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You are here: Home > Story Shelf > All Authors > Zustara Orur > The First Son, Arc 1, Part 3

The First Son - Arc One

by Zustara Orur

PART THREE: The President, Mother, A Surprise:

We both sat on my bed, Raphaél had undressed down to his bare skin, all he wore was his heavy golden necklace now that he'd discarded his armbands, but I kept my clothes on. I wanted to talk to him, even though I knew my angel would not want to discuss that particular subject. But I knew we had to, there was no way around it. It was not easy, especially since Raphaél kept hugging me all the time, sending me silent wishes to get naked too.

"How do you feel right now?", I asked.

My angel looked at me, a small smile visible on his face. "Fine", he told me sincerely. "I'm okay now."

"But you weren't fine earlier today." The smile faded, and he was silent. Darn it, I did not want to do it, but I had to. "I worry so much about you! I can't even think of what I'd do if you hurt yourself again!"

He suddenly seemed as upset as I. "I won't...", he mumbled quietly. "I promise I won't."

I took his small body in my arms and shook him lightly. "You said that the last time too! And you still tried to commit fucking suicide! Don't deny it!" I kept thinking of the orange carpet knife that John had hidden away, the knife with it's extendable, almost paper-thin and definitely razor-sharp blade.

I hated seeing the result of my words, making him upset like that. But you see, I needed to make sure he understood what he was doing! My angel started crying just a little, shedding a few tears, and I stroked his fantastic shiny hair. "I'm sorry!", he sniffled. "I just can't live at that awful place anymore."

"Christ, Raphaél... I didn't know it was THAT bad. I'm sorry too." My angel held on to me like I was the only thing that kept him from falling down some deep crevice. He crossed his legs behind my back, his arms reached around my chest so tight it was a bit hard to breathe. "But, you know you can't stay here forever. They'll come to take you back, you know they will!"

"I don't wanna", he whispered and buried his head against my neck.

I continued to stroke his hair, and his back too, keeping it warm. I loved touching his bare skin... "It'll only be for a part of the day, my angel! We'll meet in school of course, and you can come here afterwards some days perhaps, or the weekends... Just hang in there alright?"

He shook his head, unconvinced. "I don't wanna", he repeated stubbornly. But I knew he too had resigned to the inevitable, his resistance was just a reflex action by that point.

"I'll see you in school every day, my wonderful lovely angel!", I told him and patted his butt. I was already sporting an erection, and my dick was pointing at an uncomfortable angle down in my pants which made it hurt a bit. (Girls don't know how lucky they are, with all their stuff on the inside!) I then felt Raphaél's hand touching me between the legs, and he noticed my predicament. He suddenly grinned at me, and I knew he was alright. As long as he was with me, he was safe and happy. I didn't know how he'd react when the time came for him to leave, but I'd make sure he was okay before letting go of him, and I'd be there for him all the time until then.

My angel's hands were busy unbuttoning my pants and soon my dick found relief as my angel rescued it from its uncomfortable position. I gasped as he touched me, and he giggled again in response. Getting out of my clothes didn't take me long, and when I was done, my angel pounced immediately, trying to wrestle me down and pin me on my bed. Of course, it was bound to fail since I was just a little stronger than him, but he still put up fierce resistance! It was magnificent, the way our young naked bodies touched, and soon we simply launched into a kissing-competition instead, and that ended only when we got so excited our teeth actually collided with a sharp clicking sound and we started laughing instead. I put my arms around my angel's neck and drew him in close, and we rested like that, our heads leaning on each other's shoulders.

"Hey...", I said softly. "You showed me your secret. Now let me show you mine..."

Raphaél smiled softly at me. "But Sebastian, I've already seen all of you!"

I felt curiously exhilarated at the chance. "No you haven't! Come!" I put on a pair of shorts, because it would have felt too weird doing what I was about to do all naked. I reached into one of my clothes cupboards and tossed my angel another pair too, which he got into without a fuss. I then opened one of my drawers and reached down the very bottom at the rear and retrieved a small object I'd stashed there. Then we went down into the basement where my father kept his tools and fetched a small crowbar no bigger than from my elbow to the tip of my fingers.

Up to the top floor we went again where I stopped at a locked door to a corner room of the house. Producing the key I'd kept hidden since moving in, I unlocked it and entered. The floor was a little dusty (the house had stood empty for some months before we moved in, and nobody had cleaned it since the previous owners had left), and the air was slightly stale. Along one of the walls stood a number of flat wooden boxes, all of the same size even though the paintings inside were not. Each of them contained a single image of me.

I had no idea which box contained what (they were all unlabelled), so I just started with the first I laid my hands on. Nails squealed as I forced them out of the wood with the crowbar, and the boards themselves protested at the ungentle treatment they were subjected to as I tore at them. I got the first box open, and I quickly scooped out the packing material inside (an environmentally friendly wooden wool kind of material, not those styrofoam chips most use) and reverently lifted out the first painting. It was wrapped in soft gray cloth and strings, just like all the others. I laid the unframed painting down on the floor and undid the strings, then removed the wrapping. I was glad, it was last year's piece. I was twelve years old, and quite shameless!

I saw Raphaél's pretty face flush crimson red as he looked on my father's rendition of me. "Oh my!", was all he said to begin with. "Yes, I can see why you don't show these to anyone..." He crouched down just in front of the painting and softly ran his hand across the image, feeling it with his fingers.

"I'm right here, man!", I said and grinned.

Raphaél blushed a little again. "Yeah, I know. I just wanted to know...if I could sense you, somehow. You know what I'm saying? But please, show me more!"

I started attacking another box, and in a while I'd opened them all up and arranged them in sequential order. I remembered each and every one of them, even the first one when I'd only been five years old (and even then I'd gotten a boner, jeez!).

"Hm. Yes, your father sure is talented, but some of these are quite pornographic, you know", my angel mused. He pointed at one of the two images when I'd been nine years old, and I agreed it was kind of provocative. But then again, I hadn't TRIED to make it that way, I hadn't had any idea of what was sexy or not back then anyway. I just arranged myself the way I felt like at that particular moment and I said so too. Raphaél agreed, with the addition he thought I was, as he put it, "hot". That remark won him a long, wet kiss! My angel was hot too I felt through the thin shorts he wore... I did not blame him.

The room was a mess with opened crates stacked on top of each other, and the floor covered in packing material and pieces of string. The cloths I had used to wrap up the paintings again after we'd looked at them, I didn't want to risk them getting scratched, or even dusty.

"Want to go out in the garden?", I asked. "We could laze away for a while in the sun, it would be nice."

"I think I'd like that", my angel responded. "Can we do it...you know...?" He pulled at the shorts that he was wearing.

I laughed. "You naughty you! Sure, I won't mind at all of course."

We left the room, only pausing to lock the door again and hide away the key once more. And to leave our shorts in my room. John and Matt heard us coming down the stair and were standing ready. When they caught a glimpse of us, they politely turned away.

