IN FULL FLIGHT by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005 written on September 17th 1993 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Brian
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"IN FULL FLIGHT" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
CHAPTER 6 - Threats
"Fucking hell! You don't know how lucky you are to have your Giovanni. Besides being rich, handsome and intelligent, he's kind-hearted, strong, sweet, in love... Is there anything he hasn't got? Nothing! I know that you're crazy about, him besotted as you are. But the more I get to know him, the more I see he really is like that, not just a fairytale! Unlike my Novio."
"But your Novio has gifts and talents too!"
"Yes, he has the talent of being a good fucker, and the gift of a cock that makes me die, both for its shape and the way he uses it!"
"C'mon, he's got more than that, hasn't he?"
"Yes, fortunately. Attached to his cock is a beautiful guy; otherwise, what I could make do with just a dildo?"
"Stop being silly. From what I know of him, Novio is a very good man, I like him."
"Yes. He's the right man for me, even if he is thirty-two."
"He seems younger..."
"No, his thirty-third birthday is just a week away, on April 26th. Oh, shit! I haven't got his present yet! Well, I'll leave you to your 'beloved studies', Daniel."
"Hey, look, I am not Giacomo Leopardi!"
"Fortunately! He seems to have had a difficult character, that hunchback, even if he was a great poet!"
When Pietro had left, Daniel looked at his watch. It was five o'clock already! Strange. Giovanni should have arrived by now. 'Something must have held him up' Daniel thought. 'Not having the telephone here, he couldn't even let me know'. He began studying. He was so engrossed in his books that he was not aware of the time flying, and when he finally heard the key turning in the door, he saw it was already eight in the evening.
"Giovanni! At last!"
"Ciao, Love." the young man said with a sad smile.
"What's up? Something happened?"
"No, no. I am just terribly tired and I've got a dreadful headache. I stopped by the house, as I told you, and Dad was there, and he started talking about money and bank accounts, and plans, and about when I'll be starting work in our industries... I was in a hurry to come here, and I couldn't even warn you, but Dad and I see each other so rarely... My head was bursting and by the end I was just saying 'Yes, Dad... yes, Dad... yes, Dad...' without even understanding what he was saying,"
"Oh, my poor Love" Daniel said, hugging and kissing him. "Go and lie down for a bit, while I fix supper. Very hungry or not?"
"Just normal." Giovanni answered, kicking off his shoes and lying on their bed.
As he bustled at the cooker, Daniel turned from time to time to look at him and, meeting his gaze, threw him a smile.
"I was longing to come back to you..." Giovanni said from the bed.
Daniel asked, "You'll stop here tonight, won't you?"
"Sure."
"But doesn't your family think it odd that you so seldom sleep at home?"
"They're not even aware of it. Besides, they're used to us boys leading our own lives, doing our own thing. And even if they are aware, they never ask questions."
"Some too much, some too little..." Daniel pronounced while chopping the salad.
"What?"
"Questions. Parents. Either they want to know where you go, who you see, what you do, at what time you'll be back... or it seems that they're not even aware if you are in or out."
"Right. But I think I prefer parents who don't interfere."
"Like yours, you mean? I think I'd probably prefer that too."
"Any news from your parents?" Giovanni asked casually from the bed.
Daniel looked at him in surprise, "What? No, why?"
"Nothing. Just wondered..."
"No news is good news, my dear!"
"Yes, absolutely..."
"But with all my chattering, I'm not helping your headache. Do you want an aspirin?"
"No, no. It's OK. I like listening to you."
"Just listening?" Daniel asked mischievously.
Giovanni had a sly smile, "No... even when you are silent. And especially when you're making love with me."
"So then, do you prefer it when I talk or when I'm quiet?"
"Daniel, are you cooking something?"
"No, I've just put on the water for the pasta."
"Then can you turn off the gas?"
"Why, don't you fancy pasta?"
"Yes, I just thought... we could eat later... right now I want to make love."
"The customer is always right!" Daniel proclaimed and, turning off the gas, went over to his lover on the bed.
"Am I a customer then?"
"No, silly. You are my Love."
"Say it again."
"You are my only, true, great Love."
"What do you love about me?"
