For a long moment, the two boys held each other's gaze in silence. 

"Say something," Jack told Marine Boy. "Say something, even if it's 'Eff off, you perv.'"

Marine Boy opened his mouth, but no words would come. Slowly, hesitantly, Marine Boy put his own arm round Jack. Jack bent his head towards Marine Boy's. There was another agonising pause, then he planted a soft kiss on Marine Boy's lips.

"Wow," he said. Marine Boy said nothing, though there was a dreamy expression on his face.

Jack leant in for another kiss. Marine Boy reached up with his other hand, cupped the back of Jack's head, and pulled – and suddenly the two boys were kissing each other with the furious passion that only adolescents making a new discovery are capable of. Marine Boy was puzzled at first by the way Jack was working his lips, but soon worked out how to match his own movements to them, and felt a thrill of pleasure. He felt Jack's tongue worm its way into his mouth and met it with his own. He pawed at Jack's chest, and felt older boy's hand rest on his knee for a moment, before beginning to work its way up his thigh.

Marine Boy disengaged. Reading the signals, Jack did so too, and leaned back. "Too much?" he asked.

"Er, no," Marine Boy said. "I mean, that was a bit more than I was expecting, but, well, wow, basically."

"You liked it?"

"Of course I did."

"Good, so did I."

"Great, but..."

"But what?"

"Oh hell, I'm sorry..."

"Stop right there. Don't ever say sorry again. Just be honest. Now, what was the 'But'?"

Marine Boy felt that he was blushing, which realisation made him blush still more. "Does this mean," he asked, without looking Jack in the eye, "that we're ... you know?"

"Possibly."

"But ... I thought you liked girls?"

"I do. In theory, anyway, but I've never managed to get close to one. I told you I tried once, and I was serious, even if it was a disaster. And I look at, well, pictures of girls. I'm sure you do, too."

Marine Boy nodded.

"And you got turned on by that pirate queen, though maybe that doesn't count."

Marine Boy reddened and looked away.

"Sorry," Jack said. "Won't mention that again. The point is that it's possible to like both boys and girls."

"There's a word for that, isn't there?"

"Yeah. Bi-sexual. I don't like those clever words, though. They make things sound so - clinical."

 Marine Boy nodded. "So what happens now?" he asked.

"No idea," Jack told him.

"What?"

"No idea. You're only the second boy I've ever kissed. And before you ask, kissing was all we did, and I was wearing more than I am now."

"Oh." Marine Boy had forgotten that he and Jack were both practically naked. "Er, am I showing?" he asked.

"Wonderfully."

"I daren't look: how about you?"

"Look."

"I can't."

"Yes you can."

Tentatively, Marine Boy looked. "Oh wow," he said.

"Glad you like."

"I think. You've done this once before?"

"Three times. One boy."

"How old was he?"

"Sixteen or seventeen. More experienced than me, obviously, but kind and gentle – like I'm trying to be."

"Well you're certainly kind. Er, how did you know? I mean that I was... that we were..."

"I didn't."

"Huh? Didn't the hard-on give me away?"

"No, it's not as simple as that. See, I knew what I felt about you the moment you held me in your arms in the mini-sub. Frankly, there've been times over the last couple of days that I've wanted you so much it hurt. But I didn't know that you felt the same way – not for sure, anyway – until just now. Maybe I can't read the signals yet."

"Was I signalling?"

"Probably. Everyone does, I think. Heard that somewhere. Not always deliberate signals, but the idea is to work out what the other person is thinking from the tone of their voice and the expression on their face. Or something."

"Sounds complicated."

"Yeah – but like I said, please don't get the idea that I know all the answers."

"You know more than me."

"Maybe. But not much more. Perhaps kids our age just want to experiment," Jack continued. "Shit, that makes it sound like I look on you as some sort of lab-rat, which I don't, honest. But my point is that you can't tell whether or not you like something if you don't try it."

"I guess. It seems as though as soon as I get the answer to one question, another one pops up."

"Yeah. So I've got a question for you."

"OK."

"Do you want to experiment some more, or do you want to go to bed?" Jack suddenly realised what he'd said and blushed crimson in his turn. "I mean, do you want us to go to bed separately?" he mumbled.

Marine Boy smiled widely. "Do you realise you look cute when you're embarrassed?"

"You look cute all the time, but you haven't answered the question."

"Well," Marine Boy said, slowly, "I think I'd like to experiment some more, only..."

"Only what?"

"Only I think there are some experiments I don't want to try."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes, good," Jack said, "because there are some things I don't want to try, either. With a bit of luck they're the same things, which will make things simpler. God it's a relief to have got that out of the way. But whatever happens, we're not going to anything we're not both OK with. Deal?"

"Deal."

"Good. And don't be afraid to say 'No.' In fact I insist on it. If I find out that you've said 'Yes' when you mean 'No,' I'll never forgive you."

"OK – but the same goes for you."

"Mainly for you, though."

"Why me more than you?"

"Because you're younger, and those are the rules."

"Maybe. But we're wasting time here. Kiss me again."

This time the boys held it for more than a minute.

"Wow," Jack said, eventually, "you do know what you want."

"Let's just say that I'm finding out. Stand up."

Jack did so, and Marine Boy got up to face him. "Kiss me again – only this time hold me. Tight."

