Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:09:22 +1100 From: Iain Robertson Subject: Another Nick & Noah - chapter 6 Copyright for this story belongs to and remains with the author. I don't have any major objection to my work being re-distributed, but ASK FIRST!!! This is a gay adult story with the consequent language and images. If homosexuality and/or sexually explicit themes offend you then do not continue. If these are illegal in your area, then you have my sympathy, but you proceed at your own risk. This is a work of fiction, and as such the characters are not bound by the usual dictates of modern society. Unsafe sexual practices can be undertaken with impunity only in the world of fantasy. In reality, it is your obligation and your right to play safely, sanely and healthily. I hope you enjoy my work, and if you have any comments, or ideas that may inspire new work, please feel free to contact me -- all emails will be answered to the best of my ability. iainlthr@hotmail.com. Another Nick and Noah Chapter 6 David stayed with Patrick, comforting him, while Nick and Noah began to circulate amongst the other guests, suggesting that it was time to leave. Most took the hint, some even gratefully, and before long the house was empty again. Joe and Frank had been told of the drama between Patrick and his twin and the six men gathered again by the pool. "An identical twin?" Joe marvelled. "And you never speak?" "No," Patrick confirmed. "We have almost nothing in common." "Did you know, Frank?" David asked. "Yeah, but since Patrick and Sean don't see each other, we never mention him." "Incredible," muttered Nick. "I think it's such a shame when families argue," Noah said sadly. "Or when they can't accept each other," Nick added. "You would have thought that if anyone would be able to accept you and forget the `gay' issue, it would be a twin brother!" Frank's eyes widened at that comment, but he said nothing, simply looking hard at Patrick, who ignored him. After a long, quiet evening lost in their own thoughts, the various couples made for their bedrooms, to try to sleep. *** Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, and it seemed as if the new day brought with it a lifting of spirits all around. Now that the funeral was over, the need for any immediate action had passed, and when Frank and Patrick joined the four older men for breakfast they appeared quite at ease, even smiling and joking with each other. "We are going to head into the city," Patrick announced. "Frank needs to get some things done at his apartment, and I have a few errands to take care of as well. We'll stay in town overnight, so I'll see you tomorrow sometime." "Not us," David said. "Joe and I are flying back to Sydney today. We have to get back to work." "Oh, okay," Patrick said. "I'm sorry you can't stay longer." "Nice to meet you both," Frank added. "It would have been better in other circumstances ..." A momentary cloud passed over the group, but moved on. "What about you and Nick?" he addressed himself to Noah. "Uh, we thought we'd stay on a bit longer," Noah said slowly. "In case the cops want us for anything else," Nick added quickly. "Besides, we haven't had much chance to do the touristy things around here, so we might as well hang around." "That's if it's okay with you?" Noah offered to Patrick quickly. "Of course," the younger man beamed. "Love to have you guys stay around. Maybe we can do a better job at being good `hosts', now that things have calmed down," he grinned with a suggestive wink. Noah looked sideways at Nick in surprise, but ignored the implied offer. Patrick continued. "Well, we'll get moving now. I guess we'll see you guys tomorrow," he said to Nick and Noah. "And please, stay in touch," he added to David and Joe. "We will," David assured him, as the couple left the pool area, making for the garage. "He seems very `up'," Nick noted. David nodded. "Yes, more than I would have expected." "What time is your flight?" Noah asked. "Not until 3.00," answered Joe. "We'll need to leave here by about 11.30 to give us time to drive to the airport, hand back the car and check in." "Do you want us to come with you?" "No, of course not. Besides, how will you get back?" Nick smiled. "I suspect that we may need to rent a car for ourselves, if we're going to stay for a bit. Otherwise, we have no way of getting around." David looked at his friends carefully. "On a more serious note," he said, "Do you have any thoughts on what happened, on who might have murdered Wes?" "I think it's fairly obvious! It was either the nephew -- Patrick's twin -- or Phillip," Nick said. "Sean hated both Wes and Patrick, and if he's after money from the Estate, then he has the perfect motive. And Phillip, well, he certainly seems to have plenty of motive as well, since he seems so bitter about the break-up, and the way Wes