Golly was furious. More than furious. He was hurt, and that was something far worse.
Duncan was meant to be his friend; his student, in many ways. And now it turned out the ungrateful boy was deceiving him. Feeding him false information about Irene to try to steal away his changes with her. To try and steal her for himself. Well he wasn't putting up with that.
*****
"DUNCAN!!"
Duncan came half-skipping, half-running down gravelly side-drive of the estate towards the worker's shed. He looked giddy and slightly flushed, much to Golly's disgust.
"Yes, Golly?" Duncan asked in his thick Scottish accent, puffing slightly from the run.
"I know what you're up to," replied the older man.
Duncan looked genuinely confused. "You do?"
"Yes. I do," reiterated Golly. "And I'll let you know, I won't be having with it."
"You won't?"
Duncan, for all outward appearances looked baffled, though Golly knew him better than that. He could see the guilt registering deep within the light blue eyes.
"You're trying to sabotage my attempts with Irene," accused the older man, with a look of stern disapproval.
"Och, no!" exclaimed Duncan, instantly jumping forward with a wave of his hands, as though dismissing the very idea. "No! I'm all for you and Irene becoming, you know...*more* than friends." He waggled his eyebrows to signify the unspoken meaning. "Really, I am!"
Golly sighed. Surely the boy could lie better than that? "It's fine, Duncan," he replied, after a moment, hoping to fuel the guilt he'd seen earlier. "If you like her then I'll do the honourable thing and step back. I just wish you could have told me straight out."
Duncan stood still, his faced scrunched in awkward embarrassment. "I...er...don't know what to say, Golly..." he began, nervously darting his eyes around the room. Anywhere but meet Golly's unwavering gaze.
"Duncan..." Golly prompted, a slight hint of chiding to his voice.
"Oh, golly, Golly!" sighed Duncan, blushing at his clumsy admission. "I just...I didn't want you dating her!"
"I know, Duncan," replied Golly, feeling slightly less angry with the boy. Duncan was a very difficult person to stay annoyed with for any length of time. "Still, you could've told me. I've been making a right fool out of myself for the past few weeks over her."
A slight twitch of Duncan's upper lip was all that signified amusement. "Yeah, you've done that all right..."
"Hey..." warned Golly, stepping forward as the surge of anger built again. He could take much but being mocked for thinking he had a chance with Irene... Well, that wasn't fair. "I know you think I'm too old for chasing the lasses, but-"
"You're not too old!" yelled Duncan, a little too loud. "Is that was you think? That I think I've got a better chance because I'm younger?"
"Well, I'm no spring chicken," replied Golly, humour in his eyes. It didn't quite cover the hurt.
Duncan saw it. He'd known Golly long enough to know the man had his insecurities.
"You're not old, either," declared Duncan, stubbornly. Ignoring the disbelieving look on Golly's face, he strove on. "If I were Mary, I'd think you were a right good catch!"
He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
"Oh. Duncan..." began Golly, but he was cut off.
"No! I didn't mean that!" denied the younger man, blushing furiously for reasons he couldn't quite understand. "I...I just meant, that you're attractive and all, and, no! I mean, oh gosh, I don't know what I mean but I don't think it's what I'm saying!"
He turned to leave the room, thoroughly humiliated at his surprise outburst.
"Don't leave."
Duncan paused in the doorway, unsure of whether he would be mocked if he turned around. "Golly...I..."
"Look at me, Duncan."
The young man sighed. He'd faced embarrassment before. Usually on a daily basis. He could handle Golly's words. He turned around.
"Why are we competing over Irene?" came the question, certainly not the one Duncan had been expecting.
"What?" he asked, unsure where this was leading.
"Are you angry with me?" probed Golly, an unreadable expression to his eyes.
"No! Why would you think that?" shot back Duncan, clearly worried. "I'm not angry. I just thought you'd like Irene and then I liked her-"
"Why so curious about our dates, then?" said Golly, his voice almost hopeful. "Why push me on with her when you don't want us together?"
"I do! I mean, I don't! I mean..." Duncan let out a loud breath of frustrated confusion. "I don't know what I want! I just don't want you seeing her! You're always talking about her, going on *dates* with her-"
"You're jealous?"
"YES!" Duncan exclaimed, bouncing up on and down on the balls of his feet as his mind raced. "We never hang around anymore, never just us!"
Silence fell suddenly and Duncan realised what he'd said.
"Oh, nooo..." he whispered, his mind feeling heavy with jumbled thoughts. "That wasn't wha-"
"Wasn't it?" asked Golly, quietly.
And finally Duncan heard the hope in his voice and the pieces clicked together. "Oh," he said.
They stood staring at each other, neither fully sure about the revelations just uncovered. Golly was stunned. His face never showed it but he'd realised the truth of his feelings the moment Duncan had accidentally admitted to his attraction. He hadn't wanted Duncan to leave, not then or he would never have the courage to find out whether the boy had truly meant his words.
"Do you...like me?" he asked, and for once the control in his voice was gone. He felt he sounded like a teenage child, nervously asking for reciprocal love. He was surely too old for this.
"Yes," replied Duncan, breaking the building tension. His reply surprised even himself, for he quickly blushed and ducked his head.
"Right."
"So..."
They stood still, or at least Golly did, for Duncan was digging a path on the dirt-covered floor with the toe of his right boot. And he was still refusing to meet Golly's gaze.
The older man spoke first. "I...feel the same way."
The words broke Duncan's nervous concentration and he snapped his head up to stare wide-eyed at the older man.
"Really?"
Golly nodded, not feeling quite confident enough to speak again.
Duncan took a deep breath, and the words came pouring from his mouth. "Gladtohearit!" He laughed sharply, embarrassed at his outburst.
The response made Golly smile, his face calming the sharp tension. "Glad to hear it, too," he said, with a twinkle to his eyes. He decided to take a chance and step forward. "I think we're both right daft."
That received a laugh and it was then that he knew everything was just fine. So there'd be nerves and other variations on awkwardness, but they'd be alright. Duncan was still his Duncan, and he was still the same old Golly. Though not as old as he'd previously thought, his libido commented.
He leant forward spontaneously and rested his lips against Duncan's, holding still as he let himself experience the new concept. The lips moved against his, drawing his lower lip slightly into the opening mouth, and his consented, enjoying the change of position. He pressed his lips together, feeling the puffed skin of Duncan's upper lip against his own. He pushed his tongue against it, licking lightly before they both pulled back to meet each other's eyes. And blush.
"Never seen you blush before," laughed Duncan, quietly.
"Never kissed you before," Golly replied, feeling strangely comfortable with the conversation.
They stood glowing at each other, and that was the sight that greeted Archie as he came to find out their whereabouts.
"What's going on, you two?" Archie asked, luckily not looking close enough to see the truth behind the exchange. "We've got wolves to look after if you two can spare a moment around staring at each other for absolutely no conceivable reason." He raised an eyebrow to signify that he wished their presence that moment, then turned and left.
Golly quietly slid his hand into Duncan's, intertwining their fingers. "The Laird wants us..."
"Later, then," whispered Duncan, a slight look of sexual frustration upon his face.
Golly laughed. "Later. Definitely," he replied as he squeezed Duncan's hand, and they both took a step out into dulling light of the late afternoon sun.
THE END.