Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 16:24:07 -0700 (PDT) From: Joey Young Subject: Untitled Love Story, Chapter 13 The usual disclaimers apply. Author's Note: First off I must apologize for the long lapse between chapter 12 and this one. I needed to clear my head and have successfully done so. This chapter is short but still powerful, so I hope you enjoy. And to all my fans thank you for your continued support. I wouldn't be able to write anything without your help, so again thank you. Secondly, I would like to thank Lisa. You are an inspiration to any writer and have made this chapter a complete delight. Without you my chapters would not have any style or clear ideas. And for that thank you. You make this humbled author feel gratitude for your help. So again thank you. (I know that's a lot of thank you's but I feel it is appropriate.) -Joey Young Untitled Love Story Chapter 13 The boat rocked back and forth as I tried to take my clothes off. I wasn't made for life at sea and completing the easiest tasks took forever. Eventually I got my shirt and pants off, which only left my underwear. The room was dimly lit from the small porthole off to the side of the bed, which created the perfect ambiance for this situation. The bed, however, was very huge and took up most of the space in the small room. The boat's kitchen was located just outside the room's door and allowed us to stay on the water for quite some time, if we wanted. I stared out the small window at the waves and instantly felt a sudden wave of nervousness. We had only fooled around and taking this next step was essential to our relationship. With Drew it was understood where our relationship stood, but with Dante it was something more than just casual sex. It was love. And that had me hyperventilating. My thoughts distracted me from the reality and before I knew it, I heard him coming down the steps. I froze in shock and quickly pulled off my underwear. Once I got them off I squirmed under the blankets and sat in the bed fully naked. I only had to wait seconds before he knocked on the door like a gentleman. "Come in," I said softly. Slowly the door opened and he stepped in, looking remarkably handsome. He had taken off his thick sweater and was wearing a thin, long sleeve shirt, which left nothing to the imagination. I could clearly see the hard lines of his muscles and the deep crevices of his abs. His shirt was unbuttoned around his throat revealing his light caramel skin. His long hands softly closed the door behind him, making him face away from me. When he did turn around, he smiled timidly, which was new for him. But it only added to his many endearing features, which I so clearly committed to memory. The dark stubble covering his jaw, reminded me of his masculinity, while his warm hazel eyes told me the depths of his heart. His hair was loosely swept up from the wind and made him look more human than any other part. To me he was constantly a dream that could be shattered at any moment. Quietly he cocked an eyebrow at my clothes lying on the floor and smiled crookedly at me. I laughed a shaky laugh and shrugged my shoulders. He just responded by taking off his thin shirt and tossing it to the side along with mine. I sucked in a deep breathe at the sight of his body, which always left me breathless. His pecs were wide and hard with muscle and connected to his perfect pack of six abs. I loved the v-line that always tapered off from his abs to lip of his belt where it disappeared below his pants. But I didn't have to wait long before they too were gone, along with his boxers. He tossed them to the side and stood fully erect at the foot of the bed. His dick was long and thick as it extended from his groin. A thick bush of dark hair covered the base, leaving the shaft smooth and shiny. I gulped at the sheer size of it, which he noticed. His balls hung very low and rested against both of his thighs, which were muscular and meaty with strength. He moved then, making his balls slowly slide to one side as he crawled on the bed with me. The soft light enhanced Dante's already glowing presence as his long powerful arms carried his body towards me. His deep hazel eyes held me in their gaze, while he silently slipped in next to me and pulled me to his hard chest. "Hello," he whispered passionately, which for some reason made me extremely hard. "Hi," I breathed, making him grin wider. I could see the pure hunger in his eyes as he stared at me. He wanted this badly, but he was waiting for my signal. So, slowly I leaned in and rested my hand on his hard pec. I kissed him softly at first to gauge his reaction, before I gently morphed the kiss into a long passionate one. Within the first few seconds he pulled me to his chest and slid his tongue into my mouth. I countered by grabbing his hard rod and slowly stroking it, which produced a low guttural growl out of him. We did this for some time, before we needed more. I moved then to straddle his lap as we kept kissing. His hands roughly grabbed my cheeks and spread them as he rested his hard dick between them. I moved my ass slowly around it, creating friction with his slick dick. He made a soft noise in the back of his throat at this, which I knew was good. His