Nico's Secret Valentine

by Rob Warr

Part 1

The card

12 year-old Nico Salvatore moved slowly as he headed for his locker that day. It was February 11th, the Friday before Valentine's Day, and he had a lot on his mind. When he'd been a little kid, VD had been a big deal, what with exchanging Valentine Cards at school, and of course, giving his mom a card, sometimes one he made by hand. His dad always helped him pick out a nice-store bought one as well, and in exchange he'd receive a card, candy and other treats, and they usually had a special dinner.

But now, at age 12 he was too old for that kid stuff, and too young to have a sweetheart for real. Not that he wanted one, that is. He wasn't even sure if he liked girls that way, but then he'd never had that much experience with the fairer sex.

Nico scratched his cute nose, and thought that not long ago he would have been wearing a mask. He was vaccinated, and so were his folks, but he knew not everyone could, or would get immunized, but enough kids were now vaccinated that the school had relaxed the mask requirement. A few kids still wore them, but for the most part their school was mask-free now. In some ways wearing a mask had made dealing with his feelings easier, for since no one could see his face, they didn't know if he was smiling or frowning, or sticking out his tongue. He giggled to himself when he thought about some of the rude faces he'd made at his teachers and kids that annoyed him. But not now, now his face and expressions were open for everyone to see.

Finally, arriving at locker 124, he quickly dialed in the numbers on the combination lock and it opened on the first try. The locker made a noisy screeching sound as he opened the door, probably for the millionth time since the school had been opened back when Nico was just in first grade. He was about to stuff his books in the top shelf of the locker when suddenly he noticed something sticking through one of the vent slats. Apparently someone had pushed it through the vent, and instead of it falling to the bottom of the locker, it had gotten caught and now hung there precariously, waiting for Nico to retrieve it.

Grabbing the item, Nico now saw that it was a small red envelope, and after turning it over he saw that someone had neatly written his name on it. Nico scanned the hallway filled with kids, but saw no one who looked suspicious. In fact, no one even seemed to be looking his way. He tried to remember when he'd last visited his locker and realized it had been at lunch time. That meant that whoever had put the envelope in his locker could have done it anytime in the last three hours or so.

As tempted as he was to open the envelope and see what it held, he decided to wait until he got home and do so in the privacy of his room. He was pretty sure he knew what was inside, but the question was, who was it from?

He grabbed the books he needed for that night's homework, crammed them in his backpack, then slammed the locker door. Then shouldering his backpack, he started for the front door, but halfway there he was attacked from behind and his backpack dragged off his shoulder.

"What are you doing?" Nico laughed as his best friend Kyle held his backpack just out of reach, taunting him with it. Kyle as usual was smiling and playful, and his mood was infectious.

"God, this thing is heavy, what do you have in there, a brick?" Kyle said, gladly returning the backpack.

"No, just the usual stuff, books, a TV, the kitchen sink, you know? stuff like that," Nico giggled.

Kyle just shook his head, "So, anything interesting happen since I saw you last?"

"Nope, not since I saw you in 5th period in PE," Nico chuckled, "you'd think we'd been apart for months, not an hour."

"Every second seems like an eternity," Kyle swooned, causing Nico to laugh out loud.

"You're nuts," Nico said shaking his head.

"What about my nuts?" Kyle said loudly, causing a group of kids to look their way and laugh.

"Why do you have to be so loud?" Nico said, "now everyone knows you have nuts," he added, then cracked up laughing.

"Whaaat? Was that a joke. OMG, you made a joke," Kyle said dancing around, "Everyone, look over here...Nico made a joke."

"Dude, you're embarrassing me," Nico said, "can it till we get to my house, okay?"

"Sure, okay. Hey, I was wondering...what did you decide about going to the Valentine dance Monday?"

They'd reached the front door by then, and as soon as they were outside, they took a deep breath of fresh air.

"Ahhh...been waiting all afternoon for that," Nico sighed, "the school smells like disinfectant and dirty feet," he laughed.

"So...? About the dance?" Kyle asked, ignoring his comment about the school's unsavory smell.

"I dunno, it sounds lame to me. Just a bunch of guys hanging around together, hoping some girl will ask them to dance. I mean, let's face it, Valentine's Day is for lovers, and we're not lovers."

"So, who cares about that stuff? There will be eats, and stuff to drink, heck, someone might even spike the punch. Aww...come on, it will beat staying home and playing video games," Kyle begged.

"I don't know, can I think about it some more? I'll let you know this weekend, okay?"

"Okay, but you better say yes," Kyle said punching Nico playfully.

The walk to Nico's house was a short and pleasant one, and as soon as they were in the front door, Nico announced their arrival. Ducking her head around the corner from the kitchen, Nico's mom, Carol, greeted the boys.

"Hi guys, how was your day?" She asked cheerfully.

"Great mom, what's for snack?" Nico asked, dropping his backpack beside the dining room table.

"Fresh baked cookies, but first, take that backpack to your room young man."

"Yes ma'am," Nico said rolling his eyes, but fortunately his mom had returned to the kitchen and didn't see.

