Neil felt more at peace and happier than he had ever been. He'd never dreamed that one day he would find someone as exceptional as Norman. The boy conquered him more and more as the days went by. One thing that hit him and moved him was the fact that his friend, besides showing his pleasure in making love with him, was becoming very attentive toward him. He was not used to such attention -- nobody had ever shown so much thoughtfulness and sweetness toward him. Nobody had ever looked at him with eyes so bright and so full of love. Yes, now he was convinced -- the boy was really in love with him, even if he had not yet said it in so many words.
Norman had told him that meeting him had changed his whole life, but Neil was aware that his own life was changing also -- thanks to the boy's presence. Before, even though he hadn't felt at all old, he was feeling the weight of his years and advancing age. Although he had accepted it calmly, he hadn't been looking forward to it. Now, on the other had, it didn't matter any more -- he was no longer interested in age, in the passing of years. Even if he were to find himself alone in his old age, what he was now experiencing was of such beauty and richness that the future didn't worry him any more.
Neil enjoyed looking at his boy's body when he went around the apartment naked, and he enjoyed observing how Norman also appreciated his nudity -- not only when they made love but at any other opportunity. They made a habit of going around naked or half-naked at home, and especially of dancing together stark naked. They often touched, kissed or caressed each other without necessarily making love.
Since January the two girls who were living upstairs had been back at home. One of then, after meeting Norman, started to court him discretely. The boy was amused by that and treated her with courtesy and affability.
But when he noticed that Neil seemed worried, even though he'd said nothing to him, he at once reassured him, saying, "Neil, it's just fun, nothing serious. I'm not interested in that girl, as long as I have you and your love."
Neil pretended not to understand him, "What are you talking about? That girl? Who is... that girl?"
"Come on, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about and you're worried. There's no need, I swear. She is quite nice, but I'm not interested in her, truly. Only you are important to me. I... I... I'm in love with you!"
It was the first time that the boy said it explicitly, clearly, and Neil felt on top of the world and deeply moved, and looked at him dreamily.
Norman misinterpreted that glance. "Don't you believe me?"
"Yes, love, I believe you. Thank you."
"Thank you? For what?"
"For saying it. It makes me feel good hearing you say so."
Norman smiled sweetly and opened his arms. Neil drew nearer and let the boy embrace him while the boy, holding him tight and kissing him, whispered, "I love you... I love you... I love you... It's also really good to say it, you know?"
"Then say it from time to time. I love you too. You're my man."
"And you mine. You know I think I could even go to bed with another boy or a girl now and possibly even enjoy it, but I believe that I could never love anyone else the way I love you; and that nobody will ever be able to love me as you do. It's incredible how beautiful it is being together."
Time flew by. Both of them were happy. Living together had gradually cooled down the ardour and enthusiasm of their first unions but now, little by little, making love together was becoming even more pleasurable if that were possible. Now that they knew each other's bodies better and better, they knew how and where to touch to give each other pleasure and to reach orgasm at the same moment.
In April it happened that Norman was again approached -- by another client, a nineteen-year-old boy, who explicitly proposed that they go and make love together. Norman, equally explicitly, told him that he was with a man and had no intention of cheating on him. And Norman was filled with satisfaction and pride at having said explicitly to somebody that he was in love with a man.
As soon as he got home, he told Neil about the event and concluded, "I'm so happy loving you and being loved by you. And just thinking about this all the way home has aroused me so much that now you have to make love with me... right away!"
Neil smiled, "Let's go to our bed, then..."
"No, here, now. Feel here how turned on I am!" the boy answered, smiling slyly as he started undressing the man. Neil didn't need to be told twice and, in turn, started undressing his friend. They weren't used to making love standing up, but for both of them it was a stimulating change -- even more so because there in the tiny entrance, beside the coat stand, a long mirror hung on the wall and reflected the image of their tightly intertwined bodies. Looking at that reflected image added to their excitement, making their embrace all the more pleasurable. And Norman, as he admired their figures engaged in that impromptu and passionate exchange of love, felt a deep sense of attachment to Neil growing in him and understood clearly how important they had now become to one another. He looked at those two bodies reflected in the glass and understood that they had really become one and he felt a deep sweetness enveloping his heart.
Now they really were living together, and this was highlighted by the fact that neither of them thought any more in terms of "I" but of "us". Yes, undoubtedly their style of lovemaking had changed. Yes, that sense of novelty, of discovery that had permeated their first unions was no more, but they now knew each other a little better each time they made love, and they knew that they belonged to each other. Norman, feeling his lover move inside him with a sweet yet strong rhythm, decided that now making love had become much more beautiful.