"Your voice that seduces me, your glance that bewitches me, your smile that charms me, your hands that make me quiver, your body that I'm undressing and that excites me, and this beautiful tool that I'm longing to taste and then... everything, all of you. Really everything."
"And what do you expect of me?"
"Just that you love me. All the rest is a bonus. But be careful, I'm very demanding."
"Oh, really?"
"Yes. I want you to love me with all your soul, intellect, feelings, and with your whole body!"
"It couldn't be any other way, my Love."
"Really?"
"No. Otherwise I wouldn't really love you."
"That's all right then. I know that you really love me."
"Can you feel it?"
"How could I not feel it? You fill me with love. And not only now while you are expressing it with your body... But now, enough of words, Love. You said that you like it when I'm quiet and make love with you, didn't you?" and their voices fell silent, for a long, long while...
Because for a long while their bodies talked, every part of their bodies. How different Daniel found making love with Giovanni, compared with the fucks he'd had before meeting him. It had been Giovanni who had really taught him how to make love. In the act itself, Daniel was clearly more technically skilled than his man; but Giovanni transformed his loving skills into something much more beautiful, valuable, and even more exciting, because he had moulded him again with love. What before had been be at best "Ars amatoria", the art of sex, was now "Pulchritudo", sheer beauty, in its purest and most luminous meaning. Daniel felt transformed by Giovanni's love and was deeply grateful to him. Giovanni accepted all the "variations" that the younger man had taught him, but had transformed them radically, turning each and every one of them into a wonderful act of love. No longer was orgasm their aim, the ultimate goal of their couplings; rather, it was like the signature of an artist on his masterpiece. After the signature, there was a time for contemplating what they had created together, and to enjoy that for its own sake.
Daniel was aware of this as well. So that time too, after they united, for a long time they stayed contemplating each other, feeling, enjoying each other and their union, that had happened, but was neither over, nor finished. What they had shared was just one step along the road of love.
Daniel smiled at him and gently asked, "Do you feel better now?"
"Incredibly so."
"Then I'll finish getting our supper. Stay in bed. But naked, please." he said, slipping out and going back to the cooker.
Giovanni said, "I like looking at you going around in our room, naked..."
"And I like being looked at by you, my beautiful hunk. And looking at you too. So much! So very much!"
A few days later, Giovanni arrived at Daniel's a little later than usual.
"Dani, I'm on foot - no Ferrari."
"Have you had an accident?"
"No. I just had to leave it at the garage, it suddenly stopped on me."
"Oh... and are they going to keep it for long?"
"I don't know. It depends when the spare part arrives from Maranello. You know, it is rather an old model, and they're going to have to make the part by hand..."
"Well, if your father were just to give Mr. Ferrari a call..."
"No, I don't want that. I prefer to do like everyone else. I just hope it doesn't take too long."
"Don't you have another car, at home?"
"No, not at the moment, they're all in use."
"So, you're having to go to the University by train?"
"Yes, like today, I came back by train. But what upsets me more is that Sunday I won't be able to take you to see the ruins at Tarquinia as I promised you."
"Well, those old dead Etruscans aren't going anywhere, are they?" the boy answered cheerfully.
By the beginning of June the car had still not been repaired.
"It seems there are some other problems... I've probably treated her badly, poor car..."
"But you always drive so carefully!"
"But she is quite old; so I told them either they get it going before the fifteenth, or I'd rather sell it and buy a new model. The latest one is a real dream."
"That's a shame. I've grown fond of your light blue Ferrari. They are always red! It was original, and besides, it was a really nice blue."
"Then, if you like, I'll order the new one in the same blue."
"Promise?"
"Let's hope they still do that colour!"
"But if you ask them... they'll do it for you, won't they?"
"Who knows?"
"Is it hard being without your car?"
"No, I'm getting used to it. After all, even though it does take longer by train, I can study a bit, so it's not really time wasted."
"When is your next exam?"
"In this session, one at the end of this month and another on the 12th of July."
"I'll be doing my finals in July."
"Do you feel prepared?"
"Yes... my marks are good. You've seen them. It'll go smooth as silk."
"Aren't you even a bit worried?"
"Not for the moment. I'm just dying to get it over with, so I can look for a job."
"I was really scared, at my high school final exam."
"You? Come on! You're so self-assured..."
