07-10-2025, 03:21 PM
Test of strength
‘What am I doing here?’ thought Oliver as he rolled over from his back to his stomach. Although his back was already fairly tanned and his front was significantly lighter, he didn't want to continue lying on his back; it was simply more uncomfortable. He crossed his arms, rested his head on them, and let his gaze wander.
The lawn was pretty empty for such a hot summer day. On the other hand, there were never as many people at the pool on weekdays as there were on weekends, and the holiday season and a construction fair were also factors. Therefore, there were mainly young visitors, who of course flocked here during the holidays if they didn't travel.
Oliver felt twenty-three years old compared to the average audience here. Even his friends, Mario and Thomas, who had spread out with their respective girlfriends in his immediate vicinity, were two and three years younger, respectively. He wondered what he had done in this rural town over the summer. After all, he had already moved to the capital four years ago to study there. But he spent most of the summer with his parents in the countryside.
But now he was lying here among his friends and felt lonely and excluded. He was a little jealous of the girlfriends of the two, who could snuggle up against his attractive friends when they weren't even kissing. Mario was the more beautiful of the two, tanned, one eighty tall, muscular, dark brown, medium-length hair. In his tight purple swimming trunks, he looked simply ‘scrumptious’. A pretty boy, a womaniser and a footballer. Oliver sighed.
Thomas was also a good-looking young man, six foot tall, blond, short hair and slim. He was wearing green swimming shorts, which looked a bit lanky on his tall frame. He was lying on his back while his girlfriend Nina rested her head on his stomach.
Both of them used to ask him frequently if he had a girlfriend and who she was. But Oliver never had a girlfriend. Not even a fling, not even sex. Except for the one with his right hand, but that doesn't really count. While he had always avoided these questions in the past, he had recently been telling them a lot about the things he did with his best friend Manuela, who also lived and studied in Vienna. They both assumed that Oliver was dating her and hardly asked about it anymore.
Oliver's loneliness grew painfully amidst the many handsome boys in the pool, whom he observed as inconspicuously as possible in order to at least have fun with them in his mind at night.
Oliver had known for ages, since he was about twelve, that he found boys more attractive than girls, but neither the coming-out episodes of Dawson's Creek – how often did he fall asleep thinking about Jack – nor Beautiful Thing, which he had watched alone in the cinema in Vienna with his heart pounding, could persuade him to embrace his sexuality, let alone come out. This is not really surprising, given the conservative rural area and the prudish, uptight Oliver's family.
The only physical contact Oliver had with other boys was here, in the swimming pool, with his friends and other boys from the village, when they threw each other into the water, which never happened without a tussle that continued in the water with both sides trying to submerge each other. These summer games were quite rough, the harder the opponent resisted being thrown into the water, the harder you had to hold him and the tighter you hugged him as you pushed him towards the edge of the pool.
Oliver loved these water fights, which he often started himself by clever provocation. Most of the boys he knew joined the game with great fervour, while the girls tended to stay away, as it often got quite brutal. Of course, after a while the girls were also dragged into the water and dunked, but usually only after the boys had let off steam for a while. It had been like that every summer as far back as Oliver could remember, and he didn't plan on stopping just because he was already twenty-three.
A piercing, loud laugh woke Oliver from his thoughts. Not far from him and his friends, there was a large group of young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, with the boys in particular being quite athletic and attractive. They were a group of basketball players and their friends. Oliver knew most of them by sight, and he was even in the same class as Andi and Bernd for four years at the local grammar school. He still knew Rene and Udo from primary school.
Bernd! Oliver hadn't seen him at all this summer. This five-foot-ten-inch ‘little’ basketball player used to be his best friend. But only until the seventh (for D.: eleventh) grade of high school. A slim, athletic boy with blond, tousled hair and bright blue eyes. He had worked out just enough to have well-formed biceps and chest muscles, but he didn't look overly muscular or puffed up. When he tensed, you could also see his abs. The sunscreen glistened on his bronze skin. What a beautiful body. Oliver's gaze travelled up the slim, toned legs, with little hair, to Bernd's tight, light-blue shorts and the slight bulge there. Oliver had to swallow.
This guy, with his muscular, hairless chest and his slight bow legs, had done it to him very early on. He enjoyed every little accidental touch and the closeness that their good friendship brought with it. When this broke, Oliver often cried himself to sleep. His other friends couldn't make up for this loss. Bernd was just something special.
‘Aaahhh!’ Oliver cried out as someone poured mineral water over his back. Mario laughed at him and ran away, Oliver dived after him and chased him through the whole bathroom to the pool. There Mario suddenly stopped and turned around... Oliver wrapped his arms around Mario's upper body and tried to push him into the water. Chest to chest, they wrestled next to the pool.
Oliver, at 1m75, was smaller than Mario, but he was quite strong. He had always had broad shoulders, probably due to his genes, and a friend persuaded him to start strength training a year ago. This had given him muscles all over and he was able to keep up with Mario's muscular strength. Both bodies were tensed, you could see the fine play of muscles everywhere, from biceps to calves, as these handsome boys wrestled with each other. Quite a few bathers watched the fight with great interest, mainly of course of a female nature, as the tanned footballer and the bronze-coloured, slim athlete with short blonde hair wrestled. Oliver thought he had Mario in a position to finally push him into the water, when Mario, taking advantage of his height, hugged Oliver even tighter, pressing him against him and lifting him slightly. ‘Shit!’ thought Oliver. He seemed to be losing out, but he enjoyed being pressed against Mario's body – in wrestling terms in a bear hug – his feet lost contact with the ground, his red, tight retro shorts pressed against the purple swimming trunks. ‘Hopefully I won't get a stiffy,’ he thought...
Suddenly they were thrown into the water by a third force. Since neither of the two released the embrace, they fell tightly entwined into the cold water. ‘BRRRrrrrr!’ But the danger in the middle of Oliver's body was averted. While Thomas was still standing at the edge of the pool and laughing at them, Oliver pounced on Mario, put his hands on his shoulders and pushed him under the water. Then he quickly fled the pool.
He also tried to throw Thomas into the water, which he couldn't do alone, but Mario helped him a little later, until all three ended up in the water. They dunked each other and tried to climb out of the pool again. But by now the basketball players were also at the pool and wouldn't let the three of them out. They pushed them back into the water again and again, with some of their teammates being pushed into the water. A big wild water fight was soon underway. As usual, Nina, Sine – Mario's girlfriend – and the other girls stayed a little in the background so as not to become victims themselves. They sat on the concrete border of a flower bed near the pool and enjoyed the boys' antics.
Everyone was diving everyone, everyone was wrestling with everyone... Mario was attacked particularly often, the old football-basketball rivalry. Although Andi, Rene and Udo often went at him in threes, they hardly managed to dunk him because Thomas and Oliver rushed to his aid and the three of them got a good mouthful of chlorinated water.
Only two kept a safe distance: Oliver and Bernd. They tried not to get in each other's way and kept a safe distance between them. After all, they didn't even talk, so it would have been hard to dunk each other.
When Oliver finally made it out of the water, Udo wanted to get out of the pool too. They went at each other to push the other into the water. However, Udo was a lanky giant and couldn't stand up to Oliver... Oliver lifted him up, carried him to the edge of the pool and threw him into the waves.
Then he suddenly felt strong arms embrace him from behind and clasp him in front of his stomach. A warm, wet body pressed against his back and he was lifted slightly into the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as a voice he knew only too well whispered in his ear, ‘You don't throw my friends into the water with impunity, Olli!’ Before Oliver could say or react, the two athletic bodies landed pressed together in the water. But that was not all: when Oliver reached the surface and gasped for air, he was grabbed by the shoulders and pushed down several times in succession. Oliver felt hot and cold at the same time when he sensed the boy who meant so much to him and who had disappointed him so badly.
Bernd and Oliver were inseparable for a long time. They could talk to each other about everything (let's say almost everything), fool around, they went running and walking together, played basketball with each other, although Bernd was of course much better than Oliver, and they watched DVDs together. It wasn't uncommon for Bernd to fall asleep during the film, especially if it was late, and to snuggle up to Oliver in his sleep, with his head on his shoulder and his body and legs touching Oliver's body and legs. Nothing ever happened, but Oliver felt like he was in seventh heaven. The warmth that emanated from Bernd's body flowed through his and he felt secure. Sometimes Bernd's head would slip onto Oliver's chest and Oliver would put an arm around him. Whenever Bernd slowly woke up at the end of the film, Oliver would push him aside and scold him for not having the stamina to watch films. After that, Bernd would look at Oliver for a while with his piercingly clear blue eyes and dachshund expression and smile mysteriously: ‘Then why do you always watch with me?’ That always made Oliver laugh too, and he replied, ‘Because you're nice and quiet and don't eat crisps loudly during the film!’
