Tangled - Part Fifteen

Part 33 : Danny's Gift

A little later, washed and dressed, we joined the others downstairs. Danny had made some coffee and he and Jack sat patiently waiting for us.
Danny smirked at me. "You guys are certainly adventurous, aren't you?" He held up the remnants of my shorts. "David, you're both will to be going through an awful lot of clothes at this rate!"
"Danny, stop it!" I said and snatched my shorts from him.

"Couldn't quite make it to the bedroom, could you Lee? You tiger, you!" Jack said with a wide grin.
"Jack, one more word and I swear, I'll smack you!" Lee rasped.
Jack turned to Danny and said.

"Pay back's a real bitch, isn't it."
They both collapsed laughing again.
Lee grinned.

"Okay, guys. Enough!" He said. "We're even now. Let's just forget it, alright."
Jack smiled.
"Alright, but can I add just one last thing. I can see why you fell for David. He's hot. He's got really nice junk!"
"Jack, I'm sitting right here!" I said archly. "But thanks, anyway."
"Well, it's true. You're a lucky guy, Lee." Jack finished.

Lee took my hand.
"I know, Jack. I know." He said. "I believe you two are together now."

Danny smiled secretly. Lee continued. "I'm glad and very happy for the two of you. Look after him, Jack, he's really special."
Jack smiled at Danny and stroked his face, a very tender gesture.
"I intend to, big brother, I love him." He said simply and Danny glowed.

Lee looked at them quizzically.
"Just what are you guys doing here, anyway. I would have thought that you'd be next door, fucking each-other's brains out!" He smirked wickedly.
Jack was quick.
"Actually, we'll leave that to the two of you. I think that's your thing, if tonight is anything to go by!" He quipped.

I suddenly had a thought.
"Just when did you guys come in?" I asked, curious. Lee looked at me, his eyebrows raised.
"Just in time for the grand finale, so to speak!" Jack said with a laugh. "Hugely impressive and very noisy, I might add. That thing you do with your back Davey, is really something and Lee, I didn’t know you were quite so wild!"
Danny sniggered.

“You guys missed your vocation.” He said evilly. “You both should have gone into hard-core porn.”
Lee flushed slightly but picked up the line quickly.
"Well," He smirked. "Now you guys know how it's done, I hope you've both learned something."
"Trust me," Jack grinned, "We have, and a whole lot more."

"Enough, already, you guys." I said firmly. "Why are you here?"
"Can't really remember, exactly. The live sex show pushed it out of my mind!" Jack said.
"Jack!?!" Lee warned.
"Okay, I'm done!" Jack grinned.

Danny stood up and handed me a package wrapped in festive paper.
"I . . we wanted you guys to have this. A sort of going away present, in reverse. It's for all you've both done for us." He smiled. "I suppose I could have waited until tomorrow morning, but in the confusion of getting to the airport, I might forget to give it to you."
I was touched by the gesture. I looked at Lee who smiled.

"Go on, open it." He whispered.
I pulled the paper off. Inside was a beautifully framed photograph.
"I'm not as good as you, David, but I thought it says it all." Danny said.

I was overcome and couldn't speak. Lee smiled and said,
"It's beautiful, Danny, just beautiful. Thank you, guys."

The photograph had been taken on the day I had fled to my plot. He must have used the spare camera that I kept in his car. It showed a vista of sea and sky, colored by the golden glow of the setting sun. Sitting on the sand, you could make out Lee and I. I was looking up into his face while he looked down at me. His arm was around my shoulders. Although we were in semi-silhouette, you could make out a lot of detail, particularly in our faces. Lee's eyes glowed with love, as did mine.
"It's so beautiful. Thank-you both." I said.

I stood and hugged him. Jack jumped up and joined us. I reached for Lee's hand and pulled him up, into a four-way embrace. We held each-other tightly, content and happy.
Later, as they were leaving, Jack turned to Lee.

"I should clean the carpet now, if I were you, come really stains!" He said smugly, blew us a kiss and then he and Danny fled, laughing.
We looked at each-other in astonishment and then we both burst out laughing.

Part 34 : Mountain of Stars

The next morning was a flurry of packed luggage, flapping jackets and a missing passport. Danny mislaid his document case for a moment and panic ensued. After it had been found, we all piled into Danny's car and Lee drove like a maniac to get us all to the airport on time. We left the guys, with bear-hugs and orders to e-mail us, and drove back to town calm, but exhausted.

Now that they were on their way, we could get back to our daily routine. Jack had that kind of effect on people, he rushed in, stirred everyone up and then left, leaving behind a wake of worn out bodies. Of course, we wouldn't want it any other way, that was the charm of Jack.

Lee dropped me off at the gallery and I went back to work, planning new exhibitions, hanging new acquisitions and so on. The day flew by in a flash.
At about five, Lee called me and told me he would pick me up outside. I told Jane to lock up and left. Outside, Lee was waiting for me in the guise of the biker that had made me forget my misery that night so long ago. I was thrilled.

"What's the great hurry?" I said.
"I have something I want to show you, and I can't wait. I want to get there before the light fails." He rumbled from under his helmet. I noticed that my come tracks were still on the helmet.
“You should clean your helmet.” I said with a small smile.
“No.” He said. “I love the idea of looking through your come.”

“You’re so sweet.” I said facetiously. “But I really think it should be cleaned off.”
“Doesn’t matter.” He came right back. “It’ll probably wear off by itself. Anyway, it’ll wash off when I ride in the rain.”
I jumped onto the back behind him and he pulled my arms around his waist and said. “Hold tight!”

