Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2017 01:44:34 +1000
From: Storyteller Guy <newstories996@gmail.com>
Subject: Prodigy and Prejudice - Chapter 4

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This chapter has a soundtrack, if you want to hear the song its These Days
by Powderfinger.

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---

PRODIGY AND PREJUDICE

Chapter 4

Ray sat down at the old wooden kitchen table just as the kids had taken
over the couch after finishing the washing up. It was the part of the day
he dreaded most – looking through the mail he'd collected earlier to see
what bills he had to put off paying. He didn't make a lot as a Townsville
tennis coach, but what little he had he tried to stretch as far as possible
to make life better for his kids.

In amongst some window envelopes, Ray spotted a small envelope with an
embossed Prindiville College crest on it. He knew it could only be one
thing. Eager to see how his son's first term panned out academically, Ray
quickly opened the envelope and looked down at the report card it contained
with genuine shock on his face. He loved his kids, he really did, but
sometimes his expectations weren't the same as what happened in real life.

"An A for English," Ray said with amazement, "you got a bloody A for
English!"

Nick looked up from the television and smiled at his father. "Even Mr Van
Zant said it was good."

Ray nodded slowly, gesticulating at the card as only an Italian could
do. "I mean, there's a bit of shit on here, mate, see we've got to fix this
C in maths," he continued, "but bloody hell, mate – well done! Your
first A!"

Fran looked over at Nick with a frown, before complaining to her
father. "But I got all As on my report, Dad! Nicky only got one!"

"I know you did Franny, and I gave you a big hug for that yesterday, didn't
I?" Ray said diplomatically. "It's Nicky's turn today."

Fran frowned back at Nick. "I did better than you," she said.

Nick just looked over and stuck his tongue out. "Yeah, well, how many
tennis tournaments have you won?"

Ray sighed and stepped in. "Stop it, children," he said sternly, "there's
only one answer for this."

Both kids looked up at Ray meekly, expecting to get in trouble. Instead, he
opened his face into a wide smile and held his arms out.

"Pizza night on Saturday to celebrate you both!"

Fran and Nick suddenly forgot their minor feud and looked at each other
with delight. "Yes!" they called in unision. "Thanks, Dad!"

Nick lay back into the couch with a smile on his face, revelling that there
was only one more school day before the holidays. He couldn't help but
think what a great term he'd had. He was still trying to fit into
Prindiville and the fusty `rich people' traditions that came with it;
perhaps he'd never quite get there. But he just loved spending time with
Ryan and the boys, both in class as well outside it. He'd never had a group
of people to hang out with before, and he'd certainly never had a classmate
he'd felt as close to as Ryan. The boys had even bought him a bag of mini
Mars bars for his 13th birthday. Nick surprised himself by allowing them to
last a whole week as he wolfed the final one down the previous night. His
father had started banging on to him about nutrition during his tennis
practice, so he thought it best not to binge.

Ryan and Nick had become virtually inseparable. Ryan was clearly a very
gifted boy, and yet he still had absolutely no problem spending time
helping Nick in the classroom. Nick was sure that the boost that he'd felt
in class was purely down to Ryan. Jonno and the other boys were becoming
good mates, too, but they didn't share that same connection Nick enjoyed
with Ryan.

There was also, of course, the unspoken connection. Nick had let himself
realise that he was into Ryan. There could be no doubt about that. It
scared Nick like nothing had scared him in his life. In the schoolyard,
everyone was accused of being gay. It is not something you could get away
with should such an accusation be substantiated.

Nick's paralysing fear of being found out thus completely nullified any
chance that Nick would ever make a move. Sure, Nick would frig himself over
Ryan, but he was certain it would be confined to his fantasies. The
internet articles he'd read said it might just be a phase, so he'd latched
onto that escape route. He'd eventually get over it and they'd just be
normal friends. He'd turn out to be normal, like everyone else, not
bothering anyone. Life would be simpler that way.

