Author's note: Thank you for reading, everyone! And thank you for your comments, they're a delight to read. JRSON - yes, I know that friendzoning sucks, but let's see how well that works for Rusty. Iamboredtoo - please tell me where the mistake is, if it got under my editor's radar, surely I'll miss it. Princera - thanks a bunch! Baladeer - they won't spend an awful lot of time in there (friend zone), just a little. This story will also have many ups and downs, to give you a heads-up. Exluke1 - Rusty is going to discover and understand himself first, and I totally agree. JC - I apologize in advance for all the miscommunication and misunderstandings. I'm afraid there will be a lot of them...
Chapter Fourteen -- It's All Nothing But A... Fairytail
This time, when he woke up, Rusty knew exactly where he was, unlike previously when he had found himself in the same situation. Not precisely the same situation. Matty had his back turned to him and pushed, without knowing, his perky butt against Rusty's crotch that immediately manifested itself like it was really, really happy with it. The Mighty Thor hadn't forgotten the punishment from the evening before, so he was getting hard with a vengeance. Rusty grunted as Matty pushed against him even more and mumbled something in his sleep. What had that been right there?
"Damn cats," Matty murmured in his sleep.
Ah, it looked like Matty wasn't that much of a cat person if he felt the need to curse the feline breed as a whole in his sleep. Despite that bit about alley cats, the guy could have allergies or something.
Rusty grunted as his cock rubbed itself happily through the thin fabric of his sweatpants right against Matty's perky ass. It was firm, yet juicy, even covered, and it took him all the willpower he had, plus a plethora of cursing and pleading that went through his head at the speed of light, to hold back.
Why did Jonathan and Maddox have to be so right? If Matty were a girl, things would be so easy. Rusty didn't get attached to girls. He liked them, he enjoyed doing the horizontal cha-cha with them, talked to them about everything and nothing, but there was this invisible line he never crossed with them. The chances of any girl getting under his skin were zero.
Not that guys were any different. Except for his very close friends, he never let anyone get too close for comfort.
And that put Matty in a very strange category, all by himself, because, while he hadn't yet got under Rusty's skin, he was very close to doing that. Just like his butt, so innocent and ignorant of the beast lurking a breath away, aka the Mighty Thor.
That meant that he needed to repeat to himself, over and over, that Matty did belong to a category, which was that of friends. Yes, they had established that. Only his very springy friend between his legs hadn't gotten the memo. Rusty moved one hand carefully so that he could make a barrier of sorts between Matty's lovely behind and his own uncouth partner in crime.
Because of the narrow bed, there was no room for him to maneuver. He could climb over Matty and get out of bed, but what if Matty woke up? Rusty would be caught right on top of him and that would be hard to explain after all that friend talk from last night. Not that he couldn't be fast, but he had a feeling that he would feel too tempted to get a look at Matty's sleepy eyes first thing in the morning, and maybe kiss that cute as a button nose.
Matty jerked abruptly and let out a low growl that sounded like an angry meowl, making Rusty shout in surprise. That finally woke Matty, who stared at Rusty completely dumbfounded.
"What?" a very confused Matty asked.
"Don't 'what' me," Rusty retorted. "You mewled in your sleep so loudly I almost pissed my pants."
Matty covered his mouth with both hands and stared at Rusty in disbelief.
"Just for the record, have you ever been traumatized by cats? As a kid and stuff like that?"
Matty shook his head, without releasing his own mouth, as if in fear of saying something wrong.
"That must have been one weird dream you had, then. You started cussing at cats, and then you mewled yourself. It was like you were engaged in a fight with a cat and had to beat him with his own weapons."
"I don't remember what I was dreaming about," Matty said quickly. "Yeah, well, maybe, I'm not that big a fan of cats. Now that you mention it, one scratched me pretty badly while I was still in diapers, according to my mom. It must be some late onset PTSD."
Rusty nodded. Matty was making fun of him, so he needed to play along. Yet, there had to be a bit of truth behind it. "Slicky Coolplums jumping on the scoreboard might have triggered your memories," he said.
"You think?" Matty smirked and pushed himself up and out of bed.
Rusty followed him with his eyes as Matty walked toward the bathroom. Yeah, that was one nice butt. Matty left the door open, while brushing his teeth.
"You know," Matty said from the bathroom, "that guy's pretty nutso. Good thing the security guys didn't catch him."
Ah, Rusty realized. Matty was trying to fish for info. He wanted to know what Rusty thought of the cat boy. He had been so right about jealousies and whatnot.
"Do you want to touch his tail?" Matty continued as he walked back into the bedroom. "I have a spare toothbrush if you want to use it."
Rusty nodded and changed places with Matty after a short choreography in the middle of the room. "He was just talking. I don't think he wants me to touch him too much. He's very prickly."
"Even so, he promised," Matty reminded him.
"We'll see about that," Rusty said and began washing his face. He stared at himself in the mirror until he managed to get rid of those horny eyes. Matty was a friend and he didn't need to see his horny eyes first thing in the morning. Fuck, he was caught in a dilemma.
