Chapter 1 - October

October

This was the third Xenoarchaeology class for Brandon this semester and it still wasn't any easier to concentrate. The lessons were a bit far fetched and everything came across as a conspiracy theory but the professor was absolutely gorgeous. Plus, as an archaeology major, he really did love to learn about ancient civilizations, even if it seemed to all be pseudoscience. The truth was Brandon never intended to even take this class in the first place. His mind quickly changed when we attended a 'meet the faculty' event last spring, just before course registration, where he couldn't take his eyes off a certain individual.

The professor was PhD student Mathew Oster. He was tall and thin with eyes so dark and deep you could get lost for hours. Brandon yearned to run his hands through that thick black hair, the kind that falls every which way yet somehow looks great. Even the way he dressed, in a shirt and thin collared jacket with slacks, was exactly his type. He wore glasses with thin black frames that he would take off dramatically when conversations got intense. He wasn't pushy or strong but he certainly wasn't shy either and would get into long winded monologues about subjects that were borderline insanity. It was all so charming.

Brandon was the opposite. He had short blonde hair that put gel in daily and blue eyes. He always drew the attention of girls when he was in high school but was too shy to admit he didn't reciprocate their feelings. Despite being nineteen he still hadn't dated, or even kissed, anyone. Taking this class was the closest thing he'd ever done to hitting on someone. It was so hard to tell if other guys liked him back and he was always too scared to find out. People weren't always so accepting.

So there Brandon was half listening to why no one but aliens could have given ancient Egyptians such an accurate calendar and imagining what Mathew Oster might look like without any clothes on when he heard his name.

"Mr. Stevens, archaeology is as much about interpretation of the evidence as it is study of physical objects. What do you think about all of this?" asked Mr. Oster in his usual overly exaggerated manner of speaking.

Brandon immediately turned bright red. He was profoundly shy and hated to be put on the spot, especially by the person he just imagined without any clothes on.

"Um..." he stammered. "I don't really think aliens are responsible. The Egyptians were off by a quarter of a day each year.."

"That is true!" he exclaimed, almost excited to be able to argue a point. It was hard to believe this was his first year teaching. "But we believe that the extra-terrestrial assistance received by ancient Egyptians was from passer bys. Maybe they landed on Earth to check it out and make contact, realized civilization was not very advanced, and gave them a hand. The days in a year was probably just a close estimation rather then them working it out."

Brandon nodded in agreement and although he didn't really agree he was now too embarrassed to form words.

"Your homework this week is to write a personal essay on why you do or do not believe aliens have come down to Earth to assist with the advancement of ancient civilizations and if you believe they plan on returning when we are more ready to make contact. I look forward to reading all your responses!" Mr. Oster announced excitedly and everyone started shuffling out of their desks. "And Mr. Stevens, I'd like to see you after class!" he added.

Brandon froze. He wanted to see him after class? Why? Was he in trouble? Was his daydreaming in class that obvious? What if it's for some... Personal reason? Someone bumping into his arm jerked him out of thought and he slowly made his way down the stairs and over to the small office off the side of the classroom. He took a deep breath as he stepped through the open doorway.

The office was tiny and crammed. Against the far wall was a desk packed full of books with all sorts of crazy titles related to aliens coming to Earth. He wondered if Oster actually believed all of this. He wondered if he was a genius or crazy. He certainly came across as both. It didn't matter. On the desk was a stack of papers, a laptop, and a small odd looking metal trinket. Maybe an alleged ancient alien artifact he thought. The smallness of the room and his anxiety of the situation made him feel like the walls were closing in. It was hard to breathe.

"Umm... You wanted to see me?" if he had asked quieter it would have been a whisper. Brandon wished he could control his horrible blushing and the thought of Mathew seeing him so embarrassed made it so much worse.

"I've looked over student records for this class. I think most people are using it as a throwaway to graduate. You're the only one majoring in archaeology." he explained.

