'Why masturbate alone when you could find your masturmate?" the ad across the top of the screen asked.

Carson Beckett frowned. He had an adblocker installed, so he shouldn't be seeing any ads. He just wanted to browse for porn in peace without being offered any fake medication that falsely claimed to be able to increase the size of his penis, damn it! Not that he needed anything like that, anyway. Nevertheless, he found himself intrigued by the term 'masturmate' and, against his better judgement, he clicked on the obtrusive ad.

A new window opened up, and he read the blurb on the site. 'Are you feeling lonely? Are you too busy to find a sexual partner? Are you bad with people? Join Masturmate today, where hundreds of other lonely people are waiting for you!' Carson scoffed, but nevertheless kept reading. 'All you need is a webcam to join in the fun!* *Microphone optional. For $10 a month, you can have complete access to Masturmate, and you will never be lonely again! Try Masturmate for free, today!'

Ten dollars to jack off on a webcam with other people. Carson shuddered at the thought of some random stranger in some unknown location seeing him naked. However... Being able to talk to someone? To talk someone else through their release? His cock hardened at the thought and, before he could change his mind, he entered his credit card details and registered for a free trial.

Och, I hope it's nae a scam, he thought to himself belatedly.

His cursor hovered between the male and female options in the 'looking for' bar, before settling on the male option. The site offered a preview of his webcam, and he lowered it to remove his face from view as the site sought a match.

The first match he made was wearing a cock cage. Carson declined faster than he could apologise. The second match was a decent looking man, from what Carson could see of him. Like himself, the man had angled the webcam away from his face. He had a decent body - broad shoulders, and a not-quite-flat stomach. Carson stroked a hand across his own stomach that hadn't been flat in years. He appreciated that same softness in others, because a little padding was nice when you cuddled. Like his own cock, hard between his legs as he stroked it, the man's cock was uncut.

Carson cleared his throat. He may have been born in Scotland, and sound Scottish - courtesy of his parents' strong accents - but he'd grown up in the USA and could adopt an American accent easily enough. And, because he was paranoid about being identified, he slipped into that accent now.

"God, I want to put my hands on you."

"You— Really?" the other man stuttered, sounding shocked.

"Don't sound so surprised," Carson smiled.

"I suppose I'm just used to people declining me," the man said matter-of-factly, but there was a touch of sadness in his voice.

Now why would they dae that? Carson wondered.

"I know I'm not porn star levels of attractive, but I'm not ugly," he blustered. "People are weird."

Carson chuckled. "They are that. I mean, who comes up with the idea of masturbating with a complete stranger online?"

"Someone who's lonely? Busy? Bad with people?" the man suggested.

"Did you memorise the advertising?" Carson laughed.

The man said nothing, slowly stroking his cock as he - presumably - watched Carson do the same.

Carson licked his lips as he imaging touching the man who could live next door or on the other side of the world. "You could touch your nipples," he suggested huskily. "If that's something that you... I mean, don't feel like you can't on my account."

"Would you put your hands on me like this?" He palmed a hand over his chest, thumbing at one nipple.

Carson bucked up into his fist.

"Yeah, just like that," the man agrees, and Carson can hear the smugness in his tone.

"Is there something I can call you?" Carson blurted out.

"Oh, I, uh... Rod— Rod, I guess. You could call me Rod. And you?"

Carson hesitated. "You can call me Scott," he settles for.

"That's not your real name, is it?" Rod guessed.

"No."

"This isn't how these things usually go. It's a mutual masturbation site, not a chat room."

"I don't know about your relationships, but I like to talk to my partners. If I didn't want to talk to someone, I'd just watch porn."

"Fair point." They fell into a not uncomfortable silence as the flow of conversation ended, until Rod asked, "Could you, uh, maybe spread your legs a bit more? Would you mind?"

Carson flushed, having forgotten for a moment that Rod could see him, too. He adjusted himself on the bed to get more comfortable, and spread his legs a little wider. "Better?"

"Much. You have a lovely dick," Rod told him appreciatively. "If I was there with you I'd put my mouth on it."

Carson whined. God, yes!

Rod seemed emboldened, and kept talking. "Suck you off, nice and slow. Make you beg me to let you come. Might even stick a finger in you, if you'd let me. Would you like that? Coming with my finger up your ass?"

