Date: Sat, 13 Sep 2003 16:28:51 -0700 (PDT) From: Equinus Scorpius Subject: Silent Violin chapter 10 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Although the names of places used DO exist, they are in no way reflected factually in this story. Don't read this story if: * You're not 18 or over, * If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, * Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. Note: This story will be slow moving, and plot oriented. It is not a porno, though sex will happen. It's a fact of life. Words in between <> are sign language, as text formatting does not support italics. E-mail responses to the story, questions, suggestions, criticism, and comments to: EquinusScorpius@yahoo.com Thanks to all my readers for the feedback so far! THE SILENT VIOLIN CHAPTER 10 Aiden braced himself for the cold weather and old memories. He wasn't sure if he was ready to face the past yet, but if Bastian needed him here, then here he would be. He wanted to say something to reassure Bastian, but couldn't think of what to say. Resolutely he took Bastian's hand, willing strength and support to flow through the physical bond. Bastian looked over at him and smiled. Together they stepped towards the hill. Aiden closed his eyes and remembered. He remembered climbing up the hill behind Zeke Chambers after his first ride down. Ahead, Kevin was telling the twins they would have to wait for Bastian to get out of the way before they could sled. Zeke Chambers pushed past them to slide down the hill. Like slow motion, Aiden saw Bastian try to get up and fall. He yelled for Zeke to stop, attracting Kevin's attention. Zeke pushed off down the hill as Kevin leapt to stop him. With mounting horror, Aiden saw Zeke fall backwards off his sled, causing it to launch at Bastian. All the blood and the screams; Ralph coming out of the house yelling for everyone to go home. And Aiden just standing there in shock and horror as Bastian lay on the cold snow, blood welling from his neck. Peripherally, Aiden was aware of Bastian sinking to his knees in the snow. He could feel him trembling through his hand. Bastian wasn't dead, wasn't gone. He was back and although his body wasn't whole, his soul more than made up for it. Aiden snapped out of the memory and turned to embrace Bastian as he shook and cried in the snow. For Bastian, it was different. He had relived the memories of the accident every year for the past 10 years. This time it was different. This time he was here, where it had happened. It wasn't January 14th, but still the thoughts came. He wasn't angry, or sad or bitter. He was alive and well and if he couldn't speak, well there were other ways of communicating. He was back where he belonged with who he belonged. Tears of joy welled from his eyes and he fell to his knees in the snow, shaking with the torrential emotions that flooded his body. He felt Aiden's arms around him and the love he had for him burned away the last remembrances of the accident. They knelt there, embracing in the snow for some time until the cold wet of the snow melted through their pants and they rose from the snow to re-enter the house, still hand in hand. Ralph and Kevin were seated at the kitchen table. Bastian was surprised to see that the clock on the wall read 5:12. Aiden gasped in dismay upon seeing the clock. "My mom's going to kill me! I didn't realize we'd been out there so long." "Don't worry, I took the liberty of calling her and letting her know you boys were eating dinner here. I hope you like salad and lasagna," Ralph said. He rose from the table and opened the oven, releasing the mouthwatering aroma of lasagna. Kevin moved to the counter and retrieved the bowl of salad. "You don't have to do that, Mr. Roberson," Aiden began. "Hey, it's already taken care of. Your mom said it was okay," Kevin interrupted. Aiden smiled. "Thanks then. Hey, is that lasagna vegetarian? Bastian doesn't eat meat." "Ah, no. Sorry, I didn't know you were vegetarian, Bastian. I can make you up something else," Ralph offered. Bastian shook his head and waved his hand complacently. He pointed to the salad and gave it a thumbs-up, rubbing his belly for good measure. The salad would be plenty. "Are you sure that's enough, Bastian? I wish I had known or I would've made a separate dish without meat for you." Ralph seemed thoroughly upset. Bastian patted his forearm and smiled. Ralph proceeded to dish up plates; large portions of lasagna and small portions of salad for everyone but Bastian, and a large helping of the salad for Bastian. They ate in silence, broken by the occasional compliment on Ralph's cooking. The salad was quite filling, with large slices of cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and cheese mixed in with several different varieties of leafy greens. When Bastian finished before the others he took out his notepad and began to write. At last, the others finished their meal and Bastian finished writing. He handed the paper to Ralph, who read it aloud. "Thank you for the wonderful meal, Ralph, Kevin. I also want to thank you for what you've done for me in the past, even though I didn't know about it. My mother didn't tell me you paid for the medical bills, and I'm sorry I didn't thank you sooner. It wasn't your fault - either of you - that the accident happened. It was just that, an accident. You saved my life, Ralph. And you, Kevin, you watched out for me, for all of us. You called the ambulance. And you, Aiden. You went to get my mom, through all the shock of what you had seen. And still, all of you came to see me at the hospital, although I knew I looked horrible. It took a long time for me to