"We're going outside now", my angel announced to them in an important voice. "Please make sure our passage is secure." He was playing the part of a statesman, ordering his bodyguards around, all with a glimmer in his eye and a grin, which only I could see. He was enjoying himself, the little rogue!

Matt and John chuckled in a good-natured manner. Matt even pretended to draw his gun, and with his hand shaped like a pistol proceeded to skulk through the house, jumping around corners and making a general fool of himself. John, me and my angel looked at the spectacle with great amusement.

"You having fun, man?", John asked his colleague as we all emerged out into the afternoon sun.

"Never played cops and robbers when you were a kid?", came the reply as the two agents again moved off to the side. They seemed to continue discussing the topic of children's games, but they never stopped being Secret Service agents either, even in the perceived safety of our back yard. My dad wasn't anywhere to be seen, probably in the kitchen fixing dinner. I saw a large cotton towel spread out on the grass, weighed down at the corners by colorful rocks that normally used to decorate the mantelpiece in the living-room fireplace. Two glasses and a pitcher of home-made lemonade stood beside it on a tray, with ice-cubes still floating around in it, so it couldn't have been there for very long (the weather was still fairly hot). I was beginning to think my dad was a mind-reader of some kind. I'd never really noticed it, but he really did have a sense for my needs (and now, our needs), and quietly took care of them to the best of his ability. I couldn't have wished for a better father, and I just took him for granted... It made me feel a little ashamed, I should really try to give him more credit in the future!

We drank lemonade, and we enjoyed the sun and the warmth, and each other. Not just our bodies of course, but the company, the safety and comfort we felt in each other's presence. We were both complete when together, we felt no worries, we had no concerns. Who could ever have wished for more, really? We were content.

But, of course, it could not last forever...

After a while, Da came and asked if we all would like some dinner. It was a bit early for that, but he still thought we might be hungry.

"No thanks", John replied. "We really have to take Raphaél back now or they'll put the national guard on alert."

My angel immediately sat up, and I saw an expression on his face that wasn't very far from that of a deer caught in the headlights of an approaching automobile. "I'm not going back!", he said in a clear, yet panicked voice, and before anyone had a chance to react, he got up from the blanket and ran off towards the house. I followed right after, as did the agents, and even my dad I think, but slower than the rest of us. I got in the way of Matt and John, slowing them down just enough so they couldn't catch my angel (maybe intentional, maybe not, I can't be certain). If I'd just been any kid, they'd pushed me down on the floor without a thought and run right over me, but something stopped them from doing so and thus they had to slow down.

My angel hastened up the stairs, me maybe twelve or fifteen feet behind and the agents right on my heels. Raphaél disappeared into my room and the door banged shut. Just as I reached it, I heard a distinct click. He'd locked it from the inside!

"I'm not going back!", I heard him yell.

John knocked on the door with his huge fist. Or rather, he almost pounded on it, and it made the flimsy door rattle in its frame. "Please let us in!", he demanded sternly. He knocked again, and I knew the big man could have broken the thing down with almost the smallest of effort.

"No! Go AWAY!", my angel screamed back in terror, and I heard that he was crying. I felt pain in my chest at hearing his voice like that.

"Please!", I told the agents and put my hands on John's arm, so he'd stop mistreating the door and thus scaring up my angel even further. "Leave him alone!" I made sure both Matt and John backed off a bit, then I turned to the door. "Raphaél... It's me", I told him. I only heard muted sobbing from within. "Please let me in, I just want to talk to you."

I heard him stop crying all of a sudden and move up to the door, and then the handle moved a little as if he put his hand on it on the other side. "Make sure they go away", he said quietly. The trust between us was absolute, I would do as he said.

I frowned at the two agents and waved them off, and surprisingly, they actually backed away towards the stair, even if only reluctantly. They walked half-way down to where my father was standing, so that only the three heads of the grown-ups were showing. "They're gone now", I said. There was a click from the lock, and I slipped inside real quick. My angel slammed the door shut again and locked it, and when he'd done that he almost collapsed in my arms, again holding on to me so tight I almost got bruises. "I'm NOT going back!", he said quietly, but with grim determination. Then he sniffled again, and I felt a tear touch the skin of my shoulder.

"You can't stay in this room forever!", I told him. "Sooner or later, you'll HAVE to go out."

My angel started shaking a little. "Please! Don't make me go back... Don't! Please?!"

"Dammit Raphaél! You're panicking!" I shook him back, carefully and almost affectionate even so it wouldn't scare him. "You're not going to faint again are you? If you do, I'll let them in you know!" The mild threat seemed to calm him down, so I led him over to the bed and made him sit down on the edge of the mattress together with me. We bounced for a few moments as we held on to each other. His eyes were red again (we both seemed to do that a lot recently). "Let's just not think about it for a while, okay? You need to calm down now..."

My angel nodded slowly, agreeing. I kept my arms around his shoulders and he leaned up against me. I felt he tried to relax, but he couldn't. Not completely. My angel's soft, pale skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and I did what I could to keep him warm as he began to shiver from the cold. We didn't speak any more.

"Bastian...?", I heard from the other side of the door. It was my dad, he sounded concerned. "Are you two all right in there?"

"Yeah, we're okay, sorta", I replied. "Raphaél's just a little upset, but we're okay. Don't worry."

Da paused for a few seconds, perhaps communicating what I'd just told him to the two Secret Service agents. "I was wondering if you wanted some food... Dinner's getting cold. You can eat it in your room if you want."

Good ol' Da...! I could not stop myself smiling. Even Raphaél seemed to perk up at the mentioning of something to eat. I looked at my angel, letting my eyes do the asking if it was okay. It was, so I got up from the bed after giving him a quick peck on a cheek and walked over to the door. "You're not trying to trick us, are you?", I asked. "Are you alone out there?"

"No tricks, Bastian. I just want you two to get something to eat, that's all." I could hear the sincerity and concern in his voice.

I had no way of checking if it was true or not, but Da had never lied to me before, and I didn't think he'd start now. I trusted him more than any other grown-up, so I unlocked the door and opened it. Da was there on the other side of the door, with a tray in his hands with two plates on it along with a glass of milk for each of us, and even a set of linen napkins just in case we'd need them. He'd even put on a shirt for once, a plain blue one, but of course forgotten to tuck it down into his pants. It flapped about his thin frame whenever he moved. "Thanks, Da...", I told him and accepted the food. I heard muted voices talking from the direction of the stairs.

"HE is on his way", I heard Matt saying quietly, apparently talking on a cellphone.

"Who?"

"Journeyman!", came the reply. "Alone! Giler's going ape-shit...!"

