Artificial Sky
By Chris James
Chapter Five
Danny didn't know what time it was, except that the sun was up and the train was slowing down, which was probably what woke him. Andrew was spooned back against him and that made him smile. Now the train cars jerked and slowed even more before coming to a stop. This had to be Houston.
He pushed himself back and removed a corner of the blanket to crawl over the sleeping boy. A peek through the shade confirmed what he had thought. They were stopped in a major city.
"Andrew....hey, Andrew, wake up," Danny urged.
"Hmm...what?" the boy responded
"We're in Houston, I want to get out and stretch," Danny said.
Andrew sat up and stretched his arms. "You want to walk around? How much time do we have here?"
"Maybe half an hour...come on, let's get dressed," Danny said.
They threw on the clothes they had been wearing the night before and walked out into the corridor. The couple in the room beside them was getting off and their bags were lined up against the wall. Danny heard the sound of the doors opening at the far end of the car and then the thunk as the stairs were lowered so they headed that way.
There was a conductor at the bottom of the stairs, not the one they had met the night before.
"Good morning, gentlemen...is this your stop?" the man asked.
"No sir, we're going to Miami. Can we stretch out a bit?" Danny asked.
"Sure thing, what compartment are you in?"
"2101-D, sir," Andrew said. "Is this Houston?"
"Certainly is, young man...largest city in the state. You're from Brisbane, am I correct?" the man asked.
Andrew looked shocked. "Um...yes, how did you know?"
The man smiled. "I have family there. Went for a visit couple of years ago and I have an ear for accents...what brings you to the States?"
"Mum and I are going to live here now. My name is Andrew," he said, holding out a hand for a polite shake.
The conductor shook his hand. "My name is Anderson, you may call me Mr." He laughed, "Just don't call me late to the train. And who might you be?" he asked looking at Danny.
"Danny Briggs...my mom's on the train too."
"Andrew...Danny, nice to meet you both. I'll be your conductor on thru to Miami. So you boys go take a walk and stretch those muscles. We'll only be here another twenty minutes so don't go far. They have a snack bar inside the station, but don't go any further, okay?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Anderson," Andrew said and he flashed a sleepy smile.
The couple from their car came to the exit and Anderson turned to help them down so the boys walked away. The city skyline loomed on one side and the sound of cars on a nearby freeway filled the air.
"Wow, what a big city," Andrew said.
"Did you see Los Angeles when you arrived?" Danny asked.
"We flew in to the airport and the city looked huge to me."
"Yeah, too big," Danny replied.
They made their way into the station proper and looked around. On one side there was a display with a huge Texas state flag and the boys wandered over for a look. There was a map of the state and photographs.
"See, that's the Alamo I was telling you about last night," Danny said, pointing at a photo.
"Not very big is it? Wow, look at those guns," Andrew said.
A display case held old muzzle loading rifles and a few ancient looking pistols. Beside it was another case with a horse saddle and another pistol in a gun belt, this one had stars on it.
"Texas Rangers...they were like the police of the frontier," Danny said. "Cool."
There was another photo of a man dressed in a long suit coat, a hat perched on his head at a jaunty angle. "Sam Houston...that's who this city is named after, he was the president of Texas."
"President? I thought states had governors, what's that about?" Andrew asked.
"When Texas fought with the Mexicans and won it became a separate country for a while. The Republic of Texas with Houston as president, but then they became a state later on."
"Someone paid attention in history class," Andrew said. Danny poked him in the ribs and the boy spun away laughing.
They went and looked at the newsstand and Danny bought two copies of the morning paper.
"What's that for?" Andrew asked.
"Mom and I read the news every morning. I found it helped me understand what was happening in the country and around the world. I'm the reader, remember?"
"Ahh, well it's a good thing, now you can see what is going on in the city...do you want some gum or something?
"Good idea," Danny said.
They walked back out onto the train platform and down the length of cars, stepping over the water hoses which snaked across their path.
"Trains sure use a lot of water," Andrew said.
"Remember that the next time you flush the toilet," Danny laughed.
They boarded the train and ran right into the conductor. "Good, you're back...how was the walk?" He asked.
"They have a nice history display in the station, I think we learned something...well at least we learned who the city is named after," Andrew said.
"Good, you need to know these things if you're going to live here. You boys have a good day, I'll see you later," Anderson said.
"Nice man," Danny said as they made their way forward.
The moms were awake and Alice smiled when her son handed over the paper. The ritual of reading the news and discussing it was one of the better moments of her day at the breakfast table.
"Anyone hungry?" Danny asked.
Andrew ordered a huge breakfast and they talked about the differences between an American breakfast and the traditional English breakfast. Danny couldn't see himself eating anything except cereal and fruit, his stomach wasn't awake yet.
The train resumed its journey shortly after they sat down in the dining car and everyone stared out the windows as the city faded away in the distance. The next big city would be New Orleans late that afternoon. The time was passing quickly, and by tomorrow afternoon they would be in Miami.
The ladies offered another round of card playing, but the boys didn't feel up to it. They had decided the night before that bridge wasn't such an exciting game after all, but they agreed to a return match later on.
Danny wanted to read his paper and Andrew seemed interested in prowling through the notebooks for himself, so they returned to the compartment. The bed had been folded away, the carpet vacuumed, it seems the porter had been busy.
"I wonder what he thinks when he sees only one bed messed up." Danny said.
"I don't think he questions it. Imagine the strange things he's seen working on these trains. You ought to ask him, it might make a good story," Andrew suggested.
"Oh yeah, like he's gonna tell me. I have a better one in mind. It's about two boys that meet on a train and fall in love."
"Oh? You'd write about us? But the story isn't finished yet, there are more chapters ahead, and some of them are going to be quite sexy," Andrew said.
Danny leaned down and picked another notebook out of the box. "Then you should read this one."
"Something special in it?"
"I'm sure this one probably shocked my mother when she read it, you'll find it amusing," Danny said. He picked up the newspaper and sat back to read. Andrew opened the notebook.
"There are times when a walk on the beach is the only way I can get these strange thoughts out of my head. The distractions of seabirds and the pounding surf, the noises I love all surround me like a familiar song." Andrew read on:
In time I can begin to feel out of myself, as if my mind is apart from my body. The effects of sun and air are a means of replenishing my energy, and it gives me strength to deal with the overwhelming thoughts.
The body is always demanding, whether it's for nourishment or sleep, I have to respond to it. Even more so for the sexual urges that seemed to wash over me at the strangest times of day. One minute I am happy to see the sun come up, the next I am in the bathroom pounding away on my swollen cock until I explode.
The body is betrayed by the mind, which is the source of these urges I'm sure. I could never tell when something would leap from my brain to my cock, but the urges grow along with my body...will they never stop?
This morning I took a walk, found a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk, and thought myself lucky. There were several boys skateboarding on the concrete down by the beach, I had to pass by them on my way to the shore. They were older than me by a few years and so I was ignored for the most part. But one of them spoke to me.
It was only a "Hey," but that did it, I became erect in my shorts. He was delicious to look at, the only word I can think of to express what I felt....delicious. The fantasy followed: us naked on the sand, his cock in my mouth, the groans of his excitement. But that would never happen...it was only "Hey."
