Childhood Friends - Day 1

Day 1:

Crrrack!!

Clark let out a satisfied sigh as the round of wood finally split in two, his breath thick as smoke in the frozen night air. He rubbed his hands together, breathing warmth into them through his work gloves. He stared into the night sky as he rested. The absence of streetlights made the world around him vanish. The borders of his word were set aglow only by the streak of light from the flashlight on the ground beside him.

Clark reached down, brushing the snow off another piece of wood before propping it up on the stump. With more effort than he’d like to admit, he raised his maul above his head, bringing it down for another swing.

–

Clark tapped the toe of his shoe against the mat, knocking the stuck snow from his feet. The wood stuffed in his arms made the door handle a frustrating challenge, but eventually he was greeted with the warm interior of his home. He shuffled his way downstairs, dropping what little wood he could carry in the metal rack besides his fireplace.

He sighed as he shook off his frozen coat, cracking open the wood stove to toss a fresh log on the hot coals. He thought about going back for the rest of the wood outside, but he was too tired. He left it on the porch, so it was mostly out of the snow. He hoped it was enough. Clark flopped down on the couch, finally letting his muscles relax.

The house was completely dark, aside from the flickering fireplace and a few lit candles. He smiled. It was like his own little world. If he didn’t know better, he could believe he was a burly lumberjack in a cabin in the woods, rather than a scrawny man in the middle of a suburb. He pulled out his phone. Even with the brightness as low as could be, the black of the room made the screen pop.

Emergency Alert: Natson Valley is experiencing a large-scale power outage. Due to the traffic incident with the district power station, power is not expected to return for 5-7 days. If home temperatures drop, please evacuate to one of the following locations: Natson Valley Elementary, Adams Middle school, Natson Valley High School, or Bogart Theater.

Apparently a semi slipped off the road, plowing through the pylons of the station, requiring extensive construction before the grid could be turned back on. It wasn’t too bad though. Clark’s family home had a fireplace, and the city water was still up and running.

Clark’s heart startled as the silence of the home was shattered by his ringtone.

“Hey, Mom.” Clark answered.

“Hey, sweetie! I just wanted to call and check up on you, did you hear the news?”

“I mean, yeah… I’m here. Pretty obvious when there’s no power.” Clark laughed.

“Oh, I suppose so! What a time for us to vacation, huh? Sorry you had to house-sit during such an event! Are you staying warm?”

“Yeah, I got a fire going.”

“Oh that’s good, sorry we don’t have much wood already split. Your father’s been slacking on it.” Clark could hear her face drift from the phone as she shifted her attention to her husband.

“I’m not as young as I used to be.” Clark could hear his father’s voice, barely audible from his distance. “You splittin’ it okay, bud?” His voice rose substantially, coming through with much more clarity.

“Yeah it’s fine.” Clark responded. He didn’t want to admit just how tiring it had been. He wasn’t out of shape, but he was by no means the burly man his father was. “How’s Hawaii?” Clark asked, eager to change the subject.

“Oh it's the best!” His mother gushed. “I can’t believe it took us so long to visit! This will need to be a new tradition I think! It’s such a joy to get away from those icy roads and short days. The Hendersons really know a lot too, they could be tour guides! I’m so glad we decided to go as a group.”

“Glad to hear it. I should probably get going though, I don’t want my phone to die.”

“Oh that’s right, you can’t charge it. Alright sweetie, well if you need anything feel free to call. Oh wait! Before you go, Ashlyn was house-sitting for the Hendersons, and their house doesn’t have a fireplace like ours. I told them she was welcome to come over rather than trying to drive on those roads. You don’t mind, right sweetie?”

“Ashlyn!?” Clarks voice cracked a little. “No, Mom, I don't know about that. I mean I haven’t seen her in years. Natson High isn’t that far away, I’m sure the roads are good enough.”

“Oh don’t be silly! You guys were as close as could be when you were kids! Besides, I’m sure the High School is stuffed full. Our place would be much more comfortable. The Hendersons are on the phone with her as we speak, anyways. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Anyways, we’ll let you get off your phone. Don’t play games on it all night and run it dead. I want to be able to call you if need be, okay? I love you!”

“I-I know, Mom. I love you too.” Clark heard the click of the phone, but he didn’t pull it from his ear. His stomach was turning with nerves. 

The Hendersons had been their next door neighbors all his life. He had been friends with their daughter, Ashlyn, ever since they were toddlers. She was a rambunctious tomboy, with short pale green hair and vibrant, violet eyes. Her appearance and demeanor often made others mistake her for a boy. 