treated him. So if I were the police, I'd be very carefully investigating both of them." David sighed. "I just can't believe that Phillip would kill him. They were so much in love. I know it really hurt them both when they broke up, and I know that jealousy can be a major factor, but I still got the impression that Phillip loved Wes, that he would want to get back together rather than kill him and kill off any chance for them." "There are still the other possibilities, too," Noah added. "It seems to me that we have four real suspects. Apart from Phillip the ex, and Sean the nephew, the neighbour who wanted to do this real estate deal -- he seems to be in a much better position, or at least much more confident, now that Wes is gone. If there is as much money to be made as he seems to think, then that's a real motive." "That's true," Joe said thoughtfully. "It needs looking into as well." "And there is also the guy Patrick mentioned -- the one who came around a few times, arguing about repaying money Wes had lent him. What was his name?" "Terry!" Nick jumped in. "Terry Michaels." Noah nodded. "This Terry Michaels guy could be a suspect as well. From what Patrick said, he was very angry with Wes. I know Patrick seemed to brush it off, but if he owed Wes a lot of money, and Wes was pushing for him to repay it, then he had a damned good reason to want Wes out of the picture." For the next hour or more, the four friends sat and debated the various suspects they had identified, trying to reason out motives and methods by which any one of the four possibilities could have murdered Wes. It was obvious from the beginning that David could not accept that Phillip was the guilty party. He argued strenuously in favour of the fact that Phillip was too much in love with Wes, and that killing him would destroy any chance of a reunion. Nick disagreed vehemently. The more David said, the more Nick spoke out against him, maintaining that jealousy was the strongest motive of all. Nick was certain that Phillip had succumbed to the rage of a jilted lover, and had murdered Wes in revenge for being cut out of his lover's life. Joe still believed that the neighbour, Petersen, was the most likely candidate. As he pointed out, calmly and logically, the man had no emotional connection to Wes, and was out to make money -- a lot of money, or so he claimed. As Joe saw it, that was the perfect situation to lead to murder. Petersen would remove the major obstacle to his plans, and count on the bereaved nephew wanting to get out of the house as quickly as possible. Noah chuckled as Joe finished his analysis. "What's so funny?" Nick demanded. "It occurs to me that we have four suspects, four `investigators', and four different opinions as to the most likely," he explained. "Some detectives we would make. I think Patrick's brother, Sean, is the most likely murderer. He hasn't seen or spoken to his uncle or his brother in years. He hates them both, and probably sees Patrick living here in a mansion, living the life of wealth, while he gets no share of it. His hatred grows and grows until he wants to kill them. I wouldn't be surprised if he may even have killed Patrick as well, if Patrick had been here that night. And as an added bonus, once his uncle is dead, there is a real possibility he will inherit quite a bit of money." For a short time, the other three nodded understandingly, thinking about Noah's proposition, but before long the disagreements surfaced again as each of them stuck to his original diagnosis. Finally David spoke out, calling a halt to the discussion. "This is getting us nowhere," he said with a wry chuckle. "And Joe and I need to finish packing so we can be getting home." Noah laughed with him. "You're right. I think we need to call Bob Moran, tell him our theories, and let the police do the official investigating." David raised one eyebrow, grinning. "Are you sure that's all you want Bob Moran to investigate further?" he said in a lusty question. Noah reddened, but managed to sound indignant. "We promised the good detective that we would keep him up to date with anything we found out, and that's all I'm suggesting," he said, pretending to pout. "That's absolutely right!" said Nick, coming to his partner's defence, but grinning nonetheless. Joe stifled a chuckle. "I'm sure it is," he said. "Still, if the police officer wished to show his gratitude for your assistance, I'm sure you could think of ways to accept his `generosity'!" It was all Nick could do to stop from getting an erection at the thought. "That's true too," he said. "And I'm sure his slave, `punk', could help me out while Nightstick looks after Viking!" All of them chuckled easily at the idea, and Noah winked at Nick as he imagined the possibilities. *** When David and Joe had gone, Nick and Noah found themselves again by the pool, seated in the over-sized