ITALIAN BROTHERS 2 TANO & MASO by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005 written September 2nd, 1993 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Matt & Dave
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"ITALIAN BROTHERS 2 - TANO & MASO" 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 7. Cayenne Pepper
Gaetano settled in Ravenna. With Felice's gold, he opened a small spices' store and business was good. He was now twenty-one years old. He had two workers with him. He lived in the back of the store, were you could find his bedroom, a workshop and a small kitchen. He now wore good clothing and shoes, and started also to wear short white cotton breeches underneath his clothes like middle class people.
His fingers often caressed the tiny ring he got from Maso, which he never took off. Other things he preserved like relics were Felice's waistband where the gold had been hidden, and his scabbard. After Felice, Gaetano didn't have a lover any more. He only relieved himself at times with some ship boy who was on leave and ready and willing to spend the night in his bed for a few small coins. Some were even skilled, and he would ask them to come back for two or three more nights, especially an Austrian ship boy, Marcus, who looked like a little angel, candid and shy.
The first time he saw Marcus, it was evening, and Gaetano was out walking around hoping he could find an obliging ship boy. Marcus was sitting on the low wall near Saint Vitale's church, dangling his legs, his eyes filled with intent. Gaetano was attracted by the charm of that big boy. He passed in front of him, and for an instant, their glances crossed -- the ship boy had clear and limpid eyes, shy, like those of a fawn. Marcus at once lowered his eyes, as if he was ashamed. Gaetano stopped not far away to look back at him.
After a short while, the ship boy threw a fast glance towards him, and then rapidly lowered his eyes again.
Gaetano, feeling his desires powerfully awakening in him, went near the boy and stopped in front of him, "You are a ship boy, aren't you?"
"Ya... ship-boy," the boy answered with a foreign accent and looked straight in Gaetano eyes, this time without moving away his eyes, and yet, differently from other ship boys, he wasn't looking at him cheekily, and neither was he caressing himself between his legs, nor did he offer himself to the man as the other ship boys usually did.
"I too, was a ship boy, once..." Gaetano said.
"You too, sir?" the boy asked, and Gaetano read a light of interest in the boy's eyes.
"Would you like... to spend some time with me?"
"With you?"
"At times I feel somewhat lonely... If you wanted to keep me company, I'll be delighted."
"Delighted..." the boy echoed without moving, and lowered his eyes again, almost as if he felt ashamed.
"You are so beautiful, boy..."
"You very beautiful... You want me, sir?" he asked with a low voice, without looking at him.
"Yes. Would you come to my home, now?" Gaetano asked him with a low voice, vibrating with desire.
The boy slide down from the low wall and said, slightly blushing, "Our ship stops few days. Marcus free, Marcus comes."
Gaetano was happy and took him to his house. He led him near his bed and pulled him towards himself, caressing him. The boy let him do it. Gaetano caressed him more intimately, the ship boy quivered and when the young man started to undress him, he shyly caressed between Gaetano's legs. Feeling his strong erection, Marcus blushed, but fingered it with more boldness. In a short while, they both were naked on the bed, united in a deep kiss.
On the bed, Marcus revealed to be hot, lusty, unrestrained like a little devil. Differently from the other ship boys, he busied himself with evident desire and pleasure to give Gaetano the maximum enjoyment. Now Marcus' eyes were shining and had a pleased smile that made Gaetano shudder. When Marcus felt that the young man was burning with desire for him, he guided the young man's hard tool in himself while looking at him with luminous eyes, and welcomed it with a long, tremulous pleasure sigh. And he urged the young man with low "Yaaa!" caressing his body with a dreamy expression. Gaetano took him for a long while, caressing and kissing the hot boy, happy for the happiness he could read in Marcus' eyes.
Later, while they were resting, sated, Gaetano caressed the young and strong body of the boy, and Marcus' member, worth that of an adult man, that was now at rest. Marcus said, "Danke... You are happy with Marcus?"
"Yes, I like you very much."
"You too I like, because you like males, truth? You male, I male. Good, no?"
"Yes it is very good."
"On ship, different. On ship males miss women so take Marcus. But in port look for women and forget Marcus. Marcus likes male who wants males." the boy said while kissing the young man's chest.
