m/m Deano's Winter: A Muscle University Story

[Ozymandias]

5 hours ago, muscleaddict said:

New spin-off revealing Archie as a secret muscle lover who fancies both his mum's new ex-bodybuilder boyfriend *and* his mini-me son coming soon?? 

I would expect nothing less

[Mdlftr]

Great episode!  I'll admit I was bit uncertain as to why Deano was getting the cold shoulder from his da's new girlfriend, and then she all of a sudden warmed to him.  Maybe her son Archie's breathless admiration for Deano's jacked bod made her appreciate him more?  Dunno!

 

Archie is like a typical mid adolescent boy whose  parents are divorced, and he's trying to figure out the new world order.  Mum has a boyfriend, jacked as f***k in Deano, Sr.  Boyfriend is NOT that approachable -"twattish behaviour" comes to mind!  Twat boyfriend's younger son is a jacked bodybuilder also, so if Archie likes muscle and wants it for himself (c'mon, who doesn't?) the boyfriend's son is potentially more approachable. Maybe he'll get Archie started on some sort of training program? One hopes!

Good twist!  Also, so long  bouncer dude - sorry and thanks for the intro to kinkie stuff!  Now Deano will have some interesting memories to take back to school!

 

[DennisFLL]

21 minutes ago, Mdlftr said:

Great episode!  I'll admit I was bit uncertain as to why Deano was getting the cold shoulder from his da's new girlfriend, and then she all of a sudden warmed to him.  Maybe her son Archie's breathless admiration for Deano's jacked bod made her appreciate him more?  Dunno!

 

Archie is like a typical mid adolescent boy whose  parents are divorced, and he's trying to figure out the new world order.  Mum has a boyfriend, jacked as f***k in Deano, Sr.  Boyfriend is NOT that approachable -"twattish behaviour" comes to mind!  Twat boyfriend's younger son is a jacked bodybuilder also, so if Archie likes muscle and wants it for himself (c'mon, who doesn't?) the boyfriend's son is potentially more approachable. Maybe he'll get Archie started on some sort of training program? One hopes!

Good twist!  Also, so long  bouncer dude - sorry and thanks for the intro to kinkie stuff!  Now Deano will have some interesting memories to take back to school!

 

MDLFTR, maybe you shouldn't so fast sell Archie short: he might full well-know already exactly what he wants and loves. And he saw it at the party looking at Deano Jr.  Who knows, we may be learning soon, before the next episode concludes, just what Archie (and Jr?) get into!  

[muscleaddict]

1 hour ago, Mdlftr said:

Great episode!  I'll admit I was bit uncertain as to why Deano was getting the cold shoulder from his da's new girlfriend, and then she all of a sudden warmed to him.  Maybe her son Archie's breathless admiration for Deano's jacked bod made her appreciate him more?  Dunno!

 

Archie is like a typical mid adolescent boy whose  parents are divorced, and he's trying to figure out the new world order.  Mum has a boyfriend, jacked as f***k in Deano, Sr.  Boyfriend is NOT that approachable -"twattish behaviour" comes to mind!  Twat boyfriend's younger son is a jacked bodybuilder also, so if Archie likes muscle and wants it for himself (c'mon, who doesn't?) the boyfriend's son is potentially more approachable. Maybe he'll get Archie started on some sort of training program? One hopes!

Good twist!  Also, so long  bouncer dude - sorry and thanks for the intro to kinkie stuff!  Now Deano will have some interesting memories to take back to school!

 

Thanks, matie. Terry was a bit frosty towards Deano because of how rude he was to her on Christmas Eve (in chapter 5). Which I feel like she would be. Especially as she's been nothing but nice (perhaps overly so) to him. I think it was also her way of letting Deano know she'll only take so much crap. Maybe she didn't even intentionally mean to be cold towards him when she was first arrived. She was just acting on instinct. Just like he did on Christmas Eve.

The later interaction was just her getting a hold of herself again and talking to him normally again because she obviously wants to get on with him and have a good relationship with him (even if he is a rude and moody little shit). And whatever she did obviously worked because he found himself actually being civil to her. I think he gained a lot more respect for Terry because of it too.

I honestly haven't put much though into Archie so that's open for people to make their own guesses about him. 

[crushme99]

On 3/20/2021 at 8:22 AM, muscleaddict said:

(Do you guys have crumpets? ) 

No.  But we do have trumpets.  They are musical instruments.

[muscleaddict]

28 minutes ago, crushme99 said:

No.  But we do have trumpets.  They are musical instruments.

