All characters in this story are completely fictitious. Any similarities to anyone is coincidental. This story is about a romance between men, so if that is not your thing then you should cease now. Also unlike other stories this is more of a slower moving story that is not just sex, but a slower story about the people in it and coming into their own, so if you are looking for something to get off too quickly this will not be it. If you have any comments feel free to e-mail me at frank778@hotmail.co.uk Thanks
Next chapter2 ... Christmas cheer
I had recently sorted out my clothes and had packed the clothes in two bags to take to Oxfam. I retrieved the bags from the hall cupboard and took it to my bedroom to sort out before taking it through to the lounge. There were only a few items which I believed were suitable and I lay them out on the bed. I left the rest of the clothes in the two bags. I decided to search for a few more suitable items in my wardrobe and laid these out on the bed too. I had recently bought three boxers which I had not yet worn and laid these out too. I did not feel that he should wear someone else's used boxers. It had taken around 15 minutes to sort out and I went back to the living room.
Juan's brow was furrowed as he was reading what was on the screen. I decided not to disturb him and walked through to the kitchen. I called out to him from there, Juan, I am hungry and am making myself a meal. I Would like you to have supper with me.' He looked up tentatively, I do not want to be a problem. You have been so good to me already. I need to get back'
`It is no problem at all and I insist you stay.'
`Thanks, I would love to stay.'
I had planned to cook the fresh trout that I had bought that day at the supermarket. Usually I buy two pieces and would have had the second piece the next day. Being on my own since JK had meant that I had started cooking again. JK was a great cook and took on the role during our time together. He always did exotic dishes and they were great. My cooking skills did not extent to any exotic choices. Juan came over and asked whether he could help.
The plates are in that cupboard and the cutlery is over there. Can you please sort the salad? The salad items are in the fridge and if you can make a start on this, that would be great.' Very soon we finished the preparation and I asked him whether he would like wine at the table. Wine and spirits are the reason I went off the rails when my parents died. I was drinking over 20 units a day and this has continued until six month ago when I decided to quit. I would say it was rather due to the fact that I had to decide between eating food and drinking as the money I was making on the street did not allow me to do both. I do not think I should start again' I left the wine in the fridge and topped up our glasses with orange juice.
Juan was very talkative at the table and compared to the drive over, he was a different person. He spoke about Sean, the Australian he had met in Singapore and their plans that they had had in the future. Sean was an accountant and in the two weeks that they had known each other, they had decided to set up a legal practice where Sean would be in charge of the office administration. They were keen to set up in the southern part of England rather than in London itself where Juan had done his articles. That is the reason that Juan was so upset when Sean had not replied to his emails. This year that had passed he had thought that he may have had the wrong email address or something had happened to Sean that he could not reply.
Tonight he had received the answer from Sean. The email from Sean had been written nine months ago and as Juan did not have any access, he had not read it until tonight. Briefly Juan told me that Sean had apologised for taking three months to reply to the number of emails Juan had sent, however Sean had decided to return to Australia instead of coming out to the UK. His parents had decided to set him up in an accounting practice and this was an opportunity that he could not refuse. Sean said that he had hoped that Juan will still start his legal practice soon.
Juan told me, I am glad that this chapter with Sean has finally been put to bed. All this past year I was holding onto some thin thread that Sean had been killed / lost his memory and now I know that he may not have been as serious as me about the relationship. I am totally cool about it.' I decided to steer the conversation into why they wanted to set up in the South of England. Juan said, We did not want to be in the London rat race and felt that down south one was close to the sea, the weather was better and at the same time close to the airports. He mentioned Hove as the place they wanted to set up. I could not believe this and said to Juan that my company was relocating to Hove early next year and that I had already found a house down there. I had decided to rent out my apartment in London as I was keen on keeping a base in the city. I mentioned too that I had spent a summer there a few years back when I had taken a sabbatical. I told him that I had met JK there and from there our relationship had developed. Speaking to Juan about JK and the relationship that we had, he was surprised that we had been together for twelve years and neither of us had strayed during this time.
