m/m Deano, Again: A Muscle University Story (Deano Story 3)

[muscleaddict]

18 hours ago, WashburnDaddy said:

Excellent writing as usual! Great tone, pace and it's fascinating 'grounding' Deano in these chapters - we 'knew' him but now there's more depth as well as more nuancing. Here's to the next chapter matie!!

 

Thanks for the awesome feedback @WashburnDaddy. When I wrote the original MU story I never thought I'd end up writing three Deano spin-offs but I just love this character. It's so awesome to see other people invested in him too.

17 hours ago, macookie said:

Hopefully, it’s more than a conversation.  Unless it’s a pillow conversation.  :)))

Hmmm. There may be some a bit of sauciness at some point. I can't really say.

(Can you imagine if I posted a story here without any kind of sex? I don't think people would be too happy! )

[muscleaddict]

15 hours ago, brawnygods said:

Love having another slow-burn MU story to look forward to!  Love being in Deano's head.  It's like a buffet of horny, troubled, self-doubting but sincere delights.  He deserves to get even bigger (and get off even bigger) this year and it will be fun to watch.  

I'm really glad you're enjoying it, Brawny. You know I'm all about the slow-burn!  I love getting inside Deano's head too and writing from his pov. Excited to see what you and others make of the rest of it! 

[muscleaddict]

11 hours ago, Bjort said:

So great to have another of your stories cooking on the slow flame in my muscle crazed brain!  Exquisite torture!!!

Haha! Glad you're enjoying it, mate!  

8 hours ago, tboh86 said:

Loved the last chapter... now our pocket rocket is getting insecure with all those stares! I bet he will have something going on with Adam or Ozzie. And where the hell is Woody??? Did he come late to MU for this term? The lack of his appearance is killing me!

Thanks, matie! Don't worry - Woody is in it (at some point)! 

[muscleaddict]

Four

“Mate - why do you keep changing your t-shirt?” Shaun asks me from his bed.

“I don’t!” I cry, my voice sounding weird and defensive. I look at my reflection in the mirror. I’m not feeling this tight white t-shirt I’m wearing. At all.

Shaun laughs. “That’s, like, the third one you’ve tried on!” 

I groan, open up my wardrobe and grab my favourite black Montgomery University hoodie, which I’m kind of hoping won’t fit by the end of term. It’s already pretty small so I’ll probably have to buy a new one soon. Maybe next time I’ll go for red.

“Anyone would think you’ve got a fucking date!” Shaun jokes.

I pick up my phone and check the time. Shit - I’ve got to leave now otherwise I’ll be late. I say bye to my roommate who seems intent on annoying the fuck out of me this morning and head to Hanson Hall. I’ve got a meeting with Dave Walker to go over my training plan.

For some reason, my stomach clenches with nerves as I open the door to the classroom.

“All right, Deano?” Walker says when he sees me. I say all right back, and try and offer up a smile to the tank in the red Montgomery hoodie sitting next to him. Maybe I’ll go for a blue one instead.

“I don’t think you two have formally met yet, have you?”

“All right, mate?” Adam says to me, standing up and shaking my hand. This confident but slightly shy smile on his face, which (not gonna lie) is even better looking close up. I feel slightly overwhelmed at just how BIG this guy is. His frame is just so thick. 

I say all right back to him and we both sit down. Adam’s biting his lip, this slightly awkward expression on his face. I guess that encounter WAS kind of awkward. The way it sometimes is with two people who don’t really know each other.

“We’re just waiting for Seth,” Walker says.

I look at him confused, not having a clue who Seth is.

“Oh - Ozzie,” he clarifies.

Oh for FUCK’S sake. Not that bloody dickhead. 

“That boy’s not exactly known for his punctuality!” Walker says. Adam makes eye contact with me and gives me a little smirk. I THINK I smile back. But I can’t really say for sure.

“As Johnny said yesterday, none of you lads will be training together - but every now and then I’ll do joint catch ups with the both of you.”