Kyle followed Nico up the stairs to his bedroom, and once there, he plopped down on Nico's bed and made himself comfortable.

"Hey, you're messing up my bed," Nico teased.

"You know what your problem is, Nicholas Salvatore? You're too neat," Kyle observed, using Nico's proper name.

"Nothing wrong with being neat," Nico said in his defense.

"I guess, but your room is just so...so perfect. It doesn't even look like anyone lives here."

"And your room looks like a tornado hit it," Nico countered.

"Nah, it's not that bad, but it has that lived-in look."

"Lived in by who, a pig?" Nico laughed, "come on, let's go get our cookies, I'm starved."

Kyle slowly rose from Nico's bed, but instead of following him downstairs, he excused himself to Nico's bathroom. Nico just shook his head and told him to hurry, then headed down for his snack.

Downstairs, Nico filled his mom in on his day, but for some reason he left out the part about the envelope. He was pretty sure it was a Valentine card, but try as he may, he couldn't figure out who it might be from. Maybe it was for someone else and got put in his locker by mistake, then he frowned, No...it said NICO in big blue letters, he realized. That meant whoever placed it in his locker must know him personally, or at least know he went by Nico, and not Nicholas. But who? he wondered. Nico was so absorbed in his thoughts that he wasn't aware Kyle had arrived till he felt something wet on his neck.

"Eww, what is that? Nico said wiping at his neck.

"Man, I hate when I pee on my hand," Kyle said cracking up.

"Gross, that better not be pee," Nico protested.

Nico's mom just laughed. She'd come to love Kyle like her own son, and she appreciated his vivacious personality, even if he did tend to overdo it sometimes.

"Relax Einstein, it's water. I washed my hands after I peed," Kyle said, sitting down across from Nico and picking up one of the cookies on the plate Nico's mom had placed there. "Mmm...these cookies are yummy Mrs. Salvatore," Kyle said after taking a big bite.

"Yeah, mom, really good," Nico agreed, "what's for dinner?"

"Bug-sketti," his mom laughed, that being the way Nico had pronounced spaghetti when he was a little boy.

"Yum, with extra bugs I hope," Nico teased.

"For sure," his mom agreed, "are you staying for dinner Kyle?"

"No ma'am, we're having dinner as a family. The parental units, have requested my presence," he laughed.

"That's nice, are your folks doing anything special for Valentine's Day?"

"Not sure, maybe. I guess it depends on whether I can talk Nico into going to the Valentine dance with me. That will give them a free evening."

"Oh, there's a dance?" Mrs. Salvatore asked, "and you're taking Nico as your date?" she teased.

"Yeah, I mean...no," Kyle said, realizing what she'd said, "I mean, you know what I mean," he added blushing.

"Why are you so embarrassed?" Nico said cracking up.

"I'm not," Kyle muttered, and Nico wondered what was really up with his friend. Usually he was so easy-going, took kidding well, and hardly ever got embarrassed.

"Well, I guess I could go. Just so our parental units can have a free night," Nico laughed, "but I still want to think about it some more."

"I think going to the dance is a wonderful idea," Nico's mom said, "I know for a fact that your brother and his girlfriend are going out to dinner and a movie, and for once her parents are driving them."

"After their snack, they went to Nico's room once again, and while Nico changed out of his school clothes, Kyle toyed with his phone.

Occasionally, Kyle would let his eyes wonder to Nico's semi-clad body, but he'd quickly avert his eyes for fear of being caught looking. Nico however, was oblivious to his covert stares, for his mind had gone back to the mysterious envelope safely tucked away in his backpack.

"Wanna play some Wii?" Nico asked once he'd finished changing.

"Nah, I really need to get home," Kyle said suddenly, "I have a ton of homework and I wanna get it done before dinner."

"You have all weekend to do that," Nico said frowning.

"Yeah, well...I just want to get it done," Kyle said looking nervous all of a sudden.

Well, sure...okay," Nico said, sounding a little disappointed, "I'll walk you to the door."

"That's okay, I know the way," Kyle said, rising and heading for the door.

"You're being weird," Nico noted.

"I'm always weird," Kyle chuckled, "it's how I roll."

Nico just rolled his eyes and shook his head, "Text me later, okay?"

"Yeah, I always do," Kyle said, waving from the open doorway, "see ya tomorrow. Oh, and don't forget to think about the dance, I'll expect your answer tomorrow."

"I won't forget, see ya," Nico said grabbing his backpack.

As soon as Nico heard the front door close, he threw his backpack on the bed and began searching for the red envelope. It took him a moment to locate it, for it had sunk to the bottom of the backpack, but it seemed no worse for wear.

For a moment he just held it, his heart beating fast and his palms sweaty. Did some girl have a crush on him? he wondered. That was both exciting and troublesome to think about. Considering he wasn't sure if he even liked girls, what would he do if some girl was ga ga over him and started pursuing him? He wondered if anyone else had a mysterious red envelope in their locker. Maybe some girl, or boy, gave them to all their friends and acquaintances.