The boys wrapped their arms round each other and kissed furiously again. Marine Boy could feel Jack's erection, and pushed his hips forward to make sure that Jack could feel his. He stroked Jack's back, taking pleasure from the smoothness of the flesh under his hands.

After a moment's hesitation, Jack began to stroke Marine Boy in return. His hands strayed lower. His fingers brushed the waistband of Marine Boy's boxers. And stopped.

Marine Boy drew his mouth back from Jack's. "Yes," he breathed.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure I want to find out. Is that enough?"

"OK, here goes."

Slowly, Jack eased his fingers under the elasticated waistband. Marine Boy's breathing became louder and more urgent. Taking this as a sign of encouragement, Jack thrust the whole of one hand inside Marine Boy's shorts and cupped a buttock. It was an intoxicating feeling, the more so since Marine Boy seemed to be enjoying it as much as he was, if not more. That, at least, was the impression Jack got from the fact that Marine Boy disengaged his lips and threw his head back, an expression of ecstasy on his face.

Prompted by some instinct he didn't understand, Jack inclined his head and sank his teeth into Marine Boy's neck. Not deeply, but hard enough to grip. He also began to rub his hand up and down in the crease between Marine Boy's buttocks.

"Yes," Marine Boy panted, "Oh yes!"

Then Jack felt Marine Boy start to struggle and, though the experience was pleasurable, he released him and stood back. "Sorry," he said, "did I go too far?"

"No, you were wonderful," Marine Boy told him. "Amazing. But something's happening to me, I can feel it." He sat down on the edge of his bunk. "I need to have a wank."

"Don't let me stop you," Jack said, turning away whilst wondering how to bring up his own similar needs. He turned the chair round so that it was facing the other way.

"No," Marine Boy told him, "don't turn your back. I want you to watch."

"You sure?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. I don't think I could be sensitive in front of you ever again."

Marine Boy lay back on his bunk and eased off his boxers. Jack gasped as the full extent of Marine Boy's arousal was revealed.

"How is it?" Marine Boy asked him. "I mean, in terms of size. Be honest."

The question wrong-footed Jack, whose expertise in such matters was limited to rumours and hearsay. To his relief, however, he was struck by a flash of inspiration. "Are you sure you're only thirteen?"

The answer seemed to satisfy Marine Boy. "And a half," he said. "Hold my other hand, please."

Jack did as he was asked, and watched with a peculiar fascination as Marine Boy worked on himself. The process went on for some time, and it seemed to Jack that Marine Boy was growing more and more frustrated. Eventually, he stopped.

"Shit nearly. I could feel something building, but no result as you can see."

"Perhaps I can help."

"How?"

Jack was shocked by his own question, but since he had asked it, he felt he had back his words up with actions.

"Like this." Still holding Marine Boy's left hand with his right, he reached out with his other hand and ran one finger the length of Marine Boy's member.

Marine Boy gave a convulsive jerk. "Christ."

"No?"

"Yes, oh yes."

Jack took a firm grip and set to with a will. Marine Boy arched his back, squirming and whimpering with each stroke. Jack's mouth went dry as he watched the youngster's belly muscles flex and contract.

"How'm I doing?" he asked after a bit.

"Nearly... oh, nearly... oh hell why can't I?"

Jack felt the prompting of an unexpected instinct. He rebelled against the idea at first, but the sight of Marine Boy's lithe body, covered now in a sheen of sweat; together with his panting desperation, told Jack what he needed to do. He bent forward, opened his mouth, and touched Marine Boy with the tip of his tongue.

Then it happened. It happened so suddenly that neither boy was quite ready for it. Marine Boy yelped like a wounded animal; Jack recoiled as he was struck just below the eye by a stream of warm and sticky fluid. He groped around for a towel.

Marine Boy sat up. "You OK?"

"Sure, just messy. Er, how was it for you?"

Marine Boy laughed. "Do people really ask that?"

"How should I know? But how was it, anyway?"

"Amazing. Utterly amazing – beyond my wildest expectations. Thank-you."

"You're welcome."

"And thank-you again. How did you know to do that?"

"I didn't. Not really. I mean I've heard rumours, but then I've heard lots of rumours and they can't all be true. It just felt right, somehow."

"You can say that again." Marine Boy lay back on his bunk and exhaled deeply. "What's that called?" he asked.

"A blow-job. Only you don't actually blow. At least, I don't think you do."

"It felt wonderful, whatever you call it," Marine Boy said. "Thank-you."

"You've said that three times already."

"Three times isn't enough. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you. " Marine Boy paused reflectively. "Does that count as me losing my virginity, do you reckon?"

Jack frowned. "I'm not sure. I mean, with a boy and a girl it's when he sticks his you-know-what up her you-know-where. With two boys I don't really know. Am I still a virgin, for example? I'm pretty sure I am – and if this sort of thing works both ways that means that you must be. Or not. What do you think?"

Marine Boy didn't answer.

"Johnny?" Jack asked. Still no response. Jack bent over his friend and – presumably – lover. Marine Boy, his limbs splayed any old how, had fallen deeply asleep.

Smiling, Jack covered Marine Boy with a duvet, turned out the lights and climbed onto the top bunk. He took off his shorts and threw them to the floor. For a moment he considered having one off the wrist himself. He desisted, however. It seemed wrong, somehow. For a long time he lay awake, staring into the darkness, before he eventually nodded off.