Sweet Somethings

Copyright Warning ⚠️

This book, including its title, characters, plot, and all written content, is the intellectual property of the author. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or electronic methods, without the prior written permission of the author.

Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution of this material is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action under applicable copyright laws.

Disclaimer

This is a work of fiction. Any similarities to real persons, living or dead, events, or situations are purely coincidental. The characters and events in this story are products of the author’s imagination and are not intended to represent any real individuals.

This narrative may explore themes such as sexuality, identity, shame, desire, emotional trauma, and internal conflict as part of its storytelling. The story also includes a character who is deaf. This portrayal is intended for narrative purposes only and is not meant to exploit, stereotype, or misrepresent disability.

All themes and character experiences are presented within a fictional context and should be understood as part of the narrative.

Chapter 1

PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE TIMESKIPS THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK.

The black Mercedes had barely parked in the long, pristine driveway when little hands grabbed the handle from inside, pulling it open to reveal the luxurious home. Little Sterling had been peeking through the tinted windows throughout the journey, asking his driver—an aged, kind man— every thirty seconds,

“How close are we now sir?”

To which the man gently replied every time,

“We will be there soon.”

8-year-old Sterling couldn’t wait to see his best friend even though he just saw him some hours ago since he spent every night sleeping over at his place. It could almost be said that little Sterling had separation anxiety but just when it related to his Lolly, not anyone else, even his parents.

He ran past the guards at the door, who only let a small smile at the excitement the little boy exuded and the infectious happiness that was now a routine for him whenever he came over. Sterling ran into the big living area, scanning around quickly, not finding his target. He made his way up the stairs all the way now screaming “Lolly!” as the housekeepers didn’t pay him any mind, clearly used to the bundle of energy Sterling brought with him. He banged on the green coloured door that ruined the monochrome-themed decoration throughout the mansion, while switching the light on and off rapidly— a signal to inform the other boy of his arrival. The door clicked and opened slightly as Sterling pushed the door wider and rushed inside the green-themed room.

“Lolly!!”

His hands wrapped around the slim frame of Lolade or as he famously referred to him “My Lolly,” while Lolade grunted a little from the impact but his face slightly lifted in a smile.

“You’re ruining my tie, Sterling.”

The little boys finally detached from one another as Sterling moved back a little, looking at Lolade head to toe appreciatively, as he amateurly tried to fix the other boy’s twists that moved slightly from Sterling’s face buried in his neck previously.

“You’re so dramatic Lolly, your tie is fine,” Sterling said as he moved to adjust the invisible ruin.

“Whatever, we are going to be late to school, let us go, we can not even eat breakfast today,” Lolade grabbed onto Sterling’s hand, leading him out of the room as he adjusted his hearing aid.

Lolade waved bye to the housekeepers as an older housekeeper gave him his already packed bag consisting of his books and snacks for two as it was a common occurrence for Sterling to never bring his own snacks as he preferred his Lolly’s. Pa Timi, the kind driver opened the door of the car as the little boys approached, making them scream in unison—or at least, Sterling screamed while Lolade gently said “Thank you, sir.”

They strolled into the school’s corridor, Sterling holding Lolade’s hand tightly towards the same class, while other boys ran up and down, and screamed while Lolade’s face was scrunched up from the noise pressing in on him he roughly pulled his hearing aid from his left ear, and Sterling helped pull the second one from his right ear. They stopped walking as Sterling held Lolade’s face gently, making the smaller boy face him, making the latter look at his lips in an attempt to read them. “It is okay, you see? Lolly?” Lolade smiled a little in response, taking Sterling’s hand once more and leading them down the corridor.

The bell signalling the end of the school day barely finished ringing as students piled out of various classes all running towards the parking lot where their drivers/parents waited. Pa Timi stood beside the Mercedes SUV as he waited patiently for Lolade and Sterling, his eyes brightening as he saw both boys running towards him, Lolade’s twists bouncing in the air. “Good afternoon sir,” they screamed in unison, Lolade actually screaming this time as the boy was in high spirits.

The drive home was short as it was filled with chatter and eating the food Pa Timi had bought on the way as the vehicle pulled in front of Lolade’s house as that was where Sterling preferred to spend his evenings.

Lolade and Sterling jumped into the smaller boy’s room to change from their school uniform. Sterling jumped on the bed, groaning from exhaustion as Lolade carefully pulled off his uniform and hearing aid, the bigger boy’s active eyes lazily looking at him. “You wore your green lantern’s inner shorts today,” Sterling remarked as the other boy was now in his underwear.

His lips moved too fast for him to read, so Lolade signed in response “I can’t hear you silly.”

Sterling stood up in response, walking closer to the boy’s slim frame. He tugged slightly on his inner shorts band while raising his eyebrows in question.

“I have like ten of these Sterling, so I wore it.” Lolade signed in response as Sterling dazedly nodded, his eyes stuck on the smaller boy.

“Remove your clothes too, let us go and swim, my parents are not back from work yet.” Lolade signed to him again, pulling away, a little self-aware of Sterling’s stare.

Sterling’s perceptive eyes noticed this, “I like looking at your body, My Lolly” He signed back, trying to assure the smaller boy.

Chapter 2

TWO YEARS PASSED

Little Sterling was feeling multiple emotions at once. He sat sadly in his house in-built cinema, hiding in the dark and from everyone else. He sat with a big bowl of popcorn he didn’t plan to touch, but he needed to make it seem real as he headed for the film room. His mother just dropped the news that he wouldn’t be able to spend the afternoons at Lolade’s place as he had done practically all his life. Basically, Lolade was starting Piano lessons and he “needs to concentrate.” Lolade concentrates just fine with him around! They took swimming and karate lessons together, but now he needs to concentrate?

Sterling was not interested in music at all. In fact, the closest the ten-year-old had gotten to music was the screams he let out when he called for his Lolly. He didn’t think that Lolade’s love for music and his faking that he could listen to music without his hearing aid would eventually lead him to take piano lessons. Sterling had wanted to go to Lolade’s house this morning, since school wasn’t in session and they could finally play the whole day when his mother told him about the news—stating that there was no reason for Sterling to head over there.

Sterling had called Lolade multiple times since he heard the news but the other boy wasn’t picking up his phone, driving Sterling into frustration.

Sterling stood up from the pity party he threw himself into and decided to do something about the recent development. Stepping into the empty corridor, he heard his mother’s car driving off. He was very sure that was the sound of the Dodge Charger, so he sped down the corridor to see a housekeeper returning to the kitchen, he stopped her in her tracks, cunningly asking where his mom was as innocently as he could which the young woman didn’t suspect, telling him that his mom just left. He thanked her gently, waiting for her to be on her way before he sped with his little legs to the workers’ quarters.

He banged on the door gently, which opened to reveal his favourite driver whom he definitely ruined his sleep.

“Pa Timi, will you drive me to Lolly’s!” Sterling rushed out barely giving the aged man time to take in his surroundings.

The man smiled gently, asking Sterling to give him a moment to wear appropriate clothes, closing the door. Sterling leaned on the closed door, his heart beating fast as he counted down from 100 impatiently.

Sterling couldn’t get to his destination fast enough. When he sprinted past the guards in his usual fashion, he headed straight for Lolade’s room. He switched the light on and off rapidly to inform the other boy that someone was at the door in case his hearing aid wasn’t in.

Lolade opened the door slightly, and Sterling pushed past him into the green-themed room, slamming the door. He pulled Lolade towards him rather roughly, conveying his barely bottled emotion. The smaller boy stared into his wide expressive eyes with a question in his.

“Mom didn’t want me to come over here to see you, Lolly.” Sterling signed rapidly.

Lolade smiled slightly at the bigger boy’s dramatic expression, pulling him closer into a hug, his face buried into his shoulder. Sterling seemed to get huge every day, Lolade noticed, a small part of him liked it a little. Sterling’s arms went around him more easily and he felt like he could hide in his warmth. Lolade always pointed this out, but in contrast, acting like he was mad that the boy was growing increasingly bigger than him, increasing their size difference that had always been there.

They pulled apart and stared at each other. Sterling just seemed to notice that Lolade’s smaller frame was encased in just shorts with his upper torso naked, his eyes slowly wrapping around the exposed skin innocently. He liked the sight, he knew that much.

“You are so dramatic.” Lolade signed to Sterling. Sterling barely acknowledged the response as he just leaned closer into his Lolly placing a light kiss on his cheek, he felt like he had to show how much he liked looking at the smaller boy’s frame. Lolade, used to the display of affection, lightly touched the cheek and smiled up at the flustered boy. Sterling lightly pushed Lolade’s locs away from his forehead, noting how their length was almost at his shoulders, he wiped away the small bead of moisture on them, “I want to continue spending time with you Lolly, and why didn’t you pick up your phone?”