However, the most important and deep friendship with Bernd came to an end, first gradually and then loudly, when Bernd joined the basketball club at the age of 17. School, three training sessions per week and a game on Saturdays took up a lot of time. In his limited free time, he hardly took time for Oliver and mostly hung around with his teammates. Oliver was furiously jealous and resented him for it. During the summer holidays before the final year, things got better again, but in the final year it got really bad. When they did meet, they either argued or ignored each other. Bernd tried several times to persuade Oliver to do something with his new friends. It was too much for Oliver, they were just in Bernd's room studying,
‘I don't want anything to do with those idiots! All those basketball players think about is playing ball, drinking and picking up women!’
‘Don't talk about my friends so disparagingly!‘ Bernd replied.
‘If those idiots are your friends, what does that say about you? You're not like that!’ Oliver raised his voice.
‘I'm a basketball player too, get it!’ Bernd shouted back. “I just don't want to be a weird outsider and troublemaker like you! Either you accept my new friends and make new ones yourself, or from today you'll have one less friend!” Bernd became more conciliatory. ’Try to get to know the guys first, they're okay, you'll see. Don't be so prejudiced, Olli!’
‘I don't want to get to know them!’
‘Please.’
‘No!’
‘Please, Olli, for my sake.’
‘I said no, damn it. Andi is already getting on my nerves at school, he never leaves me alone. I won't even start with the other weirdos...’ Oliver rolled his eyes.
‘OLLIE’
‘Leave me alone! Go to your fucking basketball buddies’
‘You've played basketball with them too’ Bernd's gaze became more pleading.
‘I still don't want to be friends with them! If you don't have time for me besides school, club and your new friends... well, tough luck ’ Oliver looked up at the ceiling. It might seem arrogant, but he tried to hold back the tears that he could already feel coming.
‘You're an arrogant asshole, Olli, you think you're better than everyone else, don't you?’ Bernd was really angry now. All the crap he had to listen to, just because of his new friends. Why couldn't his old best friend understand that?
‘Fuck you Bernd, go play Balli and leave me alone!!!’ Oliver shouted in rage. Suddenly there was a smack. Then it was very quiet. An imprint of Bernd's hand was forming on Oliver's cheek.
Oliver packed up his stuff and was about to walk out the door when Bernd held him back by the shoulder. ‘Don't attack me!’ hissed Oliver quietly, but crystal clear and ice cold. Bernd flinched back in shock and Oliver disappeared. Since then, they have only exchanged words at school when absolutely necessary. Bernd wanted to apologise, but Oliver always gave him the cold shoulder, so he gave up at some point.
Now he was being dunked by this boy. After years of almost not interacting with each other, suddenly there was too much closeness for Oliver. He gasped for air and wanted out of the pool, but Bernd suddenly grabbed one of his legs and held it tight.
‘Let me go, what's the point of this?!’
‘Come on, Olli, I'm just kidding, you're not so sensitive with the others!’
No sooner had he spoken than Oliver's leg was yanked up, his second leg was levered out from under him and he was back underwater. He resurfaced and felt someone grab his leg again. Without further ado, he kicked the person in the stomach.
‘Ouch,’ Bernd winced slightly in pain. ’Have you gone completely mad?’
Oliver had to admit that he had overreacted, mumbled an apology and went to his seat.
Of course it had been impossible to avoid each other completely. Especially not at school or in this town. You saw each other every day in class, in the summer you saw each other at the swimming pool or playing basketball together. Mario and Thomas knew the people from the club and liked to play against them, and Oliver had to join in whether he liked it or not if he didn't want to be left out on his own. But the two of them kept their interactions to a minimum and avoided each other as much as possible. That was even worse than having no contact at all. Oliver was painfully reminded of the loss of his best friend over and over again. Out of defiance, he then surrounded himself more often with those people whom he knew could not stand Bernd. Although he missed Bernd and often looked up his number in the address book of his mobile phone, he never called him. His pride was always stronger... or was it his cowardice.
The most painful time was in the year of his A-levels and the following summer, but then both had apparently got used to the situation. And since he started university, Oliver had been here much less often anyway.
Oliver lay on his towel and let the past few minutes pass in review. Over and over again. ‘Olli’, as Bernd always said it, sounded so soft and loving. But what were these thoughts all of a sudden? ‘The weirdo can leave me alone, after so many years he doesn't have to be nice anymore!’
And here it was again, the hurt pride and the annoyance at one's own stupidity, at having made such a huge mistake and having put the best friendship at risk and lost it. But why...
Oliver was getting hotter and hotter, beads of sweat were forming everywhere. Why worry about it now. But why had he reacted so violently back then? Why couldn't he give Bernd the freedom for the club and his new friends? ‘Hhhmmm’ Why was he still brooding over it now? It was too late. He should have thought about it before, but the thoughts kept coming back.
‘Heee, there you are! Why did you leave us in the lurch against the basketball players?’ Thomas laughed at him half-angrily and shook his wet hair over Oliver. “Hmpf,” he grumbled. Mario, Thomas, Sine and Nina had returned from the pool, dried themselves off and then smeared sunscreen all over themselves. Oliver let Sine put lotion on his back too, although he would have preferred Mario. While he was lying on his stomach and Sine was spreading the lotion on his back, Oliver noticed how Bernd kept staring at him. When he realised that Oliver was watching him too, he quickly looked away. What would have happened if Oliver had apologised? Perhaps their relationship would have improved again, maybe it would have become more than friendship. ‘Nonsense, absolute nonsense!’ Oliver thought. Deep down, he longed for Bernd to be gay too, but he knew his hopes were in vain. And even if he was, would Bernd get involved with him? He was just the perfect heterosexual. You only had to look at the girls who idolised him. They were extremely attractive, but that was not for Oliver to judge. But he hadn't even been able to save their friendship. ‘I was so stupid! Aaaahhhh!!! I don't want to think about it anymore!’
Oliver had never found another friend like him. One who was also so attractive. He was just perfect, beautiful... Oliver imagined Bernd rubbing sunscreen on his back and sighed contentedly. ‘All done!’ Sine pulled him out of his dreams.
‘Hey, don't you want to go ‘beaching’?’ Mario asked. The others were very enthusiastic and even Oliver let himself be persuaded after a few grumpy sighs about the heat and the risk of sunstroke. After a short warm-up, a heated beach volleyball match began, with Mario and Thomas competing against Oliver and the two girls. Despite their numerical superiority, the match was very close and everyone was dripping with sweat. After Oliver's team had narrowly won the first set and narrowly lost the second, the third set had to decide the match. Shortly after the first rally, Udo, Rene, Andi and Bernd came onto the court. They wanted to play too. Mario shouted to them, ‘We'll still win the set, then we can play against each other!’... ‘Dream on, show-off!’ Oliver shot back at him, and the match continued. Somehow Oliver couldn't help but feel watched... whenever he looked briefly at the basketball players, who had settled in the shade of a tree next to the court, Bernd looked him in the eye and then quickly looked away. ‘Something's not right here, or I'm starting to fantasise too,’ he thought to himself. The match went ahead and Oliver and the girls finally lost by a narrow margin, with a difference of two points.
While Mario was negotiating with Uwe and Andi about who should play against whom, Oliver wanted to quickly take a shower and jump into the pool for a moment to get rid of the sweat and sand that was stuck to his body. As he walked past Bernd, the latter said to him: ‘Well played, Ollie! Really well done!’
Oliver couldn't believe his ears. His jaw dropped... then he recovered and replied snappishly: “I can take the piss out of myself!” Bernd's expression darkened and became dismissive: ’Aha. Well, in that case!’ Oliver went on, while his thoughts went on a rollercoaster ride. ‘This can't be happening, what's going on here? What does he want all of a sudden? Why is he praising me? Did he mean it? This can't be happening?’ He came to the showers and the cold water helped to cleanse his body and calm his thoughts a little. Mario, Thomas and their two girls also came, showered and jumped in briefly to turn on the water. ‘Come on, Oliver, we want to show those loudmouths!’ Oliver sighed and followed them to the beach volleyball court, where the basketball players had just warmed up.
