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Life's Illusions - 10 years on - Chapter 32
It had been over two years now, but to Pierre that night was cemented in his memory like it was yesterday, he'd been a fourteen year old, caught in the throes of puberty, it was the night he knew where his future lay, where he would lie, and with whom, forever.
Fortune and fate had decided his path.
Rosa had laboured like a woman possessed, with all of the elements fighting against her.
She would make this dinner party happen if it killed her, and it seemed the whole of the universe were conspiring to bring about exactly that outcome.
First Lenny and PJ had returned home unannounced, Rosa dealt with that surprise, slapping Lenny down, ensuring nothing gave away the nights surprise.
Next to throw her a curve ball was the arrival of Josef and Juan, they'd gained unscheduled leave, taken the option to jump a transport flight and spend time at home, with their father and sister.
In true Rosa fashion she was unfazed when Sofia called to say her brothers had turned up unexpectedly, she'd insisted, bring them along, she was just as exited to see them both, and in truth she really was, she loved them like her own.
They'd all assembled, pre dinner drinks were being consumed when a text alerted Leo to the impending arrival of one very special guest.
"Reece, there's someone coming up in the elevator, I'm not quite sure who it is, or how they got past security, would you see who it is for me?".
Not wanting their father to be alone greeting a possible threat, Josef and Juan instinctively followed him into the foyer, and so, with that simple decision, Juan's fate was also sealed.
The elevator doors opened, Pierre took several tentative very shaky steps forward towards a stunned but euphoric Reece, but Pierre had seriously miscalculated, it had been a long walk from the car, then the wait for the elevator, and the ride up to the penthouse, he hadn't counted on his strength deserting him at just that point.
To Pierre it was a frightening moment, and it showed in his face, he usually had his Poppas or Piers as backup, but he'd insisted, 'I can do it, I want to show Uncle Reece what Uncle Pauly achieved', and so there he was, about to collapse in a heap.
The look of terror on Pierre's face had a profound effect on Juan.
As Pierre started to fall, Juan scattered his father and brother like nine pins in a bowling alley.
Pierre had hardly achieved a thirty degree list when he was caught and wrapped safely up in Juan's arms.
"Well hello again precious one, I like your idea of making an entrance, is this you falling for me?".
Having said the words, Juan was immediately mortified, he couldn't believe he'd actually said them, voiced his feelings aloud, he was blushing profusely.
Pierre was equally silent, he couldn't speak, he too was blushing, looking up, mesmerised, completely stunned, staring into the bright blue eyes of a god, and he had an erection, not just your normal teenage erection, this was a full blown, that's my man, I'm begging you, touch me, feel me, ravish me now, here in front of everyone, ninety degree, straight out, I'm fuckin horny, diamond hard erection, to boot.
Seeing his predicament Juan turned Pierre's body towards him hiding Pierre's embarrassment, but therein lay a big, big, mistake, it put Pierre's rampant, hair trigger organ firmly in the rubbing position against Juan's equally exited column of quivering flesh, the inevitable was bound to happened, with Pierre whispering.
"Oh no, no,no, oh shit, I want to die".
He'd come, in a shuddering, climb the hill, leap off the cliff, perfect wave climax, into his pants, pressed firmly against Juan, who came at exactly the same moment.
Josef and Reece retreated to the lounge, struggling to contain their laughter, leaving them to clean up, they should have been too embarrassed to show their faces, but ten minutes later, after a quick and embarrassing clean up, Juan had helped Pierre into the dining room where his Poppas, brother and sister were waiting anxiously, wanting to know if he was alright.
Oh Pierre was definitely alright, he never was far from Juan that night, nor would he ever be again if he had his way.
For two years they'd played cat and mouse, alternating between chased and chaser, never apart when Juan was home on leave, Skype talking almost every day whilst Juan was deployed, insisting to everyone, they were just good friends.
Pierre's sixteenth birthday party at The Inn had been in the planning for months, he was kept completely in the dark, he only knew because he had seen the invitations, and been told he would be guest of honour by his Poppas.
In truth, Aly had very little input, it was Bo and Piers, both of them were like little children when it came to organising surprises, they revelled in it.
Jordy, or rather Jordon Heys-Foster, the set designer they always used for functions, had been hard at work in the private dining room for two days, everything had been shrouded in secrecy, no one would even give Pierre a hint of what was happening inside.
But the party had been cancelled when Pierre walked out of The Inn.
Pierre had been completely engrossed in finalising the third quarter accounts for The Inn, readying everything for their accountants when Piers burst into the office.