Are you actually surprised? Brandon thought to himself, relieved that he wasn't in any trouble. There was a brief silence only broken up by the sound of Brandon's quickly beating heart. He tried to resist the incredible urge to run away as fast as he could.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell that if you need help with anything at all please let me know. I think if you keep an open mind you might be surprised what you learn in this class. I spent all summer planning it!" it was so so hard to take what he said seriously because of the way he spoke. Always so excited, always building.

"Mr. Oster... How did you get into this anyway?" Brandon finally thought of something to say and the question had been plaguing him since the first class.

"That's easy. Like you, I was interested in archaeology. The more I studied the more I realized that there's no other explanation for why certain things are the way they are. It's not a conspiracy theory - it's science." his hand was high in the air by the end of that explanation. It was adorable. More blushing. Their eyes met for a just a moment, long enough to send Brandon's head down and his eyes fixated on the floor, now beat red. It seemed like Mr. Oster noticed the embarrassment.

"I'm going to say something stupid. And unethical." Oster announced. "Brandon, are you doing anything this afternoon? Would you like to get a drink with me?"

Brandon was dumbfounded. A drink? Like a date? No it couldn't be a date. There's no way a guy like him would be into... Well, guys. He probably just wanted to talk about his crazy conspiracy theories more. Or maybe archaeology. Or maybe it was a date! Seconds passed and Oster fidgeted uncomfortably. He started to say something but Brandon quickly interrupted, he wasn't going to miss the chance to find out.

"Yes!" maybe he sounded a bit too excited. He cleared his throat. "Yes, I'd like to get a drink, I'm not doing anything this afternoon."

"Oh good. I thought maybe you had plans with a girlfriend or something on a Friday night." Oster confessed, scratching his head uncomfortable. This was the first time Brandon had seen him look even a little bit shy.

"No, no girlfriend!" Brandon was shaking his head as he spoke, maybe again a bit too excited. He just didn't want Mr. Oster to get the wrong idea. Oster smiled at him and started shuffling things on his desk.

"I have to finish up work. Meet me at McClaren's around six?" he suggested and all Brandon could do was nod in agreement before leaving the office as fast as he could. He ran out into the hallway and stood with his back against the wall. It was a short distance but he was out of breath and his heart was beating profusely. He still wasn't sure what tonight was, exactly, but he was so excited and so nervous to spend some time alone with Mathew Oster.

After catching his breath Brandon didn't know what to do. His anxiety was still there. He started to run. He ran to the train station. He tried to read chapter 3 of intro to archaeology on the train but he couldn't concentrate. He got off the train and bolted home. He checked the clock. 4:00.

He slowly undressed and got into the shower, hoping that the water would calm his nerves. He looked up as the water rushed over his face and embraced him warmly. There was something relaxing about water. He loved the ocean and hoped that one day he could live on the beach.

He finished his shower and got dressed. He wasn't sure what to wear so went for his usual staple - slacks and a tucked in collared shirt. It always looked good on him and helped him not look quite so scrawny. He grabbed a jacket in case it was cold later and put on his sunglasses to fight off the setting sun he was about to walk towards. The pub was just a few minutes away from his house and for the first time he wondered if they both lived nearby.

At 6:15 Brandon was nervously sipping his drink and getting more and more uneasy as he waited. What if I got the time wrong? What if he meant another pub? What if he stood me up? Maybe he's just trying to get back at me for daydreaming in class. He worried to himself. A bell jingled and he looked up to see Oster, long black jacket flowing as he walked, white tucked in shirt underneath, brown slacks with the belt hanging down a bit, hair a horrible and delicious mess. He could already feel himself getting worked up again, his face turning red, his heart beating...

"Oh, you came! Good!" Oster announced to Brandon as he made his way over to the bar and ordered a drink. Brandon was frozen again as Oster sat down across from him at the table and took a big sip.

"Mr. Oster... Why am I here?" Brandon asked shyly.

"Please, it's Mathew. Or Matt. Either is good! And you're here because, well, uhh.." he trailed off and look up at the ceiling. Brandon kept silent hoping he would continue. Matt let out a deep breath and leaned forwards over the table. He spoke in much softer tone than usual. "I asked you here because I wanted to see you outside of class. You know, get to know you. And, well, I got the impression you might be interested in the same."