Kyle hadn't said anything about receiving one, but then he supposed if he had he might be as hesitant to tell anyone as Nico was. Well, whatever the case might be, he guessed the only way to find out who it was from, and what it was all about, was to open the envelope and see what was inside.

With a shaky hand, he turned the envelope over and noted that it wasn't sealed, and all he had to do was pull the flap out to open it. He held his breath as he opened the flap, and as expected there was some sort of card inside.

Grasping it with his fingers, he tugged on the card and inched it out of the envelope. It was a tight fit, as if the envelope was slightly too small for the card, but he finally managed to work it free of the envelope.

The backside of the card was clearly visible now, and he noted that it had a huge heart on it, and some printing with the name of the company and a lot number.

Steeling himself for what came next, he turned the card over in his hands and read the message there. As expected it was a Valentine card with huge hearts and the words, To someone special on Valentine's Day.

Pretty generic, Nico thought, but when he opened it he saw there was more.

Will you be my Valentine?

OMG, Nico thought, some doe-eyed girl is crazy for me, and I don't even know who it might be. But then he realized there was more. To the left of the printed message was a handwritten message printed neatly in block letters.

Nico,

I have kept my true feelings for you secret for a long time, but this Valentine's Day I want to finally tell you how much I love you. Please meet me by the punch bowl at the Valentine's dance, at 8:00. I'll be wearing a white carnation.

Your secret admirer

"Secret admirer?" Nico mumbled to himself, "What the heck. Some girl has had a crush on me and I don't have a clue who it is."

He inspected the card again for any clues he might've missed, then finally reread the personal message, studying the handwriting for a clue there. The lettering seemed to be perfect, almost too perfect, and suddenly Nico realized why, it had been written using a template ruler. The kind with cutouts for the letters and all you had to do was trace them with your pen or pencil. He was surprised he hadn't noticed that before, for he had one of those templates himself. So, whoever wrote this message didn't want anyone to know what their handwriting looked like, he mused. Hmm...so did that mean it might be someone who's handwriting was familiar to him? Try as hard as he could, he couldn't think of any girls that he was that close to, even though he came into contact with several throughout his day.

He sat with a girl named Sarah in chemistry class, but they hardly ever spoke except to discuss the experiment or lesson. She was a cute girl, but she really didn't do anything for Nico. He still hadn't figured out what the big deal with girls was, and preferred the company of boys, especially his best pal Kyle.

He reread the card several times before returning it to the envelope and burying it in his underwear drawer. That was as safe a place as any, he guessed, since he always put his own laundry away. If his mom ever found out about the card, he was sure she would make a big deal out of it, and he certainly didn't want that.

The big question now was, should he go to the dance and confront this girl, and if so, what then? He was quite certain he didn't want a girlfriend, even one who was crazy for him. No, he sure didn't need that kind of drama in his life, especially given his indifference to girls.

He was tempted to ask Kyle's advice, but he was pretty sure what his best pal would say, go for it. Though Kyle didn't talk much about girls, he assumed that like most of the other boys his age, he was beginning to take an interest in them. He wondered if there was something wrong with himself, since he didn't share that interest, but he decided he was still young, and there was still time for that later.

The truth was much more involved than that however, but Nico wasn't quite ready to admit what his true feelings were, that he thought he might like boys that way. He was certain of one thing though, that he could never tell Kyle how he felt, nor that he sometimes thought about him when he pleasured himself. He always felt guilty when it was over, but that didn't keep him from doing it again the next time. He didn't know if that was exactly normal, since he had no one to talk to about such things, but he couldn't help but wonder if Kyle ever thought of him that way as well.

It was all very confusing and stressful at times, and now this new complication had arisen, and he didn't have a clue how to handle it. Of course, the easiest thing to do would be to just stay away from the party and pretend he never received the card, but he supposed eventually the sender would try again. He really wouldn't be solving the problem, just postponing the inevitable. No, he'd have to go, find the girl, and let her down easy.

He fell down on the bed and tried to tune out the world for a few minutes, forgetting the card, the dance, and his distress, and before he knew it, he'd fallen asleep. He was roused from his nap by his dad, Rick, who was shaking him gently.

"Wake up sleepyhead, dinner is ready," his dad said smiling down at his youngest son.

"Oh, hi dad. Guess I fell asleep," Nico said, wiping sleep from his eyes, then stretching like a sleek jungle cat, "just gotta use the bathroom and I'll be right down."

"Okay buddy, see you there. Your brother is already seated, raring to go," he added with a chuckle.

After using the bathroom and washing up, Nico headed downstairs and took his place across from his older brother Jake.

"Bout time," Jake snarled, "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," their mom laughed.

Nico just picked at his dinner, still deep in thought about his situation, but no one seemed to notice or care. Jake was a big eater, but like most teens his age, he burned off the calories almost as soon as he consumed them. He was active, and preferred actual sports to video games, and it showed in his well-developed body.