He was incredibly handsome, even beautiful, in that surfer kind of way...a sun god. I knew he'd think me a dorky kid in life, but in my fantasy I was just like him. Two young gods rolling naked in the sand, kissing with abandon, groping one another. Yeah, get real.
A teacher told me that logic dictates there are no new thoughts in this universe that someone else hasn't felt or expressed before. That would mean my fantasy with Mr. Hey had occurred in someone else's mind...so where was he? I saw the young god later that morning down by the surf, just sitting on the sand and watching the waves...only this time he was alone.
It was my turn to say "Hey" and I did. He nodded at the waves and frowned.
"Poor surf," he said this time. Okay, it wasn't much but at least it was two words and they were expressing a concept. The surf was too small to...well, surf. It didn't matter; I couldn't stand up on a surfboard if my life depended on it.
But I knew something and I used it. I told him the weather man had said the winds were due to rise later in the day, meaning the waves ought to pick up. He smiled and scooted over in the sand, a gesture meant to offer me a seat. Okay, we had a thousand miles of coast line and it wasn't like he needed to move over so I could sit, the gesture meant something else.
I sat. We stared at the ocean. My cock got hard. His presence overwhelmed me. He looked about sixteen, I am thirteen. Not too far apart in age, but miles apart in social structure.
And then he said something that blew me away. "I got fucked out here last night and lost my virginity." He laughed, suggesting it wasn't what he had thought it would be. My body was already there, now my mind caught up.
Did he mean he had a girl here last night and they did the deed, or did he mean what he said literally, as in he got fucked with a cock up his ass. The language barrier, his and mine, we didn't understand one another...and there was no way I was going to ask...at least not politely.
"So how was it?" My attempt to get him to clarify, and amazingly he did with two words. "It hurt." Okay, then he did get fucked in his ass...but why was he telling me? I recall looking at him and my face certainly betrayed my thinking.
"Ya...It was fag stuff," he said. "But he paid me good for it."
I'm sure my mouth dropped open because he laughed and said "What?"
I couldn't criticize, my cock was already hard and if I'd had a hundred dollars I would have fucked him too. I don't know how much he made; it was none of my business.
The fag word worried me, but he'd used it to identify his actions. What was I supposed to think? I didn't know if a straight guy would do it for money, I wouldn't and I was pretty sure I was gay. Unfortunately I wanted to know more...and why had he told me in the first place?
"I didn't know you were gay," I said.
"Oh, I'm not...it was just for the cash. I need the money and it was only sex."
Only sex? Oh yeah, that thing I've never really experienced...only sex. He was telling me this to get it off his chest, he certainly wasn't bragging about it.
"So why you telling me?" I asked.
He laughed and said he had to tell someone and I just came along at the right time. And then he went on to say that I wouldn't be telling anyone because he would beat the shit out of me if I did. Great, I was carrying my own death warrant around in my head thanks to him.
At that point he got up and walked back across the sand towards town. I watched his body move, his long hair flowing, his strong muscular back and I felt my cock go limp. His body had inspired my fantasy; his mind had shut me down."
"Danny..."
Danny looked up from his paper. "Yes?"
"The surfer on the beach...did you see him again?"
"Sure, lots of times. He always said "Hey."
"But he sounds awesome, so sexy," Andrew said.
"A straight boy with a crooked mind. I didn't want to know him after that day on the beach. Sure, his body said sun god, but his mind said fucked up. I think letting some guy screw him for money made him uglier inside, that means the outside was false advertising."
"But he needed the money, at least he had a reason," Andrew said.
Danny closed the paper and lay in across his lap. "What could be so important that selling his ass was necessary? He obviously hated what he had done, I still don't know how much he made, but does it matter? He allowed himself to be used, to be degraded by doing something that gave him no pleasure, it was only sex. God, shoot me if I ever say those words."
"I want to have some of that 'only sex' with you all the time." They both laughed.
"You want what is normal for you, for us...we're gay. Now either he was lying to me or to himself. But letting a guy fuck him ought to have been the last thing he wanted if he was straight." Danny thought a moment and then an evil leer appeared on his face. "I only wish I had been on the beach the night before, it must have been quite a show."
"That's pervy...you would have watched?"
"God yes, it would have been the best kind of fantasy material."
"You ever seen people having sex before?" Andrew asked.
Danny blushed and then nodded. Andrew was all ears after that. "Tell me."
"Now look who is perving," Danny laughed.
"Tell me," Andrew said with a growl.
"Okay...don't bite. Um, it was after the sun god incident, maybe three months later as I recall. There were these two gay guys living in the same apartment building with us. They were probably in their late twenties, maybe thirty. I used to see them all the time and one of them had a Corvette convertible. What a hot car.
"Anyways, I knew they were gay; they acted gay, especially around one another. I accept there are men who act kind of feminine even though I don't think I'll ever be like that. But Roger was more feminine, Terry had the car. I think Terry knew I was looking at him because he always had a smile for me and would stop and talk. I couldn't help but look at his muscles because he always wore tank tops.
"On the other hand, Roger was thin and pale. He wore big floppy hats and covered his skin even out at the pool, he really looked the part of the female side in that relationship.
"They had a garden apartment, which meant they were on the ground floor with a fenced- in yard. I know Roger did some gardening because I could see flowers through the back gate when he left it open.
"I was out late one night, a night I remember that Bobby and I had been fooling around over in that storeroom again. We did that fairly frequently, mainly because I was always hoping he would let us get one step further and that night he had let me suck him. You will recall he didn't like the way I did it so the evening was a bust.
"I was on my way home, it was just about dark and I was already late. Something kept nagging at the back of my mind and just before I got home I realized what it was. This was Mom's birthday and I had nothing to give her...nada, I had completely forgotten.
"I had no present and I felt like crap as I walked by Roger's garden. Then it hit me...the flowers. Maybe I could take only a few and they wouldn't be missed. And if they were then I would apologize to Roger and explain why I had done it.
"I tripped the latch on the gate and peeked inside. Their patio doors were closed but the curtains were open and I could see them sitting in their living room. The flowerbed was close to the gate so I thought the risk was acceptable. I snuck inside and shut the gate.
"I had snapped off maybe a half a dozen nice flowers, and a rose or two when I looked up and saw Roger move over to the couch beside Terry. They were maybe twenty feet away through the glass and I was crouched in the corner where the fence and the wall came together. The first thing I noticed was that Terry was only wearing his boxers.
"Yes, he was quite muscular, but the muscle I saw most was his cock standing straight up. Roger kissed him and went to his knees between Terry's legs. They were right there in front of me and I froze, I had to watch. No, I wanted to watch.
"Roger seemed to inhale Terry's cock; the whole thing went down his throat. I sat down against the fence to give my erection a chance to stretch out. So Roger gave Terry head for a while and then stood up and removed his shorts. His ass was small and firm and he straddled Terry, sitting right down in the man's lap. At that point I put the flowers down and unzipped myself. No way could I ignore this, I was going to enjoy myself a little with this show in front of me.