Nick looked up as the aged phone on the wall beside the kitchen started to
ring. With one eye on the television, and one ear on his father's
conversation, he listened in.

"Ray Rabuzzo."

"Barry! Good to hear from y-"

"Yes, Nick did very well, he received some great resul-"

"Tomorrow night?" Ray looked over at Nick as he answered. "Well, Fran's
going over to a friend's place, but Nick and I would love t-"

"Oh, great, that would be perfect! My last lesson finishes at 7, so I'll be
round after that."

"Ciao."

As Ray put the phone down he sighed as Nick looked over at his
father. "Promise me something, mate, don't become an interrupter!"

Nick chuckled. "Where are we going?"

"I assumed you'd want to, but I'd better ask – do you want to head up to
Ryan's place with him after school tomorrow? I'll finish my coaching then
come up and we're having dinner there."

Nick beamed. Go to Ryan's big house on the hill? Fuck. Yes. He tried not to
make his utter giddiness at the idea get through in his speech and answered
calmly.

"Sure Dad, that sounds great."

Ray smiled warmly, before making sure the arrangements were all in
order. "Franny, you're still going over to Sophie's place tomorrow night,
aren't you?"

She nodded, still engrossed in the soap opera that was blasting from the
television. Ray was delighted that everything had slipped into place. He
consequently decided it was time to test if Fran was really listening by
riling her up.

"Good. Well, don't eat too much, because you'd better be ready for my
capricciosa tomorrow night!"

Fran screwed up her face, finally looking away from the television, while
Nick shared a look of similar disgust. "Ugh, Dad, we hate artichokes!"

---

Nick and Jonno both wondered what the hell was wrong with Ryan. Was there
some sort of medication that he either hadn't taken, or had taken too much
of? Had he drunk his father's coffee? Either way, for the whole day, Ryan
couldn't stop talking, fidgeting, and smiling.

When the final bell went, Ryan even let out a cheer. That was much to the
annoyance of Mr Van Zant, who chided him accordingly.

"Fuck yeah!" he said under his breath, "holidays! Gimme 5!"

Nick and Jonno looked at each other and shook their heads at just how
ridiculous Ryan's excitement was. They both acceded to Ryan's request,
slapping his hand loudly, before they went outside to their lockers to
fetch their belongings. Ryan was off to the front gate before Nick could
even undo his lock, and Jonno – seemingly infected with Ryan's
enthusiasm – jetted off not long after.

Just as Nick had shouldered his bag and was closing his locker, beginning
to smile thinking of the fun to be had on his holidays, he heard a voice
call down the corridor that sent a chill down his spine.

"Rabuzzo!"

Nick looked up and saw a hulking figure advancing down the corridor towards
him; a figure he'd managed to avoid almost all term.

"Hope you like your holidays, `cause next term it's tennis. We both know
you're fucked."

Dylan had a shit-eating smirk on his face, as did his two massive cronies
either side of him. He was blocking the corridor Nick was about to go down
to exit the school, and had that same menacing look in his eye, just like
when Nick met him at the net after the age championships. Nick just stood
there, frozen, not knowing what to do, bolted in place by the hulking
frames of the three large seniors.

Dylan looked at his cronies and laughed, before pointing at Nick. "Look at
this little faggot. Hasn't even got anything to say. C'mon, let's leave him
to shit his pants."

The two cronies walked past Nick, whilst Dylan lowered his shoulder into
Nick's torso and said in a low voice "I'm gonna send you back to shitsville
where you belong". It took all of Nick's agility to stay on his feet.

Beginning to shake, and with the trio advanced a suitable distance down the
corridor, Nick smashed his locker shut, slapped his lock back in place and
practically ran to the front gate to meet Ryan. As he slowed to a walk to
reach his destination and not arouse suspicion, his face was still as white
as a sheet and his eyes were still wide open.

Xander, who had arrived to wait with Ryan, looked over at Nick as he came
into view, and his smile turned to concern when he saw the expression on
Nick's face.