Once they entered middle school, Clark got a lot more self conscious about constantly hanging out with a girl, and he started distancing himself. The universe seemed to grant his wish, and they never shared another class going forwards.

Clark hadn’t changed much at all since then, both mentally and physically. He was a smaller guy, about 5’8”, with the muscular strength of a middle schooler. He had a mess of brown hair, with bangs enough to reach down to his brown eyes, and a set of glasses to border them. His shoulders were thin, a sharp contrast to the broadness of his fathers.

Despite the difference, his father never seemed disappointed, nor pushed him to follow his path. He didn’t make him try out for sports or act like the charismatic charmer he was. He was about as far from the quarterback, stud archetype as possible. One of the biggest signs of that was locked between his legs.

Ding dong!

Clarks heart jumped to his throat. She was already here? He was hoping she’d come over in the morning or further into the week if her house got really cold. He slowly slid his phone into his pocket, stalling as much as he could.

Dingdongdingdongdingdong!

“Alright, I’m coming.” Clark said, mostly to push himself off the couch. He hurried up the stairs, taking a few deep breaths at the door before opening it.

“Hey, Ash….lyn?” Clarks voice fumbled. She looked nothing like she had in the past. She was about Clark's height, maybe an inch or two shorter. Her face had matured, replacing her boyish shapes with piercing feminine features. Her hair was grown out and up in a messy top-knot. She had a poofy black coat pulled tight around her, nestling her head between her clenched shoulders.

“Sup, Kent.” She responded with a wide grin. “... You gonna invite me in?”

“Uhh, right! Yes, of course!” Clark stepped to the side, holding the door open for her as she stepped in.

“It’s freezing out there!” Ashlyn scurried past him, kicking off her slippers.

“Real shoes might’ve helped.”

“Your house was like 10 seconds away, and all I have are my boots. And those take way too long to lace up. You got a fire going?”

“Yeah I do, it’s right down the hall, and then–”

“I know where, dork.” Ashlyn shouted back as she hurried down the hall, disappearing into the black of his home. Clark mentally face-palmed. Of course she did. She’d been in his house probably a hundred times before. Clark took a deep breath as he locked the door, then followed suit.

“Jeez, this room is so much warmer than the rest of your house, huh?” Ashlyn was scrunched over by the fire. She was constantly wiggling, trying to capitalize on anything she could to warm up. 

“Yeah, I can get this room fairly warm, but it doesn’t stretch very far without central heating. My bedroom basically feels like 40 degrees.”

“That's about how my parents' entire house feels, so count your blessings.” Ashlyn laughed. 

The silence Clark had been fearing crept into the room. Ashlyn took off her bulky coat, tossing it to the side as she settled next to the flames. Clarks heart was racing. He hadn’t really talked to a girl since the last time he talked to Ashlyn. It had been close to a decade. And despite her personality feeling nostalgic, her stark difference in appearance did not help settle his stomach.

With her coat off, her figure was much more apparent. The last time he saw her, she was as flat as a board, with shoulders and hips reminiscent of a man. But she had definitely grown out of that. Her shirt hugged her full chest and thin waist, accentuating the curve to her wider hips. The hard, abrasive personality of her youth was contrasted by her now soft and alluring appearance. Clark tried to swallow the knot in his throat, attempting to ignore the growing strain between his legs.

So…” Ashlyn broke the silence. “What have you been up to?” Clark panicked, wondering if she could feel his eyes on her.

“Just been… staring at the fire I guess? Don’t have much else to do.” 

“I meant in general. Like… In your life... That's cool though.” Ashlyn giggled. She twisted on her butt to face him, letting the fire warm her back. Her smile was barely visible in the dimness of the room.

“Oh, right…” Clarks face burned. “I’ve uh–I’ve been going to college here.”

“Oh very cool. What are you studying?”

“Architecture.”

“Damn, way to go, Kent. I heard that can be super hard.” Clark smiled. Ashlyn had called him Kent since he was a kid. When they were kids, Ashlyn was a huge fan of cartoons. Her favorites were Pokémon and The Justice League. When they would play, Clark would call her Ash, and she would call him Kent. As if she was Ash Ketchum and he was Superman. Clark was a very timid and weak kid, so having her refer to him like he was Superman always made him smile.

“Thanks. What about you?”

“Nothing nearly as fancy. I’m a manager at the boutique in the mall. I’m hoping to one day work in the fashion industry or something.”

“Oh, yeah th-that sounds cool.”

“Thanks.” Ashlyn smiled, turning back to the fire once again, rotating herself like a fire spit. The crackle of the flames helped null the silence. “So. Is there a Missus Kent to-be?” Clark stiffened.

