Love knows no bounds
By: Faith Adeline

Part 1

They weren't supposed to love each other. It started out so simple, as many things often do. Best friends, growing up together since birth. No one saw it coming, not even themselves. Of course, it wasn't that much of a surprise. They did everything together. When both of them first realized the love they had for each other, extending far past friendship, it was a warm April night. They were hanging in the park, heading to their homes from a party.

Matt -the elder of the two by two months- had a hand in his letter jacket, the other holding a can of beer. With every step he took, his basketball medals clinked together. The street lights illuminated his blonde hair, making it appear white.

Ryan was the exact opposite of his friend, as it usually goes. He was a rocker in every sense of the word. His favorite band was either Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, he could never choose between the two. He was always wearing a black leather jacket, hiding the many tattoos he had. As they walked, he lit a cigarette with his black Zippo lighter, the flames on the side of the metal sparkled.

"That shit's gonna give your ass cancer," Matt said, taking a swig of his beer.

Ryan arched an eyebrow, his short black hair gleaming in the moonlight. His bangs reached just below his eyes, always falling forward whenever he moved. Matt had the strongest urge to brush the bangs aside, quickly tossing the thought away. What was wrong with him?

"You think that alcohol is affecting your kidney any better than my cigarette is affecting my lungs?" Ryan smirked, ripping Matt from his thoughts.

"Shut up," he muttered in return.

Contrary to popular belief, not all jocks are arrogant bastards. Matt was the prime example. He had the self-confidence of a snail, always letting people walk over him. The only reason he'd joined the basketball team, was because he was a phenomenal player, and Ryan had threatened to kick his ass if he didn't. The other guys hated him, only putting up with him because he won them games. The only person who ever saw every single side of him, was Ryan.

Ryan had enough confidence for the both of them. He simply didn't give a shit what anyone thought, and that made him popular. Sometimes, Matt wondered why Ryan still hung out with him. Ryan would merely hit him softly and say, "We've stuck together for eighteen years. Why break up a good thing?"

"Dude, what the fuck are you thinking about? You look like you're going to shit yourself." Ryan spoke up, taking a drag of his smoke.

Speak of the devil. . . "Nothing. Bunch of different shit." Matt downed the rest of his beer and threw the can on the ground.

Ryan shook his head and took Matt's arm in his hand to stop him from walking. "Matt, don't lie to me." He said, his face serious.

Matt sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know dude. I just. . .I don't know why you bother with me."

Ryan ran a hand through his hair, muttering, "Jesus." Then, he pulled Matt to him and kissed him.

Matt's eyes widened and he yanked himself back after a few moments. "Shit!" He exclaimed. "What the fuck was that?"

"Matt, you asked why I stuck with you. I answered." Ryan stated simply.

Matt didn't understand, his face showing his confusion. He licked his lips and mumbled, "How?"

Ryan chuckled. "Matt, I've known that I love you since we were fifteen. If I remember correctly, it was the night your dad first found out he was sick. I remember thinking, 'I'll never leave him. I love him too much' as you cried in my arms."

Matt blushed, the memory of said night hitting him like a ton of bricks. He remembered all the things he'd even thought of about Ryan that weren't exactly. . .normal. He thought of how safe he felt when he was with him, and how. . .how he never wanted to be without him.

Ryan sighed and said, "I didn't mean to freak you out."

Matt ignored him, trying to make sense of all the revelations dawning on him. Did he love Ryan too? Of course I love him, but do I love him. . .like that?

"Matt, come on man. Talk to me."

Matt simply looked at him, his blond hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He licked his lips again and took a small step forward. Hesitantly, he put a hand on Ryan's face. Then, he pressed his lips on Ryan’s. At first, it was soft, a mere brushing of lips. But Matt urged Ryan on, letting him know it was okay to take it a bit further.

The kiss deepened and Matt could feel Ryan's hand against his back. Their tongues danced, and when Ryan slipped a hand underneath Matt's jacket and shirt, Matt gasped into Ryan's mouth.

Needing to breath, they both pulled back. Ryan kept his hand on Matt's bare back, not wanting to break the touch.

"What does this mean?" Matt whispered. "I'm not gay."

Ryan let out a soft sigh and replied, "Ditch the fucking labels Matt. Just go with what you feel. Do you like me?"

"Yeah, but-"

Ryan put his lips to Matt's and smiled. "No buts."

"We can't let anyone know. The guys on the team would kill me."

Ryan hoped Matt couldn't see the disappointment in his eyes and nodded his head. "You wanna come back to my house? We could hang out."

"Your parents home?"

Ryan shook his head no, finally removing his hand from Matt's back. "No, they're visiting my aunt in Chicago. They'll be home in a couple days."

Matt pulled out his cell phone and dialed home, telling his mom he would be spending the night at Ryan's. Of course it was fine with her, they were best friends after all. Matt couldn't help but wonder if it would still be fine with her if she knew what had happened between them. Probably not.

