Muscle Lads, Inc.

[muscleaddict]

FOURTEEN

ALFIE

About ten seconds after waking up to the sound of who I assume is Nick in the kitchen, the reminder of last night’s events suddenly hits me. It was so easy fixing Curtis up with Nick. Suggesting the three of us go to the cinema together, waiting for Nick's text to confirm that Curtis had got there when it was too late to cancel himself and then dropping the bomb that I couldn’t make it because a client had pushed back the time of a session (a complete fabrication of course).

I was eagerly waiting for Nick to come back home so I could grill him and find out how it went. If they’d fallen madly in love yet. If they held each other’s hands during the film. If Curtis spent the whole night with his head on Nick’s shoulder gripping tightly onto his big arms with a happy grin on his face. But Nick didn’t come home. Which I guess means Nick maybe ended up going back to Curtis’ flat?!

If I'm being honest, I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. It just seems kind of fast. And ... I dunno, I guess I just don't want Curtis to get hurt. I feel this weird urge to protect him, even though I haven't really known him for that long.

Anyway, I waited until about one in the morning then gave up and went to bed. Sometime after that, I heard Nick finally come home but I was too half asleep to get out of bed.

I leap out of bed and throw on some shorts to go with the white vest I sleep in. If I don’t talk to Nick now I won’t get the chance to do it face to face until tonight. Sure enough, Nick is in the kitchen, prepping some meals before he shoots off for work.

“Mooorning!” I purr, in a mischievous tone as I enter the room.

“Oh. All right!” Nick says, spinning around. He’s wearing a blue North Face hoodie I haven't seen him wearing before and his tight skinny jeans. His blonde hair is unstyled and messy. And he’s got his little specs on (of course). I’m pretty sure if I was gay I’d fancy Nick. There’s just something so cute and huggable about him. 

“You got home late …” I say, sitting down on one of the kitchen stools. My stomach clenches. I don’t know why, but I’m kind of nervous to find out how the date went. 

“Ummm. Yeah,” Nick replies, looking a little flushed, a hint of a smile on his lips. He seems out of it. Like, half asleep. I can see the prep is taking its toll already.

“I, er … went to Liv’s.”

So he didn’t go back to Curtis’? Huh!

“Oh right,” I say, feeling my body relaxing. 

“She texted me after the film. She’s having, like, girl trouble,” Nick explains in a sort of mumbling voice. 

“So … how did it go?” I say, folding my arms. 

“What?”

I give him a pointed look. “Your DATE with Curtis. Children's author extraordinaire? Mr Adorable UK?” 

An ominous grin spreads across Nick’s face. “Yeah. It was, erm … good actually,” he says, spinning around so his back is facing me.

“Okay! Is that all I’m getting?”

Nick gives an embarrassed chuckle and turns around again. “We got on well!” he says, suddenly looking flustered and a bit weird. “Really well!”

Something twists in my gut. “Awesome!” I say, biting my bottom lip. “When’s the next date?”

“Ummm. Dunno. He said we should do something soon. He did say something about you coming as well. Like the three of us?”

I nod, finding myself smiling at the thought.

“You don’t have to though. Like, you’d probably feel like a bit of a third wheel.”

I feel my chest tighten. I don’t respond to Nick's comment, but after he leaves the kitchen to finish getting ready for work and I head back to my room, the comment is weighing on my mind. Third wheel. Something about that comment has pissed me off a bit. If anyone would be the third wheel in that scenario surely it would be Nick? Curtis was my friend first. Me and Curtis are the ones who get on really well.

But something else is bugging me too. If Nick and Curtis become boyfriends - where does that leave ME and Curtis? Will it still be okay to meet up and hang out? Will our awesome, funny and cheeky DMs stop? Will I basically be replaced by Nick? No need for straight boy Alfie and his awesome collection of shiny Next Level Posers when he has an actual boyfriend who’s both gay and a bodybuilder. I’m surprised at how much that bothers me. The thought of Curtis replacing me with Nick Malone. The prospect of whatever it is me and Curtis have got going in - this unlikely but kind of awesome friendship - coming to an end. Have I made a monumentally big mistake here setting the two of them up? 

