| Touching a Dream |
| Bob let Harry sleep the better part of the day. After all, they'd been up half the night, what with Harry's expedition to the morgue, and their ... energetic lovemaking afterward. He'd felt wonderfully tired when they finished, and would have enjoyed staying with Harry as he fell asleep. But as usual, as soon as Harry's conscious mind checked out, his subconscious kicked Bob out. With a sigh, he reformed on the bed beside his love, content to watch Harry sleep for the both of them.
To love and be loved. Surely the greatest gift of being human. He was amazed at how calm he felt just now, despite his impending trial before the Council. Maybe it was post-coital lassitude, maybe it was just knowing that Harry believed in him. Whatever the reason, he knew that with Harry by his side, he could face anything the Council could dish out. It was 2:00 in the afternoon when Harry finally woke up. Bleary eyed, he smiled seeing Bob still beside him. "You still here?" Harry asked sleepily. "Where else would I be?" Harry's smile faltered. "Do you get lonely, Bob? Nights can be so ..." "Empty?" The ghost offered. Harry nodded. The look in Bob's eyes was answer enough. Harry moved his hand so that it 'touched' Bob's. It was becoming their gesture, their way of touching when they couldn't really touch. Bob smiled. "Don't worry about me, Harry. I've survived all these centuries. And now, I have you. For some reason I never tire of gazing at your face, asleep or awake." Harry felt that blush coming back. He really had to get control of that reaction. Except that he kind of liked that Bob could make him feel like that. Nobody else ever had. Bob could see how his words affected Harry; and for once, he decided to be kind. "Enough of that, Harry. Time for you to get moving." And with that, the ghost vanished, and re-formed in his new 'daytime attire': black slacks and a long sleeved fitted shirt in a deep burgundy wine color. A necktie completed the ensemble, dark gray spattered with a fine mist of burgundy dots, thicker at the bottom. He'd been entranced by the display at the men's store when he realized this was the one 'fashion statement' available to modern men. Some were predictable, boring, repetitious stripes or patterns. Others were outlandish, wildly colored. But there were quite a few he found intriguing; artistic, tasteful, different. He suspected that if he'd really had a neck behind that knot, he might not be so eager to wear them, but as it was, it certainly didn't bother him. Harry did a double take as he got out of bed and noticed Bob's new attire. "Hey, not bad!" He grinned, pointing at the tie. "Bit formal, though ..." Bob gave Harry his best 'superior' look. "I DO have my standards, Harry," he said haughtily. Harry had to laugh. "Yeah, you do, don't you?" Bob met his eyes, and the disdainful look vanished into affectionate humor. "Yes I do, you scamp. Now off with you ... takes you quite a bit longer to get ready for the day." Harry chuckled as he headed into the bathroom. For a moment he thought of asking Bob to join him in the shower, but frankly he didn't think they could top last night, and he kind of wanted to hold on to that memory a bit longer. Besides, he didn't want to start a snowball effect of 'this could be your last ...' Bob deserved better than that. Even if it was their last day together ... // Stop that! // Harry chastised himself. It wasn't going to happen. He wouldn't let it. A loud grumbling emanated from his stomach, thankfully distracting him from that line of thought. He quickly finished his shower, dried off, and came out of the bathroom nude, as was his habit, only to find Bob sitting there on his bed with a very appreciative smirk on his face. Harry did his best to ignore it, turning his back on his audience as he dug out a clean pair of underwear from his dresser. Never mind the rosy tinge of his skin as he dove into a pullover shirt. By the time he pulled on his jeans, he had almost collected himself. Fully dressed, he finally turned back around and caught sight of the clock. "Christ, Bob! Why didn't you tell me what time it was? No wonder I'm starving!" Something about Harry's body-shyness struck Bob as absolutely charming. He just couldn't help grinning. "Sorry, Harry, I was a bit distracted ..." It worked, bringing back that faint flush that had been about to vanish. But Harry had an answer to put the ghost in his place. "Keep that up, Bob, and I won't let you share lunch with me." Bob knew that if he kept pushing, they'd end up sharing something much better than lunch. And yet he held back. Harry clearly didn't want to go