After that first time, Marcus always went to look for Gaetano when his ship stopped at Ravenna's port and gave him nights of fire and passion. And each time after their orgasm, the boy whispered "Danke" to him and fell asleep curling against the young man, with a satisfied look, ready to start again as soon as he woke up again in the morning.
Gaetano liked Marcus very much, but he understood that he could only have some pleasurable encounters with the boy, nothing more serious. In fact the boy didn't want to leave the sea. Therefore, even if he was happy to meet the beautiful ship boy from time to time, Gaetano also had other adventures.
One afternoon, a man came into his shop. He was tall, distinguished, and elegant -- from his clothes one could tell he belonged to the upper class. He was speaking with a Venetian accent.
"Do you also sell good Cayenne pepper?" he asked.
"Certainly, sir, and we sell the best quality. How much do you want?" Gaetano asked pleasantly. He knew how to treat his customers.
"How much do you sell it for?"
"Two baioccos for half an ounce, the best kind."
"Good, give me... three ounces of the best quality, please."
Gaetano weighed the powder, full weight, took a small cone of fine white paper and carefully poured the pepper powder in it, skillfully folded its brims, then handed it to the customer. The man rummaged in his moneybag, paid and went out.
Gaetano had observed that unusual client with discrete but attentive eyes. Normally only the servants or maids would come, almost never the mistresses and never the masters. The man should be in his thirties, but he looked like twenty-five, Gaetano thought. He was wearing a dark green sober redingote, evidently tailored for him, that underlined his slender figure. His head was uncovered, and he had beautiful, soft, dark blond hair, his eyes were of a pleasing blue-green color. He wore white patent-leather shoes.
Gaetano thought he could be an aristocrat... His fine face, carefully shaved, framed by long, stylish sideburns, his tapered and fair hands... Gaetano was taken up by that client, or rather, attracted.
He was no longer thinking about that man when he showed up in his store again about a week later.
"Good day, sir," Gaetano greeted him, "Welcome again. Was it to your satisfaction, my Cayenne pepper?" he asked, to make him understand that he remembered him. Customers are always pleased to be remembered by the shop owners or clerks.
"Your Cayenne was wonderful. Would you please give me five ounces, this time?"
"Certainly, sir, and for you, I'll ask only two baiocco and a quarter," Gaetano answered with courtesy.
This time the man wore a light violet tailcoat with pearl-gray silk trousers and black shoes. Gaetano served him without haste, and enjoyed that view. He noticed that he was wearing a beautiful gold ring on his finger, finely chiseled, but without a stone.
While he was wrapping the pepper, Gaetano ventured, "Forgive my daring, sir, but are you from Venice?"
"Vicenza," The young man answered with a light smile.
"And now... do you live here?"
"Yes I live in the neighborhood. The air is no longer good for me in the Austro-Hungarian Empire lands... But... you too are not from Ravenna, if I am not mistaken."
"No, I am from Costa, not far from Rovigo."
"Oh, then... we are almost fellow-countrymen." the man said with evident interest, "Has it been a long time since you left Costa? You don't have the accent of these parts..."
"Almost six years now."
"And did you get married here in Ravenna?"
"No, I live alone, here, in the back of the store," Gaetano answered and handed the pepper to the man, who paid and went out.
Gaetano was feeling more and more fascinated, or rather, strongly attracted by that unknown man. He thought that seldom can one see a man of such a sensual beauty, and asked himself what he would be like when naked... in bed... The ship boys, well, they were good, but they were just boys. He felt he needed a man, somebody at a peer level. And that man would be perfect, if he was like him.
The day after, to the surprise of Gaetano, the man came to the store again.
"I am sorry, but yesterday my servant accidentally poured all the pepper on the floor and... so I have to buy some more..." the man said after greeting him.
"Would you like five more ounces?" Gaetano asked.
"Yes, please."
This time Gaetano noticed that the man was also observing him in a very discreet way.
"Today, it will only be ten baioccos, as the other pepper went lost." Gaetano said while handing him the small bundle of pepper with a smile.
"You are embarrassing me with your kindness! Anyway, I really thank you..." the man said, but this time he didn't pay at once. "Have you been selling spices for long?" he asked with a casual tone.
"It has been two years, till now."
"And is... do you own the store?"
"That's right."
