The Scent of a Man
A FREE GAY STORY

Jim was bored that Friday afternoon. It was almost one-thirty and as far as he knew no one else was bothering to come to class. The building, if not indeed the whole campus, he wondered, was no doubt deserted.

He tried to sit back comfortably in what was fast becoming a small desk. There was no sound at all but of his breathing until at length he pulled out a sheet of paper, just a regular page without writings or markings on it. He stamped it firm and flat on the tabletop and wrote in large, bold letters "Attendance," then the date, his name and serial number. Very casually he wrote the name of a fellow classmate, Rip and his serial number. Odd, he thought as he looked over what he had done, Jim had no idea he knew Rip's serial number. Then he thought about his bold, green eyes, his soft, brown face. His strong, built shoulders.

Too late, too late. In came a worried-looking Rip, who apologized at once for his tardiness. The attendance sheet was no longer in sight and Jim, aware of his fellow student's unusual emotional disposition, reassured and comforted him in a friendly way that it was all right. Rip sat up right next to him, huge, his muscles all over were very trim and well defined, his clothes were loose but just tight enough around some parts to set Jim's mind wandering. The hands, the arms and it struck him that it would be heaven on earth to be wrapped around in them, to be pressed lovingly by them upon those massive pectorals. Jim wanted to run his hands through out all that perfection but the eyes, he fell in love with the eyes from the start.

He had to look away before it was too obvious.

Prof. Abe entered and without haste the lecture began as it had ended some three days before. Astronomy and Astrophysics, for some reason it sounded better last semester when it was no more than a course listed in a catalog. Many in the class thought the problem was with Abe. Rip, on the other hand, disagreed, he preferred the professor's blunt abstractions. Jim thought he knew better.

He wanted to get closer to Rip but dared not. In his heart he felt so trivial by comparison, no more than a disheartened admirer, an onlooker before his Mona Lisa. How could he try to touch the untouchable, reach the unreachable? Even then, though they were physically no less than inches apart their separation was insurmountable.

"He'd never have a thing to do with me," he whispered softly though he knew not to do such a thing but Jim had lost track of what was happening. Until Rip turned and they were face to face. For the first time really Jim stared right into those green eyes, he let his own speak volumes. Suddenly the professor's voice heightened in some nuance. Jim and Rip then both turned away each afraid Prof. Abe had caught them in the moment but no, the lecture continued unhampered.

Jim was at once amazed and nervous that his friend was not doing what he thought and feared he would be doing. Rip neither shifted his seat nor spoke a threatening word but instead his breathing deepened, his heaving chest made louder the effect.

Jim's mind continued to wander, of course he looked attentive, scribbled notes and spoke up every now and then. All the while Abe was lecturing to a whole audience of a couple of juniors. In his notebook, to distract his thoughts, Jim drew a mushroom cloud, an almost perfect image right from memories of old movies he had seen as kid. At once the sky brightened in a sharp orange and the air turned oven hot. The professor's brooding voice ended mid-sentence and was forever silenced.

"Get down!" Rip shouted. Jim did what he was told. On the cool floor he followed his friend's direction and crawled out the room. Meanwhile everything was on fire, everything, even the erasers, were in an aura of flames. He and Rip were curiously unhurt. In the hall Rip carefully and diligently checked his fellow student to make sure he was indeed well. They gently stole another moment of eye contact only that time it was Rip's eyes that did all the talking. All the lights were out, the building shook, they crawled down the stairwell into the basement.

"Are you all right, Rip?"

"I'll survive."

"What do we do now?"

"There's a passage behind the elevator shaft. It leads to a fallout shelter that's next to the train depot."

"Let's go do it. We won't last long in this place."

So they proceeded through the dark with Rip in the lead, he could see in the dark exceptionally well. There was a small problem. The elevator had plummeted and totally obstructed the tunnel entrance, that and it was on fire, too. Rip charged in unhampered and beat out a path through the downed elevator. There was something of a scream or yell and suddenly the strong man returned to his worried friend. Some of his shirt was on fire but he pounded at his arms and chest and the flames smoldered away.

"The smoke is dense. Keep your mouth and eyes shut. Don't breath until I say you can. Take a deep breath now." With that Jim was grabbed and lifted like small child or an animal by Rip who then ran right into the shattered remains of the elevator car, past a littered pile of counterweights until he reached the cool and damp emergency tunnel.