I head to Instagram on my phone and open up my conversation with Curtis (aka shredded_muscle_lover97). I think about sending him a DM asking him how the date went. Jokingly asking him if I’m about to be replaced. Maybe even sending him another unshared picture of me in an awesome shiny trunks and novelty socks combo. But something stops me. This knowledge, I guess, that I’m probably being a bit ridiculous. I think about what my brother, Ross, said when he came around last week. That I’ve always been competitive. Maybe that’s what this is. I can't stand the thought of Nick replacing me as the hot bodybuilder who Curtis gets excited about DM’ing and getting pictures from. Maybe I just need to fucking chill.

As the day goes on something else starts occupying my thoughts. I’ve agreed to go to lunch with my dad tomorrow. And I’m really NOT looking forward to it. In fact - I straight up just don't want to go. It’s going to be so awkward. What the hell am I supposed to say? “Hi, Dad. Thanks for not telling me you occasionally dress up as a woman. Thanks for letting me find out for the first time while you're dressed up like said woman in front of me, my flatmates and my friends. Thanks for telling my little brother and not me because you’ve clearly always liked him better. And for also telling him that I didn’t reply to that ridiculous and inappropriate text you sent the other week making ME out to be the bad guy." The more I think about seeing my dad, the more my stomach twists and the more I feel like I don't want to go.

Which is exactly what I’m feeling when I wake up on Saturday morning. Also - Curtis hasn’t texted or DM’ed me since his date with Nick. My dad’s a fucking drag queen and my number one fan no longer thinks the sun shines out of my quite frankly obscenely sized muscled arse. I’m sure other bodybuilders don't have problems like this.

I’m pulled from my thoughts by a knock at my bedroom door. I tell whoever it is to come in and a flustered-looking Nick mumbles, “Oh! Sorry!” when he sees that I'm still in bed and goes to shut the door.

“Nick!” I call out, with a laugh. I see his little head cautiously pop back around the door. “It’s fine. Come in! What’s up?”

“Ummm. I kind of have a favour to ask,” he says, standing awkwardly in the middle of my room. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this nervous. 

“Okay?”

He nervously bites his lip.

“Jesus, Nick. Just sit down. You’re making me nervous!”

He blushes and awkwardly perches on the edge of my bed. His eyes keep going down to my chest and arms, exposed in the tight little white vest I sleep in. I’m trying not to smile as I have that thought. 

“You know when people say they're having a gay crisis?”

“Erm. Not really!”

“Well … I think I’m having a bodybuilder crisis!”

I laugh. “Okay?”

Nick looks at me unsure, biting his lip. “Forget it!” he says, suddenly standing up. 

“Nick!”

“It’s stupid!”

“Oh my God. Nick! Just tell me.”

He sighs and sits back down. “Jason wants to take the first set of progress pics at the gym today.”

“Right …”

“And … he said to bring trunks.”

Jesus Christ, Nick. Just spit it out! (I don’t say this to him.)

“And … well, I’ve only got the one pair. The pink ones!”

I laugh without meaning to. And now I feel bad. “Okay. So … what’s the problem?” I ask gently, biting my lip. (I think I know what the problem is!)

Nick gives a pained groan. “It’s just … he said something about doing the pics on the gym floor!” 

“Where everyone’s gonna see you wearing your shiny hot pink Next Level Posers?”

Nick groans again and puts his face in his hands. “Am I being totally pathetic?”

No. You’re being fucking adorable and I just want to reach out and give you a big hug. Maybe I'll bounce my pecs (again) and flex my biceps for you while I'm at it.

“No, Nick. I get it!” I say, in a tone I hope is sympathetic.

“They’re just SO shiny! And so PINK!”

I laugh and Nick’s face relaxes as he smiles back a little. 

“So, I’m a bit confused. What’s the favour?”

Nick’s expression turns serious again. “Ummm.” And now he’s gone bright red! “Well, I was just thinking maybe, like. No! Forget I asked!”

“Nick? Do you want to borrow some posing trunks?”

Nick winces and closes his eyes. “Is that a bit weird?”

I pull a face like it probably is. Mostly just to fuck with Nick. “Nah. It’s fine!” I say, jumping out of bed and heading to my drawer full of trunks. I feel an unexpected rush as I start emptying the drawer and throwing each pair on the bed.

“Bloody hell!" Nick cries. "How many pairs have you got?!”

“Not enough,” I say, grinning and continuing to throw my collection of trunks on my bed. Can a bodybuilder own too many trunks? It's that even possible?