Mario, Thomas and Oliver were on one side of the net, and Bernd, Udo and Andi were on the other. Rene and the girls had made themselves comfortable in the shade with drinks and were watching the action from there. The match was still harmless at the beginning, and the first set was quite civilised. But soon the players got more and more into it, everyone was sweating and the sun was beating down on their bodies.
Oliver returned a service without any interlude from Udo, which hit the line at Bernd.
‘Out!‘ shouted Bernd.
‘Are you crazy, it was on the line!’ said Oliver.
‘You can't see that from where you are!’
‘Sure, better than you, because he was behind you on the line.’
‘Nonsense, it was clearly out.’
‘Are you blind or do you always cheat?’
...
It was like that all the time. In the beginning, the others still argued a bit, but over time, only Bernd and Oliver argued fiercely about every point. The more they got into the game, the more they snarled at their teammates, who grumbled back accordingly. When Oliver saw Bernd raging with a teammate, he couldn't help but smile. In that respect, they really weren't dissimilar. Suddenly Bernd looked him square in the face, saw Oliver's smile, but didn't move a corner of his mouth. Oliver's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Matters were about to get even worse, because it was one-all in sets. The last set would decide the game. Despite his excitement, Oliver couldn't help but keep looking at Bernd during the game, watching the play of his athletic muscles and staring at the bulge in Bernd's light blue shorts. He had a feeling that Bernd was doing the same, hidden behind that grim expression.
The game was dragging on, the rallies were getting longer and the players were at the end of their tether. The spectators of this game had already left and the six players remained alone on the court. Neither side could really get an advantage. Therefore, both sides fought on fiercely, but most of all Bernd and Oliver. But they threw fewer nasty things at each other, because they too could hardly breathe.
It was currently tied at points, and Oliver had serve. If he could score a point, his team would have match point. He thundered the ball over the net, and it slammed behind Andi on the line, which trembled. Mario, Thomas and Oliver high-fived each other and pushed each other with their chests out. It was their way of celebrating a good point. Meanwhile, poor Andi was being shouted at by Bernd for his failure.
Oliver was now confident that they could win the game, he saw the nervousness in Bernd's eyes.
‘I thought you hated playing balli, Olli? But everyone has a lucky shot,’ Bernd said acidly. “Shut up! For a basketball player, you're terrible at volleyball,” came the retort.
Nevertheless, Oliver muffed the serve, it landed out. Bernd laughed, sure of victory. It was now one point each. But he also muffed the next serve. Match point. It was Mario's turn. He managed a good serve, but Udo was able to return it. The ball was played three times, with Bernd trying to hit it over the net the last time...it was blocked by Thomas, who, thanks to his height, had no trouble stopping the ball. Andi was just able to dig it out, but the ball came flat and fast towards Bernd, who took a big step and threw himself towards the ball... but he only hit it with his fist... the ball went up... but not towards the net, but in the opposite direction. Way out!
‘Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
‘Take it easy!‘ he laughed, “it's okay. No need to get excited!” But you could tell that he and Thomas were also happy about the victory, because they also made some pointed remarks in the direction of the basketball players. But as is proper, they also shook their opponents’ hands and said ‘good game!’ to each other. After Oliver had done the same with Andi and Udo, he went to Bernd. He was just fishing the ball out of the bushes at the back of the field, where it had rolled. ‘Would you put the ball on my court, please?’ Mario asked. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ Bernd grumbled back.
While Oliver approached Bernd, the others were already walking towards the pool to take a shower. The two former friends were now all alone on the field.
Bernd was just crawling backwards out of the bushes on all fours with the ball. Oliver looked at his light blue shorts and your hot ass, which was clearly visible in them... he had to swallow.
‘Good game!’ he croaked and held out his right hand to Bernd.
‘I can take the piss out of myself!‘ he replied angrily and slapped his hand away.
‘Come on...or can't the great ball player lose? You didn't think you'd lose to me, did you?’ Oliver grinned confidently.
‘Here's your fucking ball,’ Bernd shouted and slammed the ball so hard into his stomach that Oliver had to bend over.
‘Are you crazy?’ gasped Oliver as he sat up... and he saw Bernd's contemptuous grin and suddenly saw red... he swung and slapped Bernd across the cheek. Bernd stared at him speechlessly for a moment, then he screamed and pounced on Oliver. Oliver flew onto his back and Bernd landed on top of him. They rolled around on the ground, sometimes one had the upper hand, sometimes the other. They also tried to take each other into a headlock, but they were both so sweaty that the one being held could always free himself.
They fought fiercely and quietly, you could only hear their panting. Legs entangled, arms fixed on each other, they rolled across the room, once Bernd had the advantage, then Oliver. Sometimes they broke free and punched each other in the stomach or on the shoulders, but it never got really brutal. Although both seemed to want to emerge victorious from this scuffle, there was a limit for both of them not to let it get out of hand. It had been a long time since Oliver had such intense physical contact with a boy...and it was Bernd, his former best friend, this beautiful, athletic athlete! Especially when Bernd was lying on top of him, his athletic chest pressed against Oliver's chest, his shorts against Oliver's swimming trunks, Oliver couldn't help but find it beautiful, even more...feeling this body was hot. He slowly got a hard-on and became nervous.
Nevertheless, the fight continued unabated... Bernd also seemed inattentive, because Oliver was able to apply a great hold... he held Bernd in a double nelson (his arms under Bernd's arms and crossed on Bernd's neck so that he could press Bernd's head to his chest and Bernd couldn't move his arms).
In this hold, Bernd's back was pressed against Oliver's chest...his pelvis in Oliver's crotch. Oliver wanted to push him to the ground, but he was afraid Bernd would feel his boner. His grip weakened and Bernd twisted out. Then he quickly took Oliver in a headlock and dragged him to the ground, he was on top of him again and almost pinned him... Oliver tried desperately to fight back, but he had hardly any strength left. Then he remembered to use his legs... he wrapped his trained legs around Bernd's waist and did a leg scissors... his muscular thighs pressed into Bernd's smooth stomach. Despite his abdominal muscles, the scissors became tighter and tighter, Bernd let out a short scream and let go of his attack. Oliver was able to turn him onto his back and sit on his stomach. He tried to put Bernd's arms behind his head and spread his legs so that Bernd couldn't shake him.
‘But hello? This can't be! This isn't possible! It shouldn't be happening!’ thought Oliver, confused, because while he was pinning Bernd's arms to the ground, he had slid backwards, and now lay almost stretched out on top of his old friend. He pressed his shorts into Bernd's bulge and felt clearly that he too had an erection. His pulse reached unimagined heights. ‘Oh my God, he's not gay, is he? How did I miss that?’ While Oliver's mind was racing, the beautiful loser fidgeted under him and said in a broken, quiet voice, ‘Ok ok, you win, you're the victor! Now get off me!’
But Oliver didn't. He let go of Bernd's arms and sat up, landing his bottom exactly on Bernd's stiff cock. He looked at Bernd long and hard, his green-brown eyes sinking into the clear blue eyes of his opponent. There he was under him, the boy who had meant so much to him and now meant even more. His heart was beating in his throat...Tears welled up in his eyes.
‘No, Bernd. I've lost you. My best friend and...’ Oliver couldn't say any more, his voice failed him. “I fucking love you!” he thought to himself...He slowly approached Bernd's head and kissed him gently, tenderly and a little awkwardly on the mouth.
‘Oh my God! Ollie...’ he heard a voice below him. He looked into Bernd's questioning eyes, which also filled with tears.
Then he realised what he had just done... ‘I'm such an idiot, why did I let myself be tempted? Am I losing my mind just because Bernd happens to get a hard-on when wrestling,’ thought Oliver to himself, and added loudly, while jumping up, ‘I'm sorry! Forgive me, Bernd! I'm so sorry for everything!!!’ Then he ran away.
He didn't know where to go at first, but then he ran to the showers to wash off the sand and sweat, but above all, he didn't want anyone to see that he had cried. The cold water pelted down his body and the last few minutes went through his mind again in his mind's eye. Oliver started to tremble.