I didn't care enough about the discussion to try and overhear any more of it, so I just took the tray and Raphaél closed the door again (but didn't lock it). We put on some clothes, shorts and T-shirt (since we were both getting a bit chilly, especially my poor angel) and sat down at my desk, I on the three-legged stool I sometimes use when doing my fake yoga exercises, and Raphaél in the $3000+ director's chair that mom had "borrowed" from her office before we moved off east. It was new and hardly used when she gave it to me, telling me it wouldn't be missed. Her way of living up to those old ideals of sharing wealth, perhaps.

Da didn't cook meat very often, he had a soft spot for vegetarian recipes, but seafood was fairly common too. This time he'd made fish together with steamed veggies, mashed potatoes and a nice, light sauce. He was quite an accomplished cook (him having had ample time to practice through the years while mom was working all day), and both of us ate with delight. When we were done, I took the tray with the plates down to the kitchen and gave them a quick rinse before putting them in the dishwasher, and then returned to my angel. The two agents had seated themselves at the bottom of the stairs,, they weren't talking neither to me nor themselves both times I passed them. Perhaps they were mentally reviewing their CVs, in case they needed to be looking for new jobs soon or something... The mood between them seemed somber, bordering on sullen, which was a bit strange I thought. Up until then, they'd most always been somber and serious instead.

After the meal I took Raphaél out onto my balcony. He seemed to have calmed down considerably, but not completely. I did my best to comfort him by always staying really close to him, kissing him softly and touching his face and hair (something I just loved doing anyway). The early evening air was clear and rather pleasant as we leaned on the balcony rail, the sky still a fairly light blue and mostly clear of clouds. I didn't bother to mention that "Journeyman" was on his way. No point in it, and it just might upset him all over again.

"I never did tell you about the letter the Livingston twins sent me, did I?"

I looked up at my angel. It was the first words he'd spoken since before dinner even. "No, you haven't."

"It was a couple months after we last saw each other, that time when... When they were TOGETHER..." My angel's small body shuddered a little at the memory. "They wrote they were so sorry, and told me they loved me and everything. I actually think they meant it too... But I did not write back."

"My sweet angel!", I told him with sincerity and sympathy and hugged him close again. "I will always be good to you, I promise!"

Raphaél smiled softly at me. "I know that, Sebastian... I know. That's why I love you so much." And then we spontaneously kissed, just like that Tuesday in front of our house when he'd come back to finish the painting. With as much passion and tenderness, and it was just so wonderful. I think, that at that moment, my angel finally relaxed again, not worried about going back anymore. The tenseness in his body bled out of him as we held each other, he became supple again, he letting his body mould itself after mine. It was perfect, that kiss. Everything we felt for each other went into it, and it was simply perfect.

I didn't need to tell him I'd always be there for him. He knew.

Raphaél was standing against the railing, with me behind him, holding my arms around him. I was having a small erection, and I pressed myself against one of his buttocks, making sure he knew what was going on inside of me. But that was it, we just remained really close, and enjoyed the slowly cooling evening air together. Sometimes, I would put my face in his wonderful dark hair, seeking out his soft skin beneath that beautiful page he wore so beautifully, and every time I did, his face would crack up in a pretty grin as I tickled him slightly with my lips and tongue. After a while, maybe ten minutes or fifteen, I'm not sure, a car pulled up outside our house. Not mom's car, that one I recognized in an instant from the engine sound alone (you quickly learn what a German-engineered V12 with a supercharger sounds like).

"Hey... That looks just like our car!", Raphaél said with surprise, pointing down to the large, dark-blue Lincoln vehicle that had stopped right outside the walkway up to the front door. We both gasped as a man we both recognized - from wildly varying situations I might add - stepped out and without seeing us standing above and to the side of him, walked over to the house. He knocked, he didn't use the doorbell. My Da answered rather quick for a change. Pure coincidence, I'm sure he had no idea who it was. Or maybe he'd heard John and Matt talking and figured it out himself, I'm not sure. 'Journeyman' had arrived.

"Mr. Currey? I'm Charles Avery. ...I believe my son is here?" The voice carried to where we were standing. It seemed hoarse and faint, very far from how I was used to hearing it.

"I know who you are, Mr. Avery", my father replied coldly, having no love at all for the man. "Yes, he's here, up in my son's room."

Four black vans came roaring up the street. They stopped with screeching tires outside our house, doors slid open and agents swarmed out.

I saw the President as he stepped back from the house. He was a fairly tall, thin man with slightly thinning/receding dark hair dressed in what I considered a poorly fitting medium-gray suit, with a rumpled brown trenchcoat on top. His face was furrowed, he looked stressed and tired, his forehead sprinkled with small droplets of sweat. Just like a normal man, a worried parent. He raised a hand and motioned to the agents to stay where they were.

"Wait here", I told Raphaél and went inside, looking back once to make sure my angel really did stay. I quickly walked to the top of the stairs and paused. I saw the President coming up towards me, and as he passed, I told him, "You're not very good to him, you know." I let my displeasure show in the voice of my frank statement. If the President felt uncomfortable being told at by a half-naked thirteen-year-old, at least he didn't show it. Maybe it was the unusual circumstance that did it, or maybe he simply was too polite. I noticed the man wasn't quite as tall as my Da, even if the difference was rather small.

He stopped, looked me in the eyes really quick and then averted his gaze. "Yes. I know...", he said quietly, and I could see he was ashamed. Then he continued. He looked into my room and saw Raphaél standing out there on the balcony. He went inside and shut the door behind him. It was okay with me, they should be alone at that moment.

I heard faint voices talking. There wasn't any signs of dissent or heated feelings from either of them, they were simply talking to each other. I felt like I was intruding even though I was standing outside a closed door, so I went downstairs instead. John and Matt was down in the hallway at the foot of the stairs, plus another two agents that I didn't recognize. Father sat in an armchair further inside and simply studied the situation. John put a hand on my head and absently ruffled my hair.

"Don't worry", the big man said. "He'll be alright... He'll be all right." I actually think he was speaking to himself as much as to me. Maybe more even. I still felt a little depressed, despite the agent's attempt at re-assuring me.

It didn't take them long to finish. Raphaél (now fully dressed) and his father soon came down the stairs, the taller of the two holding a protective arm around the shoulders of the smaller. I felt a little bit jealous, I wanted it to be me who did that for him.

"All right, we're leaving", the President told his agents. My angel shot me a quick glance with his eyes, telling me it was okay. He didn't look forward to leaving I knew, but he seemed to accept it. And it would only be for a while. How he managed to say so much with just a look was beyond me, but he did.

My father got up from his chair and came over. John and Matt were putting on their shoes again.

The President seemed a bit awkward. "Uh...", he started, for once in his life seemingly at a loss for words. But then again, he probably had an army of speechwriters working for him. "Thanks... Thank you. For taking care of my son when he needed it."

"Yes, someone damn well had to", Da replied coldly.

"DaaAAD!", I admonished him. He was embarrassing me in front of my angel! "Republicans are human beings too you know!" I stopped myself. That hadn't quite come out the way I intended to...

