken hold as there wasn't a hair in site. A beautiful uncut three inch dick and balls that were tight up to his body.

Tom suddenly realised his predicament and blushed furiously!

"Oh God! I'm sorry Stu?"

"What's to be sorry about! Seen it all before. I was your age once remember? Hop off and I'll pick the towel up for you."

"No point really is there. You've seen it all now" he quipped, "Nothing much to write home about after all!"

"You're wrong actually. You're pretty well equipped for a lad of your age I promise you, you've nothing to be ashamed of it that department or anywhere else for that matter."

"Really? Do you mean that?"

"I would never lie to you. You are one hundred per cent and if there were such a thing as one hundred and ten per cent you would qualify."

"Cool! Thanks!"

"Let's go see how the clothes have come out."

It was as if he'd been used to being around me starkers all his life. No inhibitions whatsoever as he walked down the boat in front of me.

I couldn't resist giving him a wolf-whistle!

"Pervert!" he giggled.

"Damn straight!" I replied

His clothes looked to be fine which came as a relief to us both so once he was dressed I packed him off home to his Mum.

His passing shot. "You didn't ask me not to say anything but you know I won't anyway. You're the best friend I could ever have!"