“I wanted you to get the hint and come over.” Lolade signed back, smiling cheekily.

The other boy’s heart pounded a little faster at the sigh of his teeth, and not from running up the long stairs earlier.

“How could you not tell me first that you want to start taking piano lessons?” He signed, his expression unknowingly pouting.

Lolade pulled away from their embrace completely, moving to sit on the bed. “It was just something that I thought about and told my mom about immediately.”

Sterling moved closer, taking the invitation, now standing between Lolade’s open legs. “Don’t do something like this anymore.” He signed, his expression stern.

Lolade rolled his eyes. “You remember that we are the same age right?” His legs playfully wrapped around Sterling’s thighs.

Sterling’s heart pounded a little faster, his eyes glowed as his mouth pulled in a wide grin “With how little you are, I couldn’t remember.”

Lolade feigned annoyance as he signed in response “You wait! I’ll be taller soon.” The smaller boy didn’t ever want to be taller, he loved being wrapped in Sterling with his unending energy.

“Sure, my Lolly.” Sterling signed back, his fingers went to parting Lolade’s locs behind his neck in distraction.

Chapter 3

FOUR MORE YEARS PASSED

The boys’ chests heaved as they sat in the principal’s office, the stern woman not currently in the office, as she went to inspect the damage done to school property by the angry boys. Sterling’s cheek was already swelling from the impact of Lolade’s punch to his face. The other boy wasn’t looking much better, in fact, a little worse as his black eye was already forming, his nose bleeding a little, his top lip already swollen.

They couldn’t look at each other as they started feeling heavy guilt, the adrenaline wore off. The fight they had was very senseless, and they regretted it. They also knew they were going to regret it a little more when their mothers came to get them. The principal’s door slammed open, knocking them out of their thoughts. The woman walked around the table, sat in front of them, her hands clasped on the table, staring at them with burning rage.

“Where’s your hearing aid!” She screamed, making Sterling cringe from how loud her voice was, while Lolade stared at her unmoving, but he could tell she was screaming from how wide her mouth opened. Sterling tapped Lolade’s arm, making him turn towards him as he signed to him “your hearing aid,” making Lolade get the point as he dug into his pockets to put his aid on.

“Finally! Because I want to get my point across to both of you.” She calmed down a little. “Two broken large mirrors in the toilet, broken brooms and a dustbin, one removed door knob, several wasted toilet paper and the toilet cleaner is bleeding from his nose from when he tried to separate you, delinquents. That’s how much damage two of you did, clap for yourselves!”

Sterling clapped a little at the command, making the woman glower at him, while Lolade’s mouth pulled into a smile, which he quickly regretted from how tender his mouth was.

“Your parents are on their way. You’re of course suspended, I just want to formalize it with your parents, and thank your stars because both of you should be expelled, I am just a very kind woman! Your parents will also be here to discuss the next steps to take because of the property damage caused.”

Sterling didn’t think the woman was kind at all, but at least they weren’t expelled. He didn’t want to get Lolade expelled. The boy was too close to his heart. His thoughts were interrupted once more when his mother walked into the principal’s office. His heart started pounding in fear, of course, it was his mom who arrived first.

The angry mom barely exchanged pleasantries as she moved towards Lolade’s face, tilting his jaw to examine the bruises. “Adavize!” She screamed out Sterling’s other name. “You bully! You are hitting on this fragile baby.” She cradled Lolade’s head. Sterling lowered his head as his guilt intensified, he didn’t mean to lose it like that, he didn’t want to touch his Lolly’s pretty face, or anywhere else on the smaller boy’s body. But Lolade was so infuriating, and he mouthed off to Sterling more than anyone else in the world.

“I am sorry mom,” Sterling said to the angry woman softly, trying not to trigger her anymore.

“I am so disappointed in you. You were supposed to take care of him! What even caused this fight?” Sterling’s mom continued asking.

“Mrs Onyowo, please let us talk.” The principal thankfully butted in. “The boys caused a lot of property damage, the bill would be sent to you and Mrs Omoyeni. And because this is the first time for both of them, they would be suspended for 2 weeks instead of immediate expulsion, which we hope would correct this violent behaviour.”

Sterling’s mom turned to glare at him again, when the principal mentioned the suspension and expulsion, while he almost disappeared into the chair.

Pa Timi drove them to Sterling’s house instead since Lolade’s parents were unavailable. Immediately they got to the house, Lolade thanked Sterling’s mom and walked off rapidly into the duplex before the mother and son.

“Sterling, you, come with me.” Sterling’s mom ordered him as they walked towards her room.

“What happened?” The woman gently asked as she seemed to have calmed down. “Both have never fought like this.”

How the incident escalated into a fight, Sterling couldn’t explain fully.

Sterling had been having a conversation with Emem, another classmate of theirs in the corner beside the toilet. The girl had always been flirting with him, and this day, she decided to follow him to the toilet, but of course, she couldn’t enter the boy’s toilet, so she waited for him outside it. She cornered Sterling as he stepped out of the toilet, stating that she had something important to show him. He had followed her curiously into the corner beside the toilet, when she started touching his chest through his uniform. He grabbed onto her wandering hand to stop her actions. She resisted by holding on to his tie with her other hand, when Sterling noticed Lolade leaving. “The boy must have been watching them.”

Sterling knew how Lolade got. They had an unspoken understanding that they wouldn’t be involved with anyone, and Sterling didn’t want to be involved with anyone who wasn’t his Lolly. Lolade’s jealousy was terrible, he was very possessive over Sterling. He didn’t want the bigger boy even staring at anyone for too long. Sterling loved this trait about him because he only noticed Lolade anyway.

Sterling pushed Emem off him, as he ran after Lolade, making the girl stare at them weirdly with Sterling not minding the looks. Lolade took off his hearing aid as he didn’t want to hear Sterling calling him, speed walking down the corridor. Sterling caught him, pulling him into the toilet to explain the situation to the smaller, jealous boy. He would over reassure him if he had to. Sterling was caught off guard as Lolade immediately swung at him. He tried to hold him off but he kept hitting and pushing him, Sterling felt emotions overwhelm him as he retaliated, but he didn’t mean to hurt his Lolly that much.

“Well, go and talk it out with him, I know you want to.” Sterling’s mom waved him off as the boy refused to explain what really happened.

Sterling walked to his room, turning the light switch on and off when he noticed it was locked, indicating that Lolade was inside and he had locked him outside. He switched the lights on and off multiple times before Lolade slightly opened the door. Sterling walked into the room gently, gauging the smaller boy’s reaction as he didn’t want to upset him more.

Sterling went to sit on the bed as he lightly tapped his ears when Lolade stared at him from across the room, indicating that he wanted him to wear his hearing aid. Lolade reluctantly moved to get it off the bedside table.

“I want you to hear my voice when I apologize to you. I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am for being so silly to follow that girl to the corner beside the toilet and not considering your feelings. You know I would never do that to you intentionally but that doesn’t matter because I did it anyway and I want to earn your forgiveness, baby.”

The nickname slipped out as both boys continued to stare at each other. Lolade smiled a little at the new nickname, his anger fully melting. He really was Sterling’s baby.

“I am sorry for hitting you instead of trying to contain the situation, I am sorry for hurting you, Lolly.” Sterling continued.

Lolade moved towards Sterling, pulled him up from the bed and stared at him.

“I am not hurt anymore, Sterling.”

The fourteen-year-olds pulled into a tight hug.

Chapter 4

ONE MORE YEAR PASSED

The adults were seated under an umbrella, staring at the pool in front of them, which could have passed for a beachfront just from its size. The boys’ moms, who were stuck as best friends, were laughing loudly at some conversation they were privy to, while their dads were sipping on a fruity cocktail they made.

It was a unanimous decision to have a vacation after months of stress. The boys’ parents were going to go alone, but Lolade’s mom was wary of leaving him alone with just the domestic workers, since he had just turned 15 two weeks ago. They therefore decided that the boys could relax as well, and Sterling’s mom chose Italy as the destination. It was quite sunny but the moms were basking in the heat while the men hid under the umbrella.

Sterling, ever the energetic one, was swimming leisurely in the pool before an idea popped into his head.

“Lolly! Do you believe me when I say I can swim from edge to edge in the pool in under one minute?”

Lolade’s frame was sprawled under an umbrella, as he stared at Sterling from behind his sunglasses, his camera in hand recording their fathers’ experiments with cocktails.