 

[muscleaddict]

And here's the final chapter. Thank you everyone here for the amazing feedback on this one. This was really fun to write and share and I already have some ideas about what I might write next! 

 

Eight

“You mind what you’re doing out there!” my nan says to me from her seat on the sofa as I bend down and kiss her on the cheek. “New Year’s Eve - they’ll be loads of drunk idiots around.”

My dad scoffs. “He’s bloody one of them!”

I roll my eyes. “See ya later, Dad,” I say, before heading out of the lounge towards the front door.

Dad grunts. “Happy New Year and all that bollocks.”

As I open the front door I hear him call back, “And don’t make too much bloody noise when you crawl in at …” and then I shut the front door before I hear the rest.

I’m really not in the mood to go out tonight. Even though it’s New Years. I don’t wanna let Tony down though. And this is the last time I’ll probably see him before I go back to uni at the weekend. Plus, it would be kind of sad to stay in on New Year’s Eve watching TV with my dad and my nan. 

It’s been three days since I sent that text message to Harry the Bouncer, and I still haven’t had a reply. I’m actually feeling a bit pissed off about that now. I mean - I know I fucked up. I know I kissed that guy in front of him and went off with him when I was supposed to be on a date with Harry, but still - he could at least just reply to my text. That’s all he has to do.

He was the one he pursued ME. He was the one who chased after me (like, LITERALLY chased after me down the street that first night we met). And now he won’t even reply to my text. Just … nothing. Ugh. Maybe I should make a New Years resolution. No more Harry the Bouncers. No more Ryan Norths. No more getting involved with guys. No matter how sexy they are. Or how keen they are. Or how funny their text messages are. I mean - it shouldn’t exactly be hard when I’ll be spending most of the year surrounded by (mostly) straight bodybuilders up at Montgomery. 

An hour later and I’m sitting on a little table in a ridiculously crowded pub in the South Laines waiting for Tony to get back from the bar. I’m so fucking over this night. I can’t seem to get in the mood to have a good time. I just keep thinking about everything that happened last week. I just keep thinking about Harry the Bouncer.

“Shots!” Tony says, loudly when he comes back with two shot glasses. I groan and roll my eyes but drink one anyway, shuddering at the aftertaste.

Tony’s giving me this weirdly serious look, his eyebrows furrowed. “Are you okay?”

I find myself smiling. Because it’s such a weird thing for Tony to ask. We rarely ever talk about anything serious.

I shrug. “Yeah. Just … not really feeling it tonight.”

Tony downs his shot. “You haven’t been shagging one of the trainers at your dad’s gym again, have you?”

I smile. “No!” I stay sternly.

“Someone else?” Tony asks. Wow - I really didn’t think about the possibility of telling Tony about Harry or any of the stuff that went down last week. Maybe I should.

I clear my throat. Fuck it. Here goes. “Remember the bouncer at the gay pub we went to the other Saturday?” I say to him, my stomach tightening. “The one who called you a taxi?”

Tony looks puzzled. He pulls a face like he doesn’t remember and I shake my head and smile, remembering how fucking hammered he was that night. And then I tell him about Harry the Bouncer. How he gave me his number. Turned up at the lunch with dad and Terry where I wanted to sink into the fucking ground. I tell him about the first date (missing out the part where he tied me to his bed). And I tell him about Boxing Day. Seeing Ryan North outside the gym. Kissing the guy with the neck tattoo. Completely fucking things up with Harry. Like I always seem to do.

“Bloody hell, mate. Why does all this crazy stuff happen when I’m not around?”

I smile at Tony’s response. He seems to be loving the drama.

“So this Harry bloke?”

My insides clench. I don’t know what’s coming next.

“Do you like him?”

I love how open Tony is being. I love that I can talk to him about this stuff. I pull a face and shrug, suddenly feeling a stab of sadness.

“So are you, like, my therapist now?” I joke. 

Tony shrugs and smirks, looking all pleased with himself. It feels weird talking to Tony about this kind of stuff. But it feels good to open up. I feel lighter somehow. 

“Doesn’t really matter now, anyway,” I tell him. “I’m going back to uni on Saturday so …” I say, burying my head in my pint glass and suddenly feeling another pang of sadness. I know once I’m back at Montgomery I’ll soon forget about Harry. I just wish things would have turned out differently. And ended better I guess.

When I put my glass down, Tony’s giving me this suspicious look. He’s furrowing his eyebrows and biting his lip. 

“What?” I ask him.

“Just thinking … will this Harry guy be working tonight?” Tony asks, his lips curling into a mischievous smirk.

Fuck. Is Tony suggesting what I think he’s suggesting? I feel a jolt of excitement. 