Nico sometimes envied his older brother, for he seemed to know exactly what he wanted and pursued it with gusto. He was handsome and charming when it came to the girls, and he was very popular, even with the boys. He was a good brother, all in all, but sometimes Nico resented the fact that he seemed to have life by the horns, while Nico struggled to find his place in it.

"Can I be excused?" Nico finally said after finishing the small helping of Hamburger Helper on his plate.

"You okay son?" his mom asked, finally noticing his lack of appetite.

"Fine, just not that hungry. I think I'm going to start on my homework, so I won't have to worry about it this weekend."

"Boy must be sick," his dad teased, "rather do homework than play video games, definitely sick."

"I'm fine," Nico insisted, "may I be excused?" he asked again.

"Yes, son," Mr. Salvatore said, not pressing the issue. Nico was a good kid, and though his dad could see something was bothering him, he also knew that if he needed help, he'd ask for it.

Nico placed his dishes in the sink and headed to his room, where he closed his door and dug out the Valentine card once more. Rereading the message for the dozenth time, he realized something. The way it was written it didn't specify the gender of the sender. In fact, it was very vague in that respect, and that got him to thinking about the alternative to it being some love-struck girl.

What if it was another boy? He couldn't help it, the thought of that caused butterflies in his tummy and a tingling in places covered by his pants. But who could it be? he wondered. There were lots of guys he knew from school, including the guys in PE that he sometimes saw naked in the showers. There were several cute boys that he sometimes thought about, but none of them were ever the fantasies of his self-pleasure. No, Kyle was the only boy he thought of that way, and that caused him to stop and think a moment about his true feelings for his best friend.

They'd known each other since they were snot-nosed kids, and had become closer and closer as the years passed. They spent as much time together as their folks would allow, and at least twice a month (more in the summer) they slept over at one house or the other. They weren't the least bit body shy around each other, and when they were younger, they'd even bathed together. Of course now they both preferred showers, and they'd never shared a shower, well...except at school in PE.

Nico had an excellent memory, and during his fap sessions with Kyle as the subject, he was able to recall in detail his sexy body. Sexy body? he suddenly thought to himself. I think he's sexy, he realized. I like Kyle as more than a friend. Oh My God! he realized, he had a crush on his best friend. It all made sense now, the fantasizing about his body, the way he couldn't wait to see him each day, the closeness they shared when they slept in each other's bed.

Many nights Nico would wake up cuddled up to Kyle, and it was obvious Kyle enjoyed the closeness as much as he did. Sometimes when Nico woke in the morning, he'd find Kyle spooned up to his backside and he could feel his morning wood. On mornings like that, Nico would lay very still, so as not to disturb his sleeping friend, and enjoy the closeness, often becoming hard himself.

As most boys do, Nico and Kyle had done some harmless experimenting when they were younger, but it had never gone past the touching stage. They still joked about fapping and such, but not since they'd started into puberty, had they done more than that. Nico wondered what would have happened if they'd continued experimenting, but he'd just always assumed Kyle wasn't interested, and he wasn't about to press the issue.

His thoughts were jerked back to the problem at hand then. Was the card from a girl, or did he dare hope it was from a boy? And if it was a boy, what then? Admitting you like a boy that way wasn't exactly something you went around telling everyone in Middle School. Oh, not that there weren't some boys, and a couple girls, who professed to be gay, but he just couldn't imagine himself ever admitting something like that.

And what about Kyle, how would he react to finding out that Nico might like boys, and that there might be a boy who had a crush on him? He and Kyle hadn't really ever talked about that sort of thing, but then again, he'd never heard Kyle say anything bad about gay people. In fact, he knew for a fact that Kyle was friends with a boy named Joel, who was one of those out and proud kids at school. He was a small, dark-haired boy with big dark eyes, and always dressed in black. He wasn't exactly Emo, but he was close, and now that Nico thought about it, he had to admit, Joel was pretty cute.

What if it was Joel? he thought, then he frowned, he'd never spent any time with Joel or said more than a few words to him, but he guessed it was still possible for someone to develop a crush on someone else from afar.

Nico groaned as he fell down on his bed, the card still in his hand, as he pondered this new twist of an already overwhelming situation. He was so consumed in his thoughts that he wasn't aware of his brother Jake's sudden appearance in his doorway until he spoke.

"What's that, a Valentine's card from your sweety?" Jake chuckled.

Nico jerked his head around as he let out a squeal, similar to what one might hear if they stepped on a puppy dog's tail, "Eeee...you scared me asswipe."

"Hey, watch what you're calling me, shit for brains," Jake snarled.

"Sorry, you just...surprised me, that's all," Nico said trying to hide the card.

"Why are you acting so weird?" Jake said shaking his head, "So, you didn't answer my question, someone give you a card or what?"

"Nah, no...I was thinking about giving one to someone...to, ummm...a girl," Nico stuttered, "that's all?"

"A girl, what girl?" Jake insisted, "Sure it's not for some boy?" he laughed.

"What? Shut up!" Nico said angrily, but he was embarrassed too. Why would Jake say that? he wondered, Does he suspect that I like boys, even if I only just figured it out myself?

