The usual disclaimers apply to this story.

Between Dreams

Part 7

At 3.00pm Doctor Graham gave Mr Benson permission to take Matthew home. With the bed screens drawn Matthew got dressed assisted by his father while the rest of the family waited outside in the corridor. Five minutes later he was saying goodbye to the other patients in the ward, and the nurses that had attended to him. On the ground floor they stopped at the pharmacy to get medicines that the doctor had prescribed, cream, to help reduce the swellings on his face and body, and some pain killers if he needed them and tablets to sedate and help him sleep if the discomfort from his injuries kept him awake.

By 3.30pm they were parked outside of the flats where Matthew was now staying. While in the car he said goodbye to his mother and siblings then opened the car door and stepped out. His father had also exited the car and was now at his side, he took his father's proffered arm as they made their way slowly to the front door.

Matthew opened the door then hesitated before stepping inside. Turning to his father, who stood with a sombre expression on his face.

"Thanks dad for all you've done I really appreciate it."

"I haven't done much Matthew, actually very little if I had behaved in the manner a parent should have behaved when confronted with your love for another boy none of this would have happened. I haven't been as good a father as I should have. I've indulged myself in activities as a married man I shouldn't have, but it was not always so. Like you I had high ideals when I was younger Matthew, but when my father died and most of his assets passed to me I seemed to lose my way.

I couldn't cope with all the wealth and position, and from being an attentive husband and father I neglected my duties to indulge myself in pleasures of the flesh. I'm sorry Matthew for the way I've treated you recently, but I was expecting so much of you, and when I was confronted by your homosexuality instead of trying to understand you I tried to force you to conform to what we consider the norm. I hope you can find it in you to forgive me not because I want your silence on my adultery but I want you back in the house as my son."

Matthew looked at his father whose eyes were on the verge of tears and felt a lump in his throat and when he tried to speak only a croak escaped his lips; he cleared his throat, composed himself and said, "I have to discuss this with Shandy dad before I can give you an answer. He's been through so much as a kid since his parents deserted him, and although he has his aunt since we found each other he needs me just as much or even more than his aunt."

"I'm sorry Matthew I didn't know."

"It's alright dad, it's not just one way my need for Shandy is just as great maybe even more so. From the moment I met him I've desired him morning, noon, and night, and having him lying next to me in bed is worth more than anything money can buy."

I understand Matthew, is there anything else you need before I go?"

"Yes dad."

"What's that?"

"My car dad, its still parked at the school."

"Leave it to me I'll have it around here tomorrow morning."

"Thanks dad, if I feel up to it I'll pop around to see you and mum tomorrow."

"No Matthew rest as much as possible, if need be we'll come and visit if that's okay with you."

"That would be really cool, now you'd better get back to the car they'll be wondering what's happening."

"Bye Matthew, and son,"

"Yes dad."

"You're welcome home anytime with a capital W."

"Thanks dad, bye, and he watched his father make his way back to the car, there was a flurry of waves then the car disappeared from sight."

Making his way into the bedroom that he and Shandy shared he kicked of his trainers then removed his jeans, T-shirt, and vest then lay down on top of the bed covers. He leaned over and buried his head in the pillow that Shandy used inhaled, and let the boy's aroma fills his senses.

The tablets he'd taken when leaving the hospital were beginning to take affect he closed his eyes and relaxed then slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

Shandy his mind in overdrive thinking about getting to the hospital to see Matthew, returned from school dropped his bag inside the front door and made his way to the bedroom, inside the doorway his forward momentum was stopped as he saw the figure lying on the bed. He stood staring for a moment before he started to remove his shoes and socks, then his jacket, shirt, and finally his trousers. In only his briefs he strode over to the bed then stood and let his eyes roam over the body of his sleeping lover. Matthew's right cheek was still slightly swollen and bruised as was the other cheek; his body and arms were also covered in ugly bruises. He was on the point of climbing into the bed when the phone rang. He dashed out into the hallway to silence it before it awoke Matthew; he picked it up and answered, "Jeremy Walker speaking, can I help you?"

"Umm I'm not too sure is that Matthew's friend I'm talking to?"

"Yes Mr Benson it's me Shandy."

"Ah Shandy, can I speak to Matthew please."

"He asleep at the moment Mr Benson but if it's important I'll wake him if you want."

"No let him sleep Shandy, I only wanted to tell him of the actions the Principal of his school has taken against the boys who had assaulted him, but you can pass the message on."

"No Mr Benson when he wakes up I'll tell him to phone you back then you can speak to him."

"Alright Shandy, thank you and goodbye."

"Shandy voiced his goodbye and hung up.

He made his way back to the bedroom and on entering was greeted with a, "Hi," from a smiling Matthew, "Who was on the phone."

