STARRY NIGHT
Night had draped its velvet cloak across the sky by the time Marron, Gateau, and Chocolate arrived back at the two cabins the team had rented. Boys on the right, Girls on the left. Marron opened the door for Gateau, who nodded his thanks and carried Chocolate into the girls’ cabin. Marron followed, feeling a tad bit guilty because he and Gateau weren’t really supposed to be in there. Gateau ventured through a doorway into what could only be the girls’ bedroom. There was a set of bunk beds off to the side. The bottom one was neatly made with a magenta quilt on top. The top bunk was rumpled, with dark blue sheets and on the pillow was...an SD Carrot plushie??? Having little to no doubt that he’d found Chocolate’s bed, Gateau carefully laid the sleeping red-head out on her mattress and tucked her in. Chocolate mumbled in her sleep, and instinctively reached over her pillow, retrieving her dolly and hugging it tightly to herself. Gateau and Marron exchanged an amused smile, then quickly left the girls’ dorm for their own. This time Gateau got the door for Marron, and shut it behind him. Marron went into the kitchen, and Gateau headed back to the bedroom where he flopped down on the bottom bunk. Again, there was only one set of beds per cabin. In the boys’ dorm, Gateau took the bottom bunk and Carrot took the one above him. Gateau rolled over on his side and glanced over at the corner, where a blanket was lying in a rumpled purple pile. Marron had volunteered to sleep on the floor, of course. Every night he would wrap that blanket around himself and settle down over there in that corner. He fell asleep in slumped sitting position, his back pressed up against the wall. Although Marron was not one to complain, and he’d slept like that often enough, Gateau could tell that Marron endured many aches and pains in the morning from spending his seven-or-so hours on a cold wooden floor. Of course, Gateau had offered to share his bed with Marron, but that sent Carrot into a fit of hysterics, so Marron always gently turned him down. Marron knew Carrot would’ve shared the top bunk with his little brother, if he’d asked, but, sensing his niisan’s feelings about that, Marron simply accepted the floor as his place of sleeping. After all, brothers sleeping together was just plain wrong, right? Even if sleeping was all it was...
Where was Marron? Gateau sat up. He was expecting the raven-maned boy to join him in the bedroom. As suggestive as that concept sounded, Gateau loved simply being in the company of Marron, and he knew Marron liked being near him. That thought made Gateau’s heart pump pink perfume. What a warm, fluffy feeling knowing that you were loved brought. Gateau left the bedroom and walked quietly down the short hallway, stopping at the end to peek around the corner. There was Marron, with his back to Gateau, standing at the counter, mixing up some sort of delectable concoction, no doubt. Gateau ambled over to Marron and embraced him from behind.
“Careful, Gateau, I don’t want to spill anything,” Marron warned his companion gently.
“Whatcha makin’, Marron-Chan?”
“I’m making a Shirley Temple for a myself, and for you, a Cranberry Cocktail.”
“Aaaaw, no sake?”
Marron stopped what he was doing and set down his basket of Maraschino cherries, then turned around to face Gateau, “Gateau, as long as you are anywhere near me, you will not have one drop of alcohol,” he said gently but firmly, smiling slightly.
“Aw, nuts...” Gateau said, without really meaning it, smiling back as he brought Marron closer to his body and leaned toward him. Marron’s arms came up around his neck as the slender mage bent back over the counter top, allowing Gateau to deliver a quick kiss. After their lips parted, Marron laughed slightly and playfully shoved Gateau off him, “Here, take these out on the porch. I’ll be out in a minute, after I change...sometimes it just gets too hot for a heavy kimono...”
Marron handed the beautifully-made drinks to Gateau before retreating to the bedroom, and Gateau headed out to the tiny porch, where he flopped down on the wicker couch and waited for Marron. Moments later, the younger boy reappeared, wearing a looser-fitting black silk kimono with the same ornate patterns as the first, only these were in silver, rather than gold. Gateau blinked. Had he just seen Marron’s leg slip out from where the borders met in the front, exposing it up to mid-thigh? And was it bare? Was Marron not wearing pants underneath the kimono as he normally did? He took a seat next to Gateau, who tried not to let his shock show as he handed him his Shirley Temple. They sat in complete silence, sipping their drinks until Gateau nervously spoke up, “It’s really pretty out tonight.”
“Yes,” Marron agreed, noting the full moon and the myriads of flickering stars that studded the night sky like distant diamonds, “What a beautiful starry night it is.”
Gateau looked over at his friend who was deliberately keeping his gaze upon the horizon. The blond warrior could not help but detect a slight quaver in Marron’s voice. He looked like he desperately wanted to look at Gateau, but his fear would not allow it. His long-fingered hands were trembling slightly as they gripped an empty glass tightly. What was he so nervous about?
“Marron?”
“Oh!” Marron jumped and made a little noise of surprise at the gentle but sudden touch upon his shoulder, and the glass went crashing to the ground.
As Marron was about to get up to retrieve it, he was held back by Gateau who looked at him with concern in his calmingly blue eyes, “What’s the matter, Marron? You seem rather skittish tonight.”
Marron’s reflective golden eyes flickered, betraying something supposedly hidden with great care. There was something familiar about that look, but Gateau could not put his finger on it. Marron’s voice trembled as he managed to say in barely more than a meek whisper, “I want to ask you something...but I’m just too...shy...”
Seeing Marron trembling all over and looking like a puppy who is about to be swatted with a rolled-up newspaper was too much for Gateau. He took Marron into his arms and held him gently, “Daijoubu, Marron-Chan. You catch your breath and tell me when you feel you can. Sssshhh....Daijoubu...”
As gentle fingers stroked his hair, Marron calmed down a little and desperately tried to organize his thoughts. Everything he’d planned to say had burst apart and scattered, and now he had to pick up the pieces...it was his only chance...he had to try...”Gateau, I...I...you know that I love you...”
“Yes,” Gateau said quietly as he continued to pet Marron, “And I love you dearly,”
Marron gulped, “We’ve both known for a while now...but this love of ours...I feel that it’s...incomplete, and I...I...”
“Marron?” Gateau asked, worried, for the slender frame of the beautiful lad was shaking even harder, the breath issuing from his lips shallow and uneven...
All of a sudden, Gateau’s hand was forced to stop petting Marron’s hair as his wrist was grabbed by pale and elegant-fingered but firm fist, and pulled toward the mage’s chest. Marron looked up at Gateau, trapping him with his intense amber eyes. He took a deep breath, “What I mean to say is...”
Gateau felt something placed into his hand and looked down at what Marron had given him. It was a small blue jar, containing petroleum lubricant. Gateau’s eyes widened as he looked back up at Marron, whose eyes were burning with golden desire...
“...Gateau...I’m ready...”
Continue
Back
Back to the Story Directory