"Relax, I'm cool if you like boys, little bro," Jake said, almost soothingly, "to each his own. I get it, I'm not a hater."

"I'm not..." Nico said, but he couldn't finish, he couldn't lie, instead he just turned his head and tried to compose himself, "can I be alone right now?" he begged, not able to look his brother in the eye at the moment.

"Sure, sorry," Jake said sincerely, "if you need to talk, come to my room. I'm not going out tonight," he said as he exited, closing the door behind him.

When he was gone, Nico wiped tears from his eyes and sighed. Even Jake knows something is wrong with me. Why do I have to be different? he cried to himself.

Eventually, he put the card back in it's hiding place, grabbed his backpack, and made good on his promise to do his homework. He found the work took his mind off his problems, and before long he felt a lot better. He finished all his Math homework, then started on his Chemistry, and by the time he finished that, it was pushing 9 o'clock.

He usually messaged Kyle about this time of day, and pulling up his phone, he opened Whatsapp and typed out a short message.

Nico: Hi

Kyle: wassup

Nico: nuttin

Kyle: oh, really...don't get any on ya...lol

Nico: very funny, just finished my homework

Kyle: coo...me too. hey, you wanna stay over tomorrow night?

Nico: yeah, that's coo...i'll ask...hold on

Nico sprinted downstairs and found his parents watching a movie, and after asking and receiving their permission to stay over at Kyle's, he relayed the good news.

Kyle: come early...we can go to the park, okay

Nico: yeah, i'll be there around noon, have lunch ready...lol

Kyle: okay, no problem...do you like pee nut butter sandwiches...lol

Nico: ewww...gross

They talked for a while longer, then Kyle said he had to go, and Nico was actually glad for once that the conversation hadn't gone on as long as usual. He still had a lot on his mind, and he decided a nice hot shower might be just the thing to relax him.

In the shower, Nico let the hot water cascade over his young supple body as he leaned against the tiled wall. Gazing down at his flaccid penis he noted that he seemed to have a few more dark hairs down there. He was proud of his newly acquired pubic hair, but so far his pits remained smooth. He knew all about puberty, and had already undergone some of the changes, the pubic hair, his wet emissions when he masturbated, and the turmoil that his hormones caused.

He felt a stirring below as he inspected himself, but he was in no mood to do anything about it. In fact, he felt guilty enough for what he'd already done, fapping while thinking about Kyle, and he didn't want to add to his guilt at the moment. He knew eventually his small head would win out though, and he'd be at it again, but not tonight. He quickly finished his shower, dried off, and dressed in shorts and a tee, then went downstairs.

He tried to watch a movie with his folks and Jake, but his mind just wasn't in it, and eventually he excused himself and went to bed. He feared he might not be able to sleep with so much on his mind, but the turmoil of the day had exhausted him, and he was soon snoring softly.

His mom peeked in on him on her way to bed, and she stood a moment, watching him sleep, and wondering what was going on with her youngest son. Nico was usually so bright and happy, but today it was like he was a different person. As a mom, she was more perceptive of her children's moods, and she could see something was troubling Nico. She knew Nico was going through the throes of puberty, for she'd seen the evidence on his sheets, and she wondered if it was about time for her husband to have 'the talk' with him. She finally closed the door and went off to her own bedroom, but her husband was already asleep and she didn't get a chance to bring up the subject of 'the talk'.

Saturday morning, Nico woke feeling refreshed and was actually looking forward to spending time with his best pal. He decided he'd just put all that other stuff away for now, and enjoy himself, and let the rest go till Monday at the dance.

He peed and got dressed, and when he got downstairs he was surprised to find Kyle sitting at the table chatting with Nico's dad. His mom was busy in the kitchen fixing oatmeal and pancakes, but she stuck her head around the corner to greet him with a happy smile. She was relieved to see he looked much better today, and decided maybe he'd just been tired. Nothing like a good night's sleep to revitalize someone, she thought.

Jake appeared just as the food was being put on the table, yawning and scratching his butt.

"Oh, gross," Nico said making a face, "smell that hand now," he teased.

"Smells like roses," Jake said plopping down in his chair.

He was wearing baggy shorts and a tank top, and Nico couldn't help but notice that he had a thick patch of dark hair in his pits. He sort of envied him that, but he knew everyone went through puberty differently. Compared to many of the boys he saw in the showers at school, he was actually more developed and further into puberty. Some of the boys were still bald down below, and he figured they couldn't come wet either.

Then he thought about Kyle, from their talks, he knew that Kyle was a little more developed, having more hair below, and even a few wispy ones in his armpits. He'd proudly announced to Nico the first time he'd come wet, and Nico had his first wet come shortly after.

Breakfast was noisier than usual with Kyle there. Kyle, who always had a joke or a funny story, and kept everyone laughing. Nico couldn't help but smile when he looked at his best friend, and though he thought he was being discreet, his mom caught the look her son gave Kyle and she too smiled.