‘I'm so stupid... how could I be so stupid... letting myself be carried away by something like that... SHIT, there he comes!’ He saw Bernd, who also had red eyes, walking towards the showers.
Oliver quickly finished showering and was about to flee around the pool to the lawn when he ran into Mario, Thomas, Sine and Nina, who were lounging at the edge of the pool. ‘What took you so long? Did you have a fight with Bernd?’ Thomas asked worriedly, ‘You don't look so good!’
‘Um...’ Oliver had to swallow. “What should I say now? Help?!!” He became more and more desperate until he came up with a good excuse: ’No, but the exhausting match in this heat, I think I have a slight sunstroke. I think I'd better go home!’
‘Speak of the devil! There he comes!’ said Mario with a grin, and Oliver turned around to look into those coveted blue eyes, but he couldn't read Bernd's expression.
‘I'm done for! If he now tells the others that I kissed him, I'm done for! Then they'll all call me a fag! None of them will want to have anything to do with me anymore!’ Oliver was frozen with fear, and although he wanted to run away, his legs wouldn't move.
‘Did you put the ball in my place?’ Mario asked. Bernd, who had fixed Oliver with his gaze, literally tore himself away from him and stammered, ’Er, what? The ball? Oh, I did!’
Oliver looked at the ground, he couldn't say anything, nor did he dare look anyone in the eye for fear that everything would be visible on his face. Suddenly he heard quick footsteps behind him and saw Andi, Rene and Udo approaching them and throwing everyone standing at the edge of the pool into the water. Bernd and Oliver flew in without resistance, they were too surprised, Mario and Thomas were each able to pull an attacker into the water with them. Udo also tried to push the two girls into the water, but Oliver quickly got out of the pool and threw Udo into the water. Then he shouted, ‘I really have to go now! Ciao guys!’ in the direction of the pool and took the opportunity to escape. He saw out of the corner of his eye how Bernd got out of the pool and he even thought he heard a ‘Wait for me!’ But Mario was faster out of the pool and ran to Bernd and threw him back in.
With a sigh of relief, Oliver had reached his towel, quickly dried himself, threw his things into his backpack, slipped into his trainers and put on a T-shirt, and hurried towards the exit without changing his wet shorts. He was so busy with his escape that he was able to suppress what had happened for the moment. As he left the pool, he risked a glance in the direction of the pool where his friends were sitting again at the edge of the pool. Thomas saw him and gestured for him to wait, but Oliver just waved in their direction and then left the pool without turning around. Outside, he calmed down a bit, but he still felt uncomfortable. His T-shirt got wet through his shorts and stuck to his waist, he felt a slight headache and he was hot and cold at the same time. He just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. He unlocked his bike and set off.
‘Mum, it was so nice to see him again, to feel his beautiful smooth body, to touch his lips’ the event went through his mind again and he felt a tingling in his stomach when he thought of Bernd. 'He had a hard-on too, maybe he feels the same way I do... I mean, why else would he have a hard-on... but maybe it was just the friction... then he's straight and hates me now... and the others what will they say... maybe he won't tell them... but if he does... what should I do...' The hopes that Oliver had from time to time were always replaced by fear and panic.
'Probably everyone will talk shit about me, Thomas and Mario won't talk to me anymore... Shit... such shit... why did this happen, I wish this had never happened. ... But Manuela will understand me, she must be able to understand me... and mum and dad? They'll freak out. And maybe won't give me any more money, then I can drop out of university... SHIT...
He couldn't hold back his tears any longer and cried quietly to himself. Life just wasn't a series or a coming-out film. Everything always went so smoothly there, and after the initial difficulties, everything got better. But for him? And if he had to come out, it shouldn't have been like that. Everyone would find out through gossip. Maybe Mario and Thomas wouldn't find his sexuality so bad. But if they find out like this, behind his back. They'll think he's a lying arsehole who's just been faking it all these years.
‘Aaaahhhhh. Why does everything have to be so complicated and why of all things do I have to be gay...why did I have to go to the bathroom today and see HIM there...and play volleyball with HIM...and wrestle with HIM...and kiss HIM...’
He didn't know how he had done it, but Oliver had arrived home. He got off his bike and opened the garage door. ‘Lucky for me both cars are not here.’ His father always came home late from work anyway, but Oliver's mother also seemed to be out, shopping or somewhere else. She was a teacher and was on holiday now, too. He put his bike down and closed the door. In the kitchen he found a note: ‘Gone to Grandma's, helping her in the garden, salad is in the fridge.’
He couldn't eat now. Oliver went into the bathroom, stripped off his clothes and stood under the shower. There was still quite a lot of sand in the shorts and on himself, which now ran down the drain. The lukewarm water relaxed him a little. While he washed his cock, he had to think again of Bernd and his perfect body. He almost got an erection, but the unpleasant climax of the day and his fears returned and any desire disappeared. He showered and got out of the cabin. While he dried himself, he saw himself in the mirror. A desperate face with red eyes looked at him sadly. ‘Even if Bernd were gay, he would like a figure like mine,’ Oliver wondered.
He went to his room, put on a pair of boxer shorts and was about to throw himself on the bed when he heard his phone ringing in his backpack. He waited until the ringtone had stopped and then picked it up. Five missed calls. Two from Thomas, one from Mario, and two from a number he hadn't saved but whose owner he recognised even after years. They must all have called while he was in the shower. But five calls in such a short time? Then it beeped again. An SMS: ‘You have new messages on your mobile box’.
‘Who could have recorded it? Mario or Thomas? Do they already know about the kiss? Or maybe Bernd left a message? Should I listen to it?’ Oliver was thinking hard about what to do when the doorbell went off.
Had he forgotten to take the key out of the door? He had entered the house through the garage, and besides, his key was on his desk. Since the doorbell continued to ring unabated, Oliver grabbed the key and ran to the door. ‘Yes, yes, I'm coming!’ he shouted on the way, just to stop the tinkling. The noise and the short time prevented Oliver from being able to think about who was causing it.
He unlocked and opened the door and was startled. ‘Bernd,’ he whispered, staring at his counterpart. Bernd seemed to have showered and changed, because he no longer had his bathing shorts on. His blue eyes looked deep into Oliver's green-brown eyes. Then his gaze wandered down and he wanted to say something, but couldn't and had to swallow.
‘Olli, you're only wearing boxer shorts!‘ he finally said.
‘Um... yes,’ Oliver blushed, ‘I just had a shower.’
‘I see. We definitely need to talk, Olli!’ With these words, Bernd pushed him into the hallway and closed the front door.
‘I know...’ Oliver looked guiltily at the ground.
Bernd approached him, lifted his face ‘...but first there's still a rematch!’ With these words, he pushed Oliver onto the hallway carpet. It wasn't brutal and didn't hurt, but it was quick and effective. Oliver lay on his back and stared in disbelief at his opponent, who was now kneeling over him and holding his arms.
‘Is he going to hit me now? I don't deserve any better, what a bad friend I've been.’ Oliver's thoughts mingled with his tears. He vaguely perceived Bernd's head approaching...
‘MMMMmmmhhhhh’ Warm soft lips touched Oliver's mouth and a tongue asked for admission. Oliver almost saw stars, because he had never kissed like that before, he had never felt like that before... now he knew what he had been missing all this time. This boy, whose body was now on top of his, he was hopelessly in love with.
And not only that, the athletic basketball player turned him on. He felt his cock growing and he also felt Bernd's erection at the same time.
‘Olli, I never thought you could ever feel the way I do. I think I'm in love with you.’ Bernd had sat up, gently stroked Oliver's face and smiled at him.
Oliver sat up and cleared his throat: ‘I love you, Bernd! I know I love you. I think I've always loved you!’
Bernd's blue eyes filled with tears. Still kneeling over Oliver, he embraced him and held him close. ‘I missed you so much, I was so lonely without you! Forgive me...’ ‘No,’ Oliver interrupted him, ‘if anyone has to apologise, it's me...’
A kiss that took his breath away silenced him. When their mouths parted, the green-brown eyes looked deep into their blue counterpart and both knew that everything was forgiven and forgotten. Oliver stroked Bernd's back, moving deeper and deeper into Bernd's trousers, massaging his bottom and pressing him clearly against the bulge in his shorts. ‘Man OLLIIIEEE!!!’ he gasped.
Oliver grinned mischievously. Their test of strength was far from over!