I nod, thinking fan-fuckin-tastic. Just as the dickhead himself walks into the classroom. But as he does, my previously negative thoughts seem to subside. Because I can’t help but be impressed with the sheer size of the guy.

He may only be about an inch or two taller than me, but he makes me feel small. The meat on this lad’s frame. And he’s only a year older than me. He’s got these big, wide shoulders. It’s hard not to think about all of the muscle that’s hiding under the same black tracksuit he was wearing yesterday.

He’s not, like, Adam Lloyd levels of good looking or anything, but he’s not exactly unattractive. He’s got these big brown eyes that almost seem too big for his face. And this bad boy quality to his looks. But there’s a sort of boyish cuteness there too. He’s probably the type of lad who can shag any girl he wants (without being particularly nice to them). 

He’s wearing a black round earring (bigger than mine) which stretches his ear slightly which is actually pretty cool. I’m still not sure about that mohawk though. It’s kind of a twatty haircut. And now I’m rolling my tongue around the inside of my mouth to hide my smirk because I’m suddenly wondering what my dad would have to say about Ozzie/Seth’s haircut.

“Yo!” he casually says to the room in his Welsh accent as he sits next to me. I can’t help noticing how veiny his hands are. But, “Yo”? Fucking “Yo”? Who says that?

“You better not be late for the flight to Chicago, Seth,” Walker teases. “We won’t think twice about going without you.”

He pulls an amused face and smirks. I suddenly want to know where this Ozzie thing comes from.

“Anyway - this is Deano. I know you’ve met Adam before.”

He turns to me. “All right, Deano?” he says with this weird smirk on his face which kind of unnerves me. His eyes stay on me for way longer than needed.

Why is he just looking at me like that? Like he was during our induction yesterday. Is he trying to intimidate me? I say all right back, slightly annoyed and weirded out. And thinking that maybe my early impression of this guy was right. That he actually IS a bit of a dickhead.

Walker goes through our training programmes. We’ll each be training with him four times a week, including a Saturday for me. Which kinda sucks. And means I won’t be able to go drinking with the lads at the SU bar on Friday nights. Although I shouldn’t really be drinking anyway if we’re training. And it’s only for three months. Plus - it will be worth it. 

Apparently, Adam will be helping out for around half of the sessions. As Walker tells us this, Adam looks me in the eye and offers up a little smile. The few times I glance over at Ozzie, he looks completely unbothered by the whole thing. Slumped in his chair and chewing on gum. He only speaks up when Walker asks us if we have any questions.

“Will we get to meet the pros at the McCarthy?”

When Walker says yes, a jolt of excitement goes through me. I glance over at Ozzie who gives me an excited smirk and I actually feel a moment of solidarity with him.

“After the press conference on the Friday, they’ll be a special meet and greet for us. We’ll be given about twenty or so minutes to introduce ourselves and talk to the competitors. And you’ll be backstage with them on the Saturday.”

Fucking. Hell. Backstage at one of the biggest bodybuilding shows on the planet with some of the best pros in the business. All jacked and shredded and pumping up in their posing trunks. Including Chris “Freaky Peaks” Jackson and Felix King. I find myself starting to swell at that thought. 

“No doubt some of the bodybuilders will be friendlier than others. You know how it goes!”

“And the guest posing …,” Ozzie begins, leaning forward and giving me a good shot of his wide back and thick lats bulging underneath his black tracksuit jacket. “Any rules on how we pose, like?”

What the fuck kind of question is that?

Walker narrows his eyes at him. “You mean can you be as cocky and loud as you normally are?”

Oh for fuck’s sake. Ozzie’s mouth erupts into this big, almost cocky grin. He turns to me and his smile suddenly falters. Probably because I’m not smiling back.

“Yes, Ozzie!” Walker groans. “Feel free to be as loud as you like! If you REALLY feel it’s necessary.”

Walker looks at me and playfully rolls his eyes. 

“You gotta have fun on stage, sir!” Ozzie argues. “Bet you get cocky when you’re posing, don’t you, Deano?” 