There Jim was put down and told to crawl on his hands and knees until he reached the end of the tunnel. Rip assured him he would be right behind and for the entire ten minute ordeal he continued to talk. At first it seemed, comically, as if he was continuing Abe's lecture but then he changed by asking Jim how he was doing.

"Jim, if you're tired up there-"

"No, no, I can go on for hours I think."

"It shouldn't be that far."

"Well at least there's no smoke."

"No. Or fire."

"How are you doing back there? This tunnel's pretty cramped even for me."

"I can manage though it's a bit of a squeeze."

"What do you think did it?"

"I think it was the lab. They'd been having problems all month with the collider."

There was light up ahead, they both noticed it. They were worried it might be another blast but no, it was only clear day light. Outside the tunnel they found rubble, all that what was left of the train depot. It did not take long for the two to find the bomb shelter. It was empty and damp, but oddly comfortable. They settled in nicely, Jim was especially relieved when he found some sheets of paper and a working mechanical pencil, the kind he loved.

"So what happens from here?" Jim asked, still eye balling his new-found treasures.

"We have to wait."

Jim wrote the "night" on one of the papers.

"We have to wait the night out. Do you have any family around here?"

"No. But I have an apartment up north. I take, or now I suppose used to take the train down here every day."

"We'll check it out as soon as we can."

"All right."

With that Jim stuffed the papers and pencil into a shirt pocket. He began to explore the shelter he would have to spend at least the night in. Meanwhile Rip sat attentively at the door like a gargoyle at watch. The shelter had no windows, understandably and only few cans of food and a small electric range.

"There might be a generator in here."

"No. No lights. No lights." He seemed overtly worried and Jim wondered if he was afraid of something. He quietly approached and sat beside him. Since they escaped Algernon Hall they had been pretending nothing had happened between them. Until Jim began:

"You know I love you. I've loved you since I met you."

"Jim-"

"If you don't like it, if you don't feel the same, please tell me."

"Jim, you're my friend. You're so kind to me. Was that it?"

"No. No, it was more than that. I thought we had connected-"

"If you'd had those feelings all along, you should have told me."

"I was afraid."

Here Rip took hold of Jim's hand. "You don't have to be afraid. I do love you, Jim, I do, but I do show it differently." "I don't care what the world might think. Can I kiss you?"

Without waiting for a response Jim arose to be at eye level with his friend and kissed him once on the lips. Just like that he kissed each lip gingerly and he was surprised when he finished that Rip then kissed him in return. First exactly the same way Jim had done then he went back and kissed him with the tongue. That second kiss lasted and lasted and it did not seem it would ever end. When at last their lips parted they were panting, their breathing raced. Jim ended up right where he wanted to be, his head rested upon Rip's shoulder, wrapped in his loving arms. Rip shifted and put his back against the wall. Then he motioned Jim over to him and sat him between his straddled legs.

"You'll be safe. Safe enough with me."

Jim held his friend's hand in his. Rip put his arms around Jim in a semi-embrace. Jim felt so very safe up so close to Rip.

"You will have to eat."

"Once, tomorrow."

"It's nearly sunset."

"I won't rest until I'm absolutely tired."

"Yes, but it gets very cold."

They separated but continued to stay quiet and they passed each other often, the two seemed restless enough, even Rip was a little anxious. As they passed it became their habit to brush against each other, even when there was no reason to do so they went out of their way to rub their bodies together. Jim was tall, Rip was a good foot and two inches taller but their tenders were at about the same height and they rubbed them, or their butts or some other combination. Rip made sure the sexual nature of their play was loud and clear when he thrust his hips into Jim's buttocks. Jim answered by thrusting into Rip's unquestionably tented crotch and caressing his friend's butt checks. They both enjoyed it to the point of giggling.

"What's so funny?" Jim asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Come on. You were smiling there, weren't you?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe all right." They stared into each other's eyes before Jim reached out to hug him.

"What is that for?"

"For? You saved my life you silly," he said with a sly smile.

"Are you tired yet?"

They were still in embrace when Jim felt something he liked.

"Maybe."

Now he joined in. Their hearts beat faster, their breathing got heavier. Jim felt an incredible pressure where a few moments before there was only some slight stirring. Slowly he moved away. Jim and Rip were on the verge of breaking through their shorts.

"Would you keep me warm?"

The smile was definite. "Yes."