So it was a date.

Brandon's throat was dry and he picked up his drink, chugging the whole thing quickly and slamming it down on the table. He still didn't have the courage to respond.

"Was I wrong?" Matt finally asked. Brandon looked at the table and shook his head violently. His hand was still on the empty drink glass and he felt something against it. Matt was gently holding his hand against Brandon's. He couldn't believe what was happening. A long moment passed and Matt put his hand back on his own drink taking sip.

Matt had a way of easing Brandon's restlessness and bringing him into conversation. They talked for hours about everything. How they both got interested in archaeology, how Matt is nearly finished his PhD but is teaching the class for some extra spending money, how they both live in the same neighbourhood (Brandon loved that part), how they both love science fiction novels, and so on.

It was only the first date but Brandon was in love.

2:00. Last call. They walked out of the pub together and started walking home together since both apartments were in the same direction. The night was crisp and Brandon put his jacket on to keep warm. Fall was in the air and a few leaves were starting to change colour. He walked close to a wall and suddenly there was a weight against him. Stumbling backwards and into the wall he looked up to see Matt over him, their height difference seeming more obvious than ever at that moment, looking into his eyes. Brandon nervously looked away but Matt pushed his chin back up. Unable to move with Matt pushing him down Brandon watched as Matt slowly moved forward, closed his eyes and...

A kiss.

Brandon felt his whole body react as Matt lips met with his gently. He closed his eyes and kissed back hoping he wouldn't mess anything up. It must have worked because Matt became more and more passionate and slowly ran his hand inside Brandon's coat and around his back pulling them together. After what felt like forever and an instant Matt let go and grinned.

"This is my stop, goodnight." he chimed while slipping a piece of paper into Brandon's pocket. Still in shock from the kiss Brandon did nothing but place his hand in his pocket and hold the paper tight as he watched Matt disappear into the night.

Brandon awoke the next morning fuzzy from the night before. He fell asleep replaying the kiss over and over again in his head. His coat was draped carelessly over the back of the couch and he took the note out of the pocket. It had a set of numbers he assumed was Matt's phone number on it. The night before had felt so much like a dream that without that piece of evidence he wouldn't have even believed it real. His head started throbbing and he stumbled over to the kitchen for some Asprin. He didn't think he had much to drink last night but his memory was a bit hazy. Drinking he thought is like archaeology. You have to piece things together to make a picture. He certainly didn't enjoy it as much as his studies and remembered why he didn't drink too often.

Next time we go out I want dinner. Brandon decided. Next time? Will there be a next time? He hadn't thought of it until now. What was that kiss? Were they a thing now? Brandon had no idea how dating worked. No idea what Matt was really like. No idea if it was normal to make out with someone like that and never see them again. But then, he had the phone number. Should I call? That would seem desperate. He looked at the time. 1:00. He slept a long time. What did Matt do on Saturday afternoons? Brandon usually took this time to study or do homework. Then again, Matt was a student too, so maybe he was researching for his PhD? 

He picked up his phone and added Matt's number to his contacts. Brandon knew he was far too shy to call so he opened up the text screen. He decided to send a message so that Matt would have his number and secretly hoped that Matt would make the next move too. This whole dating thing already seemed complicated but the desire to see Matt again, maybe more intimately next time, won out over fear of confrontation.

"This is Brandon. I had fun last night and I hope we can see each other again." He wrote hoping it didn't sound desperate. Send. He waited but there was no reply. Before Brandon could panic his stomach rumbled and he realized he was desperately starving. Just as he sat down to eat the cereal he poured a reply came.

"Now I have your number. Researching today... Not so easy, drank too much. Arggg. Super busy right now doing research for a 3rd party, should be done by end of next week (I hope)." Matt's texted exactly how he spoke and Brandon smiled with both admiration and relief. Inspired by his new love he was able to go spend the afternoon writing a rough draft of the paper for Matt's class.