"Even so... Anyway, everything went well. I came out with a mark of 59 out of 60."
"What a shame! Couldn't they have given you 60?"
"No, that was the mark I deserved."
"Anyway, it'll make it hard for me to beat you."
"Is that important to you?"
"No, not at all."
"You don't have a competitive, combative spirit, Daniel."
"Is that such a bad thing?"
"No, not for me. On the contrary. But to my father it would be sacrilege. Fortunately you're not his son!"
"Anyway, you don't have a competitive spirit either. How do you manage with your father?"
"Badly, actually. But in any case, the heir will be my elder brother, and he has it - perhaps too much. My younger brother too. I really am the black sheep of the Benedetti family."
" Some black sheep! You are the middle son, and everyone knows that the best comes in the middle."
"You always seem able to find the good side to everything."
"There's nothing but good sides to you."
"Careful! Don't idealise me. Don't put me on a pedestal, or I might get a fit of dizziness and risk falling off. Try to see my flaws as well, if you really love me."
"After my final exams. Right now I am too absorbed in my studies." Daniel answered perkily.
Daniel's final exams started. Giovanni told him he'd ordered the new Ferrari, but that it couldn't be delivered before September.
Daniel commented, "It's not a problem. Whatever...
"But it means we'll have to go on holiday by train..."
"Before meeting you, I always went by train. Don't worry about it now, get studying, you've got an exam tomorrow too."
"Yes, sir!"
Giovanni passed that exam, once again with 29 out of 30.
"You're spot on your average, congratulations!"
"Yes, still one mark less than full marks, just like in my high school finals. Seems to be my fate. But how are your exams going?"
"Pretty well, I think. And Pietro, who was terrified, is doing OK too."
The final exams came to an end; Daniel passed with 57 out of 60, and Pietro with 56. They decided to have a joint celebration together with Novio and Giovanni. Novio took them to Orvieto in his Fiat Uno. During the meal, Giovanni gave Daniel his graduation present: a beautiful Nikon, complete with wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Daniel was excited and wanted to try it at once. In the evening they went back home. After bidding their friends goodnight, they went up to their room.
"Put all the lights on."
"Why, Dani?"
"I want to take some more shots. Of you, naked."
"Come on! And anyway, even with all the lights on, they won't come out, you'd need a much more sensitive film."
"Are you ashamed of being photographed naked?"
"Not by you. Perhaps a little of the people printing them..."
"We'll take them somewhere else to be printed, a long way away... come on..."
"But what if they got around... if some scandalmongering magazine like Grand Hotel got hold of them? The son of the famous industrialist Benedetti naked on the front cover?"
"Ah, but they won't recognise you. The laboratories develop films now completely automatically, and they're printed automatically as well, without anybody handling them. Come on, please..."
In the end Giovanni gave in, unable to say no to his lover.
The following day, Giovanni told him he was going to pay a visit to his family home. He came back a few hours later.
"Dani, a real rip-off! You know the hotel I booked into in the Camargue? Well, they've cancelled on us right at the last moment; it seems they've had a fire. Now where can we go? I'm afraid it'll be impossible to book anywhere else this late."
"Well... I've never seen the Marmore Falls. Why don't you take me there?"
"The Marmore Falls? So near? I was thinking of somewhere a little more..."
"Giovanni, the only thing I care about is being with you. I'd even spend my holidays here in this room, as long as it's with you. And they do say they are beautiful. Pietro went there one Easter."
"If you like... I'll go and call from the public phone downstairs and see if I can book a room..."
"No, come on. Let's take a chance, for once. Like two ordinary tourists, by train and without booking. Wouldn't it be more exciting?"
"As you like Dani. So we'll still leave tomorrow as planned, but instead of going to Rome to take the plane for Marseilles, we'll take the train for Terni..."
"Perfect. Let's pack our suitcases now. Then we can eat, and then hit the sack."
"Not to go to sleep at once, I hope..."
"Certainly not, don't even think of it! We'll sleep later, if there's any time left!"
They were lucky. They found a room in an hotel within sight of the falls.
Daniel was fascinated by the view of the waters cascading with a continuous roar in three majestic falls, in a lush, green and very grandiose landscape.
"It's deafening!" Giovanni shouted over the noise of the water.