there right now. And as for himself, well, ... maybe Harry had a point. They had quite a few hours to fill until the Council meeting this evening. He doubted even Harry could keep going that long. Perhaps a lunch out would lead to other distractions. "Oh, have it your way then, Harry." Bob sighed exaggeratedly. But then he grinned. "So what's for lunch?" Harry had to laugh at Bob's sudden eagerness. "You know, it's a beautiful day out there. How about we head down to the lake? I know just the place ..." "Lake? We live near a lake?" Harry scowled at him. "Lake Michigan. It's one of the Great Lakes ... didn't you teach ME geography? Oh, hell, just get on board. I'm starving." Bob eagerly melded into Harry, settling into what he thought of as the 'passenger seat'. Harry grabbed his jacket and the backpack, quickly but gently stuffing in Bob's skull. They walked out to his car, and in moments they were under way. Once he was sure Harry was fully in control of the vehicle, Bob resumed the conversation. // Geography has never been one of my better subjects. Back when I was a child, the world was only as big as a man could walk. To me, London was practically a legend, not a real place at all. Ever since your ancestors brought me over here, I've given up on trying to keep track of all the changes. I was barely a few days ahead of you in your lessons, and promptly forgot everything when we were done. // "So I had to learn it, but it wasn't important enough for you to remember?" Bob's mental voice had reminded Harry of his 'weirdness insurance.' At the next stop light, he fished his wireless earpiece out of his pocket and settled it in place. Bob chuckled. // You live in this world, Harry. I just get to visit occasionally. I've seen more of Chicago in the past week than in the past hundred years. Other than crime scenes ... // Harry sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Bob ... I really took you for granted ..." // Harry, love, please, don't worry about it. It was just the way things were. You always treated me as more of a person than any of my previous 'owners.' I had no reason to even hope for more. // "You deserved it. All along." // Well, I have it now. I have you. And this is the most wonderful gift you've given me. // Harry felt the warm pulse of Bob's love, which made him feel more contented, more complete than any feeling he'd ever known. But before it could get too mushy, Bob's 'voice' continued // Speaking of, what is on the menu today? // Harry's stomach echoed the question noisily. "A Chicago specialty. Deep dish pizza. And a bunch of really bad-for-you junk food at the Pier." Bob had seen Harry eat pizza before; if frequency was any indicator, it was Harry's favorite food. He was just about to ask about the rest of it when Harry pulled the Jeep into a parking lot. Bob hadn't been paying attention to their surroundings during their conversation, so he hadn't noticed that they had come into an area that didn't look like anything else in the city that Bob had ever seen. They were on a waterfront, the lake Harry had mentioned. There were a number of structures that didn't look like anything Bob could recognize, and everything was painted in bright colors. And the smells! Oh, my word, the smells! A faint fishiness coming from the water. And food! He could see a number of smallish stalls where vendors offered a variety of edibles. It was still fairly early in the spring, a bit on the cold side, so there weren't that many people out. Harry made a beeline for a small storefront from which the most tantalizing aromas were emanating. "Gimme two slices of your garbage special and a Coke!" The kid behind the counter quickly dished up two plates each of which was covered by a wedge of bread, easily an inch thick, on top of which had been piled the most amazing assembly of foodstuffs Bob had ever seen. Meats, vegetables, even something that smelled slightly fishy. Bob wasn't sure if it was his mouth watering or Harry's ... or really, both. Harry carried the food over to a table and settled in. He was so hungry he almost forgot about Bob, taking the first bite himself. Even from the 'back seat', Bob understood why Harry loved this dish. The gooey melted cheese, the soft chewy bread, the mix of additional flavors. The fact that you ate it with your hands, no utensils required. Eventually Harry realized he was being greedy and let Bob take over. Neither of them said a word as they finished the pizza. Their hunger sated, Bob sat back in the chair and looked out the window. // Harry? What is this place? // Harry grinned. // I figured you'd never seen a carnival. This is