The sun beat down mercilessly on the Brandenburg farm as I, Robert, leaned the old wooden ladder against the apple tree in the garden. It was one of those summers when the air was so heavy you could almost taste it – sweet and dusty, permeated by the scent of ripe fruit. I was wearing only a pair of short, washed-out gym shorts that reached to the middle of my thighs. I wasn't wearing any underwear, which was a welcome relief in the heat. The shorts were so thin that they barely concealed anything, and I knew that my small penis was probably visible from below. But who would look? It was just Grandpa Henry here, and he certainly had other things on his mind.

I climbed carefully up the ladder, the rungs creaking under my weight. The apples hung heavy and red in the branches, their skin glistening in the sun like polished wax. I stretched to reach the best fruit, feeling the gym shorts stretch across my legs. The fabric was damp with sweat, and I was glad I had chosen this light clothing. Grandpa Henry stood below in the grass, his hands buried in the pockets of his worn jeans, watching me with a smile I couldn't quite interpret.

‘Be careful not to fall, boy,’ he called out in his rough voice, marked by decades of smoking. His grey hair was cut short, and his face was tanned by the sun, criss-crossed with deep wrinkles that told of a life of hard work and weather. He was a man of action, always on the move, always demanding. I just nodded and concentrated on carefully twisting the apples off without damaging the branches.

As I reached for a particularly high apple, I felt my gym shorts stretch even further. I was sure that everything was now visible – my small, shaved penis, which was visible through the fabric. A slight tingling sensation ran through my body, a mixture of shame and a strange, exciting feeling that I couldn't quite place. I was shy, introverted, and the idea that Grandpa Henry could see me like this made my heart beat faster.

Grandpa Henry was still standing below, his eyes fixed on me. His gaze was intense, almost piercing, and I could feel him scrutinising me. It was a look I didn't recognise – not from him. He had always been the one who looked at me with pride and a twinkle in his eye, but now there was something different. Something that made me nervous and curious at the same time. 

 ‘You're way up there,’ he finally said, his voice deeper than before. ‘You'd think you wanted to pick the stars.’ I laughed nervously, trying to defuse the situation. ‘Just the apples, Grandpa,’ I replied, bending down again to grab another apple. My penis was now pressing even more clearly against the fabric, and I was sure Grandpa Henry must have seen it.

He said nothing, but his gaze became even more intense. I felt my cheeks flush and tried to concentrate on the apples. But the more I moved, the more I felt the gym shorts clinging to my body, tracing my every movement. It was a strange feeling, almost like a second skin that both protected and exposed me.

Grandpa Henry took a step closer, his eyes fixed on me. ‘You're a big boy now,’ he murmured, his voice barely audible. ‘Almost a man.’ His words made me pause. I was 18, yes, but I didn't feel like a man. I felt like the shy boy I had always been, insecure and full of questions. But his gaze, his words – they awakened something in me, something I couldn't name.

I stood very still on the ladder, forgetting the apples in my hand. The sun burned on my back, and sweat ran down my forehead. I felt my penis slowly stirring, pressing against the fabric of my gym shorts, as if responding to Grandpa Henry's words. It was a strange, exciting feeling, and I didn't know whether to stop it or let it happen.

 Grandpa Henry took another step closer, his eyes now fixed directly on my lap. ‘You're a handsome boy, Robert,’ he said, his voice now soft and husky. ‘So slim, so hairless. You could be mistaken for a child.’ His words hit me like a punch in the gut, and I felt my breathing quicken. I didn't know what to say, how to react. I just stood there, caught in his gaze, caught in this moment that felt like it would never end.

He slowly raised his hand as if to say something, as if to touch me. But then he lowered it again, as if he had changed his mind. ‘Take care up there,’ he finally said, his voice now back to normal, almost gruff. ‘We don't want any accidents.’ I nodded silently, my heart beating like crazy. I didn't know what had just happened, what this moment meant. But I sensed that something between us had changed, something I couldn't turn back.

I slowly climbed down the ladder, the apples clutched tightly in my hand. Grandpa Henry was still standing there, his eyes fixed on me, but his gaze was now back to normal – proud but distant. I felt my penis slowly calm down, the arousal subsiding, but the tingling sensation in my body remained. It was a feeling I didn't know, a feeling that made me curious and unsettled at the same time.

When I reached the bottom, Grandpa Henry took the apples from me and nodded approvingly. ‘Good work, boy,’ he said, his voice now that of a proud grandfather again. ‘They'll be great in the pie.’ I smiled weakly, trying to hide the confusion inside me. But when I met his gaze, I sensed that he knew — that he could feel what was going on inside me. It was a mysterious smile he gave me, a smile that said more than a thousand words.

I didn't know what would happen next, what this moment between us meant. But I sensed that something had begun, something I could no longer ignore. The sun was still beating down on us, the air was heavy and sweet, and I stood there in my shorts, wondering what the rest of the summer would bring. Grandpa Henry's gaze, his words – they had awakened something in me, something I could no longer suppress. And I knew that this was only the beginning.