"Your dad he wanted to speak to you, do you want me to ring him back?"

"No I think I know what it's about."

"You do?"

"Yeah he talked to me this afternoon when he dropped me of," and while he spoke Shandy climbed onto the bed next to him, "He wants me to return home."

When he made the statement he looked at the younger boy's face and immediately noticed the look of concern. Not wanting to cause Shandy undue anxiety he wrapped an arm around him and pulled him into his body saying, "But I told him in a roundabout way that I'm happier staying here."

Shandy looked into the face that he was constantly dreaming of, "Matthew."

"Yes?"

"If you really want to go home its okay by me, we can always see each other after school, and at weekends."

"You fed up with me sleeping in your bed is that it."

"NO."

"I was joking Shandy boy," and he leaned forward and pecked the blonde haired boy on the end of the nose. "I'm not going anywhere not without you and unless you kick me out you're stuck with me as a sleeping partner."

The grin that spread across the younger boy's face stretched near enough from ear to ear. He gently wrapped his arms around the older boy's body not wanting to hurt him and snuggled into him saying, "I thought we were going to do other things besides sleeping," and started to giggle.

"Yeah well you'll have to wait a couple of days till I heal, before we can think of anything else other than sleeping."."

"Do you hurt real bad Matthew?"

"Sort of around my chest but it's not too bad."

"You want I get you something Matthew?"

He looked at the younger boy's concerned expression on his face, lowering his head he kissed the boy on the tip of his nose then pulled him in close, "No with you beside me you're the best medicine I can ever ask for."

"Matthew."

"Yeah."

"Your dad wanted to speak to you about what happened at school and what the Principal did."

"Okay I'll talk to him later right now I'm too comfortable with you here beside me. My dick is also beginning to get bigger."

"You want me to play with it."

"No Shandy boy, I can't do anything for you so it won't be fair."

"Please Matthew; please let me do it for you."

He twisted his head to look at the boy lying beside him, "I tell you what you can do for me."

"What?" the younger boy asked eagerly.

"Go over to my CD player have a look at the stack of CD's and you'll see one of Norah Jones titled Come Away With Me. Put it on then come and lie down here beside me."

Shandy rose from the bed and did what was asked of him then he got back into the bed and snuggled into Matthew's arms just as the music started.

They lay together listening to the haunting melody then the older boy tilted his young companions head back and brought their lips together.

They were transported out of the room and into a world of their own as they lay in each others arms. As the music engulfed them so their beings seemed to merge into a single entity and where they were in a place that no other individual could invade.

The silence brought them back to reality as their lips separated and they gazed at each other.

"Matthew."

"Yes."

"That was beautiful, as good as or even better than sex."

"Now you know how I feel about you Shandy boy, it's not just for the pleasurable feelings we get from our love making, but having you next to me so that I can feel your breath on my face, hear your heart beat, and to have your scent invading my senses, is something that makes knowing you and having you in my arms that little bit more than special."

"You want to kiss again."

"God I've never known anybody who wants to kiss like you do."

"I only want to taste you, that's why I like kissing, your mouth inside is really umm I don't know how to put it sort of umm yummy, no that's not right, oh bollocks, kiss me again Matthew."

Before the request could be carried out the phone rang.

"Oh Shit! The younger boy exclaimed he gave Matthew a forlorn look then left the bed to answer the phone."

"Hello."

"Sorry Aunty."

"Yes he is home he's lying down he was sleeping earlier but when his dad phoned he woke up."

"No, you didn't interrupt anything we were just lying down together."

"No I wasn't annoyed when I answered the phone, umm uh I was umm well I was lying down with Matthew and we were kissing."

"Aunty that's being nosey."

"Okay, Ill get the meat out of the fridge do you want me to cut it for you?"

"That's not funny my hands are clean, anyway I'd wash them before I handled the food. I told you we were just kissing with some music playing that's all."

"Okay see you in a bit, and Aunty."

"Love you."

"How do you know."

"Huh, okay see you in half an hour bye"

He replaced the phone went to the kitchen removed the beef from the fridge then made his way back to the bedroom. In the doorway he stopped to look at the person lying in the bed and his stomach did a funny kind of flip and his heart started to beat faster.

"Why are you standing there in the doorway come on over here?"

He smiled, and needed no second bidding but quickly made his way over to the bed and lay down beside the cause of his heart's increased beating. Wrapping his arms around Matthew he snuggled into his body.

"Was that your aunt on the phone?"

"Yeah she'll be home by 5.30pm. Do you want to talk to your dad now?"

"No I'll wait till later you want to bring your lips over here?"

They kissed and lay in each others arms till the younger boy untangled his limbs from his older companions embrace saying, "I better get dressed the aunt will be home in a few minutes and I need to give her hand in the kitchen."