lounge chairs. Their thoughts about getting around now that David had returned the rental car, came back to them. "We really should get a car," Nick decided. "Otherwise we're basically stuck here, and there's no public transport as such." "Yes, you're right," Noah agreed. "Wes' car is in the garage, but I don't think I want to take it. Even if Patrick agreed, it wouldn't feel right. I'll call a couple of rental places and see what we can arrange." "I have a better idea!" Nick said suddenly, his eyes lighting up. "How about a couple of bikes?" "Bikes!?!" Noah asked, disbelievingly. "Are you joking? Do you know how dangerous it can be getting around on a motorbike? Not to mention the problems with wet weather -- something for which Melbourne is famous! Neither of us have ridden a bike in years. It would be lunacy!" "No," his man grinned wickedly. "It would be fun. Come on, Noah, live a little. You're sounding old and conservative." "That's because we ARE old and conservative!" "No, we're just plain boring! It's time we had some fun, took a few risks, maybe became a little less `conservative'. I know for damn sure that we're not conservative when it comes to sex, so how about we have a bit of spice out in public." Nick stopped for a moment, warming to his own idea. "Please, Noah, call it a holiday whim, but let's do it. Imagine the wind in your face, the roar of a bike on the road, the throbbing power of the engine between your legs ..." With his last comment he grinned lustily, running a teasing finger along the inside of Noah's thigh and up until he found what he sought, the hardening tube of an erection. Noah laughed. "You'll probably get us killed, but since you put it that way, alright!" Nick threw his arms around his man, and kissed him long and hard. Noah thought they were about to get into some serious making out, but Nick suddenly stood up again, reaching for the telephone. He was determined to rent a couple of bikes before his mate changed his mind. Twenty minutes later, Nick snapped his phone closed with a triumphant expression on his face. "It's done!" he stated. "I've arranged a week's rental for two bikes, with an option to extend it if we want. They're identical Harley Davidson 1450 Superglides, black. Only difference between them is that I got them to include a Sat-nav system with one, so we can find our way around without any problems. The rental includes helmets and leathers, and they'll deliver them right here for us. Should be here in about two hours," he said. Noah simply shook his head from side to side. "I hate to think what this is gonna cost us," he laughed. "Still I suppose I can't deny you your toys while we're on holidays." Nick was almost beside himself with excitement, and his anticipation spread to Noah, so that by the time the bikes arrived, on a trailer, all fuelled up and ready to go, he too was practically itching to get out on the road. The guy who delivered the bikes checked their details and gave them a few hints, but apparently satisfied that they knew what they were doing, he left them to it. The helmets and bike leathers that had come with the rental were, as specified by Nick, un-emblazoned jet black. When Noah went to pull on his suit he found it extremely tight, too tight to be worn over normal clothes in fact. It quickly occurred to him that the only way he was going to be able to get into the leathers was to wear nothing underneath, and even then, they would be skin-tight. "What size did you tell them I needed for these?" he asked in an irritated voice, holding the dark hide towards Nick. His man smiled guiltily. "A size smaller than you usually wear," he said in a whisper. "Same for me." "But why?" Noah looked perplexed. Nick said nothing, but stripped off right there in front of him. He pulled the one-piece leather suit up his legs and slid his arms into it, tucking half an erection into one leg before zippering the combo closed. Before he straightened up, he pulled gloves over his hands, and slipped his feet into a pair of harness boots and tugged the helmet over his head. Then he stood up, put his hands on his hips, and turned to face his man straight on. Comprehension hit Noah between the eyes, almost as hard as the spectacle presented to him. And hard was what he became, instantly. Nick was clad in body hugging leather, the tightness of the suit accentuating every muscle and curve. He looked fantastic. "Holy fuck!" Noah whistled. "That's what I was hoping for," Nick grinned. "Are you sure you want to go out on public streets like that?" Noah asked, suddenly uncertain. "Absolutely! No-one knows us here, and even if they did, they wouldn't recognise us with the helmets. And if they do recognise us, well, so what? Like I said, it's about time we became a bit less conservative. Think of it as coming out all over again!" Noah laughed. "I knew there was