“Have you got any that are, like, NOT shiny?”

I laugh. “Fuck off, do I! I’m guessing you won't want these?” I ask, holding up the last pair of shiny hot pink trunks from Next Level Posers. The same as Nick’s. I throw them on the bed with the others for good measure.

As I watch Nick eyeing up my (quite frankly) fucking amazing collection of posers, I suddenly wonder if he's turned on by trunks the same way I know Curtis is. Is he going to start creeping into my room when he's home alone and go rifling through my drawers? Am I going to come home from the gym one day to find Nick in the middle of my room with his boxers around his ankles as he inhales my shiniest golden posing trunks?

“Ummm. Can I have the navy blue ones?” 

Ha! He’s basically picked the most boring and least shiny ones!

“Knock yourself out.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, looking all awkward and uncertain. And here we have the Mr Adorable UK runner-up.

“Nick - they’re literally my most boring trunks! Just take them,” I order.

He quickly grabs the navy blue trunks I've had for a couple of years from my mattress. Then he looks at me and gives me a shy smile, his cheeks looking flushed. I definitely get the feeling there’s a part of him that’s getting a kick out of this. 

“Thanks!” Nick says, looking a little starry-eyed at what's just happened. Yep - those bad boys are definitely getting sniffed later.

When Nick's gone back to his room, I'm still standing over my bed looking down at my collection of all shiny, all colourful, all completely awesome posing trunks. What a fucking image! This is too good not to capture. I get my phone out and take a couple of pictures. 

The pics look very Instagram-worthy but I have another idea. I head to my DMs and send the best shot to Curtis and follow it up with another message.

This is what happens when your flatmate asks to borrow some of your trunks because his coach wants to take progress pics of him in the gym and he’s too embarrassed to wear his hot pink Next Level Posers! (Bless him! )

A rush of excitement goes through me and I grin at my phone screen, waiting to see what Curtis replies with. I’m not sure if Nick would approve of me telling Curtis about this. But then - he probably doesn’t know how Curtis really feels about shiny posing trunks. 

MY HEAD IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE!! The pic! The trunks! The shininess! THE STORY! Did you really lend Nick some trunks?!

I laugh out loud as I read Curtis’ DM. I fucking love his reaction.

I DID! I told him to pick any pair and he went with the most boring and least shiny ones! I tried to tell him there’s nothing wrong with posing in shiny hot pink trunks in the middle of a hardcore bodybuilding gym but he wouldn’t listen!

Curts replies almost straight away.

You should sell tickets to muscle fans to view your trunks in person. The Alfie Winters Trunks Experience!

I laugh at his message and type a reply.

Erm. I know you’re only joking but I actually love that idea!

I hit send and notice the time on my phone. Any previously happy thoughts have now been ruined by the reality of what I have to do today. I reluctantly drag myself into the shower, knowing I can't really delay getting ready any longer.

When I’m back in my bedroom I sit down on my bed. Just looking out to the room. The only thing going through my head right now is one question. And that question is - why the actual hell am I doing this? I really don’t want to see my dad today. Or talk to him. This isn’t even our usual weekend to meet up. Why should I go running just because he clicks his fingers? It's almost like he thinks I owe HIM something when it’s really the other way around. He’s the dad. He’s the one who left us all those years ago.

I look to my left and down at my bed and see my collection of shiny posing trunks looking back up at me. An idea suddenly comes to me which makes my chest expand. An idea which causes a bolt of excitement to course through me.

Fuck this! I pick up my phone and send a text to my dad telling him I can’t make it, using the same lie I did the other day with Curtis and Nick as to why I couldn’t make the cinema. Maybe he’ll be disappointed. But I’m gonna be seeing him in two weeks for his birthday anyway. I know I can’t hide from him forever. But I just … really can’t deal with the whole Dad being a drag queen thing today. There’s something else I suddenly want to do. 

I head to Instagram and send Curtis a DM.

Okay - I know this is a bit short notice but are you doing anything? Like - right now??

I bite my lip and nervously wait for his reply while all the time thinking, please say yes! Curtis replies saying that he’s free and I ask him to meet me at Manchester Piccadilly train station again, all the time grinning like crazy. I look down at my collection of trunks again, feeling this giddy rush of excitement. I’m about to blow Curtis Mayhew's fucking mind!