The President looked at me for a couple seconds, stunned. Then a grin slowly spread across his face, and he began to laugh softly. "Alright people", he then announced sharply after gathering himself again, and for the first time his voice sounded like I remembered it. Powerful and commanding. "We're officially outta here." The man was still grinning though.

They left our house as I stood in the doorway and watched agents starting to pack themselves into their vans, Raphaél walking towards the blue Lincoln vehicle to sit together with his father. John and Matt on either side of them, keeping silent watch on the surroundings. Suddenly, when they'd gone halfway, my angel stopped and looked back at me and I knew what he was going to do. The President and the agents had just managed to stop as well when Raphaél turned and ran back towards the house, towards me, his arms outstretched, seeking me out.

My angel almost crashed into me, and I heard him sigh deeply out of relief as we embraced, me taking my angel in my protective arms and holding him securely. I had a big lump burning at the back of my throat, and Raphaél simply breathed deeply like he was totally exhausted. The President stood there on the walkway with an arm outstretched, as if to reach for his son. Then his head bowed down and he let his arm drop. The man slowly turned back to the car, knowing he had lost his child. Raphaél was my responsibility now, and I was so happy. We were together again. I simply drew in a deep breath, feeling the faint boy scent of my angel as I held him, letting his wonderful hair touch my face.

John and Matt also came back towards the house, walking slowly, while another two agents took their place at the side of the President. I guess that was a bargain I just had to accept in order to be able to keep my angel at my side. The agents came up to us just as the long train of vehicles pulled away from our house. At almost that exact moment, mom came home in her flashy metallic pearl-gray Mercedes two-seater coupe. Almost early even, for the first time in over a week it felt like.

For whatever reason, I felt it would just be very, very wrong to let her find two Secret Service agents and the son of the President standing on the doorstep of her home when she got out of her car, so I grabbed my angel and hurriedly dragged him towards my room. John and Matt followed automatically up the stairs, them only stopping for a short moment to remove their shoes again (my angel had already wrenched his feet out of his).

"Please, wait here alright?", I told them all and snuck back out again without waiting for a reply. To make sure they really got the point, I closed the door to my room too. Mom had just entered and was taking off her business suit jacket, revealing a sharp-looking white silk shirt underneath. No frills, very functional much like a man's shirt, yet neat at the same time somehow. She even wore a narrow black silk neck tie underneath the jacket. She looked nice in those clothes, powerful and professional. She was slim and good-looking, pretty even I'd say (and not just because she's my mom!), and had rather long blonde hair which she had put up in a bun at the nape of her neck which made her look strict yet still attractive. I had long since realized she was the reason my hair was a much lighter brown than Da's, and I probably owed a lot of my own good looks from her too I think. Mom almost never wore makeup, she didn't like it, and she definitely didn't need it either!

"What was that all about?", was the first thing she asked. Five large cars parked outside our house, there was no need to describe what other thing she was referring to and we all knew it.

I squirmed about and couldn't think of anything to say, so mom looked at me in a funny manner, lightly but silently pressuring me to speak up which only made me shut up even harder. Da saved the day (and me) like only he knew.

"The President stopped by for a little while", he said quite calmly.

Mom laughed straight out. "Yeah RIGHT! Tell me another one too while you're at it, I sure could use a good joke or two after a day like this!" With that, she let the subject drop, perhaps she knew Da would not give her a straight answer (which he actually had, but she just didn't believe him). "Is there any food left in this joint?", she then wanted to know.

"Sure, I'll fix you up with something nice." Da started leading her out towards the kitchen, taking the pressure off me. "Bad day at the office, huh?", he asked as they retreated deeper into the house.

"You could say that again...", mom replied just as I snuck upstairs again, my mind racing. How was I going to resolve this dilemma? We had three most unusual house guests that mom knew nothing about and how would I break the news to her? I found them all standing in my room, Raphaél looking calm and relaxed. I went over to him and gave him a hug. I needed it much more than he did, and somehow he realized that, and he felt even closer to me than usual, giving me both physical and mental support. I looked into his large, brown forest-pond eyes and sought comfort in them, and he provided it. We hugged for what felt like several minutes, and even that was not long enough...

"Sebastian, honey?", I heard my mom's voice from downstairs. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your guests?"

My face went white I think. At least that's the way I felt. I rushed out of the room, forgetting all about my angel and hurried downstairs. "Dad! You TOLD her!", I complained in an upset voice as I came down the stair and found them both standing there.

"Honey, no", mom replied as she crouched down at my side and put her hands softly on my cheeks. "I'm sure you don't think I'm blind, my son. Of course I'd notice three pairs of shoes which I know does not belong to this household. I was waiting for you to say something, but when I went to the kitchen you just disappeared." Suddenly she looked at dad with a funny look in her eyes. "You weren't kidding like I thought, were you?", she asked. Da shook his head. She looked over at the door where the shoes sat on the floor, two large shiny black pairs, and a small shiny black pair, and I could see she was adding things up in her mind.

"Sebastian... Is the person visiting us who I think it is?", she asked slowly. "I know that person is at the same school as you, have you two become friends?"

I looked down at my feet, wanting to hide away. I'd been so casual about me and Raphaél towards everyone else, even just about the entire school. So why not my mother? I could not explain it, I just felt embarrassed somehow, awkward and out-of-place. It was far harder just to admit it to her, and my lower lip began to tremble, and mom took me in her arms and held me like when I'd been a little kid while I quietly wept on her shoulder.

"It's okay, honey... I love you, you know that, dear child. My sweet Sebastian. Please, won't you tell me about your friend?" So I did, I told her about the sweetest boy I'd ever met while my mom softly stroked my hair, and that I loved him, and that I wanted him to stay here with me forever and ever. Mom was quiet for a while when I had finished, she just held me, making me feel safe and loved again in her warm embrace. "I've been expecting this", she started. "Not EXACTLY this for sure, but something like this anyway. For some years even." She patted me on my cheek again, and gave me a small kiss.

"So it's okay that I'm gay then?", I almost whimpered.

My mother smiled at me. "I don't think you need to worry about what you are right now, Sebastian. You're still too young for that yet I think. But if you fear I don't love you anymore for telling me you have a boyfriend, then please don't. Of course I still love you! Actually, I'm glad you finally told me, it's a relief for me too."

And I squeezed my mom tight, and buried my face in her expensive white silk shirt and cried some more. Not a whole lot, just some. And mostly for the sake of crying itself, so she'd hold me and comfort me. And she did hold me, and comforted me, speaking soft words to me, and Da came too and put his hands on my shoulders and then I finally did feel safe with both of them near me...

