Now this was not normal.
Not at all. Doctor Garrets was usually on time to pick up Colin. In the almost three months he has been going to St. Peter's, he hadn't even seen Colin on the train. Don't doctor's work during the day? How does he get time to take him back and forth everydat?
But all of the sudden, that familiar voice saying "is this seat taken" startled him. Colin, with the average Joe's on the train.
Tory quickly moved his bag to his lap and Colin too a seat next to Tory and smiled. "I did this all last year and I miss it" said Colin. "I didn't think the doctor would let me do it again after, well, I think he just thinks it's safer to drive me to school". Tory just nodded, excited to see his 'friend' on the train. "It gives me time to think and to read assignments, so that by the time I get home, homework is a snap" Tory was just trying to find something to say, most of the time was spent dreaming about Colin on the train; homework took maybe 20 minutes a night for the genius.
"I can't concentrate in a moving vehicle like that" said Colin. "Sometimes it's hard for me to even stay awake". Tory stared out the window, he was starting to blush, he knew it and didn't want Colin to see it. "It's not that bad for me, I can do either. My mom could drive me to school, but work is in the opposite dir..." suddenly Tory felt something hit his right arm. He looked over and saw a peaceful looking Colin, with a slight smile, sleeping on his arm. At first Tory wondered if this was another episode, but he could feel Colin breathing normally and somehow he knew the boy was just tuckered out from a long day at school.
Tory continued to watch this scene all the way home. As people passed and looked, Tory looked and gave a half smile, as if everything was quite normal and this is something that was done everyday.
For the rest of the train ride home, Tory barely moved a muscle, for fear of waking Colin. He wanted this to last forever. For Colin, Tory was the one person that Colin could find confidence in... even after their fight in the street. Tory knew about Gaia, but was the only person who didn't hold it against him or ask things from him because of it. And there was something more for Colin with Tory, although the ravenhaired boy could not put his finger on it.
For Tory, this was a public display of trust on Colin's part, something that made Tory full of happiness, just like the time Colin asked him to call. Tory lifted his arm a little and the boy was not snuggling on his chest. Colin didn't snore, but he did have a slight wheeze when he slept. It was cute, Tory couldn't assign any other lable to it. He loved the smell of his hair. When nobody was looking, he leaned in to get a good whiff. He smiled, looked up again and placed a small kiss on top of his head. He whispered "I love you".
Before Tory knew it, it was their stop, Tory gently nudged Colin to wake him up. Not only did the ravenhaired boy open his weary eyes, Tory noticed that when he lifted his head, Colin had drooled all over the front of Tory's shirt. Tory started to blush again as he looked up and saw Colin licking and wiping the drool off his mouth. Colin looked down and saw the drool he left behind from almost an hour of sleeping/wheezing. He was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I totally owe you a new shirt". "No biggie" said Tory.
The two boys walked home from the train. Since Colin was so tired, Tory offered to carry his books. He could still smell the boy. He wanted to hold Colin's hand with his free one, but didn't know how he would react. The walk to their neighborhood was way too short today. Colin waved goodbye and ran into his brownstone. Tory walked into his house, totally satisfied with the scenerio that played out on the train and feeling closer to Colin than ever before. Mom wasn't home, Paul wasn't home.
He sat down on the couch, pulled off his shirt and popped on the TV. He gave the front of the shift a big whiff and buried his face in it. "Yes!" he said to himself. "How does it smell?" came that same familiar voice. Tory pulled the shirt down to see Colin standing there! Standing there, with a huge grin. "Ahh... I was just seeing if this was clean enough to wear again tomorrow... cause... I... uh... didn't feel... like doing wash" Tory smiled.
Colin came over to the couch. Tory was all nervous. "You have my books." Colin pulled the shirt away from Tory and buried his face in it. Tory was shocked. "Smells like my shampoo mixed with sweat" replied Colin. "I wouldn't know" said Tory.
Colin climbed on the couch next to Tory and smelled his wild red hair. "Yours smells like shampoo mixed with ALOT of sweat. Did you have gym today?" he asked Tory. "Y-yeah" studdered Tory. "So why would you even think about wearing this sweaty shirt again. Or do you need help with your laundry?" Tory was really blushing now, Colin was loving it.
"Let's check your room" said Colin. He pulled the shirtless Tory off the couch and the two went to his room. "My my, lots of dirty clothes" said Colin. He picked up a pair of socks and gave them a whiff. "You know, I do like to tickle feet, but while these don't smell to bad"... he shoved Tory on the bed and pulled off his shoes to smell the socks he had on... "these are rank" he said. Colin pulled off Tory's socks and gave his foot a kiss. Tory was in amazement of what was happening. "Slightly salty" said Colin. But I like them. Who knew Colin had a foot fetish?
Now barefoot and shirtless, Tory watched as Colin gathered all his dirty clothes into the laundy basket. All that was left was what Tory had on. Colin threw him a pair of swim trunks. "It's January, these are clean, your pants and underpants are not. Get them off" he demanded. Tory started to head out the door. "Where are you going?" asked Colin. "I didn't do all this for you for nothing. Take off the rest of those clothes". Tory turned around. "Sideways is OK. I don't need to see the rear". said Colin. Tory undid his pants and slipped them off. Then came the briefs. The boy was standing in his birthday suit. The ravenhaired boy was impressed. "I guess cleaning up after you DOES have its benefits" he said. Tory turned around and slipped into his swim trunks.
"When's your mom gonna be home" asked Colin. "Probably around 10" said Tory. "Good, cause my clothes need washing too". Startled, Tory turned around to find Colin totally naked himself. "Got another pair of swimtrunks?" he asked.
For the next half hour, the whirr of the washing machine and dryer filled the house. In Tory's bedroom, Colin sat on the floor watching TV. Tory sat on the edge of his bed, with his legs and bare feet wrapped around Colin. Just as Tory had gotten a good whiff of Colin, Colin was now getting a good whiff of Tory, kissing the boy's freckled legs and rubbing his feet. Tory repositions himself and Colin gets a really good whiff. Colin comes to the conclusion that the clothes aren't all that's gonna need to be washed. If anything was going to happen, that sweaty "I had gym today" stink needed to come off Tory... and Colin wasn't that fresh either. The only way how, was in the bathtub.