the Dresden side of my heritage, Bob. Stage magicians like the great Harry Houdini got their start a hundred years ago with traveling carnivals. Rather than be built in one place like this, a carnie was a traveling show, going from city to city. Rides, like the Ferris Wheel and Merry-Go-Round were something new and exciting then. Today they're seen as tame, just for little kids. But I've always loved carnivals ... // Bob could feel Harry's warm, sentimental attachment. This really meant something to him. // I'd love to see more, Harry ... // Bob prodded. That was all the excuse Harry needed. He threw away their trash and headed out the door. A stiff breeze was coming off the lake, but he didn't mind the chill. Bob spotted a sign that proclaimed 'Navy Pier,' which seemed to be the name of this place. The pier jutted out into the lake, and all along it were a variety of food sellers, games of chance and skill, and the rides. The beautiful carousel, with its multicolored horses galloping along in a circle. Bob easily saw why Harry was entranced with it. Bright, lively music played as the few children present laughed gleefully, reaching out to try to grab a brass ring each time their 'horse' passed it. But the biggest structure was a huge upright wheel that Harry called a "Ferris Wheel." He had no idea who Ferris was or what he had to do with this structure. They had been wandering the Pier for over an hour when Harry asked, "So you want to give it a try?" Bob had been watching as passengers were let into the individual 'cages' attached to the wheel, riding it up around its circle. He suddenly felt nervous. // That? Harry ... is it safe? // "One of these days, Bob, I'll take you on a Roller Coaster. Then you can ask that question. This ... little kids ride this. And it gives an awesome view of the city from up there." Harry could feel Bob's hesitation. "Hey. It's my body too, you know. I wouldn't risk it ..." // Ah. Of course not ... // Bob realized he was being a little silly. // All right, Harry. // Satisfied, Harry walked over to a ticket booth and bought one ticket. Fortunately, there weren't many people in line, so they got right in, and got a 'gondola' as the attendant called it to themselves. Once they were locked in, the wheel began moving slowly, rotating upward. Bob felt the gondola swaying gently, rocking back and forth as it rose. It really was a gentle sort of movement, not at all what he had expected. They rose slowly, taking in the view of the city below them "My God, Harry! This is remarkable!" Bob was so overwhelmed, he spoke aloud. Harry was grinning like a Cheshire cat, so happy to be able to share this with Bob. Somehow, their arms managed to intertwine, as they held on to each other as best they could. They didn't let go until the wheel had made its fifth circuit and their gondola came to a rest at the gate. The attendant gave him an odd look as Harry stepped off the platform, but Harry just ignored it. They wandered around the pier for a while longer, eventually stopping in front of an ice cream stand. Harry couldn't resist. "You want some dessert, Bob?" Bob eyed the blobs of white and brown ... stuff ... that came out of the machine. // What is it? // // It's called ice cream. It's frozen cream ... very tasty. // Harry switched to mental voice; this was too basic to try to explain publicly. // That explains the white ...? // // Oh geez. You've never had chocolate. We got that from the Aztecs, didn't we? Didn't hit Europe until after you died. Um ... just wait a minute ... // Harry turned his attention to the ice cream stand and got a chocolate cone. As he turned away, he started licking it, very slowly, using just the tip of his tongue at first. Letting Bob feel the cold creaminess of it. And just a hint of that chocolate taste. Then swirling the flat of his tongue around the side of it, catching the outer layer that was just beginning to melt a little in the warm afternoon sun. Harry continued licking slowly, sensually. Finally, he took the whole top of the ice cream into his mouth, sucking softly. It suddenly occurred to him that this must be very much like sucking a cock ... although that would be wonderfully warm and salty, instead of cold and sweet. But now that he'd made the connection, he couldn't get the image out of his mind. He continued licking and sucking at the ice cream with a sensuality he'd never associated with the treat before. // Oh, Harry! // Bob's voice was languorous, as he let himself drown in this sensory feast. // Is that a desert or an aphrodisiac? // It was delicious and sweet but not too sweet, and so, so, sexy the way Harry