“Gosh! You’re so loud Sterling!”

Sterling swam closer to the edge of the pool, just below Lolade’s seat, as he propped and held himself up by his elbow resting on the pool’s edge. “You’re always so irritated. Did you hear me? I can swim in this water in under one minute. Do you want to see?”

Lolade, now completely distracted from his task of recording the older men, turned towards Sterling, staring at him intensely as he answered half-heartedly, “yes Sterling, I like looking at you.”

Sterling, a little confused by the response, stared longingly at the eyes behind the lightly tinted sunglasses.

“Okay watch me!”

Everyone’s attention turned to the bigger boy as he swam energetically in the large waters in record time. Sterling checked the stopwatch he fixed at the edge of the pool, immediately he came out of the pool, “Lolly, see! 53 seconds!”

“Barely under one minute Sterling,” Lolade said, setting his camera down.

Sterling rushed towards the relaxed boy, leaned down to engulf him in his arms and pecked his cheeks harshly. “God! Stop! You’re making me wet!”

It was finally evening, when everyone retired to the resort rooms.

Lolade and Sterling had separate rooms as Lolade’s mom insisted, neglecting the boys’ reluctance. The smaller boy briefly hugged Sterling as he rushed inside his room, closing the door lightly, leaving the bigger boy stunned.

Lolade held his ears to the door, checking if everyone had gone to bed through their footsteps, thanks to his hearing aid. As soon as everything went quiet, he quickly connected his flash drive to the large TV mounted in the room, thankful for once since they arrived in Italy that he had his own room.

The videos from earlier in the day were largely displayed on the TV, as Lolade shuffled through the videos he took. He was immensely grateful for his new photography hobby and even more thankful to Sterling for getting him a camera on his fifteenth birthday. The bigger boy was more than happy to get him a camera as he never came around to Lolade’s musical abilities because they ‘took him away’ and was more at ease when the boy took interest in photography.

Lolade stopped at the last video he took that day. He reduced the volume of claps and squeals in the video, then he took out his hearing aid and walked towards the dresser to drop them on the table. He lightly walked back to his seat in front of the TV, careful of noise as he could no longer hear himself but didn’t want interruptions from the task at hand.

The TV largely displayed Sterling, more specifically, Sterling’s half-naked body. A video that Lolade had intentionally taken earlier in the day.

Throughout the afternoon, the smaller boy found his eyes drawn to Sterling’s fit and lean frame the whole day, his stomach feeling funny whenever he stared at him too long.

The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to Lolade when it came to Sterling so he tried to distract himself by recording their fathers but Sterling wouldn’t stop bugging him, therefore, inevitably worsening his situation. He couldn’t be more grateful to his mother for asking them to retire to their rooms because he was so close to excusing himself to use the toilet.

Lolade’s pupil moved rapidly, following the movement on the TV.

Sterling’s smile.

Sterling’s teeth.

Sterling’s long tongue—licking his lips.

Sterling’s arms.

Sterling’s back.

Sterling’s chest.

Sterling’s nipples.

Sterling Adavize.

The deaf boy slid his hand inside his shorts, past his underwear as he relaxed more into the chair, his eyes struggling to stay on the TV as the urge to close them took over him.

He held his hardening length, rubbing the tip gently, his thumb taking a swab of the moisture pulled there. He threw his head back, his eyes closing gently as he couldn’t resist it anymore.

The feeling in his stomach tightened as he yanked his shorts lower, the feeling of resistance driving him mad and he pulled his length out, stroking it more freely, the sensation took over his body, and then a little drool rolled down from the side of his open mouth.

He tugged at the skin of his length a little more firmly as he moaned loudly “St-Sterling.”

Without his hearing aid, he was lost in the heat and friction he was feeling as he didn’t hear the door ope-

“What the hell are you doing!”

Chapter 5

ANOTHER YEAR PASSED

Lolade walked down the school’s corridor with his head down.

The noise from the students was still overwhelming for him, so he had his hearing aid in his hand, also to keep him from being forced to entertain anybody. They would leave him alone as he wished for when they noticed he couldn’t hear them, but sometimes, some students got harsh as they couldn’t deal with being ignored and would call him names in association with his deafness. It had always been this way, since he was a child. He never mixed well with anyone at his former school, even his teachers. His mother insisted that he attend a “normal school”, a decision he was grateful for when he was younger, and even when he switched schools, he continued attending a “normal school” but sometimes he wished he could disappear.

He is a straight-A student but he still got a bunch of “can you hear my explanation?” from teachers. It may come off as concern but the boy was more perceptive. He never made friends in his last school since he started kindergarten classes, and he was lucky to have Sterling by his side throughout. The bigger boy would scare everyone who tried to mess with him away, which caused the confrontation to keep being verbal all these years, which Lolade knew it would have escalated if not for his personal bodyguard.

Lolade didn’t let his limitations get the best of him normally, he still mouthed off to anyone who dared to get nasty with him, coupled with Sterling’s frequent threat of violence, they were a team.

But in recent times, Lolade has found himself retreating into a shell he didn’t know he had, being grateful for growing his hair out, the only decision his mom had ever allowed him make— it seems, as his locs did well to hide his face and make him pretend like he was invisible.

He strolled into the class, doing his best to make it seem leisurely, walking right to the back of the class, avoiding everyone he could. The school’s sports uniform was sweatpants and a hoodie making it easy for him to further hide his face. The boy wasn’t insecure about his face, or his looks in general. His tall and lean frame, paired with his smooth chocolate skin made him an attractive 16-year old. He receives a lot of compliments from his parents’ friends and some girls at school brave enough to approach his normally quiet demeanour, soothed his ego whenever he pulled his locs out of his face, so he was sure that his face was handsome, but most times, it was too much.

He hid his face because it kept attention away from him, and the weird students who approached him. After all, they thought he was hotter because of his deafness. Lolade never understood the fetish.

The teacher came into the class, holding a laptop in his hand making the class quiet down, and Lolade finally put his hearing aid on, and the typical loudness of the world flooded his ears. The class went on, and suddenly, he was called on to answer a question. The teachers always did this deliberately as one of their tactics of ‘inclusion’. Lolade stood up quietly but reluctantly as he didn’t feel the need to talk but no one here understood sign language.

No one in his life in general understood sign language. It was even more ironic that his parents, two people who sired a deaf son, didn’t understand sign language. When he was younger, they always made one excuse after another, randomly stating how “they would learn very soon, but he should still use his hearing aid frequently,” but they never learned. Since he attended a school where he was the only deaf student, it wasn’t weird for no one else to be able to understand sign language.

No one else, except Sterling. His personal bodyguard as he referred to him in his head.

12 months.

It has been one year since he laid his eyes on the other boy.

A year in a new school.

A year since he almost ruined their 15 years of friendship.

His mother may come across as overbearing and uptight but he was grateful to her. Her constant intrusion saved him from ruining the only special relationship he had.

The bell rang, this time signalling the end of school and just as usual, students ran out of school like prisoners that broke down the prison walls. Lolade in his usual fashion, walked out of the school leisurely, his heart aching as he reached the parking lot and for the umpteenth time in the last months, Pa Timi wasn’t waiting for him, it was his uncle resting in the car.

The older man’s face pulled in a hesitant smile, even though it had been a year since Lolade suddenly moved into his life, evidently disrupting it, the kind man wasn’t still totally comfortable with Lolade’s presence. He seemed to walk on eggshells around the deaf boy, and sometimes, Lolade couldn’t help but wonder if the man’s constant apprehension was because he didn’t know how to handle a deaf teenage boy, and his ever-changing moods or if his mom said something to the man.

“How were your classes?” The man tried to make a careful conversation as they were sitting in the car, driving out of the parking lot. The obvious hesitancy in the conversation made Lolade roll his eyes at the already tired conversation, as he signed back to the man, not caring that he couldn’t understand “It was fine.”

He couldn’t wait to get home—his uncle’s house. At least he had a room to himself and he would assist the man in getting rid of his presence so the man could be comfortable with himself again. It had been a year since he moved in with the aged man and it seemed like they would never be closer than they currently were.

Chapter 6

“Harder!”

“I can’t feel it!”

“You can do better!”

“Protect yourself! Your sides are too open!”

Sterling pants loudly, his face and body dripping with sweat, his eyes clearly exhausted but he continues. He continues throwing punches at his sparring partner. It is past his sparing hour, but the feeling of frustration that overwhelms him and pushes him to become destructive has overtaken him.

In the past few months, his room has been remodelled four times, kitchen utensils replaced countless times, and house gadgets taken out of sight.