She knew it wasn't unusual for boys to develop crushes on other boys, especially their best friend, and she'd suspected for some time that might be the case with Nico and Kyle. It was obvious just watching them, and the way they treated each other that their feelings went beyond friendship, but how far she didn't know. She didn't worry though, she and her husband had discussed this subject early on when Jake was born, and had decided that straight or gay, they would support and love their children no matter what. However, in Jake's case, they needn't have worried. Even as a young boy he'd been attracted to girls and had his first girlfriend in third grade. Her name was Angela, but other a kiss on the cheek or some hand holding, the relationship had been pretty tame. But it was a start, and eventually, at age 14, Jake found a girl he was serious about, and they'd been together two years now.

After breakfast, Kyle followed Nico upstairs where Nico brushed his teeth, then changed into jeans and a tee shirt. He'd already packed a change of clothes and a few other things in an old backpack, and after lacing on his shoes, he was ready to go.

Kyle had rode his bike to Nico's, so Nico grabbed his from the garage, and off they went to Kyle's house. After dropping off Nico's backpack, they rode to the park, which was just a few blocks from Kyle's house.

The day was sunny and warm, temps in the upper fifties, and there was very little wind. They'd been lucky so far this month, with mild temps and no snow or rain. Weather was whacky everywhere these days due to global warming, but the boys didn't think much about that as they enjoyed the unseasonable weather.

There were a couple of young black kids playing basketball on one of the full courts, and after watching them a while, Kyle asked if he and Nico could play. The boys seemed shy and reluctant at first, but after a while they opened up and were very friendly. The oldest boy, Jamal, was 10, and the youngest, Will, was 9. They were very good players and gave the older boys a run for their money, but since they really weren't keeping score, everyone had a good time.

The older boys finally left the two boys to their game and decided to ride their bikes over to the pond and watch the ducks.

"Wish we'd brought some bread or popcorn," Kyle said as they rode up and dropped their bikes.

Some of the ducks made a beeline for them, expecting food, but after a while they waddled away, disappointed, and in search of food elsewhere.

"So..." Kyle said as they sat on the brown grass and watched the ducks and geese swimming about, one of the geese occasionally taking wing, "what did you decide about the dance?"

"I'll go," Nico said easily. After all, how would he find out who his secret admirer was if he didn't?

"Oh, good. I thought you were gonna be a problem," Kyle laughed, sounding relieved, "my mom is gonna drive us, we'll pick you up around 6:30, okay?"

"Sure, uh...how should I dress?"

"Dockers, and a collared shirt I guess, I mean, that's what I'm gonna wear."

"Okay, no problem," Nico frowned, suddenly worried again about what he'd say or do when he met his secret admirer. And what was worse, what would Kyle say, and how could he get away from him long enough to look for the mystery person?

"You don't look very happy about it," Kyle noted, "I promise, it will be fun," he added grinning.

"Yeah, I hope so. Come on, let's go to your house," Nico said, standing and offering Kyle a hand up, "Ugh, you're getting fat."

"It's all muscle," Kyle said flexing his biceps when he was on his feet, "look at these guns."

"Nice," Nico said sincerely, "I need to start working out or something so I can keep up with you."

"Hey, we can do it together, my dad let's me use his weights and stuff. We can spot for each other."

"Sounds good," Nico said grabbing his bike.

They rode back to Kyle's in near silence, with Kyle doing most of the talking. But that wasn't unusual, for Kyle was a talker, and usually the center of attention in all situations.

Dinner consisted of pizza, and the boys ate in front of the big screen TV in the family room. Kyle's parents preferred Chinese food, and were enjoying their dinner at the dining room table.

After dinner, the boys headed to Kyle's room to play video games for a while, but Nico's head just wasn't into gaming. He kept thinking about the Valentine card, and his secret admirer, and what would happen Monday night at the dance. He was still trying to figure out how to slip away from Kyle, but as popular as Kyle was, he was hoping he'd be busy dancing with some girl.

"Dude, you okay?" Kyle asked, noting Nico's mood once again.

"Yeah, just not into video games right now. I think I'll take a shower. You can keep playing if you want."

"K...I'll take mine when you're done," Kyle said, pausing the game long enough to look up at Nico, "enjoy," he added giggling.

Now what did he mean by that? Nico wondered, then he blushed, thinking about the implications. Did he think he was going to masturbate in the shower?

Kyle's bathroom wasn't ensuite like his own, and he had to go out into the hallway to get there. His folks had their own bathroom though, and unless they had company, Kyle was the only one who used it. Like Kyle's room, the bathroom had that 'lived-in' look, but at least it was clean. The toilet was scrubbed, and the bathtub and sink were clean, even if the vanity was a bit cluttered.

A hamper sat near the door, and a pair of Kyle's boxer briefs hung halfway out of the open lid. Nico shook his head as he looked around, thinking that his own bathroom never looked this messy.

He finished his shower quickly, dressed in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, and carried his dirty clothes back to Kyle's room. He was surprised to find Kyle stripped down to his boxer briefs, and though he tried not to stare, he couldn't help but admire his friend's nearly naked body.