We moved out into the dining room, mom and I, while Da nuked up some food for his wife in the microwave oven. More fish, I sensed from the smells drifting in from the kitchen. I started telling her about how I met my angel and (almost) everything that happened since. I didn't tell about the painting Da had made of us, or the scars on my angel's wrists, just that he really didn't like living where he was. I told her almost all that she'd missed because she worked so much... Reluctantly at first, but mom was there and supported me, so I slowly got in gear. I'd always had an open relationship with my parents, and keeping something this big from her just didn't feel right now that I had managed to get over the initial threshold. Da came with the food, and he'd even made me a sandwich (and two for himself too) since he thought I might get a little hungry seeing mom eat. I munched down my sandwich, and we talked a little more. There were some complications, like how do you really keep the son of the President in a normal house? And for how long was he and the agents really staying? I was going to say, "always!", but I knew I couldn't make that kind of promise, not to me or my parents, and certainly not to Raphaél. There might be a column of vans arriving tomorrow morning to take him away from me again, who could say? But I was hoping at least the weekend, and the gods willing, more.

"So now you know", I finally said. "Is there something YOU'd like to share, mom? Like, how's Bill these days, huh?" I had no idea where that came from, it just popped out of my mouth before I could stop myself.

Mom blushed. A dead give-away, and my father shook his head warningly. "Jehoshephat, Bastian...!", he said calmly, but with an edge in his voice too, warning me. "It's neither the time nor the place for such a conversation."

So, he too suspected. Or knew. It was big news to me, AND to mom, I think. She suddenly looked quite pale. "No... We'd better get this out in the open", she said unevenly and absolutely did not mean it. But I think she felt there was little else she could do. It was difficult for her to speak, we all knew. "It seems like an evening for big revelations anyway."

"We don't have to if you don't want to", he said soothingly.

"Oh for fuck's sake George! Must you be so damn understanding all the time?! Your wife's been cheating on you for over a year, can't you at least be a little bit angry?" SHE was angry, but angry at herself, not at him. She must have surprised herself that she'd be so direct.

"What would be the point? Would it change anything? No, all it would do is make us both upset."

She started crying this time, my strong-willed executive of a mother. I didn't feel embarrassed at all actually, seeing her like that. I understood what she was feeling, I think.

Piece by piece, it all came out. Slowly at first, then faster. How she and Bill had started exchanging glances at first, then more. Touching hands when passing a file, or a coffee cup. First time they'd kissed, and after that, gone further still...

"All I want for you is to be happy", Da said. "If not with me, then with someone else. We're married, Annie, but that doesn't mean you are my personal property!"

"And you think Bill makes me happy?", she sniffled.

My father just raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you tell me?"

She was wiping her eyes with a napkin. As he spoke, she gave a short cynical laugh. "Don't be ridiculous. He's not even twenty-seven years old; he's a boy-toy, George! He means no more to me than I do to him. He gets off on screwing his boss, that's all." Her voice carried a deep edge of bitterness to it. Even though she still was slim and good-looking, she was into her middle-age, and I guess she wasn't taking it as well as she usually let on, since she was thinking no other thing than her title could possibly attract someone like Bill anyway. I'd met him, he was a truly handsome guy. Looked better than Da without a doubt, even when he had been Bill's age.

"How can you be so sure, have you ever asked him? You'd be surprised what some people really feel deep down."

"Christ, I don't BELIEVE this!", she wailed and almost started crying again. "What is it you're doing to me? Are you trying to break us up on purpose?"

"Just trying to find out what it is you really feel for him. I love you so much, that means I want what's best for YOU, not me..."

She somehow managed to smile, even if just a little. "Still travelling around in that flowery bus, are you?"

"Always, Annie." He took her hand and held it affectionately. "Always."

I silently snuck away from the table. Grown-up stuff was over my head, and I don't think either of them noticed me leaving. I went back to my room after stopping by at the kitchen. I heard my parents speaking softly while I made more sandwiches for me and Raphaél, and for the agents too who hadn't had a thing to eat all day I suspected. I brought a jug of milk too, and glasses for all of us and carried it all upstairs. When I got the door to my room open (not an easy task when one's just a little guy, AND loaded down with food and lots of other stuff too!), I found the three of them casually sitting cross-legged on my bed playing cards!

"Hey, kid!", Matt cheered when he saw the tray I carried. "You're my hero, c'mere will ya!"

"His name's Sebastian", said my angel with mock irritation. He remembered our conversation with Lynn, and wanted to repay me it seemed.

"Yeah, isn't that what I said?", Matt commented with a wide grin.

The two agents attacked the sandwiches with reckless abandon, I decided I would let them eat mine too, and I made sure Raphaél got his share, but he only wanted one anyway. So we played more cards, ate, and drank milk and tried not to get too many crumbs in my bed. I was sitting right next to my angel, and we kept peeking at each other's cards, it was impossible to play properly that way! It didn't matter much anyway, it was all for fun. We laughed and yelled at each other when someone beat the rest of us with a particularly good hand. And I managed to steal several really nice kisses from my angel too, when he wasn't ready for it (which only made it so much better!).

After a while a knock came at the door, and we all quieted down. "Sebastian?", my mother asked. "May I come in?"

I started to feel flustered, but then calmed down once I remembered I'd already told her everything. "Sure mom", I replied. The two agents quickly got off the bed and extended themselves. I guess their professional dignity would have been wounded by letting my mother see them sitting so casually, enjoying themselves like that. Their faces reverted back to the stony expressions they always wore when at the school. The door opened, and mom walked in (still wearing those strict business suit pants, and the silk shirt and black tie), slowly but not hesitantly. It was her home after all. She studied the faces of the strangers in front of her, dwelling for a few extra moments on my angel it seemed.

"Hello everyone", she told them. Not warmly, and not coldly either. Just checking the waters, it seemed. "I'm Annie Currey, Sebastian's mother. I know who one of you are, but not the others." She gave a nod of acknowledgement to my angel, and he gave her a polite smile in return. I felt him hold my hand, squeezing it lightly. He must have taken it in his when mom knocked, but I didn't notice it until now...

"I'm Matthew Wilkins", Matt replied. "And this is my partner, John Cuzac. We're with the Secret Service, ma'am."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Currey", John said and extended his right hand.

Mom shook his, and then Matt's too. "Pleased to meet you too", she said and then turned to me and Raphaél. "There's some grown-up talk that needs to be covered now, so if you two love-birds excuse us..." We both blushed I think, smiling back at her in a silly manner. She gave us a real quick smile too and then guided the two agents out of my room. As the door closed behind them, we both put down our playing cards and then my angel had his arms around my neck and pushed me down on my back. His pretty face hovered just inches above mine, his golden chain hanging down from his neck, and he seemed very happy. Agonizingly slowly he sank down towards me, my lips absolutely pining for the chance to touch his.

When we joined, it sent a jolt of pleasure down my spine, a sensation I'd rarely, if ever experienced before from something as simple as a kiss. It confirmed to me that my angel and I truly did belong together.