“No, unfort– No, there isn’t.”

“Aren’t there any girls in your fancy architecture classes?”

“Yeah, I mean, of course. But they’re in class, I’m not gonna talk to them there. It-It’d be rude.”

“Ahhh.” Ashlyn bobbed her head with a wide grin, clearly buying none of it. “Well. That’s very considerate of you. And here I thought it was because girls were a bit too scary for ya.” Ashlyn’s eyes flashed that teasing spark Clark had become so accustomed to seeing. 

“Yeah… Well, it's not that…” Clark defended unconvincingly. Ashlyn chuckled, rotating herself once again.

“By the way,” Clark clumsily interjected, eager to change the subject. “I haven’t used any of the hot water since the power went out, so if you want to take a shower tonight, it might still be a bit warm.”

“It’s fine, I can go after you. It's your house after all.”

“No, really it’s fine. My dad would kill me if I let you shower with cold water.”

“My, my. What a gentleman.” Ashlyn grinned, rummaging through her coat pockets, which she apparently stuffed with her toiletries, a portable phone charger, a change of clothes, and an assortment of other things. “Those poor architecture girls are missing out, huh?” Clark blushed. He turned from the flickering candle to his side, hoping the darkness would cover his face.

“The bathrooms just up the–” Clark silenced himself as Ashlyn stopped in place, tilting her head at him. She didn’t even have to say it, he could feel the, “really?” oozing out of her. “It–It’s right where it's always been.” Clark corrected. She smiled. She grabbed a candle as her torch and hopped up the stairs. 

Clark held his breath until he heard the faint echo of the bathroom door. A heavy sigh escaped him as he rubbed his hands across his face. He was already exhausted. He had talked more with Ashlyn in the last few minutes than he had with girls in the past few years. 

It didn’t help that Ash’s appearance had changed so much. She wasn’t unattractive before, but she was a bit too masculine for Clark’s tastes. Possibly one of the reasons he felt comfortable around her and got so close to her. But now? She was absolutely stunning.

Clark could feel the inside of his underwear was damp against him. He flushed at the memory of talking to her while in his current predicament. Maybe I should unlock while she showers, Clark thought to himself, about to head up the stairs to grab his keys. But he froze. He could feel himself straining against his cage the whole time. Maybe the cage was better? It at least prevented him from getting hard, and if she somehow noticed he was hard…? Clark shuttered with embarrassment. He turned back towards the basement, settling on the couch.

Clark had never been much of a top. He was too timid to talk to girls, let alone want to dominate them. Ever since he discovered what sex was, he knew he was a bottom. Something about a girl telling him what to do… It made him shiver. Of course, with how timid he was, he’d still only experienced it as a fantasy.

Clark could hear the water start. He shifted on the couch, trying to keep his focus on the fire, and not on the naked girl in his house. He got up and paced. Maybe he should get some activities out, to help pass the time once she was done? 

He walked down the hallway, opening up a closet. It was stuffed to the brim with dvds, and even some VHSs. However, without power, they were as entertaining as their cover art. He bent down to the lowest shelf, which had some board and card games. He grabbed a jigsaw puzzle and brought it to the living room. 

Ashlyn finished her shower in five or so minutes. She came bouncing down the stairs, her hair wrapped in a towel above her head.

“You can really feel how cold the rest of the house is when you’re soaking wet!” Ashlyn shivered, hurrying to the fire, scrunching down by it. She was wearing a loose, pastel pink tank top and some gray pajama shorts. Clark had a hard time pulling his eyes away.

“I mean, th-that’s not really winter attire, either.” He nervously chuckled.

“I knoooow,” Ashlyn groaned. “I was just about to do laundry when we lost power, so my wardrobe is pretty limited. I don’t even have a bra.” She laughed, rubbing her hands together in the heat of the flames. Clark’s face flushed, as he turned away from her, as if even looking at her with that new information would be inappropriate. 

“Well, I suppose I should take my shower now.”

“I tried to be quick, so hopefully you still have some hot water.”

“Thanks. I’ll be fine either way.” Clark hurried out of the basement, eager to escape Ashlyns gaze once again. 

Clark shut the bathroom door, making sure to lock it behind him. He adjusted the shower temperature to moderate cool from the start, hoping to make whatever hot water he had last to avoid an ice cold shower. He striped and took a few deep breaths, fostering his willpower. With a decisive burst, he climbed into the shower.

It wasn’t quite as bad as he was expecting, reminiscent of a swimming pool. He hurried through his routine, determined not to find out exactly how much hot water he had left. The process felt strange. The dimness of his one candle and the cool water made him feel like a survivalist, bathing in a waterfall of a forest stream. 