a reason why I love you," he said, holding Nick in an embrace, before following his example and stripping away his everyday clothes to replace them with the bike leathers. "God, these feel so good!" he exclaimed. "It's almost a pity to go out riding -- I'm feeling so horny right now." Nick bellowed. "Later," he promised. "Let's get a feel for the bikes right now." Together they mounted their machines, kicking the mechanical steeds into life, and gingerly manoeuvring them out of the driveway and onto the narrow, quiet residential street. They made their way carefully down from the hills until they met the freeway, turning left and heading south-west. Once on the open road, they picked up speed, getting used to the cycles and re-accustoming themselves to riding after so long. When the motorway came to an end, they reversed direction, swinging around onto the opposite carriageway and heading east and north again, opening up the bikes and themselves to the wind and roar as they followed the road from McCrae, past Arthur's Seat and Dromana and onto Moorooduc. As the highway narrowed again, they slowed, then stopped, pulling off to the side. "Wow, that was fantastic!" declared Nick. "Yep, it sure feels great to be out on the road, especially in this outfit," Noah agreed. "You look so good, riding along in that leather, mounted on that bike. I've had an erection since we left Wes' place, and it's still not going away!" "Hold that thought," Nick chuckled. "Let's head back, and maybe we can do something about your problem. Especially since I seem to have a similar problem," he added, standing and facing Noah so that his man could clearly see the tumescent log outlined by the clinging leather at Nick's groin. Again, they turned around, riding back down the Mornington Peninsula Freeway until they found the now familiar exit. Throwing caution aside, they raced each other through the narrow streets and up into the hills to Wes' property, finally silencing their throaty steeds at the front door and dismounting. Leaving the bikes where they stood, the men leapt up the stairs to their room, laughing like two naughty schoolboys as they did. Within the privacy of their room, their excitement found its release as they crashed into each other, kissing hard and groping at taut bodies encased in skin tight leather. Nick threw his arms around his mate's torso, his hands running up and down Noah's back, across his lover's shoulders and down over the rounded orbs of his arse, squeezing and gripping at them hard. The earthy scent of the hide filled his nostrils as his hands stroked the smooth texture of the black suits they wore, the leather screeching occasionally as he and his man ground their bodies together. Noah found himself a little incapacitated with Nick's arms around him, but he happily attacked his lover's mouth with his own, suckling on Nick's tongue and nibbling at his lips as they kissed fervently. His arms were trapped between his own body and his mate's abdomen, and he quickly found the straining bulge of the other's groin. Kneading the long tube that was Nick's cock, and cupping his balls in one hand within their slick black covering, Noah eagerly massaged his man's genitalia, exciting both of them even more. Breaking the connection between them, Noah licked his lips and moaned softly to the feel of Nick's hands on his arse, then lowered himself to his knees, sliding down along his man's leathered body as he went, until his face was level with the straining hide at his lover's pelvis. Now that his arms were free, they wrapped around the other man's legs, Noah sliding his hands up and over the solid cheeks of Nick's butt as he licked and chewed on the bulging log of leather-covered flesh presented to him. He could feel his man's fingers in his hair, caressing his neck, and sliding down over his shoulders as he eagerly nibbled and sucked at the hidden delight of his lover's rampant erection. Nick looked down, drinking in the vision of his lover kneeling before him, driving him wild with the attention Noah was paying to his cock and his nuts. From neck to ankles, his lover was clad in the tightest shining black leather, and Nick could watch every ripple of muscle in Noah's shoulders, could trace with his eyes every line of his mate's frame, accentuated by the glimmering darkness of the envelope of hide. He wanted to touch that beautiful body, to feel every inch of Noah's leathered form, but leaning forward meant removing his cock from the reach of the talented mouth at his groin which was imparting so much pleasure. Still, he wanted it. Indeed, he wanted more than that, he wanted Noah! He lowered his hands to his lover's shoulders, and gently coaxed the tall blond from his position on the floor, lifting him until they stood together again, kissing once more. Then Nick found the zipper tab of Noah's suit, and