hands proved this by roughly squeezing my ass, making me groan with pleasure. "You like that?" he asked curiously as he slowly moved his hips. I just nodded in affirmation as he continued to knead my ass. His tongue tasted sweet with his scent and ran along the tips of my teeth, tasting everything. Every now and then I would gently bite his lip which made him hiss with pleasure. "Ohh, I like that," he breathed as I pulled his lip with my teeth. My arms wrapped easily around his neck as we made out, but soon we were wanting more. He twisted me on the bed, nestling his body between my legs and easily wrapped them around his lean waist. His hands glided up my thighs and harshly kneaded my ass, while his fingers would gently graze my asshole. With each passing graze his dick would twitch under his grip. I pulled away from his lips then and stared at his hungry expression. "I love you," I whispered softly. He stared at me then and knew what we both wanted. I moved his hand and placed it on my asshole, which he began to massage softly. I breathed heavily at his touch and threw my head back in anticipation. He grabbed my cock then and slowly began to move it along with his massages. I began to breathe loudly which was embarrassing for me, but he continued his pleasuring assault on my pucker. He fed me two fingers to lather with my saliva and after pulling them back out, moved his hand back down my body. Then as if on cue, I felt his slick fingers slip into my ass, making me gasp with pure desire. I looked up at him with a dazed expression and pulled him to me with out a second thought. Immediately we began to make out again but with a new animalistic power. His fingers slowly loosened my ass, while we kissed. His stubble was a comfort to me now, no longer a scratchy distraction. I combed my fingers through his thick hair and pulled on it to get his attention. He pulled away then and stared at me. His eyes were warm and fathomless in the light of the setting sun. "Make love to me," I whispered, almost begged, to him. His eyes melted instantly and he pulled me back into a long passionate kiss. This distracted me as he slid down and lightly kissed me on the chest while he moved his hand to his dick. He didn't put a condom on, but used some of his pre-cum as lube for my asshole. He moved it about my ass and over the head of his dick, which was shining with the creamy liquid. He slid three fingers into me, which made me gasp. Quickly he tested my elasticity, before he pulled out his fingers. Then very carefully he guided his dick to my ass and softly applied pressure. One arm held him up, while his other helped his dick make an entrance to my tight ass. I gasped loudly at the wide length of his dick, which made him stop. "Did that hurt?" he asked in alarm as my back arched in sensuality. "No," I breathed with a smile. "That was. . . . Good actually." He grinned at my statement and slowly continued. I could feel his hard rod slide into me, but felt none of the uncomfortable friction I always felt with Drew. I did however, notice the pure look of joy on Dante's face as his dick went farther and farther into my ass. His mouth was in the shape of an 'o' which never wavered until his dick was fully in. He grunted as his balls rested against the upper side of my butt, which meant he was in me. I felt full of his hard meat, which provided a new warmth to my already burning heart. We had passed the milestone of our relationship that took us from boyfriends to lovers. He seemed to be making this same realization as he stared into my eyes, because as he leaned down to kiss me, he whispered softly. "I love you." "I know," I answered and kissed him back with more passion and love than ever before. His hips moved after our declarations of love and I could feel the light pressure of his balls leave my ass. His dick slid easily out of my ass and barely reached the tip of my cheeks, before he plunged the length of his dick back in. I groaned in delight as the girth of his shaft filled me up. I could feel a slight tightening of his balls too, which gave me a brief sense of his pleasure. He groaned with each thrust as we made love. I had never seen this face on him before and it was a complete turn on. He licked his lips as he entered me over and over again. He was completely unconscious of it. Sometimes instead of licking he would bite his lip instead as the pleasure took hold of him. Suddenly he flipped me over so that I was on my stomach. He quickly pulled one leg between his massive thighs and hitched the other up to my stomach. Within the same movement he re-entered me, making me moan in a newfound ecstasy. "Ohhh, shiiit," he exclaimed as the new position made my ass tighter. He started to pick up the pace, making the audible slapping sound louder. We both showed signs of getting close to cumming, moaning and breathing faster, so Dante switched the position again. I moved to squat above him while he laid there and caught his breathe. I slowly held myself up with the help of his knees. I could feel the full length of his dick reach the farthest point in me as he softly made love to me. I periodically tightened my ass around his hard dick, which made him huff in excitement. His hands were gripped tightly