Brandon's week went on as usual. He was a student, after all, and took his studies very seriously. He graduated high school with honours and was attending university with a full scholarship as long as he maintained a high grade level so it was important that he focused on his studies. This left little time for friendships which Brandon was used to and he wasn't sure how he was going to fit Matt into his schedule, although it seemed that Matt was just as busy. He then began to wonder if they would ever find time to get together again.

Friday morning he received a text from Matt, it said "See you in class. Don't forget I'm technically not allowed to have relationships with my students. Please stop undressing me with your eyes and blushing, it makes it hard to concentrate." Brandon felt his cheeks get hot. Had it been that obvious? He wondered but resolved it was a good thing because at least Matt noticed him. It was easier said then done though.

Just as he was contemplating how to be more subtle another text came in "Maybe I can try undressing you later. Dinner first, at Rose's, 6pm" Brandon could barely stand up as he read. How can he be so forward? he wondered. Not that I don't like it... How do I respond to that though?! After a few moments of careful thought he answered simply "Try not to be late this time." The only thing he got back was a grinning smiling face. He thinks it's funny, I don't know how I'm going to survive an hour of class without dying of embarrassment. Brandon thought cynically.

He survived by sitting at the back of the room and keeping his head down. Matt's lectures were so intense and dramatic that he wondered how he had noticed Brandon at all. Every now and then the lecture would include statements like "and that's why aliens will one day revisit when we're ready to gain more knowledge" and "if it wasn't true where would ancient Egyptians get such detailed drawings of light bulbs?" that made Brandon wonder what he was getting himself into. Then he would look up and occasionally catch Matt's eye which would send his eyes back down to his paper in embarrassment.

Brandon couldn't get that message out of his mind. Was it a joke? he questioned. It wasn't like he didn't want it to be true but he was terrified of whole idea. Last week he hadn't even kissed someone. His phone buzzed, it was a message from Matt. "Running late, can we make it 6:30? Also, I was joking earlier, in case you didn't know. Unless you don't want me to be joking. You seem timid. I should be more careful what I say, you were so cute and embarrassed in class I could hardly concentrate."

He could barely concentrate? Brandon lamented, annoyed. And he was teasing! How could he! And... And he called me cute. He froze for a moment with his hand over his chest. No guy had ever called him cute before.

When Brandon arrived at the restaurant he was surprised to see Matt waving at him excitedly. The whole 'dating' concept was still foreign and was repeatedly catching him off guard. He sat down cautiously and before he opened his mouth someone arrived to take their drink orders. The restaurant was crowded and yet the silence was deafening. Brandon wanted desperately wanted to break the silence but he was still embarrassed from earlier and had no idea what to say. The conversation that happened so naturally the week before was now a distant memory. This was the first time they were speaking face to face since that kiss. Just thinking about it got Brandon flustered.

Matt leaned in closely and stated to whisper pulling Brandon out of his mind. "I like this place" he began. "no government cameras." This prompted Brandon to look around. No security cameras of any kind. He thought to himself.

"I don't really notice them anyway." Brandon whispered back. "They're everywhere."

"That's the problem with them. The government is always watching." Matt started to get louder and more excited. He never seemed to care who thought he was crazy. "My research is top secret." he added before holding a finger to his mouth in symbolic silence. Brandon realized that he didn't know what exactly Matt had been researching so feverishly but decided that now was not the best time to ask.

Matt continued to detail the extent of government monitoring for several more minutes breaking only to order food and occasionally sip his drink. Brandon sat learning forwards and resting his chin on his hand try his best to follow a conversation that the neither fully understood nor believed in entirely. It never bothered him that the government had cameras on the streets or could tap into security footage, he was never up to anything wrong anyway. It was just enough to be in his company and enjoy the attention solely focused on him.

Brandon was lost in Matt's eyes when suddenly Matt leaned over and kiss him. He paused for a moment, kissed back gently out of instinct or, well Brandon didn't really know why, but after realizing he suddenly pushed him back.

"Something wrong?" Matt wondered, taken aback.

"We.. We're..." Brandon struggled to find the words. "Someone might see us."