"Okay Shandy, but before you go can you get me some water, and a painkiller and one of the pink tablets that's the hospital prescribed."

He quickly dressed got what Matthew wanted and was just making his way to the sitting room when he heard a key rattle in the lock and then the door opening and his aunt walked into the house.

He walked over and kissed her on the cheek, "Hi aunty, Matthew is lying down I don't think he'll be awake for very long he's just taken some tablets."

"Well I had better go and see him before he goes to sleep."

She made her way to the boy's bedroom with Shandy following in her wake. On entering the room she made her way over to the bed, and looked down on the boy who by now was under the bedcovers.

She stooped down kissing the boy on the cheek, "Welcome home Matthew, how are you feeling?"

"Not bad when the painkillers kick in and take the aches and pains away, maybe I'll be able to get about tomorrow."

"I wouldn't rush it Matthew, give yourself time to heal there's nothing of importance for you to do so take it easy."

"I'll wait and see how I feel I don't like lying around with nothing to do."

"Oh you'll have plenty to do when you're up and about, so if I were you just take it easy for the time being."

"Okay."

"Alright let me go and prepare some food for us," turning to Shandy, "You going to give me a hand and let Matthew rest?"

"Sure aunty," and the two of them left for the kitchen leaving Matthew to rest.

An hour and a half later with their stomachs full and all the dishes and cutlery washed and put away Jenny Adams turned to her attention to her young nephew.

"You'd better have a look in on Matthew and if need be wake him, he should eat something before it gets too late."

"Okay aunty" and the young boy made his way to the bedroom pausing in the doorway to look at the form that lay sleeping on the bed.

Matthew was laying on his side his head half on and off the pillow so that his cheek and mouth were more or less resting on the mattress. Shandy walked into the room and knelt down beside the bed resting his chin on the mattress and gazed at the boy that made him feel so happy just to be in his presence.

He slid his chin forward along the mattress until his lips came in contact with the lips of the sleeping form and on making contact lifted his hand to hold the older boy's head.

Shortly the head drew back breaking the contact of their lips, the eyes opened and gazed at the face that had awakened him, a smile formed at the mouth,

"You," it said.

"Me,"

"What's happening?"

"Nothing much just came in to wake you to see if you're hungry enough to eat something."

"Yeah I'm starving but I'd better rinse my mouth first."

"Okay come on, you can lean on me if you want on the way to the bathroom."

"I want, not because I can't walk but its good having you close."

Matthew climbed out of the bed and with his young companion made his way to the bathroom to freshen his mouth. Finished he picked up his dressing gown and donned it, then the two of them made their way to the kitchen/diner where Jenny Adams was waiting for them.

"Can you wait a couple of minutes while I heat the food Matthew?"

"Sure Jenny while you're doing that I may as well phone my father and hear the news from the school."

Jenny Adams had just finished warming and serving his food when Matthew walked back into the room.

"You look pretty grim Matthew was the news bad?"

"No Jenny, I'm just feeling sorry to hear that all the boys were expelled from the school. I know they beat me up pretty badly but to be permanently expelled is really tough."

"Don't feel sorry for them Matthew they got off lightly. What do you think would have happened to them if the case had gone to court and they were found guilty, and believe me they would have with all the evidence against them?"

"Yes I see what you mean. Umm Jenny is it okay if my parents come over tomorrow to visit."

"You don't have to ask permission for your parents to visit Matthew; as long as you're staying here they can come and visit whenever they wish."

"Thanks Jenny now let me get some of that food down me."

By 10.30pm Shandy stood up and walked over to his aunt and kissed her on the cheek, and wished her goodnight, at the same time Matthew also stood and voiced his salutations for the night and with Shandy made his way to the bathroom to wash and change. Inside the bathroom Shandy again was alarmed at seeing the extensive bruising covering Matthew's body. He gently rubbed his hands over older boy's body in a soothing motion at the same time gently kissing some of the bruises on Mathew's body. Tears sprang to his eyes and trickled down his cheeks as he envisaged the pain that his lover must be experiencing he sobbed and rested his head on Matthews shoulder. The older boy felt the moisture of Shandy's tears on his skin, taking the younger boy's head in his hands he gently prised it of his shoulder at the same time turning it upwards so he could gaze into the tear stained eyes.

Kissing him on the end of the nose then smiling he said, "Don't cry I'll heal."

The young boy didn't respond but stood silently waiting for the older boy to act.

Matthew knowing that Shandy had been disturbed at seeing his injuries knew the best course of action was to take his young companions mind away from the present situation, taking the younger boy by the hand he turned and pulling the boy with him said, "You ready for bed Shandy Boy."

T.B.C.

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