My dick was stiff to the point of bursting, and I pushed my hips upwards, towards my angel. It did little good, he was still dressed in his strict school attire (minus sweater, which apparently was too warm to play cards in since he'd casually tossed it on the floor), and I could not help moaning softly with unsatisfied feelings of lust as my angel kissed me again and again! I began to tear at the buttons of his shirt, almost ripping them off in my eagerness to expose my angel's creamy smooth skin. When the buttons were undone, I pulled the shirt out of his dark wool pants and tried to get it over his head but it was impossible since he used his arms to support himself. I attacked his pants instead, my own body emitting muted sounds of yearning much like a small puppy taken from its mother. Button and zipper open, I pushed up Raphaél to a sitting position and finally got that shirt off. Then the pants, I managed to get him out of them too somehow. I reached out and flicked a nearby light switch, sending the room into darkness as Raphaél began to undress me too, my T-shirt and my underwear, both of us panting with lust...

We got fully naked in no time at all it felt like, all that mattered was getting as close as humanly possible to each other. I was leaking some kind of sticky stuff from my dick (I'd noticed the phenomenon before of course, but it had never been this profusely!), and so was my angel. I felt it as I touched his hard, twitching organ, and we both shivered with mutual pleasure as his hand encircled my own dick too. Soon we were down under the bed covers, our young bodies pressed together in total harmony.

The friction created as we moved against each other gave me such ecstasy I was totally unable to speak. All I could do was trying to stay conscious, and give Raphaél at least as much pleasure in return as he gave me. It wasn't like our previous attempt a few days before, my angel was much calmer this time, more relaxed. Raphaél, my lover, he was also filled with the same feelings as me I knew, equal doses of love and lust. I heard his gasps and moans, and they triggered similar noises in me too. Something was happening inside of me, I could feel it. An experience I'd only felt in dreams before, but now in real life. I had my arms around his chest, my hands touching his hot skin, kissing him, my angel, and as we both strained for air, it hit us. I thought I was going to faint, even as I felt more aware than ever before in my life. My small body tensed up, my dick swelled and jumped as the orgasm took me in its grasp. I heard my angel squeal quietly of total pleasure, and I guess I did the same. The experience passed quickly (too quickly even), but the memory of it and the nice feelings that came with it remained with us...

I laid there, sweating and panting, not managing to do anything else than hold on to my angel who was still on top of me. He was as tired as I was, pushing down on me with a weight that seemed heavier than usual, and together we cooled down, our tummies joined by a thin layer of slick body fluid. It did not bother us, we let the sticky stuff transfer heat between us, as we comforted each other. It was us mixing there in between our bodies, it was just the way it was supposed to.

"I love you", we were both whispering to each other, again and again, sharing small kisses in between speaking. It was so wonderful, and we were so totally tired too. Soon, we were both asleep. Safe and secure. My angel's head rested on my shoulder and chest, his arms touching the sides of my body, his regular breaths caressing my skin.

I rested that night with a calm serenity that I'd not known before in my life I think, and neither of us noticed when my parents came by to see what we were up to. They stood in the doorway and studied us as we slept for just a little while, and then quietly closed the door again.

The night passed, morning came. The sun filled my room with a light radiance, and we continued to sleep soundly despite the fact we went to sleep fairly early, and despite the increasing brightness too. My angel really needed the rest, I have no idea how long it was since he'd felt totally safe like that, and I didn't mind the extra sleep-in either. My dreams were light and unspectacular, I could not remember them when I awoke on my own accord. It must have been around ten in the morning, and Raphaél was still asleep. I hadn't moved at all during the night, and neither had he, we were still placed almost on top of each other. I placed my arms around his chest, very carefully so I would not awake him, and felt him take regular breaths of air as he snoozed. The air made a soft sound as it passed in and out of him, and I found myself grinning at nothing in particular just from listening to that sound. Even asleep, my angel was the cutest creature I'd ever known...

One of my hands moved on its own accord down to Raphaél's butt, and proceeded to caress it very softly. He got a hard-on almost at once, and so did I, and I wondered if he was still sleeping. I turned my head just a little so I could look at his face. It was relaxed and very pretty. The eyes, closed. Yes, I think he was. But the guy was erect too, and it made me desire for more. But I couldn't wake him up just because I happened to be horny, that was so selfish, so I just enjoyed the feeling of my hard dick touching his skin, and his hard dick touching mine, as I continued to caress his butt. I moved my hips a little, rubbing myself lightly against my angel, and that made us both get even harder. Raphaél moaned softly in his sleep and twitched slightly, I found myself grinning wide again. It was so fantastic lying there with him, protecting him and making him feel good.

A soft knock came from the door. "Bastian?", Da asked from the other side. Normally, he'd just walk in and wake me up and tell me that breakfast was ready.

"Yes", I returned quietly. "I'm awake."

The door opened slowly, and just enough so Da could peek inside. "I've started breakfast, or brunch as I maybe should call it. Thought you two might want to take a shower first. It'll be done in about fifteen minutes, okay?"

I smiled at him. "Yes, thanks Da... I'll tell him."

My father nodded his head and the door closed again.

"Hey..." I whispered in Raphaél's ear and nudged him lightly. "Time to wake up now..." I was greeted by an unintelligible reply, so I shook my angel some more, and he slowly came to. "Breakfast in fifteen, sleepyhead", I said to him when he opened his eyes.

"Uuuhhh...", he grunted reluctantly, feeling my erection press into him even as his pressed into me. "Do we HAVE to get out of bed?"

I gave my angel a kiss on his lovely forehead. "Cutie", I told him. "If you wanna eat, you have to... But first a shower, okay? We both need it." I grinned wickedly at him, and my angel caught my drift. So I pushed and prodded on him, and got him out of bed. And I picked out clean clothes for us both from a closet, and two towels too, and then we went to the large upstairs bathroom.

We showered quickly, but not too quick. It was too much to ask that we'd simply concentrate on the task at hand and leave nothing for each other; that was not within our power. So there was a lot of mutual touching and kissing all the same, and when we emerged, we were both quite aroused. Unfortunately for us, breakfast loomed and we could not give in to our urges even though we wanted to. So we got dressed instead and simply waited and wished for a time when we could be alone and to ourselves again...

"Thanks for letting me stay the night", my angel told me as we exited the bathroom.

I put an arm around his shoulders and drew him in close to me. "Hey, you know that you can stay as long as you wish if it was all up to me!" It made Raphaél immensely happy I could see. I didn't know quite how to handle the moment when he'd have to leave though, I still couldn't trust him not to try something stupid again. But I kept my fears well hidden, and just hoped my angel would be able to stay as long as possible.

We went downstairs, holding hands. We found them all in the dining room, mom and dad (standing in the doorway out to the kitchen, from which lovely scents of breakfast emanated), and John and Matt too. Mom smiled at us when she saw us.

"Finally!", Matt exclaimed. "They are awake! Now we can eat, right?"