They continued to look for a new home and often made appointments to see other places, but they had not yet found anything that satisfied them fully. Most of the time when they saw something really beautiful, it was out of the range of their budget. Anyway they continued to search and added to their savings so that they'd have more money to invest in buying their new home.
They decided to take two weeks of vacation in July. Norman wanted to visit York so Neil booked a hotel. But he also suggested that Norman spend a few days in Bristol with his family. He was, in fact, curious to meet them. Norman called home informing them that he would be visiting, together with a colleague. In fact they had agreed to say that Neil was working in the administration section of the shop where Norman was working, to make things easier.
So, on July 12th they reached Bristol. They took a taxi to Norman's house. Their welcome was polite but formal. They were settled in Norman's room, in Charles' bed, empty since his marriage. Margie, who had been using that room, went back to sleep with her sister Sara. The two girls, although twins, were very different. They were twenty-five years old and Margie was to be married before the end of the year. Sara was also engaged, but hadn't yet made any plans for her marriage.
Instinctively, Neil didn't like Norman's family very much. He now understood fully why the boy always talked about them in critical terms. His mother was really fussy and conceited and his father cold to the point of rudeness. His sisters were interfering gossips and each time they spoke to Neil they gave him the third degree. The way they treated Norman disturbed Neil very much -- they treated him with a superior air, and at times also with ridiculous sarcasm that was completely unjustified. Neil almost regretted having suggested the visit.
On their second day in Bristol, Neil heard an argument downstairs while he was changing and Norman was downstairs fixing some tea. He recognized voices belonging to Norman, his mother and the two sisters. He went to the door trying to listen, to determine the reason for the unexpected and furious quarrel, but he couldn't make out any words. He became worried. After they had arrived, he had no reason to think there were particular tensions or grudges -- apart from the coldness of the whole family. What could have happened? He finished dressing then sat on the bed wondering whether to go downstairs at once, or to wait there for things to calm down.
After a while he heard a door slam followed by footsteps coming up the stairs and more doors slamming. Then Norman entered the room visibly angry.
"What's up, Norman, what's happening?"
The boy smiled at him, "Nothing, love. Let's pack."
"But what happened? Why did you quarrel?"
"I'll tell you later. Now I just want to get out of here. It's nothing serious, anyway."
"To go away so suddenly, it must be something serious..."
"For them, possibly. Not for me. Come on, don't worry and just start packing."
They packed quickly. They went downstairs carrying their luggage. Norman opened the front door and they started walking out.
"Shouldn't we say goodbye?" Neil asked hesitantly.
"No, it's not worth it. Actually, I want to bid them farewell..." he stopped in the doorway, turned back toward the inside of the house and shouted, "And anyway Neil gave me more love in one second than all of you did in my entire life! Go fuck yourselves, you shits!" and went out slamming the door.
Neil was standing on the pavement, his suitcases in his hands, agape.
Norman turned, smiled at him cheerfully and said, "Let's go. There's nothing more for us here." and walked quickly toward the bus stop.
Neil followed him. While they were waiting for the bus, he asked Norman, "Did they find out about us? Is that why you quarrelled?"
"I'll tell you later. Right now I'm still a bit pissed off. Not with you, my love, not with you, but with all of them."
A man waiting beside them, when he heard the expression "my love", stared at them with evident contempt.
Norman noticed it and addressed him, "Yes, sir, you heard correctly -- this man and I are two fags in love with each other. But then, that's none of your fucking business!"
The man stiffened, glared at them, turned around and shuffled off, leaving the bus stop. Norman laughed aloud sarcastically, then looked at Neil and became serious.
"Forgive me, love, I didn't want to embarrass you..."
"No, you did the right thing. Anyway nobody here knows us, so I don't give a shit!"
They caught the bus and got off in front of the railway station, where they caught the next train to York.
They were alone in the compartment, so Norman told his friend what had happened. Margie had guessed the nature of their relationship and, in front of her sister and her mother, had asked him if they were both faggots. Norman had quietly answered "yes". When the three women appeared to be surprised and scandalized, he had tried to explain things calmly. But when they started making harsh judgements in relation to Neil, and being sarcastic about their being in love, he lost control and responded to them sharply, at which point the quarrel had broken out.
While Norman was telling him these facts, the boy seemed more amused than angry, but Neil saw a veil of sadness over the boy's eyes. He took his hand and squeezed it tenderly.
"Don't worry, Neil. I have you so everything's OK. I'll get over it. After all, I'm glad I've broken away from my family. So now my family -- the real one -- is you, just you."
"I'm sorry that all this happened through my fault..."