He rinsed out his shampoo, quickly rubbing in conditioner and letting it sit while he lathered his body. He had no problem cleaning through the cage. He had lots of practice, and the cool water made it that much easier. He rinsed his hair and body, breathing in relief as he shut the shower off. He climbed out, reaching for the towel, but only finding an empty towel rack.

Shit, Clark thought to himself. He forgot to grab a fresh towel. He was used to living alone, so he only kept one clean towel in the bathroom at a time. A towel that was currently wrapped around Ashlyn’s hair. 

Oh well. He was sure Ashlyn would still be huddled around the fire. He could just grab a towel from the hallway closet on his way to his room. He tried to squeegee the water off his body with his hands, hoping to minimize how much he dripped across the house.

Clark grabbed his candle as he opened the door. But just as he left the bathroom, he was met with a wide-eyed Ashlyn.

“Oh shit!” Ashlyn exclaimed, immediately turning around with a red face. Clark retreated behind the door of the bathroom. “I’m so sorry! I just remembered that I used the last towel, so I was gonna hang a fresh one on the door for you! I didn’t want you to air dry when it was so cold or something!” Ashlyn rambled, her voice quick and panicked.

Clark had a hard time listening to her. His mind was racing on its own. She didn’t see, right? She turned around immediately, and the house is almost pitch black. I mean we were both holding candles, but my candle was above my waist, and hers was far away, so she couldn’t see it, right!? He felt dizzy with embarrassment, struggling to compose himself enough to respond.

“I-It’s cool, you can just leave the towel there, I can grab it on my way to my room.” Clark tried to sound confident. Like being seen didn’t really bother him. Like he had nothing to hide. Like he didn’t just stand naked in a cage in front of her.

“Alright. I’m so sorry!” Ashlyn tossed the towel backwards, covering her face with her hand as she laughed in her own embarrassment. “I-I’ll leave you to it.” She hurried from the hallway, the dim flicker of her candle disappearing towards the basement. 

Clark stayed frozen behind the door for quite some time, trying to allow his mind to process the events. She didn’t seem like she noticed, at least. She didn’t freeze and stare at it, or get a loss of words, or anything. If he wasn’t caged, he’d expect her to act in that exact same way. Clark finally left the bathroom. He grabbed his towel off the floor and hurried to this room, trying to convince himself he was in the clear all the while.

Ashlyn was kneeling by the coffee table by the fire when Clark walked in. He thought he could still see a hint of red to her cheeks, but maybe it was just the light of the fire. Ashlyn noticed him, stiffening up.

“A puzzle, huh?” Ashlyn said through a forced grin, pointing towards the box on the coffee table.

“Oh, yeah! I thought it could be something to pass the time, I don’t know.” Clark rubbed the back of his head.

“Sounds fun! I haven’t done a puzzle since I was a kid. And, not to brag, but uh…I was pretty killer at ‘em.” Ashlyn tossed her hair back, striking a cocky pose. Clark laughed.

They sat down, cracking open the puzzle. They spent some time trying to flip all the pieces upright, before jumping in. There was one aspect Clark hadn’t taken into account: There was way too little light in the room. All the colors tended to blur together, and definition was impossible to see. And for a jigsaw puzzle, being able to see the picture was apparently quite important. 

Ashlyn’s attire did not help. Every time she’d reach for a piece, or lean across the table to get a better look, her lack of a bra became quite evident. Clark tried not to look, but it was futile. The gaps in her tank top were windows he desperately wished to look through. He could see her cleavage and side boob regularly, but the shirt was just tight enough to keep her nipples out of sight. Before long, Clark could hardly focus on the puzzle. All he could do was strain in his cage, hoping Ashlyn would reach for a piece that was far enough to show him what he was desperate to see. After ten minutes, the pair had managed to connect three of the 500 pieces.

“This was a pretty shit idea, huh?” Clark broke the silence. They both stared at the virtually black pieces, before bursting into laughter.

“You just can’t see anything!” Ashlyn giggled, leaning back to lay across the floor in defeat. “I promise I’m usually good at these!”

“Maybe we’ll just reserve this for a daytime activity.”

“I can get behind that.” Ashlyn rolled over, grabbing her phone. Her screen brightness dwarfed the flickers of the flames, forcing her to squint her eyes in pain as she quickly lowered the setting. “It’s already past 11!”

“Oh wow, yeah I can let you get some sleep then.” Clark stood up, walking towards the stairs. “There are more blankets in this closet here, if you need them.”

“Where are you going?”

“Uhhh… I was heading to my room.”