One look at Piers face told Pierre something was horribly wrong, but nothing could have prepared him for what Piers said.
"You have to come now, Josef is talking to The Poppas, Juan's been hurt bad".
For Pierre it was as if his world came crashing down, his chest tightened, it was difficult to breathe, he couldn't recall leaving the office, getting to their house, he couldn't run, he'd walked, through throngs of surprised guests and staff, with his stick, as fast as he could, tears pouring from his eyes, Piers beside him.
As he burst into his parents office Josef could see him on screen.
Pierre I'm sorry, he's in a really bad way, they've airlifted him back to Camp Bastion, then he'll go onwards, as soon as they have him stabilised he'll be on a military flight to Germany, he should be in the forces hospital at Cologne within twenty four hours".
Pierre was trembling, Aly pulled him into a hug, memories of an all too familiar day from long ago returning.
"How bad is it Jo, and I want the truth".
Josef was crying but trying desperately to keep himself under control.
"It's bad Pierre, he's a real mess, he'll almost certainly lose one leg, right now they can't say if the other one can be saved, he's burned badly, both arms are broken, they're not sure about his sight, the bomb was right next to his men, he pushed them out of harms way but it left him fully exposed, he was facing it when some heartless bastard detonated it".
Pierre was wrapped in Aly's arms now.
"I'm going to Cologne, just keep telling him I'm on my way".
Josef started to protest.
"But Pierre, your party......".
Pierre cut him off with a steely determination.
"I said I'm on my way, when he's able to travel I'll bring him home, Malaga or Montclair, it doesn't matter, wherever he feels comfortable, I'll help him to recover, whatever it takes, he has to, for both of us".
Josef understood, he'd known for a long time, well before Juan had sat one day, on his cot bed crying, explaining how he was in love with a boy, expecting his brother to be angry.
Josef was just one of many who already knew, anyone with half a brain could see it, they blossomed, both of them, as soon as they were close together, it had been growing for two years.
It had still taken Juan by surprise when Josef had replied.
"Yeh, I knew that, but what are you going to do about it, have you told him how you feel, it's obvious he feels the same".
Juan had just stared at him, completely stunned.
"How did you know?".
Josef actually giggled.
"Bro I'm pretty sure the only two people on this planet who haven't sussed out how you both feel are you and Pierre, oh, and before you ask, I'm over the bloody moon, you're finally admitting it, now at last you both can do something about it".
That had been several months before the fatal day, the day where Juan chose to save his men, sacrificing himself, something Josef could understand easily, he would do the same, because, like Juan, he knew, had any one of Juan's men been the one to spot the bomb instead of him, Juan would have been pushed aside, saved at the cost of another, just as Josef's men, and he himself would do.
It happened just two days before they were due to fly to Montclair for Pierre's birthday party, where Juan planned to take Pierre in his arms, kiss him, and confess his feelings, ......but that bomb, it left Juan hovering between life and death.
At almost the same time two planes were hurtling down runways, launching themselves into the skies, one from Nice, carrying the Montclair family, one from Malaga carrying the Torremolinas family.
True too his word, Pierre had watched over Juan whilst he was in danger, rarely leaving his side.
Reece, Josef and Sofia had marvelled at Pierre's dedication, never wavering, always upbeat, they'd allowed him to be the one to explain to Juan the extent of his injuries, watching in terror as Juan first cried, then sobbed, Pierre never once letting go of his man, holding him tight, talking him back down to a contented place and keeping him there day after day.
Once the medical team deemed him to be out of danger, then Pierre really got stuck in, he'd employed a variety of tactics, encouraged, cajoled, bullied even, until, slowly Juan was back to his old self.
The medics had successfully saved his left leg, it was badly scared but it was a working limb, his sight miraculously returned, his arms had mended, the burn scars were extensive and obvious to anyone, anyone that was except Pierre, he only saw the man he fell in love with over two years before, the man he wanted to spend his life with, the man he hoped desperately felt the same way.
He'd been medically discharged with honours whilst he'd been recovering.
They'd returned to Torremolinas briefly with Pierre continuing Juan's exercise program, a program worked out meticulously by the medics in Cologne, designed to build up strength in Juan's recovering left leg and stretch the scar tissue resulting from the burns, keeping it supple, making it less painful as the burns healed.
After a couple of weeks Pierre had broached the subject of them returning to Montclair, he was conscious of the fact he'd been shirking his duties at The Inn, where he was in effect Finance Director.