Half an hour later and I’m standing at the entrance of the station in a pair of black gym joggers and my tight black “Got Shredz Nutrition” t-shirt which makes my pecs and arms look especially huge. Evidenced by all the gawps and stares I’ve been getting pretty much since I left the flat. 

Curtis looks like he’s about to burst with excitement as he walks up to me. It’s so fucking endearing! It hits me at that moment just how happy I am to see him too. I think I can officially say that me and Curtis are now actual, proper friends. Which is kind of crazy considering how we started talking. 

“Wait. Curtis - are you feeling okay?” I ask in a pretend serious fashion, as we start walking away from the station.

Curtis furrows his eyebrows and smirks at me. “Yeah. Why?”

“You’re not wearing a woolly jumper!” I tease. He’s wearing a purple zipped-up hoodie instead. I would never think to wear purple. Or a bright yellow woolly jumper! I kind of love that he has his own unique style.

“Funny thing is … I almost wore MY Got Shredz Nutrition t-shirt.”

I tip my head back and let out a loud laugh. Curtis is grinning, looking all pleased with himself that he made me laugh.

“I could actually probably get you one if you wanted!” 

“Mmmm. Black isn’t really my colour though. Do they do pink ones?”

“They probably would if I asked them to!” I reply, grinning. I look over and Curtis is giving me a warm grin. There's this sort of exciting energy between us.

“Where are we going?” he says.

Excitement rises in my chest. “Nowhere special. I just … need your assistance with something.”

Curtis suddenly looks nervous. “Okay …” he says, suspiciously. I give him a mischievous, tight-lipped grin. “It’s nothing particularly exciting,” I lie. “Do you not trust me, Curtis?”

Curtis laughs. “Not AT ALL!”

I look at him and grin. He’s grinning back. My new and very unlikely, muscle-loving mate. Mr Adorable UK. Who's NOT wearing a woolly jumper for once. 

“So, erm … you kind of have a new fan,” Curtis says after we’ve been walking for a few minutes. “Thanks to me.”

“Okay?” I say, smiling.

“So one of my students, Toby, is OBSESSED with superheroes. It’s the main thing he talks about. One of his favourites is The Hulk. I made the mistake of telling him I had a friend who looked a bit like The Hulk.”

I laugh. "Love it!"

“And then he just wouldn’t stop asking me about you!” he says, with an eye roll. “Alfie this. Alfie that. How big are his muscles? What if he actually IS a superhero but he just hasn't told you?”

I laugh. “He sounds awesome.” 

I kind of love the fact that Curtis is a special needs teacher. I don't really know why though. 

“So I eventually showed him a picture of you and he was, like, 'Wow!' But then he just kept on asking even MORE questions. When will HE get muscles? He even said he wanted as big as you when he grew up.”

“That is … adorable!”

Just like YOU, Curtis Mayhew.

“He DID say you looked a bit short to be The Hulk though.”

I let out a shocked laugh. “Savage! So, umm, what’s wrong with him?”

Curtis pulls a face. “Well … he is a bit spoilt. Like’s his own way. A bit of a brat,” he says, not looking at me. 

“No, I meant … why is he, you know,” I say. Curtis is keeping straight-faced. There's this weird vibe all of a sudden. I feel a pull in my stomach. “I’ve said the wrong thing, haven’t I?”

Curtis’ face relaxes. He looks at me and gives me a warm, mischievous grin.

“I'm just fucking with you. He’s got Down’s Syndrome.”

“Awww! That’s a shame,” I say, in a pitying tone.

Curts laughs. “Is it? He’s not dying, Alf.”

I feel a pinch in my chest. And now I’m smiling. I love that he just called me Alf.

“Do you enjoy it? The teaching?”

“Yeah! I love it,” he confesses, a happy grin on his face. “I mean, it’s challenging, but ... it's so rewarding. It’s fun too. Just being with these amazing kids every day.”

I find myself smiling as I look straight ahead. I love hearing Curtis talk about his job.

“We get to do all this fun stuff. Like, Thursday it’s Toby’s birthday so we’re doing a superhero theme for the whole day. We’re all dressing up.”

“Awesome! Who are you going as?”

“Wonder Woman.”

“Oh right,” I say, not looking at him. 

“Ummm. Are we going food shopping?”