“Why?!”

“Well if he won’t text you back, let’s go and see him in person!”

What the FUCK? I shake my head at Tony’s suggestion, but I’m failing to fight back my smirk. Excitement courses through me. Because although it’s a bit of a crazy suggestion, I’m tempted to do it. I’m SO fucking tempted. 

“Won’t that make me look kind of … desperate?” I suggest.

Tony pulls a face and shrugs. “Nah. We’re just two lads going to a gay pub,” he says, with a devilish grin. 

Should I do this? I go back to Scotland in four days time. All of this will be behind me. I’ll be miles away from Harry. I never have to see or talk to him again. Except that I want to. I actually really fucking want to see him.

“Fuck it!” I say. I pick up my glass and down my drink, feeling a surge of bravery as I do so, and tell an excited looking Tony that we’re doing it.

My stomach is in knots as Tony and I head to the pub Harry works at. I have no idea what the plan is here. See Harry the Bouncer (if he’s even working tonight). And then what? God, I hope he’s working.

I see a group of lads crowded around the door as the pub comes into sight. I can’t see the bouncers. I can’t see Harry. Maybe he isn’t working tonight. But he’s got to be out somewhere. Surely? It’s New Year’s Eve after all. 

As we approach the door, the group start filing inside the pub. And there - standing in pretty much the same spot he was the first time I saw him - is Harry the Bouncer. With his big bald head. And sexy, smouldering looks. And his impressively built frame covered up his shiny blue bouncer jacket. My heart skips a beat. Too late to back out now.

And then he spots me. Something flickers in his expression. He looks surprised. REALLY surprised. But I can’t help detecting something else. It’s like a part of him is happy to see me. Or maybe that’s just what I want to believe.

“Evening, lads,” his younger bouncer colleague on the other side of the door says to us.

“Back again, boys?” Harry says, giving me this pointed look. My insides are clenching. Even though it’s nice to see him, I still feel this anger towards him. That he didn’t text me back. That he’s been giving me the runaround. Even though I kinda deserved it. Even though I definitely deserved it.

I roll my tongue around the inside of my mouth and nod, pulling a slight face. I never was great at covering up my emotions.

“Have a good night,” Harry says, still looking at me in that pointed way.

Tony and I go inside. I feel deflated. Was that it? Is that all I’m getting? We had a connection. I felt myself liking this guy. And he liked me too. I know he did. And now it’s come to this. I really did fuck this whole thing up.

“Wow! I didn’t expect him to look like that!” Tony says as we join the queue for the bar. “Dude - I’m not being funny but he’s, like, twice our age.” 

I ignore his remark, completely unfazed by it. And now I’m wondering what the fuck I’m doing here. This whole thing was a mistake. This whole past week and a fucking half has been one monumental fucking - I’m pulled from my thoughts because someone’s tugging on my elbow. I turn around, and there he is. Harry the Bouncer in all his smouldering sexiness. Standing right there. 

Harry turns to Tony and puts a firm hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, fella, but I need to borrow your nightmare of a mate for five minutes.”

And just like that, I suddenly feel about ten pounds lighter. Harry looks at me with one eyebrow raised and a hint of a sexy smirk on his face. This heady mix of relief and excitement goes through me as I leave a baffled looking Tony by himself and follow Harry out of the pub. I have no idea what’s about to happen.

“Back in a bit, mate,” Harry says to his colleague when we reach the door. And now I’m walking besides Harry. Away from the pub. To where - I have no fucking idea. It’s weird to be with him again. And a little surreal. But it’s nice too. To be this close to him again. To feel that spark we undoubtedly have. (Or had.) And that chemistry. Even if a part of that is now broken. 

“Good night so far?” Harry asks me. We’re apparently crossing the road and heading towards the pier. The words “BRIGHTON PALACE PIER” lit up.

I shrug, still feeling awkward and a little pissed off. “Suppose,” I say, not looking at him. 

He side-eyes me. I look over and he playfully rolls his eyes while smirking. We stop at a bench near the pier and sit down side by side looking out to the sea.

“You didn’t reply to my text.” That’s what I WANT to say to Harry. But the words just won’t come out.

“Just so you know …” Harry begins, “your friend with the neck tattoo. He’s barred from the pub for life.”

I look over. He’s smirking at me again. I look away and forward, out to the sea again.

“I was a twat. That night,” I say. I’m still not looking at him.

“Yeah,” he says firmly, “you were!” 

I turn my head to Harry.