"Therefore that is your name on the sign outside, I presume."
"Yes, certainly."
"Gaetano Lugato. A beautiful name..."
"Thank you."
"Well, it is not fair I know your name and... my name is Enrico Piccin. I am a doctor."
"How do you do sir? So now you are a doctor here in Ravenna?"
"That's right. I was a collaborator of Doctor Carlo Poma... you probably never heard of his name. He was killed by the Austrians in Belfiore. Therefore I fled away... I am in exile."
Gaetano didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.
"But I'm wasting your time with my tittle-tattle. Here are your ten baioccos and thank you again very much for your friendliness." the man said while paying him.
"No, no," Gaetano hurriedly said, as he didn't want the other to leave yet. "I have nothing to do at this moment. There are no customers and... I have two workers in the back-room anyway, who could take my place in case..."
"Well, then... may I offer you some coffee in the shop here around the corner? I would be really pleased..." Enrico proposed.
"With real pleasure, thank you."
So they started to meet frequently. Enrico explained to him the political situation of the Venetian land and of other Italian states, about which Gaetano was completely in the dark. Enrico explained to him about the Mazzinian rising, and about all the rest. Gaetano instead, told him about his life -- the violin lessons; the sudden, forced return to the fields' work; his running away; the period spent as a ship boy; his job in the hides store; his life with the bandits, and how he bought his little store. He only didn't tell Enrico about his real relationship with Tommaso and Felice, only said they were close friends.
"You had a really adventurous life, I see, even though you are younger than me," Enrico said in the end.
"More than I would have liked, possibly," Gaetano admitted.
"And are you happy now, with your store?"
"I can't complain, even if it is not ideal."
"I see. But it earns you a living, sir... May I... may I call you just Gaetano?"
"Certainly, or rather Tano, as I have always been called."
"Then please call me Enrico." the man said while giving him his hand. The shook hands vigorously, possibly a little longer than a usual handshake. Gaetano felt a pleasure shudder all along his spine.
They continued to meet for almost one year and they gradually became friends. Their familiarity grew. At times Enrico went to visit Gaetano after he closed his store, at times Gaetano went up Enrico's apartment and they met almost every day. Gaetano was feeling more and more attracted by the young man, but his friend, even if he was always friendly, kind, amiable, never let out a hint that could give him reason to hope. Thus Gaetano thought he had to content himself to dream of him in his erotic fantasies and to only enjoy his friendship and his pleasurable closeness.
After about a year they knew each other, one day Gaetano felt a sharp pain in his groin. As Enrico was a doctor, he asked him to visit him. The man made Gaetano lie on the stretcher in his studio that was adjoined to his apartment, and asked him to open his trousers and to lower them to his hips. Then he started to feel him, asking him to tell where he felt pain.
And Gaetano became aroused.
Red with shame, being aware that Enrico could not but notice his state, he apologized.
"For what?" the doctor asked with a smile, "You are young and blood is hot in the veins, at our age. And if I'm not wrong... you don't have a woman, do you?"
"Yes, I have no women, you are right."
"Therefore it is normal, believe me. You have really nothing to be ashamed of, to apologize for, and even less with me who is a doctor and your friend, don't you think?"
"Yes..." Gaetano admitted, and then pushed by a sudden impulse, he added, "I never had a woman, never."
"Well, you are still young... Anyway... I never had one, either."
Hearing these words, Gaetano's heart started to beat stronger. He was there, lying on the small bed, his erection not hinting to subdue, the man he desired near him, smiling... He could feel the warmth of his hand still leaning on his groin, almost brushing his pulsing virility...
"To me..." then Gaetano said with his hear in his mouth, "but women... never appealed to me..."
Enrico's hand moved slightly and its side brushed the swelling that was tenting the light breeches of fine cambric. Gaetano shuddered and held back his breath.
"And yet," Enrico said with a low and warm voice, "and yet it seems that you are more than normal, in this department. Everything works the way it should..." His hand moved again, just a little bit, so that it was now brushing in a more explicit way against the erection of his friend.
Gaetano closed his eyes and swallowed. Then, with his eyes still closed, he said almost in a murmur, "Do you want... do you want to check me more carefully to see if... if everything is really in order... there?"