After four months of his behaviour, his mother made him get a boxing coach. A boxing gym was built in the house to help with his now ‘hobby’ better but the 16-year-old insisted on walking thirty minutes to the nearest boxing gym.

His mother wanted to help him get into a less violent hobby, like painting or pottery but after incidents of Sterling suddenly screaming at his teachers, the last resort was boxing which his mom prayed fervently for its success. The petite woman had mixed feelings about Sterling’s love for the sport she introduced him to. It kept the house equipment safe, but it made Sterling more violent. The boy had always been full of energy and bigger than his age, she is worried that his new hobby may turn him into a bully, especially since his fix disappeared from his life a year ago.

Sterling’s mom had tried her best to call her best friend, and even organize meetings to understand what had happened with Lolade, her son’s best friend but the issue was always brushed away and at some point, it became such a sensitive topic that Lolade’s mom would blow hot at any questions directed towards Lolade’s whereabouts. This didn’t help as three months into Lolade’s disappearance, which was also three months of Sterling going almost mute, Sterling ran away from home.

A search party was thrown immediately after his mom discovered his disappearance from the house, she had police men on the streets, radio and television stations announcing the boy’s name every commercial break on almost every channel, she couldn’t understand why her life seemed to be crumbling. He was finally found later that night, sitting in one of the commercial buses in a faraway car garage.

Sterling’s mom immediately knew her son needed psychological help, she got therapists to help the boy and he finally overcame his selective mutism while picking up a hobby that she was now worried about.

Sterling was eleven years old when he was convinced that he saw Lolade the way “Mommy saw Daddy.”

He was fourteen when he had a word for it.

He is gay.

Or better, Lolade-sexual.

The ever courageous boy didn’t know how Lolade would react to his feelings that had always brewed in his mind since he was a baby so he decided not to say anything to his good friend. He accepted that he would continue to be the smaller boy’s friend.

There were times when he was sure Lolade felt the same way. The way Lolade would get very possessive when Sterling’s extroverted personality made him new friends effortlessly especially with girls. The last incident with Emem made Sterling swear off anybody who wasn’t Lolade as a friend or anything else. He didn’t want to hurt the smaller boy in any way he could avoid, so he avoided everyone that wasn’t Lolade or family.

An incident happened when they were fifteen. Lolade had barged into Sterling’s room.

It was a Saturday when neither of them had school. Sterling had called earlier to confirm if Lolade was going to be home so he could go see him like he always did, but Lolade had negated the proposal, saying he had an event to attend with his mom. For this reason, Sterling was not expecting the boy to be in his house at all, or even barge into his room like this, so-

He was naked.

His head was buried in his wardrobe looking for clothes when he heard the loud sound of his door hitting the wall behind. He startlingly looked towards the sound and found Lolade standing in the way, his eyes wide.

The boys had seen each other unclad several times throughout their lives so it shouldn’t be an incident to be recorded but this was different for some reason.

Sterling didn’t rush to cover up as Lolade’s eyes scanned him slowly. The smaller boy’s eyes heated, his mouth slightly parted by the sight. When their eyes finally met, Sterling noticed Lolade wasn’t wearing his hearing aid, the bigger boy sighed gently as he gestured gently towards his best friend “At least, close the door.”

Things between them changed slightly since that day. Lolade looked—stared at him more. Sometimes the smaller boy was even lost in thought. Sterling touched him more, albeit innocently. When Sterling got him a camera, it worsened. The smaller boy was always recording his best friend. Sterling never knew what became of those tapes but he didn’t mind it. He didn’t mind his best friend having even more of him when he wasn’t present.

Sterling never told anyone about his—their newly found feelings. No one had ever said anything about their type of love but the ever-perceptive boy didn’t think the adults would be happy for them. There was no need for him to announce this.

Everything had been good between them, even great!

It didn’t make sense for Lolade to leave him a voice note stating that he was moving cities suddenly and he had outgrown Sterling.

Sterling hadn’t taken this sudden change well. He fought everything, developed a temper and avoided everyone.

He just wanted his Lolly back.

He still calls Lolade’s number everyday even though the number is unreachable. Maybe, just maybe, Lolade would be within his reach again.

Chapter 7

TWO YEARS PASSED

“ I am your mother! You will listen to me.”

“And I am your son, you should listen to me!”

Sterling responded to his mother as calmly as he could, opening the chocolate gently and looking away from her. His mother groaned aloud, expressing frustration, as she paced around the large sitting area, her hand slapped to her forehead.

The argument of Sterling’s further education did not start today. The young man had been avoiding the conversation with his mom because she had always urged him to study abroad for his university. At one point too, it had been his dream to study Mechanics in the National University of Singapore. He spent all his time browsing the university and even got an online tour. But his mother was never informed that this decision was heavily influenced by his former best friend picking up photography and wanting to study Media Art in the same country.

He had since then made the decision to study in a Technological Institute somewhere in the city of Abuja, where he lives. He refuses to make it hard for Lolade to find him whenever the other can.

He popped the chocolate in his mouth and finally looked at his mom in the face, seeing the stress on her face, he felt a little guilty. He stood up and walked towards her with his arms out. He took the smaller woman into a hug, his body wrapping her entirely as she fought lightly against him to be let go.

“I am sorry mom, but I don’t want to travel.”

She looked up at him, her voice breaking a little, betraying the onslaught of emotions she felt “But why my son? You just say no, tell me why? I promise I will understand.”

He felt a little persuaded but being the ever perceptive person he is, he knew that if she knew the true reason, she would become worried, maybe try to find a solution to his ‘problem’. She would realize that her son never moved on, Sterling couldn’t put her through that.

“Mom, please let me do what I want to do. I found a good institution right here, can you trust me enough to make this decision?”

The woman felt a little manipulated but she let it slide as Sterling was already digging into his pockets to bring out his ringing phone. He unwrapped his arms from around her, picking up the phone and moving away from her.

Sterling was relieved that his phone rang, efficiently ending the uncomfortable conversation, he hated hurting his mom. Jonathan’s voice rang through the phone, his voice loud as ever.

“Bro, what are you doing this evening?”

Sterling felt a little tentative to answer that question, “ N-nothing, what’s up?”

Jonathan seemed to lighten up even brighter at this, “That’s great! I reserved a table at the club close to your place yesterday, and I thought we should go together.”

“Um.. no, my mom will be using the driver tonight.”

“Guy, you’re older than this, but anyway, I can just pick you up,” Johnathan said into the phone again, not giving up.

“No!”

Sterling answered sharply, so sharply that it could have been termed rude. It had been their 2 years of friendship, Sterling refused to let the young man know his place, talkless of visiting him, and definitely not picking him up. Sterling uses the excuse of Pa Timi, the house driver to get out of occasions, even though there were a lot of cars he could just drive out of the compound but Jonathan does not have to know that.

There’s no real reason as to why Sterling doesn’t want Jonathan in his house, it could be because every time he spoke to the shorter man, he felt uncomfortable and borderline upset, not necessarily because of the man, but because he always feels like he is betraying his former best friend when he does that. He didn’t want to deepen the knife by inviting Jonathan to his house and fully share the part of him that belonged to only his former best friend, even though he doesn’t share the same feelings for both young men at all.

“Whatever guy, just get there, I know you can, that excuse of your family driver is bullshit and we both know that.”

That, there is the exact reason Sterling and Jonathan remained friends for this long. The other young man never pushed or probed, he just took whatever he was given.

It was terribly late, at least by normal people’s standards given that it was about 1am, when Sterling pulled into the club’s parking lot. He came this late because he almost backed out a hundred times, before sucking it up. Having fun was one of the many things he hated doing, it drives the knife that seemed to be stuck in his heart a little deeper.

Jonathan was already waiting in the parking lot. He rushed towards Sterling’s car the minute he recognized the full head of hair that was Sterling.

“You finally made it! I almost started praying, in a fucking club!” Jonathan smacked him on the back.

Sterling laughed lightly and locked the car.

“This is sleek man! Look at this beauty! I want one, I will call my dealer tomorrow, I swear!”

Sterling may have gone overboard a year ago when he ‘relapsed’ and decided to let out his feelings by buying ten exotic cars at the same time. His mother was upset, but she admitted it was better than smashing the house. His only punishment was that he had to always use them, even when he was going to the most mundane places. Sterling hates attention.

They proceeded into the club where Sterling didn’t have to show his ID because of the young adult’s intimidating size.

Sterling sat still, thinking about every decision he made in his life that had led him to this point. This rowdy, loud place where people claimed to enjoy themselves. He was no introvert, at least not before his life took a turn, but clubs were never his thing and this experience reinforces his decision. His friend Jonathan, seemed to be trying to get the attention of some ladies across their table while Sterling just looked ahead sternly.