Daniel answered, "Yes, it's GREAT! This is exactly the noise my heart made, that time at the Equivoco when I picked up your jacket."
Giovanni squeezed his hand in a gesture of great tenderness. "Dani, do you think we'll be able to sleep tonight, with all this noise?"
"If we don't manage to... we'll make love instead, OK?" the boy shouted in joyful reply.
They continued their walk amongst the trees, along a small path protected on the valley side by a wooden railing. They spotted a passage and went down between the bushes, still in sight of the falls. Reaching a kind of small natural terrace, Giovanni looked around and, checking that they were out of sight from the path, took Daniel in his arms and kissed him.
"What if somebody comes past?" the boy asked, between one kiss and another.
Giovanni answered cheerfully "Then they'll think we're a couple of fags."
"Right. And instead we are simply two people in love." the boy answered, happily curling into his lover's arms and feeling Giovanni's budding erection against his body. "I'd love to do it right here... now..." Daniel whispered, putting his hand down between their bodies and caressing his friend's throbbing turgidity through his trousers.
The young man smiled at him and dropped his hand in turn to touch him in an intimate way, "Yes, I'd like that too, but... that would be considered indecent exposure."
"There is nothing indecent in what we do between ourselves!" Daniel protested, but they contented themselves with testing and feeling each other's desire for some minutes.
"Giovanni?"
"Yes, Dani?"
"Take me immediately to somewhere private, then, or I'm afraid I shall undress and expose you indecently!"
"Yes, I feel I can't resist any longer either... Let's go back to the hotel."
"What did the proprietress say when you asked for a double bed and she saw our identity papers?" Daniel asked while they were going to their room.
"Nothing. She looked me in the eye for a fraction of a second, then just said 'Alright'. That's all."
"She realised, then?"
"I think she guessed. Do you care?"
"No, not at all. I'm almost pleased for people to know that I'm with a fascinating person like you. It makes me proud."
"How proud?"
"If you come here, I'll show you immediately." the boy answered, motioning him towards the wide, welcoming bed.
Over the following days they made a few sorties, going to see Terni, and
about two and a half kilometres further on, the Basilica of St Valentine, the protector of lovers. They sat on a pew in the wide Baroque church with a nave and four side aisles, holding each other's hand. They had no need of words. That spontaneous gesture, in that holy place, had for both of them the value of a rite that sanctioned their union and made it sacred. Then in the sacristy they bought a picture of the saint, on the back of which they wrote simply "Giovanni and Daniel, 5th August 1993".
Their holiday over, they went back home.
In the evening once they were in bed, Giovanni said to his boy, "Dani... I have something to tell you."
"Yes, Love?"
"Well, I've... just lately... I've told you some lies."
"You, lie to me? About what?" the boy asked, more amazed than alarmed.
"Well, you see, I wanted you to get this far without any worries, but... but now I have to tell you the truth."
"Yes?"
And Giovanni told him.
On April 19th, when he had been so late getting back, he'd been to see his father, as he'd told him. He'd been summoned into his studio. But not to talk about family business as he'd told Daniel. Rather, it was to show him photocopies of the notes and letters to Daniel and of his pictures with him. Daniel's father had been able to find out who the mysterious "G." was by showing a picture of him to friends and acquaintances. Then he had been to see Giovanni's father and told him that he must prevent his son from continuing to lead Daniel astray, or else he would raise a huge scandal, selling the pictures and letters to magazines and newspapers.
Giovanni's father promised Daniel's father he would intervene and bought all the compromising material from him.
So, calmly and coldly, without losing his temper, Giovanni's father ordered his son to immediately break off his relationship with the boy. Giovanni replied that he had no intention whatsoever of doing that.
"You are an adult. I cannot use the law to force you. But I can't accept that a Benedetti is going around doing such things. It's too great a risk for our family image." his father said dryly.
Giovanni promptly retorted, "Dad, I understand that you cannot accept having a gay son. But this is the way I am, and I'm in love with Daniel, and I have absolutely no intention of parting from him!"
"I don't give a damn if you're gay. But if you risk involving us in a scandal - that I care about. Fuck whomever you want, but more... carefully - without leaving proof lying around, and without taking your conquests to public places. Be careful, for God's sake! And whatever, leave that kid alone!"