Pierre had been nervous about broaching the subject, worried Juan would want to stay in Torremolinas, he needn't have worried, Juan was happy to go with him.
Once back in Montclair, preparations for Pierre's previously cancelled birthday party went back into full swing.
It was the afternoon of the party when Juan dropped an almighty, a monumental, clanger.
All he said in conversation with his brother was.
"Bloody typical, I have shit for luck, the man of my dreams is now walking, and I'm going to his birthday party tonight in a fucking wheelchair, with only one leg and a face so scarred I could frighten kids, he deserves so much more, tomorrow I'm leaving, I won't drag him down, it's not fair on him".
Juan realised quite suddenly, his brother hadn't answered him, looking up he saw Josef, deadly silent, white faced, staring open mouthed right past him toward the door.
Spinning his wheelchair around he realised why Josef was open mouthed and silent.
Standing there in the doorway, listening to their conversation was Pierre, the man of his dreams, except Pierre definitely didn't look dreamy, Pierre didn't look even remotely close to happy, in fact he had a look of pure thunder on his face".
Josef was no fool, he knew exactly what to do when an explosion was imminent, self preservation kicked in, it was time to take cover, the potential fall out, judging by Pierre's face, was going to be huge and he had no wish to be caught in the crossfire.
As Josef left the room Pierre slammed the door loudly.
"My first instinct was to smack you right in the mouth, my second option was to tell you what an ungrateful, self centred, whinging twat you're being, but you're running on a lucky streak because I chose option three, so you'd be very wise to proceed with the utmost caution".
Juan was grinning, he couldn't help it, Pierre had this effect on him, it's what had gotten him this far.
"I'm probably going to regret this, but, what exactly is option three?".
Pierre looked on the verge of laughing.
"My party tonight, Switzerland tomorrow".
Juan was puzzled.
"Why would I want to go to Switzerland?".
Juan could see the determination in Pierre's face.
"Because it's time".
Juan looked puzzled.
"Time for what, I don't understand".
"Time to put you back on your feet, I've borrowed your grandfathers plane, or at least, I've borrowed one of them, we're flying to Basle, Switzerland, there we have an appointment with a leading prosthetic limb technician, Hans Gunther, at the Strauber Institute, you will agree to do this, if not for yourself, then for me, because I refuse to marry you if you won't at least try to stand on your own two feet, well technically they'll be your own two feet, even if one of them is bought in, it's still your foot, you'll own it, so again, technically I'm right".
Pierre paused, obviously not yet finished, Juan stayed silent.
"Don't argue, my Poppas are paying for the treatment whatever the cost, your Poppas gave me the gift of walking, my Poppas insist on repaying that debt, okay now you can talk".
Juan almost laughed, that was his Pierre, from the moment he'd awoken at the hospital in Cologne, Pierre had been his inspiration, dragging him forcibly out of his depressions, and there had been many, making him laugh, encouraging him, reinforcing his will to live.
One of the first things Pierre had said to him when he awoke was.
"Why have we wasted so much time?, I've known since I was fourteen that I love you, well no more, unless you can tell me you don't feel the same way, I'm restoring you, by hook or by crook, I'm getting you back where you belong, by my side, in full working order".
Juan had almost cried.
"Pierre, I'd be a liar if I denied my feelings for you, but look at me, I'm a wreck, I may never walk again, then there's the burns, I may be horribly disfigured for life, why saddle yourself with all that, it's a big world, you can pick from so many, you deserve so much more".
Juan could see he'd hit a bad note, said the wrong thing, Pierre's expression changed immediately.
"Do you honestly think I'm so shallow I give a toss for looks?, don't answer that because right now you're on very dangerous ground, as for not walking, I'm the ultimate master on that subject, trust me, and if you do, I promise you will walk again, unaided, and proud, can you do that, trust me I mean?".
Juan felt so stupid, why he ever doubted Pierre he couldn't say.
"Yes, with my life, after all you've had my heart for over two years and you've only ever made me stronger".
Coming out of his reminiscing Juan again got a puzzled look.
"Can I just ask, when did I ask you to marry me, did I miss that little episode, because I'm sure I'd remember that?".
Pierre's expression didn't waver.
"You didn't, and you won't, not until you restore that confidence, when you can walk, that's when you can ask me, not before".
Pierre stuck out his hand for Juan to shake.
"Do we have a deal?".
Juan just stared at him, seeing the steely determination, it almost overwhelmed him, before he'd reached out to grasp Pierre's hand.
"We have a deal".
TBC
ARB Allan
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Thank you for giving me your time, enjoy.