"Everything come out all right?" Kyle teased, emphasizing the word 'come'.

"Shut up, I didn't beat off if that's what you're thinking," Nico said grinning.

"It's cool if you did, I do...sometimes," Kyle admitted. Talking about this kind of stuff wasn't unusual for them, but for some reason, Kyle thought Nico seemed a bit weird about it tonight.

"Yeah, I know. I just didn't need to, okay?"

"Sure, well...gonna go take my shower now. If you want to watch a movie or something, go ahead and pick one out."

"Yeah, that sounds good," Nico agreed as he stuffed his dirty clothes into his backpack.

While Kyle was in the shower, Nico thumbed through Kyle's movies and found a Transformers movie he hadn't seen, and placed it in the DVD player. He cued it up and pressed pause so it would be ready when Kyle returned, then lay on the bed, messing with his phone.

Kyle returned after about 15 minutes, wearing nothing but a towel, and still brushing out his wet hair. Again, Nico tried not to stare, but he couldn't help but think about what lay beneath that towel.

"I forgot my clean undies," Kyle explained as he went over to his dresser and dug out a pair of light blue CK boxer briefs.

Nico just grunted and pretended disinterest, but covertly he was watching Kyle's every move, hoping that he might drop his towel at any moment.

"Find a movie?" Kyle asked casually, seemingly unfazed by his state of undress.

"Yeah, a Transformer movie, is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool. I love Bumble Bee, wish I had a car that would turn into a cool robot. Wouldn't that be awesome? If some doofus started messing with me I could just sic my robot on him," he chuckled.

"Yeah, way cool," Nico agreed, glad for a chance to look in Kyle's direction as they spoke.

"Wanna grab us some snacks and a drink while I finish up?" Kyle said laying his hair brush on the dresser.

Damn, Nico thought, I won't get to see him drop that towel after all.

"Yeah, sure...what you want?"

"There's some chips and some cookies, and I'll have a Coke."

"K, be right back," Nico said sitting up on the bed, but before he could stand, Kyle suddenly pulled his towel from his waist, exposing his naked body.

Nico froze, his eyes going to Kyle's mid section as he saw the parts of him that were usually covered, and that made him all boy. He noted that Kyle indeed had more hair down there, and it appeared that his penis was larger also. His balls were the kind that didn't hang down, but clung close to his body, looking almost like one big ball, but if you looked close enough you could see the two individual grape sized testicles inside.

Even though he'd seen Kyle's upper body, arms, and legs bare, he couldn't help but appreciate how they added to the whole package. His chest was well developed, the makings of a six pack there, should he get serious about it, his stomach flat and taught, and his arms and legs muscled and strong. In short he was a beautiful and sexy boy, and if he had been unsure about his feelings for Kyle before, things were clear now. He didn't just love Kyle as a friend, he was in love with him.

"I'll umm...just go get the snacks now," Nico said, blushing as he finally made it to his feet.

"Yeah, okay...see you in a minute," Kyle said, taking his time as he slipped on his underwear.

In the kitchen, Nico found the snacks quickly, grabbed two Cokes, then headed back upstairs. Kyle was lounging on the bed, dressed only in his underwear, and when Nico entered he moved over to make room for him.

Kyle started the movie, and for a while they were quiet as they watched the movie with interest. This was the kind of movie you had to pay close attention to, since things moved so fast.

They finished their snacks and stretched out on the bed then on their stomachs to finish watching the movie, but Nico still managed to sneak peaks of Kyle's body, especially his cute butt as he lay there. This wasn't the first time Nico had thought of Kyle's butt as cute, and often it played a part in his masturbatory fantasies, but this time the feelings such thoughts provoked were more intense.

The movie was a long one, and by the time it ended, the two boys were yawning and ready to try to get some sleep. After peeing and brushing their teeth, the two piled down in Kyle's bed and pulled the covers over them. Kyle's parents turned the heat down at night, but it was comfortably warm beneath the comforter.

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Nico asked sleepily.

"I don't know, we'll figure something out," Kyle said yawning, "it depends on the weather I guess."

"K, night then," Nico said snuggling into his pillow.

"Night," Kyle echoed, "then turning on his side facing away from Nico, he was soon snoring softly.

Nico lay listening to his steady breathing for a while, then eventually followed him into slumber.

Nico awoke sometime later, feeling warm and cozy, and upon examination, found Kyle snuggled up to his side, and arm thrown over him almost possessively. He smiled as he gazed down at Kyle's peaceful sleeping face, and felt a deep wave of emotion wash over him. God, he is so beautiful, Nico thought to himself. I love him so much, but I don't know what to do about it. He realized he had no idea how Kyle felt about him, or what he would do if he found out Nico had such feelings for him. And then there was the secret admirer, what if that was a boy too? What then, could he love another boy as much as he loved Kyle, or would such a relationship just be a substitute for what he wished he had with best friend?