to my hips, almost as if he was making sure I couldn't get away from him, capturing me in his grasp. I was practically bouncing on him, trying to get as much of him inside of me. The feeling of him sliding out was almost as exciting as feeling him reaching the inner most parts of my body. I moved my hands to capture his and linked our fingers together. Leaning down and over him, I watched the emotions and lust play across his face. I could feel a tingle in my groin, signaling my orgasm. Just as I was going to ask Dante to stroke my leaking rod for me, he raised up so that he was in a sitting position. My legs were around his waist and I linked them together behind him. This position allowed us to wrap our arms around each other bringing our bodies as close as possible. My dick was being pressed against our stomachs and any movement made by him or me was rubbing deliciously across my sensitive flesh. His mouth devoured mine, taking as much as I was giving. I was getting light headed from lack of breathing and fighting the impending orgasm that had been building for awhile. He wrenched his lips from mine and dragged a huge breath, moaning and grunting his excitement, as his hips snapped up into mine. This position seemed to directly aim the head of his dick to scrape along my prostate, pushing me further to the edge. Throwing my head back in ecstasy, I ground down on him as he was pushing up into me. My breath was catching and I couldn't vocalize how close I was to cumming. Suddenly, Dante rolled us over while keeping himself inside me. His hips slapped against mine driving harder and harder into me, as the crown of his dick punched my prostate over and over. Words failed me as I screamed through my release. It took me by surprise actually, I have never come from penetration alone. Usually I needed to at least stroke myself to completion. My tunnel was clenching and unclenching rhythmically around Dante's engorged flesh and it became too much for him as well. I watched as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his mouth hung open while he groaned. I could feel him pulsing and releasing his cum inside me. That was the last I remembered before passing out in complete bliss under Dante's shaking form. ~*~ "What's my favorite color then?" I asked teasingly as I lay between his legs. My head rested on his hard abdomen, which was the perfect cushion after our passionate love making. A plate of delicacies was placed next to us on the bed, where the only thing covering us was a thin white sheet. He ran his fingers through my hair as I stared up at him. His face was in a perfect state of ease. The sea had gotten dark and the only light that came in was from the bright moon reflecting off the water. It outlined our bodies nicely and added definition to his already chiseled body. His dick was pressed up against my side, but we were too relaxed to have any sexual inclinations. "Red," he answered confidently as he reached for a strawberry. He moved it to my lips and allowed me to take a bite, before he finished it himself. I laughed and grabbed his free hand. "Okay, what about my favorite book?" I asked while I played with his rough fingers. "That's easy," he replied with a smile. "The Great Gatsby." I looked up in shock, which made him smile wider. "What?" he asked with an amused grin. "You've always held my interest, since the first day I met you." "Oh, really?" I asked with a silly grin. "What did you think when you first came to my class?" He sighed and smiled lovingly at me, before he spoke. "I thought you were very peculiar," he answered truthfully. "It stumped me for a moment. Usually people intentionally stared at me, but you. . . You were reading. That's what really threw me. The reading. Again I usually saw high school students texting, or gossiping, but you were the first I saw actually reading a book." He slowly grabbed my hand and glided his fingers over my arm. "That's when I knew you were someone I wanted to know," he continued as he grazed his fingers over my arm. "I didn't know however, that I would develop such intense feelings for you. Especially since you were a boy. But all that was lost on me. The only thing I thought was that I had deep, unchangeable feelings for you and I wanted nothing but your presence in my life." "Even now, I can't believe you're actually with me," he sighed a happy sigh and grabbed another strawberry from the plate. "And I know everything I could ever know about you, especially your secret." My body tensed as he announced this bit of news and my lips froze around the strawberry he held in my mouth. "What?" I asked, trying to buy time to answer. "Be honest with me, love," he answered with a somber expression. "Are you giving your organs away after you die?" I gulped unable to stop myself. He blinked slowly which seemed to slow down time to near frozen movements. "Yes," I whispered so quietly he had to cock his ear for me to repeat it. "Yes." He frowned sadly and nodded his head as I confirmed his suspicions. I felt awful for hurting him like this, especially after we made love for most of the evening. So I laid there between his legs unable to look him in the eye, fearing the disappointment I would find there. I rested my head