Miles
I woke up the next morning warm. I was lying on top of my covers but the morning sun was beaming through the window in front of me and shining directly onto my body. I forgot to pull the blinds last night but I didn't regret it; the sun felt like a heated blanket. I shifted slightly and felt warmth behind me too. A smile broke out over my face as I remembered who exactly it was. I relaxed further into the bed. I don't think it had fully sunk in yet that I was with Artie again. I wasn't religious but I did spend a moment reflecting on my impossibly good luck and sent out a mental thank you to who or whatever was responsible.
In daycare and pre-school, I'd always wake up first. Artie would sleep like a rock and I'd have to physically move him to get him up most of the time. I pushed my back against him and just like then- nothing. I put my hands against the wall and used the leverage to push a little more forcefully, this time getting a short grunt in response. I would have just started shaking him at this point, but I was enjoying feeling his weight at my back. I settled back into the bed to sleep a little longer.
I woke up again around noon based on how high the sun was in the sky. I felt Artie push his back against mine repeatedly.
"Miles, wake up!" He whispered harshly and pushed me again.
"Oh! Look who finally decided to get his ass up." My throat felt scratchy as fuck and I knew I needed to dust the radiator at some point today.
"Yeah, and I'm hungry."
"Cool, buddy. I'm happy for you." Still unsure why that concerned me, I pushed my face further into the pillow, ready to continue dozing.
"Let's go get breakfast." I let out a long sigh when I heard that.
I was happy chilling in my bed and giving myself a day to adjust but it seemed like Artie had other plans. Immediately, a list of things left to do for our dorm started forming and I felt my brain start to fully wake up. I rolled over directly onto Artie, letting my shoulder, elbow, and hips dig into him.
"Oh my gosh, MILES! Get off me!" He squeezed out.
"You have a fully functional bed. This is bed tax." I lingered for a second longer before rolling all the way over him and onto the floor.
Artie sucked in a deep breath and coughed loudly.
"How much. Do you weigh!?" He said through his coughs.
I sat up and started my morning stretching routine. Sleeping in the same position all night last night, half curled into the fetal position, my hamstrings were really tight and I focused on relaxing the muscles.
"I don't know, around two-twenty. I haven't weighed myself in a while." I focused my breathing and started stretching my back out.
"Did you bring any cleaning stuff with you?" I asked after a couple of minutes.
"I brought Clorox wipes." Alright, word.
I dug around in the pocket of my jeans from yesterday and threw my phone on the charger.
"So are we going out for food?" Artie said from behind me.
I turned around and saw Artie digging around his dresser for day clothes. Just as I was about to respond he dropped his pajamas and revealed his bubbly, hairless cheeks. I watched as his ass bounced slightly from the movement then turned around quickly, still embarrassed from the last time he caught me checking out his ass. Same thing as before I felt blood rush to my dick. Clearly, my brain was mistaking naked Artie for my girlfriend and her very similar blonde hair and beautiful ass. I was frustrated and wished Nat and I got a chance to hook up before she left so I wouldn't be so backed up.
"Yeah, but I gotta stop by Target on the way back."
I grabbed my shit to get ready for the day and hit the bathroom. Artie followed me and as we were brushing our teeth I noticed his eyes kept shifting to the door. I spit out the toothpaste in my mouth and said something.
"Dude, what's your problem? Expecting someone?"
"I'm fine," he snipped.
He spit his toothpaste out and left the bathroom abruptly. Oooookay.
I couldn't remember Artie ever taking a tone with me and I had to laugh. I guess he was just one of those people that gets cranky when they first wake up. As I was washing my face I saw a behemoth of a dude walk into the bathroom. Roughly my size, but slightly shorter and more stout. Although the first thing I noticed was his very crooked nose and pimply face and neck. I nodded my head at him in acknowledgment and he did the same. I noticed his eyes peruse my body a bit longer than normal and started to feel a bit exposed. I had a shirt on but still, something about his gaze made me feel unnerved.
"What's up, I'm Liam. I'm in 414."
"What's good, dude. I'm Miles." We dapped each other up briefly and I started gathering all my shit.
"Yo, our rec basketball team is looking for some people so we have enough numbers for the fall tournament. You ever played?" Ah, that makes sense.
"Nah, I mean, not for real but I'm not half bad."
"That's cool. It's rec so no pressure, we just really need some taller guys." He ducked into one of the stalls and started pissing with the door still open. Classy.
"Let me know, I'm usually around my room. We meet at the courts on north campus on Sundays."
"Yeah, dude. I'll think about it." I left the bathroom, already trying to forget that interaction and the slimy feeling his eyes on my body gave me. I don't mind being scrutinized, or even being checked out by dudes but something about him was unsettling.
When I got back to the room the way that Liam guy made me feel was immediately forgotten. Artie was sitting on my bed, the sun shone into the window behind him and illuminated his blonde hair like a halo. The streak of light revealed particles of dust floating through the air, and the soft swirling patterns added to an already serene picture. I felt like I was a kid again going downstairs on Sunday morning and finding my parents dancing around together making breakfast. A contentedness that you only feel when you're at home.
"Why are you looking at me like that, doofus?" I realized I probably had the stupidest grin on my face.
Then I registered what he said. Middle school insults require middle school retaliation.
"Doofus, huh?" I lunged at him and I think he knew he fucked up.
"Miles..." He tried his best to eject himself from the bed but he was too late, I was already airborne flying headfirst toward him.
I collided with him mid-air and we fell onto the bed, Artie's body completely squished by mine. He squeaked out something that vaguely resembled get off me but I didn't care. His hands were on my shoulders pushing forcefully and I grabbed them with my hands and jerked them above his head. I grabbed both his hands in my right one, leaving myself with an open hand. His eyes were darting around and he tried to squirm his lower body out from underneath me. I planted my knees on either side of his legs and sat back on them. He was officially trapped.
His shirt had ridden up and his sparse dirty-blonde happy trail was peeking out. Target acquired. Artie noticed where my eyes went and I could sense his anxiety increase.
"I take it back! You're not a doofus, I'm a doofus!" He basically cried uncle. It was then that I could have been a good sport and retreated, but I was having too much fun. I hadn't had anyone to wrestle with in a long, long time. Unless you count Natalie, and even though she is decently built she's definitely more fragile than Artie. There was something so satisfying about overtaking him. I hovered my hand over his taut stomach and watched as his muscles contracted and released in nervous anticipation. Artie resorted to threats.
"Miles. You're not going to like what's coming next. I'm serious."
"Oooo I'm shaking in my boots."
Time to see if Artie was still as ticklish as he used to be. He was bigger than me then but his nonexistent tolerance for tickling was always my secret weapon. I started trailing my fingertips around his hip bone, featherlight. He spasmed up and down and half laughed/half huffed in exasperation.
"Miles, you have five seconds to get off me." I think that was supposed to be another threat, but I could work with five seconds.