They walked the rest of the way to Ryan's house, silent. Ryan unlocked his door and stepped aside, letting Matt walk in first. How many times had Matt spent the night by Ryan's? How many times had they slept in the same bed, comfortable falling asleep next to each other? Matt swallowed and looked around the well decorated living room. Everything seemed so different now.

"You okay?" Ryan asked, his face scrunched with worry.

"Yeah. . .no. I'm just. . ." Matt groaned and flopped onto the couch, his words dying in his mouth. "We've always been close, like one person practically. . .I just- Jesus I can't spit it out."

"Matt, you don't-"

Matt cut Ryan off by kissing him, holding his face in his hands. Ryan's tongue flicked his lips and Matt greedily allowed his mouth to open more. Soon, Matt was on top of him, Ryan's hand sliding back on his back. Ryan shrugged the letter jacket off, tossing it onto the ground. Matt could feel Ryan's groin hardening, and felt his own tighten. He pulled away and looked into Ryan's hazel eyes.

"How did this happen?" Matt asked quietly.

"I'm not exactly sure myself," Ryan admitted, smiling softly. "But, you know me, I don't argue with fate."

Matt laughed and kissed Ryan again. It felt. . .right. Sure, he'd gone on dates with girls before, but there was always something missing. Something he felt with Ryan. Did that make him gay? He pushed the thoughts from his head and focused on Ryan's lips. Ryan's hand moved from his back to his stomach, his fingers landing on Matt's nipples. Matt gasped and deepened the kiss. I can't believe I'm doing this, I can't believe I'm making out with my best friend.

Matt didn't realize he was crying until Ryan pulled back and wiped away his tears. "Matt, what's going on?" Ryan asked, his breath hitting Matt in the face, smelling of nicotine.

"I'm just. . .so confused." Matt replied, trying to stop the tears. "It feels. . .amazing. But, I've been raised to believe this is wrong. And I just-"

Ryan kissed him, putting his hand on Matt's head. "Never, ever, let anyone tell you that it's wrong to feel something." He said, his voice strong.

Matt nodded his head, tears still streaming down his face. "I just don't want my family to hate me," he cried.

"Jesus Matt. . .they're not going to hate you!"

"They will, they will!"

"No, they won't. Besides. . .I'll be here, always Matt. I'm not going anywhere."

That only made Matt cry harder. Ryan picked up his friend, seeing as how he was the lighter of the two, and carried him up the steps to his room. Then, he placed him gently down on the bed, brushing his hair out of his face. Matt looked up at his friend, possibly his lover, and felt such. . .adoration for him.

"Lay down with me?" He asked.

"Of course." Ryan took his jacket and shoes off, then climbed into the bed, holding Matt in his arms. He kissed his shoulder and rested his chin on it. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine. Jesus, I feel like such a pus."

Ryan laughed. "Yeah, you do."

Matt slapped him, accidentally hitting his ass. He could feel his cheeks burn and said, "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I've been waiting for a long time for you to spank me." Ryan teased.

"You're such a pig." Matt laughed, wiping away the rest of his tears. He turned around so he was facing Ryan. "This is so weird. I mean, I guess there have always been clues but. . . it's surreal."

"Ain't that how it goes?"

Matt nodded his head and leaned forward, pressing his lips to Ryan's. After the long, passionate kiss, he laid his head on Ryan's chest. He fell asleep to the beating of his best friend's heart.

A month passed. Ryan and Matt played the part of best friend to the people around them, and played the part of lovers when they were alone. After a while, the idea felt more realistic to Matt, and he learned that he'd wanted this for a long time. He started loving the moments when Ryan would steal a kiss in school when no one was looking, and how they would hold hands on the way home, or when they were in the park. After the first couple of times of holding hands, Matt realized that his hands fit exactly with Ryan's; like they'd been meant for each other.

One night, Ryan's parents were away for the night and Matt was sleeping over. The evening had started out innocent enough. They cuddled while watching a horror flick, popcorn passing between them. But, soon, the air changed and Matt found himself pressed onto the couch with Ryan on top of him, kissing him senseless.

In between kisses, Matt murmured, "I love you." Then he stopped, instantly turning red. Without waiting for Ryan to say anything, he pushed him aside and sprung off the couch. "Fuck," he whispered as he headed into the kitchen.

Ryan just sat there, confused as hell. "What just happened?" He asked himself quietly. He got up and followed Matt.

Matt was leaning against the island counter, his eyes closed. Coffee was brewing, which made Ryan smile. Coffee calmed Matt down.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping towards his boyfriend.

Matt shook his head and cleared his throat. "Nothing."

"Bullshit. Man, you're a terrible liar." Ryan smirked, hoping to get a laugh out of Matt. When he didn't, his smirk faded. He put an arm on Matt's, truly concerned.
"Hey, you can tell me."

"I don't want to like, freak you out."

Ryan laughed. "Dude, I was with you when you jumped into a bush of poison ivy at camp and gave it to me because we shared a bed, pissed your pants at horror-fest so I had to loan you my favorite jacket so it didn't show, and when you-"

"Why are you bringing up some of my most humiliating moments?"