“Ummm …,” I look from Adam, who gives me a little smirk, to Walker. “I don’t actually.”

Ozzie rolls his eyes. “Boring!” he says, lazily. I feel a pinch of anger.  

“Actually, I find all of that stuff a bit tacky!” I say. 

Ozzie’s mouth curls into this big, surprised smirk. Like he’s amused by what I just said. Maybe even a little bit impressed. Adam’s smirking too. 

Walker clears his throat in response to the tension. “Anyway! Any more questions, lads?” 

“Erm … do we get our own rooms in Chicago?” I ask.

“Good question. There are four rooms for you guys. So four of you will have to share. And two of you will have your own room. You guys can talk it out amongst yourselves.”

“I’m having my own room!” Ozzie says matter-of-factly, leaning back in his chair. 

Ugh. This guy is starting to annoy me more and more. Thank God I’m not training with him. I just have to put up with him for the occasional meeting. Oh - and for three days at the McCarthy Classic. Not that I’ll exactly be hanging around with him. 

Walker is just looking at Ozzie as if he’s momentarily lost for words. “Well … you guys can sort that out amongst yourselves. Deano - I know you’re mates with Ashley and Eric so it’s up to you guys who wants to share.”

“Yeeeah - but I’m not friends with Keiran,” Ozzie says. There’s a strange sort of urgency in the tone of his voice. I suddenly remember Keiran and Connell smirking and rolling their eyes at each other when Ozzie walked in late to the induction yesterday. 

Ozzie points a thumb at me. “I’d rather share with Deano, like.”

What the - I almost fucking CHOKE!

“And I’m sure Deano would LOVE that!” Walker says sarcastically. I look at Adam who bites his lip gently and smirks at me. It’s not like a sly smirk though. But when I look at Ozzie, he doesn’t look impressed. He even seems a little bit bothered by Walker’s comment. Which surprises me. Unless I’m just completely misreading things.

Ozzie is a bit quiet for the rest of the meeting after that. He doesn’t even say goodbye when it’s over. I end up walking out at the same time as Walker and Adam. I say an awkward bye to both of them at the door and head back to my dorm room in Johnson Hall. But tank sized Adam in his bright red Montgomery hoodie starts walking in the same direction and now I don’t know what the hell I’m supposed to do.

I turn to look at him and he nods and half-smiles at me in this slightly awkward way.

“You been to the States before then, Deano?” he asks, stepping in line with me.

Okay - so this is happening.

“Erm. No. Never!” I say, half wanting to get away from him and the awkwardness of this situation and half wanting to stay and talk to him.

I ask the question back and he tells me he’s been to Florida once on a family holiday. And he apparently also went to New York last summer.

“So … how come you didn’t compete at the end of term bodybuilding shows last year?”

My chest tightens at that question.

“Oh, erm … I didn’t apply in the second term.” 

Obviously, that's a lie. But I’m not exactly gonna tell him that I couldn’t compete because I got suspended for outing two gay guys in my class over Facebook.

“Oh right,” Adam says, surprised. “That’s a shame.”

He seems so genuine. Like he’s a genuinely nice guy. I can’t lie - it’s pretty endearing given how big he is.

“You’re making up for it this year though!” he adds. I look over and we lock eyes and he gives me a little smile. One of those ones that seems a little shy. The right corner of his mouth curled up. Does this guy KNOW how hot he is? I mean - he must do, right? But he doesn’t act as if he does. Not like the ridiculously good looking bodybuilders I’ve met in the past.

“Ozzie’s a bit of a character isn’t he?” Adam says. I look at him and we smirk at each other. I feel a flutter of something in my chest.

“Where does his nickname come from?” I ask, feeling more confident.

“Oh. His surname's Osman. Seth “Ozzie” Osman.”

Osman, Why does that name sound familiar? Maybe I just remember it from the email last week telling us who got a place, even though I didn't pay that much attention to the names of the third-years. Or maybe he’s one of the dozen Montgomery students I’m following on Instagram but have never actually spoken to.