The three ladies finally made their way to Jonathan and Sterling’s table, a bottle girl carrying their leftover drinks behind them. They settled in, sitting between Sterling and Jonathan. Sterling stared at his phone, refusing to acknowledge them, it was already bad enough that he was here, he didn’t plan to ruin his chances in the future, whatever chances that were.

A slim hand rubbed lightly on Sterling’s knee. The ladies knew to leave him alone when he didn’t give them any attention but one clearly didn’t get the message. Sterling glared at the beauty beside him, but his eyes softened immediately it met hers. Her locs were tied loosely behind her head, as the dark heavy makeup on her face did nothing to hide the beautiful face underneath. Sterling’s voice was caught in his throat, his mouth opened slightly at the presence before him.

He saw the beauty reach into her bag to bring out something. He looked closely and identified the familiar item, his eyes fell to her chest for the first time that night, letting his eyes wander.

Her chest was flat.

That was a hearing aid.

Sterling’s head whipped further away in shock.

“Lolly!”

Chapter 8

Johnathan stared in confusion as Sterling stood up suddenly, looking agitated, holding tightly onto the lady’s hand, urging her to stand up and go with him. Sterling didn’t seem interested in the ladies when they approached. Hence, the change intrigued Jonathan, he wondered what the lady could have said to his friend. Looking at the lady’s face, she didn’t seem too concerned about her safety, her eyes almost as if she was avoiding stares.

Sterling successfully dragged the lady through the crowd, his heart palpitating, his head ringing from the noise in the club, and his hand was sweaty a little as he couldn’t help but pay attention to how soft her hands were even in the unlikely situation. Few people stared at them in confusion but didn’t interfere because it could be a client and sex worker situation, everyone knew how messy that could get.

Sterling pushed her into his passenger seat, with little protest from the latter while she just settled in as Sterling walked around the car to get into the driver’s seat.

His head rested on the steering wheel as he tried to calm himself down. His emotions were almost boiling over as he couldn’t bear to stare in the face of this stranger.

His body tensed as he felt hands gently rubbing his shoulders. He tightened his eyes shut before suddenly turning to look at the face he had almost lost hope of ever staring at again.

Tears welled up. Sterling had dreamed of this moment for years, he even made up scenarios in his head, went as far as practicing in front of a mirror for when this would finally happen but all he could do was stare and tear up.

His throat felt clogged up as she withdrew her hands from his shoulder seeing how devastated he looked, her eyes dropping to notice his shaking hands.

“Lolly?”

His voice came out as nothing but a whisper.

She—He nodded, almost shamefully.

“Ho- wha- what happened to you?”

Sterling signed with this stranger.

“You still remember sign language”.

Lolade’s eyes softened as tears now welled up in his.

“I miss you. I missed you like crazy. You’re so unfair to me. I lost you. I lost- I lost everything.”

Sterling signed back agitatedly as he whispered the last part alongside the gestures.

“I—

Sterling tapped his ears, interrupting Lolade’s gesture, signalling him to wear his hearing aid.

“I need you to hear this. Fuck you!”

Sterling said to him, his eyes blazing with heat but his voice still a weak whisper.

“Fuck you Lolade!”

“You’re so selfish! You have always been selfish. I called you! I called you over and over again, left a thousand voice notes. I snuck to your house almost a hundred times. I waited outside your gate because your mom wouldn’t let me in, hoping you’d come back and she was lying that you totally left me. At some point, I thought she was hiding you. I went to the garage, kilometres from here! Just to get to you, even though I didn’t know where I was headed or what you were doing? Clubbing? And- and changing yourself? Huh?”

Lolade’s eyes cast downwards, as he felt just a tad bit than anyone had ever made him feel. His fingers pulled on the lace in his top, as his now loose locs covered the side of his face.

The smaller’s shoulder shook slightly as he tried to hold his sobs in, hiding behind his hair. Sterling didn’t notice this, overtaken with emotions, he didn’t realize he was hurting his Lolly, burdening his Lolly.

“B- But I didn’t me- mean to.”

Lolade’s voice was a broken whisper, almost not heard in the silent car.

Sterling’s eyes widened. How could he have been so blind? He realized that he should have comforted the young man whom he hadn’t seen in years. He knew how sensitive Lolade was, how much he valued Sterling’s opinion,

How much he must have not wanted to leave.

“I swear, I- I didn’t mean to.”

The deaf man repeated brokenly.

Sterling reached forward to touch him, or hug him, just to feel him but Lolade flinched away from the approach. The smaller man looked up at him, mascara running down his cheeks, his eyes bloodshot and red. “I am sorry Sterling.” His voice wasn’t louder than a whisper.

“Please, please let m- me hold you, Lolly.”

The nickname brought a small, sad smile to Lolade’s lips, as he remembered how much he missed hearing that.

They wrapped in a loose embrace. Sterling is afraid to crush Lolade. He hadn’t handled his body in so long, his lean body feeling fragile in his arms. “You’re still so small.”

Lolade let out a tiny laugh.

“You’re too big, you mean.”

The embrace got tighter as Lolade buried his head deeper into Sterling’s chest. The hardness was so comforting for him, as he breathed in his scent. He missed his bodyguard. Sterling’s hand slid lower to Lolade’s waist, his large hands encircling the smaller man’s lower half. “Hmmm.”

They separated slowly, Sterling’s hands reluctant to leave Lolade’s waist.

“You are a club goer huh?”

The sentence was light, just an ice-breaker but Sterling panicked.

“T- This is not a habit I promise. Jonathan, my friend, the one you saw inside, dragged me out here.” Just as the sentence left his mouth, he remembered how possessive Lolade was of his attention and time.

“We are not like close friends or anything.” He tried to repair.

Lolade’s tear-stained face broke into a full smile. “Sterling, I am grown up. I know you’d make new friends.”

“But we are not even that close.” Sterling almost whined.

“Okay, I hear you.”

Sterling’s eyes drifted to Lolade’s outfit for that second time that night. His eyes noticed Lolade’s smooth thighs, slender, and wrapped softly around each other.

Lolade noticed the attention.

“You must be surprised seeing me like this huh?”

Sterling could only nod in response. His eyes were still glued to Lolade’s body. His exposed neck and collarbones this time.

“Well, it’s half an act of rebellion, half me.”

“I love whatever you do.”

The bigger man’s voice was almost starving.

“You haven’t changed at all, always staring like you wanted to eat something- eat me.” Lolade remarked.

Almost like he was testing the waters, wanting to see how Sterling reacted to the connotation. His deepest and longest fear, he laid out on the table.

“I realized that it’s one of the many things I’ve wanted to do to you.”

Sterling responded without noticing Lolade’s turmoil, unknowingly bringing relief to the smaller’s heart.

Lolade couldn’t respond. He felt a little hot in the air-conditioned car.

Sterling drew closer, his hand cupping Lolade’s cheek as they had their first, long eye contact of the night.

“I can’t believe I almost didn’t recognize you. I am so disappointed in myself, not after I spent all this time imagining you, I forgot how much you liked to express yourself through your looks.”

Lolade almost blushed as his ears felt hot but Sterling wasn’t done expressing himself.

“But I refuse to dwell in that negative feeling and not tell you how absolutely stunning you look right now. I am so distracted by you and I know you can tell. You look like an absolute angel, and all I want to do is worship you. It’s all I’ve always wanted to do, but I know we need to talk, resolve things, and after all that is done, you’re still mine.”

Sterling tilted Lolade’s face upward with his hand on his chin, his eyes drifting to his glossed lips.

“I know you were trying to confirm if I want you the same way you do me.”

His eyes drifted back to Lolade’s mascara-messed ones.

“All I did throughout our childhood was whisper how much I love you in your ears when your hearing aid wasn’t in, Lolade Soren.”

Chapter 9

ONE AND A HALF YEARS EARLIER

It’s all a blur.

It has been a blur since his old uncle barged into his room on a random weekend and met him the way he did.

The deaf boy had made new friends. It took about a year and the arrival of new students, but it still happened.

His experience at his new school never changed.

Students stared at him every day like he was a different being and it was even worse when they found out he was deaf. They started throwing random things at him in the corridor, in the class, and everywhere all in the guise of “getting his attention since he cannot hear us.”

Of course, he fought back, throwing insults at anyone he could. He even made a few reports to teachers and the head teacher, but it didn’t change anything. After all, it all ended in, “ But how could they have gotten your attention, you know… you’re sp- special.”

But he never felt special.

