Authors: K.A. Merikan
“It’s good to have company,” he explained.
“It must be nice to have a friend,” James said and Ira felt his body tense up.
“Talking about friends... I need to go,” smiled the boy, gulping down the remains of his ale. He stood up, picked up a knee-length coat and quickly put it on. Ira gave him an appreciative nod. He liked Joshua’s intelligence. The boy could recognize when his presence became dispensable.
James’ gaze followed the boy as he grinned at Ira once more and left. The silence that followed hung between them like a heavy curtain. The host breathed, lowering his face and burying it into the wavy mane of hair. He liked how the other man’s body fit in his arms. “You like it?” he asked, his own meal already finished.
“It’s a strange taste,” said James honestly, looking at the bottom of his empty glass. Holding him close, Ira could feel how fast his heart was pounding as he caressed the other man’s chest through the shirt.
“But good for you,” he insisted and after a moment of hesitation, he kissed the scar on his neck.
“Yes,” James whispered, looking into the fire, “though it has a bit of a sour aftertaste.”
“Like everythin’ that’s good.” Ira slowly massaged the front of his guest’s torso. Feeling no rejection, he kissed the scars again. “They heal all right?”
“Yes, you did it quite skilfully,” said James, slowly touching Ira’s hand with his fingers.
“I tried,” the other man answered, intertwining their hands gently. He wondered how desperate James really was.
“And most of all, I am still alive. That’s what counts. I’m sorry I barged into your house like that.” The guest let out a long, tired sigh.
“That’s all right. Glad you came,” murmured Ira, nuzzling his ear and looking into the sparkling fire.
“I didn’t feel at ease with what happened earlier today...” James returned to the broken conversation. He seemed vulnerable as he sat there, holding his hand, even though he was neither weak nor small. It made Ira feel uneasy, but he simply hugged him closer.
“Me neither.”
“No? It seemed you got what you wanted and left...” said James, pushing his back close to Ira’s chest, clearly relaxed by the embrace.
“I didn’t want to,” the other man mumbled, “but things you said...”
“Give me a break! I have never met someone like you! I’m nervous!” James’ honesty kept surprising Ira.
“About me origin,” Ira explained with a moan.
At those words James went silent. “I’ve never met a nice Jew before...” he whispered in the end, with a bit of a cringe.
“You met any at all?” asked the host with a sigh.
“No... but you people don’t believe in Christ,” said James, firmly holding Ira’s hand. “One of the archbishops told me in confidence that it was the reason for you to want the undead to cause disorder. So that your savior comes down to earth.”
Ira groaned, shaking his head at his companion’s naivety. “D’ya live on the moon? Look around! Ya really think there can be a savior?”
James turned his head to Ira, with a shocked expression. “How can you say things like that!?”
“I’m no privileged man!” said Ira, looking him straight in the eye.
“It has nothing to do with that! It’s about the future of mankind and hope. Christ died for our sins, but now it is up to society to work together for the good of our children!”
“I want no one to die for me! And if you make some betta’ than others, how can there be a future for us, down below?!” asked Ira, frustration clear in his voice.
“We are equal...” said James, looking into his dark eyes and lightly kissing his cheek. “Someone needs to govern, so that the world doesn’t fall apart. It doesn’t mean they are ‘better’.”
“Ya know what I mean!” sighed Ira brushing his lips against the other man’s cheek.
“No I don’t. What do you expect to happen? Some kind of revolution? It would be extremely dangerous in the current situation. We are lucky to have the Plague under control in the city,” said James with conviction.
“I want respect. No policemen followin’ me! No more leaving people like me out!”
James slouched a little, turned in the chair and wrapped his arms around Ira’s neck. “We can see what happens...”
The host swallowed and looked into his eyes stroking his arched back. The other man felt warm against his skin. “What d’ya want now... boy?” he breathed, feeling a pleasant heat coursing through him.
“I need to make sure you do nothing stupid tonight...” said James, his eyes fixed on Ira, who grinned back.