`When you are in love and totally committed, all you want to do is to be there for each other. I know that JK was not one to be monogamous for a year and by him going on his expedition, I knew that there was every chance that he would meet up with someone. That is a chance I took when I agreed that he goes and I do not believe that anyone should hold another back if they have a passion. We need to pursue our dreams'
Juan looked down and became very quiet. I realised that I may have overstepped the mark as his dreams had been shattered and he had fallen down and had not been able to get up. I said to Juan, `I have left a few items of clothes on my bed, please feel free to see what is suitable and try them on. We are roughly the same height and size and the clothes should fit. I'll sort the dishes out whilst you are busy.'
Juan got up and went to my bedroom. I cleared the table and placed the dishes in the dishwasher after rinsing them. I heard a ahm' behind me and Juan was standing behind me in a pair of jeans, a striped shirt and a sweater and even had a pair of trainers on. I must have had a look of surprise as he said, It was like going to see Father Christmas at the shops for the first time. There is so much and I cannot believe that you do not wear these and the other clothes anymore. Are you sure you are throwing these out and you did not make a mistake?'
Suddenly he realised that it was 8.30pm and that he would be locked out of St Luke's shelter if he was not there by 9pm. I saw his stricken look and asked what was wrong. He said that he had to leave right away to get back by 9pm. I said that he could continue to sort out the clothes and that he could stay in the spare bedroom tonight. He said, `No, I do not want to impose, can you please take me now.'
`Are you sure you want to go?'
`Yes, can we please go now. ' He kept on the clothes and placed his discarded clothes back in the bag. I was very disappointed that he was not staying, however I did not want to pressurise him. We arrived back at the shelter with ten minutes to spare and he opened the door to get out.
I looked at him and said, `Juan, when are you able to come over to my place to sort out the other clothes? Please feel free to phone me anytime' and handed him another card which had my contact details. He mentioned that it would be in a few days as he had wanted to sort out an issue that had cropped up. I said goodbye and drove off.
The Christmas season is manic at work as everyone is desperate to finish tasks and jobs before the Christmas break. I went over to the shelter the Saturday before Christmas and asked whether Juan was there. They said that they had not seen him for a while and mentioned that he usually hung out in Russell Square. I was in a rush and did not go look for him there.
I spent Christmas Eve with friends. We were fifteen people and it started off with a supper at Nigel's house and ended up at my apartment at 12am. Eight people crashed out at my place and it was a struggle getting up the next day. I left with four people still crashed out in my living room. On my way to my sister in Kent, I thought about Juan and wondered what he was doing. I made a mental note to call on at the shelter o
Christmas with the family was the same as previous years. My sister's kids received the newest toys / games and my mother badgered me about when I was going to meet someone. Since meeting Juan I was much happier and my sister noticed the change and commented when we were alone that I was my old self once again. I told her about the gym incident and Juan's subsequent visit to my apartment. She expressed her concern on allowing a street person into my apartment. I put her mind at rest when I mentioned that he had fallen on hard times and was not a long term street person. I felt foolish saying this even though Lisa had accepted my reasoning, because how did I know the difference between long term street people and Juan.
I only had one glass of champagne over the course of the day and at 5pm I made my way back to London. I decided to stop off at the shelter and they assumed I had come to help out with the washing up after the Christmas meal. I did not have the heart to tell them otherwise and spent the next hour washing the dishes and cutlery. After finishing up, I asked the person at reception if Juan had been using the shelter at night. She said that he had not and I gave her my number to call me should he come in.
On my way home I decided to make a detour through Russell Square. The square is a well known place to hook up with other gays and I had many years ago tried unsuccessfully. I parked the car and went into the small park. It was past 7.30pm and there were very few people around. I noticed a guy sitting with a supermarket trolley parked at his side and went up to him. I asked him whether he knew a guy called Juan. He did not answer but pointed to a dark corner behind the toilet block. I approached the spot with caution and I saw that there was a bodily shape curled up. I called out, `Excuse me' a few times without any response and I walked up to the person and touched their arm saying excuse me again. The person looked up and I was relieved it was not Juan.
