AJ & Noah

[Nanook]

All the feels from this story.  Incredibly well written with the thoughts, feelings, emotions and personalities described in such detail and so accurately.  I could feel the angst and raw emotion in every interaction.

Definitely gave me the feels.  Thank you for an amazing journey and really a great story- muscle obviously beautifully described but so much more about the nuance and emotions involved in finding, building, maintaining and working on a relationship and love.  

[MuscleJoe]

I can’t type for wiping tears from my eyes. 

[brawnygods]

12 hours ago, Jlb423 said:

I can’t type for wiping tears from my eyes. 

Good to keep some tissues handy when you're reading CJ's stuff.

[muscleaddict]

On 6/15/2020 at 9:37 PM, Nanook said:

All the feels from this story.  Incredibly well written with the thoughts, feelings, emotions and personalities described in such detail and so accurately.  I could feel the angst and raw emotion in every interaction.

Definitely gave me the feels.  Thank you for an amazing journey and really a great story- muscle obviously beautifully described but so much more about the nuance and emotions involved in finding, building, maintaining and working on a relationship and love.  

Thank you so much for this lovely feedback @Nanook. I love that people are still reading and discovering this story a year and a half after I posted it. 

[muscleaddict]

On 23 June 2020 at 7:34 PM, Jlb423 said:

I can’t type for wiping tears from my eyes. 

Glad you liked the story, matie and I love that it had that effect on you! 

On 24 June 2020 at 8:29 AM, brawnygods said:

Good to keep some tissues handy when you're reading CJ's stuff.

I'm going to do to a Deano - roll my eyes, shake my head and look out of the passenger window of his dad's Land Rover. 

[muscleaddict]

Just for fun, here's the first chapter of this story re-told from AJ's point of view...

 

“And now, all the way from the United Kingdom, making his Mr Olympia debut, is AJ “The Ripper” Jones …”

I ascend the stairs to the stage. The biggest bodybuilding stage in the universe. A surge of adrenaline and excitement coursing through me. I’m in the best condition of my life. Jacked and shredded. Bronzed from head to toe. Wearing nothing but the shiny lime green posers I’ve had since I was an amateur junior bodybuilder. 

I can feel the anticipation of the crowd as they wait for me to appear. It’s like the whole auditorium is holding its breath. Waiting for the moment when they get to see one of the most popular and well-loved 212 class bodybuilders of the last few years.

It feels like everything has lead to this moment. Twelve years of hard work and dedication. Intense training. Ridiculous diets. From my very first trip to Scorpio’s Gym - the nearest hardcore hellhole gym to my home town, Little Denton, when I was a five foot five inches tall intimidated teenager who had no idea what he was doing to now - a two hundred and ten pounds mountain of obscene muscle mass on the biggest bodybuilding stage on the planet. I’m a freak. A walking muscle god. A big fuck you to mother nature.

And now I’m standing in the middle of the stage. The crowd can see what a marvel I am. I look down. Slabs of outrageously sized muscle looking back at me. Bronzed and veiny. Dick thin skin. To some, the hottest thing in the world. To others, the most grotesque.

And now I’m posing. I’m showing off my cartoon-like mass. I’m flexing my outrageous sized biceps. Feeling that mind-blowing pump I love so fucking much. I’m showing off my perfectly pumped pecs. Crunching down on my turtle tummy abs. Spinning around and letting the audience see my obscenely huge, posing trunk devouring glutes before opening up my planet of a back.

My posing music changes. The opening bars of The Prodigy’s “Firestarter” start playing. I’ve done all the mandatory poses. The professional part is over. Now it’s time to really let rip. To crank up the attitude. To pose like an animal and show every singer fucker in this room what an absolute fucking beast I am.

I’m posing all across the stage. Flexing harder. Scrunching up my face. Sticking my tongue out. The crowd is going crazy. I’ve got everyone in the palm of my hands. I know these fuckers wanna be me. Every single person in the room wants to know what’s it’s like to be in my skin. To be one of the most jacked up freaks on the planet. Flexing and posing like my life depends on it.