adjust to it as well. I think that's why mom took me away. She lost her job and couldn't afford to support us both, so we went to live with my grandparents. It also gave the dubious benefit of letting me start over with people who didn't know I used to be able to talk and laugh and sing. "Sometimes it's very hard for me. I want to say so much sometimes, to give a word of comfort or laugh at someone's joke. I'm afraid I'll be misunderstood, and it's discouraging not to be able to tell people how I feel. It takes more effort on everyone's part if I have to write what I want to say down. And the written word isn't very good for conveying emotions. Some people don't want to take the effort to understand me, and that's hard on me too. "I guess I just wanted to let you guys know how much I appreciate the way you've accepted me. Thank you, Kevin, Ralph, Aiden." Ralph finished reading and set the paper down. Unshed tears glistened in his brown eyes. Kevin smiled tremulously and cleared his throat several times before speaking. "I don't think anyone really understood just what you face, Bastian. The challenges you face daily are things we take for granted. For the record, I think you get along amazingly well. You have such an expressive face, you don't even need words." Aiden nodded in agreement. Bastian blushed. "Really, Bastian. We're here for you." "And as for those bills, well it was my place to pay them. I'm not under any hardship. What happened was an irrevocable accident on my land. I wasn't there to prevent it from happening, but I'll be here now. Any time you need a place to go, away from your mother to get out of the house, but still with people who will take the time to understand you, you can come here," Ralph added. Aiden grunted softly and Bastian looked at him. "I promise I won't close my eyes to you, Bastian." Bastian smiled and held Aiden's hand. Unseen, Kevin winked at Ralph and took Ralph's hand under the table. Ralph gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Well," Ralph said loudly, startling Bastian and Aiden. "I think you boys had better get going home. There is school tomorrow after all. Kev, you gonna take them home?" "Sure thing. Get your stuff, boys. I'll drop you off," Kevin said standing up from the table. He twisted his torso to pop his spine and grunted happily. "Um, Kevin? Would it be okay if we dropped Bastian off first? Since you're coming back this way anyway," Aiden asked uncertainly. "Sure thing, unless Bastian has any objections?" Kevin smiled and winked at Bastian. Bastian hesitated a moment, teasing Aiden, then smiled and gave a thumbs up. His gray eyes twinkled mischievously. Bastian and Aiden headed for the hall closet and Kevin turned to Ralph. "Will you call Meghan McKennough and let her know what's up? Ask her to call Bastian's mom as well. I'll be back soon. Love ya." Kevin pecked Ralph on the lips and squeezed the back of his neck lovingly before grabbing his keys and jacket and following the boys out to the car. Both boys climbed into the back seat of the Hyundai and Kevin slid into the driver's seat. He started the car and turned on the heater full blast. "Buckle up," he ordered and then followed his own directive. Kevin glanced into the rear view mirror to see Bastian and Aiden buckled up, holding hands, and staring deeply into each other's eyes. He couldn't help but chuckle and Aiden saw him looking at them in the mirror. Hastily he tugged his hand out of Bastian's but Bastian resolutely clasped it again, smiling happily. Aiden glanced nervously at Kevin but left his hand in Bastian's. Kevin was watching the road intently as he drove along. "Aiden, you'll have to give me directions to Bastian's place. I've never been there," Kevin called back over his shoulder. Aiden leaned forward and crossed his arms around the passenger seat headrest. "Oh, um, okay. Take a right up here." Aiden continued to proved Kevin with directions while Bastian contentedly ran his fingers across the broad expanse of Aiden's back and shoulders. Aiden's skin pebbled from Bastian's ministrations and he shivered. Bastian leaned forward and kissed Aiden's shoulder, wrapping one arm around Aiden's waist and resting his hand on Aiden's concave abdomen. Aiden's belly flexed at the unexpected contact and he inhaled softly. In due time, Kevin pulled in behind Marjorie Blackmoore's Toyota. "Here we are," he announced and placed the car in park. Bastian pecked Aiden on the cheek, unbuckled himself and hopped out of the car. He held up one hand for them to wait and ran to the Toyota. Aiden's books and backpack were still in the back seat. Luckily the doors were unlocked and he brought Aiden's books to him. He shook Kevin's hand and tousled Aiden's hair over the seat before waving goodbye. "See you tomorrow, Bastian," Aiden called. Bastian waved goodbye and watched them drive off before heading inside. Marjorie was stretched out on the love seat reading a mystery novel. She had an afghan across her lap to keep her legs warm. As he entered the room she looked up, removed the gold-framed reading glasses, and placed the book on the coffee table. "Welcome home, Bastian. Did you have a nice time?" she asked. She pulled her legs up so he could sit at her feet. Bastian nodded and sat down, pulling her calves across his lap. ? he signed. ? "I made my self a nice juicy bacon double cheeseburger. Figured you wouldn't be home to worry about offending your sensibilities." She grinned to take the edge off her words. "How your grandmother ever convinced you to become a vegetarian, I'll never understand. You ate, yes?" . Bastian smiled. "Did you give the McKennough's their assignments? Oh, and