floor beneath the umbrella of the mock forest, pretending to sleep.
“O weary night, O long and tedious night, / Abate thy hour! Shine comforts from the east, / That I may back to Athens by daylight, / From these that my poor company detest: / And sleep, that sometimes shuts up sorrow's eye, / Steal me awhile from mine own company,” recited Edmund as Helena, with a wig upon his head and a dress covering his body. He laid down beside Nicholas on the stage floor.

Rehearsing the play must have set a magical air on stage, for the two actors did not bother to get up and read the final lines of the scene between Puck and Hermia. Instead, they remained lying on stage together, their bodies nearly touching, Nicholas on his side facing towards Edmund, who was on his back.

Nicholas reached over and placed his hand upon Edmund’s stomach. Edmund tensed up, for that movement was not a part of the play. He nevertheless allowed for this bit of improvisation to continue and laid there dutifully, submitting to the will of his mentor. Nicholas’s hand began to move across a greater area of Edmund’s body, reaching up to the chest and rubbing the region about the nipples. Nicholas then shifted direction and began to drift downward and below the stomach, finger-massaging Edmund’s hip through the fabric of the dress. He used his other hand to slowly pull up the dress to Edmund’s knees.

At that point, Edmund opened his eyes and turned to his side to face Nicholas. They looked at each other lovingly, lost in each other’s gaze. As if under some love spell, the unconsciously moved towards each other and locked in a zealous kiss. Nicholas’s hand reached under the dress at the knees and crept up Edmund’s smooth, milky skin. When there was no more leg to explore, he dove his hand into the area between the groin and the inner thigh, massaging the latter with his soft fingertips. His next move was to turn his wrist and investigate the other side—Edmund’s virgin genitals. Still soft, Nicholas took his penis into his hand and rubbed the head between his thumb and forefinger through his foreskin. Edmund jerked in pleasure and reached his hand over to Nicholas’s tightening britches and felt his growing member.

Edmund had gotten completely hard by that time and pre-come dribbled from his slit onto Nicholas’s fingers. Nicholas then wrapped his hand around the entire of Edmund’s erect penis and stroked. His wanker was large for such a small person—very long, and moderately thick. It pulsed erratically with each ensuing stroke. Edmund released little moans, for he had never experienced the delights of sexual exploration, with either man or woman. He was inclined towards men, but was always too afraid to act upon his desires. Now, with Nicholas guiding his discovery into the pleasures of sexual activity, he had an outlet, and an attractive one at that!

While Nicholas still stroked, Edmund ceased massaging his crotch through his pants and allowed himself to study the rest of his body. He reached beneath Nicholas’s shirt and kneaded his muscular chest, twirling the dark chest hair with his slender fingers. He pinched Nicholas’s nipples until they also became erect and sensitive to touch. Nicholas enjoyed it, and