slid it open quickly, pushing the leather away from his man as he stripped Noah naked with a sense of urgency. Noah reciprocated, undressing his mate happily, releasing Nick's prong so that it sprang up and out, proud and full, the hole wet with pre-seminal oozings. Nick pushed his man back onto the bed as he dragged the suit away from Noah's legs, finally leaving him naked. He allowed himself a short moment to savour the view of his tall, blond lover prostrate and panting, his long cock throbbing in anticipation, then he shucked off the rest of his own coveralls and stepped forward quickly, kneeling on the bed between Noah's legs. He leaned over his man, lowering himself until their flesh connected from chest to groin. Noah instinctively raised his knees, wrapping his thighs around Nick's torso as he welcomed his man onto himself. The smell of the leather was still heavy on Noah's skin, its exciting aroma filling Nick's senses as it now combined with the scent of musky arousal and masculine perspiration. The sheen of sweat on both men allowed them to slide against each other, and each ached with need. Noah lifted his head slightly, his lips against Nick's ear. "Fuck me, stud!" he commanded in a lusty whisper. Nick simply nodded, adjusting himself slightly, until his cockhead nudged against the tender indentation that was his lover's anus. With the copious pre-cum flowing from his cock, Nick smeared a natural lubricant over Noah's winking hole, lined his prong up against that pink fleshy target, and began to move inward. He felt the resistance of his lover's muscle, and pressed again, opening that ring slowly but surely as he penetrated his man. Noah fought to relax himself, ignoring the slight pain as Nick's prong pried him open and slid through his sphincter. Suddenly that discomfort was gone, replaced by the incredible sensation of being filled with living flesh, of being impaled upon a sword of satin covered steel, hot and throbbing, which skewered its way into his gut, filling him with absolute pleasure. "Fuck me!" Noah hissed again, "Fuck me now, and fuck me hard!" "You bet I will, handsome," Nick answered in a voice full of lusty excitement. "I'm gonna pound your sweet arse! I'm gonna fill that hot hole with cock and make you beg for more!" With that, he drove himself hard and fast, deep into his lover's bowel, plunging his thick manhood to the hilt in the squelching, warm innards of his mate until his nuts slapped against Noah's upturned cheeks. Lifting back momentarily, the swarthy Greek ploughed his way in again, establishing a feverish motion of rutting strength as he powered into his fuck, taking possession of Noah's body and filling it with his own. Noah pushed back against the relentless pile driver of Nick's thundering masculinity, clenching his ravaged rectum around the invading pole whenever it began to withdraw, before opening yet again to its inward spearing. He trembled with the joy of being fucked with such ferocity, and matched his man's intensity thrust for thrust as they rutted in animalistic abandon, humping and gasping together as a single sexual beast. Half an hour later, Nick withdrew himself from his man and collapsed as Noah shook one final time, his torso covered in the slimy jism of his ejaculate. With a sigh, he turned to his lover. "Well that was fast and furious," he declared. "Oh, Noah, I'm sorry," Nick said. "Was I too quick?" "No, no, I didn't mean that. I was just as anxious. I guess it was the newness, the excitement of the bikes. But fuck it was good!" he grinned. Nick laughed too. "It sure was! And we have a whole week of that." "Well, maybe not quite as fast as today," Noah sounded doubtful, and Nick swatted his arm playfully. "The bikes I mean," he said. "I'm sure the sex will slow down a bit as we get used to the sensation of riding again." Noah surveyed the crumpled leather suits thrown on the floor of their bedroom. "It's a pity they are one-piece," he mused. "I'd love to make love still wearing them, but I suspect they'd get in the way." "I guess so," Nick answered. "Besides, we have plenty of leather wear for sex already ..." "Yes, but it's all back in Sydney." As one they grinned at each other, and collapsed back onto the bed, recovering from their exertions. *** The following day, Nick and Noah set out again on the bikes, exploring a little, and letting the wind take them. They rode without any real destination, simply following the roads around the Peninsula. South and west they went, through Rye and out to Portsea and the end of the road in that direction, where the mouth of Port Phillip Bay opened into Bass Straight. East they headed then, across the hills to Shoreham, then north through Hastings and around Warneet until they hit the South Gippsland Highway. Riding their Harleys, free as the wind, the two men felt so alive, so exhilarated, and so