His teachers still asked him if he could hear them, and he started wearing his hearing aid more because he had to communicate. His ears still rang loudly and hurt sometimes, but he had to bear it, after all “it is bothersome to learn those signs my dear..” his mother said to him.

He had spent a year and a half at this school and still hadn’t made any friends. His project partners were strictly that. Maybe he was a little problematic too, but who wouldn’t be when the school gave him such a cold welcome? Moreover, he was already doing a lot by bearing the headaches that come from sudden noises that he never seemed to get used to.

He had just gotten out of mathematics class, the subject time went by very slowly as the teacher was a new instructor who was trying to be ‘inclusive’ and always walked down to Lolade’s seat to ask a question about the subject topic or if Lolade understood what was happening in the class.

He was deaf, not blind, and also wearing his hearing aid, he could clearly see the whiteboard and the teacher’s mouth but these ‘normal’ people never seemed to understand the difference.

He sat in the large and decent cafeteria, eating his lunch that his uncle packed for him. The man, forever strange but still caring. He picked at the grilled potatoes in the pack, wondering when the man ordered the chefs to make them, when he was suddenly pushed to the side in his chair. Lolade startlingly looked up, already expecting his classmates to be the ones messing with him, but he was faced with two tall girls in the same school uniform he had on.

“You must be a new student too. We don’t have friends yet, let’s become friends.” The skinnier one said. “I am Gina, my friend is Ebidomere”

The quieter one interjected, “But you can just call me Ebi of course.”

Lolade gently got his hearing aid from his bag and put it on as it seemed these ladies were interested in speaking with him and he couldn’t follow their lips forever.

“Oh! Is that a hearing aid? My sister uses one too. You’re deaf!” The one who introduced herself as Gina spoke really loudly, making Lolade flinch. The sudden noise was a problem for him.

Lolade nodded to affirm her statement as she continued speaking immediately. “So when did you resume? This week too? You resumed late too! Is that why you’re still sitting alone?”

Lolade smiled gently, he almost felt relaxed even though she was speaking too much for his liking. “No, I am not a new student. I have been here for more than a year, and I just don’t have friends.”

“Oh, is it because you’re deaf?” The quieter one, Ebi asked suddenly, her tactless question, drawing a laugh from Lolade.

“Yes.”

His life was never the same after that interaction as he now had a new possé that went everywhere with him. They even rode home with him after school in his uncle’s car.

His uncle was a little more relaxed but Lolade couldn’t fully understand why. Was it because he was finally making friends? Or because they were girls?

He never did find out if his mother told his uncle the real reason why he suddenly transferred.

Because he allowed unholy, intrusive thoughts to breed in his mind towards a boy.

His mother was never the same towards him after that fateful day, she barely called and when he did, she never picked up regularly. He ruined his family’s relationship with one single act. If only he got his act together and did not become an abomination.

She wasn’t there for any important event. His valedictory service that happened at the end of every school year, his photography display, nothing.

Not even when he started breeding new unholy thoughts.

His friends, Gina and Ebi always teased him that he was like a boy-girl.

“ You’re too soft spoken for a boy” they’d always say.

This happened often enough throughout his life that Lolade finally thought.

What if Sterling would like me better if I looked like a girl?

“My lips look softer with lipstick.”

He started shopping for tighter trousers and shirts with a slacker collar online. He hid his packages and always scheduled them for when he was sure his uncle wouldn’t be home. He never got close to the housekeepers so they stayed out of his business.

He wore these clothes and stood in front of a mirror every time he could and he realized he could pull it off.

He could actually look like a girl.

He felt very comfortable in these clothes. They felt like him.

He added makeup to these orders too. He learned on YouTube, and he looked even nicer with them. His soft, angular face was more pronounced with makeup, he realized.

His uncle was away for the weekend as usual, when Lolade ordered his breakfast to be brought to his room instead of going to the dining table as he always felt obligated to.

He put his plate away when he was done, then he decided to dress up and take some pictures to upload to the fake Instagram he created with the help of Gina and Ebi. He was living a different life on the internet.

He was applying the last layer of lipstick when his uncle barged into his room. The man had never done that before.

Lolade had always felt safe in his privacy, but in that moment he had never regretted not locking his door more in his life.

His uncle froze at the doorway.

For a brief second neither of them moved.

Lolade stood there in front of the mirror, lipstick in hand, his heart dropping into his stomach as the man’s face twisted into something between shock and disgust. Even worse than the quiet discomfort he used to show around him.

Then the phone came out.

The camera flashed.

The sound of it felt louder than it should have been in the quiet room, and his hearing aid wasn’t on.

Lolade scrambled, wiping at his lips, trying to remove the makeup, trying to pull off his clothes as he ran after his uncle.

What would he even tell the man?

Not to tell his mom?

That was a given. He was even sure that his mom instructed the man to barge into the room. Well, the woman might as well have a heart attack when she sees those pictures.

It was all a blur.

Lolade slid to the ground and cried louder than he had ever done. He was there for about an hour before he decided to call his mom. Maybe to confirm if his uncle reported him or to hear his mom’s disappointment, he wasn’t sure but he just needed to hear her voice.

His calls always dropped. The woman never picks up his calls but he thought she would be more agitated, so she’d be with her phone, expecting his call or about to call him, but it gave a beep before it ended. He just realized,

His uncle had called his mother,

His own mother had blocked his number.

Chapter 10

It has been some days.

A few days since Sterling’s world was shifted and rearranged.

A few days since he saw his Lolly at the club.

Sterling felt an overwhelming urge that had everything to do with Lolade at that exact moment. The bigger male almost physically consumed his best friend.

Gina and Ebi had to pull Sterling off Lolade’s more fragile frame physically.

The two ladies who seemed to be Lolade’s close companions immediately understood the relationship. It had not been for nothing that they listened to Lolade’s complaints and depressed thoughts spoken out loud for almost two years now. They knew this was the infamous Sterling. They had escorted a very reluctant Lolade to the car they came with, while Lolade’s neck almost broke from refusing to let go of Sterling’s eyes with his.

Jonathan almost knew not to ask anything about the situation. He didn’t fully understand why his friend seemed utterly taken by the lady, after all, it was only their first meeting, but he knew Sterling would tell him in due time. They simply drove home in separate cars, promising to call each other.

Some days after that, Sterling approached Jonathan, for his expertise in dealing with matters like this. Sensitive as it is. It was at this time that Jonathan realized that the lady at the club hadn’t been a lady at all. And even more, he is Sterling’s childhood best friend. He also discovered that Sterling knew sign language and more importantly, his friend was in love with this childhood friend of his.

Sterling is in love with a boy.

Jonathan couldn’t fully compute the news, which made him disappear for a whole day, his phone was switched off. Sterling always said he had a knack for being rather dramatic sometimes. When he finally digested the news, Sterling hit him with the matter that was bothering him.

“How does he approach this sensitive issue?”

“How does he approach his parents, the society, and most importantly, how does he make this work with Lolade?”

Of course, Jonathan displayed some resistance, expressly stating “I don’t love boys Sterling, and I have definitely not experienced ‘a coming out’ predicament, what do you want me to do for you?”

Sterling’s response to that was a hearty laugh, clarifying “I don’t love boys Jonathan, I love Lolade.”

This led to Jonathan whispering under his breath about Sterling being smart-mouthed but couldn’t handle his own love life.

The humorous but genuine conversation ended in a conclusion that Lolade was the most important factor in this sensitive situation. Sterling concluded that, no matter his next course of action, he must protect Lolade’s peace and shield him from everything he had been avoiding.

His mother.

The best friends of course fell into a routine over the past few days.

Sterling of course called Lolade every morning like he used to, almost abusing the privilege of having Lolade’s new number. Lolade received this affection with open arms as he couldn’t get enough of Sterling’s attention. He wanted Sterling’s eyes on him so badly that he decided to do something he had almost backed out of a thousand times.

That night, Sterling called Lolade like he had every evening since the club.

Lolade seemed to have become quite the seducer in his years apart from Sterling. The smaller male suggested it to Sterling on a FaceTime call one night, which they had every day now. He had said,

“Sterling. Do you want to see me naked?”

Sterling stopped right in the middle of his sentence, as his throat made an unknown sound. Sterling didn’t fully understand if Lolade was merely teasing him until the other man propped his phone on a desk and stood in front of the camera, which showcased his full attire.

He had been scantily dressed in little shorts and an old shirt.

Sterling’s mind stayed stuck on the fact that he couldn’t even see the shorts under the shirt.

Lolade’s slender legs were all on display.

Sterling shifted uncomfortably in his trousers. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears. That was not at all how he imagined the night would go.