against his abdomen and softly let a tear escape my eye. Only one. That's all I deserved. Just one. Within a few moments that probably didn't even count because it happened to fast, three things occurred. First the one tear that escaped landed on his hard abdomen, where it left a water stained trail. Second I was pulled from his abdomen and brought up to his eye level, where he made me look at him. His eyes melted at my expression and then the third thing happened. He kissed me. Not a normal kiss, but a long lingering kiss that had my blood boiling with sexual tension. And for the fourth time that night we made love. ~*~ Bright light streamed through the port window and warmed my back as I laid on the huge mattress. My bottom half was barely covered by the thin sheet we had used the night before. I rolled in the sheets and pulled them up as I curled on my side, expecting Dante's warm, firm body. Instead the bed was empty, except for a solitary note placed on his pillow. And it read: Join me on the deck for breakfast. I smiled widely and buried my nose into his pillow, where his clean masculine smell was still evident. I laughed then and squirmed beneath the blankets and sheets, feeling like the weight of my world had lifted. I felt buoyant with joy and elation. I had made love with a boy. A boy who didn't run away afterward. And I was in love. Real love. I laughed again at the idea and jumped out of bed. Immediately my sea legs kicked in and I wobbled on my feet. I shook it off as a side effect of continuous sex and began to seek out a shirt. I found a pair of slim shorts which I quickly put on, but I couldn't find a shirt. So instead I found the one Dante was wearing the day before and slid it on. The shirt was way too big for me and I had to roll back the sleeves a bit. The hem of the shirt went past my knees, but it worked for something to just wear. After I was decently dressed and had my hair fixed I walked outside to the deck. The air was warm and light with only the tiniest hint of cold. I squinted as I stepped onto the hard floor and raised a hand to shield my eyes. I stared at the water for a moment as it reflected the rays of the sun and I sighed in contentment. I could live out here for days if I wanted too and Dante would let me. At the thought of Dante I instantly began to look for him. I spotted him sitting on the small sofa under the steering wheel with a huge smile on his face. He was watching me the whole time, holding a platter of food, which looked delicious. He wore a blue and white striped shirt which suited the whole sailor look nicely. His face was light and caramel with a dark dusting of two day stubble. He stood up and I noticed that he was wearing a pair of beige polo shorts and sandals. His hair was in its usual swooped up do, but naturally not mechanically. "You hungry?" he asked as he gestured me to the comfortable sofa. "I made us a nice breakfast." I smiled at him and walked up to his outstretched hand. "I'm starving actually," I replied with an impish grin, which made him chuckle. "Alright, then," he responded and sat me down next to him. "Well I got croissants, a plate of eggs, bacon which I know is you're favorite, and pancakes. Dig in." And I did. The food was amazing, but I knew that already. "Mmm," I mouthed periodically as he dabbed a napkin on the side of my mouth. "Oh, sorry." He smiled at my manners and casually forked a piece of fruit and brought it to my lips. "It's alright, love," he said as I took the fruit he offered. "I can see it's delicious." "It is," I replied with vigor. "It's almost as good as sex with you." He grinned widely and coughed into his fist, trying to hide a blush. "Oh, I'm sorry," I said with an embarrassed grin. "Sometimes I don't have a filter. Mom says it's very rude." He froze as I said that and looked at me with a warm expression, which had my attention. "Mom?" he asked with a slight smile. "I mean my mom," I corrected, but his expression was still warm and loving. "What?" "Nothing," he replied softly. "I just like that more than I should. . . ." I smiled then and brought my hand up to his cheek. Gently I grazed his jaw and pulled softly on his earlobe. His eyes softened immensely at the gesture and made his face peaceful and serene. "You can call her mom if you like," I replied, which made him smile with amusement. "No, love, that's not what I meant," he responded with loving amusement. "I just wish that it was true. That Trudy was my mother and my parents were your parents. . . . Do you understand?" Suddenly it clicked in my head and softly I pulled my hand away. "No, we can't do that," I replied with a somber expression. "We can't get married. Not like this. Not now." "Why not?" he asked earnestly and grabbed my hands again. "We can, I know we can." I yanked my hands away and stood up. I covered my mouth from screaming and stared out over the water. How can he say this, when the inevitable was about to happen. Didn't he know I was dying? What asinine thought rooted in his head and developed into this impossible dream. Then it clicked in my head again. He loved me. I turned back to him after this and saw that he was no longer sitting. His arms were open at his sides and waiting for me to rescind my disapproval. But