TAPS

It was nearly 3 a.m. before we arrived at the United States Naval Base for basic training. The Company Commander boarded the bus screaming out orders and we were rushed off the bus and into formation. The cold temperature had caught me by complete surprise, because when I had left Pensacola the previous day the temperature was at least 93 degrees. Despite my Company Commander’s order to stand still and at attention, I found myself shivering uncontrollably. There I was, in a formation of about 70 men, and realized that I felt quite alone and cut off from the other men as we marched in step towards our new home.

My feeling of detachment was probably because I had never been so far from home. When we were finally allowed to go to bed, I began to feel a bit of panic creeping up on me. I was an 18-year-old momma’s boy who had no idea what to expect other than that the training would be rigorous and difficult to complete. Although we hardly spoke for the first couple of weeks, my bunk mate seemed to be pleasant, courteous, and quite easy on the eyes. I had guessed from his smooth deep tan and Latino accent that he was from Texas; I wasn’t too far off: He was from Oklahoma. We mostly communicated with a look or a nod and sometimes a grin. After we were familiar with our surroundings and felt more at ease with one another, Johnny and I began to get to know each other. It didn’t take long for us to discover that we were very much alike in regards to our likes, dislikes, and interests. We had even applied for admission to the same “A” School. We exchanged details of our history with each other. And so, throughout this course of time, we became the very best of friends. Hell, we were nearly inseparable. He and I helped each other through the grueling rigors of training, always making sure we both were inspection-ready.

During our fifth week, Johnny was called out of our classroom. He didn’t return to class. When I returned to the barracks, I found him sitting on the bottom bunk with his face buried in his hands, and I could tell that he had been crying. I sat down next to him, put my hand on his shoulder, and asked what was wrong. He sighed and told me that the base Chaplin had summoned him to his office. Johnny’s grandmother had died. Instinctively, without even thinking about it, I rubbed his back, wanting to comfort him. I told him that I was there if he needed anything. I wanted to hold him, but knew better. I had developed an extreme attraction to him, and anyone with eyes would probably say the same. He was hot as hell! He stood about 5‘11“, weighed about 115, had light brown hair, big blue eyes, pink lips, and a well-tanned and quite muscular body. I knew I had to be careful not to let anyone, especially Johnny, find out how I felt about him.

I had managed to keep my sexuality secret through high school and would just have to take the same precautions while in the navy. Of course, I realized that there were obstacles that I would have to avoid when it came to Johnny. He had a habit of making eye contact with me when we talked, and at times he would look at me and smile. I had the distinct impression that he wanted to kiss me. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, so I would quickly look away and keep talking. I just didn’t trust myself to keep staring into those gorgeous eyes of his. And speaking of obstacles, showers were extremely frustrating for me. Johnny always waited for me to go shower so he could tag along. So there we would be, in the shower together, and I would WILL myself not to look. I don’t know how I managed, but I avoided looking directly at his cock. I did, however, get a good look at his ass. Oh my god, it was just perfect! His distinct tan line made his white ass stand out, and I would hurry out of the shower before he could see that I had a hard on. There was a guy in our company named Jason who was obviously gay, and a lot of the guys would harass him. Even though Johnny never said anything about it, I knew he didn’t approve of the harassment. When the guys would start in on Jason, Johnny would just look away, and so did I. Seeing how they treated him was a reminder to me that I had to be careful, lest anyone find out about me.

Weeks passed and we were passing requirements with great strides, looking forward to graduation, though we dreaded going to separate commands. Johnny asked me numerous times to promise that I would write him. If he only knew how I felt, he wouldn’t have felt it necessary to keep asking, because, truth be told, I was completely and hopelessly in love.