Matty sat cross-legged on the bed when Rusty came back. He seemed like he had something on his mind, and it wasn't a cat boy with a fluffy tail. "I have to ask you," he said directly. "Are we still on with the tutoring and all? You know, the sex stuff? Or is this where we stop?"
Rusty took in Matty's big eyes, hidden behind his glasses. "We don't stop," he said. Yeah, Maddie and Johnny would say that was a bad idea, but he had promised that he would teach his tutor everything about sex. "We just need to rethink it a little."
"Okay," Matty said and worried his bottom lip while his eyes darted sideways.
"You're mad at me for stealing your first blowjob experience and stuff?" Rusty asked.
Matty stared at him, looking precious and confused. "You didn't steal anything. It's just that I want to know where we stand so that, you know, we don't end up in some awkward situation."
Rusty put his hands on his hips. "I see. You're so cool and rational, Matty. I mean, that's a great thing because it works for you and all. I mean, you wouldn't be caught dead in a cat boy suit, climbing the scoreboard, right?" He shook his head and laughed, mostly at himself. He was getting worried for nothing. He had been right the first time. Matty was uber cool and understood their strange relationship. Now, if only Rusty could manage to make the Mighty Thor behave. Then they would be totally good.
"That's why you like him," Matty said in a wistful voice.
"Yeah, but I like you, too," Rusty explained. "As a friend," he hurried to add. Geez, he needed to guard his mouth and everything that came out of it.
"Do you like him better?" Matty asked. "Better than me?"
Rusty snorted. There was no way he could compare them. "He's a cat boy. But let's not compare apples and oranges. I like the--" he struggled to find the right words.
"The cocktails we make together?" Matty offered.
Rusty groaned. "Look, Matty, we can't be buttfucking friends. I mean, duh. You clearly told me not even to think of attempting to take your V-card or else."
"I don't remember sounding so aggressive."
"You should be. You need to save it for that special dude. I know very well that I can be very convincing, and then you'll hate my guts. I'm trying to be nice here, get it?" He was cringing so hard inside. Nice was the word used when he pushed people away. Matty had gotten a taste and wanted more, without realizing the risk of attachment and all that. Rusty couldn't lose face and admit that he was the one scared of all that. Better to just play it cool.
"Nice." Matty nodded thoughtfully. "Come on, Rusty, be real. Are you scared I'm going to get clingy with you and all that?"
Rusty winced. "Ah, well, yeah, I guess." It wasn't like him to lie so blatantly, but he couldn't get Matty involved in the messy tangle that was his mind on a regular basis.
Matty snorted and rolled his eyes. "Like that would happen. You're so totally not my type."
"What?" Rusty asked, now alarmed by Matty's sudden confession.
His host was already busy tidying up the bed, a sign that he didn't think their conversation that much of a priority. "You're my type as a friend and as a sex tutor," Matty explained while punching a pillow in the face with all his might. "But not as a boyfriend or anything like that."
"Good to know," Rusty murmured. "Yeah, you're totally right. I'm nobody's boyfriend material. I'm practically a manwhore."
"And now that the game week is over, you're free to fool around again," Matty pointed out. "So, you won't be bored anymore, or need me to read to you about zombie wizards."
Rusty walked behind Matty and put both hands on his shoulders. "That's so totally not true. I don't remember sleeping as well as I did last night. So, I reserve the right to end up in your bed so that you can read me bedtime stories again. Do we have a deal?" For some obscure reason, securing that understanding with Matty was important.
"Okay, fine," Matty agreed but sounded annoyed.
Rusty wrapped one arm around Matty's chest and held him close. "You're mad at me. Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not."
"I'm going to tickle you until you spill the beans."
"Don't you dare. I'll tickle you back, and I'll have you know I'm a master tickler."
"You don't say." Rusty moved fast and sank his fingers into Matty's flanks, but the other was faster and ready to fight.
They circled each other in the small space between the two beds, each waiting for the other to make a wrong move. Rusty, impatient as he always was, launched the first attack, but Matty dodged him and jumped, and then moved past him, ending up behind him.
He growled as Matty began to tickle him while pushing him so hard that he met the bed face first. Who knew that nerd could be such a wild beast? Now, Matty was on top of him, holding him down and tickling his sides, making him thrash and laugh.
"I surrender, I surrender," Rusty shouted and turned, slipping to the floor, with Matty in his lap.
Why did he have such pretty eyes? Why did he have to look at him like that?
Matty stopped all his thinking by kissing him hard on the lips, only one time, and then getting up. "Come on, king of Sunny Hill," he mocked playfully, "there's a world of chicks and cat tails out there. It's time for you to leave the premises and get back to your usual entertainments."
"I don't mind the entertainment here, either," Rusty said. "Ah, it's Saturday. There are like a gazillion parties going on. We will have to put all that training I gave you to good use."
"What do you mean?" Matty asked.