aroused. They eased off the road and pulled up, grinning widely at each other, in a service station where the Highway veered to the right at the turn-off into the town of Lang Lang, but they stayed astride their machines. Whenever they stopped for a break, to chat to each other or share their feelings, it took them several minutes of relaxation before they could dismount, unless they wanted to exhibit very obvious erections to anyone nearby. Back on their roaring mounts, Nick led the way as they rode south. At the interchange between the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, he continued straight on along the Bass. A destination had come to mind, but he said nothing to Noah. The two were not great motor sports fans, so Nick's idea would not cause any real excitement, but since they were on throaty, powerful bikes, he figured they should at least ride by the place he had thought of. So he headed himself and his man past the Coronet Bay turn-off, and through the tiny village of Bass, then around the round-about and right onto Phillip Island Road. Without stopping to see whether Noah had guessed where he was going, Nick continued west through San Remo and across the bridge onto the Island at Newhaven, following the main road a way, then veering left when he saw the sign he was looking for. Only a minute or so later, he pulled off the road, and swung around as Noah pulled up beside him. "So, what do you think?" he asked expansively, waving an arm away to their left, across the fields and silent pavement. "A racetrack?" Noah asked, confused. "Not just any racetrack," Nick remonstrated. "It's the Phillip Island Grand Prix Track. This is where they hold the Australian Motor Cycle Grand Prix!" Noah laughed. "I know, Nick, I was just teasing. But please tell me you don't want to race around on it?" "No," his man grinned sheepishly. "I don't even know why I headed this way. It's just that we were on the bikes, and I thought of the bike races down here, so I figured we could ride by." "Just as good a reason, and just as good a destination, as any I've had," Noah smiled. He climbed off his bike and took a few steps towards the fence where he could see the sweeping curve of the track. Nick let out a low whistle. The tight black leather encasing Noah's body hid nothing, and Nick felt yet more stirring in his groin at the sight of his mate's magnificent form clad in shining hide, out here in the open fields. Despite his quickly developing erection, he too stood up, removing his helmet to better admire the view. Noah turned around and spotted his man. Pulling the helmet away from his head, he noticed Nick's excitement, and his own masculinity sprang to life, pushing vainly at the dark suit he wore. "Fuck you look hot!" he said simply. Nick looked around them. On this Thursday afternoon in autumn, there was no-one in sight. The track appeared deserted, the open land around it empty. He crossed the space between himself and Noah in two steps, threw his arms around his man, and kissed him passionately. Noah stiffened for a moment, also trying to look around. Silently praying there were no on-lookers, he surrendered to Nick's embrace, returning the kiss. Quickly, the lovers were locked together, gloved hands exploring leathered bodies as they kissed hard. Nick's hand found the swollen tube of Noah's cock and squeezed at it through the protective gear. Noah ran his fingers down Nick's back and over the rounded mounds of his arse cheeks before following the curving hide to the point where his legs met his butt, rubbing hard at Nick's nuts enveloped in the leather. They allowed themselves some time in this position, kissing and groping, before separating reluctantly. Almost as one, they both surveyed their surroundings guiltily. Still the area seemed free of any other people. "Holy shit, that's a turn on!" Nick declared enthusiastically. "Out here in the open. You make me so horny, I could make love to you right now." Noah grinned wickedly. "Me too, stud! But as exciting as that thought is, I don't know that we should. At least not today. Maybe that's something we could look into some other time?" "Mmmm!" was Nick's only response, as they held each other again in a short embrace. "We should be getting back," Noah observed reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess," Nick answered, unable to take his eyes off the sight of his mate. But he acknowledged that the afternoon was waning, and with yet another squeeze at Noah's manhood, he turned back to the bike. Together they retraced their route off Phillip Island, and made their way back to Wes' house at Arthur's Seat, pulling the bikes around the house and to the front of the garage this time. Parked there was Patrick's car, and as the cycles fell silent, Nick turned to Noah, taking off his helmet, and cursed. "Fuck! We should have realised