“So … can I ask you a question?” Adam says, mysteriously. This ominous look on his face. What the fuck? I feel a bit nervous, but I don't know why.

“Umm. Yeah?”

He smirks. “Do you guys think I’m mad?”

“Erm … how do you mean?”

“For coming back here. To Montgomery!” 

“Oh.” I feel a surge of confidence. “Well …,” I say, pulling a little playful face. Adam laughs and my chest expands.

“Cheeky bastard!” he teases.

I roll my tongue around the inside of my mouth to try and hide how much I’m smiling.

“Nah. I think I get it,” I tell him. “Not wanting to compete straight away.” I look over at him. He’s got this smile on his face like he’s impressed.

“So many guys rush into it after they graduate,” I say.

“Exactly!” Adam says. “I dunno. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing by coming back. It just seemed like a good gig.”

We’re approaching my dorm room. I’m tempted to carry on walking straight past it. Just so I can carry on talking to Adam. Is that the most stupid thing you’ve ever heard?

“And … well, I DID love it here when I was a student.”

I nod. I bet Adam was a model student for three years straight. Never doing anything wrong. Never jumping on top of one of his classmates while they were both only wearing their posing trunks and kissing him. Never outing him and his boyfriend to the whole university and getting suspended for it. 

“Who was your favourite lecturer?” I ask Adam, surprised at how easy I’m finding talking to him. Especially as this time last week I got nervous just making eye contact with him.

“That’s easy!” he replies, animatedly. I look over at him, finding it hard not to smile. He looks at me like the answer should be obvious. “Johnny Hoxton!”

I nod and bite my lip, suddenly remembering that the last two guys I was into pretty much worshipped Johnny as well. (If you don’t count Harry the Bouncer.)

Adam’s giving me a confused look. He’s smirking too though. “Don’t tell me you don’t like Johnny!”

“No, I do,” I protest. “I’m just … not sure he’s always liked me,” I confess.

My stomach clenches. Why the fuck am I telling him this?

Adam’s looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. “Why?!”

Because he spent most of the first year thinking I was a loud-mouthed twat. Because I was constantly digging at his star pupil Woody. Because he fucking suspended me in the second term. 

I pull a face and shrug. Feeling awkward. And kind of regretting what I just said.

“Nah!” Adam says. “It’s not possible.”

Ummm. Okay? I don’t know what to say. I just give him a confused look.

“What’s not to like?!”

What the fuck? I look away from him, feeling kind of awkward but admittedly flattered. If only this guy knew the half of it. 

I’m even grateful that we’ve reached the door to my dorm room. “Ummm … this is me.”

“I was just around the corner in my second year. Number seventeen.”

There’s a slight awkwardness. I don’t really know how to say goodbye.

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Adam says.

I feel an unexpected pinch of excitement. “Oh - are you in training with us tomorrow then?”

The side of Adam’s mouth curls into an almost cheeky smirk. “Yep. And erm … don't forget your Digital Marketing and Social Media for Bodybuilders lecturer beforehand.”

You fucking dickhead, Deano. Adam’s flashing me a big, friendly smile as he says bye and walks away, leaving me with this odd and unexpected warm feeling. Just before I open my dorm room door, I can’t help looking back at him. The rear of Adam’s huge frame is still in view. My eyes fall down from his wide back to his arse, which, just like everything else on his physique, is abnormally big. Thick, round orbs of glute muscle stretching the material of his trackies. I roll my tongue around the inside of my mouth and head into my room.

Shaun’s not home. I jump on my bed, fire up my laptop and head to Instagram. I scroll down a few posts and then stop when I get to a picture which makes my heart jump into my throat.

It’s a picture of Mitchell “The Machine” Murray with a big “CONFIRMED” written across it. Yep. Mitchell Murray has been confirmed as one of the pros to compete at the McCarthy Classic. Fuck. Just … fuck.