“But … I don’t think I really handled things that well, either.” He lets out a big sigh. “You know how I was with you … all the texting? How keen I was? Believe it or not, I don’t usually get like that with guys. I think I got a bit carried away.”

What the fuck? I want to tell him that I liked all that stuff. That I liked the way he was with me. But I don’t.

“There’s just…” he lets out another big sigh and looks me straight in the eyes. “There's something about you, Deano.”

My chest flutters. Harry’s just looking at me now.

“And it’s not just because you’re a bodybuilder.”

Wow. I don’t really know what to say. 

“So … I’m sorry if I was a bit … much. And I’m sorry I didn’t reply to that text you sent me the other day.”

I look away from him. “I forgot I sent that.” 

I look back and Harry’s smirking at me and giving me a sceptical look. I roll my tongue around the inside of my mouth and look away again.

“There’s another guy, isn’t there?”

What the fuck? I turn to Harry, surprised, and tell him no.

“But there was?”

My stomach clenches. How does he know?

I swallow hard. “Erm. I guess. I was … sort of seeing someone. When I was back home last summer.” I say it without looking at him.

“I hadn’t seen him for ages. And then …” fuck, why am I telling him this? But I feel like I owe him. “On Boxing Day. I sort of … ran into him.”

I cautiously look over at Harry, He’s nodding and giving me this understanding look. Like it’s all clicked into place. 

“And all of the old feelings came flooding back?”

I shrug. I feel like a weight’s been lifted off me.

“Oh, Deano!” he says dramatically, with a big sigh, which makes me smile. “Do you know how many guys you’re gonna meet who are gonna be interested in you?”

I don’t know what to say.

“A LOT!” Harry says. “I hope you’re ready.”

My insides clench. I don’t think I am. I don’t think I’m ready for anything. Right now, I feel like I’ll just keep stumbling and falling. And carry on fucking things up. Just because I’m me. Deano “The Pocket Rocket” twat-face Watkins Junior. Weirdly, I find myself smiling at that thought. I’m not really sure why. 

Harry looks back to the pub. “I better get back,” he says with a sigh.

We both stand up. And now we're just standing in front of each other. Harry the Bouncer smiles at me. One of his sexy fucking grins. “Can you do me a favour?” he says, mysteriously. “The next time you’re back here in Brighton, come and say hello?”

I roll my tongue around the inside of my mouth, smile and nod at him.

Looking me in the eyes, Harry reaches out and puts his hand on my stomach, rubbing the back of his fingers up and down the material of my jacket. I feel myself melting. It’s still there. That undeniable chemistry. Between me and this man. Who’s twice my age. And knows my fucking dad. And isn’t ridiculously good looking like the guys I’ve obsessed over before. But who has something sexy about him. 

Maybe something could happen between Harry and me if I lived in Brighton permanently. Maybe we could have something special. Even more special than what I had with Ryan North. Or maybe Harry the Bouncer is right in what he just said. Maybe there will be loads of guys interested in me. And Harry the Bouncer is just one of them.

We turn and head back to the pub, but not before Harry, still with that sexy smirk on his face, says one last thing to me.

“Happy New Year, Deano.”

THE END

[crushme99]

Ahhhhh, such a charming ending.  

I swear, your writing gets better and more insightful with each story you share with us.  

AND who knows what doors might remain open for our Pocket Rocket in the months to come.

[DennisFLL]

MuscleAddict, you do know that you'll now be keeping all of your fans waiting impatiently to read what happens next with Deano.  And you'll soon be hearing all the Yanks from this side of the pond grumbling for the posting of your next MU series sequel!  Well done and thanks, mate!

[DawnFire98]

Wow. The story´s over, the curtain falls.

BRAVO! BRAVO! Encore!

No, but really, what a conclusion. I was really sharing Deano´s sadness and excitement at seeing Harry again. It feels good that he found someone he could confide to in Tony. Must be such a relief. The awkwardness between Deano and Harry in their conversation doesn´t feel forced and is kind of sweet. I hope that Deano get´s more confidence out of the fact that not just Harry wants him.

How you write is also just *chef´s kiss*.

You put us into the shoes of those people and let us get to know and understand them. The characters are three-dimensional, the dialogue is on point and relationships are dynamic. (I really hope to get on this level of writing one day.)

I could go on about how I slowly warmed up to Terry, how funny Deano Sr.´s quips are or how Archie could learn maybe a thing or two about bodybuilding from our “Pocket Rocket”, but I try to keep it short or my butt would be sitting here til 5 in the morning. This story is a wonderful expansion to your little “Hot, jacked bodybuilders, sweet nerds and the love and heartbreak in between”-world. Thank you for inviting us.