The adrenaline I’m feeling is incredible. This is it. This is what it’s all about. Being a bodybuilder. Being a freak. Being AJ “The Ripper” Jones.

I walk to the right side of the stage and stop near the edge. It’s time to crank out my favourite pose. The pose I always get the most satisfaction out of hitting. The crab most muscular.

I raise both of my arms and elbows up, lean forward and … “ARRGGH!” I unleash an animalistic groan as I crank into the pose. Biceps bulging. Traps erupting. Pecs tightening. The crowd going crazy. The sound of cheers in my ears. 

The applause is intoxicating. I stop posing and start to jog to the other side of the stage. I can hear the posing music. The crowd. But there’s this ringing sound coming from somewhere too.

I ignore it, point to the audience and BOOM … crank out another most muscular with my tongue open. The cheers erupting again. God. This feels so fucking … BEEP-BEEP-A-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP .... that weird ringing noise seems to be getting louder and closer. Wait. I know that sound. And then it hits me.

I reach for the top of my thighs and pat them. But my phone isn’t there. Because oh yeah - posing trunks don’t have pockets!

BEEP-BEEP-A-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!

The ringing is getting louder and louder. It’s drowning out the noise of the Olympia crowd. I can’t hear my posing music any more. Louder and louder … BEEP-BEEP-A-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP … and now I’m looking at Chris “Freaky Peaks” Jackson flexing his infamous, nickname-earning biceps. But it’s just a picture on my wall and … BEEP-BEEP-A-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP … fuck. I’m no longer AJ Jones - world-famous professional bodybuilder on the Mr Olympia stage. 

I’m AJ Jones - twenty-year-old amateur junior bodybuilder waking up in his bed in Little Denton, England, whose morning alarm is still going off on his phone. And SHIT - I’ve slept through my alarm later than usual because I have about twenty minutes to get dressed and ready for a work shift at my local Tesco’s.

“AJ!” my mum calls as I’m putting on my black work shoes by the door of the house. She appears at the door to the living room. “Are you not having any breakfast?”

“I haven’t got time. I’m gonna be late,” I say, trying to put the left shoe on. God, these shoes are stiff. “You could’ve come in and woke me up.” 

As soon as I say it, I know it’s absurd. It’s not my mum’s fault my alarm was going off for a good ten minutes before it finally woke me up.

“Erm … you’re old enough to get yourself up!” my mum says. “God knows you’re big enough.”

I smirk and my mum smiles back. I lean over and she kisses me on the cheek. That’s a thing we always do before I leave the house.

“See ya later,” she says. I rush out the door with my car keys in my hand and my gym bag slung over my shoulder. After my six-hour shift at Tesco’s, I’m going straight to Scorpio’s to train.

“Have a good day!” my mum calls after me.

I end up being five minutes late for my shift. I wonder if I can sneak in without anyone noticing, but just as I have that thought I spot my bloody boss, Beverly, chatting to someone. She looks at me, frowns, brings her wrist up and looks at her watch.

It takes all of my willpower not to smile as I rush past her. Some of the other staff HATE Beverly. They think she’s a bitch. I honestly don’t mind her. She just reminds me of a strict school teacher. I sometimes have little fantasies about going up to her and flexing in her face. Just … BOOM … giving her a front double bicep. Or cranking out a quick most muscular. GRRRR. I’d fucking love to see her face if I did. Who knows - there might even be a little part of her that enjoyed it.

I make the decision. On my very last day of working here (whenever that will be) I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna crank out a most muscular in Beverly’s face. I might even cheekily stick my tongue out while I do. 

By the way - I know Tesco’s might seem like a bit of a shit gig, but it’s actually not. It’s easy work. I have a laugh with my work colleagues. Plus, I’m not being funny, but I look fucking good in my work uniform.

The navy blue polo t-shirt they make me wear is RIDICULOUSLY tight. My pecs strain through the material. And my arms look fucking huge bulging around and under the sleeves. GRRRR. I guess these tight black trousers make my arse look pretty big too.

