Guess who I am

"It's you."

"It's me. Not the vegetarian."

Jacob held out a hand, but Mr. X stopped him and held up his own.

Jacob bit his lip and watched his Mr. X shift awkwardly from one foot to the other, staring at their feet on the ground before looking up into his face.

He said: "I shouldn't—should have looked at that board again. Just looking at that board this morning made me sick. But it's become a habit, and I really want to hear those things from you in person. I've been thinking about this all day. Annoyed for a day. I wondered if your message was teasing me again. Then I realized two things.

"One, the only way to test if you're playing me is to lose our game and sue-tell you who Mr. X is.

"Two, if I'm too-too stubborn, I'll hate myself.

"So here I am, Jacob. Is this just a game? Not to me. I'm really into you."

Jacob closed the door gently, and when he opened it again, there was a soft and warm scarf in his hand.He went to the threshold and wrapped the scarf around Mr. Shy's neck. "Okay." He put his hand on Jim's "Planet Bowel" T-shirt and slid it from his stomach to his hips. "Finally."

Jim said nothing.He just bit his lip and stared at Jacob's mouth.Feel the same.

Jacob kissed him, bringing their lips together lightly.Jim opened his mouth for him, and slipped his tongue in as he reached out to cup his Mr. X's handsome face.Their kiss went on and on and on and on, and somehow Jim was leaning against the doorframe with him, their bodies pressed together.

Jacob felt Jim's lips lift into a smile, and he stepped back until he could see his face. "What are you laughing at?"

"I just think it's incredible...I'm so happy[1]," Jim said of the "happy" accentuated by the X syllable, making Jacob laugh as he tugged on the end of Jim's scarf, pulling him dragged into the house.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jacob asked, stopping them in the middle of the corridor.

But Jim shook his head. "Can we go straight to mending?" They kissed again, Jim's hand sliding down Jacob's arm until they interlocked.Jim blinked, and pulled Jacob, leading him to the only room that Jacob hadn't shown him during the inspection.

Jacob went into the bedroom with him, following Jim as he left him, studying his room and the figures on the dresser.

"I have a question for you, X."

Jim looked back at him. "I shudder every time you say X. I thought it must be revealing." He twisted and sat at the end of the bed where Jacob had slept. "What do you want to know?" "

"I just remembered when you first came here. I asked you if you've ever been to Europe. You looked me in the eyes and shook your head."

"I haven't, I haven't been to Europe."

"But your nephew—"

"Well, my sister and nephew live in Berlin. They came to see me last year. But I haven't been to them. Not yet."

I see. "I thought..." Jacob rubbed his forehead and smiled. "You're smart. This whole game... gives me a headache."

Jim moved closer, brushed Jacob's hand away, and kissed him on the temple. "I hope that eases that up a bit."

"In that case," Jacob said, "not only would I have a headache, but my whole body—"

Jim chuckled in Jacob's face, bowed his head and backed away. "I'll fix it all for you," he said. "But first, there's something I have to tell-tell you." Jim smiled shyly, his eyes falling between the two of them. "I didn't tear up your commercials. I love Zane, he's one of my best friends, but he's a little inconsiderate sometimes. I was with him when he ripped up all the commercials. By the way Once said, he is the one who wants to rent a house.”

"Mr. Macho?" Jacob blurted out, then changed his words quickly. "Uh, I mean—"

Jim just smiled. "Yeah, he's hot and straight. Sorry."

"He didn't act straight at all."

"I really wanted to see that scene. He said he wanted to test yours. Uh... sorry?"

"As long as I'm qualified."

"You're very qualified, straight A's. And he'd love to rent this room—but only for one semester... After that, I'm sure I can help you find another one."

Jacob smiled and leaned in to kiss him. "I hope so." He backed away again. "In this case, I understand... Zane needs to rent a house. You are Mr. X. What about Mr. Philosophy?"