"Jesus, Nick, you OK?" Xander asked. Ryan turned to look at Nick when he
heard the tone of Xander's question; his face underwent a similar
transformation.

Nick just looked down as he spoke softly. "Uh ... yeah, I um ... just saw
Dylan. It ... yeah. He's an arse."

"What'd he do?" Xander asked.

Nick shrugged. "Just said I'm fucked, then he shouldered me."

Ryan's face turned angrier than Nick had ever seen as he kicked the grass
on which the boys were standing. "Why is that kid such a fucking arsehole?
I wish I could fuck that fucking fucker up." Ryan was fuming so hard, it
looked like he couldn't even speak any further.

Xander looked over at Ryan, before calmly comforting Nick. "Dude, he's just
a fuckhead. Don't worry about it."

Nick forced a smile. "I guess so."

Xander put his hand on Nick's shoulder and spoke seriously. "I mean it,
dude. He ever fucks with you, we'll fuck him up back. I don't really know
how, but ... we'll fuck up his car, or something."

Nick forced himself to exhale loudly and felt marginally better. "He's such
an arse."

"C'mon, we got you, dude." Xander smiled and offered his fist.

Nick bumped it, and whilst it didn't put all his fears to rest, at least he
knew Xander was being genuine. Why was it that, on the last day of term
when he was about to go to Ryan's house for the first time, his euphoria
had to be cut down like that? It wasn't fair, Nick thought. He just wanted
to be free to have a good time.

Ryan was still brooding when his father arrived to pick the boys up. It
seemed that Ryan was angry because Dylan had fucked up the start to Ryan's
holidays, not because Nick had been intimidated. Nick knew that Ryan's
holidays were sacrosanct, and nothing could stop him having a good time,
and felt bad for being the reason Ryan's mood had changed. Maybe they both
would just have to suck it up and enjoy the freedom.

Barry had a particularly odd grin on his face when the boys entered the
car. It almost freaked Nick out, until Barry pressed a button on the dash
of the car after the boys had all entered and Kylie Minogue's "Holiday"
started blasting out the speakers. Xander, sitting in the back with Nick,
absolutely lost it; Nick had a chuckle to himself and shook his head; and
Ryan was so embarrassed he immediately turned down the volume and glared at
his father before being unable to hide a smile. Barry tousled Ryan's hair
and smiled back at his son.

"Time to relax, fellas!"

Nick looked out the window and finally let out a proper smile. Barry's
exuberance knew no end. Plus, it was two weeks until he'd have to deal with
Dylan again.

It occurred to Nick that he'd never actually asked anyone why Ryan and
Xander came to and from school together. It all became clear when the car
reached the top of the hill: Xander nonchalantly entered the house next to
the one Barry parked his car beneath. Nick was so engrossed with the view
out of the car window going up the hill he almost didn't notice.

As the boys took their bags and entered the house through the garage, Nick
stopped and gawked at the view out of the living room. It was a panoramic
view like nothing he'd ever seen. His mouth fell open, and all he could do
was manage a breathy `wow'. The expansive view was simply breathtaking.

"You can even see Maggie Island," Nick said, "and the city ... and the
... far out!"

"Forget the view, Nick," Ryan mentioned as he motioned for Nick to head
upstairs to get changed, "let's get in the pool!"

The boys quickly changed into their swimming gear and met each other at the
top of the stairs. Ryan grinned mischievously when he saw his friend emerge
from the bathroom, himself having changed in his bedroom.

"Bey you can't catch me!" Ryan called out.

With Ryan in the lead, the boys charged down the stairs, through the living
room past Ryan's mother and father, out the sliding glass door, across the
wooden deck, ninety degrees right and down the stairs, ninety degrees left
and in the pool gate, dumped their towels under the large umbrella, leapt
across the tiles, and bomb dived into the pool. Well, Ryan did; Nick
carefully took off his crucifix and placed it down before joining Ryan in
the pool with a similar explosive entrance. Nick and Ryan surfaced one
after the other, just in time to see Xander appear from the side gate
between the two houses, running towards the fenced-off pool area.

