The Secret Catamite Bk 1, The Book of Daniel (34 page)

"Let's stay here then," said
Daniel, glad that Simon hadn't opted to go downstairs, as he wanted
Simon's company to himself.

So they stayed and talked,
risking the occasional (fully dressed) hug and kiss. Just being
together in deep companionship.

A call came from downstairs.
"Supper, boys!"

They went downstairs to the big
kitchen, Simon thinking how warm the house was, the kitchen
especially because of the Aga. There was a coal fire burning in the
sitting room, but Simon wondered if that was really needed. Louise
came in and said hello, and then went out again. After their light
supper, they said good night and went back to the bedroom.

"You go to the bathroom first,"
said Daniel, so Simon did, returning to find Daniel in pyjamas.

"I'll go now. Better get in the
camp bed," he said.

A bit disappointed, Simon
climbed into the camp bed. Not the most comfortable he had ever
slept in. Daniel came back from the bathroom, and laughed.

"You really did! Idiot," he
smiled. But then he had a thought. "Actually, better stay there for
the moment." He climbed into his own big bed.

Soon, there was a knock at the
door. "Are you two all right in there?" asked Mrs Gray.

"It's OK Mum, come in," said
Daniel.

Mrs Gray's head appeared round
the door. "Are you comfortable, Simon?"

"Yes, thank you, it's fine,"
said Simon politely.

"Good night, then," said Mrs
Gray.

The door closed. Daniel wriggled
about in the bed and then dropped his pyjama trousers on Simon's
head. Simon grinned back, and in response to Daniel's beckoning,
slipped into the big bed with him. Daniel removed his own pyjama
top and then Simon's pyjamas.

"I can't believe we can spend
the whole night like this together," said Daniel. "I've wanted to
for ages."

"It's super, isn't it," agreed
Simon.

Unhurried, and wary of noise,
they held each other, kissed and made love until they fell asleep,
still in each other's arms.

Simon woke first, in the dim
light he could see Daniel's sleeping face close to his, feel his
gentle breathing, the warmth, the scent of his body. Simon just
watched, enraptured, savouring the moment. He could not ever
remember being so happy.

In the event, Mum was away three
nights on her visit to Bilthaven. Three wonderful nights of
unbelievable sensuality, closeness and happiness. The spectre of
any move forgotten for the time being. But it came to an end. Mum
returned from Bilthaven and he returned home. Simon had learned a
bit about Bilthaven in history. The industrial revolution, a place
of big factories, heavy industry. A seaport. He put it out of his
mind.

An air of gloom hung over the
household, from which Simon escaped to Daniel at every opportunity.
Mum was quiet, but it seemed as though a move to Bilthaven looked
more likely. But Simon felt secure in that Mum would not move him
before his GCEs, they were too important. That was over a year
away, and beyond that Simon could not think. Just concentrate on
the next year or so. This November morning Mum was still in bed,
while Simon was up and getting his breakfast. He grabbed his
blazer, and went back upstairs to say goodbye to Mum.

"I'm off, Mum," he said,
standing in Mum's bedroom doorway.

"All right love, see you
tonight, " said Mum, dully.

On impulse, Simon asked, "Do you
know when we're moving? Only I would need time to sort things out
at school, there are records and that sort of thing."

Mum was quiet for a moment.
Then, "Yes, I suppose you do. Two weeks today. We go two weeks
today."

Simon was rooted to the spot, in
shock. Two weeks! Just two weeks! His heart raced, this was
horrible. Unbelievable. Daniel!

"What about my GCEs?" he asked
shakily.

"I'm sorry if it's come as a
shock," said Mum. "They have good schools there. You'll be all
right."

"I won't! I won't be all right!"
he shouted.

Simon turned and ran downstairs,
slamming the front door behind him. Daniel was waiting on the
corner.

"Come on, slowcoach," he said,
cheerily. "We'll miss the bus."

"Two weeks, Daniel. We're moving
in two weeks!"

The shock registered on Daniel's
face. "O Jesus, Simon! Just two weeks? What will we do?"

"Have a bloody good time in the
next two weeks, that's one thing. Every night!" said Simon
angrily.