"So? Look, no one's looking." Matt argued. "Unless, you're not... You haven't told anyone, have you."

Brandon looked down, cheeks hot with embarrassment, and shook his head. The waiter returned with their food and Brandon started to eat in shameful silence. Matt gave him a smirk and muttered something about him being cute but Brandon was not listening.

After dinner they stood outside the restaurant. It was still early in the evening and the unseasonably warm weather had brought out all sorts of people walking. Brandon wasn't sure what to do now. He didn't want Matt to just leave and go home but he wasn't sure what he could suggest. I really need to work on my confidence. He told himself. This relationship is very one sided. Maybe I should... Just... He swallowed hard and took a deep breath.

"Do you want to come over and watch the new Space Viral movie?" Brandon blurted at an almost incomprehensible speed before hanging his head.

"I have NOT yet seen that!" Matt cheered. "THAT is a fantastic idea. Lead the way!"

In a few minutes they found themselves outside Brandon's apartment and he fumbled for his keys. Looking around, Matt pointed out that his place was about a ten minute's walk from there. The idea that they were so close made Brandon's heart flutter. As he was thinking of how nice it would be to see more of Matt the door opened to his apartment.

His place was tiny and clean. The scholarship allowed only a moderate amount of living expenses and with no friends or relatives in the city he was forced to rent a place of his own. You walked into the small living room where there was a two seat couch and TV. Just behind that was the even smaller kitchen and you could barely see the table and it's two chairs pressed against the wall. If Matt were to sit there with him that would be the first time he'd ever needed both places at the table and was glad that it came as a set. There was nothing hung on the walls, nothing on the counter, and everything was clean and tidy. You could see slightly into his bedroom from the front door and there were a few articles of clothing draped on his bed. It wasn't that he was obsessively tidy or anything, just that he spent most of his time studying and not doing much else.

Matt looked around excitedly and flopped on the couch. "Wow!" he exclaimed. "Not bad! And so clean..."

Brandon blushed as he carefully started putting the movie on. Seeing Matt sitting on his couch in his apartment was making him all kinds of worried and thing were feeling more real than ever before. Finishing he sat down on the couch next to Matt and wondered why he hadn't bought another chair or something, they seemed dangerously close. As if reading his mind Matt put his arm around and rested his hand on Brandon's shoulder. Surprised by the sudden touch a chill ran up Brandon's spine and he immediately drop his head in embarrassment. Matt smiled at him again as if he enjoyed seeing Brandon get so flustered.

"You know," Matt said slyly "we're not in pubic anymore."

Before Brandon could register the point he was trying to make Matt started kissing him sweetly. Music was playing now from the TV as the movie started but Matt ignored it and continued to kiss Brandon even more passionately. Brandon slowly started to kiss back as Matt was already sliding his hands from his back, over his shoulders, and down his chest. Matt tongue entered Brandon's mouth and gently flicked his just as Matt's hands moved down his stomach and onto the top of his pants. Brandon started to become aroused and moaned gently under Matt's touch. Matt gently untucked Brandon's shirt and moved back to the top button, slowly undoing it.

The kiss ended and Matt moved down to kiss Brandon's chest as he unfastened each button, finally ending just above his waistline. Brandon was certain he was never going to change back to normal he was blushing so hard and was getting more self conscious of the bulge in his pants as Matt worked his way lower and lower. Seeming to sense his uneasiness Matt continued kissing down pressing his face right against his crotch. Even through his pants the kiss felt intense and he could feel himself squirm with pleasure. He moaned again, titling his head back and looking at the ceiling. He could feel Matt undoing his fly, pulling back his underwear, and exposing what was underneath. The cold air against his warm skin gave him a slight chill that only lasted a moment before Matt's mouth touched him once again.

