Notes from the Miko: Well, I took Fala's criticism to heart ('cause I know she's right) and re-wrote this into something better. I got ride of the snow, the sap, the useless dramatics and hopefully some of the predictability too. Hope its better! Thanks Fala!
Gateau was engaged in conversation with an attractive sales woman. This alone didn't worry the mage, but the fact that those blue eyes were riveted to her more than ample bosom and low cut dress did. She seemed to revel in the attention and laughed merrily at something he said.
Turning away, Marron headed back to the hotel where they were staying. Many thoughts crept into his head no matter how hard he tried not to let them. Setting down his few bags on the cheap bed, he grabbed a book from one of them and found his way to a small cafe down the street.
That is where Gateau found him, sitting at a small outdoor table sipping an Iced Coffee and flipping pages in a book that would surely go directly over his friend's head. Gateau took the seat opposite him and waited for Marron to look up. After an unusual amount of waiting, he reached out and tipped down the book to look into the golden eyes of his lover. Marron had beautiful eyes.
"Yes?" He asked in no particular tone.
"You seemed to be pretty interested in that."
"You seemed to be interested in quite a few things."
"What?"
"Never mind. Are you ready to go?" They had to meet the others for dinner at five.
"I guess." Something here was very off.
~*~
They lay tangled together after another round of lovemaking. Gateau lay on his back with Marron sprawled halfway on top of him, their breaths mingling in the warm night air. Now they should fall asleep and wake up holding each other in the morning. But something kept Gateau awake. What had Marron said earlier about his interest in 'a few things'? Marron never spoke without reason and usually picked his words carefully, so there had to be something. Gently he shook Marron, only to find him still alert.
"Marron, what did you mean earlier, when you said I was interested in things?"
The boy shifted against him, rearranging himself so he could look at Gateau.
"Was it nothing?"
"Not so much nothing as something."
"Now you've confused me." It was not an uncommon occurrence.
"It is of no importance Gateau, I just had a few arrogant misconceptions I needed to cast aside. One must always be willing to change his mind." He calmly waited for a reply.
"Marron, I really wish you'd tell me what the hell you're talking about." He pushed the mage back a little and sat up against the headboard. This seemed to merit an actual discussion. Taking the hint, Marron sat cross-legged on the bed and pulled the sheet over his lap for the sake of modesty.
"I am talking about this afternoon. I saw you talking to that woman after we got separated."
"So? I talk to people."
He sighed in the resigned type way, "You were talking to her breasts Gateau. Every time my brother does that he gets a beating."
"All right, I admit it. But she was damn hot Marron. I was just looking." He was instantly defensive, Marron just shook his head.
"Yes, I know. I just had to realize its okay for you to look."
"Huh?"
"When a man meets a girl and they fall in love, that's it. They are totally dedicated to one another an no one else matters. Eventually they get engaged and get married and have a life together. They stop looking." His eyes closed for a moment as if he could really see it in his head, then they opened to stare blankly into Gateau's confused face.
"That's how it is for us." The larger man reached out a muscled arm to place a hand gently on his shoulder. Marron leaned a cheek against it while his hand found Gateau's other one and entwined their fingers. He spoke.
"No, its different for us. Gateau, have you ever brought me flowers for no reason? Have you ever taken me out dancing? Have you ever looked at an engagement ring and wondered what it would look like on my hand?"
"Well, no, you're a boy..."
"And its different for boys." Gateau pulled him close.
"What does it mean?"
"It means we will never be more than we are now. We will never make promises that last forever. We will never have children we can call our own. We will never grow old together. You told me that today. This is it."
As Gateau held him close in the waning hours of the night he allowed a single tear to fall for all that he had lost.
"But this is okay, isn't it Gateau?"
"Yeah, this is okay."
~finis~