"Hold that thought," Carson tells him, rolling over and rummaging in his bedside drawer.

"Fuck! That ass," Rod exclaimed longingly.

"You wish," Carson chuckled.

"I really do..."

Carson reappeared with a slender dildo and some lube, which he coated generously on the blue silicone.

"Oh, this is like my own interactive porn show," Rod breathed.

"Is this not how things usually go?" Carson asked, wondering when he'd become such an exibitionist.

"Not for me," Rod admitted. "I've been declined a few times, and I tend not to talk unless the other person talks first. I don't know what to say, and I know I'm generally an annoying person. Silent masturmation is surprisingly awkward, though."

"So, bad with people, then?" Carson asked, guessing why Rod was on the site. Even as he spoke, he was pressing the dildo inside him. It was only about two fingers wide, and after the initial stretch his ass welcomed it easily enough. Rod hadn't answered, so Carson assured him, "Well, you're not annoying me."

"Not yet, anyway."

"Rod, I'm going to come pretending I've got your fingers up my ass - trust me, I don't find you the least bit annoying."

"Well, you're probably just lonely, and being lonely makes you desperate. Or are you too busy? Because you've certainly got a way with people."

"I have to, in my line of work. And you're right, I am lonely. But I'm not desperate enough to go out and have a casual hook-up. I prefer a real relationship."

"Well, I hate to tell you this, but this isn't a dating site."

Carson chuckled. "I was curious." He spread his legs even wider as he fucked himself with the dildo, trying to make sure Rod had a good view.

"Fuck..." Rod's hand moved from his dick to his balls, gently rolling them as his other hand moved back to his nipples. "Is this okay?" he asked, arching off the bed into his own touch. "Or do you want me to do something more?"

"That's just beautiful," Carson assured him.

"Slow down," Rod told him. "If I was there, I'd go slow. I'd enjoy all of you while I had you."

"Oh, God..." Carson's own hand slid up to his nipples as he teased himself, his cock leaking across his stomach.

"I wish I was there with you," Rod breathed.

"I wish you were here with me, too. Want to feel you inside me, Rod. Want to touch you."

"Touch yourself. Imagine it's me touching you."

"So close," Carson breathed as he pumped his cock.

"Come for me, Scott. Or whatever your real name is. Come for me."

Carson groaned and stroked one, two, three more times before his was spilling over his fingers and stomach.

"God, Rod, that was..."

"Hot," Rod finished for him.

"Now I'm going to watch you come, Rod."

"Yes..." Rod stroked himself faster.

"Does your camera... I don't know... zoom in?"

"You want a close-up of my dick?"

Before Carson could answer Rod was leaning forward, and a second later the webcam was moving in a way that made Carson feel slightly queasy. But then it was settled in a new position, and Carson had a better view of Rod jacking himself off.

"That's it, Rod. Faster... Slow down... That's it... Nice and slow... Now a little faster..."

With a cry, Rod's hips jerked off the bed, thrusting up into his fist as he came. Carson watched his softening cock longingly, his fingers twitching with the urge to touch it. His eyes tracked lower, the he noticed something he hadn't before - too caught up in arousal and desire.

"Rod," he began.

"Hmm?"

He sounded so relaxed that Carson almost didn't want to ruin the moment. But he had to. "Did you know you have a lump on your left testicle?"

"I have— What?"

Rodney's fingers moved down in search of the lump.

"Up, there, that's it."

"Oh, God! Oh, God! I'm going to die!"

"Rod, listen to me."

"I've got cancer, and I'm going to die!"

"Rod, calm down!" Carson demanded firmly. "A lump doesn't automatically mean cancer - it could be any number if things."

"What are you, a doctor or something?"

"Yes. And you need to see one. Soon. Promise me you'll go."

"Yes, yes. I'll make an appointment tomorrow. Oh my God... I don't want to die. Listen, thanks. For the... well, for not declining me. It was great. I hope we match again sometime, though statistically it's unlikely. And, uh, thanks for telling me about..." He gestured at his genitals. "Um, bye."

Carson stared at the blank space where Rod had been broadcasting for some time after he'd gone, replaying the panic in his voice and wondering if he'd ever be able to find out if the man would be okay.