"Roger eased himself down and I could plainly see Terry was inside him. Roger had his back to the glass and I watched them go at it. My cock was so hard it took me all of three minutes to shoot and they were just getting started. I watched for a while and then decided I had better scoot out of there while they were still busy.
"I grabbed the flowers and slipped through the gate, thinking I had made a clean getaway. My Mom liked the flowers, it made her day. But that next morning after I went out I saw Terry at his car and he motioned me over. He mentioned that someone had taken some of Roger's flowers the night before and I admitted to the crime.
"He asked me when I had done it and I told him right after dark. He said he thought he had seen motion out in the yard about that time but that he had been busy. I must have blushed ten different shades of red and all he did was smile. And then he said something I'll never forget.
"Just as long as it was you, Danny. I would hate for anyone else to see what we did."
"I understood right then that he knew I was gay and it felt so good. Finally someone knew about me and it felt grand."
"Did you ever talk to him about those feelings?" Andrew asked.
"No, wish I had, but he never gave me the chance. I got the feeling that he worried about me, or being alone with me. I remember walking into the laundry room and he was the only one there. He seemed to be in the middle of folding the laundry but he just walked out and left it there."
"Strange, do you think he was keen for you and was just afraid of that?" Andrew asked.
"I don't know, but he had Roger, why would he think anything about me?"
"Young handsome boy, gay men are keen for that sort of thing. At least that's what I've heard."
"I don't think that's right," Danny said. "To him I was just some little kid; he never treated me any other way. He wasn't a perv, he was just gay."
Andrew laughed. Moving over he lay down with his head in Danny's lap. He looked up and with such an innocent smile said, "Well you're gay and a perv, we've got enough evidence for that. Wanna perv on me?"
Danny attacked the boy, tickling him until there were tears streaming down his face. What followed could under some circumstances be called a rape, but that would have meant that one of them wasn't willing...Andrew was always more than willing.
The clothes flew, the condoms came out and for only the third time Danny felt himself edge a little closer to heaven. Andrew sat in his lap this time, riding the horn he called it. Curious expression but most apt. Funny those Australians.
And this time when Danny was done he knew the next time he wanted to be on the bottom. They lay in one another's arms and Danny expressed that desire.
"You want me to stick you?" Andrew said, and then he giggled. "To be honest, I never did it before."
"What...never? You mean the expert has a hole in his pedigree?" Danny laughed.
"That doesn't sound right, I've just always enjoyed being on the receiving end of sex. I'll do it if that's what you want." Andrew sounded a little upset.
"Aww...don't be mad at me. I'm only teasing. Of course I love being the one to give you so much pleasure; I just wondered what it would be like. Are you afraid I'll like it so much I won't go back?"
"I know you'll like it, and I am the expert in that field of study. I just...well I'm not as big as you; maybe it won't feel as good."
Danny leaned down and kissed the boy's lips, then broke into a smile. "And how would I know what feels good, I've never done it before? I want every inch of you inside of me and that will be enough for me to understand what you feel. Maybe it will make me better when I do it to you?"
"Now why didn't you just say that at the beginning, there's always room for improvement."
He got tickled for that and they made a mess when the condom spilled out on the carpet. Danny got a washcloth and scrubbed at the stains. He knew the porter would be suspicious if he saw that.
It was just before noon when the train crossed the Texas boarder. Danny had gone back to his newspaper and Andrew had picked up his sketchbook. He was refining the drawing of Danny when they pulled to a stop in Lafayette, the first town in Louisiana. Casually Andrew looked up through the window.
"Whoa...what is that?" he said.
Danny looked up and stared out the window, "What?"
"That magnificent tree...what is it?"
Across from the station platform was a huge tree, branches drooping and loaded with strands of moss.
"It's a cypress, I've seen pictures of them before," Danny said.
But Andrew was already at work, a clean page in his book open and a sketch of the tree already underway. Danny smiled, the boy was amazing. There was a soft knock at the door and Danny was glad they were dressed; he got up to open it.
"Hey guys, we're going for a sandwich, want something?" Alice asked.
"Yeah, Mom...but he's a little busy at the moment."
Alice came in and sat down beside Andrew. She looked at the page and then up through the window at the tree. The boy's hand was quick and steady, the tree coming to life on the page. She smiled and watched him work.
A jerk and the train began to move, the tree slowly sliding away. But Andrew had the picture captured in his mind and he finished it best he could. Finally he sat back with a sigh.
"That's beautiful, sweetie," Alice said. "You have so much detail, and we only stopped for what...five minutes?"
"It was a great tree, I had to draw it," Andrew said. And quite absent mindedly he turned the page back to the drawing of Danny. He realized what he had done only after Danny's mom got a good look at it.
"Sorry," Andrew said, closing the sketchpad.
Alice smiled on the outside although her mind was racing. Well what did she expect; she'd known it was going to happen. Seeing her son posing like that, the nudity, had...she wasn't upset, it was more like disturbed. Of course her little boy was grown, she'd know his body had matured...it's just that she had never seen him like this.
"I guess I'll just have to wait until you're finished, I don't want to spoil the surprise," she said.
Her son had matured quite nicely if Andrew's sketch was to be believed as an honest appraisal of the human form. It was a shock, but on more than one level. Yes her son was nude, physically mature and long past puberty...that was apparent. But it also meant that he and this boy were having sex, she was sure of that now. With a body like that who wouldn't want to have sex?
And of course there was this amazing little genius of an artist sitting beside her, the one who had captured her son in all his glory. Could Danny really be in a sexual union with someone so much smaller...so frail? She couldn't think of the boys like that, it would disturb her to no end. Better just to accept that they had found one another and that the relationship was fruitful. Oh God, why did she think of it in those terms?
Danny spoke first. "Mom, are you okay?"
Alice almost blushed. She had been sitting there silently, worrying her son. "Yes dear, I'm fine. Lunch?"
Elisabeth took one look at her friend when they all walked into the club car and knew something was up. Alice smiled but she was pale underneath that apparent bravado. She gave Elisabeth a look and shook her head negatively, they would discuss it later. Elisabeth looked at her son and didn't see anything amiss.
They had a sandwich and chips. Not the good kind of chips Andrew assured them, and he went on to explain the English version of chips.
"I drew this tree, Mum; it was just outside the window at our last stop. Did you see it?"
"No dear, I was busy giving Alicia a sink bath. Was it a nice tree?"
"A cypress, my first ever...what an amazing thing."
"Andrew is very gifted, he captured the very essence of that tree in about five minutes," Alice said.
So that was it, Andrew had been about his sketching. Oh Lord, Alice had seen something and it was upsetting her. Elisabeth could only imagine knowing that Andrew drew just about everything he saw.
With lunch over she virtually dragged Alice back to their compartment, leaving the boys playing cards.
"What is it?" Elisabeth demanded to know.
"Your son's drawing...he is so good. I saw the sketch he did of Danny, just a glimpse...but that was enough."
"The nude...he's started already I imagine? So...you knew it was going to happen."
Alice couldn't smile; all she could do was see little Danny in her arms as a baby. "I saw my son's naked body...his mature naked body in very fine detail. It shocked me, it didn't upset me...but then I started thinking about our boys, you know....together."