The Machine is a Canadian bodybuilder. He’s definitely one of my favourite pros from the past couple of years. He’s in his mid to late twenties and only turned pro a few years ago, but the guy’s a fucking freak. Shocking size. Crazy vascularity, particularly in the legs. They almost border on grotesque. He’s good looking too. He kind of looks like a bodybuilding version of Chris Pratt.

If he were a bodybuilder here at Montgomery, or say, a personal trainer at my dad’s gym, I’m pretty sure I’d be obsessing over him. Regularly checking his Instagram. Lying on my bed with my own arm wrapped around myself, fantasising that it belonged to him. You know. That sort of thing. 

It’s fucking crazy to think that I’m not only going to get to see that physique in competition, but I’m going to be backstage with him AND I’m going to get to meet him properly after the press conference thing Walker was talking about earlier. Potentially actually talk to Mitchell “The Machine” Murray. What the fuck am I gonna say to him? 

Still in Instagram, I drag the cursor to the search bar and do what I visited the site for in the first place. I type in a name. “Seth Osman”. His profile comes up straight away. I want to know if he’s following me. Or if his profile looks familiar. Osman. I definitely know that surname. I guess if I’m being honest, I’m kind of curious to check out his profile in general. Adam wasn’t wrong earlier - the guy IS a fucking character.

I brace myself for the content on his profile, but then - wait - what? - I’m completely taken aback when in place of pictures and videos are the words “This account is private”. 

What the fuck? Why would a guy as confident as Ozzie (not to mention cocky on stage) hide his Instagram profile from public view? It doesn’t make any sense. 

I go back to my main feed. And as I do, I start to wonder whether Adam jug-eared, massive-arsed Lloyd has a profile. Who am I kidding? Of COURSE Adam has a profile. What bodybuilder doesn’t? 

I could so easily look. I’m gonna be training with him. We’re going to be going to America together in a few months. Following each other on Instagram is inevitable. At some point, I’ll see his profile. I know that. Just … not now. Even though I’ve changed. Even though this guy isn’t Sebastian Wood. And he certainly isn’t Ryan North.

But no. I’m not checking Adam Lloyd’s profile. I’m not going back to that place. And I’m not going to be that person. Not again.

[DennisFLL]

So will it eventually be Adam who unbolts Deano's heavily shut closet door?  Or maybe it'll have to wait three months for "The Machine" in Chicago to do that?  MA, please, we're already antsy for the next chapter!

[S01]

Love the Welsh, as soon as I can visit my friends in Wales again, I'll go and look for him, like!

[Spandexmuscle]

Keep going ffs! It’s fucking hot, man.

[muscleaddict]

21 hours ago, DennisFLL said:

So will it eventually be Adam who unbolts Deano's heavily shut closet door?  Or maybe it'll have to wait three months for "The Machine" in Chicago to do that?  MA, please, we're already antsy for the next chapter!

Getting it on with a top pro Canadian bodybuilder? Sure Deano wouldn't mind the idea of that! 

17 hours ago, suske said:

Love the Welsh, as soon as I can visit my friends in Wales again, I'll go and look for him, like!

Tidy. 

12 hours ago, Spandexmuscle said:

Keep going ffs! It’s fucking hot, man.

This bodes well for the chapters that are actually supposed to be hot! 

[Built22]

Omg   every time I see a notification from muscleaddict my chest tightens and the anticipation is electric. 

And then there it is a brand new chapter and I'm literally screaming myself with a silent S  

Brilliant writing as always, another slow burning classic but then we wouldn't want it any other way  

[muscleaddict]

17 hours ago, Built22 said:

Omg   every time I see a notification from muscleaddict my chest tightens and the anticipation is electric. 

And then there it is a brand new chapter and I'm literally screaming myself with a silent S  

Brilliant writing as always, another slow burning classic but then we wouldn't want it any other way  

Haha! Awww - thanks, mate!  Always great to see familiar users from older stories back on board! I should probably write more shorter stories but I feel like these big slow-burning ones are kind of my thing.