"You bet," said Daniel. "But
then what?"

"I don't know, Daniel. Come on,
we'll be late."

The two boys spent every
possible moment together for the rest of that November, expressing
their as yet unspoken but deeply felt love in physical, sexual,
emotional ways. Their lovemaking was the more frequent, varied and
passionate, borne of desperation. There were tears on both sides as
each tried to come to terms with their impending separation.

1. 1960/11
   North!
   

The day before departure, so
many things had been packed away, ready for the van to come. Only
those things needed for overnight, which would be carried in the
car, and the items being left behind for Dad when he returned to
live alone in the house, were not being packed away. Simon's bed
was ready for the van, but he would use his sleeping bag that last
night. To his annoyance, he was sent to school on that day, so Mum
could concentrate on getting ready. But at least it was another
journey to and from school with Daniel.

The last night in their old
house arrived too quickly, the house where Simon had lived for the
first fourteen years and three months of his life. He came home to
find the removal van had been, their stuff was already on its way
to Bilthaven.

"I'm going back round to see
Daniel," said Simon after bolting down his tea and dumping his
school uniform, it occurred to him for the last time.

"OK love," said Mum. "Try not to
be too late back, we want to make an early start." Simon left
without another word, feelings of fear, uncertainty and anger
running through him. He ran round to Daniel's in the November
drizzle. Please be in! He knocked on the back door.

"Come in, Simon," said Mrs Gray,
cheerily. "Daniel thought you'd be round. He's in his room I think.
Daniel! Simon's here!"

"Send him up," came Daniel's
voice. To Mrs Gray's nod, Simon went through to the hall and hung
up his damp jacket.

"Hello Simon," said Louise.
"Tomorrow's the big day then?"

"Yes, 'fraid so," said Simon,
glumly.

"I hope it goes OK. Daniel's
waiting for you I think," she said, with a smile. Simon ran up the
stairs to Daniel's room. He was at his desk, but got up when Simon
came in.

"Shut the door," he said. Simon
did, and there they stood for a moment facing each other. Simon
felt the emotion welling up in him, which of course Daniel noticed.
He came to Simon and put his arms round him and they hugged
tightly.

"It's so unfair," said
Simon.

"I know, I know."

"Why do I have to go? It's
rotten."

"I suppose they couldn’t work
things out together."

"But why so far away?"

"You can come and stay in the
holidays and that. Perhaps I can come and visit the frozen north
too."

"Yes, please do. I'd love that.
I may be coming back to see my Dad as well."

And so the two friends sat and
talked, Simon making sure Daniel had his new address, but the
unspoken undercurrent was there, waiting to surface. In the end it
was Simon.

"I want it. I want us to do it
again before I go."

"I know. Me too. But where? How
can we?" wondered Daniel.

"It's too cold and wet outside,
and where could we go anyway?"

"And my Mum and Louise are
in."

"Where's your Dad?"

"Working late. Some case or
other." Daniel sat on the edge of the big bed and pulled Simon down
next to him.

"OK, now," said Daniel. "What
the hell, I don't care." He got up and opened his bedroom door.

"Mum, we're talking for a
while," he called down.

"Right Daniel," Simon heard her
reply from downstairs. "I expect you've a lot to get sorted
out."

Daniel closed the door and
turned the lock.

"What if she comes up?" asked
Simon, anxiously.

"She's watching telly. Lie down,
you. I want you," said Daniel, smiling. Simon did so, arousal
coursing through his body. Gently, lovingly, Daniel removed Simon's
clothing, Simon feeling his nakedness coming and the eroticism of
being undressed, and when Simon tried to respond, Daniel shook his
head.

"No, I'll do it," he said and
quickly undressed, dropping his clothes on the floor until he too
was naked, standing looking at Simon, each taking in the other's
admired form. He joined Simon on the bed, and they kissed,
tentatively at first, then with sudden passion as they explored and
probed each other's well-known body, forgetful of all else, their
surroundings, time passing and the parting to come. Over the years,
they had learned each other's most erotic stimuli, experts on the
erogenous needs of the teenage male, so they were entwined, locked,
fused, flesh against warm flesh, using all their bodies, hands,
mouths, thighs, a writhing decapod, until both were spent, each at
the doing of the other. Breathless, they lay together, Simon
refusing to allow Daniel to withdraw, holding fast, frightened to
let go in case they would never touch again.