“Take it all off please.”

His mouth seemed to move on its own, given how stiff the rest of his body was.

Lolade lightly spread his legs as he pulled down his shorts slowly, his thighs becoming even more revealed as the movement showed a little bit of his inner thighs before his shirt came down to cover them as little as it could.

Sterling couldn’t believe how beautiful his best friend looked.

“Sit down on the chair and spread your legs for me.”

Lolade grew a little shy at this. He wasn’t wearing any underwear under his little shorts.

“Do it please.”

Lolade lightly perched on the chair in front of the desk, adjusting until his full frame was clear in the camera. He slowly pulled his slender thighs apart, his length hardened from the request, all in view.

“Fuck, yes, just like that. Even wider.”

Lolade became more confident in the effect he had on Sterling as the bigger male’s mouth was slightly opened, his rapid swallowing betraying his thirst.

“Take off your shirt.”

His stern voice came through the phone. Lolade almost gasped at the effect.

“I would be fully naked.” Lolade thought.

“Take it off, Soren.”

Lolade could feel his skin turn tight as goosebumps spread over it, his mouth pulled open slightly at the command. Sterling remained fully dressed.

Lolade took off his shirt slowly. His big nipples taut, as his brown skin came into view.

“I want you so much, Lolly.”

Sterling shifted closer to the camera like he could reach and touch Lolade’s skin through the phone.

Lolade couldn’t respond, his eyes glazed over and he remained speechless.

“Wear your towel and go take your bath Lolade.”

The spell shattered as Sterling’s voice dropped.

Lolade grew shy as he finally seemed aware of his position and how he had behaved so wantonly for Sterling.

Sterling, being the ever-perceptive person that he was, noticed.

“I don’t want to go too far when I can’t do anything about it, Lolade. I am cursing technology for being impossible to touch you through the phone. To feel your body and play with your nipples. To hear you whimper close to my ears as I sink my fingers into you.”

Lolade smiled slightly. Oh, how he missed the man.

“So go take your bath and go to bed. I promise, you will be just fine as long as you’re with me.”

Sterling’s tone betrayed that he was now referring to something else.

Something far more delicate.

Chapter 11

“My collar is slightly crooked”

Lolade stands in front of the large mirror, one leg in front of the other, betraying the anxiety he was trying to hide, and is currently practicing hiding it.

His beige coloured trousers, worked perfectly with the light-textured quarter-zip he paired them with.

He looked so much like he did when he was sixteen, he couldn’t help but notice. His locs were even loose.

He was hiding again.

Hiding in these clothes, behind his hair. He knew it wasn’t ideal, Sterling would scold him badly if he knew but what could he do? He was facing his birth mom today.

He hid away for three years .

No. She abandoned him three years ago.

He was learning to see things the right way. The way that Gina and Ebi spent months ingraining in his head.

His mother was totally at fault. He knew that now, “b-but that feeling gnaws.”

There is no reason his mother would have abandoned him and blocked him from her life if he hadn’t been wrong. If he hadn’t developed feelings for the wrong person.

Lolade stared himself back in the eyes as he shook his head slightly, as if to physically shake the feeling from filling up his thoughts. He was meeting her today. He had to be strong. Sterling had offered to pick him up, offer him some support before they had to face everybody, but the latter had insisted on facing his fears alone.

He didn’t need anyone’s convincing.

He got into the car with a stronger conviction as he sped down the long road of Maitama, Abuja. He was also actively ignoring his best friend’s calls. ‘If he could still call him just that.’ He knew the bigger man would chew him out for ignoring his calls, the thought bringing a small smile to Lolade’s face as he drove in silence, but he needed the silence…the conviction to come from him.

The house didn’t look much different when he drove into the large compound. He could still hear Sterling’s loud “Lolly” when he came over. He had just realized in that moment that he didn’t bring his hearing aid with him. He wasn’t very sure if he intentionally left it behind, he needed this meeting to go on his own terms.

The housekeepers greeted him with a large smile, and the older ones, a forlorn look in their eyes. Lolade was greatly missed.

Sterling was already standing in the living area of the house with a small anxious smile on his lips. “You’re here!”

“Glad you noticed.” Lolade signed back. Sterling realized Lolade was without his hearing aid, his eyes lighting up as he realized how much control Lolade was taking of the situation.

Sterling slipped his fingers into Lolade’s as they walked further into the house.

Lolade saw her. For the first time in three years . Her eyes were forever expressive, expressing coldness and lack of care but right now she was-

‘Nervous?’

The woman looked slightly older but still as beautiful as ever, Lolade took after her looks after all.

“Sit down.” She gestured towards the chair, her posture showing that she didn’t know what to do with herself.

Lolade stood and stared directly at her. His eyes were on her lips as he understood what she said but he made no move to obey. He opened his mouth without his hearing aid, not caring that he could be inaudible or too loud as he didn’t have his aid to regulate the noise he heard and made, he got over his anxiety of making people uncomfortable.

“Sign that to me, Mom.”

“W-what?” The woman looked shocked, and confused.

“I didn’t get what you said, sign it to me.” Lolade’s voice was slightly louder than it should have been if he could hear himself but he didn’t care. “You don’t know, huh? My own mother.”

Lolade eventually took a seat with Sterling, who had a firm hand on his lower waist, steadying both of them.

“What am I doing here?” Lolade signed his mom, not caring about her lack of knowledge. If she wanted to have a conversation, she should have learnt his language.

Sterling repeated to her as she realized that Lolade wasn’t going to stop signing to her.

“My son.” Her voice broke lightly as her eyes became teary.

Sterling didn’t bother signing that back to Lolade, the man was an expert lip reader.

“I missed you.”

Lolade let out a loud laugh as he looked away from her into Sterling’s eyes. In contrast to his lips in a laugh, his eyes welled up with tears.

“You missed me? You removed me from your life!” Lolade’s agitation showed through his body language and the speed at which he signed.

His mother stared at Sterling to translate as the latter gently did, trying to cool down the effect of the gestures.

“No, I- I didn’t mean to.”

“You sent me to live with Uncle, a man I hadn’t seen since I was five. You lied to me and told him my secret when you promised me you would keep it as long as I didn’t embarrass you with my sexuality. He treated me like a pet everyone hates, for months!”

Mrs. Omoyeni sat there, her shoulders shaking from sobs as Sterling translated Lolade’s gestures to her.

“You can’t even communicate with me properly, Mom! And you miss me?”

“You blocked my number! And told uncle to chase me out. Out to where? Out to where? I was 17!”

Her eyes widened as Sterling interpreted to her, not expecting Lolade to know that after she saw the picture of him in a feminine outfit taken by his uncle, she told his uncle that he was in his hands now, but she advise him to send him somewhere, and how he should do it for his reputation.”

“Uncle only pitied me when he saw how hard I was crying. How the thought of losing you permanently broke me, so he let me stay with them.”

“B- but-” She tried to explain, as he cut her off again.

“ You were so sure Sterling wouldn’t want me! You were so sure that I was the wrong abomination but you dear Christian woman, it’s you who abandoned your child!”

Sterling became reluctant to interpret the news of Lolade’s mother trying to mess with his head about the bigger man’s affection, which was shocking and disgusting to him.

“I only came here today to tell you that I now dress like a girl, People shake their heads in disappointment when they see me. I am exactly what I want to be. A disgrace to you.”

Sterling rubbed Lolade’s shoulder lightly as he translated for the older woman.

“Let us t-talk Lolade mi.” She softly responded.

“When you can speak my language and properly communicate with your deaf, queer son, I would think about it.”

Lolade signed to her as his eyes fell in soft defeat as he went to stand up only to be stopped by Sterling’s hand on his thigh.

“Baby, are you sure?”

The bigger male signed to him, interrupting the conversation for the first time.

“Yes Sterling, I don’t want to talk to this woman anymore. Let us leave.”

They stood up hand in hand, then Lolade leaned into Sterling’s ears,

“I want you to come and tear my clothes off me.”

Chapter 12 (Final)

The tension stretched so hard, it could snap.

Sterling had already made arrangements for his driver to drive Lolade’s car back while he made his way to his pad, located just a little outside the city.

He led the smaller man gently into his jeep, pecking his forehead, and closing the door after him, gently. Lolade blushed, letting his locs cover his shy expression. Sterling smirked slightly at this.

The drive was long, and Sterling put on soft music to fill the silence in the car—anything to distract him from Lolade’s open chest in that quarter-zip. The music was clearly not doing its job as Sterling became restless. He looked over to Lolade by his side but the latter was staring out of the window, not seeming affected by the obvious pressure in the cramped space.