“What’s ‘stupid’?” Ira demanded, his excitement rising.
“Anything unlawful...” James' breath sped up a little.
“Yeah? Sure you want that?” The host teased him as he slowly withdrew, taking James’ arms from around his neck.
James let out a short, loud sigh, but nodded. “It’s for the better. I... We shouldn’t be doing this anyway.”
“Not convincin’,” said Ira, strolling to the door and locking it with a loud, dry click. He slowly turned around, looked at James and returned to the table. He then moved behind the other man’s chair and massaged his arms... They were warm and so tense that Ira immediately felt sorry for him.
“I only did it because I thought I was going to die,” James confessed, “and now it’s like the forbidden fruit, there is no going back. I thought I would just have to live with this craving for the rest of my life with no hope for satisfaction and today, seeing you at the university... I had only hoped for a kiss.”
“Oh, but you get a night!” Ira whispered in his ear, abruptly bending to kiss it. Oh, how he craved to have James in his bed once again!
“But you didn’t want me, you just left back then...” said James, in a soft moan.
Ira swallowed, wondering just how many times they would have to go through it. “I did! ‘was you who didn’t want one like me!”
“Back on the train... I said I wanted to see you some time and you left!” He looked away.
This conversation made Ira want to break the table with his own head. “I left ‘cause you wanted me on your call! I’m a free man just like ya!”
“We could make up the date together! I wouldn’t enforce it!” answered James, with a new anger.
“I want somethin’ different! No set dates or hidin’ that we know each other!” the man growled into James’ ear.
The aristocrat pouted with a sour look on his face. “Somehow, I don't think I would get bored having you around every single day,” he said, turning his face towards Ira’s, “but I have responsibilities. It has to be reasonable.”
Ira looked at him, his breathing getting ragged. He opened his lips, freezing for a brief moment. They both wanted each other so badly that it had to work somehow. “I want you to kiss me, boy,” was what he finally said and didn’t have to wait long for an answer to that request, as James’ lips met his in a matter of seconds. They were warm, sweet and softer than anything Ira could think of. He could get drunk on them. The raw emotion rising deep in his chest made him realize how rarely he felt that excited about someone. “Yeah...” he trailed off, moving to the side of the chair and putting his hand under the other man’s knees to pick him up. He wanted him in his bed right now.
James stopped him, with a laugh. “I’m not a lady, nor am I that light!”
Ira lowered himself on one knee, looking up at the other man, slowly stroking the leather bootleg. He knew it hid hot skin and bent slightly to kiss James’ knee through his trousers. “You aren’t,” he agreed, massaging his partner’s ankle through the shoe.
“I always thought all I was ever going to do was watch those drawings of other people having fun...” said James, with a nervous laughter. Ira shook his head, pulling off the boot and putting it under the table before doing the same with the other one.
“I’ll show you fun, boy,” he smiled, more and more excited about what was going to happen. “Today you see my bedroom.”
“But what will happen next?” worried James, tracing Ira’s tattooed arms with his fingers.
“What d’ya think happens?” Ira got to his feet and vigorously pulled the other man up as well.
“Oh Ira! I keep thinking of only you!” James exclaimed, getting up quickly and followed him into the bedroom. It was heart-warming to see him every bit as excited as he was himself.
“So it’s settled,” breathed the other man with a smile, pulling him close and leading him to the other room. He took out a pack of matches and lit a tiny, white lamp standing on a shelf right by the door. Its soft, dim glow revealed a small, square room that seemed unexpectedly cozy and homely in comparison to the one they'd just left. A large bed, which could easily fit three people, occupied most of the space inside. It was covered by a red, velvet spread, with numerous cushions scattered over it, though most of them lay in a heap at the headboard. The pillows were colorful, beautifully embroidered with small beads and metallic thread, which gave them an oriental look. Since the bed was definitely too large for a room like that, there wasn’t much space left for anything else. The only other piece of furniture inside was a simple closet at the foot of the bed. Also, there were no windows, which only strengthened the feeling of absolute privacy.