I asked him if he knew Juan and he said that Juan had gone back to Watford to finalise his parent's affairs. The guy mentioned that Juan wanted to leave the streets forever. I thanked him and went back to my car. Driving home I was concerned that Juan was on the streets in Watford and before I knew it, I was on my way to Watford. I did not have a clue how I was going to find him in Watford. I arrived in Watford at 9pm and went over to the police station. They told me that the shelter was very active in the community. As it was quiet they would escort me to the shelter. I felt like royalty with the police escort and we arrived at the shelter a few minutes later. It was locked however all the lights were on. The policeman and I went up to this huge door and knocked. There was no answer after several knocks and the policeman went back to his patrol car. I assumed he was leaving however his siren went off. Soon everyone was at the window and a minute later the front door opened. An irate shelter employee asked what was going on.
I was about to ask about Juan when up popped Juan's face behind the employee asking, `What are you doing here?'
I said, `I was worried about you. You said that you would be back to fetch the other clothes and it has been two weeks.'
`I had family business to attend to and that is why I am here. Unfortunately everything has closed down until after the new year and I decided to stay at the shelter.'
I asked, `Do you want to come back with me? I would very much like you to come. I know that we do not know each other that well and I can bring you back in the new year to sort out the family issues'
Juan looked uncertain about what to do. All this time the shelter employee and the policeman were looking on bemused and the employee urged Juan to go. The policeman said at the same time, `Go with him, anything is better than the shelter'
Juan said that he would fetch his things and both policeman and shelter employee shook my hand and said `Merry Christmas' Juan arrived back with a Asda shopping bag with very few clothing items in it. He was still wearing my clothes that I had given him.
On the way back Juan could not stop speaking and wanted to know in detail how I went about finding him. We arrived back at my apartment at 10.30pm and I was tired after not having much sleep the previous night.
I showed Juan to the spare bedroom and handed him a tshirt and long jogging pants. The second bathroom was off the spare bedroom and I checked to see whether there were soaps and shampoos and a clean towel. I took out all the clothes that I had earmarked for Juan and placed it on the dressing table. I returned to my bedroom, stripped off and had a quick shower. After showering I walked over to the spare bedroom and said goodnight at the door. I heard a goodnight back and went to bed.
The next morning I was woken up by Juan parading in his new clothes to the tune of YMCA. I smiled at his enthusiasm and said to him, You look great. These clothes have been bagged for hand over to Oxfam. Have you tried on the other clothes?' Juan was off in a flash and I sat up in bed. The next 30 minutes I was the audience for Juan's modelling and each time he was beaming more. I told him about the two bags of clothes in the spare bedroom cupboard and he then delved into this. There were three suits, several formal shirts and ties and the next few modelling sessions' he became the businessman. I had discarded a few gym shorts and t-shirts and the final time he came in he was wearing a tight t-shirt and a gym shots.
I said, `How did you keep your body in such good shape?
Juan replied, `I was given the Canadian Air Force exercise book at uni and have been exercising ever since. Even on the streets this past year I have kept in up. At times I had several people doing the exercises in the park.'
`I have to work on my fitness with weights and strict eating habits and here you are with a superb body'
Juan blushed, `You look amazing too. I would love to look like you'
I asked him if he would like an English breakfast or cereal. He said `English sounds great thanks'
The breakfast was soon ready and we sat down at the breakfast counter to eat. Juan mentioned between mouthfuls that he had not had a breakfast for ages. Seeing Juan polishing off his food and the left-overs in the pan made me aware that we take so much for granted. I recall someone saying that we as humans are only three steps away from a precipice. One wrong step brings a realisation that we have made this step and usually through support by family and/or friends and we return to equilibrium again. Juan was unable to rely on anyone when his parents died and with Sean not being around, he was unable to make his way back.