Ryan smiled and put his hand on Matt's cheek. "To show you that, no matter what you do, I'm not going anywhere."

Matt looked at the ground, shuffling his feet. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And, I love you too."

Matt grinned and kissed Ryan, brushing his hands through his hair. They pulled apart and pressed their foreheads together, their fingers entwined. The coffee stopped brewing, but Matt was no longer interested in the liquid. He bit his lip and whispered, "Let's go upstairs."

"Are you sure?" Ryan whispered back, his breath landing on Matt's lips.

"Positive."

They walked up the steps, hand in hand. Ryan pushed open his door, the band posters on his wall swaying from the breeze he'd caused. He turned to Matt and kissed him, shutting the door when he pushed Matt against it. Matt let out a small umph but kept kissing him. Stumbling, they made their way towards the bed, falling on it as one. Their legs tangled as they moved, and they kicked off their shoes.

"Too many clothes," Matt groaned, tugging Ryan's shirt off.

Ryan laughed and said, "You're such a tramp Matt."

"Shut up," Matt replied, hitting him on the shoulder. They both laughed, and Matt inspected Ryan's chest. He'd seen Ryan's tattoos before, but never before had he wanted to run his hand up and down them, feeling Ryan's skin underneath his fingertips. Matt put his hands hesitantly on Ryan's chest, tracing the sun tattoo that lied upon the flesh. His fingers grazed Ryan's nipples, which followed by a sharp intake of breath from Ryan.

"Do you know how long I've wanted to be touched by you?" Ryan asked, his voice quiet.

Matt looked at him, then kissed him deeply, melding their bodies together. Ryan's fingers skimmed along his shirt and pulled it over Matt's head, fussing up his blonde hair. He trailed his hands down Matt's back, feeling him shiver in his palms. Matt dug his nails into Ryan's back, eliciting a gasp from his lips.

"Didn't know you get so dirty," Ryan breathed.

"Just wait," Matt answered, kissing him passionately. He laid Ryan down on the bed, letting his hands move down to his belt buckle. While kissing him, he unbuckled the jeans, feeling Ryan grow hard underneath his fingers. He unzipped them, putting his hand on the front of Ryan's boxers. Ryan moaned and picked up the hand, putting it on his chest.

"Not now," he said. Then he flipped Matt over and smothered him with loving kisses, tugging Matt's jeans down to his ankles. Before turning to Matt's boxers he said, "Are you absolutely sure you want this?"

Matt nodded his head, his eyes wide. "Please Ryan, please."

Ryan put his lithe fingers to the brim of the boxers and slowly pulled them down. He threw them and the jeans on the floor, so Matt lied naked below him. He felt his own length growing hard from merely looking at his lover, his friend, and thanked the lord he had boxers on to hold himself together. He lowered his lips to Matt's shaft, flicking his tongue against the tip of it.

Matt clenched the sheets, his back arching and head bowing back. "Jesus," he panted.

Ryan smirked and worked at it, fingering all the areas he knew were sensitive as he licked and sucked. Finally, he felt Matt's warm liquid rush into his mouth and swallowed it. While Matt was moaning, trying to catch his breath, he worked his way up his body and pressed his lips to Matt's. "You taste good." He said.

Matt smirked, and once he regained himself, reversed their positions so he was on top. He slid Ryan's boxers off and just stared at him for a moment. "Wow," he simply said.

Ryan laughed. "Impressive, aren't I?"

Matt chuckled and lowered his face so he was directly in front of Ryan's anatomy. "Very," he whispered.

Ryan inhaled sharply as he felt Matt's breath linger over him. Then, Matt's lip hit him, sending him reeling. He put his fingers in Matt's hair, loving the feel of Matt's silky locks so close to him. Matt's mouth opened and closed around him, drawing him closer and closer to the edge. Finally, he came, and Matt lapped it up like a kitten.

"You taste good too," he replied, a smile on his face.

Ryan grabbed a condom from the drawer and said, "You want more, or is that enough?"

Matt shook his head no and lied down. "We've always been like one person. I want us to be, at least for a little while."

Ryan nodded his head and slipped the condom on, then positioned himself above Matt. "This may hurt."

"Have a lot of experience?"

Ryan shrugged his shoulders. "Not a lot, but some."

Matt wrapped his legs around Ryan, placing his hole directly below Ryan. Ryan gently eased in, being as careful as he could. Soon, they rocked back and forth, their eyes on each other. Matt grasped Ryan's arms and pulled him towards his chest. "I love you," he said.

"I love you too." Ryan answered.

And they melted into one, releasing themselves at the same time. Afterwards, they slept in each other's arms. Finally together, truly together.

A/N: This is new for me. My first m/m. I hope everyone likes it. Please review and let me know what you think. The second part is already written. It's a short story, but it's so long I split it into two for the site. Again, hope you like it, and please review :)
Faith