“Didn’t you say your room felt freezing without central heating? There are two couches down here. I don’t wanna kick you out of the only warm room in your own house. I don’t bite.”

“No, I know, but I figured… I mean it's not a big deal, you’d probably feel more comfortable–”

“C’mon, Kent.” Ashlyn rolled her eyes, hopping onto the smaller couch. “It’s not like you bite either.” She flashed a wide smile. Clark felt like he could feel her eyes dash to his crotch for a second, but he figured it was just in his head.

“A-Alright, sure.” The two got ready for bed. While Ashlyn was brushing her teeth, Clark got some more logs from outside, filling the fire up and lowering the damper, slowing the burn so it would hopefully last all night. Once Ashlyn was done, it was his turn in the bathroom. Clark got some blankets out of the closet, making sure they each had some, and the two settled into their respective couches.

Clark couldn’t sleep. The soft, slow crackle of a fire was usually enough white noise to turn him off like a light, but this was different. His heart was racing. He hadn’t slept in the same room as a girl since they were kids. But back then, his mind was certainly thinking of different things. All he could think about was Ashlyn. Running into him naked after his shower. Nearly flashing him a hundred times while doing the puzzle. His cock throbbed in its cage, beckoning him to reach down and give it attention, but he wouldn’t dare. His eyes kept creeping open, only able to see the gentle glow of the fire reflect against her silken hair, before he’d force them closed again. A half hour passed, yet he felt no closer to sleep.

“Kent, you up?” Ashlyn whispered. She was so quiet it was hardly audible, but still made his heart jump up his throat. He felt like she could see into his thoughts, and was about to confront him on it. He remained silent. He didn’t want her to know he couldn’t sleep with a girl in the room. Wasn’t exactly one of his more manly attributes. Although, what if she needed another blanket? He showed her where they were though. Water? No, she knew where the kitchen was. She’d probably yell at him if he assumed otherwise. 

Clark was caught in his own internal debate, stretching on and on until too much time had passed. It would be even stranger if he responded after such a gap, so he resigned to staying silent, hoping to fall asleep quickly to make it a reality.

Clark could hear the gentle shuffle of cloth as Ashlyn began moving beneath the covers. He kept waiting for it to quiet, but it persisted. Was she struggling to get comfortable? Or debating if she should get up or not? 

It wasn’t until he could hear her soft breaths that curiosity got the better of him. Remaining perfectly still, he crept his eyes open. He could see the bumps of her knees through the blanket, spread wide as one of her legs hung off the couch, and a gentle rhythmic motion beneath the covers right where her legs met. 

Clark squeezed his eyes shut in a panic. Holy shit, she was asking if I was awake to check for privacy! Clark screamed in his head. He tried to keep his eyes shut, ignoring what was going on right beside him, telling himself it was the right thing to do. But every soft breath was a deathblow to his resolve.

His cage was twitching and throbbing, leaking desperately into his pants. All he wanted to do was reach down and cum, but even if he wasn’t caged, he wouldn’t dare move. His cock ached in its cage. He had never experienced strain like this.

He could hear Ashlyn’s breaths begin to quicken, and the gentle shuffle of cloth accelerated. Clark couldn’t stop himself. His eyes opened, nearly cumming in his cage as he saw Ashlyns hips bucking firmly against the covers. Her breaths quickened still. He could see the movement of the blankets, as one of her hands traced up her body and gripped into her chest.

Clark’s cock trembled. Just a few touches. A few touches and he’d cum. But he couldn’t risk trying to desperately touch through the cage and letting Ashlyn know he was up, let alone get up to get his keys. He watched helplessly as Ashlyn bucked faster and faster, her quickening breaths finally crescendoing to a barely audible moan as her thighs clenched around her hand.

Fuckkk, she just came! Clark almost whimpered, as another spurt of precum escaped into his already soaking underwear. Ashlyn laid frozen, the only movement was the rise and fall of her chest as her breath slowed. Clark thought she might be listening; checking to see if her climax had woken him from his supposed sleep. The room was dead silent, aside from the sporadic crackle of the fire. 

Finally, Ashlyn rolled over on the couch, settling comfortably into position to drift into sleep. Clark had no hope of doing the same. His entire body was ridged with desire. He had been struggling to sleep just because a girl was in the same room. But now, with that girl having just touched herself right in front of him? With his cage tighter than he even knew possible? Clark wasn’t sure he’d be getting much sleep at all during this outage. 

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Hope you all enjoyed this! Not sure if I am going to continue this story or not. I liked the design of Ashlyn when I did the illustration last week, and just definitely wanted to do a little something to add to it! Feel free to give me all your thoughts on it and if I should keep it going!