was eating it. // Harry, we *are* in public! // it was finally Bob's turn to observe. Harry tried very hard not to laugh out loud, but didn't make it. People standing nearby looked at him strangely, then away when they saw his earpiece. "Bob, that was mean!" he said aloud, as much for their benefit as Bob's. He let Bob 'take over' for the remainder of the cone, focusing on walking while Bob enjoyed the sweet treat. Just as they paused at a trash can to toss away the crumpled napkin, Harry felt the dizziness. "Whoa, Bob ... think it's time to call it a day ..." he gasped. The trash can was right outside a public restroom, so Harry stumbled inside. By some miracle, nobody was there, so Bob quickly ghosted out, reforming in his human presence beside Harry. "Harry? Are you all right?" His eyes were full of concern. The minute Bob left, Harry felt better. Not perfect, but definitely better. He leaned on a sink, breathing slowly as the world re-centered itself. "Yeah. I�m ok. Don't think I�m gonna pass out this time." Bob shook his head slowly. "We shouldn't have done this, Harry. Not today. You need to be at your best tonight ..." Harry splashed some cold water on his face, wiping off the chocolate Bob had managed to get on his cheek. He turned to his friend. "Bob, listen to me. I wouldn't have traded this day for anything. We'll be fine tonight. I'm fine now. Really." Bob stared into his eyes, trying to figure out of Harry was faking it. But in the end, it didn't matter. What was, was, and they would face the council in two hours as they were. He nodded and smiled at Harry. "I wouldn't trade this day for anything, either, Harry. But now I think I'd better go 'home' ... " His eyes pointed towards Harry's backpack, his skull. Harry shook his head. "Just walk around with me for a little longer. People won't walk into you ... they'll expect you to be solid and avoid you. Please?" When Harry got that 'lost puppy' expression, Bob was helpless. "All right," he agreed. They walked out of the restroom together, and just as Harry predicted, everybody acted as if Bob was really there. For a while they just sat on a park bench and watched the people around them. Until it was almost time to go. They still had to go back to the apartment to pick up the crystals, then get to the Council meeting. Bob found himself drawn back to the Ferris Wheel. It was as if he could almost feel magic working there. "Harry, do you think we could ride it one more time? I think I could keep up with the movement ..." Harry smiled softly. "Yeah, sure." When Harry came back, this time with another guy, the attendant just rolled his eyes and made sure they had a gondola to themselves. The sun was just setting, and the dusky colors over the city's sparkling lights looked magical. Now, magic is a funny thing. Not all things normal humans call 'magical' are truly magic, but some are. Carnivals are places steeped in positive emotions; happiness, playfulness, love. And emotions can be a powerful source for magic. The magic had been gathering here for a while, looking for the perfect moment to happen. As the sun set, Harry and Bob turned to each other, eyes locked. "We'll get through this, Bob." It wasn't anything less than a promise. Bob nodded, wanting more than anything to kiss Harry. It took a lot of power for a ghost to manifest physically. Power he shouldn't have been able to access. But the carnie magic nudged him, fed him, and suddenly his hand, hovering over Harry's arm, touched solid flesh. He gasped, his eyes darting to the point of contact, then back to meet Harry's. Harry's arms came up and embraced him, pulling him close, as they each leaned in for the kiss. For four more revolutions of the giant wheel, they kissed, held, loved. As the wheel slowed to let them off, they pulled apart, knowing it would end. Still, they held on as long as they could. Finally, when it stopped, the magic dissipated, and Bob was no more solid than usual. Still, they gazed into each others' eyes until the attendant's muttered, 'Get a room!' broke the spell. "Ready, Harry?" Bob asked softly. "For anything, Bob. Anything." They turned and exited the gondola, heading off to their appointment with destiny. continue to Chapter 8 Send me some Feedback Back to my Dresden Home page Back to the Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
| Chapter 7 |
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| I've never been to Chicago's Navy Pier, but I had just come home from ceelbrating my 20th Wedding Anniversary at Niagara Falls, which has the Sky Wheel picuterd here ... probably where all the mush in this chapter came from! |