I definitely get looks from the customers. Honestly? That’s kind of one of the reasons I like working here so much. Maybe that sounds a bit egotistical. But it’s true.

It’s kinda funny seeing the range of expressions I get too. Some people look horrified (mostly all of the old dears who come in - though it doesn’t seem to stop them from nattering to me). Some people look intimated. Others just plain scared. Some people look really disapproving (mostly women). But others look impressed. Kind of awe-stricken. Like they respect the fact that my biceps are so big. Like they wanna be me. Like they wanna have arms and pecs as big as mine.

Sometimes I fantasise about flexing for them. What would they do? Complain about me to Beverly? Run off screaming down the aisles? What if I were to whip off my tight polo shirt, drop my trousers to reveal nothing but a pair of shiny posers and BAM … start hitting poses in the middle of the meat aisle?

It’s always really funny seeing people I went to school with too. I’d only just started going to Scorpio’s when I left after the fifth form, so I was still regular sized. Some of them already know I’m a bodybuilder now because I’m friends with them on Facebook. But some have no idea. Some still remember me as the short-arsed boy who used to hang around with Smithy and Cooper and all that lot. 

I’m convinced all of the attention and looks I get from the customers would be about ten times worse if I were taller. And if I were more intimidating looking. More … thug-ish looking I guess. It probably helps that I look the way I do. “Cute” is something I get a lot. I don’t really mind that. I mean - I’d rather be called a hot mass of hulking muscle. A big sexy muscle beast. A mini Mr Olympia in the making. But I’ll take “cute”.

And yet still - the old dear who’s now stood in front of me asking me where we keep the freshly cooked chickens still looks pretty freaked out by me. Whenever this happens, I always make the effort to be extra friendly and helpful. It doesn’t seem to be doing much good on this occasion though. You should see the poor woman’s face. Honestly - anyone would think she’d never seen a competitive bodybuilder bulging out of his Tesco’s work uniform before.

After I’ve redirected her to the deli counter at the back of the shop, she thanks me, still looking scared and weirded out, and heads off. Haha. Bless her. 

And then I spin around and … oh … my … fucking … God. I can not believe who’s suddenly standing in front of me. 

“Noah?!”

Noah Cook was the first proper friend I made after my mum and I moved to Little Denton because her boyfriend (and now husband) Andy lived and worked here.

We were best friends for years. We’d have these legendary sleepovers where we’d watch these cartoons we loved. His mum and sister loved me. “Little AJ”. That’s what they used to call me. Ha! I’d completely forgotten about that until now.

We kind of drifted apart in secondary school. I guess I started hanging around with Smithy and Cooper and all of those lads. They were nothing like Noah. Noah started hanging around other people more. That Naomi girl. And Reece Miller. God, I hated that guy.

Noah changed at secondary school. He became a lot quieter. He wasn’t thought of as, like, massively geeky or unpopular, but he was definitely different from most of the other lads. I guess different isn’t that good of a thing when you’re in high school.

If I’m being honest, of all the people I haven’t seen since I left school, Noah’s the one I think about the most.

I’ve searched for him on Facebook a couple of times. I’ve wondered what he’d think of my profile picture - me shredded and bronzed at a bodybuilding competition and squeezing out a most muscular. I’ve wondered if he’d be shocked (he probably would). Whether he’d disapprove. Or judge me. I’ve imagined him showing Naomi (I’ve heard from other people that they’re still friends). 

I’ve even wondered a few times whether I’d bump into him here at Tesco’s while I was working. I’ve seen his mum shopping here a few times (I don’t think she realised who I was though). I’ve wondered how he’d react, and what he’d say when he realised that “Little AJ” - the boy he used to have sleepovers with has morphed into a competitive junior bodybuilder with huge bulging biceps and pecs. GRRRR.

And now - well, it looks like I’m going to find out exactly how he’d react and what he’d say. Because he’s standing right in front of me.