"And that upset you...I understand," Elisabeth said.
"I was like...whoa, Danny is very mature and big down there...and your Andrew...well I don't know how it works, won't he get hurt?"
Elisabeth smiled. "I'm sure they'll work it out somehow, they're both very creative. And as for Andrew, he knows what it's all about; he won't do anything to hurt himself. I bought him condoms you know."
"Condoms...Oh My God...yes, they have to use those," Alice said.
"And they will, dear...they're smart boys. Look, Alice, we have to trust them, we agreed on that. It's not right for us to sit around worrying when all they are doing is discovering one another and sharing the love they feel.
"And they've probably gone past the kissing stage already; they had a night alone together. I expect that if something were amiss that Andy would come and tell me, we're like that. As for the nude, let it develop, Andy will do a handsome job of it and I will be proud of his achievement...so will your son."
"It's really about what they want, isn't it? They're not babies anymore, they're almost men," Alice said.
"Well they're still boys and at that age I'm not always sure they think with the head they have on their shoulders. Boys are very sexual creatures, I'm sure we'll have to be cautious not to catch them in the act." Elisabeth laughed. "So...um, how mature is your son...huge mature?"
"Oh My God, he looked bigger than his father. You don't think Andrew exaggerated the details do you?" Alice said, and then she laughed as well.
"No, he's blatantly honest. If your son had a ten incher than that's what he would have drawn. You're not saying he's that big?"
"Hell no, I would have been passed out on the floor if I'd seen that in his drawing. But his work is amazing; he caught the essence of Danny in that pose."
"We both have much to be thankful for, Alice...very thankful."
Andrew paused in the game, he was losing anyway. "Your mom got a glimpse of the nude, I think it upset her."
Danny smiled. "Good, now maybe she'll stop thinking of me as a little kid."
"Nothing little about what she saw," Andrew laughed. "Did she know? I mean did she know how well equipped you are, has she seen it before?"
"Nope, not in years, I've been very careful," Danny said.
"My Mum sees me all the time, I even let her examine it closely last month before we packed up."
"Okay...and why would you do that?"
"She just wanted to make sure there were no problems with my maturing process. Her words not mine. She handled my balls and all that medical stuff, and of course being the dirty little sod I am it got hard. She said I was perfectly normal." Andrew smiled. "I can't imagine your mother doing that."
"Or me allowing it," Danny said. "You have a good thing going with your mother."
"Yes...hey, maybe I can get her to examine your bits."
"Pass...moving right along...Spades, I beat you again," Danny said.
"Oh yes, beat me, whip me...make me do naughty things, " Andrew laughed.
"What a crazy boy...I love you," Danny said.
"Nothing crazy about me loving you."
Chapter Six
"New Orleans....New Orleans, next stop," the conductor announced.
Andrew and Danny looked up from their game as Mr. Anderson walked through the club car.
"About twenty hours and we'll be in Miami," Danny said.
"Hurrah, I've had about enough of this train business," Andrew said
"Ditto, it sure gets old fast...like everything moving all the time. It must be around four o'clock."
They'd watched the landscape change all day, the swamps, the cypress trees, the swamps...and still they didn't see one single alligator. They'd had a conversation with a man who claimed you could see the gators teeming out there in the swamps. The boys had spent an hour peering through the windows before they figured out the man was pulling their leg.
The only gators they had seen were on billboards advertising "Gator Land"..."Gator Alley"..."Gator Swamp," but nothing of the real variety. There were gators in Florida and they promised to go find themselves a few.
New Orleans was another long stopover but neither of them felt like a walk in the heat outside the cars. Besides, it was raining out there and the dark clouds overhead looked ominous.
They retired to their compartment knowing that dinner was only two hours away; one of the moms would come find them. Danny didn't want to read and Andrew wasn't inclined to draw. It was too early for any more sexual activity...what could they do?
"We could do another sink bath or take a nap, what do you want to do?" Andrew asked.
"All we do is sleep and I don't feel dirty yet. I want to bathe before we go to bed so my smelly feet don't drive you bonkers."
"That's considerate of you. How about a story?" Andrew suggested.
"Ya, how about one? You know all about me...I know little about you. I bet there are some delicious things you don't want to tell me," Danny laughed.
"Um...well you know about Jerry, that was the biggie. Okay, I'll tell you about my mates at school...bunch of wankers the lot. But some real gems in there too, I had few close friends.
"Freddy was probably the closest, but he was always in trouble. We had to wear uniforms to school, you know, button down shirt, a tie, dressy pants...Freddy just never got it right. All the time he was unbuttoned, dirty tie, scruffy pants, stains on his knees and what I quickly identified as cum on the tails of his shirt. Anything like that got the teachers after him day after day.
"I thought maybe he was dyslexic, like thinking backwards all the time, couldn't get the right kit together, but not so. It seems Freddy just wouldn't change but he was a dear. So we dodged out one day at lunch and took a walk to his house. Well if you must know, he wanted a smoke, cigarettes mind you, not weed.
"We walked like two miles and I knew we weren't going to make it back in time for the bell, but we kept on. Seems he lived closer to the school but that we had to take this long ways round for some reason. He just wouldn't tell me what it was for.
"So we get to his house and he feeds me chips and soda while he smokes out on the deck next to his dad's barby grill. Seems that's where his dad smokes so another butt in the tray won't matter, his mum is violently against smoking.
"We're already late for the afternoon session so we go up to his room and mess around on his bed. Ya, Freddy and I wanked together on occasion, he had a right big willy and he shot off quite well which I hadn't gotten around to doing yet.
"I see the inside of his closet and there are at least three other uniforms in there, all spanking new looking. And here was Freddy in his messed up one looking like hell and sure to get the paddle once again. I was confused, but we had to get back...after he had another smoke.
"So we start to walk back and I realized where we were and said if we went down past the shopping center we would come out right behind the school. Freddy said we couldn't go that way and I said right, we have to or be seriously late. He didn't want to go and so I sorta dragged his butt along.
"We get down to the shopping center and beside it is a garage. Out front sits this old man with a cane, I thought he was blind from the looks of him. Freddy gives me a look and starts to walk on past when the old man yells."
"Freddy...get your ass over here, boy."
"Freddy seems like he is about to run but then he goes over to the man. I lay back, not really sure what is happening. The man says something about twice in the same day will give him great pleasure. And then he proceeds to snap his cane across Freddy's bottom a few good whacks.
"Okay, I was not going to allow some guy to beat on one of my friends, especially some old man from whom Freddy could certainly run away. I went over and snatched the cane away and threw it down, tugging on Freddy's shoulder to get him away from the man.
"But Freddy resisted and told me he had to stay. The man picked up his cane and gave me a bad look, then he smacked Freddy again and the boy fell down in the dirt and grease of the yard. I yelled at the guy to stop or I was going to call the police. He smiled and said I should just go on then and call them, but that Freddy would be upset.
"Freddy got five slaps with that cane and then the man sat down again like nothing was amiss. Freddy stood up, brushed himself off and said we could go. I said no, the man needed to be arrested. And then that's when the man told Freddy to go on and tell me.