"What time are you going?" asked
Daniel eventually.

"Not sure. An early start Mum
said."

"I'll come and see you off."

"Thanks." And then there seemed
little left to say. So they just remained, holding, trying to make
the precious time last just a little longer.

"I want to lie like this with
you forever," said Simon, trying to imprint on his mind the warm
strength of Daniel next to him so that he would never forget how it
felt.

"Me too. But it might be a bit
awkward, food and that, never mind missing school," Daniel joked,
but tightening his hold on Simon, he too trying to store the
memory.

After some time, Simon reached
forward and kissed Daniel gently. "Again, please, again. Can
you?"

"You bet," said Daniel. “This?”
he asked, holding the Vaseline jar. Simon nodded.

“
How, this time?” asked
Daniel.

“
I want to see you,” said
Simon.

So Daniel lifted Simon’s legs to
his shoulders and pulled Simon's lips into his fiercely, and
gripping his younger friend, their lovemaking the second time was
if anything stronger and more ferocious than before. All the
violent but largely unspoken feelings for each other finding
expression now in the fusion of their beings, reckless love
determined by the deadline of the morrow, Daniel now arched over
his lover as so many times before until once more exhausted, his
precious seed within Simon, both used up, they lay panting.

"I don't know what I'll do,"
said Simon, remembering the next day.

"You'll be OK, you'll make
friends," comforted Daniel.

"Not like you. You know me
better than anyone in the world."

"You know
me
better than anyone. And you'll
still have me," said Daniel, tapping Simon's chest twice. "There's
trains I assume? Unless it's still all pony and trap stuff up
there!"

Simon had to smile.

But then there was the sound of
the door handle, followed by a knock on the door.

"Daniel, are you all right?
What's going on?" It was Mrs Gray. Simon's heart pounded, Daniel
froze. But then recovered.

"It's OK, Mum, Simon and I were
just mucking about."

"Why is your door locked?"

"Mum, I
am
sixteen," countered Daniel,
looking at Simon's scared face. Listening for a reaction the other
side of the door.

"Well, Simon's fourteen. And I
think perhaps it's getting a bit late. He will need to be up
early."

"OK, Mum, we'll be down
soon."

"Are you going to open this door
or not?"

"No, Mum," said Daniel, firmly.
Strong Daniel.

"Why not?"

"Jesus!" whispered Daniel
quietly. And then louder, "Because we're both stark naked in
bed."

Simon gasped, his body now
racing at fever pitch. Outside the door, there was a pause, and
then the sense of Mrs Gray moving away and going downstairs.

"Why did you say that?" asked
Simon, sitting up on the bed.

"I think she'd guessed anyway.
We probably made too much noise. What difference can it make now?
You'll be gone tomorrow."

"But what about you?"

"I'll be OK. You know I will."
And somehow, Simon knew he would be. "Come on, get dressed. Let's
go down and tell them," said Daniel.

"How can we? What will they
think? And isn't two boys, I mean, it's against the law or
something isn't it?"

"We've always known that, so
nothing new there."

"Yes, but not when just we
knew."

"Get dressed."

"A minute," said Simon. "I want
to remember you." He reached out and ran his hands over Daniel's
smooth, athletic body, memories flooding back, times in the den,
out on their bike rides, scout camps, being pulled from the lido,
in this very bed. So much, so long. Tears rolled down Simon's face,
and then Daniel too, so uncharacteristically, was in tears too.
They held each other for a last time, and then silently, the two
boys got dressed.

"Come on then, let's go and face
the world," said Daniel, brave Daniel, and unlocked the door. He
led the way down. Simon was all for grabbing his jacket from the
hall and going, but Daniel took Simon's hand and they went into the
sitting room. Mrs Gray stood up, expressions running across her
face in rapid succession as thoughts raced through her mind. Louise
sat in the chair, looking at Daniel, with a quizzical gaze.