Wow. He looks different. At one point during secondary school, Noah suddenly shot up to about six foot tall. But, like me at the time, he was pretty skinny. So even when I last saw him he was a bit lanky and gangly. He’s totally filled out now though. 

I’m not saying he’ll be stepping onto a bodybuilding stage any time soon, but I can see he’s got a little bit of muscle on him. His arms look a bit meaty in the yellow t-shirt he’s wearing which has some kind of funky graphic on it.

His face has changed too. His complexion is clearer. He just looks … nice, I guess.

There’s an air of confidence about him that wasn’t there the last time I saw him too. He was kind of awkward at school, but now he seems more sure of himself.

But oh my God. You should see the look on his face right now. He looks … completely shell shocked. It doesn’t seem like he’s judging me though. If anything, it’s a good type of shocked. His eyes keep veering to my chest. To my biceps. Fuck. I kind of love seeing him react this way.

He’s not say anything. Maybe he hasn’t actually realised who I am?

“It’s AJ!” 

Yeah - he knows who I am. He’s clearly just trying to process the fact that his former best friend is now a pumped up mass of muscle squeezed into a Tesco’s work uniform.

Hi,” he says. His voice seems different too. More mature I guess.

“Sorry! I do recognise you. You just look … different!”

Ha! I can’t help but smirk at that.

“I get that a lot!” I tell him, nodding and pursing my lips. “I think it’s the hair!”

Noah laughs. And now we’re just smiling at each other. And all of a sudden, this warm feeling rushes through me. I can’t remember the last time I heard Noah Cook laugh. 

I ask him what he’s up to now and he tells me he’s at university in London (because of course he is). As he tells me, his eyes go down to my chest again. 

God - I wonder what he’s thinking. I’d fucking love to get inside Noah Cook’s head right now.

He tells me he’s back home for the summer and suddenly I’m wondering what the odds are that I’ll see him in here again.

“Back in boring Little Denton!” I say, rolling his eyes. “Nothing changes much round here!”

Something flickers across Noah’s face. “No, you look exactly the same as you did at school!” he jokes.

What the fuck? And now it’s my turn to laugh. It’s such a fucking funny thing to say. And he’s smiling back at me. He looks kind of sheepish all of a sudden. Like maybe he’s pleased that he made me laugh? 

And there it is again. That warm, almost fuzzy feeling. Why did me and Noah Cook stop being friends again?

And then I’m pulled from my thoughts when I see a scowling Beverly coming towards me.

“AJ!” she barks. She looks briefly at Noah then back at me with a look as if to say ‘stop talking and do some work’. “Can you jump on till seven please?”

I pull a face to Noah when she’s out of sight and he smiles.

“I’d better go!” I tell him.

And then … Noah’s face drops. Just for a second. Like he’s disappointed I have to go. Am I imagining that? My chest does something funny.

“Good to see you again, mate,” I say.

And then I walk away, wondering if my old friend Noah Cook is noticing and looking at my big arse in my tight work trousers in the same way he wasn't long looking at my biceps and pecs.

Later on that evening and my mum’s asking me if I’m “off to boozing” tonight as I’m making a protein shake in the kitchen. I tell her no.

“Oh, erm … guess who I saw at Tesco today,” I say, not looking up from pouring the powder in my shake bottle.

Why do my voice sound nervous?

I look at my mum’s face and I feel a pinch of nerves. She’s got this look on her face like she’s noticed. 

“Noah!” I tell her, casually.

My mum’s face lights up and I instantly relax. “Awww! God - how long’s it been since you saw him?”

“Years!” 

She tuts. “You two were such good friends. It’s a shame you fell out.”

She’s got that look on her face again. Like - there’s something unspoken.

“Mmmm!” I say, nodding and taking a swig of my shake.

After dinner, I crash on my bed in my red Scorpio’s hoodie with Netflix playing in the background and pretty much stay there all night.