"Tell me what I couldn't imagine. So Freddy began to get angry, not at the man but at himself. He called himself some pretty harsh names and in the midst of that tirade the story came out.
"Freddy had slipped in the garage a few months back when no one was there. He'd helped himself to some of the candy on the counter, a few of the pennies in the collection jar for the Orphan's Fund, and then discovered a few girlie magazines under the counter. So he sat himself down for a wank and was just in the process of making a mess when the old man came in from the back room where he had been sleeping.
"Here's Freddy, pants down, going at it, his mouth full of candy and the pennies bouncing all over the floor when the man catches him. The man was all for calling the coppers but Freddy pleads his case and says he'll pay for everything. They strike a bargain on the spot.
"Freddy agrees to a caning every morning on the way to school, which I understood the old man seemed to enjoy, and the guy won't call the cops or tell his mother what he did. The old man nods his head and smiles, saying Freddy has been keeping up his end of the bargain so far, did I want to spoil it?
"It was then that I noticed that Freddy was fully erect in his pants and that there was a dampness spreading across his fly. The boy had messed himself and I could smell the sperms. I realized that the beating had aroused him to the point of ejaculation and it felt strange to know this.
"So to end this story, Freddy and I go back to school and the headmaster gives us both a paddling, but only Freddy has a smile on his face when the man is done. I tell you, it changed the way I thought of the boy after that. Whenever we wanked I used to spank his bottom which seemed to greatly increase the outcome for him."
"Okay, Freddy sounds too weird, he enjoyed the spankings and it turned him on...but you spanking him. Andrew how could you?"
"Mostly because when I did Freddy would blow me afterwards. And the old man was in with it too, he and Freddy used to get together on the weekends. The man would spank him with a rolled up porn magazine and Freddy would blow the guy. From his point of view they had a good thing going," Andrew said.
"That's plain sick. The guy was molesting him and getting away with it."
"But it's what Freddy wanted; I understand that, I did the same with Jerry. I know it's probably wrong, even illegal, but when you find something that works for you, I mean really gets you off...it's irresistible."
"Doesn't make it right. I know there were adults looking at me when I went to the park. I think all kids get that feeling. But you can walk away from it, you have to," Danny said. "Your spanking Freddy is something different, weird maybe, but then that's what you guys decided to do with your sexual play."
"Well it was fine for him. I am not keen to get spanked. Dad used to do it, Mum never has," Andrew said.
"And here you've turned out to be such a fine young man. Mom spanked me a few times when I was little, but only with her hand. And when I was done crying she held me and said she loved me. I never hated her for that, I probably deserved it."
"I love you too, will you spank me now?"
"It's not funny. I think parents should be able to spank their kids," Danny said. "It's like a ritual and once it's over you know they still love you, it wasn't about hate at all."
"Okay, if I'm bad will you spank me and then love me?" Andrew said with a laugh.
"You're impossible. I'll tell your mom if you need a spanking." They both laughed at that.
New Orleans was behind them and they traveled east. At one point Danny looked out the window and called for Andrew's attention. "I think that's the ocean out there...um, the Gulf of Mexico, but still an ocean."
"Keen, we should be in Florida soon," Andrew said.
"Yeah, one more night and we get to Miami for lunch. Did you travel far in Australia?"
"Oh yeah, we went out into the bush a few times, all the way to Uluru Park...um, Ayres Rock on one trip. That's halfway cross the continent. Big damn rock sticking up in the middle of nowhere, but the Aboriginals think it is sacred.
"It's a long ways by road so we flew in a small plane like the tourists do. I met some Americans there from New York. Once they discovered that I was a native they asked me all kinds of questions. Mostly they were interested in roos and wallabies which we never saw, pretty shy animals."
"I know that rock you mean, big damn thing out in the desert," Danny said.
"Yeah, the bush country isn't all desert, there are lots of plants and things. Most of the people in Australia live along the coast. Out in the bush it's pretty harsh living I understand, and not for me. Brisbane is a coastal city; there are some wicked beaches there."
"Florida has lots of sand too, probably more beaches than California. Did you ever do any art work with sand?" Danny asked.
"Oh, you mean like sand castles? No, but I did see this contest they had on the beach, guys were making huge sculptures and they gave away prizes. I'm not much at sculpting, or anything to do with clay, I stick to water color and oils," Andrew said.
"You must have started young to be this good now, how old were you when you did your first art work?"
Andrew laughed. "I drew on my bedroom wall when I was standing up in my crib. My dad was pissed, but it was only chalk, it came right off. I was maybe two at the time. My first real artwork was at pre-school, the teacher freaked out. "
"Oh God, what was it...a nude?"
Andrew stuck out his tongue. "Poop on you, it was a flower...and a very nice one at that. They gave me coloring books like all kids that age but I wouldn't use them, I wanted blank paper. And crayons were terrible, they smeared and all that crap, I demanded colored pencils.
"My mum bought me all that stuff and I don't think the school was happy with her decision until I drew that flower. She says they still have it hanging in the front office. Then there was Mr. Yamamoto, the art teacher when I was in primary school. It was a public school...um, that means a private school here in the States.
"He was the art teacher who saw my work first, and he immediately wanted to give me private lessons. Nice Japanese man, good artist too. He taught me all about water colors and ink, that's still my favorite medium."
"So your art started with flowers, nature stuff...when did you graduate to people?" Danny asked.
"Yamamoto took his class to the Queensland gallery downtown and I saw all kinds of new things there. They had impressionistic paintings, copies of famous French artists from the Paris school and then some English stuff which were mostly portraits.
"I could tell that painting people would be a huge challenge. Faces are all so different, just getting the expressions right would take a lot of skill. Yamamoto taught me about anatomy, posing people, facial structure; all while I was between the age of six and ten...he was a wizard."
"You told me you painted your mom, when was that?" Danny asked.
"Two years ago, I was eleven. I had been sketching her all along. I have dozens of drawings of her face...even a few of her boobs."
"Nasty boy....she let you?"
"Sure, I asked. See I had this idea and it backfired. I was going to do this nude of her and give it to dad as a present. Don't ask me why, maybe I thought it would solve their problems. So I did the sketch, made a watercolor from it and gave it to dad."
Andrew paused there and a sad look came over his face. "I framed it and everything before I wrapped it up. He gave me this curious look as he tore off the paper and then he just stared at it. Next thing I knew he slammed it on the table breaking the frame until he could get his hands on the paper...then he tore it into pieces."
There were tears in Andrew's eyes. "He slapped me across he face and said I was wicked. Not naughty mind you, but wicked...and that only a little pervert like me would enjoy doing art like this. I ran to my room and cried until mum came home.
"She took one look at the welt on my face and threw him out of the house. He didn't want to leave and she called the coppers so finally he did." Andrew's tears streaked his face, "I haven't seen him since then."
Danny held the boy and let him cry. What an awful creature the father, he didn't recognize the boy as anything valuable when there was so much talent, so much good in his heart. Danny was sure his father never would have hit him like that, but then he never knew his dad. But even if he could draw, Danny knew he would never have drawn a nude of his mother in the first place.