I look up to see our destination - a big Tesco shop. “Mmmm. I just need to get a few things. Told you it wasn’t very exciting.”

Curtis just nods. He doesn’t seem bothered though. I feel a jolt of excitement as we walk into the store. Curtis has no fucking idea what’s about to happen. 

“Can I ask you a question? Do you ever get bored of people looking at you?”

“Honestly?” I say, looking at him earnestly. “No,” I say with a shrug. Curtis grins and rolls his eyes.

I laugh at his reaction. “At least I’m honest about it.”

“This is true!” he says, as we walk past the row of aisles at the back end of the shop.

“This’ll do,” I say, turning down a pet food aisle which is practically empty. 

I get my phone out of my pocket, load up the camera app and hand it to a confused-looking Curtis. I give him a mischievous grin and then take my “Got Shredz Nutrition” t-shirt off and laugh as I watch Curtis’ eyes widen and his mouth drop open. I don't think I'll ever NOT get a kick out of witnessing people's reactions to my abnormally muscular body.

“May I remind you flexing in Tesco’s was YOUR idea!” I say, handing him my t-shirt. 

“You can’t!” he cries, anxiously looking around.

“Erm. I think I can! Come on then. Quick!” 

Curtis holds his phone. “I actually come in here sometimes. If I get banned because of you!”

I throw my arms up into a front double biceps. Curtis’ eyes widen at something behind me. I look behind to see a girl in a Tesco uniform standing dead in her tracks, gawping at me with her mouth open. She pulls a face and urgently rushes off. Probably to get the store manager or something.

“Put it back on!” Curtis urgently orders, still grinning, as he thrusts my t-shirt in my direction.

“Just … one more pose! Come on. It'll take two seconds.”

Curtis huffs and holds my phone up again. I quickly look around me. No one’s coming. And so … I yank my black gym joggers down to reveal that I'm wearing my shiny hot pink Next Level Posers underneath. Curtis’ favourite pair. 

Curtis’ expression is hilarious. His cheeks have gone red. His mouth drops open. He looks like he’s about to say something, but nothing comes out. I grab my wrist and squeeze into a most muscular with my tongue out. Then I squeeze down into a crab most muscular with a cocky little grunt.

Curtis looks like his head’s about to explode. I'm pretty sure this is a day he won't forget. Just like the first day we met and I made him film me posing in Trafalgar Square. And the second time we met and I bounced my pecs for him in my tight red polo shirt. I wonder if his cinema date with Nick the other night was just as memorable? I'm guessing not. (Ha! Take that, Nick.)

“Pull your trousers up!” he orders. I do as Curtis' says as he hands me my t-shirt. Both of us are on a giddy high. Before I put my t-shirt back on, I go to the end of the aisle to see the female Tesco worker marching straight towards me, accompanied by a tall man, also dressed in a Tesco uniform. His face contorts in confusion and his mouth drops open at the sight of the topless bodybuilder in his Tesco store.

“Shit!” I say to Curtis, laughing. “Act casual!” I instruct as I finally put my t-shirt back on. Then the two of us walk down the aisle with some urgency. Just before we veer off, I look back to see the two Tesco workers standing still looking at us. They're clearly not going to chase after us. Probably to save themselves from embarrassment. What the fuck would they even say? "Excuse me, mare. Can you please not pose and flex your massive muscle in the middle of the shop with your top off and your joggers down your ankles?"

“I can’t believe you just did that!” Curtis says as we rush out of the store like two naughty schoolboys. The whole thing is so much fun. And such a fucking rush. 

“Pssst! Curtis!” I whisper in a tease, as we walk away from the shop and back into town. “I’m wearing your favourite posing trunks!”

“Stop!” he says, covering up his face with both of his hands. It's so funny. And so stinking cute.

“So … are they as shiny in person as they are on Instagram?”

Curtis bites his lip and shakes his head. “You’re SO bad!”

“You know Nick’s aren’t as shiny as mine, right?”

Curtis screws his face up. “What? They’re the same, aren’t they?"

"Nah. Mine are shinier."

I look at a puzzled-looking Curtis. There's a smirk there too though. And I'm smiling too.

"Did you really lend Nick a pair of your trunks?”

I laugh. “Yep.”

“Isn’t that really unhygienic?”

I pull a face and shrug. “Probably. Desperate measures though. He wouldn’t wear his pink ones in front of everyone at the gym.”