‘What am I doing here?’ thought Oliver as he rolled over from his back to his stomach. Although his back was already fairly tanned and his front was significantly lighter, he didn't want to continue lying on his back; it was simply more uncomfortable. He crossed his arms, rested his head on them, and let his gaze wander.
The lawn was pretty empty for such a hot summer day. On the other hand, there were never as many people at the pool on weekdays as there were on weekends, and the holiday season and a construction fair were also factors. Therefore, there were mainly young visitors, who of course flocked here during the holidays if they didn't travel.
Oliver felt twenty-three years old compared to the average audience here. Even his friends, Mario and Thomas, who had spread out with their respective girlfriends in his immediate vicinity, were two and three years younger, respectively. He wondered what he had done in this rural town over the summer. After all, he had already moved to the capital four years ago to study there. But he spent most of the summer with his parents in the countryside.
But now he was lying here among his friends and felt lonely and excluded. He was a little jealous of the girlfriends of the two, who could snuggle up against his attractive friends when they weren't even kissing. Mario was the more beautiful of the two, tanned, one eighty tall, muscular, dark brown, medium-length hair. In his tight purple swimming trunks, he looked simply ‘scrumptious’. A pretty boy, a womaniser and a footballer. Oliver sighed.
Thomas was also a good-looking young man, six foot tall, blond, short hair and slim. He was wearing green swimming shorts, which looked a bit lanky on his tall frame. He was lying on his back while his girlfriend Nina rested her head on his stomach.
Both of them used to ask him frequently if he had a girlfriend and who she was. But Oliver never had a girlfriend. Not even a fling, not even sex. Except for the one with his right hand, but that doesn't really count. While he had always avoided these questions in the past, he had recently been telling them a lot about the things he did with his best friend Manuela, who also lived and studied in Vienna. They both assumed that Oliver was dating her and hardly asked about it anymore.
Oliver's loneliness grew painfully amidst the many handsome boys in the pool, whom he observed as inconspicuously as possible in order to at least have fun with them in his mind at night.
Oliver had known for ages, since he was about twelve, that he found boys more attractive than girls, but neither the coming-out episodes of Dawson's Creek – how often did he fall asleep thinking about Jack – nor Beautiful Thing, which he had watched alone in the cinema in Vienna with his heart pounding, could persuade him to embrace his sexuality, let alone come out. This is not really surprising, given the conservative rural area and the prudish, uptight Oliver's family.
The only physical contact Oliver had with other boys was here, in the swimming pool, with his friends and other boys from the village, when they threw each other into the water, which never happened without a tussle that continued in the water with both sides trying to submerge each other. These summer games were quite rough, the harder the opponent resisted being thrown into the water, the harder you had to hold him and the tighter you hugged him as you pushed him towards the edge of the pool.
Oliver loved these water fights, which he often started himself by clever provocation. Most of the boys he knew joined the game with great fervour, while the girls tended to stay away, as it often got quite brutal. Of course, after a while the girls were also dragged into the water and dunked, but usually only after the boys had let off steam for a while. It had been like that every summer as far back as Oliver could remember, and he didn't plan on stopping just because he was already twenty-three.
A piercing, loud laugh woke Oliver from his thoughts. Not far from him and his friends, there was a large group of young people between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, with the boys in particular being quite athletic and attractive. They were a group of basketball players and their friends. Oliver knew most of them by sight, and he was even in the same class as Andi and Bernd for four years at the local grammar school. He still knew Rene and Udo from primary school.
Bernd! Oliver hadn't seen him at all this summer. This five-foot-ten-inch ‘little’ basketball player used to be his best friend. But only until the seventh (for D.: eleventh) grade of high school. A slim, athletic boy with blond, tousled hair and bright blue eyes. He had worked out just enough to have well-formed biceps and chest muscles, but he didn't look overly muscular or puffed up. When he tensed, you could also see his abs. The sunscreen glistened on his bronze skin. What a beautiful body. Oliver's gaze travelled up the slim, toned legs, with little hair, to Bernd's tight, light-blue shorts and the slight bulge there. Oliver had to swallow.
This guy, with his muscular, hairless chest and his slight bow legs, had done it to him very early on. He enjoyed every little accidental touch and the closeness that their good friendship brought with it. When this broke, Oliver often cried himself to sleep. His other friends couldn't make up for this loss. Bernd was just something special.
‘Aaahhh!’ Oliver cried out as someone poured mineral water over his back. Mario laughed at him and ran away, Oliver dived after him and chased him through the whole bathroom to the pool. There Mario suddenly stopped and turned around... Oliver wrapped his arms around Mario's upper body and tried to push him into the water. Chest to chest, they wrestled next to the pool.
Oliver, at 1m75, was smaller than Mario, but he was quite strong. He had always had broad shoulders, probably due to his genes, and a friend persuaded him to start strength training a year ago. This had given him muscles all over and he was able to keep up with Mario's muscular strength. Both bodies were tensed, you could see the fine play of muscles everywhere, from biceps to calves, as these handsome boys wrestled with each other. Quite a few bathers watched the fight with great interest, mainly of course of a female nature, as the tanned footballer and the bronze-coloured, slim athlete with short blonde hair wrestled. Oliver thought he had Mario in a position to finally push him into the water, when Mario, taking advantage of his height, hugged Oliver even tighter, pressing him against him and lifting him slightly. ‘Shit!’ thought Oliver. He seemed to be losing out, but he enjoyed being pressed against Mario's body – in wrestling terms in a bear hug – his feet lost contact with the ground, his red, tight retro shorts pressed against the purple swimming trunks. ‘Hopefully I won't get a stiffy,’ he thought...
Suddenly they were thrown into the water by a third force. Since neither of the two released the embrace, they fell tightly entwined into the cold water. ‘BRRRrrrrr!’ But the danger in the middle of Oliver's body was averted. While Thomas was still standing at the edge of the pool and laughing at them, Oliver pounced on Mario, put his hands on his shoulders and pushed him under the water. Then he quickly fled the pool.
He also tried to throw Thomas into the water, which he couldn't do alone, but Mario helped him a little later, until all three ended up in the water. They dunked each other and tried to climb out of the pool again. But by now the basketball players were also at the pool and wouldn't let the three of them out. They pushed them back into the water again and again, with some of their teammates being pushed into the water. A big wild water fight was soon underway. As usual, Nina, Sine – Mario's girlfriend – and the other girls stayed a little in the background so as not to become victims themselves. They sat on the concrete border of a flower bed near the pool and enjoyed the boys' antics.
Everyone was diving everyone, everyone was wrestling with everyone... Mario was attacked particularly often, the old football-basketball rivalry. Although Andi, Rene and Udo often went at him in threes, they hardly managed to dunk him because Thomas and Oliver rushed to his aid and the three of them got a good mouthful of chlorinated water.
Only two kept a safe distance: Oliver and Bernd. They tried not to get in each other's way and kept a safe distance between them. After all, they didn't even talk, so it would have been hard to dunk each other.
When Oliver finally made it out of the water, Udo wanted to get out of the pool too. They went at each other to push the other into the water. However, Udo was a lanky giant and couldn't stand up to Oliver... Oliver lifted him up, carried him to the edge of the pool and threw him into the waves.
Then he suddenly felt strong arms embrace him from behind and clasp him in front of his stomach. A warm, wet body pressed against his back and he was lifted slightly into the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as a voice he knew only too well whispered in his ear, ‘You don't throw my friends into the water with impunity, Olli!’ Before Oliver could say or react, the two athletic bodies landed pressed together in the water. But that was not all: when Oliver reached the surface and gasped for air, he was grabbed by the shoulders and pushed down several times in succession. Oliver felt hot and cold at the same time when he sensed the boy who meant so much to him and who had disappointed him so badly.
Bernd and Oliver were inseparable for a long time. They could talk to each other about everything (let's say almost everything), fool around, they went running and walking together, played basketball with each other, although Bernd was of course much better than Oliver, and they watched DVDs together. It wasn't uncommon for Bernd to fall asleep during the film, especially if it was late, and to snuggle up to Oliver in his sleep, with his head on his shoulder and his body and legs touching Oliver's body and legs. Nothing ever happened, but Oliver felt like he was in seventh heaven. The warmth that emanated from Bernd's body flowed through his and he felt secure. Sometimes Bernd's head would slip onto Oliver's chest and Oliver would put an arm around him. Whenever Bernd slowly woke up at the end of the film, Oliver would push him aside and scold him for not having the stamina to watch films. After that, Bernd would look at Oliver for a while with his piercingly clear blue eyes and dachshund expression and smile mysteriously: ‘Then why do you always watch with me?’ That always made Oliver laugh too, and he replied, ‘Because you're nice and quiet and don't eat crisps loudly during the film!’