Andrew and his mother had a special bond. Maybe she was too free and easy with her son, but the boy had grown up just fine. Danny held on until Andrew stopped crying.
"I'm sorry," Andrew said, wiping his face.
"I'm sorry too, what a terrible thing to happen. Maybe it would be best if we both just stay out of grown up things until we get older. I don't think my father would ever have hit me like that," Danny said.
Andrew smiled, "Mum got him back real good this time...I never want to see him again."
"So don't, it's your choice now. We both have a new life waiting for us in Miami. I think we should make the most of it."
Andrew drew close and kissed him, Danny responded and they lay back on the cushions. It was nice like this, holding on and kissing. Danny knew that life was going to be so different now, Andrew would assure that. A new place, new home and a new love...couldn't get much better than this.
They sat for dinner and watched the lights of Tallahassee come on as the sun set. They would be in Jacksonville sometime during the night where their sleeper cars would be added to the southbound train. By dawn they would be in mid state, with Miami six hours further on.
Conversation at the table was about living in Florida and the boy's ears paid close attention.
"Andy's Uncle Ronny has a condo on the beach. Always knew my brother would come in handy like this someday," Elisabeth said. "But he's all alone since his wife passed on three years ago; she was only forty-eight, poor dear. But Ron said he's been enjoying life, met some new people through his work."
"What does he do?" Alice asked.
"Investment banker, stodgy stuff I imagine, country club and all that. But he'll help us find a place right soon after we get there. I sold the Brisbane house for a nice sum, which was a comfort. How long has your aunt lived in Florida?"
"Rita is a native, not too many of those I imagine," Alice said. "She married my father's brother back in the thirties, right after the Great Depression. That man saved every extra penny he had and Rita did the investing. She doesn't have a thing to worry about now, except which cruise she'll take this year."
"I want to retire in comfort, that's why Andy has to become a famous artist. Then he can support me in my old age." Elisabeth ruffed up the boy's hair. "Listen to me boy; your mum is talking about your future."
The women laughed and Andrew feigned boredom with a yawn, but then he giggled. "So what does Alicia have to do for you?"
"She'll marry a prince and live happily ever after," Elisabeth said. Alicia sat up and smiled with ice cream on her face. Life was good at such a young age. The little one had come late in the marriage even though Elisabeth swore she'd never have another child with that bastard husband. But she had two delightful children, he was the loser.
"Well I imagine Rita will welcome our presence. I'm not sure we can afford to live anywhere else, and besides the surgery, I really came down to watch after her. She turns eighty-seven this year."
"Then she needs you, her life must be difficult," Elisabeth said.
"No too difficult I'm sure. She has a housekeeper and a driver on call; the photos of the new house make it look enormous. I just hope Danny doesn't get lost on the way to the bathroom."
"Aw, Mom. She's been saying that since I was four and I had that little accident." Danny said, looking at his mother. "Go on and tell them, you tell everyone else about it."
Alice smiled. "He was four and had a little accident in the living room. He told me he couldn't find the bathroom so he peed on the carpet."
Danny smiled and looked at Andrew. "Whew, glad that's over with. Go on, you can laugh now."
Andrew smiled, "Nope, it's cute."
"Bravo," Alice said, "That's what I always tell him too."
"Oh great, now you're on her side," Danny said.
"Good idea, Andrew can be my partner for Bridge, did you bring the cards?" Alice said.
The boys groaned, they were really beginning to hate that game. They played for a few hours and Alice and Andrew came out on top. Danny kept confusing his opening bids, leaving himself and his partner in the hole. Elisabeth didn't mind, it was all for fun.
They retired to their compartments around ten. Breakfast would be at eight and by noon they would arrive in Miami. That was the best thing Danny had heard all day.
Their final night together on the train was a happy occasion. There would soon be nights in a bed that didn't rock back and forth and make them feel every bump in the old track bed. They undressed and went through the sink bath routine once again for the last time. Danny paid special attention to his feet which he could smell the minute he took his shoes off. Andrew had no such problem.
"Mom says it's because I am maturing, I sweat from every pore now," Danny said.
"Makes sense, you're a hairy beast already," Andrew giggled.
"Your turn is coming, I need deodorant after a shower or my pits stink. Wish we had something better than these tiny bars of white soap."
"We'll both get a proper shower tomorrow, I can't wait...I adore hot water," Andrew got this heavenly look on his face and pretended to be luxuriating under a shower head. Danny slapped his ass with a wet wash cloth.
"You go to your uncle's and I go to Rita's...how long before I see you again" Danny asked.
"Mum said your mother would go right in for surgery. I would think all of two days at most. I'll push a bit on my end, you do the same. Whatever works, I'll come to your aunt's if you want."
"We'll figure it out, nothing to worry about," Danny said. "I have to be quick before you find some hot guy out there on the beach."
Andrew paused and turned, placing a hand on Danny's chest. "Those days are over, I have what I want. I love you...no one takes your place."
Danny smiled and kissed the boy. What a romantic Andrew was, Danny saw that at every turn. He wasn't afraid of losing this one. They dried themselves off and exited the tiny bathroom, securing the door so it wouldn't slam around all night long.
They lay under the covers, thoughts percolating in their minds, but neither of them spoke. They touched, and hugged...and in the silence of their room they fell blissfully asleep. The train rattled on through the night, passing through sleepy little towns in the Florida panhandle.
It was dark when Danny awoke to...silence, their movement had stopped. His mind attempted to figure out what was happening. There was a bump which shook the car and they rolled for less than a minute, stopping again with another bump.
Jacksonville, they were joined up with another train to head south. He heard Andrew's measured breathing and knew he should just go back to sleep. But so much had happened, so many good things. Here in his arms was the best thing of all.
His life would change now, it had already begun. Miami would be a chance to start over, and this time he wouldn't be alone. His short time with Andrew had given him a whole new outlook on life. His mother was a changed person, and Mrs. Mallory was the nicest lady he'd ever met.
Another bump, a bigger one and the train started to roll forward. He felt Andrew move and realized the boy was awake too.
"We're headed south now...Miami here we come," Danny said.
"Good...what time is it?" Andrew asked.
"Late, maybe two in the morning."
"Oh, we fell asleep...I was just thinking about you and then I was out. I didn't even kiss you goodnight."
Danny leaned over and kissed Andrew behind the ear, and then on his neck. "Go back to sleep. We'll have plenty of time for kissing when you wake up."
Andrew smiled, then rolled over and they kissed. The boy was so tender, so damn sexy it was a wonder they did anything except have sex.
"I love you...you gonna go back to sleep?"
Danny sighed; he really should, if only his mind would cooperate. "I'll sleep if you do...I love you too." They snuggled down together and drifted off.
Andrew responded to the soft knocking at their door the following morning. He noticed the sun was up as he slid out of bed. Stooping to grab his boxers, he pulled them on before opening the door.
"Good morning, Dear," His mother said. "We're going to breakfast in the dining car; do you want to join us?"
"Yes Mum, fantastic idea." He looked back at the bed realizing that Danny was sprawled naked, the covers off and everything on display. His mother reached out and patted his cheek
"Lucky sod," was all she had to say and Andrew blushed several shades of red. But at the same time he was proud, her approval meant everything.