“And you just wore them in the middle of a big Tesco's?”

I laugh. “Yep. I, erm … heard you two had a good time the other night?”

My stomach twists.

“We did!” Curtis says, in a slightly mysterious tone. This slight smirk on his face.

“Okay. Is that all I’m getting?”

Curtis gives me an ominous shrug. “If you hadn’t cancelled you would have seen for yourself.”

I chew the inside of my mouth. “Well, a little birdie told me the two of you got on REALLY well.”

Oh wow. That came a lot more sarcastic than I wanted it to. I have no idea why I did that tone of voice. Curtis shoots me a look and my stomach does this weird pull. 

“We may have done!" he replies in this annoying tone, keeping up the secrecy charade. "No - we did. We’re erm…really similar. Loads of stuff in common.”

“Cool,” I say, nodding and not looking at him. “So … you could say you have ME to thank for that?”

Curtis screws his face up.

“I mean … if I hadn’t cancelled. You two might not have hit it off so well.”

Curtis smirks.

“Thank you, Alfie. For introducing me to your hot gay friend.”

I smile at that. But is he hotter than ME? I would love to as that question. But it feels too brave. Even though it would clearly be a joke.

“You are most welcome. So … now you’ve seen one pair of my trunks. How would you feel about seeing ALL of them?”

Curtis shoots me a look. “What?” he says, confused.

“Coming back to mine and seeing my posing trunk collection,” I casually suggest, straight-faced. My insides tighten with excitement. Curtis is looking at me bewildered.

“Are you serious?”

I laugh. “You can be the first participant to try out the Alfie Winters Trunks Experience.”

Curtis bites his lip. He looks like he’s in disbelief. “Erm. Yeah. I mean … YES!” 

I laugh as he practically beams back at me. Curtis Mayhew is so fucking endearing and adorable. A few weeks ago I might have questioned whether this was weird. Taking a gay muscle lover I met on Instagram back to my flat to show him my posing trunk collection. Now I’m fucking bursting with excitement at the thought of doing so. I honestly can’t wait to see Curtis' face when he sees all my shiny posers laid out on my bed.

“Nick’s training, I’m afraid,” I tell Curtis as we make our way up the stairs of the block of flats I live in.

“Danny might be in, though,” I add casually, even though I know how much that will mean to Curtis. The prospect of meeting Danny King. THE Danny King.

I get to my front door and put the key in, I turn to Curtis and give him a cheeky grin. My chest pinches as I look at his excited, awe-stricken face.

“Hellooo?” I shout out as I walk into the flat. Which I never normally do. I look behind to see Curtis biting his lip as he follows me down the hall. I feel a jolt of excitement when I hear a clatter in the kitchen. I look at Curtis and give him a wide-eyed excited grin before walking into the kitchen and living room area to see Danny filling out a white vest. Ha! This couldn’t be more perfect.

“Who are you hello’ing at?” he asks.

“You. The best flatmate ever! Danny - this is Curtis. Old friend from school. Curtis - this is Danny King.”

Danny looks at Curtis. Then looks at me with a weird look. Probably because of that introduction I just gave.

“All right!” he says to Curtis, casually.

“Hiya!” Curtis says, his voice higher pitched than normal. He looks awe-struck as he stands there gawping at Danny. 

“Curtis knows you from Instagram.” 

Danny gives a half-arsed nod and goes back to cooking his food. Seemingly unphased by the encounter.

Curtis shoots me a wide-eyed look as if to say, “I’m gonna kill you!” before looking back at Danny. Both of us just stand there watching him cook his meal. His thick pumped lats bulging out under the white material of his vest. His thick meaty triceps bulging out. I have no idea what’s going through Curtis’ head right now.

I smirk at him and he gives me a bashful smile. I clear my throat. “So - that THING I have to show you,” I say to Curtis. “Unless … you’d rather just stand here all day?” I tease.

Curtis shoots me another wide-eyed look. We head out of the room and back down the hall. To my complete surprise, Curtis calls out, “Bye, Danny!” and then looks all brave and pleased with himself. He doesn’t even seem bothered that he doesn't get a response back.

“Danny King won’t reply to your Instagram DM’s, by the way. So don’t even try it!” I say as I shut my bedroom door.

