"Look, about last night," Jake said, walking into the kitchen. It was the morning after I'd stormed out of his bedroom and he was, no doubt, going to try to make amends.
I figured I knew what my cousin was going to say. That he was sorry he'd messed things up by coming on too sexy with me and that he promised he'd back off if I agreed to stick around a while longer with him and Uncle Rob.
But all he managed was, "No hard feelings, okay?"
I turned to face him, waiting for the kettle to boil. He was wearing just his t-shirt and boxers and at twenty-years-old, a couple of years older than me, his six foot frame was becoming quite toned and muscular.
I replied, "I'm just making a coffee then I'm gonna shoot through after I've filled up my backpack."
"Maybe that's for the best," he nodded, walking past me to grab a cup from the shelf.
Surprised, I asked him what he meant.
"If you're getting freaked out by the way dad and I are so sexually open about stuff, you're probably not going to be that comfortable staying here."
Seeing how hurt I must have looked, he patted my arm and went on, "You're welcome to stay with us - I know I can speak for dad on that score - and we both love having you around... you're loads of fun and we both enjoy getting to know you..."
"So why are you saying it's for the best if I leave?"
"Because you looked totally blown-over last night when dad walked in on us squatting on the floor together and... you know... playing about..."
"I wouldn't say I was blown-over... just caught a bit off-guard..."
"Well - no offence mate - but you look like you haven't slept a wink. If a bit of jokey sex stuff is gonna get you so wound up, our house might not be the most suitable place for you to stay."
Now I really was feeling messed up. I'd expected him to start pleading with me to stay, but here he was basically telling me to either get with the program or the get the fuck out.
"The thing is Shane," he went on, "I think you'd get a lot out of staying with the two of us. We had fun last night - at least we did until you got all weirded-out - and I reckon you could learn a lot from me and my dad. We could learn stuff from you too, but not if you're gonna flounce off back to your bedroom every time you get a hard-on..."
"I'm not that much of a Melv," I said back. "We wanked off together the other night - that was gold, mate... I was kinda hoping we could do it again."
"We can," he smiled. "As often as you like! But last night you really lost it, just because I was joking around rubbing the front of my jeans against your butt..."
"It wasn't that!" I countered. "That felt ripper... you saw how horny it made me..."
"What was it, then?" he asked, sounding more caring now that he realised it wasn't anything that he'd done that had triggered my reaction.
Spooning some coffee into both our cups, I tried to explain. "It was after your dad walked in on us and said that... well... basically you should shag me for real while he was in his bedrooom playing around with his girlfriend..."
Jake smiled and grabbed the boiled kettle to finish off making our drinks. "I think he was just joking, but... you know... even if he wasn't, what would be the big deal about that?"
"Your dad wouldn't mind if you were rootin' me up the butt?" I asked him.
"He'd probably be well chuffed," he grinned. "He likes that I play around with guys as well as girls and I think he'd be really pleased that I was helping you figure out if you like that too."
He chuckled at my stunned expression and said, "But like I said, Shane... I really think he was just joking!"
I stared at him as he put the kettle back on its stand and he walked over to the fridge to fetch the milk.
After he'd poured it, he patted my arm again and said, "We're a very sexual pair of guys, me and my dad. He gets up to some stuff that would probably surprise you and I think he's kinda proud that seeing how liberated he has become has given me the confidence to explore my own sexuality."
I nodded and he beamed a really warm smiled at me.
He said, "I'd like to give you that same confidence, buddy. But you've gotta trust me and my dad a bit more... you might find you enjoy stuff you didn't know you would..."
I tried to smile back at him. "It's just tough for me, Jake. It's so different from what I'm used to..."
"I know, Shane," he nodded, rubbing me affectionately on the shoulder. "And we'll take it as slow as you like if you want to give us both a chance."
"Yeah... I reckon I'd like that, mate..."
He grinned at my agreement and stirred the milk into our coffee.
===
I think my cousin kept a deliberate distance the rest of the day, giving me time think through the suggestion he'd made about experimenting sexually while I was staying with him and Uncle Rob.
The only time that there was direct reference to sex from him was when we were on the train together on the way back from a day out in Corby. He'd guffawed at some story on the newsfeed on his phone about some girl's dad who had accidentally snapchatted her a picture of his dick on full chocker.