"Join you in a few," Andrew said and he heard her chuckle as he slid the door closed.
She was right, he was a lucky sod. Looking down at the sleeping form he felt the warmth of emotion sweep over him. Danny was beautiful like this, an amazing creature. He knew if the mothers weren't waiting he would pounce on the boy and have his way. But that body belonged to him now, he didn't have to be anxious about it. Well maybe a little tease to wake the boy might be nice.
Andrew leaned down and tickled the end of Danny's cock with his tongue. That brought about an immediate change, the organ swelling and flopped up onto the boy's belly. Andrew followed the move, his mouth encircling the head as he slid it back into his throat.
"Hmmm, don't stop there," Danny said as Andrew pulled back.
"We don't have time; the ladies are waiting in the dining car."
"Aww God, what a tease," Danny moaned. His hand went down to cover his stiffness as he rolled out of bed.
Danny went off to pee while Andrew rummaged through his bag for some clothing. The toilet flushed and Danny returned, his cock still hard as could be.
"See what you've done? Maybe we ought to skip breakfast," Danny said.
"Ya right, try explaining that one to your mother," Andrew laughed.
"I'll get you back later," Danny said. He pulled on his briefs and the bulge seemed to stretch the fabric to the breaking point. It wasn't much better when he pulled up his jeans.
"My Mum saw you naked when she opened the door," Andrew said.
"What? Oh God, what did she say?" Danny said. Andrew's comment was having the expected effect, he was going soft.
"She said it was too bad you were gay," Andrew said with a straight face.
"Oh no, she didn't?"
"Ya. I suppose if you ever get tired of me you can get something going with her."
Danny laughed. "Thank God, now I know you're lying. Did she really see me...all of me?"
Andrew giggled. "Just the best parts."
Danny blushed. It would be difficult to face Mrs. Mallory after this. They walked up to the dining car passing the conductor along the way.
"Morning boys. We'll be in Miami in about three hours, have a good night?"
Danny could not look the man in the eye, did he know something? Andrew greeted Mr. Anderson with his usual enthusiasm and smiled. They walked into the dining car and saw the women sitting at a nearby table.
"Morning, sweetie," Danny's mother said, "Sleep well?"
"Yes, I woke only when they changed the train cars around."
Andrew's mother smiled. "Yes, that woke us too. All of a sudden it became quiet; I think that's what did it."
"Well tonight we get to sleep in a real bed, Thank God." Alice said. "Sit down, let's order you some breakfast."
It was easily ten minutes before Danny could look at Andrew's mother, but when he did he saw nothing in her eyes to feel ashamed about. Okay, she'd seen him naked; just wait until Andrew was finished with that painting, nothing to hide. Of course he hadn't even seen the sketch, and he wondered if Andrew would show it to him.
Danny's mother said they should get washed up after breakfast and put on some nice clothes before meeting Rita at the station. Andrew wondered if his uncle was meeting them but his mother said she doubted it, this was a work day for the man.
"Can Aunt Rita give them a ride?" Danny asked.
"I don't know, but I will ask her," Alice replied.
"Oh no, don't go out of your way," Elisabeth said, "We'll grab a taxi."
"No, dear, if they have the room I'm sure Rita won't mind, we just have a lot of baggage I suppose. Besides, I think Danny would like to see where you'll be staying."
Alice could almost feel the anxiety of separation falling between the boys. Just knowing where Andrew lived would certainly help Danny feel better. She wasn't sure when they would see one another again, it might be days. Just knowing she was concerned would help Danny understand that she was supportive of his new friend.
What did one call two teenage boys in love...lovers? Boyfriends? It had hardly seemed necessary to think about that before, but she had to now. Her son had chosen a partner, an exceptional boy at that, and she could only feel what any mother should, she had to make it work for him.
She and Elisabeth had been up late talking about their sons' future. The fact that they were both gifted meant their needs were important and education was a priority. Alice had never thought about putting Danny in a private school before, but this was all going to change. Having Elisabeth's support, Alice knew they would try and find a place that both boys could attend. Keeping them together seemed to be the only practical solution.
Individually they would struggle for many reasons, not the least of which was the gay side of their lives. Elisabeth had convinced her that being gay wasn't the whole part of a person, just a sexual preference. It was hard enough for one boy to struggle with the feelings, as a couple these boys would need careful guidance.
Finding a school that would adapt to their needs was paramount. They were both sure there were several schools that would welcome two boys with artistic ability and good grades, and of course the tuition would be stiff. Rita could handle that with ease, she'd already made such a commitment. Alice had been shocked when she found out how much Elisabeth had stashed away.
After breakfast they returned to Alice's compartment, it was time to tell the boys what they had planned.
"Alice and I have been up half the night, I'm afraid," Elisabeth began. "It seems we have a task ahead of us. The surgery will keep your mother in bed for a while, Danny, and so you will stay with us until she feels better. I think that means you boys will only be apart for a day or two, however long it takes to get us settled in.
"Meanwhile, Alice and I have decided that you two ought to be at the same school together." Both boys seemed terribly excited by now. This was all turning out grand. "But that means we have to trust you to do what is right.
"Being gay means being in control of your emotions at all times when around others. Being in love makes that difficult. Love is not an exclusive feeling that you boys discovered. Danny, your mother and I have both been through difficult times because of love. We understand quite well what you're facing.
"But being male and gay adds a new dimension to the issue. You will not find a lot of support for your feelings amongst your classmates. So being the best of friends at all times, it will take constant attention to your behavior around one another. One kiss in the wrong place and I am sure there will be problems. Who you are to one another at home is different than the image you have to present in public. Neither of us wants to see you hurt by this. Alice?"
Danny's mother smiled. "I don't think I would be a very good mother if I didn't say I was worried about this relationship. But the more I think of it the better I feel. What you share is unique, and I'm not just talking about love.
"The both of you have talent and you deserve the chance to excel in school. We're going to find a private academy that will allow you to flourish and develop. It might take some work but we both feel you deserve it."
Her eyes grew soft and teary, the smile a little less bright. "I know this sounds silly, but I have enjoyed watching you two together, and seeing the love develop. Nothing has been more important in my life than seeing Danny grow up and realize his potential, but now that all changes...now I include Andrew in my thoughts."
Andrew was the first to reach out to her and Danny was a quick second behind. Alice was in tears now and as both boys hugged her Elisabeth moved over to join them. It was the moment they all knew that by joining their hearts and minds, Danny and Andrew had joined their families as well.
They talked for some time about schools and what the boys expected from their educations. None of them knew of any one place in particular, Miami was a strange city to them all. But they would soon find the right place or Elisabeth vowed they would get home schooling.
"Miami...Miami next stop, final stop is....Miami." Mr. Anderson called out as he walked down the corridor.
"Oh My God, we haven't packed up yet," Andrew laughed.
"We just went through Fort Lauderdale, we have time," Danny said.
"You go pack up, the porter will be around to get the luggage," Alice said. "Now scoot."
The boys laughed all the way back to their compartment.