He gunned the bike and we sped off. I leaned against his body, my face pressed against his back and the smell of leather flooded my nostrils. I slowly moved one of my hands down until I was cupping his crotch in my palm. He laughed loudly.
He drove south, out to the plot. When we arrived, I was surprised to see that there were several pieces off heavy machinery parked around the lot. Lee parked the bike, jumped off and beckoned for me to follow.

"Look!" He exclaimed. "We've broken ground, Davey! They're digging the foundation trenches."
He was so excited, his eyes flashed brilliantly.
"So quick!" I remarked. "I thought it would be a couple of months before we got started."

"I had the plans rushed through." He said excitedly. "This is not an urban area, so passing them was a breeze. They don't seem to care what the hell you build out here." He paused.
"Now come," He grabbed my hand. "I want to show you the layout."

He described the low roofed two bed roomed bungalow that would be built near the pool. He explained how the water from the waterfall would be channeled through the house to create interesting water features, how the deck would extend out over the pool slightly with an access ladder to allow us to use it as a swimming area. It sounded so beautiful, it took my breath away.

"It's going to be magical!" I whispered.
"I wanted you to get an idea of what I'm trying to do. I wanted your approval." He said.
"You don't need it." I replied. "I'm leaving it up to you. Whatever you decide is okay with me. It's your house too."
"You're adorable!" He said and kissed me.

He showed me what he'd planned in the grove of maples - a lovely trellised gazebo, which would be perfect for those hot mid-summer days. A small boat house and jetty would be built against the left peninsula. When he'd finished taking me on a tour of the entire property, we ambled down to the beach and sat on the sand in the last setting rays of the sun. He put his arm around me and pulled me down so that I was lying on my back, my head on his lap. I could feel the bulk of his crotch at the back of my neck. We sat in silence for a spell, enjoying the sunset. The last few streaks of light disappeared from the sky and I saw the faint pinprick light of the evening star.

He stroked my hair gently.
"You know, Davey?" He said softly. "It's times like this that I love the most. When we're here and completely alone, no people, no noise. Just us. It's so restful."
"Hmm!" I sighed. "It's wonderful!"

We sat in silence for a time and then I said.
“Recite that poem for me again. The one you quoted that night on the beach.”
He was silent for a minute and then in a soft voice, he spoke.

"Take me to the sea when the moon above is bright.
We will sit and speak of love and hate, life and death.
And when at last the moon has dimmed its silver light,
And as the stars appear above, I will sigh and draw my breath.

And when the bright flash of green skips across the cold, dark sea,
I will tell you of my love and of all the things you are to me.

And like the sea and sand, the moon and sky, we shall never be apart.
For you, my love, will forever possess my body, my soul and my heart.
John Stevens, 1969."

I digested it and then said softly.
“That is so beautiful, and I believe it.”
"I do too now.” He paused, then continued. “Davey, tell me again, I want to hear it. Here in this beautiful place, tell me how you love me. I never tire of hearing it."

I looked up into his face. He was looking down at me, his eyes, dark pools. I thought about it for a moment and then began.
"Okay! You see that star up there?" I pointed. "Well, actually, it's Venus, but they call it 'The Evening Star'."
"Yes, I see it."
"Now close your eyes and imagine that you could hold it in the palm of your hand, that tiny pin-prick of light, and then you put it down on this beach and it consumed one grain of sand. Now imagine that you could replace every grain of sand on this beach with another star.

You would soon run out of sand but the stars would keep piling up until you'd filled this whole cove with a vast mountain of stars, each one of them a bright tiny pin-prick of light. Imagine for a second, how bright the light from this mountain of stars would be."
"Yes, I can see it," Lee said. "It would be awesome."
"That's right." I continued. "Now imagine that each tiny pin-prick of light in that mountain of stars is a small part of my love for you, and now imagine all those little bits of love combined, and imagine how brightly that love would shine." I paused. "That, is how I love you."
Lee sat silent for a few minutes, then he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.

"That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. Thank-you."
I looked up at him.
"But you know this already. I've felt this way from the first instant I saw you. It has never changed."

He bent his head and kissed me.
"I could never top that." He whispered.
"You already have, many times over!" I said. "Every time I look into your eyes, I see how you love me. Every time you touch me, I feel it and every time you kiss me and make love to me, I know it. You expressed it just now in the poem you recited. But, I want you to hear it in your own words, and I'll tell you this as it was told to me." I paused.

"I quote: "I know him very well. He doesn't give of himself so readily, he's very guarded. But with you, he's a different person, he's softer somehow, more vulnerable. You are his life, his soul, his very breath, he told me this himself. I see it in his face and in his eyes when he looks at you. I've never seen him like this. If anything happened to you, he told me that it would kill him!" I paused. "That's what I was told, it's enough."
Lee was silent when I had finished. Then he said softly.

"So, this is what Jack told you?" I nodded and he chuckled. "Can't tell him anything."
"Don't be angry with him." I said. "He told me because he cares about you deeply and he worries about you and he wanted me to know how you really feel, and as I said, it's enough. It's all I want, it's all I will ever need."

I lay on the warm sand, my head in his lap, while he stroked my hair. We were silent as we watched the glow of day fade from the sky. The moon had risen and bathed everything in silver light, and I could see Lee's face above me. His eyes glittered darkly under the shadow of his brows. It was one of the most peaceful, tranquil times of my life. A little while later, Lee shifted uncomfortably.

"As much as I am enjoying this, I really have to move, my leg has gone numb and I've got to pee!" He said.
We roused ourselves and slowly made our way back to the motorbike, Lee hobbling awkwardly, trying to get the circulation going in his leg.