“And we will work something out?” James asked, looking around with curiosity.
“I guess so,” said the other man, turning James’ face in his own direction gently and pressing a soft kiss on his cheek.
The other man took off his jacket, throwing it on the small oriental rug by the bed. “You wouldn’t believe how rotten my mind is...”
“Oh yeah? Why don’t you tell me?” Ira urged him with a wolfish smile. That was something he definetly wanted to hear. He took off his jacket as well and lowered the suspenders to start working at the buttons of his yellow-chequered shirt.
“I would go into my study, look through those drawings I collect and imagine you in all of those situations. Your muscled, colorful arms, your tender lips...” said James, slowly opening his vest. “There is such a sense of completion when I fantasize about it.” The delicate bone structure of his face made him look even more elegant, not like the people Ira usually met in the streets. He swallowed and reached across, taking the waistcoat off his partner.
James was too beautiful. Even seeing the curve of his neck and shoulder sent shivers down Ira’s spine. He quickly pulled the collar of his shirt a bit lower and kissed his flesh with a soft moan. “You’ll have that tonight,” he promised as his hands trailed down over the other man’s chest.
“Do you meet a lot of men like me?” James asked, leaning in for a kiss. It was like a touch of electricity, going straight to Ira’s groin. He slipped his hand into James’ half-open shirt, massaging soft skin and he already knew he wanted to kiss it all over, devour this man whole.
“Not like you, no.”
James smiled at this comment, wrapping his arms around Ira’s neck. “I never meet men like you. They never talk back to me or grab me...” James’ breath became more hoarse as he pressed his body to Ira, who hissed loudly, gripping his hips with strong fingers.
“Would you like that?” he smiled hungrily, pulling him close and smelling the long hair yet again, “Them rippin' ya shirt off and fuckin’ ya against a wall?”
James moaned quietly and Ira could only imagine how those words must have affected him. “I couldn’t let someone treat me like that...” he said, but it was obvious, judging from their first encounter, that it was exactly what he'd dreamed of.
“What if they forced ya?” breathed Ira in a raspy voice, squeezing his nipple. “They’re rough lads these sailors...”
“I’d have to fight back, right?” James said, caressing Ira’s arms and slowly rubbing his own body against the other mans. “I couldn’t just bend over like some harlot from the docks...”
Ira felt a sudden surge of desire overcome him. Unable to help himself, he grabbed James’ hair and used it to turn his face to the side as he crushed the man into the wall with his own body. “Oh yeah? What makes you say that?” he hissed, yanking the shirt down James’ back. He wasn't too forceful as he didn’t want to rip the expensive garment, but it sufficed to reveal his partner’s shoulder blades and arms. The view of perfect, creamy skin made him ache.
James gasped, nervously trying to look back at him. “Because I’m of noble birth...!” he said, his body shivering violently. “If someone knew—” Ira interrupted him with a long, lazy lap along the uncovered part of his spine. The taste of that young, salty skin there was all Ira craved tonight.
“You think I care?” he asked in a rough voice, sliding a hand down the willing body to cup a round buttock. “I can just use you like a cheap harlot...”
“Oh!” James whimpered, with his hands on the wall. “You wouldn’t!” he said, pushing his hips towards the hand in a hungry, lustful manner.
“No?” Ira teased and then suddenly yanked James’ trousers down. After a short fumble with the fly, he lowered them to just below the other man’s buttocks and brusquely slid spit-slick fingers between the juicy halves.
James struggled to hold back a squeal, as his muscles tensed up. He was now obscenely exposed and enclosed between the cold wall and Ira’s hot body. “Or maybe you would!” he gasped.
Ira’s breath caught in his throat as he massaged the tiny opening gently. It was burning hot and he immediately remembered how tight it felt around him when he rode James. “Givin’ up the fight already, eh?”