it never happened. "I love you Dante, I truly do," I said with such conviction he moved forward, but I stopped him before he could move any further. "But we can't get married. We can't because. . . . Because. . . ." But I couldn't finish it. I couldn't utter the last words that would shatter whatever hope Dante had left in his heart. I just couldn't. "I know," he replied, which brought me up short. "I know our future together isn't that long, but don't you get it. I want a future together, no matter how long. I want to be with you. Forever." The word 'forever' hung in the air as we stared at each other. We stood in complete silence for a few moments until I broke the divide, unable to keep that much distance between us. I was choking back tears by then, but it didn't matter. I was happy. Happy just being loved by one individual until the day I died. Happy being in his arms until the end. ~*~ "Caleb, were going to be late!" my mom called from downstairs as I grabbed my sweater. "I'm coming," I growled to myself and quickly descended the stairs. "What's the rush anyways? They said seven and its barely 6:15." "We have to make a stop first," she replied as she bounded out the door, towing me along. "Where?" I asked in annoyance as we rapidly descended the steps. "The hospital, where else?" she said as she tugged me to the driver's side. "Oh, you get in on your side." I had never seen my mom this hair-brained before, especially during Thanksgiving. She was usually focused and level-headed, but today was different. We were to have Thanksgiving dinner with Dante's family, which was a new tradition from our usual dinner for two. And my mom was feeling the heat or at least that's what I thought. I could smell the delicious food we were bringing, which was placed in the back of the car. Suddenly I lurched in my seat as my mom rapidly pulled out of the driveway and headed down the street. I stared at her in bewilderment as she speedily hit the interstate. She didn't even seem to notice my staring. She was too busy speeding to the hospital to notice. We parked in her designated spot in front of the hospital and she quickly got out. She went to the backseat and fished around for a pie. I got out then and decided to wish little Jenny a Happy Thanksgiving. After my mom found the pie she wanted, she quickly signaled for me to follow. I could hardly keep up with her footsteps as we made our way to the elevators. She tapped her foot impatiently as the elevators dinged their arrival. Swiftly she pulled me into the open doors and repeatedly pushed the second button. I backed off a bit as she waited for the lights to move to level two. Once the doors opened she whisked me out again and down the hall to the children's ward, where Dr. Handsome was surely on duty. Oops I mean Dr. Peters. We approached him as he was scanning a tablet of charts, his face was grave and somber. I knew my mom wanted some privacy, so I decided to walk down the hall to find little Jenny. The children's room was brightly lit and there were gobs of people lounging about talking to the little kids in the bed. I could make out Jenny's red scarf bobbing between her parents as she spoke. I moved past a group of teenage kids who were all silently texting on their phones, and squirmed into the tight spot between Jenny's bed and the bed next to hers. She immediately brightened at my appearance and reached for a hug. "Hey, kiddo," I greeted as I leaned past her parent's to give her a hug. "Hey, Caleb," she replied excitedly. "I haven't seen you in awhile. We miss you at story time." I smiled at her and tugged on her soft scarf. Her parents smiled lovingly at her and patted me on the shoulder. "Thank you for coming Caleb, it means a lot," Jenny's father Tim said with a smile. His wife nodded in agreement as Jenny took out a book. I turned then to look at her and saw that she was silently reading to herself. "Well kiddo, I just came to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and to tell you that I'll be coming in tomorrow for story time." She looked up then and smiled widely showing her puppy teeth. "Really?" she asked with untamed enthusiasm. "Of course," I replied with a wink. "And just between us, I missed you the most." She giggled then and whispered back, "You're not supposed to say that." I just laughed and her parents joined me. She looked happy and whole for someone with such immense weight on their shoulders. And someday soon I would be shouldering that weight for the both of us and she would never have to be sad again. Someday. Soon. ~*~ We were 10 minutes late to the dinner, but nobody questioned our delay, especially since it was our first time meeting Dante's distant relatives. Dante eyed me inquisitively, but I just shrugged good naturedly at him as he pulled my seat out for me. I was placed next to him, between him and my mother. His family stared at me as I got comfortable, but they didn't say anything. Altogether there were five new guests at the table, not including me and my mother. Dante had told me who these people were so I already had their names in my head as Dante introduced my mother and me to his two cousins, his aunt and uncle, and his grandfather. Dario waved excitedly at me from between