We grinned back stupidly. Yes, it was almost eleven, the latest breakfast I'd ever had in my life! The agents, who'd only eaten sandwiches the day before seemed quite starved. Me and my angel sat down at the big table, right next to each other of course. Mom got out into the kitchen to help Da with the food. They brought in tons; scrambled eggs, bacon, ham, sausages and hash browns, pancakes and waffles, a small mountain of toast, plus cheese, peanut butter, jelly and slices of smoked ham and salami, plus lots of milk, orange juice and a pot of hot green tea. Mom had coffee, but only a single cup for once.

Me and my angel just stared at it all, it seemed way too much even for six people. But almost everything was consumed, the two agents doing most of the eating it seemed.

"Were your rooms acceptable?", mom wanted to know. I figured one of them had slept in the upstairs guest bedroom (the only available one now that I had occupied one of them for my father's paintings), the other agent likely crashing in one of the downstairs guest bedrooms.

"Yes ma'am", John replied. "We have no complaints." Mom just looked at him, knowing full well she'd have gotten the exact same reply had the agent slept out in the garage on a pile of dirty blankets. "And the breakfast was fantastic too." Matt agreed to that.

Then mom turned to us. "So, what will you two do today?" There seemed to be an assumption going on that we'd spend the day together.

"I want to take Raphaél to play tennis", I decided on the spot. I'd missed my last practice session on Wednesday, and didn't want to start slacking off. "If you'd want to come, that is?" I looked at my angel.

Raphaél brightened up immediately. "Yes! Very much! Can we go watch a movie later, in the evening?" It seemed it was ages since he'd done that considering his level of enthusiasm, his eyes were literally shining of expectation! It seemed like a good idea to me too, but I had to look at John and Matt. They both seemed a lot less enthused than me and my angel, but at least they didn't object outright. Raphaél also cast them a cautious glance. "Please?! Can't we go and see a movie too?", he begged of them.

"There has to be some ground rules decided on first", John cautioned. "We sit at the back row for starters." They both added some more precautions, but nothing we rejected out of hand. We negotiated a bit, and managed to get Da to drive us instead of having to ride that monster of a limousine.

My tennis lessons didn't begin until four, so me and Raphaél went out into the garden together. We undressed down to our underwear (too many people around to get all-out naked) and sat in the grass and talked. Sometimes we wrestled or chased each other around amongst the trees and bushes. My angel had started to get some color on his skin, it wasn't completely pale anymore. We compared our respective tans, and it was clear I was leading by a large margin, but Raphaél seemed to be gaining quickly too. He hadn't gone red from all the hours in the sun we'd spent together which impressed me. After a while we were back on the grass again, our hands touching each other every once in a while.

"I hope they're taking care of Misha...", my angel said a little wistfully.

"I'm sure they are. Do you miss him?"

He smiled at me. "Yes, I do. He's just a little furball, and he sleeps much of the day and sometimes wakes me up at night with his mucking about in his cage... But I really do miss him all the same."

I scooted over closer to him and kissed him on his naked shoulder. "I'm sure my parents wouldn't object to him staying here." I gave him another kiss on his neck, and tickled his skin with my tongue which made him laugh and squirm about. I ended up on top of him, and we were getting a bit excited both of us I guess.

"But I don't know how long I'm staying!", my angel replied, almost in protest. It was the constant fear lurking at the back of both our minds. I just smiled at him and tickled his skin some more with my tongue.

We let the topic rest for the moment and concentrated on enjoying whatever time we did have together. I could not push it away completely, but I did my best to keep Raphaél preoccupied. I told him silly stories of what me and my classmates had done when I'd lived in San Francisco (including that totally embarrassing time I'd been arrested for shoplifting and been grounded for three weeks because of it) and we laughed together, and then I tickled him more and we rolled around on the grass and laughed, and we kissed a lot too!

We had a nice lunch consisting of a warm chicken salad and home-made bread fresh out of the oven with various toppings, but neither of us could eat much since breakfast had been so late. John and Matt were again instrumental in finishing off the meal.

I was new in the tennis club, just as I had been new at school, but I'd already made a lot of acquaintances there too. None of them attended the same school as me so nobody knew my angel. Technically, you could say nobody really knew my angel at school either I guess since he didn't socialize with any of the other students. Anyway, we'd decided he wouldn't introduce himself as 'Ralph': if somebody recognized him, so be it. Of course, several people did (especially after seeing John and Matt, despite them trying to remain inconspicuous), and it almost caused a small commotion. I had to step in quite firmly to tell them to leave my angel alone, and my new friends respected that.

Our trainer, a guy called Josh who was around 25 years old I think and about as tall as Matt and just as blonde (but not sharing the agent's pretty massive girth), was one of those who didn't recognize Raphaél for who he was, and he didn't 'get it' for the whole session (he hadn't been there when I'd introduced my angel to the group). We felt no particular need to tell him either. Most of the people in the club were already fairly seasoned players so they could take care of themselves while me and my angel hogged Josh for long periods of time without feeling bad about it. Well, I'm pretty seasoned too, having played for about three years so I could have done a good job of showing my angel the basics myself, but Josh was the teacher after all; it was his job. He showed my angel how to hold the racquet properly and the various swings, and we practiced bouncing a ball between us, Raphaél making many wild shots which made us giggle madly. I'm afraid me and Josh totally wore out my poor angel, having him run back and forth like a madman trying to catch that elusive little yellow ball. Most of the time he didn't succeed, but we still had a great time. All too soon it was over, Raphaél had time to catch his breath at last as we stretched out together.

"I don't know if tennis is my thing, Sebastian", my angel confessed as we were standing outside the door to the dressing room, his small body drenched in sweat. "But it sure was fun today..." I couldn't see a hint of worry on his face, it was flushed and sprinkled with perspiration, his usually well-kept page was matted down and stringy due to all the exercising he'd done.

"Yeah, it was...", I agreed, glad that he seemed so content. I instinctually leaned in a little towards him, then stopped myself. I'd intended to kiss him, it had felt right at the time but suddenly I became hesitant. What if he didn't want it? I shouldn't have worried. My angel had also started leaning in against me, and when I did not meet his lips, he simply continued forwards and we did kiss. It wasn't as quick a kiss as that time on the school yard, and my angel quickly stepped closer to me so he could let his lips touch mine more comfortably. Our lips lingered as they touched, reluctant to disengage.

I heard a loud whoop come from somewhere behind me in the big hall, and a high-pitched whistle like boys do in old movies when they see a pretty girl walk by. We both turned around to find several of my tennis friends staring at us, some looking almost shocked, some with a wry grin. We both smiled back, blushing lightly.