However, the most important and deep friendship with Bernd came to an end, first gradually and then loudly, when Bernd joined the basketball club at the age of 17. School, three training sessions per week and a game on Saturdays took up a lot of time. In his limited free time, he hardly took time for Oliver and mostly hung around with his teammates. Oliver was furiously jealous and resented him for it. During the summer holidays before the final year, things got better again, but in the final year it got really bad. When they did meet, they either argued or ignored each other. Bernd tried several times to persuade Oliver to do something with his new friends. It was too much for Oliver, they were just in Bernd's room studying,
‘I don't want anything to do with those idiots! All those basketball players think about is playing ball, drinking and picking up women!’
‘Don't talk about my friends so disparagingly!‘ Bernd replied.
‘If those idiots are your friends, what does that say about you? You're not like that!’ Oliver raised his voice.
‘I'm a basketball player too, get it!’ Bernd shouted back. “I just don't want to be a weird outsider and troublemaker like you! Either you accept my new friends and make new ones yourself, or from today you'll have one less friend!” Bernd became more conciliatory. ’Try to get to know the guys first, they're okay, you'll see. Don't be so prejudiced, Olli!’
‘I don't want to get to know them!’
‘Please.’
‘No!’
‘Please, Olli, for my sake.’
‘I said no, damn it. Andi is already getting on my nerves at school, he never leaves me alone. I won't even start with the other weirdos...’ Oliver rolled his eyes.
‘OLLIE’
‘Leave me alone! Go to your fucking basketball buddies’
‘You've played basketball with them too’ Bernd's gaze became more pleading.
‘I still don't want to be friends with them! If you don't have time for me besides school, club and your new friends... well, tough luck ’ Oliver looked up at the ceiling. It might seem arrogant, but he tried to hold back the tears that he could already feel coming.
‘You're an arrogant asshole, Olli, you think you're better than everyone else, don't you?’ Bernd was really angry now. All the crap he had to listen to, just because of his new friends. Why couldn't his old best friend understand that?
‘Fuck you Bernd, go play Balli and leave me alone!!!’ Oliver shouted in rage. Suddenly there was a smack. Then it was very quiet. An imprint of Bernd's hand was forming on Oliver's cheek.
Oliver packed up his stuff and was about to walk out the door when Bernd held him back by the shoulder. ‘Don't attack me!’ hissed Oliver quietly, but crystal clear and ice cold. Bernd flinched back in shock and Oliver disappeared. Since then, they have only exchanged words at school when absolutely necessary. Bernd wanted to apologise, but Oliver always gave him the cold shoulder, so he gave up at some point.
Now he was being dunked by this boy. After years of almost not interacting with each other, suddenly there was too much closeness for Oliver. He gasped for air and wanted out of the pool, but Bernd suddenly grabbed one of his legs and held it tight.
‘Let me go, what's the point of this?!’
‘Come on, Olli, I'm just kidding, you're not so sensitive with the others!’
No sooner had he spoken than Oliver's leg was yanked up, his second leg was levered out from under him and he was back underwater. He resurfaced and felt someone grab his leg again. Without further ado, he kicked the person in the stomach.
‘Ouch,’ Bernd winced slightly in pain. ’Have you gone completely mad?’
Oliver had to admit that he had overreacted, mumbled an apology and went to his seat.
Of course it had been impossible to avoid each other completely. Especially not at school or in this town. You saw each other every day in class, in the summer you saw each other at the swimming pool or playing basketball together. Mario and Thomas knew the people from the club and liked to play against them, and Oliver had to join in whether he liked it or not if he didn't want to be left out on his own. But the two of them kept their interactions to a minimum and avoided each other as much as possible. That was even worse than having no contact at all. Oliver was painfully reminded of the loss of his best friend over and over again. Out of defiance, he then surrounded himself more often with those people whom he knew could not stand Bernd. Although he missed Bernd and often looked up his number in the address book of his mobile phone, he never called him. His pride was always stronger... or was it his cowardice.
The most painful time was in the year of his A-levels and the following summer, but then both had apparently got used to the situation. And since he started university, Oliver had been here much less often anyway.
Oliver lay on his towel and let the past few minutes pass in review. Over and over again. ‘Olli’, as Bernd always said it, sounded so soft and loving. But what were these thoughts all of a sudden? ‘The weirdo can leave me alone, after so many years he doesn't have to be nice anymore!’
And here it was again, the hurt pride and the annoyance at one's own stupidity, at having made such a huge mistake and having put the best friendship at risk and lost it. But why...
Oliver was getting hotter and hotter, beads of sweat were forming everywhere. Why worry about it now. But why had he reacted so violently back then? Why couldn't he give Bernd the freedom for the club and his new friends? ‘Hhhmmm’ Why was he still brooding over it now? It was too late. He should have thought about it before, but the thoughts kept coming back.
‘Heee, there you are! Why did you leave us in the lurch against the basketball players?’ Thomas laughed at him half-angrily and shook his wet hair over Oliver. “Hmpf,” he grumbled. Mario, Thomas, Sine and Nina had returned from the pool, dried themselves off and then smeared sunscreen all over themselves. Oliver let Sine put lotion on his back too, although he would have preferred Mario. While he was lying on his stomach and Sine was spreading the lotion on his back, Oliver noticed how Bernd kept staring at him. When he realised that Oliver was watching him too, he quickly looked away. What would have happened if Oliver had apologised? Perhaps their relationship would have improved again, maybe it would have become more than friendship. ‘Nonsense, absolute nonsense!’ Oliver thought. Deep down, he longed for Bernd to be gay too, but he knew his hopes were in vain. And even if he was, would Bernd get involved with him? He was just the perfect heterosexual. You only had to look at the girls who idolised him. They were extremely attractive, but that was not for Oliver to judge. But he hadn't even been able to save their friendship. ‘I was so stupid! Aaaahhhh!!! I don't want to think about it anymore!’
Oliver had never found another friend like him. One who was also so attractive. He was just perfect, beautiful... Oliver imagined Bernd rubbing sunscreen on his back and sighed contentedly. ‘All done!’ Sine pulled him out of his dreams.
‘Hey, don't you want to go ‘beaching’?’ Mario asked. The others were very enthusiastic and even Oliver let himself be persuaded after a few grumpy sighs about the heat and the risk of sunstroke. After a short warm-up, a heated beach volleyball match began, with Mario and Thomas competing against Oliver and the two girls. Despite their numerical superiority, the match was very close and everyone was dripping with sweat. After Oliver's team had narrowly won the first set and narrowly lost the second, the third set had to decide the match. Shortly after the first rally, Udo, Rene, Andi and Bernd came onto the court. They wanted to play too. Mario shouted to them, ‘We'll still win the set, then we can play against each other!’... ‘Dream on, show-off!’ Oliver shot back at him, and the match continued. Somehow Oliver couldn't help but feel watched... whenever he looked briefly at the basketball players, who had settled in the shade of a tree next to the court, Bernd looked him in the eye and then quickly looked away. ‘Something's not right here, or I'm starting to fantasise too,’ he thought to himself. The match went ahead and Oliver and the girls finally lost by a narrow margin, with a difference of two points.
While Mario was negotiating with Uwe and Andi about who should play against whom, Oliver wanted to quickly take a shower and jump into the pool for a moment to get rid of the sweat and sand that was stuck to his body. As he walked past Bernd, the latter said to him: ‘Well played, Ollie! Really well done!’
Oliver couldn't believe his ears. His jaw dropped... then he recovered and replied snappishly: “I can take the piss out of myself!” Bernd's expression darkened and became dismissive: ’Aha. Well, in that case!’ Oliver went on, while his thoughts went on a rollercoaster ride. ‘This can't be happening, what's going on here? What does he want all of a sudden? Why is he praising me? Did he mean it? This can't be happening?’ He came to the showers and the cold water helped to cleanse his body and calm his thoughts a little. Mario, Thomas and their two girls also came, showered and jumped in briefly to turn on the water. ‘Come on, Oliver, we want to show those loudmouths!’ Oliver sighed and followed them to the beach volleyball court, where the basketball players had just warmed up.