Enrico's hand was now touching the tense fabric and it caressed the shuddering turgidity lightly, but assuredly. For a while, they both kept silent, then Gaetano opened his eyes, and saw those of his friend that seemed now of a golden-green color, looking at him with a sweet smile.
"What do you feel, here?" the doctor asked.
"Shudders..." Gaetano answered.
"And now?" Enrico asked, applying more pressure with his hand and moving his fingers to surround that hot flesh through the thin fabric that was still hiding it.
"Pleasure..."
"Good. I too, you know, feel pleasure to be able to touch you like this... and here," Enrico said, and bent slowly over the stretcher, bringing his face to that of his friend, and Gaetano parted his lips, shuddering and waiting, and finally he savored the kiss that he had dreamed to receive for so long, without even daring to hope for it.
The pendulum-clock on the wall was tick-tacking with a loud noise, almost underlining the beat of Gaetano's heart. It was a tick-tack of a red and gold color, Gaetano thought confusedly, and felt that the light of the oil lamp illuminating the room was whispering sweet suggestions in his ears.
The world seemed to be rotating and dancing while his eyes were lost in Enrico eyes, clear like two Alpine lakes, fresh like pure springs, warm like violin notes. And his friend's hand was opening its way under the light fabric and reached its goal. Gaetano emitted a sigh while Enrico stood up again, parting from him.
"You know..." Enrico sweetly said, "From the first moment I saw you, I felt so strongly attracted to you. That's why I came to buy all that pepper... They say that pepper is an aphrodisiac, but I didn't need it, it was enough just to look at you..."
Gaetano panted, "If... if you don't take your hand away I... I won't be able to hold back any more and instead I would like... like it to happen together... you and I..."
"That's fair," Enrico said with a smile, moving his hand away. Gaetano felt a sensation of emptiness, "I..." the man continued, "I dreamed so much for this moment, being able to touch you, kiss you... Would you like to accompany me in my room, where we could be more comfortable?"
Gaetano tidied up his clothes and got up from the stretcher, feeling a light dizziness, not from weakness but from elation. He followed his friend to his bedroom. It was the first time he saw it. It was simple, but beautiful. Enrico lit all the lamps. The wide, snow-white bed seemed to be waiting only for them.
"I want you to undress me, and I will undress you," Enrico said.
Gaetano, still trembling from the emotion, started to undress his friend. The unavoidable, mutual light touches of the bustling on the clothes sent sparks of pleasure in the two young and tense bodies. Their clothes fell down one after the other, higgledy-piggledy, mixed in disorder. When both fresh bodies were unveiled, their excitement grew as they stood there completely naked in front of each other, adorned by their glorious erections, their hands started to mutually explore each other until the tension of the pleasure became unbearable for both.
"Come on to my bed, Tano." Enrico whispered his voice hoarse from his intense desire.
They lay down, embraced, their limbs intertwined and their love dance began. They caressed each other they wanted each other and were telling each other that with all their bodies. They brushed against each other, kissed, caressed. They came really close to reach the top of the pleasure, but then, like in a silent agreement, they slowed down to prolong the wonderful sensations they were feeling. Far away, the pendulum clock chimed nine o'clock.
The two youths, on the wide and soft bed, were continuing to exchange effusions, at times sweet, at times vigorous, in a seesaw of two opposed instincts, that of giving oneself and that of taking the other, that of cuddling softly and that of holding tightly, that of holding back and that of letting go. For both of them, it was a thirst for love, for true and deep communication, for complete fusion, the same thirst. And this consonance of emotions was the score on which developed and unrolled that first, unexpected, but so much desired encounter. And finally they passed the point of no return and their desires burst out uncontrollably, waves on waves of incandescent lava erupted between their compressed bellies, without them having really united yet.
They lay down, worn out, but for the moment sated, sweetly caressing each other.
Gaetano rose up on his elbow to kiss Enrico. No more with the passion of a few moments ago, but with extreme sweetness. Enrico smiled at him and emitted a long, tremulous sigh.
Then said with a barely perceptible voice, "One year... I have waited for you."
"But now I am here."
"It would be beautiful if you... would you like to come to live here, with me?"
"It would be so beautiful, but... people, what would they say? You know how puritans are, here in the Pope's land."
"Like in our land... a little more, perhaps..."
"We can meet any time we like, anyway."