This time it was more than a kiss. Matt gently took the head of his cock in his mouth and sucked gently. Brandon didn't know what to do this was the first time he... He moaned again, this time more loudly. Matt looked up and caught his eye, flashed a quick grin, then eagerly put the rest into his mouth. The warmth enveloped him like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He clenched his fists tightly as Matt slowly moved himself up and down. Matt continued to pleasure Brandon and the desire to release slowly built inside him. Just as he was nearing his edge Matt stopped abruptly and sat up. Without saying a word he slowly licked the spit and precum from his lips and grinned. Brandon could not believe how desirable Matt looked at that very moment.

Ignoring his swollen erection still poking out and all of his anxieties Brandon reached his arms around Matt and pulled him on top, kissing him passionately. Brandon's new found eagerness was met with excitement from Matt and he returned the kiss with even more gusto. Matt tried to undo his own pants but lost his balance and tumbled off the small couch pulling Brandon with him onto the floor. Brandon didn't think it was funny but he could see Matt stifling laughter from underneath. The movie was still playing in the background.

"Where's your bedroom?" Matt asked, giggling. Brandon blushed and pointed. Matt stood up suddenly causing Brandon to roll off him but he barely hit the floor before his hand was in Matt's and he was being led to his own bed. Matt may have been a bit intense but he didn't seem the dominating type so it came as a surprise to Brandon when we found himself being pushed onto his own bed.

Matt undid Brandon's belt and tossed it aside, then pulled his pants down. He only noticed that his shirt had fallen off in the living room when his underwear was thrown aside and he lay completed naked. Matt was kneeling on the bed between Brandon's thighs. He blushed and imagined his whole body was going red while Matt slowly looked over ever inch of him. He always seemed to have a slight smile on his face. Brandon hoped that he liked what he saw. They were both pretty slim, Brandon had never been the sporty type and always spent his free time studying rather than running around.

As Matt started undoing his own pants Brandon sat up and moved his hands away, taking over. He could feel Matt's erection brushing against his arm as he undid his belt. He stroked it gently and Matt let out a soft moan. Brandon could feel himself getting excited again. He slid Matt's pants down just far enough to let his cock out and gently stroked from the base of the shaft up to the tip. Apparently this was more than Matt could handle because he pushed Brandon down again, grabbed his legs, and pulled him so close that he could feel Matt's erection against his bare skin.

Matt spit onto his hand and rubbed it into Brandon's skin to add lubrication. Brandon gulped. He wasn't sure he was ready for this. In fact, this has been his biggest worry since he knew he was attracted to guys. Matt leaned forwards so his chest was resting on Brandon's and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry."

Brandon grabbed hold of the bed sheets as tightly as Matt slowly entered a finger inside of him wiggling it around. He felt a sharp pain intermixed with pleasure and wasn't sure how he felt. Apparently his body had other ideas because he became hard as a rock. Matt stretched him farther with a second finger and carefully traced his nails up and down Brandon's shaft causing him to focus more on the pleasure than pain. Matt shuffled and slowly started to enter him. Brandon clenched harder and turned his head to the side finding a nearby pillow to bury his face in. Matt moaned and muttered something about relaxing and Brandon tried to take deep breaths as he felt Matt deeper and deeper inside of him.

Once inside, he stopped for a moment to let Brandon relax before starting slow, gentle strokes both inside him and with his hand on Brandon's cock. Slowly he built with more intensity and Brandon could feel the fire burning inside him once again. All the stimulation from earlier and the feeling of Matt's hard member sliding in and out of him made it difficult to hold back. He moaned loudly. Matt thrust even faster and harder and matched his speed against Brandon's shaft. He couldn't hold back anymore.

"Mm... Matt..." Brandon whispered between panting and moaning. "I'm going to..." Matt gripped Brandon's shaft tightly and thrust more vigorously. It was too much for Brandon to handle and he came deeply, letting out a loud moan in the process.

"Aah... I..." Matt moaned seconds later and Brandon felt a warmness fill inside of him. Matt collapsed on top of Brandon, beads of sweat on his brow. Brandon reached up and gently ran his hand's through Matt's hair causing it to stick up even more than usual. The laid like that for a few moments before Matt rolled off to the side and pulled Brandon in close. Brandon rested his head on Matt's chest and closed his eyes.