Mario, Thomas and Oliver were on one side of the net, and Bernd, Udo and Andi were on the other. Rene and the girls had made themselves comfortable in the shade with drinks and were watching the action from there. The match was still harmless at the beginning, and the first set was quite civilised. But soon the players got more and more into it, everyone was sweating and the sun was beating down on their bodies.
Oliver returned a service without any interlude from Udo, which hit the line at Bernd.
‘Out!‘ shouted Bernd.
‘Are you crazy, it was on the line!’ said Oliver.
‘You can't see that from where you are!’
‘Sure, better than you, because he was behind you on the line.’
‘Nonsense, it was clearly out.’
‘Are you blind or do you always cheat?’
...
It was like that all the time. In the beginning, the others still argued a bit, but over time, only Bernd and Oliver argued fiercely about every point. The more they got into the game, the more they snarled at their teammates, who grumbled back accordingly. When Oliver saw Bernd raging with a teammate, he couldn't help but smile. In that respect, they really weren't dissimilar. Suddenly Bernd looked him square in the face, saw Oliver's smile, but didn't move a corner of his mouth. Oliver's smile disappeared as quickly as it had come.
Matters were about to get even worse, because it was one-all in sets. The last set would decide the game. Despite his excitement, Oliver couldn't help but keep looking at Bernd during the game, watching the play of his athletic muscles and staring at the bulge in Bernd's light blue shorts. He had a feeling that Bernd was doing the same, hidden behind that grim expression.
The game was dragging on, the rallies were getting longer and the players were at the end of their tether. The spectators of this game had already left and the six players remained alone on the court. Neither side could really get an advantage. Therefore, both sides fought on fiercely, but most of all Bernd and Oliver. But they threw fewer nasty things at each other, because they too could hardly breathe.
It was currently tied at points, and Oliver had serve. If he could score a point, his team would have match point. He thundered the ball over the net, and it slammed behind Andi on the line, which trembled. Mario, Thomas and Oliver high-fived each other and pushed each other with their chests out. It was their way of celebrating a good point. Meanwhile, poor Andi was being shouted at by Bernd for his failure.
Oliver was now confident that they could win the game, he saw the nervousness in Bernd's eyes.
‘I thought you hated playing balli, Olli? But everyone has a lucky shot,’ Bernd said acidly. “Shut up! For a basketball player, you're terrible at volleyball,” came the retort.
Nevertheless, Oliver muffed the serve, it landed out. Bernd laughed, sure of victory. It was now one point each. But he also muffed the next serve. Match point. It was Mario's turn. He managed a good serve, but Udo was able to return it. The ball was played three times, with Bernd trying to hit it over the net the last time...it was blocked by Thomas, who, thanks to his height, had no trouble stopping the ball. Andi was just able to dig it out, but the ball came flat and fast towards Bernd, who took a big step and threw himself towards the ball... but he only hit it with his fist... the ball went up... but not towards the net, but in the opposite direction. Way out!
‘Sssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
‘Take it easy!‘ he laughed, “it's okay. No need to get excited!” But you could tell that he and Thomas were also happy about the victory, because they also made some pointed remarks in the direction of the basketball players. But as is proper, they also shook their opponents’ hands and said ‘good game!’ to each other. After Oliver had done the same with Andi and Udo, he went to Bernd. He was just fishing the ball out of the bushes at the back of the field, where it had rolled. ‘Would you put the ball on my court, please?’ Mario asked. ‘Yeah, yeah,’ Bernd grumbled back.
While Oliver approached Bernd, the others were already walking towards the pool to take a shower. The two former friends were now all alone on the field.
Bernd was just crawling backwards out of the bushes on all fours with the ball. Oliver looked at his light blue shorts and your hot ass, which was clearly visible in them... he had to swallow.
‘Good game!’ he croaked and held out his right hand to Bernd.
‘I can take the piss out of myself!‘ he replied angrily and slapped his hand away.
‘Come on...or can't the great ball player lose? You didn't think you'd lose to me, did you?’ Oliver grinned confidently.
‘Here's your fucking ball,’ Bernd shouted and slammed the ball so hard into his stomach that Oliver had to bend over.
‘Are you crazy?’ gasped Oliver as he sat up... and he saw Bernd's contemptuous grin and suddenly saw red... he swung and slapped Bernd across the cheek. Bernd stared at him speechlessly for a moment, then he screamed and pounced on Oliver. Oliver flew onto his back and Bernd landed on top of him. They rolled around on the ground, sometimes one had the upper hand, sometimes the other. They also tried to take each other into a headlock, but they were both so sweaty that the one being held could always free himself.
They fought fiercely and quietly, you could only hear their panting. Legs entangled, arms fixed on each other, they rolled across the room, once Bernd had the advantage, then Oliver. Sometimes they broke free and punched each other in the stomach or on the shoulders, but it never got really brutal. Although both seemed to want to emerge victorious from this scuffle, there was a limit for both of them not to let it get out of hand. It had been a long time since Oliver had such intense physical contact with a boy...and it was Bernd, his former best friend, this beautiful, athletic athlete! Especially when Bernd was lying on top of him, his athletic chest pressed against Oliver's chest, his shorts against Oliver's swimming trunks, Oliver couldn't help but find it beautiful, even more...feeling this body was hot. He slowly got a hard-on and became nervous.
Nevertheless, the fight continued unabated... Bernd also seemed inattentive, because Oliver was able to apply a great hold... he held Bernd in a double nelson (his arms under Bernd's arms and crossed on Bernd's neck so that he could press Bernd's head to his chest and Bernd couldn't move his arms).
In this hold, Bernd's back was pressed against Oliver's chest...his pelvis in Oliver's crotch. Oliver wanted to push him to the ground, but he was afraid Bernd would feel his boner. His grip weakened and Bernd twisted out. Then he quickly took Oliver in a headlock and dragged him to the ground, he was on top of him again and almost pinned him... Oliver tried desperately to fight back, but he had hardly any strength left. Then he remembered to use his legs... he wrapped his trained legs around Bernd's waist and did a leg scissors... his muscular thighs pressed into Bernd's smooth stomach. Despite his abdominal muscles, the scissors became tighter and tighter, Bernd let out a short scream and let go of his attack. Oliver was able to turn him onto his back and sit on his stomach. He tried to put Bernd's arms behind his head and spread his legs so that Bernd couldn't shake him.
‘But hello? This can't be! This isn't possible! It shouldn't be happening!’ thought Oliver, confused, because while he was pinning Bernd's arms to the ground, he had slid backwards, and now lay almost stretched out on top of his old friend. He pressed his shorts into Bernd's bulge and felt clearly that he too had an erection. His pulse reached unimagined heights. ‘Oh my God, he's not gay, is he? How did I miss that?’ While Oliver's mind was racing, the beautiful loser fidgeted under him and said in a broken, quiet voice, ‘Ok ok, you win, you're the victor! Now get off me!’
But Oliver didn't. He let go of Bernd's arms and sat up, landing his bottom exactly on Bernd's stiff cock. He looked at Bernd long and hard, his green-brown eyes sinking into the clear blue eyes of his opponent. There he was under him, the boy who had meant so much to him and now meant even more. His heart was beating in his throat...Tears welled up in his eyes.
‘No, Bernd. I've lost you. My best friend and...’ Oliver couldn't say any more, his voice failed him. “I fucking love you!” he thought to himself...He slowly approached Bernd's head and kissed him gently, tenderly and a little awkwardly on the mouth.
‘Oh my God! Ollie...’ he heard a voice below him. He looked into Bernd's questioning eyes, which also filled with tears.
Then he realised what he had just done... ‘I'm such an idiot, why did I let myself be tempted? Am I losing my mind just because Bernd happens to get a hard-on when wrestling,’ thought Oliver to himself, and added loudly, while jumping up, ‘I'm sorry! Forgive me, Bernd! I'm so sorry for everything!!!’ Then he ran away.
He didn't know where to go at first, but then he ran to the showers to wash off the sand and sweat, but above all, he didn't want anyone to see that he had cried. The cold water pelted down his body and the last few minutes went through his mind again in his mind's eye. Oliver started to tremble.