Nick smiled. This was awesome, he thought.

After a couple of hours horsing about in the pool, playing pool tennis,
playing classic catches in the pool, and generally tiring themselves out,
Xander announced he was buggered. The boys looked at their wrinkled fingers
after spending such a long time in the water, and Nick and Ryan
subsequently finally realised their energy levels were also running
low. The boys then all exited the pool at the same time and dried
themselves off.

With Xander leaving, Ryan used the opportunity of Nick saying goodbye to
Xander to grab himself a view of Nick's simply astonishing physique. Ryan
loved how the setting sunlight seemed to provide a warm glow over Nick's
beautiful hint of a six pack. When Nick dried his hair with the towel, Ryan
noted the way Nick's board shorts hugged his strong legs and enjoyed a look
at the boy's thin calves and seemingly oversized feet.

"So, should we head inside and get ready for dinner?" Nick asked once he
was dry, unsure what was to happen next. Ryan had placed a towel over his
head under the pretence of drying his hair, but realistically was just to
force himself to stop looking at the boy beside him.

Ryan smiled. "Nah, I've got a great spot for this time of day. C'mon,
follow me," he excitedly said, as he grabbed his phone from the poolside
table, while Nick grabbed his crucifix from the adjacent sun lounge.

Ryan led Nick, both boys still in their swimming gear and holding their
towels, out the pool gate and around to the front of the pool, on the
opposite side to the house. The land dropped away, leaving a gentle grassed
slope leading down to the tall hedge at the fence line, still allowing an
expansive view of the ocean, yet out of sight of onlookers from the main
house and in the street below.

Nick, following Ryan, placed his towel down on the slope to Ryan's
right. The sun had just gone below the horizon behind them, to the west, as
the orange glow of twilight washed over the ocean in front of them, to the
east. Nick carefully placed his crucifix back around his neck and sat down
next to Ryan. He smiled contentedly as he took in the beautiful view.

"This place is awesome," Nick said with wonder. "I just see the water. It's
like ... we're explorers, or something."

Ryan smiled and lay back as he picked out some music on his iPhone for the
boys to listen to.

"Sometimes I just like putting on a song, lying down and watching the stars
come out."

Nick looked over at Ryan, who lay down with his arms crossed behind his
head, looking up at the twilight sky. Nick followed suit, and immediately
marvelled at the slowly darkening sky, with a few of the brighter stars
becoming visible. The boys enjoyed a moment of silent reflection, watching
the light of Ryan's favourite time of day. As the song continued, Ryan
looked over at Nick, who had taken to fidgeting with his cross with his
left hand.

"Charlie told me about your necklace," Ryan commented solemnly and
softly. "I'm really sorry, Nick."

Nick held his crucifix tightly and closed his eyes. The memory of his
mother was vivid in his mind.

--

"Nicky, I've got a present for you, darling."

The little five-year-old beamed. "A present!"

His mother held back her tears as hard as she could, as she winced and
crouched her thin frame down to face her young son. She opened the long
black jewellery box and showed Nick the small gold crucifix attached to a
matching thin gold chain.

Nick looked puzzled. "What's that?"

"This lets you know that God is always with you," his mother said softly,
"and I'm always with you, too."

The youngster was wide-eyed with wonder as his mother placed the crucifix
around his neck.

"See?" she said softly, "you feel him now, don't you?"

Nick looked down and played with the cross before looking up at his
mother. He didn't really understand, but he knew his mother gave it to him
with feeling. "I think so, mummy."

She held Nick in a big hug. "Always remember, darling, you can be whatever
you want to be."

Nick thought for a moment before answering excitedly. "I wanna be a truck!"

His mother smiled and laughed sadly. "I've got to go and see the doctor
now, Nicky. I'll see you real soon."

Nick smiled at his mother as they broke the hug. "I love you, mummy," he
said in a beaming smile.