"Quit staring, you guys!", I called out to them and laughed. "Don't you know it's impolite?!" Some of them looked down at their feet, a bit embarrassed I think, others just grinned back. Charlie gave me a quiet thumbs-up. He's fifteen, one of the older people in my group, and one of the best players too. He's been looking me over I think, I've caught him staring at me a couple times before. Not that I mind; Charlie's nice, and kinda cute too. Even deeper tan than me, I think his father's Hispanic. At least he's got that curly, black hair many Hispanics do.

I then saw John walk over to the group and start to talk to them in a low voice. Matt came up to us and ushered us into the dressing room, along with an admonishment for us to go take a shower and get dressed again. We obeyed quietly and efficiently. It was just me and my angel in there, I'm not sure if the agents kept the others out on purpose or not, but in case they did, we hurried as much as we could in order to not annoy the other kids. I think we got ready in just under five minutes, it must have been a new record, at least for me!

Just as we finished getting our clothes on, Matt stuck his head out the door and said something (probably to John standing on the other side), I could not hear what. A little while later, kids started dropping in. I sat in front of my locker tying up my shoe laces and got a few curious looks. Jimmy came up and sat down next to me (of course, he really liked to talk ALL the time!).

"So, are you two...REALLY...?", he wanted to know. He had this weird kind of look on his face, a mix between curiosity and apprehension. It was so typical of him to just ask something like that I had to laugh. Poor Jim's forehead was still furrowed, his eyebrows clearly displaying his uncertainty. He couldn't help himself I knew, he really wanted to be my friend (I don't think he had many himself), but sometimes his mouth got the better of him and questions simply popped out.

I gave him a re-assuring smile. "Yeah, we're REALLY", I almost whispered. Not that there was a real reason to whisper, I just wanted him to know what I told him was meant for HIM alone. There were some curious onlookers, even though they kept their distance for the most part with Matt still keeping a hawk-eyed vigil standing at the door out to the big hall housing the tennis courts. He had his stony agent face on now, like always when in public.

Jimmy smiled weakly at me. "That's so nice", he replied just as quietly. I got the feeling there was more he wanted to say, but was too shy to actually do it. Before I had time to say anything he got up and walked off to his locker. My angel had finished dressing too and just as I was about to get up and ask Jimmy what was up, John came in through the door and both him and Matt came over to us.

"Time to go", the dark-skinned agent said to me. "Your father's waiting outside for us." He still didn't like the idea of Da driving us around very much I could see, but there wasn't much for him to say about it; he didn't want to risk upsetting Raphaél. Anyway, Da did take us home quite safely, me sitting behind him, my angel in the middle and John at the right. Matt rode in the front passenger seat (it seemed they took turns; on the way there, Matt had been in the back seat). I could see there was something Da wanted to tell me really bad, but he wouldn't say what even though I pressed him. He just smiled and told me to wait and I got really interested of course (almost as excited as I'd been on Christmas day morning when I was little), and then my angel got interested too, but still Da would not say.

Da parked his station wagon on the driveway next to mom's little toy, and me and my angel hurried out. John and Matt had to rush around the car to keep pace with us. "Upstairs!", Da shouted and laughed heartily.

We ran inside, only stopping to wrench our feet out of our shoes, and then up the stairs to my room. First thing I saw was two HUGE clothes trunks standing on the floor in the middle of my room, brown in color with metal bracings. Second was the aquarium. It was absolutely enormous, it seemed like close to a bathtub in size, and rested on a heavy wooden bench. It barely fit between the head of my bed and the wall with the entrance door, which is opposite the glass door balcony. It had it's own incandescent lighting, and a lot of plants and rocks and all sorts of other stuff in it to keep its three occupants happy. The sharks looked rather cool I thought, like little miniatures of "the real thing". I stared at it in wonder, thinking about what such fishes might eat, while my angel took one quick glance around the room and let his eyes stop at my desk. Suddenly he yelled, "Misha!"

I turned around and saw the cage standing there. My angel ran over to it on light quick feet. Inside was a reddish-yellow little furball that scurried about with rodent-like purpose, doing rodent-ish things. My angel laid his hands on the cage and looked inside with contentment. Then he turned his head around to face me. "Isn't he cute?"

I laid my hands on his shoulders. "Yes, but I still like you a lot more!", I told him sincerely and he smiled quickly back at me. My mind was full of all sorts of thoughts. It could mean only one thing, the coffers, the aquarium and Misha. My angel was staying with me. Right?! It had to! Nothing else made sense! But I could not accept it to myself before I had it more or less in writing. So I just embraced my angel and held him as close as I could, and tears began to fall from my eyes for no real reason. I simply hugged him close, hiding my crying face from him.

But there was no fooling my angel. He held on to me too, and began to make soothing noises, but soon both of us were sniffling, there was no stopping us. It felt so good holding him, I could not imagine how I'd feel if I didn't have the chance to put my arms around him whenever I wanted to. Raphaél would stay with me, I was determined. More than determined even.

"Why are you crying?", he asked without letting go of me.

I continued to hold him firmly, feeling his warm body pressing into mine. "I think, I just want to...", I replied softly. "Is it okay?"

Raphaél squeezed me even tighter. "Yes it is... It feels good."

And it did. We cried, maybe for no other reason than the feeling of relaxation it brought to us, taking out the tension and stress of everyday life. Does one really have to have a reason for everything, isn't it enough that we loved each other?

It was emotionally draining, the weeping, and physically too. We sat down on the floor together and looked at our tear-streaked faces, our puffed-up, red-rimmed eyes. I felt more tears pour forth as my angel studied me. I made no effort to hide them, I actually felt proud I dared show my emotions so prominently. My beloved Raphaél seemed deeply affected by my display, he crawled up as close to me as he'd possibly go and touched my wet face with his slim, cool fingers. It was like a soothing balm to my hot skin, but I could not stop the tears even had I wanted to; I was so happy! And then he kissed me, and I became happier still. My angel was fantastic I thought.

"You are so beautiful, Sebastian...", he told me. "The most beautiful boy ever, and I love you... I can't believe how lucky I am!"

So we simply sat on the floor and held each other, him caressing me, running his fingers through my wavy hair, and me simply feeling the warm, solid presence of his slim body. The flow of tears subsided, my eyes tired and worn out I think, badly in need of a rest. Meanwhile, Misha scrambled around in his cage, digging, gnawing, doing whatever it is guinea pigs does, quite oblivious to what we were up to. There was a quiet knock at the door, followed by my mother's voice. "Sebastian?", she asked politely.

"Yeah mom, we're here." My voice was a bit unstable, but I managed to speak anyway, if just barely.

"Dinner's ready soon, honey", she told me through the door, and it felt like she included both of us somehow. "We're having it a little early, if you're going to catch a movie afterwards without it getting too late."

I continued to hold my angel, right then it felt like I didn't ever want to let go of him. "Thanks. We'll be there soon..."

END OF PART THREE.

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We support Ukraine — Мы поддерживаем Украину — Ми підтримуємо Україну
We support Ukraine — Мы поддерживаем Украину — Ми підтримуємо Україну