‘I'm so stupid... how could I be so stupid... letting myself be carried away by something like that... SHIT, there he comes!’ He saw Bernd, who also had red eyes, walking towards the showers.
Oliver quickly finished showering and was about to flee around the pool to the lawn when he ran into Mario, Thomas, Sine and Nina, who were lounging at the edge of the pool. ‘What took you so long? Did you have a fight with Bernd?’ Thomas asked worriedly, ‘You don't look so good!’
‘Um...’ Oliver had to swallow. “What should I say now? Help?!!” He became more and more desperate until he came up with a good excuse: ’No, but the exhausting match in this heat, I think I have a slight sunstroke. I think I'd better go home!’
‘Speak of the devil! There he comes!’ said Mario with a grin, and Oliver turned around to look into those coveted blue eyes, but he couldn't read Bernd's expression.
‘I'm done for! If he now tells the others that I kissed him, I'm done for! Then they'll all call me a fag! None of them will want to have anything to do with me anymore!’ Oliver was frozen with fear, and although he wanted to run away, his legs wouldn't move.
‘Did you put the ball in my place?’ Mario asked. Bernd, who had fixed Oliver with his gaze, literally tore himself away from him and stammered, ’Er, what? The ball? Oh, I did!’
Oliver looked at the ground, he couldn't say anything, nor did he dare look anyone in the eye for fear that everything would be visible on his face. Suddenly he heard quick footsteps behind him and saw Andi, Rene and Udo approaching them and throwing everyone standing at the edge of the pool into the water. Bernd and Oliver flew in without resistance, they were too surprised, Mario and Thomas were each able to pull an attacker into the water with them. Udo also tried to push the two girls into the water, but Oliver quickly got out of the pool and threw Udo into the water. Then he shouted, ‘I really have to go now! Ciao guys!’ in the direction of the pool and took the opportunity to escape. He saw out of the corner of his eye how Bernd got out of the pool and he even thought he heard a ‘Wait for me!’ But Mario was faster out of the pool and ran to Bernd and threw him back in.
With a sigh of relief, Oliver had reached his towel, quickly dried himself, threw his things into his backpack, slipped into his trainers and put on a T-shirt, and hurried towards the exit without changing his wet shorts. He was so busy with his escape that he was able to suppress what had happened for the moment. As he left the pool, he risked a glance in the direction of the pool where his friends were sitting again at the edge of the pool. Thomas saw him and gestured for him to wait, but Oliver just waved in their direction and then left the pool without turning around. Outside, he calmed down a bit, but he still felt uncomfortable. His T-shirt got wet through his shorts and stuck to his waist, he felt a slight headache and he was hot and cold at the same time. He just wanted to get home as quickly as possible. He unlocked his bike and set off.
‘Mum, it was so nice to see him again, to feel his beautiful smooth body, to touch his lips’ the event went through his mind again and he felt a tingling in his stomach when he thought of Bernd. 'He had a hard-on too, maybe he feels the same way I do... I mean, why else would he have a hard-on... but maybe it was just the friction... then he's straight and hates me now... and the others what will they say... maybe he won't tell them... but if he does... what should I do...' The hopes that Oliver had from time to time were always replaced by fear and panic.
'Probably everyone will talk shit about me, Thomas and Mario won't talk to me anymore... Shit... such shit... why did this happen, I wish this had never happened. ... But Manuela will understand me, she must be able to understand me... and mum and dad? They'll freak out. And maybe won't give me any more money, then I can drop out of university... SHIT...
He couldn't hold back his tears any longer and cried quietly to himself. Life just wasn't a series or a coming-out film. Everything always went so smoothly there, and after the initial difficulties, everything got better. But for him? And if he had to come out, it shouldn't have been like that. Everyone would find out through gossip. Maybe Mario and Thomas wouldn't find his sexuality so bad. But if they find out like this, behind his back. They'll think he's a lying arsehole who's just been faking it all these years.
‘Aaaahhhhh. Why does everything have to be so complicated and why of all things do I have to be gay...why did I have to go to the bathroom today and see HIM there...and play volleyball with HIM...and wrestle with HIM...and kiss HIM...’
He didn't know how he had done it, but Oliver had arrived home. He got off his bike and opened the garage door. ‘Lucky for me both cars are not here.’ His father always came home late from work anyway, but Oliver's mother also seemed to be out, shopping or somewhere else. She was a teacher and was on holiday now, too. He put his bike down and closed the door. In the kitchen he found a note: ‘Gone to Grandma's, helping her in the garden, salad is in the fridge.’
He couldn't eat now. Oliver went into the bathroom, stripped off his clothes and stood under the shower. There was still quite a lot of sand in the shorts and on himself, which now ran down the drain. The lukewarm water relaxed him a little. While he washed his cock, he had to think again of Bernd and his perfect body. He almost got an erection, but the unpleasant climax of the day and his fears returned and any desire disappeared. He showered and got out of the cabin. While he dried himself, he saw himself in the mirror. A desperate face with red eyes looked at him sadly. ‘Even if Bernd were gay, he would like a figure like mine,’ Oliver wondered.
He went to his room, put on a pair of boxer shorts and was about to throw himself on the bed when he heard his phone ringing in his backpack. He waited until the ringtone had stopped and then picked it up. Five missed calls. Two from Thomas, one from Mario, and two from a number he hadn't saved but whose owner he recognised even after years. They must all have called while he was in the shower. But five calls in such a short time? Then it beeped again. An SMS: ‘You have new messages on your mobile box’.
‘Who could have recorded it? Mario or Thomas? Do they already know about the kiss? Or maybe Bernd left a message? Should I listen to it?’ Oliver was thinking hard about what to do when the doorbell went off.
Had he forgotten to take the key out of the door? He had entered the house through the garage, and besides, his key was on his desk. Since the doorbell continued to ring unabated, Oliver grabbed the key and ran to the door. ‘Yes, yes, I'm coming!’ he shouted on the way, just to stop the tinkling. The noise and the short time prevented Oliver from being able to think about who was causing it.
He unlocked and opened the door and was startled. ‘Bernd,’ he whispered, staring at his counterpart. Bernd seemed to have showered and changed, because he no longer had his bathing shorts on. His blue eyes looked deep into Oliver's green-brown eyes. Then his gaze wandered down and he wanted to say something, but couldn't and had to swallow.
‘Olli, you're only wearing boxer shorts!‘ he finally said.
‘Um... yes,’ Oliver blushed, ‘I just had a shower.’
‘I see. We definitely need to talk, Olli!’ With these words, Bernd pushed him into the hallway and closed the front door.
‘I know...’ Oliver looked guiltily at the ground.
Bernd approached him, lifted his face ‘...but first there's still a rematch!’ With these words, he pushed Oliver onto the hallway carpet. It wasn't brutal and didn't hurt, but it was quick and effective. Oliver lay on his back and stared in disbelief at his opponent, who was now kneeling over him and holding his arms.
‘Is he going to hit me now? I don't deserve any better, what a bad friend I've been.’ Oliver's thoughts mingled with his tears. He vaguely perceived Bernd's head approaching...
‘MMMMmmmhhhhh’ Warm soft lips touched Oliver's mouth and a tongue asked for admission. Oliver almost saw stars, because he had never kissed like that before, he had never felt like that before... now he knew what he had been missing all this time. This boy, whose body was now on top of his, he was hopelessly in love with.
And not only that, the athletic basketball player turned him on. He felt his cock growing and he also felt Bernd's erection at the same time.
‘Olli, I never thought you could ever feel the way I do. I think I'm in love with you.’ Bernd had sat up, gently stroked Oliver's face and smiled at him.
Oliver sat up and cleared his throat: ‘I love you, Bernd! I know I love you. I think I've always loved you!’
Bernd's blue eyes filled with tears. Still kneeling over Oliver, he embraced him and held him close. ‘I missed you so much, I was so lonely without you! Forgive me...’ ‘No,’ Oliver interrupted him, ‘if anyone has to apologise, it's me...’
A kiss that took his breath away silenced him. When their mouths parted, the green-brown eyes looked deep into their blue counterpart and both knew that everything was forgiven and forgotten. Oliver stroked Bernd's back, moving deeper and deeper into Bernd's trousers, massaging his bottom and pressing him clearly against the bulge in his shorts. ‘Man OLLIIIEEE!!!’ he gasped.
Oliver grinned mischievously. Their test of strength was far from over!