A single tear rolled down her cheek as she smiled. "I love you too,
Nicky. Ti amo."

His mother took Ray's hand, who helped pull his wife up; she hardly had the
strength to do it herself.

"You ready, darling?" he asked solemnly. She just nodded, unable to speak
without crying.

"Why is mummy sad?" Nick asked his father.

"I'll be back real soon, matey," Ray said to Nick supportively, ignoring
the youngster's question, as he and his wife turned for the door. "You stay
here with Nonna."

"Si puo fargli sapere lui quando é pronto, non stasera, mamma," Ray
added sadly to his mother, speaking Italian so the boy wouldn't
understand. You can let him know when he's ready, but not tonight, Mum.

Nick's grandmother nodded from the armchair, and averted the boy's
attention from his departing parents.

"Come a-here, Nicola," she said softly in her inimitable Sicilian accent
with more than a tinge of sadness, "let me a-tell you a story."

His grandmother lifted Nick onto her lap as she began her story, speaking
slowly and deliberately. "Once upon a time, there was a brave young a-woman
called Roberta who met a wonderful young a-man called Orazio."

"That's mummy and daddy!" the little boy piped up with a grin.

His grandmother nodded once with a smile. "It is a story of a big
adventure."

--

"Nonna first said she died in a car crash," Nick said matter-of-factly as
he opened his eyes, continuing to hold his golden cross. He paused, looking
for his mother in one of the stars. Ryan, who hadn't expected Nick to talk
straight up about his mother, waited patiently for the `but.'

"Dad told me later when I could understand. She had to have an operation on
her brain. Dad said the doctors did their best, but she never woke up. He
said she was so brave, she fought right `til the end. When he took her in
for the operation, she could hardly walk, she was so weak. The cancer drugs
meant she didn't eat much, but Dad said she refused to sit in a hospital
chair all day. They had to operate to try something. He doesn't really talk
about it, y'know."

Ryan looked at Nick with an open mouth, shocked at the tragedy and how Nick
could just tell it like it was. Nick was still stoically looking up at the
sky, fidgeting with the cross between his fingers. He continued after a
slight pause.

"I never used to wear it, `cause it reminded me too much of Mum. I never
used to want to leave the house after she died. Then one day, like a year
after, Dad said I should come with him to the tennis courts. Y'know, just
to get me out, or something. I dunno why, but I just pulled it out of the
box and put it on, to help me, or whatever. I think Dad even cried a bit,
but he pretended like he didn't. Dad and me hit for ages that day. First
time I ever played, too. It was like Mum was with us, watching."

Ryan managed a small smile and spoke softly. "So she's always with you."

Nick nodded slightly. "Mum and Dad said lots when I was little that I could
do whatever I wanted, as long as I didn't hurt anybody else. Dad stopped
saying it after she died."

Ryan smiled fully. "I reckon he'd say it if you asked him to."

Nick continued, not breaking eye contact with the sky. "I look at her
photos a lot. Fran looks more and more like her every day. I wish I could
see her again."

Ryan looked back up at the sky and smiled. "I reckon you will, one day."

Nick looked over at Ryan, puzzled. "Whaddaya mean?"

"You'll get into heaven, for sure."

Nick furrowed his brow further. "How do you know?"

Ryan raised his eyebrows, and shrugged. "I dunno. Just a hunch."

`Because you're an angel,' was what Ryan wanted to say. His heart yearned
for him to be able to tell Nick that.

Nick looked back up at the sky. He didn't understand what Ryan meant, but
he appreciated the sentiment and resumed his cosmic search for his
mother. "Hope you're right."

The two boys continued looking up at the stars as the music continued. Nick
stopped playing with his cross, and smiled. His mum was up there somewhere,
he was sure of it; he'd find her someday. Maybe she was the one telling him
to relax. He willed himself to stop looking for her and just enjoy the
darkening twilight sky.