his two cousins who both eyed me with curiosity. I waved back to Dario, which made Dante's cousin Demetri grin crookedly at me. Dante's dad broke the tension by addressing my mom with a question about her hospital. My mom answered him and this was how it continued all evening. They asked about the new building developments to the hospital, my mom's area of expertise, her supervisor, and what she liked most about her job. She answered between bites and kept the conversation running, while Dante quietly slid his left hand over my leg. I stole a glance at him, which was a bad idea. His eyes were so warm and loving it was hard to look away for even a second. "Caleb, honey?" my mom asked, breaking my distraction. "Mr. Giordano asked you a question." "Oh, uh, what?" I asked and heard a distinguishable deep chuckle from my right, which didn't belong to Dante. "I was asking how you liked our boat," Dante's dad repeated as his eyes slid over to Dante. "It was very beautiful, the ocean is amazing," I replied with a smile. "I even got to sail a bit. Right, Dante?" "Yeah, he's a natural dad, you should see him," Dante answered, which made his father smile. He smiled at both of us for a minute, before he raised his glass to the others. "Let's make a toast, shall we," he announced. "To our new family. . . . " I couldn't help but notice he stared at me and Dante as he said this. " . . . . And to a great Holiday. Cheers!" "Cheers!" everyone exclaimed and raised whatever beverages they had in the air. He downed his entire wine and looked to the table again. "Why don't the kids leave the table so the grown ups can chat," he said with a slight wink to Dante, who was bouncing in his seat to leave. "We'll clean up later." At that Dante grabbed my hand and pulled me from the table. Dario immediately squirmed between his two cousins and followed Dante and I to his room. I turned at his arrival and smiled widely at him. "Hey kiddo," I greeted, which reminded me of Jenny. "Long time no see." "I know," he agreed with a sniff and plopped down on Dante's bed with me. "Dante says you're always busy." I looked to Dante then and saw him kicking off his shoes and joining us on the bed. He laid on his side and pulled me into his chest, just as his two cousins walked in. The girl was immensely beautiful which I attributed as a family trait. Her skin had an olive tone and she had dark brown eyes. Her hair waved gently to the small of her back where it swayed as she walked. She smiled warmly at me as she plopped down on Dante's bean bag chair. The other cousin was tall and lean with a slight muscular build. He had beautiful locks of soft brown hair which framed his angelic face nicely. He walked with an arrogant stride which reminded me of Drew. His eyes were the same color as his sister's but with more brilliance and depth. He moved about the room, randomly grabbing pieces of Dante's stuff. "Hello," the girl said and waved at me. "I'm Ellie. Dante's cousin." "Hi, Ellie," I replied impishly as my back rested into Dante's stomach. Suddenly the boy turned as if he knew he must introduce himself. He walked quickly to the edge of the bed and claimed my hand between his. He kissed it lightly and said very warmly. "Demetri. Pleased to meet you." "Hi," I replied simply and drew my hand back slowly. He turned then and smiled winningly at Dante. "I can see the appeal," he stated evenly as he turned and walked to the desk chair near the window. I stared at him confusedly as he peered out the window, before I turned to Dante for an explanation. But he wasn't looking at me, he was staring angrily at Demetri's back. But before I could get a word in, Ellie interrupted me. "Caleb, have you ever been to Italy?" she asked as she pulled at the beanbag's seam. I shook my head no, which made her brighten. "No?" she asked again. "Well you should, its lovely. . . . In fact, Dante weren't you planning a trip down there in the spring?" She addressed Dante, who then glowered at her. Immediately she blushed in chagrin. "Oh, never mind," she said and changed the subject to the Italian dishes she was sampling. I looked to Dante but he merely smiled at me, with only the tiniest tightening of his eyes. Instead he pretended to be listening to Ellie and her latest recipe fiasco. So, I pretended too, but the look he gave her still buzzed around in my head. For the remainder of the evening Dante entertained his cousins with his diverse music collection and vast array of movies. They settled on an old Italian movie, which was complete confusion for me. Dante held me as the movie started, but I still couldn't get the thought of him looking at Ellie out of my head. So I turned in his arms. He looked at me with a curious smile, which was very cute beneath his long lashes. "What?" he whispered still smiling. "Can we go for a walk?" I asked quietly, which caught Dario's attention. "A walk?" he asked excitedly. I could tell the movie was confusing for him too. "Can I come?" Dante chuckled and ruffled his hair, "Sure buddy, lets go." He got up then and scooted to the end of the bed, where he waited for me to join him. He extended his hand casually and towed me out of the room. "Where you guys going?" I heard Demetri ask annoyed. "Shhh," I heard Ellie