"We'll be in the same school, how keen is that?" Andrew asked.
"Awesome, that's the best," Danny said.
They threw their stuff into their bags and made sure nothing was left behind. All of a sudden they both stopped and smiled.
"This wasn't so bad after all," Andrew said.
"It was a long ride, but I found out something I didn't know before," Danny said.
"And what's that?"
"I discovered that I could love someone and be loved in return. I'll never forget what I found on this trip...never."
They stood in the window of their tiny compartment and watched the cars on the highway as they passed. People were standing at the railroad crossings or sitting in their cars waiting for them to pass. The train was definitely slowing down now in it's approach to the station.
Danny turned and they hugged, lips finding one another in an expression of their immense joy. The world was sliding by outside but neither of them noticed. They kissed so that the whole world might see what love meant in their hearts.
"Miami...this is Miami," Mr Anderson called out. They were home.
Epilogue
Two weeks later: Alice still felt the pains in her stomach, but they were fading. The surgery had gone well with few complications, but her recovery was aided by the full time nursing care she received at the hands of Elisabeth.
The day she came home from the hospital, Elisabeth and Andrew had moved into Rita's house. Rita had been overwhelmed by the arrival of Andrew and his mother but she knew the value of good medical care and she welcomed them. She had watched the boys carefully and decided they were about the most loving pair of children that she had ever seen.
That Andrew, what an amazing talent, she decided. The boy had done a sketch of her sitting in the greenhouse with her favorite orchids. She had it propped up in her bedroom on the mantle and would get it framed very soon.
Of course she understood that the boys were gay, she wasn't senile quite yet. It was strange and something she had never encountered before. But one look at them and you could tell they were in love, and didn't all of God's creatures deserve their own place and time to love?
Andrew's uncle had found his sister a little bungalow on the outskirts of town but Elisabeth had declined. She would find her own place a little better situated and that's when Rita asked her to stay for good. The house had grown too large for one old lady, she said, it would be nice to have the company. Elisabeth couldn't refuse. The boys were ecstatic.
One year later: Danny and Andrew left their desks in the study and said good bye to the tutor on his way out the door. They had lasted all of four months in that private school. It came so highly recommended, but turned out to be less than adequate for their needs.
Rita had gone on one last cruise and passed away in luxury at a fine Dutch hotel. The news had hit Alice like a ton of bricks and she cried for days. The lawyer arrived the day after the funeral and sat them all down in the entertainment room. The man smiled and placed a DVD in the player. This was Rita's last will and testament.
Danny and Andrew had both cried at the news, they had come to love the woman for her kindness and care. But they were afraid everything would now change.
"Good evening, dear ones," Rita began. She had been taped sitting in her beloved greenhouse amidst her magnificent collection of orchids. "Please don't cry for an old lady who had so much in life. I had a wonderful marriage and unfortunately wasn't blessed with children from my dear husband. It wasn't his fault but mine...just wanted to make that clear.
"But in the past year I have been much blessed by the sounds of childish laughter in my home from two of the finest young men I have ever met. Danny...Andrew...thank you for bringing me so much joy in my final days."
She smiled and stooped to fondle a flower. "The beauty of my life surrounds me here and I owe my happiness to one person...Alice, this is meant for you. Alice Briggs has always been like a daughter to me, and now it is time for me to repay that kindness. To Alice, and therefore to Danny, I leave everything I own, lock stock and barrel.
"Whatever the legal terms are I certainly don't care to know. And Milton, I know you are there watching this so if anything goes amiss just know that I will come back to haunt you to the very end, got that clear?
"For all the love I see in the Briggs and Mallory families, I very much want them to stay together. Maybe by providing for their futures I can assure the boys will become great men, I'm very sure they will. Their potential is boundless, they have great promise together.
"So that's about it...except for one thing. I have this little sketch on my mantelpiece and it's the most wonderful thing I have ever seen. Andrew is such a fine artist. I would like for that sketch to be immortalized. I would ask that you have it engraved on my tombstone if at all possible. I would like to look down from heaven and see me in his eyes, those talented eyes.
"Now you dear people go out and have a huge dinner on me, pull out all the stops and find the most expensive restaurant you can. And somewhere in your dreams I will be smiling back at you from the other side. Let's just hope they haven't been lying to us about that too.
"Farewell my dears...have a great life just as I did. Goodbye."
There wasn't a dry eye in the room at the end of that presentation. Rita had always been a kind and compassionate woman, now she had outdone herself.
Five years later : The people seemed drawn to the display gallery on the left, the owner noticed. That was where the new works hung. He had invested a good bit of time putting this show together and there were dozens of pieces lining the walls. But everyone seemed to focus on this new artist...the boy.
Arthur had seen the products of so many artists in his life but he had to agree, this one was special and at such a young age. How many eighteen year olds could take the time and patience to accomplish such monumental works?
He had been stunned when the artist had produced his portfolio. The woman on the red chair was fantastic...and even more so when he had been told the artist had created that at such a tender age. Twelve, who could believe it?
And the nude boy. Arthur had spent half the afternoon alone with that painting. It was sensual, arousing, but not at all sexual. The details and the brushstrokes were...magnificent. It was as if the artist had memorized each detail of that body, producing the finest painting possible.
But of them all, he was drawn back to the old woman and her flowers. The smile she had on her face seemed to reach into his very heart. There was so much love in that painting it made him want to cry...and he had when no one was there to see.
The boy was a genius and Arthur couldn't wait for the show to open, and now it had. The artist himself was due at any moment and they would toast the opening with the finest champagne.
Of course the boy was gay. Arthur knew what gay looked like every time he saw himself in a mirror. But to be so young, gay and talented was a blessing. Ahh, if only he were twenty years younger...well, maybe thirty.
And through the crowd he saw the boy's face appear, that beautiful face. Andrew was without a doubt the most exceptional creature. He would be easy to market in the art world. Arthur strode forward to greet the boy and stopped dead in his tracks.
The boy...no the young man beside Andrew. My God, it's that face...the nude.
"Andrew...welcome," Arthur said. "Your paintings are a sensation."
"Arthur Morris...this is Danny Briggs...my partner."
Arthur could see it in the boy's eyes, the way they looked at one another...the way their bodies inclined towards each other. They were familiar, old friends...old lovers. Yes, he had it now. The nude had been their beginning together...it touched his heart.
"I wanted to ask you, Andrew...would you consider a larger show? You do have more work in your studio perhaps?"
"Yes, I have dozens you could choose from," Andrew said.
"I want them all, dear boy...everything. Now you must go mingle with your public, they all want to meet you. And Mr. Briggs, I hope you don't get embarrassed easily. You will be recognized I'm sure."
Danny smiled, placing his hand on Andrew's waist. "Nothing this artist has ever done embarrasses me. For if I had to choose one place to be...it would be in the reflection of his love."
They shared a smile at those words and Arthur felt like he was in the way of something beyond his control so he excused himself. Andrew and Danny walked towards the display room.
"I think Arthur fancies you," Andrew said.
"I don't care what he thinks. I just want you to fancy me," Danny said.
"That's keen. I believe I do...shall we?" And they walked into the gallery.
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