Patrick would be back by now. I was hoping for a bit of fun after our ride." Noah blushed. "So was I, but we can't ignore him. He is our host now, after all. Are you, umm, `ready' to go inside?" As he spoke he looked pointedly to the spot between Nick's legs. It was Nick's turn to blush, as he nodded. "I will be. The fact that there is someone else here has kinda killed my excitement," he confirmed. Feeling a little self-conscious now, the pair entered the house through the back door, calling out for Patrick as they did so. As they walked into the kitchen, they were greeted by a long, low whistle. Frank was at the counter, making coffee. "Shit, guys, those outfits don't leave much to the imagination!" Frank stated in a near whisper filled with admiration. He looked around quickly, then back at the two, openly drinking in their entire bodies. "Patrick's out by the pool. Um, I think you should probably get changed before ..." He didn't get to finish. At that moment, Patrick breezed through the other door. "Hey, where's that coffee?" he was calling, but stopped dead in his tracks, his eyes widening then his face twisting into a grimace as he examined Nick and Noah in their body-hugging hide. "What on earth?" Patrick looked them up and down with obvious distaste. "Why the fuck are you two dressed up in that shit?" he demanded loudly. Nick stuttered, too surprised to speak. Noah recovered faster. "Hey, Patrick, sorry if we've upset you. We hired a couple of motor bikes for a few days. These were the riding suits that came with them,. I know they're a bit tight, but we didn't get much choice." He looked at the other man for any sign of reaction. "We've just been down to Phillip Island," he added, a little lamely. Strangely enough, that last comment seemed to mollify him a little. "Oh, the races. I didn't know you guys were into motor sports," he said, still disapproving. "Umm, yeah, we've always wanted to go and have a look at the track," Nick lied quickly. "We'll go and change, and come back for a drink with you, if that's okay?" Patrick's ire ebbed away. "Yes, of course it is. See you by the pool when you're decent again." With that he took his coffee, and headed outside, closely followed by Frank, who risked a look back at Nick and Noah, and shrugged his shoulders as he shook his head. "Wow!" was all Nick could say. "Wow, indeed," Noah agreed. The two men quickly changed, and dressed now in denim jeans and comfortable shirts, they found Patrick and Frank by the pool as promised. Unsure of the reaction they would get, Noah began carefully. "Uhh, Patrick, I'm sorry if we offended you by walking into the house in the riding gear. We didn't realise you would be home yet." "That's okay," their host answered evenly. "I understand now, if you're into bike racing and all that. Have to admit I've never been able to get interested in racing of any kind myself, but each to his own!" Nick was amazed by the change. Patrick seemed a completely different person from the man who had met them in the kitchen only a few minutes earlier. "Well, we're still sorry about it," he stated, trying to sound friendly. "We'll try to make sure we dress more, umm, 'concealingly', from now on." Patrick grinned, a mischievous kind of grin. "Hey guys, you can dress as `un-concealingly' as you like. I'm not at all worried about that. In fact," he nudged Frank gently as he lowered his voice, "You can run around naked if you want. I'm not going to pretend either of you are hard to look at!" The tone of his voice, and the look on his face, made it abundantly clear that he was quite serious. Even that, if they were interested, he and Frank would probably be interested in some `mutual' fun. Nick's look of confusion was complete. "Then why ...?" he began. "It's the whole leather thing," Patrick said, becoming annoyed again. This mercurial side of him was new to Nick and Noah, and neither of them felt comfortable with it. "I can't understand this fascination some guys have with leather. The whole leather/sex scene with the kinky outfits and the silly games. Why anyone would want to wear all that shit when they're having sex is beyond me, and the way some people go on about their leather gear and their weird fetishes really pisses me off. It's not just stupid, it's downright sick!" he declared, his irritation speedily growing into anger. "Uhh, right," Nick said, unsure of how to respond. It was Frank who saved the moment. "Let's forget about it," he said soothingly. "Nick and Noah were just out for a ride on their bikes. No sex involved. You want a drink guys?" he asked. "Yes, please," both answered quickly. As suddenly as Patrick's mood had darkened, it lifted again, and for the rest of the evening he chatted happily to the others, as if nothing had happened. Almost too happily, it seemed to Noah. He had expected Patrick to still be feeling down