Ladybug: Gay Erotic Romance

Would my perfect ladybug find his way to alight in my arms?

The truth was, I was in love with him. Avery and I had been friends since we were three years old. He'd always been by my side. Our moms had met at a parent and tot coffee group. Avery had been shy by my mom's recollection, but I was taken with him. They'd set up playdates for us.

My first memory of Avery would be when we were around five. He took one of my fire engines while it was attending a fire. He'd thrown my whole scene off. He didn't even like fire engines. He preferred my sister's dolls and dress-up clothing. You were more likely to see Avery dressed in a tutu and tiara than you were to see him playing with cars.

I'd always liked that about Avery. His feminine side. I was sad to see it disappear as our elementary school days unfolded. Avery was teased relentlessly until he began to hide who he truly was inside. My best friend was badgered into giving up his identity.

The bullying didn't stop, though. Avery tried to fit in. To dress like the other boys. To talk and act like them. It crushed my soul to see my friend suffering. I became his protector in high school. He didn't fill out like I did. He was willowy and needed someone to stand up for him.

I lost count of how many times I fought some guy who had threatened him. It was after one of those fights, when Avery was attending to my injuries, that I realized something.

I'd fallen in love with my best friend.

Our relationship faltered a little while I processed what I was feeling, but we came back strong once I had my head sorted out. Either I continued to hold tight to my best friend, or I needed to walk away. Those were my choices. I chose to stay and keep my feelings buried.

I was pretty sure; Avery didn't feel the way I did. He never showed it if he did. And Avery wasn't one for hiding his emotions. I'd held him as he cried for many hours over the years.

I transferred the cheese melts onto two plates. I took them to the living room where Avery was trying to collect the tools he needed on a quest on our new games console.

Three years ago, when I'd accepted an invitation to attend a college across the country from home, Avery had decided to follow me. We naturally moved in together.

I set the plates on the coffee table. Avery was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed, leaning forward as he guided his character through a maze. I sat beside him and took a moment to take in what he was wearing. Living with me, his true self had slowly emerged. When he returned from work at a high-end men's clothing store, he always changed his clothes.

And transformed.

I took a deep breath as my gaze wandered over the thin pink straps gracing his shoulders. Down his lace-covered pecs that ended at the bottom of his breastbone. Below that, pink chiffon billowed out, hiding his abs and covering his thighs. The delicate material pooled between his legs so I couldn't see the pink lace panties I had enjoyed when he entered the living room.

Avery was beautiful. And now that he was confident in his identity, men flocked around him, but my best friend flitted from boyfriend to boyfriend unable to settle.

As we sat there, I wanted to reach out and touch him.

Avery was my precious ladybug. He'd developed a pretty outer shell to protect himself as he went from man to man. It hurt to watch. They never treated him the way I would if he was mine.

"Take a break and eat," I said.

Avery licked his lips, not taking his attention off the television screen. "Two minutes."

"I'm holding you to that." Avery didn't eat much. He liked to stay delicate and slim. I appreciated what his eating habits did to his body.

I wanted to make him feel protected in my arms.

Avery set the game controller on the coffee table and picked up the plate. "Fine." He took a bite and moaned sweetly. My cock got caught up in the sound, threatening to misbehave.

"Thank you for making this. It's amazing."

Cheese toast was one of Avery's favorite foods. I made it for him often. "No problem. Don't feel like cooking a proper dinner tonight."

"This will do fine."

He only finished one slice before he went back to gaming. I ate my two pieces then took the remaining one off his plate and ate it. He wouldn't eat cheese toast when it was cold.

Avery completed a level on his game and dropped the controller on the coffee table.

"Pee break." He popped off the couch and drifted past me. His hips swung as he headed for the bathroom, showing off his gorgeous glutes. Tonight's panties were G-string. I caught a peek at the thin material gracing and separating his ass cheeks with every step he took. When he came back from the bathroom, I caught sight of his lace-covered cock.

I shifted and bent forward as I collected the plates, my dick suddenly rock-hard. He didn't notice as I bounded toward the kitchen to try and get my body to calm down.

He had to know how his lingerie affected me. As a gay man, even though he was my best friend, I wasn't blind. He'd caught me staring many times but never called me on it.

A hopeful part of me wondered if he wore those clothes in the evenings to tempt me. It was a pipe dream. Avery had never looked at me the way I wanted him to.

With my cock under control, I returned to the living room and sat beside Avery. He turned to me. "Do you want to play one of your war games with me?"