Meanwhile, all Ryan could think about was Nick. The kid had so much going
on in his life, and yet he was still this shy, genuine kid. He never
complained, he never got angry, and he was never rude to anyone. Ryan loved
spending time with him.

When the music stopped, Ryan picked up his phone and absent-mindedly
scrolled through his playlists. After a while, he came across one of his
favourite bands and smiled.

"You like Powderfinger?"

Nick shrugged. "I guess they're alright."

Ryan scrolled through their Spotify albums until he found his favourite
song when his whole demeanour changed. Just looking at the title was like a
switch had flicked inside him. It was like he was no longer in control over
what he did; like he had jumped into a river and was being swept
downstream. Ryan knew this was the moment. He knew, the way Nick had acted
with him, the way he spoke, the way he looked, it had to be. His brain told
him to take it slow, but his heart said it just had to be.

"Mum first played me this when I was a little kid," Ryan said softly as the
song began to play and he lay back down with his arms by his side, "to let
me know that life sometimes doesn't go the way you want."

`It's comin' round again ...'

Nick looked over at Ryan and opened into a smile. "I really like this song,
Ryan. It's relaxing."

`The slowly creepin' hand of time and its commands ...'

Ryan looked over at Nick with a serious expression as his heart started to
beat faster. He took a big gulp as was beginning to lose control over what
came out of his mouth. The song, the moment, and the boy opposite him all
acted together like a powerful truth serum.

"I really like you, Nicky."

`Soon enough it comes ...'

Nick's heart felt like it skipped about five beats as he looked deep into
Ryan's eyes and his smile receded into a serious expression. It seemed like
Ryan was staring right down into Nick's soul. He knew, from the look in
Ryan's eye, that Ryan meant more than just `I like you as a friend.' Nick
knew there was something, deep down in the pit of his stomach, right back
in the archives of his brain, that wanted desperately to reciprocate the
feeling. But he just couldn't bring himself to say it. It was
forbidden. His eyes opened wider as the reality of the situation and his
desires clashed in his brain like waves of medieval soldiers.

`Settles in its place, its shadow in my face, puts pressure in my day ...'

He felt Ryan's hand move over and brush up against the back of his. This
was all moving well past the accidental and explicable. The two boys were
looking at each other, both with serious faces as the song continued behind
them. And yet in that moment, despite the banging of gongs and alarm bells
and fear and doubt in Nick's mind, he felt safer than he ever had
before. In almost an involuntary reaction, unable to say his feelings, Nick
simply took Ryan's right hand in his left.

Ryan smiled as he accepted Nick's hand, placing his fingers through Nick's
so their young fingers were interlocking.

`This life, well, it's slippin' right through my hands ...'

Ryan pulled in and laid right next to Nick, giving him a soft kiss on the
cheek before placing his head back down. The boys' faces were separated by
centimetres as they could both feel the warmth of each other's breath. Nick
was paralysed as his heart was beating out of his chest.  The little kiss
that Ryan had given him made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It
made his diaphragm contract, and it made his toes curl up. He didn't know
what to do. He was completely transfixed by the boy opposite. Ryan just lay
there with a little smile.

`These days turned out nothing like I had planned ...'

"I've never felt like this before," Nick said softly and truthfully, as he
looked at Ryan.

"Me either," Ryan said breathily.

"We're not allowed to be like this."

Ryan gulped. "I know."

Nick paused. "But it feels right."

"I know."

"I never felt like I could tell anyone about Mum until just now."

Ryan allowed the corner of his mouth to turn into a smile as Nick paused.

"You never called me Nicky before," Nick noted.

Ryan shrugged lightly. "You never said I couldn't." The boys remained
face-to-face, gazing into one another's eyes.

`Control, well it's slipping right through my hands ...'

Nick turned his head, breaking his gaze from Ryan, and looked upwards with
tears forming in his eyes. "I ... I'm so confused."

Ryan gripped Nick's hand tighter. "Let me help, Nicky."

`These days turned out nothing like I had planned ...'