hiss. "Leave them alone." We snuck past the grown ups who were knocking back wine and laughing happily. Especially my mom who was the main one cracking jokes. It was nice to see her laughing so much. I was pretty sure she missed the company of adults, rather than the silly antics of teenagers. Dante pulled me through the back door and held the door open for Dario to join us. Immediately Dario descended the stairs into the cool night. My hand felt secure and warm wrapped around Dante's, who was gently tracing circles into my hand with his thumb. I could hear Dario's small footsteps as he ran down the stairs. "Hey," I heard Dante whisper to me as we cleared the last step. "Are you okay?" I looked up in alarm then, feeling like Dante had misinterpreted my idea for a walk. "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied hastily, which didn't help my case. "I just wanted to be alone with you. . . . And Dario." He smiled then, but pressed the issue. "Are you sure?" We stopped then at the edge of the water, hand in hand. Dario was running up and down the beach gazing at the distant stars and telling us which constellation was which. "Okay," I answered in defeat. "Its just that look you gave Ellie. What was that?" I stared at him beseechingly until suddenly he started to laugh. Not just a small chuckle but full guffaws, which quite frankly scared me a bit. "That's it?" he asked still laughing, which brought Dario's attention. "What do you mea-" "Hey, what's so funny?" Dario asked as he approached us out of breathe. "Caleb?" That only added to Dante's endless laughing, before he answered Dario. "Caleb was being unintentionally funny," he replied as his laughter died down. I waited until his laughter had subsided to a quiet chuckle before I asked again. "Okay, you got to tell me the joke, cuz I'm not laughing," I stated bluntly, which fully sobered Dante. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean to make fun of you," he said as he pulled me close. "Its just the things you react too are usually good intentioned things." "Huh?" I asked in confusion. He grinned crookedly, which was shadowed beneath the bright rays of the moon. "I gave her that look because it was supposed to be a surprise that I was to present you with." he answered fully. "Not some random conversation topic brought up to fill an awkward situation. It was supposed to be you birthday gift of sorts." "Oh," was all I could reply to my over reaction. It was true, my birthday was in the early spring on March 28 and the trip would have made me extremely happy, but I thought there was more to it. "Did you plan to factor in my condition for this trip?" I asked quietly, which was somehow loud in the silence that followed. He froze then and avoided my gaze. He stared out over the water, where Dario had went back too. His face was set with hard lines of thought. "Dante?" I asked, which brought his immediate attention. He tugged my hand then and sat down on the warm sand. He pulled me to sit in front of him between his legs. I rested my arms on his bent knees as he rested his chin on my shoulder. He kissed me on the cheek and rested his cheek next to mine. "I've been meaning to tell you," he whispered into my ear as we watched Dario scour the beach for seashells. "My parents have agreed on helping your mom with treatment costs. They fully understand my feelings for you and agreed immediately, when I asked." I just stared silently at the bleached sand, unable to respond. "Love, don't you see, we can help," he continued. "You can live longer. You can stay. Stay with me." He touched me then, so gently it started to make me cry. "Love? Love. What?" he asked in alarm. "I want too," I wailed in earnest. "I really do. I want to stay with you forever, but I promised her. . . ." My voice started to hitch then and I couldn't speak. Instead I turned in his arms and hugged him. There was no sexual intention behind my hug. Just love. Immense feelings of love, that flowed through that single hug. Slowly I began to calm down, but I wouldn't let him go. I never would. ~*~ For the rest of the night, we didn't talk about what happened. Dante just kept close, never letting go of my hand. He would steal furtive glances now and then, but I brushed it off as concern, not fear for my safety. "You ready to go home?" I asked my mom, who was a little buzz. "Sure, honey," she replied and stood up from the table. She turned then and addressed everyone at the table. "Well we're heading out now. It was very nice to meet you. Belle, we must get together for lunch." Dante's mother smiled widely at my mom, "Of course, Trudy. And you must tell me the recipe to that apple pie." I turned then while my mother said goodbye to everyone and stared up at Dante's father who walked up to us silently. He nodded to his son before turning to me. "It's always nice to have you here, Caleb," he said as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "You're officially part of the family now." At that he winked at me and he patted me on the shoulder. He moved then, leaving me and Dante alone as he said goodbye to my mother. I stared up at Dante, who was smiling warmly at me. His eyes melted and shimmered a soft green color that left me breathless. But before I could say anything, his cousins showed up looking like two angelic twins. "Caleb," Ellie exclaimed with sadness. "It seems like we hardly got to talk. We gotta hang out when you visit." I just smiled at her and answered, "Of course." She smiled kindly at me, before her brother stepped around her. He was very tall as he towered over me. I could still feel the warmth of Dante's hand in mine as he grabbed the other. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Caleb," he said with a little too much warmth. "Italy will enjoy your visit. And if you get tired of this one," he gestured to Dante with his head, "just know Italy will always be there." "Uhh, thank you?" I said as he softly kissed my hand. Gently I pulled it out of his grasp and stepped closer to Dante. I rested my head against his chest and let him lead me away. I stared up at Dante, but he was just smiling amusedly. "Italy?" I scoffed as he pulled me out to the garage. "It's supposed to get your interest," he replied with a chuckle. "Personally I thought he would have kissed you if I had let him." I frowned at the thought, "Why didn't you do anything? If Drew had done that, you would have punched him." He chuckled again, but a hard chuckle, "He was harmless. Drew, on the other, hand has a hidden agenda." I didn't respond as he opened the garage door to get to my mom's car. I could hear my mom calling goodbye to the others as Dante pulled me to her car. He walked to the driver's side, knowing I would have to drive home. Gently I leaned my back against the car door and stared up at Dante's handsome face. His face was shadowed under the dim light of the moon, but I could clearly make out the blaze in his gold green eyes. He leaned down then and softly kissed me on the lips. His right hand held him up as his face leaned down to kiss me. I stood there not wanting to move ever and kissed him back just as gently. His left hand cupped my face, while his lips gently tugged on my bottom lip with each kiss. The soft smacking of our lips was the only audible thing in the night. It seemed like time stood still for this one perfect moment and the whole world turned grey, leaving us alone with each other. We kissed softly until we heard my mom coming out. Very gently Dante kissed me once, twice, three times, before finally releasing me from his hold. He licked his lips automatically which somehow was sexier than the kiss. A grin quickly appeared on his handsome face, and he held the door open for me as I got in. "Drive safe," he said warmly as he silently closed the door. I heard him wish my mother a goodbye, before I pulled the car out of his driveway. The whole time he watched me from his garage. He had both hands in his pockets and he looked simply like a concerned boyfriend. ~*~ "Ugh, I'm stuffed," my mom said with a sigh as we entered the house. I pulled the keys out of the door and closed it behind me. I sighed too and threw the keys into the small bowl near the door. That's when I noticed the answering machine, which was blinking the number three. I moved then to the phone and quietly pushed the message button. It beeped immediately and the automated machine spoke. "You have three new messages. Message one: Hey Cale, you're probably at Dante's with Trudy but Justin and I just wanted to wish you and Trudy a Happy Thanksgiving." I could hear laughter and music in the background and knew they were at Stacey's for the holidays. "I hope you have fun and we'll stop by tomorrow." She whispered then on the phone, "I have so much to tell yo-" But she was interrupted by Justin, "Stace don't tell him. That's private. Cale don't listen too her." "What?! He has to know, Cale I'll tell you everythin-- what?--of course not--who then?--oh alright--but I will--huh?--Cale I gotta go. Seeya." "Later, buddy," I heard Justin say as the message beeped. I smiled to myself as the next message came on. "Message 2: Uhh, this message is for Caleb. . . . Uhh, hey Cale, just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving. I just haven't heard from you since. . . . Well you know. . . . Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving, sweetie. . . . . Oh, this is Drew. . . . Okay bye." The message beeped as the next one started. I had no reaction whatsoever to Drew's message. "Message 3: Good evening, Trudy. This is William-- I mean Dr. Peters. I'm afraid I have some bad news." I froze then and called to my mom. She immediately joined me from the living room as we listened to the message. "I thought it was best to inform you since you have been heading the Children's wing. . . ." There was a long pause as the inevitable happened. "I'm sorry to inform you, but a patient has died." My heart stopped as he said these words and all I kept thinking was Jenny. Jenny. Jenny. "Jenny Martin passed away at 8:42 this evening. Her heart failed after unremarkable circumstances. I would like for you and Caleb to please come down and console the family. Again I'm sorry Trudy. Please tell Caleb he was personally requested by the family and to give him my regards. . . I'm sorry." The beep of the machine seemed to slow and drag out, leaving behind an eerie silence. "End of new messages." Please send comments to untitledlovestory23@yahoo.com