I lifted the other controller. "Yeah, if you don't mind." Of course, he didn't mind. He always beat my ass. For someone who was naturally nonviolent, he could shoot up a game level. And he enjoyed doing it. I loved that Avery had developed an aggressive side to him.

He could look after himself now. I rarely had to step in.

After he killed me for the third time, we took a break. His controller still in hand, he leaned against me and put his head on my shoulder. "I think I'm tired."

"Long day?"

"The worst. One of our regulars came in."

"Not that Frederick guy?"

"Yup. Two hours of his obnoxious presence spoiled my morning. I don't know why he doesn't make an after-hours appointment. Other customers coming into the shop suffered."

"Have you suggested it to him?"

"A few times, but I think he likes to make a show of having my undivided attention."

"Yuck."

I was lucky. During the day, I had classes, and two mornings a week, I was a barista at the university coffee shop in the student union building. Pretty low-key and low-stress.

I'd never had a problem getting top grades in any schooling I'd ever attempted. I rarely studied. I read the material, and it seemed to organically take up residence in my brain, never to be forgotten. I was working my way toward becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon.

"Want me to tuck you in?" I was teasing, of course.

Avery lifted his head and looked at me. "Would you?"

For a second, I stopped breathing. Surely, he was joking around with me. I could count on one hand the number of times I'd been in his bedroom.

"Um … sure."

He blinked at me, nodded, and unfolded himself off the couch. As he walked past me, he touched my shoulder and stared at me. I wasn't sure what was happening.

I followed closely behind him as we made our way to his bedroom. Once there, Avery dug around in his dresser and retrieved a pair of purple silk booty shorts.

"Give me a sec," he said and dashed out the door.

I sat on the bed waiting for him. When he returned, he had the pink lace and chiffon in one hand and wore the purple shorts hanging low off his hips.

He carefully folded his lingerie and put it in a dresser drawer then came over to the bed. I stood so he could pull back the covers.

Once he was in bed, he held the covers open for me. My cock sprang to life. In the most awkward moves I have ever made, I climbed into his bed facing him. He lowered the covers.

Avery searched for my hands and held them under his chin.

"We've been friends for a long time," he said.

"Twenty years."

He nodded. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

I smiled at him. "I didn't have much competition."

Avery snorted and grinned at me. "Fuck off. I'm trying to say something."

"Sorry."

My heart thumped out of control when he kissed my hands. All sorts of possibilities swirled through my mind. I shut them all down.

"I have a confession," Avery said. "And it's been eating at me for years."

I touched my forehead to his. "You can tell me anything. I would never judge you."

"I know. You've always been there for me." He sighed. "It's still hard, though. I should have told you years ago, but I didn't want to risk ruining our friendship. Instead, I've been running around from man to man, trying to find someplace to land and flourish."

I pulled one of my hands free and tucked some of his dark strands behind his ear.

"That's why you're my ladybug."

Avery sucked in a breath. "That's what you call me?"

"Especially now with the lingerie. The term lady suits you."

He laughed softly. "And I bug you?"

I smiled. "Never in a million years." I moved closer to him. I wanted to feel his warmth. "I have a confession, too." My soul yearned for his confession to be the same as mine. Was this it? Was this the day our relationship turned a corner toward being loving and intimate?

Avery lifted his chin. I could feel his breath on my lips.

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm in love with you, Daniel."

I touched my lips to his and cupped his face. "I'm in love with you, too."

"I need you."

He released my hand, placed his on my waist, and tugged me, wanting me to make a move. I nudged him onto his back and stayed poised touching his lips with mine.

We were embarking on a slow dance.

Avery whimpered and my restraint cracked. I pressed my lips to his. They were soft, smooth, and warm. I enveloped his mouth, exploring and immersing myself in the response of the man I loved. If I wasn't so fired up to make love to him, I'm certain I'd be weeping with joy.

He raked his fingers through my hair and moaned as gently as a soft breeze. Our tongues swept past lips and tasted and tumbled, discovering all the secret places.

I shifted and straddled his hips, being careful not to crush him, as I refused to abandon his mouth. I only lifted away when he started pulling at my shirt.

"Take off your clothes."

I was quick to drag off my shirt and roll off him to deal with my pants and briefs. As I was struggling, Avery removed his silky shorts and tossed them on the floor.

My perfect ladybug was naked for me.

I sat back, my legs on either side of his shins, and lifted the blanket away so I could trace every curve and flat plane with my gaze.