"I'm not, my love, I'm not. And it's not your fault, it's theirs. I was born in that house only through a mistake, in every sense of the word. Today, in some ways, I've put that mistake behind me. Now I'm no longer part of it. Alleluia!"
In reality it took Norman two or three days to settle down again completely and Neil did his best to amuse him, to encourage him to have fun. York was really beautiful and they took in many of the sights -- strolling along the streets and visiting the splendid cathedral three times.
On one occasion, just as they were coming out of the cathedral, a small old woman, with a merry expression, stopped them and said, "Handsome young men, buy a lottery ticket from me and I'll bring you luck, love and health."
"Grandma, we already have love as well as health," Norman answered her with a smile.
"Well then, if the good Lord has given you health, and if you give love to each other, I can still give you luck."
They didn't know whether or not the woman had guessed that they were lovers, but they were so amused that they decided to buy from her not one but ten tickets. The old woman, after thanking them, rummaged in her bag, pulled out a pencil stump and marked one of the tickets.
Then, smiling a little slyly, she said, "This is the lucky ticket. Don't lose it, my boys, and continue to love each other." And she went away quiet and happy, toddling off to approach other prospective clients.
Neil and Norman watched her ambling away, then Norman said, "Grandma understood everything, you mark my words! That one is a smart one. And she didn't seem at all scandalized. What do you think, will this really be a lucky ticket?"
"Well, we'll see. Anyway, I've already got luck -- you're my luck!"
"Sure. But we couldn't possibly say that to grandma; she had to have a reason to sell us some tickets, didn't she?" the boy answered with a gentle smile.
Their vacation ended and they went back home.
On the first day of August Patrick invited them to a party for Robert's birthday. There they met two other gay couples -- Francis, a West Indian graphic designer and his boyfriend Steven, a TV actor; then John, a simultaneous translator who worked at the Foreign Office and his boyfriend Edward, who worked at Telecom. They immediately got on well together, as they were all really pleasant people. So, after that, they started getting together with their new friends as well.
But after a while Steven started courting Neil who made him understand that he had no intention of doing anything, as he was with Norman. But Steven continued acting as though nothing had been said. Neil was rather flattered that the beautiful actor was attracted to him, but at the same time that persistent attention was also annoying him. So he talked with Norman, suggesting to him that they stop seeing Francis and Steven. The boy told him to let him take care of the problem, that he would fix the whole thing up.
"What are you going to do?"
"Trust me. You'll see that he will stop."
"Alright, I trust you. But I am curious."
"You know that I always tell you everything, don't you? Be patient, then I'll tell you."
Norman called Steven and arranged to meet him downtown, after work.
When they met he said at once, "I know that you like Neil and that you are courting him."
"Are you jealous?"
"No. Because I know that he won't go with you anyway -- or with anybody else for that matter."
"How can you be so sure?"
"For two reasons. First because I trust Neil. Second because I can't believe that you'd be so mean as to try and break up a relationship that works."
"No, I don't intend doing that. But Francis and I have an open relationship and an adventure would not hurt it. I don't want to take him away from you. And Francis likes you, though he dare not tell you. It would just mean swapping partners every now and then. After all we are friends, aren't we?
"No, we're not yet really friends; we hardly know each other. And we are not in an open relationship. Anyway we could still become friends, if you stop making Neil uncomfortable. You've tried, and it hasn't worked. Please stop now."
Steven looked at him and smiled, "Alright, even though all's fair in love and war. It's a pity, anyway, as Neil is really a fascinating person."
"That's for sure! I know what you mean, Steven, but unfortunately for you I found him before you did!"
"Did he send you to talk with me?"
"No. He just told me how he felt about the situation, and I asked him to let me take care of it. That's all."
"Did you suspect it?"
"No, not at all. But Neil and I tell each other everything -- always. Everything."
"Aren't you pissed off with me?"
"For the moment no. It depends on how you behave from now on..."
"Alright. I give you my word that I won't try any more. After all I think that the possibility of having a good friendship with you two is more important than just having a fuck."
"OK. Call us, we'll arrange to get together sometime. We like you both."
Norman went back home and told Neil everything about his meeting with Steven.
"Why didn't you want to tell me before?" Neil asked, curious.
"Because I didn't know before what I was going to say to him."
"And what if he hadn't reacted positively?"
"It would have been his bad luck... I would have told him not to show up any more, or I'd punch his face in."
"You really would have done that?"
"So that you could have your peace, yes. I don't care if anyone bothers me, but if they bother you, they'll have to deal with me," Norman said with determination and a smile.
Neil was delighted by his young lover's self-assurance and protective attitude.
There were no more problems with Steven and, in fact, they became even better friends.