They were side by side walking to the closest thing in the place to resemble a bed. Their arousals were without question noticeable. Jim began to take off his shirt, his sneakers and shorts until he was down to his underwear. Rip also stripped to underwear on the verge of being busted right through by his throbbing manhood.

Jim rolled his hands through and around Rip's pecs and nipples. He kissed and licked them, especially, all the while listening to a quickening heart beat.

They sat at the edge of the mattress side by side with their legs widely straddled. Jim's left leg and Rip's right leg were intertwined. Suddenly and entirely without prompt Jim placed his hand right over his friend's bulge and pet it slightly before his hands came to rest cupped around soft scrotal skin. Rip reacted by further hardening.

Jim pulled out his own erection and before he knew what was happening Rip had the whole organ in his hands, fondling it with this fingers. He was gentle and gave enough pressure in his grip to heighten Jim's pleasure. Then Rip exposed himself. Jim was surprised to find that his friend's attention thirsty manhood was a modest ten inches or so. It was not as long as he had guessed it would be but it was all he needed because it was Rip's and he loved him without condition.

"You are so gorgeous, Rip."

Jim returned the favors given him. They were both uncircumcised and Jim really enjoyed fondling the soft and dark brown foreskin. He felt Rip's organ up from the base to the head and back to the base, squeezing a little here and there. He studied every part of Rip's penis to commit the whole form and texture to memory. He one upped his friend by kissing and licking the entire shaft. He did not put the head into his mouth but came so close. Rip did not mind the tease at all, he enjoyed every thing Jim did to him. When it was his turn Rip returned the favor, including not sucking.

Jim got Rip to lie on the bed, he straddled his friend's enormously powerful legs and then knelt right over and above Rip's now twelve inch erection.

"You're growing bigger."

"Yes. When it's as large as it ever gets that's when I climax."

"You know it's just as beautiful as I thought it would be. Did you like how it felt when I kissed it? Like this?" Jim kissed the very tip of Rip's exposed penis head.

"It feels so incredible."

"I'll give you more, so much more."

Jim gave Rip's testicles its mandatory attention. He rolled the soft skin around his fingers and kissed and licked every part of that pouch until it hardened and pressed up against the body. The rest of the time was left for the penis. Jim watched and felt as it throbbed in his probing hands. He distinctly noticed how it did expand with the more affection he gave it. First with his fingers he ran down from the head to the base Then he rubbed all around the neck between the head and the body, the skin there he felt was very rough and it really drove Rip wild. Jim put pressure onto one spot along the neck right under the opening of the urethra. Rip's manhood throbbed heavily with pleasure.

"Kiss it. I love how you make it feel when you do that. All over, all over, I'm so close, Jim-"

Jim put the whole head into his mouth and there began to suck for a long time until Rip began to heave and thrust his hips uncontrollably. He kissed then rubbed the whole organ until Rip ejaculated. Jim was amazed, so amazed and aroused that he himself climaxed at the same moment. Rip's long, hard, hot erect penis was a volcano of semen. White globs shot into the air, one, two, three and after the fourth burst Rip's penis was totally flaccid. Jim kissed the limp organ then petted Rip's genitals some more.

"You already orgasmed." Rip was disappointed. "You were so good to me. You think you have enough for more?"

With that it was Rip's turn to return the favor. He too studied Jims penis's every detail. Rip made all sorts of loving comments. "You're skin's so soft." "I'm glad you love when I do this." "Would you like to rub your penis on my nipples?"

"I'd love to, Rip."

Jim got up and did so. Rip noticed some liquid oozing out of Jim's penis and licked it up then began to suck expertly. In no time at all Jim ejaculated in Rip's mouth. His friend swallowed it all.

"Jim, Jim-" Rip's voice rang, echoing from the distance. Suddenly the world born anew. Jim was back in the classroom, alone with Rip. The Abe had left. "You day dreamed through the whole lecture, again, didn't you?" Jim was still disoriented, dizzy, nothing made sense.

"How much of it was a dream?" he asked aloud.

Rip kissed him on the lips.

"I don't know."

"Oh Rip!"

Jim got up right then and hugged his friend. He looked down at his crotch that suddenly felt strange. He was wet.

"That's OK, Jim," Rip's shorts were also covered in semen. "I was touching myself while no one was looking. You want to finish this up to my room?"

"Rip, I thought you'd never ask."