"He is not a kid, he is of age. And we love each other."
"Love, love! Don't be so naive! You want to fuck and he wants your money, that's all. I bet you've showered him with presents, that's why he says he loves you, to milk you some more! For your good too, I order you to leave him immediately!"
"No, Dad."
"Stubborn, aren't you? Fine. If you don't leave him at once, you will have no more money from me, not so much as a lira. I'll block your bank account and you will never again set foot in here or any of our other houses. I'll turn you out of house and home. What do you say to that then? Make up your mind, now."
"You've already made my mind up for me. I'm staying with Daniel."
"Fine. He'll leave you when he discovers that you haven't got a lira any more. And then you'll come running back here asking to be forgiven."
"Always sure of your game, eh, dad? But this isn't a business compromise. Your predictions are way off the mark, you'll see."
"You are a complete dumb-ass. You'll even give up your university graduation, your career? Who's going to pay for your studies, your fine clothes, the luxury... That kid?"
"Daniel is worth a lot more than all your capital, Dad. More than you, Dad. I'll not leave him."
"As you wish. Just remember, I mean what I say. I'll call the bank right now to block your account. If you want to take anything out of your room, you can go and get it now. Gualtiero will see you to the door, and you will never again set foot in here or our other properties."
"You can get him to see me to the door right away, if you want. I need nothing from my room."
So Giovanni's father called the butler and had him see his son to the door.
"Oh my God! It went that far! But why you didn't tell me everything then, straightaway?" Daniel asked, caressing him.
"Because your exams were coming up and I didn't want you to be worried."
"But... how have you managed for money all this time?"
"That was my second lie. I sold my Ferrari. Unlike the bank account, which was in Dad's name and on which I just had the signature, that was in my name. So I sold it."
"But... you went and spent money buying me the camera, and then on the holiday..."
"Of course. That's where I had to tell you my third lie, about the hotel in France... the money wouldn't have lasted if we'd gone there, and I managed to get a refund of part of the deposit and the air fare."
"But we could just have given up our holiday..."
"No. We both needed it. Will you forgive me for my lies?"
Daniel, as an answer, kissed him.
"Now I have neither house nor home..."
"Shush! Now I've graduated, I can look for a job. And you have university to finish."
"There's very little money left. Look, this is all I have. We'll be able to pay the bills for the whole of September, but after that..."
"We'll manage, you'll see."
"When I told Dad I would go out to work, he said to get that idea out of my mind. He said he would see to it that nobody here in Perugia or in the region will hire me, give me a job. And I'm afraid he's capable of doing that. And he said that he'll prevent you from finding a job either..."
"Nice parents, our fathers, aren't they? So then, we'll move to Florence. He can't buy the whole city there, can he? And you will be nearer your university. What are we doing here at the moment, anyway?"
"I think there are going to be times when it's tough..."
"We'll overcome them, as long as we help each other. With you beside me, I have no fears. But you really are completely mad! If only you'd told me at once, we would have been able to save some money... And you must have been feeling bad all this time, my poor love. And me not realising a thing!"
"No, I didn't feel too bad. Even when I did, being near you was enough to make me forget everything. I have a couple of good friends in Florence, I'll try and contact them to see if they can give us a hand, at least starting out. And we'll move as soon as possible."
Daniel told Pietro about the latest developments. Right away, his friend offered him 700,000 lira.
"It's all my savings, but I'll give it to you willingly. It's not all that much, but..."
"No, thank you, Pietro. We have to manage by our own strength."
"You mustn't give these two old men the satisfaction! If you are in need, will you tell me? And Novio may be able to give you a hand as well."
"If we need anything, we'll tell you, thank you."
"When are you going to move?"
"As soon as Giovanni finds some kind of place for us."
"If you move at the week end, I think Novio would be able to move your belongings to Florence in his Uno."
"That might be a good idea. It's mainly just books and clothes, there's not much else."
At the end of August Giovanni found two friends who were able to put them up in their apartment until they found somewhere better. So, on 5th September, while Daniel and Pietro went to Florence by train, Novio and Giovanni loaded everything into the Uno and went by road.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 7
In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to read them, the URL is
http://andrejkoymasky.com
If you want to send me feed-back (really appreciated, be it positive or negative), please e-mail at
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