"It is not the same thing. But you are possibly right. One cannot demand too much from life."
"And even less in the land of the Holy Inquisition -- even if they would no more burn us alive, that's the goal, you know it. This first time has been really beautiful, but... it could be even better, don't you think so?"
"Yes, we both were probably too excited... I would like our union to be more... complete."
"You in me and me in you, you mean?" Gaetano asked him, affectionately ruffling his hair.
"Exactly."
"We have all the time we want in front of us, Enrico," Gaetano said, but suddenly became serious.
His friend noticed his change of expression. "What's up? Why this serious face?" the man asked worriedly, brushing his chest.
"Nothing. Years ago... the same sentence..."
"An old relationship?"
"Unhappily so."
"Do you want to tell me?"
"Certainly..." and Gaetano started to tell him the part of his life that previously he hid from him. He told him about Tommaso, then Felice, with simple but deeply true words, and with a tone from which his friend felt all the passion and the love that the words were not able to express. Enrico listened while sweetly caressing his friend, almost to make him feel all his participation in these dramatic events.
When Gaetano became silent, Enrico asked him, "Did it hurt you, reliving all that?"
"No. Well, yes, a little. But I'm happy I did... with you."
"You suffered so very much..."
"And the scares remain."
"Yes, they remain."
"But now..." Gaetano said, trying to resume a tone, if not merry, at least somewhat less serious, "But now you have to tell me about you, about all your previous lovers."
"Certainly, and I do so willingly, even if my story is much plainer than yours, less interesting, when compared to yours."
"Were you the lover of that... of that doctor?"
"Who, you mean Carlo Poma? No, we were just colleagues, friends. He was not attracted to men like I am..." and he started to narrate.
His first man had been his tutor in classical Greek, a young man from Padova. At that time Enrico was sixteen. He already was aware that he was attracted to men, but he still didn't have the opportunity to make love. Therefore, when his tutor made him translate some pages from Greek, where the love of men for ephebes was exalted, he guessed where his teacher hoped to get so he frankly offered himself to the man ("Now I would be less cheeky" Enrico commented) who gratefully and readily took his virginity and led him on the beautiful path of love between men. They made love for a year, which is until the man had to move and they parted.
He was eighteen when he had his second encounter. He was then living at his uncle's home and he had to sleep with his cousin, a handsome boy of his same age. He at once felt desire for him. So one night he touched him and his cousin reacted favorably. They made love almost every night, and his cousin took him with joyful pleasure and youthful enthusiasm. Enrico loved feeling his strong and passionate cousin on top of him, feeling his hard and hot rod in him. Their relationship lasted for three years, until his cousin decided to marry and hence to stop his physical unions with him. They anyway remained very close friends.
When he was twenty-one, he met his third man, an actor, and for the first time in his life, it was his turn to penetrate the other. They met for two years, until Enrico, who was in love with the actor, became aware that his mate did it with every man he could get. So, really disappointed, he left him.
When he went back to Vicenza, he had his fourth and last man. He was a young footman of his father, of his same age. He knew him for several years, but he never suspected he could be like him. Enrico had always felt attracted by him -- he was really erotic in his tight livery, but the young man often flirted with the maidens (he only later understood it was just a mask) so Enrico never fancied he could one day have him as his partner.
But one evening, thinking he forgot a book in the gig, he went downstairs to look for it. And he caught Tonio, the footman, with his member out of his tight breeches and in front of him, kneeling, was the stable boy who was busying himself to give him pleasure. Enrico remained to watch the scene, fascinated, and when the boy satisfied the young man and left, Enrico entered and told him he saw everything, and finally they could confess to each other that they have desired each other for a long time. So they became lovers, and were together for three years, until Enrico decided to leave in exile. He asked Tonio to follow him, but the young man lacked the courage, therefore they parted.
"Anyway," Enrico concluded, "we were lovers but there was not real love. We fit well together, that's all. He continued to consider me as his master, and instead of trying to level our social differences, he was making an abyss of it, so, all ended. After him, nothing serious, until I saw you..."
Gaetano smiled at him and ruffled his hair again. Enrico pulled him to himself and their mouths united again in a tender, hot kiss.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 8
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, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English please e-mail at andrej@andrejkoymasky.com ---------------------------