Curtis opens his mouth in shock and then grins at me cheekily. Curtis would SO fucking try it. And now the two of us are just standing here in my room. Me bulging out of my black "Got Shrez Nutrition" t-shirt. Curtis in his zipped-up purple hoodie. Neither of us is saying anything. And all of a sudden, things feel kind of awkward. And Curtis looks a little nervous too. I guess this is new territory for our friendship. Hanging out in my bedroom.

“Right - so, I feel like this will work better if you close your eyes,” I say, trying to break the awkwardness.

Curtis' lips start to curl into a smirk. “Okay?”

I give him a wide-eyed, pointed look. 

“Really?” 

“Who’s the tour guide of the Alfie Winters Trunks Experience, here?” I then point to myself.

Curtis laughs. “Fine!” he cries as he closes his eyes.

“No peeking!”

Curtis bites his lip. He looks so cute just standing there in the middle of my room with his eyes jammed shut.

Excitement courses through me as I do the exact same thing I did with Nick this morning and start emptying the contents of my posing trunk drawer and throwing all my shiny posers onto my bed. Minus the hot pink pair I’m currently wearing under my joggers and the blue ones I’ve lent to Nick.

“Nooow … open your eyes!” 

I watch as Curtis opens his eyes, which transform into the size of saucers as his mouth falls open.

“Pretty cool, huh?” I say. Curtis looks at me and grins wildly. He's definitely blushing a little.

“They’re SO shiny,” he gushes. It’s like he can’t believe it.

I laugh. “Wait - is today the first time you’ve actually SEEN a pair of posing trunks in person?”

He sucks his lips in and nods.

“Big day for shredded_muscle_lover97!” 

Curtis gives me a giddy grin.

“Come on then. Which pair is your favourite? Besides the pink!” 

He bites his lip as he scans the collection. “Ummm. Definitely the golden ones!”

I nod. “Excellent choice.” I look at Curtis’ adorable little face. I don't know why but I just have this sort of urge to make Curtis happy.

“Take ‘em!” 

Curtis grins as if I've just made a joke. Then his expression changes. “Wait - are you being serious?”

I laugh. “Yeah!”

“I can’t!” he protests.

“Call it a thank you for filming my latest Instagram video. Curtis - do you WANT my golden posers or not?"

“Ummm.” He’s gone bright red. “Yeah!” he winces.

I grin. “So take them!”

But he doesn’t move. So I sigh, pick up my shiny golden posers, turn to Curtis and stuff them into one of the pockets of his hoodie. He covers up his face with his hands and shakes his head. I laugh in response as this warm buzz glides through me. 

Who knew making the dreams of muscle-loving special needs teachers slash children’s authors come true would make me feel this happy?

[Bjort]

Just so fucking adorable!!!

[muscleaddict]

29 minutes ago, Bjort said:

Just so fucking adorable!!!

Haha! Glad you like it, mate. Where can I find myself a cute, short-arsed bodybuilder to stuff pairs of shiny trunks in the pockets of MY hoodies? 

[Bjort]

2 hours ago, muscleaddict said:

Haha! Glad you like it, mate. Where can I find myself a cute, short-arsed bodybuilder to stuff pairs of shiny trunks in the pockets of MY hoodies? 

Dunno amigo, but if you do you have to promise to share!

[muscleaddict]

3 minutes ago, Bjort said:

Dunno amigo, but if you do you have to promise to share!

Maybe I should DM Joan Pradells on Instagram and see where that gets me. 

[Bjort]

1 minute ago, muscleaddict said:

Maybe I should DM Joan Pradells on Instagram and see where that gets me. 

Hmmmm how’s your Spanish?  

[MuscleJoe]

Omg. I’ll trade you my gold ones for your gold ones!!!!

[Jakob78]

1 hour ago, muscleaddict said:

Maybe I should DM Joan Pradells on Instagram and see where that gets me. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CrQTfJgtJ1i/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

holy fuck,!

[IronandGold]

Ok I did miss Nick and his awkward shy lack of any clue how hot he is. And I missed how totally sweet Alfie. What a wonderful cast. I want this to go on forever. But I really hope Alfie gets over the shit with his dad. For as opened minded as he thinks he is, he’s still got prejudices he needs to deal with

[Ozymandias]

Alfie does have this slight toxic strain in him that he needs to excise. And I’m waiting for more Danny-Nick ‘interaction’.