I load up Instagram on my phone. I don’t really post that much on there but I’ve somehow managed to acquire thirty-five thousand followers. Maybe it’s the shiny lime green posing trunks.

I scroll down the feed of the latest posts from people I’m following. Pretty much all of them are bodybuilding related. Tommy “The Tank” Foster has posted a progress picture of him squeezing a most muscular in the gym. He looks fucking nuts. An account which specialises in old school muscle has posted a video of nineties bodybuilding legend Brad McCarthy. And a young bodybuilder guy called Woody I follow who’s always leaving funny comments on my posts has uploaded a picture of himself blasting a front double bicep pose in nothing but shiny golden posers in what looks like a pretty fancy kitchen. The caption is something about him looking forward to starting university in September. And now I’m thinking about my encounter with Noah Cook again.

I hit the search button on the Instagram app. Feeling slightly weird as I type in Noah’s full name but also oddly excited. There are two results. But they’re not my Noah. I guess he doesn’t have an Instagram profile. To be fair, I don’t think I’d have one if I wasn’t a flexing muscle freak. What the fuck would I post?

I do know Noah has a Facebook though. Something’s always stopped me from sending him a friend request, but after bumping into him today, after talking and laughing and joking with him like we were still good friends, it feels like a good time to send him a request. Almost like a natural thing for me to do after our encounter, even.

I head over to Facebook. My insides seem to suddenly clench as I search for Noah. He comes up straight away. Thirty-seven mutual friends. Probably people from school. He’s changed his profile picture since I last looked at his page. He’s wearing a blue t-shirt and has some kind of rainbow coloured lanyard around his neck. He looks like he’s at some kind of festival maybe. He’s smiling into the camera. This kind of shy but happy smile with his mouth closed. It’s such a Noah smile. I don’t know how else to describe it. And now I’m smiling too for some reason. 

I look at the other photos that are viewable. Pictures of him out with various people. I recognise one of them as Naomi from school. So they are still friends after all. I feel a surprising pinch of jealousy at that thought. 

It’s weird seeing all of these photos. Seeing that Noah Cook has this whole life away from Little Denton. A life I know nothing about. I’m surprised at how sad that makes me feel.

I hover my finger over the “Add Friend” button and hit send. And now I’m smiling again. 

Of course, he might not respond. He might just ignore me. Noah Cook might not want to be friends with me on Facebook.

But somehow I know that he will.

[Mdlftr]

Terrific story from AJ's point of view!  I'm currently reading the series (miles behind everyone else, I know!) and I'm loving the subtle reference to "Woody" in the golden trunks - "Muscle University" - which I actually read first!

Less than 6 degrees of separation in this muscle universe!

 

[muscleaddict]

7 minutes ago, Mdlftr said:

Terrific story from AJ's point of view!  I'm currently reading the series (miles behind everyone else, I know!) and I'm loving the subtle reference to "Woody" in the golden trunks - "Muscle University" - which I actually read first!

Less than 6 degrees of separation in this muscle universe!

 

Glad you enjoyed it, mate! I've wanted to do this for a while now. And it's always fun to add little references to other stories! 

[WashburnDaddy]

OMG what a lovely treat! I've always had such a soft spot for the story of AJ and Noah. Thank you Mister Author!

[Mdlftr]

On 10/7/2018 at 5:51 PM, muscleaddict said:

Twenty

I

AMAZING descriptions muscle development !  They are both literally descriptive AND interpretive of the effort it took to get there! OMFG!   

"His chest was even bigger than I had remembered. My cock juddered and I whispered, “Fuck!” as I was met with those perfectly round cushions of gorgeous looking pec muscle. I just sat there for a moment, marvelling at the incredible physique before me. The amazingly muscular torso of a boy who’d pushed his body to abnormal limits. It was possibly the most beautiful thing I’d ever looked at. Those thick cushions of pec meat, the deep groove separating them, his big, round shoulders, wrapped in tight, thin skin with faint striations peeking through, and veins which ran down and spread to his phenomenally thick upper arms, which looked like they were fit to burst."