After breakfast he went back to the bedroom to change and as I was going to do washing in the washing machine, I walked over to the bedroom and I found him naked admiring himself in the mirror. I said, `Not bad for a lawyer – is this what they call disrobing'
Juan was comfortable about his nakedness and laughed at my comment. He had a beautiful body, long legs which ended into a dark pubic area. His balls were large and his cock was uncircumcised and pink. He had a trail of hair to his navel and was hairless above that. His upper torso was still very lightly bruised from the attack. His nipples were larger than normal and stood out. Besides the bruising he was English white and his face did not show any signs of the attack. Juan said, `Not bad for a voyeur. Do you always look naked men up and down?'
`I have not had a naked man in my apartment for over six months and I will never get used to it! '
He laughed and said that he regularly went to nudist beaches in his `former life' and this experience had made him comfortable being naked.
`Can I use the shower again this morning ? My longest shower before last night was all of one minute at the shelter. Each of us receives a shower token every day and this we insert into a box at the shower cubicle and hot water is released for all of one minute. I barely have time to wash my hair'
`Sure, you can shower in the second bathroom and I will shower here in my bathroom. I will fetch another towel for you.' Juan came through with me to the bathroom and did not have to get undressed as he was still naked.
I went off to shower in my bathroom and realised that I was sporting a hard-on. This had not happened in a long time; in fact I had had several wet dreams the past few months as I had become totally disinterested sexually. I turned on the taps and climbed into the cubicle. I could not stop thinking about Juan and his great body. He had an innocence about him which I found very appealing and he had awakened me sexually. A few days earlier he had shaken me out of my depressive state and now this sexual awakening was a further aspect. I knew that I did not want to make any advances as he was still very vulnerable and I did not want him to feel that I had only asked him to stay for sex.
I finished showering and climbed out the shower with a raging hard-on. I was in two minds in whether to get back into the shower and do a quick hand job or dry myself and go back to the lounge. The drying off won and I put on a t-shirt and a lounge pants. I took another pair out my cupboard and a white t-shirt and left it on the bed in the spare room. Juan came out after a further ten minutes and flopped on the sofa next to me.
`That was the best shower I have had forever. I cleaned every inch of my body and for the first time in a year I am clean. I do not want to lose this feeling I have now.'
We spent the rest of the day at a classic car auction as I was keen to buy a classic convertible for my new place down in Hove. I had bid on two classics and both times I was outbid. This had not bothered me as I knew that there was plenty of time until the summer. Juan is as keen as I am on cars and especially German cars. He saw a vintage Porsche 356 which he said has been his dream car since he was ten years old. His dad's friend had one and he went for a drive and since then, he loved the 356.
We came back that night and after a light supper we sat down in the lounge and I asked whether he wanted to watch a dvd. He said that he had not watched a movie for a long time and had seen many movies advertised the past year that he was keen to see. He asked whether I had any recently released dvds'. I mentioned that my most recent purchase was Crash' and this had won the best picture Oscar. He said Great, I would love to watch it' and I inserted the dvd into the dvd player.
Juan jumped up and asked whether he could have a glass of OJ's. I said yes and please could he pour one for me too. He came back and we both sat on the sofa. Before long I had fetched a blanket from the cupboard and we sat side by side under the blanket. Watching movies late at night makes me drowsy and before long my eyes were having trouble remaining open. I woke up when the credits were playing to find that Juan was asleep with his head on my shoulder. He was breathing deeply and when I moved, his head fell forward and he woke up groggily. I turned back at him and said, `I am off to bed, your bed is waiting for you too.'
Can I sleep here? I am so comfortable lying here. I am so tired that I cannot move.' I said, I'll see you in the morning' and went to my bedroom. I cleaned my teeth, took off my clothes and climbed into bed. I was very tired and happy. I closed my eyes and was asleep in a minute. I am a very light sleeper and usually wake up at the slightest noise. At some point in the night, I woke up and was startled by a figure at the side of the bed. I was about to cry out when a voice said, `Nick, don't be scared. It is me, Juan.'
`What is it? Is something wrong?' I enquired.
`I realised that I was comfortable because you were sleeping next to me on the sofa. Can I sleep with you?'
I was too tired to stop him and he climbed into my bed. Within a very short time he was asleep and I fell asleep soon thereafter. My last thought was of his naked body...