Sterling’s eyes drifted to Lolade’s legs, his long, slender legs covered in those trousers. The fabric around his thighs was a little tight from his sitting position, making his bulge obvious to Sterling. Lolade’s spread position wasn’t helping the situation.

Sterling slid his hands slowly on Lolade’s knee, testing the waters. Lolade tensed up a little from the sudden touch but immediately relaxed without looking the former’s way. This felt like a green light to Sterling. He slowly pushed his hand up Lolade’s thighs, feeling the soft material. His hand delicately palmed Lolade’s thighs, feeling the soft flesh beneath those trousers.

Lolade sent a little side eye Sterling’s way but he made no move to stop his best friend’s advances.

Lolade stirred Sterling up in his mother’s house and now he was acting like he didn’t start the whole thing by inserting a very clear image into the latter’s head.

Sterling felt a little frustrated with it all. The unending drive, Lolade’s aloofness and Lolade’s exposed chest.

The small gate came into view as it automatically slid open when they approached it. Lolade perked up, realizing that they had gotten to their destination. Sterling gently parked the car, helped Lolade down from the jeep and led him into the small but quaint abode.

“This is so beautiful, when did you buy this?” Lolade signed to Sterling in excitement.

The compound’s length seemed to drag on forever in Sterling’s mind because he didn’t want to engage in any small talk.

He just nodded his head stiffly, his lips pressed into a thin line.

Lolade realized Sterling’s mood, frowning a little not being able to interpret it until Sterling pushed him against the door as soon as it closed.

Sterling tugged on Lolade’s top, pulling it out of the pants it was tucked in, as soon as he was successful, he pulled back to study Lolade’s expression.

The smaller man’s eyes were shut close, his mouth opened, and a small bead of sweat on his forehead. He let out a whimper.

Sterling tapped on his eyes, signalling that he wanted them open. Lolade’s eyes peered deeply into Sterling’s, his expression in total surrender.

He looked at Sterling’s lips, determined to read what was on the beautiful brown pair.

“Let me put it in you, please.”

The words, so dirty, pulled Lolade in deeper, making him feel pure. Purely desired by Sterling.

Lolade nodded slowly. His eyes were curious.

“Let me lay you down. I want to pray to you.”

Sterling lifted Lolade in his arms, the smaller man gasping, looking at Sterling’s arm flex from the weight. He wanted to be dominated by this man. Turned every way possible.

Sterling slowly placed Lolade in the middle of the large bed. The light was dim, but enough to see the slender frame on his bed. Where he planned to fuck his best friend.

“Wear the hearing aid you have here. I want you to hear everything I want to say to you.” Sterling signed to him.

Lolade moved slowly to the drawer and reluctantly put it on, his eyes holding Sterling’s as the bigger man smiled gently to put him at ease.

Lolade’s eyes closed tightly again, when he felt the tight walls of Sterling’s mouth. He sank his hand into the tight coils of Sterling’s hair, his body arched upwards.

He pulled his head back with his hand in Sterling’s hair, watching his length fall, sloppy and wet out of his mouth. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on Sterling’s mouth. The bigger man is letting him have total control.

“You like sucking my dick huh?” Lolade boldly asked, trying hard to control his voice from breaking from the feeling.

Sterling nodded slowly, with a crazed smile on his lips, drunk off his bestfriend’s dick.

Lolade guided his mouth back to his length. A loud moan pulled from his chest as he felt his tip hit Sterling’s throat repeatedly. The man didn’t seem to need to breathe.

Saliva was everywhere, but neither of them cared. Lolade watched Sterling’s eyes close, a low vibration sounding from his throat.

“Fu-fuck Sterling, just like that, I am almost there.”

Sterling pulled away, lightly stroking his best friend’s length, focusing on the tip, just enough to edge Lolade as curses spilled from his lips.

Sterling stood up, Lolade’s eyes on him as he fumbled with his belt, pulling his own length out.

Lolade’s eyes widened a little. He could feel his hole pucker from the feeling that ran down his spine at the sight of his bestfriend’s dick.

Sterling reached over, turning Lolade on his stomach, rubbing the middle of his back as the smaller man gasped at the actions. Sterling trailed his hand slowly, down to Lolade’s waist, Lolade pushed his butt upwards eagerly, as Sterling held his waist down. A hand trailed down and landed a smack on the smooth surface.

Lolade’s butt was small and perky, all in Sterling’s face as the latter licked his lips at the sight of his naked bestfriend. Sterling pulled the cheeks apart, Lolade’s hole in sight. A little wet.

A shiver rushed down Lolade’s body as Sterling rimmed his hole a little.

“You should see how good you look, baby. All arched up for me.”

“You want your childhood friend to fuck you huh?”

Sterling was happy when he insisted that Lolade wear the extra hearing aid he had in his room, when he saw Lolade’s body language response to his words.

Lolade felt his tongue, slowly lick up his hole as he inhaled sharply. He attempted to bury that sound in the pillow as Sterling reached his hand upwards, pulling his head backwards with his locs.

“ Don’t do that anymore Lolly. Reach by the small drawer and pull out what it contains.”

Sterling hummed lowly as he wet his bestfriend’s hole with the lube handed to him. He couldn’t help but squeeze the soft skin of Lolade’s butt as his back was still arched.

“Sterli-ling, that feels weird.”

Lolade moaned out at the feeling of Sterling invading him with a finger. His finger moved slowly in and out of the wet hole, effectively fingering the smaller man.

Sterling pushed a second finger inside, letting him get used to it. When he heard moans again, he knew his childhood friend felt good. He spread his fingers inside a little to stretch his hole. Lolade pushed back on his fingers slowly, evidently fucking himself on his bestfriend’s fingers, letting Sterling know that he was ready.

Sterling put lube on his length and slapped it gently against Lolade’s butthole. Lolade gripped the sheets one more time, feeling him push his tip in.

Sterling stopped halfway to make sure his bestfriend was alright. Once confirmed, he closed his eyes, basking in the feeling of Lolade’s butthole wrapped around his dick.

“Mo-move please.”

Sterling listened, pushing fully into the smaller man, thrusting slowly. Hearing the squelching sounds, watching half of his length disappear and reappear. A small whimper pulled from Lolade as he got more comfortable. His arch got deeper as he felt Sterling’s full dick inside him, his thighs hitting his butt, creating a small smacking sound.

Sterling almost fully pulled out as he lowered into him again.

“You feel too good, best friend.”

Teasing the smaller man a little.

Sterling gripped Lolade’s locs, one hand slipping to his neck as he trusted faster, loud groans falling out of his lips.

“You’re so pretty, baby.”

“I can’t get the image at the club out of my head.”

“You know how to fuck with me huh?”

Lolade couldn’t respond. His bestfriend’s dick was too deep into his butthole.

“St-Sterling!”

“Talk to me, Lolly.”

Sterling picked up his pace, stretching Lolade’s hole.

“I always knew you’d end up under me.”

Lolade managed to scream out.

“I- I am gonna c-cum Sterling.”

Sterling hummed, keeping his pace.

Lolade stained his chest with his cum as Sterling didn’t stop, Lolade’s body was overstimulated. His eyes slightly rolled back at his butthole being continuously stretched even after he came.

“You want me to fill you?”

Lolade nodded fervently, his body tired.

Sterling came inside his best friend’s hole with a loud groan. “Open your eyes, Lolly. I want to see them as I fill you up.”

Lolade collapsed on the bed, his muscles aching.

Sterling walked naked across the room to the bathroom to get a soft cloth to clean Lolade up.

“You’re going to take your bath, okay? This doesn’t replace that.” Sterling said as he cleaned up Lolade.

The smaller man just groaned and rolled his eyes.

“I can’t believe it took this long.”

Sterling’s eyes twinkled as he let out a small laugh.

“Well, you were sloppy and your mom caught you jerking off to me.”

Outro

Hey people, it’s Griin. I appreciate you reading up to this point, I take note of all your support and do not take it for granted.

Do not forget to comment your thoughts about your experience, the book, the characters or any other thing in general. I love you, and I wish you the type of love I write about (minus toxic parts of course.)

Byee

Note: It’s my birthday, so I released this as a gift to y’all. 12 chapters posted by 12:00am for March 12. Wish Griin a happy birthday in the comments

2 thoughts on “Sweet Somethings”

Can't_figure_a_name
March 12, 2026 at 7:27 am

Happy birthday Grin. Thank you for all you do for us, we love you 💕💕💕

Reply
1. Miss Griin
  March 12, 2026 at 10:21 am
  
  I love you toooo. Thank you ❤️, I hope you really enjoyed this book.
  
  Reply