Ryan moved onto his right side, and softly placed the forefinger of his
left hand on the right side of Nick's jaw, gently pulling Nick's head back
over facing his. Ryan closed his eyes, and moved his head forward the small
distance it needed, putting his lips onto Nick's. Ryan's full, red lips sat
for a moment on Nick's, before Ryan's lips became were accepted by his
partner and the two mouths became intertwined. It was as if fireworks went
off when the two boys locked their mouths together for the first time. The
feeling of euphoria injected itself into the boys' brains as they softly,
yet passionately, felt the moment. Nick felt himself get swept away by the
soft pillow of Ryan's lips and closed his eyes.

Time seemed to slow as the two boys tenderly kissed each other, finally
giving into the desires that resided in the back of their brains. It was a
light kiss, with neither boy fully committing his body to the other, yet
the tender intimacy of the moment was encapsulated in their locked hands
and connected lips. Nick felt like Ryan was closer to him than any person
had ever been in his life. Ryan felt like he could die of pure happiness.

The two boys pushed their lips onto one another, imitating what they'd seen
many times in the movies. Ryan, completely swept in the moment and being
guided by impulse and instinct, began to push the envelope, and placed his
tongue at the entrance to Nick's mouth. Nick didn't really know what to
do. At that moment, Nick slowly broke the kiss as both boys opened their
eyes. Nick was still flat on his back, and Ryan was on his side, as they
looked at each other and smiled widely at what they'd just done.

"That ... was fucking amazing," Ryan said softly through his beaming smile.

Nick's smile quickly turned to seriousness as dread filled his
body. "Please, Ry, you can't tell anyone about this."

Ryan just shrugged. "I kissed you, remember? Why would I tell anyone that?"
he said, before pausing.

"Hey, you never called me Ry before."

Nick shrugged. "You never said I couldn't."

Ryan let out a boyish chuckle. "Copycat."

Ryan was about to move in for another kiss, when Nick moved his head up and
looked at the sky. Tears started to form in his eyes again.

"I ... I don't know what I want, Ry. I ... I just ... I don't know. I'm
... scared."

Ryan just looked upwards, and snuggled his head close into Nick's
neck. "Maybe we can just lie here."

Nick took his hand from Ryan's, and placed it behind his head. Ryan curled
up, fitting his upper body within the contours of Nick's torso. The warmth
of Ryan that Nick felt snuggling beside him wasn't just in temperature, but
it was a true inner warmth Nick had never felt before. It didn't make the
wetness go from his eyes, but it made him smile. The two boys had found
each other. In a desert full of hate, and doubt, and fear, Nick and Ryan
together both felt like an oasis in the middle of it all. It was cathartic.

"Yeah," Nick agreed, "I like this."

Nick, allowing his body to just do what felt natural, placed his left arm
protectively around the boy snuggling into him.

`Soon enough it comes to tie us down ...'

"Mum would have really liked you," Nick continued softly. "You're so nice
to me all the time."

Ryan smiled. "How could anyone ever be mean to you, Nicky?"

Nick didn't say anything. He just revelled in the contact he was sharing
with Ryan as the final chorus played. Someone understood him. Someone
actually *got* him. He felt so lucky that person was lying next to him.

The boys were jolted back to reality not long after the song had finished
when Ryan's mother's voice was heard from the house.

"Time for dinner, boys, wherever you are!"

Ryan and Nick quickly sat up and looked at each other as Ryan smiled. He
couldn't help but lean in and peck Nick quickly on the lips. Ryan continued
to smile as Nick looked at his friend with a shocked expression.

"Just let me know," Ryan said cryptically with a warm smile, before jumping
up and raising his voice above the breathy whisper in which the two boys
had been conversing.

"Last one upstairs is a motherfucker!"

Nick watched Ryan's long, thin legs carry his body into the house as he
picked up both boys' towels from the ground and stood up, still processing
what had just happened when a strange thought suddenly struck him.

`Am I in love? Is that what this is?' Nick thought confusedly. `Is that
allowed?'