A ray of sunlight entered the room, illuminating Jim's face for the brief time it stayed. "Daniel's my stepbrother—he's been teasing you with philosophy since he found out what you nicknamed him." He looked up, big brown eyes full of smiles, and Jacob could see him Love to my friends.Jim continued, "Yes. I read your note at the time and felt a little sorry for you, but I also need to defend Zane a little bit. I know he has no bad intentions, and he is not deliberately making trouble. So I wrote back, Then, uh, you know the rest of it."

Jim reached behind his back and took something from his back pocket.It was a roll of paper. "These are your notes." He stood up and put them on the bed.

"Wait a minute," Jacob said.He went to the dresser, pulled out all the notes he had collected, and put them on the bed too, turning the sheets into a bulletin board with their stories on display. "One is missing," he said. "When you think I'm playing with your feelings to find out who you are, I'm so sad. That goes in the trash."

Jim went to the bed and picked up a note. "I'm glad you threw that away. I felt so bad at the time, and it's embarrassing to think about it now. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions so quickly. You're right, it would be too much if it ended this way between us." It's pointless and too painful." He handed the note to Jacob. "And I'm glad you belong to me, and only me, Jacob."

Jacob glanced at the note he had written to Jim.

***

X,

XXXXXX

***

"I haven't replied to this one yet. Can I reply now?"

Jacob nodded, and Jim kissed him again.The kiss was soft at first, but when Jacob moaned, Jim pressed harder.

Before he knew it, they had taken off their t-shirts and scarves and rolled onto the bed, their "story" buried under them.One of Jacob's sticky notes was glued to his ass, and Jim tore it off and read it aloud.

"What's another name you'd like to give me? I'd--would like to ask that."

"Actually," Jacob said, "I'm glad you didn't ask in the end, because that sounds really corny."

"Now you must su-tell me."

Jacob felt his chest turn red. He took one look at Jim and rolled over on his back, covering his eyes with his arm. "Mr. Pretty Eyes."

"Ye-yes, it's dirt. But I like it."

Jim lay next to him, and heard him chuckle. "Speak," he said, taking Jacob's hand on his own warm chest.Jacob's fingers brushed over smooth skin and something metal.He turned to look at the rings on Jim's nipples. "It did hurt for a second, but it was worth-worth it."

Jacob blushed.Pick up a note stuck to the inside of Jim's thigh.

"Read this one," said Jim.

He read a few words and stopped again.

"Go ahead."

"'I am indeed Mr. Shy.'" Jacob looked at Jim above the note. "Yes, you are him. But you're not shy at all."

"What makes you feel--feel?" Jim asked.

"Just by the next paragraph, for example."

Jim's groin pressed against Jacob, making him shudder. "Then keep reading."

Jacob laughed and continued, "'I love stalking. I really, really love stalking you. After our date was over, I searched your name at home and happily turned Google upside down. I think--'"

Jim pressed his hand to let him put down the note.Jacob looked at him, at Jim.His Mr. X.

They approached each other at the same time, demanding each other with kisses.

"Let's keep tracking each other, Jacob."

They did.

Followed it well.

***

Three months later

Jacob comes home, kicks off his shoes, and finds Zane in the kitchen doing some baking.With him is Jacob's Mr. X, shaking his head and laughing. "You shouldn't use baking powder. You need baking soda."

"You tell me what the hell is the difference?"

Jim laughed louder. "It makes a big difference to what you want to do."

Jacob smiled and went to the room to put down his schoolbag.But when he opened the bedroom door, he stopped where he was.

A cork bulletin board hangs on his wall.

He leaned against the door frame, shaking his head and laughing like a fool.

He and Jim still use the Learning Center bulletin board to write to each other between classes—especially on days when they don’t see each other—but there are things they don’t want to share with the world either.He once joked that they needed to have their own bulletin board in the bedroom.

Now it looks like his Jim has realized the idea.

"Don't just stand there," said Jim, putting his arms around him from behind and kissing his ear. "Go and see."

He went.

There's a thumbtack and a note on it.

He smiled as he watched.

He found a pen and another note, wrote it, and stapled it up:

I love you too, X.

-The End-

[1]? The joy here is ecstatic, with the pronunciation of x.