about Wes' murder, but it was as if that had been swept away and forgotten. Later that night, the urge to make love had all but vanished as Nick and Noah lay beside each other in bed. "Patrick really is hard to work out," Nick observed. "Yeah, he sure is," Noah agreed. "There's something that just doesn't add up with him, with the way he's been since the funeral." "I know what you mean," Nick said. "Maybe he's in some kind of denial. It's almost as if he thinks Wes has just gone away for a while, and will be back in a few days. And all that carry on about the leather!" "Absolutely! I'm glad he doesn't know the truth about us, and David and Joe. My guess is that if he feels so strongly, we could find ourselves looking for somewhere else to stay. There has to be something more to that as well. You don't develop that kind of dislike, that kind of hatred, for no reason." Nick nodded, but said nothing. There was nothing left to say. *** The next morning Patrick and Frank were up soon after Nick and Noah. Patrick's mood had changed again. No longer was he so bright and cheerful. Nick looked knowingly at Noah, as if to say he had been right -- that Patrick was trying to deny Wes had died, had gone for good. The two of them felt like getting back on the bikes and heading out once more, but were very reluctant to appear in the riding gear while Patrick was in the house. Just after 10.00, Noah's phone rang. It was David. "Hi Noah, just ringing to see how you're getting on, and to let you know we got home safely, and Indiana is back with us again, although I think he's getting concerned that you two haven't been around for a while." "Thanks, David. We're okay, but not sure how Patrick is handling it. He seems to be having some serious mood swings." "That's understandable. I don't know what to suggest, except maybe to let him go through them, work it out himself, at least for a while. He needs time, more than anything, I think." "Yes, you're probably right," Noah accepted. "Have you `seen' Detective Moran again?" David asked. His implication was clear. Noah chuckled. "No. we've been busy since you guys left." He went on to tell David all about the bikes, and the exploring they had been doing. He intentionally avoided referring to the way the bike leathers made him and Nick feel when they wore them. "Sounds fantastic," David enthused. "But I think you should be talking to Bob again as well. Even if there's no sex involved, at least keep him up to date on your theories about the murder." "You're right," Noah agreed, "We've been remiss in that. I'll call him today. Not sure when we'll be home, but we'll keep you informed." "Okay, mate, see you later. Say hi to Nick for us." Noah repeated the conversation for Nick, and they both acknowledged that they should have been in contact with Bob Moran; that they had forgotten the very reason for staying in Melbourne when they rented the Harleys. Noah found and dialled the cop's mobile number. "Detective, it's Noah Sorensen," he said when the officer picked up. "Noah, hi, how are you?" Bob answered. He sounded genuinely happy to hear from them. "Fine. We thought we should talk to you now that the funeral is over. Bring you up to date on what we know and what we think. Do you have time to talk now?" "Umm, yes and no," Bob said slowly. "It would be better if we spoke face to face than by phone. I'm stuck in the office this morning, but I could probably drive down later, be there by around 4.00?" He didn't sound all that enthusiastic about the trip out of town on a Friday afternoon. "What if we come to you?" Noah offered. "You have a car?" "Err, we have `transport'," Noah replied. Moran's voice brightened noticeably. "I have a much better idea then. Why don't you come to my home? I'll be finished here by 5.00, so anytime that suits you after that would be fine. We can sit down and go through whatever you have, and I can fill you in on what I know." "Okay," Noah said evenly. "And Noah," Moran added, "Don't plan on going back down the Peninsula tonight! Once we get `business' out of the way, I think you guys will like what we have planned by way of `pleasure'!" Noah chuckled evilly. "Now that sounds much better. Give me your address, just in case we can't remember exactly how to get there. We'll see you around three!" Nick had been listening in as best he could, and as Noah hung up, it was clear from the twinkle in his eye that he had some idea of what the evening might hold. ... to be continued ... This story is a fantasy, it is not real and only happened in my imagination. YOU MUST REMEMBER that in the real world, you can DIE from having unsafe sex. It is your right and your duty to make sure that condoms are always used, whether you are giving or receiving. It doesn't matter how good looking or how ugly he is, and it doesn't matter whether you are top or bottom, USE A CONDOM!