what about Aiden's books and backpack? You left them in the car." . Marjorie nodded in response. Bastian noticed how tired she looked. There were dark circles under her eyes and the lines around her mouth were tight. . Marjorie exhaled gustily. "Yes, Bastian, I'm okay. I've just been thinking about things." She trailed off in thought. Bastian waited patiently for her to continue. Marjorie began to toy with the fringe of the afghan, staring nervously at her hands. "I don't know why I never told you that Ralph was paying for the medical bills. I guess I figured you didn't need to know. You were young, and it was none of your concern. I never asked him to pay and frankly if we hadn't needed the money, I wouldn't have accepted it. I wrote him once, after the first check arrived in the mail. I told him that it wasn't necessary that he do this; that I didn't blame him or hate him. "He sent me another check a couple weeks later, and a letter saying only: 'I know. I just want to help.' I didn't want you to feel bad or obligated to owe him something. Really, I had forgotten mostly about it until you asked to move back here. You haven't had any medical bills in a long while, and the checks slowed down about the time you turned nine. He would send checks for your birthday or Christmas. What I didn't use to pay bills for you, I deposited into a college fund for you. A little over six years ago I took out what was saved up so far and bought some Treasury Bonds. "Your college fund has over $120,000 in it. When the treasury bonds mature, the day before you graduate from high school, that will add another $50,000. With interest, by the time you enter college, you should have well over $200,000 saved up. You can go wherever you want to go for school." Marjorie looked up at an astonished Bastian. Marjorie shook her head. "That money is for your college fund. Your grandparents and I agreed that the money was for you. If there was great need, I might have dipped into the savings account. But only if there were great need. The money is for you." The clock on the wall strung 10:00 PM. Bastian yawned widely. The day's emotions had worn him out. "Time for you to get ready for bed," Marjorie picked her feet up off his lap and pushed him to standing. "Bastian, are things okay? You went to the hill, didn't you?" Bastian nodded. . Bastian bent to kiss her on the cheek and headed back to his bedroom. "G'night, Bastian," she called after him. Bastian made a quick detour to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wash his face, and urinate. Bed quickly followed. Aiden, now sitting in the front seat of Kevin's car, rode in awkward silence. Thoughts raced through his mind, concerning his sexuality, Bastian, Kevin and Ralph, coming out, his family, and a plethora of other topics. He glanced secretively at Kevin, and he saw Kevin glance back his way. He was about to clear his throat when Kevin said: "It's okay with me, Aiden." Startled, Aiden blurted out, "What?" "You and Bastian." "What about me and Bastian?" Aiden asked suspiciously. Kevin sighed, exasperated. "About you two being a couple. I know you've guess that Ralph and I are. We'd be a bit hypocritical to disapprove of what you and Bastian have. I won't tell anyone and neither will Ralph, but you have to be careful with the way you two behave at school and around other people. You guys were fairly obvious, and I'm not just talking about to someone like Ralph or I, who will recognize it. I don't know if you've thought about how people will react. Your friends and family are who matter most." Aiden worked his jaw for a few moments, unsettled by Kevin's insight. Hesitantly he asked, "Do you think I should tell my parents? Do you think they'll hate me? They weren't too thrilled with me being all goth and stuff, I doubt they'll be happy with me if I tell them I'm, well, you know." He wasn't comfortable admitting it yet, not to someone like Kevin, a teacher, and someone he wasn't that close to, despite how Bastian felt. Kevin nodded and drove on. Aiden sat thinking furiously. He was pretty sure his father would be very mad. Caetlyn would probably support him. The twins would probably ignore him, as usual. Connor, he wasn't sure of. His mom, well she might go crazy and start crying or something. He didn't think he was ready to come out but he didn't know how Bastian felt about it. He didn't want to hurt Bastian by denying their relationship. He guessed they would have to discuss it. "Kevin, how did you come out to your parents? How did they take it?" "Well, I only had to worry about my mom, since my dad passed away when I was little. My mother is very religious, and she threw me out of the house. Not that it will happen that way for you, but you need to gauge their reactions. Ask someone who knows your parents well, one of your siblings perhaps that you think might be okay with it?" "Would you and Ralph take me in if my parents threw me out?" "I don't think it will come to that, Aiden, but if it did, we'd definitely take you in. We might have to fight Bastian for you though," Kevin giggled. "Thanks, Kevin, for talking to me about this. Someday I'll be able to tell you what you already know. I'm just not ready to yet." "I'll make the same offer I made to Bastian to you. If you need a place to go or someone to talk to, you can always come to Ralph or I." Kevin pulled into Aiden's driveway and let the car idle. "Whatever you decide, it's okay." "Thank you," Aiden quietly replied before hurrying out of the car with his backpack over his shoulder. Kevin watched him enter the house then put the car into reverse and drove home. _______________ To Be Continued.