He finally drifted off to sleep, and many times during the night the two shifted around in various positions, always touching, as if they were attracted to each other like heat seeking missles. Morning found them in a familiar position, Kyle spooned up to Nico's backside, both boys suffering from morning wood. Usually Nico woke first, but this time both boys awoke almost at the same moment as they shared this little intimacy.

"Morning," Kyle said, not offering to move away, or to remove the arm he had thrown over Nico, almost possessively.

"Morning, ugh, gotta pee," Nico moaned.

"Me too, but it feels so good just laying here," Kyle sighed.

"Yeah, I can wait a minute, if you can," Nico said, in no hurry to break contact.

"Sure, but if you feel something wet on your butt...you'll know I couldn't hold it any longer," Kyle teased.

"Eww...don't pee on me," Nico said slapping the arm Kyle had draped over him.

It felt so good having Kyle snuggled up to him this way, and the fact that Kyle seemed not the least bit embarrassed by such an act of intimacy, gave Nico hope that maybe Kyle was having some of the same feelings he was. After all, Kyle had initiated the intimacy, and this wasn't the first time. Throwing his arm over Nico seemed to be even more intimate in a way, as if he were taking possession of him, or protecting him. Whatever the reason, it felt amazing, and Nico was in no hurry to end it, that is, if his bladder held out.

Eventually, the two pulled apart by mutual agreement and headed off to the bathroom to relieve their aching bladders. Standing side by side at the toilet as they had done so many times, they crossed their yellow streams as they emptied their bladders.

After dressing, the two went downstairs for breakfast, the magic of their moments of intimacy in bed pushed from their minds for the moment. Like most boys their age, they were always hungry, and fortunately Kyle's mom was prepared for them.

After a filling breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast, the boys returned to Kyle's room to finish dressing and map out their day. However, a call from Nico's mom soon changed their plans.

"Hi mom, what's up. Yeah, okay...I'll ask..." he said into the phone, then lowering it, he added, "mom is taking Jake to the mall to get some new shoes, she wants to know if we want to come too."

"Sure, it looks like rain anyway, and I don't feel like playing video games all day...so...yeah. I'll go tell my folks," Kyle said dashing from the room.

Nico finished his call and his mom agreed to pick them up in a half hour.

At the mall, Nico and Kyle broke off from Jake and his mom and went off to explore the shops they found most interesting, including the toy store. Even though they were twelve, headed toward thirteen, they still found some toys interesting. Legos, models, and RC cars, were high on their list of things to check out, and they spent a long time in the toy store doing that.

As agreed, they met Jake and Mrs. Salvatore in the food court at two o'clock, and she bought drinks for everyone. Kyle used some of his own money to buy a dozen cookies at the bakery, which he shared with the others.

Afterwards, Mrs. Salvatore left the boys at the arcade, then went off to do some shopping of her own. Around four, she returned, and as soon as the boys finished their games, she gathered them up and they headed to the car.

Since it was pushing five o'clock, it was decided to drop Kyle off at his house, and Nico went inside with him to grab his backpack with is dirty clothes. In Kyle's room, they seemed at a loss for words when it was time for Nico to go. Both were feeling a bit sad at parting, but they knew they'd see each other the next day at school, and no doubt message each other later.

"Well...uh, see ya tomorrow. Thanks for inviting me and all..."

"Yeah, tomorrow. And you know, you could just live here if I had my way," Kyle joked.

Nico thought about that a moment. Was that a joke, or did Kyle really mean it? And if he did mean it, what did it really mean? So many unanswered questions, so many feelings. Suddenly his life was becoming one huge drama.

For a moment, Nico considered giving Kyle a hug, but that seemed too bold, despite his feelings of late, so he settled for a fist bump and a shoulder bump. Kyle insisted on walking him to the car, and they lingered a moment outside before Mrs. Salvatore finally rolled down the window and reminded Nico it was time to go.

The two boys waved at each other as they backed out of the driveway, and when Nico turned around Jake was giving him a snide look.

"What?" Nico said, daring Jake to say something.

"Nothing, did you guys have fun?" Jake said, pretending he hadn't noticed the two fawning over each other.

"Yeah, we watched a cool Transformers movie. And we had pizza and snacks..."

"Cool, I slept in your room and messed up your bed," Jake teased.

"You better not have. MOOOM! did he?"

"No dear, he's just trying to get a rise out of you," she chuckled.

"Butt head," Nico mumbled, hoping his mom didn't hear.

"Penis wrinkle," Jake only mouthed the words, but Nico read him loud and clear.

"Fucktard," Nico mouthed back, earning him a punch in the shoulder.

"Oww...mom, he hit me for no reason," Nico wailed.

"Did not," Jake said.

"Boys, am I going to have to put you two in time out and make you hold hands?" she threatened.

"No...not that!" Jake yelped, then began laughing, "He'd like that too much."

"Shut up," Nico grumbled.

"Boys, please...get along, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," Jake said turning to stare out the window.

Nico stared out his window as well, and soon forgot about Jake and his taunting as his thoughts returned to Kyle, the dance, and his secret admirer.