Please donate to nifty! Thank you for your comments: tarzanacide@gmail.com
[Six questions and a future]
+{Noah's Starship}+
-+-[Ch. 16]-+-
~By Emri~
+++ Noah +++
"Son," a strange voice said to me and a hand found my shoulder. I blinked up at a police officer with a yawn. I realized what I was looking at and jumped in the car seat. Navid had been the one to touch me, but the officer was looking at me strangely from the driver's side window.
"Everything ok, son?" he asked with a look of concern.
"He is fine, he sleeps," Navid said softly with a deflated tone.
"Yes sir," I nodded and felt my heart racing.
"Ok... well the detour isn't too far out of the way, and it'll put you with a nice view of San Simeon," the officer said, his concern softening.
"Thank you," Navid said and then added, "I am sorry your world is on fire."
"Thank you... you enjoy your trip," the officer said and went towards the car behind us. Navid did a turn around and headed back up the small mountain road.
"Were we in trouble?" I asked and laid my head back against his shoulder.
"We are avoiding trouble with detour... There is wildfires and he makes us on a detour around them. I hope to get soon to the resort. We have much planned," Navid said and slid a warm arm around me. It was a cold June afternoon, the kind unique to the California coast. I wasn't sure where we were, but the Pacific Ocean was now to our left to indicate we were headed north.
"Did he make you wake me up? He sounded concerned," I noted.
"It is nothing, sweet Noah. You don't need to know of the ugly things," he said dismissively and turned up his music again.
"But he asked if I was ok. Why did he do that? What was wrong?" I asked, prodding past his admonishment. I didn't understand what we had done.
Navid sighed. "Nothing was wrong, Noah..."
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel a few times before continuing, "When they see a strong Persian man with a beard, dark skin, an accent, a nice car, and a well-kept blonde boy passed out in his passenger seat, they think the worst."
"Oh... they thought... Oh that's not right! That's racist! I should report him! Did you get his name? My dad knows highway patrol captains!" I got suddenly angry. We'd had a few, small incidents before, but never in our safe bubble of Los Angeles. It was those little things that I wouldn't have thought twice about before I met Navid and saw those things for the first time.
"He is your people, sweet one. They do not need to be fair when protecting their own. It is not to feel good... It is passed. Finished. I never want you to know of these things. It is between men... We have beautiful weekend, let us not be upset by this. His world is on fire... in many, many ways," Navid noted.
I saw a plume of smoke off in the distance. It looked like a gray funnel that went up to the ceiling of clouds and then took a sharp left.
I let it go. He was right, we were here to enjoy our weekend. I didn't want to ruin what he had planned for our romantic weekend. I settled into his chest as he took on the winding mountain roads.
I opened his phone to the questions app we liked to use at night when we were together in bed in the dark. His phone has all the best apps organized into neat folders. He is a very organized and precise businessman.
"Oh! They have questions for lovers! Should we try it?" I asked excitedly.
"Sure, Noah... we can try this," Navid said with one raised eyebrow. I noted the tension had left him.
"Ok! First question! How do I make you feel strong?" I read number one and turned to see his eyes focused intently on the curvy, narrow road.
"I feel strong when... I know you are safe, when you have problem and I can fix this for you. I see you happy making food or nap in bed or see you at ease in our home I provide for you. You are safe and without concerns. It makes me feel like protector, my baby is ok... I am strong. What about you?" Navid turned to me quickly and gave my shoulder a squeeze.
"When I'm in your arms I feel strong... When we're out with your friends, like just your Persian friends and me. You're so happy and they all look up to you. I'm with the leader of the group I feel like nothing can hurt me. I used to hate running into people from the past who didn't like me or made fun of me in school. But when I'm with you I don't even think about it... nothing can hurt me," I said.
"I will never permit that anyone shall hurt you, Noah," Navid assured and ruffled my hair. This was helping him relax.
"Number two... What do I do that makes you feel special?" I asked.
Navid just laughed.
"And don't say suck your cock!" I yelled and poked his side.
"No? But I love it... ok... special... Oh! You get this smile, this look when I come home and tell you I make a sale or close a deal. Is a look of pride like you are always on my team to cheer me on... or like I just slay a beast who is terrorizing your village. It makes me to know you are on my side. Also when I have bad day and you can tell before I even say something. You come to me, put your head on my chest and let me hold you to recharge my dead battery. You make me special dinner or insist I watch the soccer games or sports shows I like. You make it just about me... You know me and always know what I need so I can feel better... And when you beg for sex.. What man does not like this from his love?," Navid laughed.
"I'll always want sex from you. It's... amazing," I laughed.
"You will always have it. And most importantly, my love... you make me feel special because you always believe in me. You look to me like I am great man who can do anything," Navid said and rubbed my leg.
"You're the strongest man I know." I said with total honesty.
"I love you, Noah... and for you? How I make you feel special?" Navid asked.
"When you hold me in front of others. I get this look from people like they wish they could be me and in your arms. It's jealousy... I never had that growing up. I was always getting pity from people. I was the poor kid, the gay kid, the small kid... No one was ever jealous of me... But now... even Karim gets the look when he sees it. You pull me into your lap or just put your arms around me from behind and I'm suddenly special. You're the hottest guy on earth and you're holding me so that must make me pretty special," I said.
"Noah, you are most beautiful boy I ever see. You were always special. Now that you dress nice, have good hairstyle, live without worry, and have nice things... it makes people to see you more, but you were always the diamond. You know they look with jealousy at me because I get to hold you. That is why Karim looks. He has eyes for you. I know he wishes to have you in his lap," Navid said.
"No way! He's so into Mike," I countered.
"This does not mean he cannot fantasize for my boy. He is careful not to say this to me, but I know the way he looks at you... the way other men look at you... it is hunger," Navid looked uncomfortable so I moved onto the next question.
"Number three... Sex with the lights on or off?" I asked.
"With you, always on! I love to see your body, the way your face reacts when I do this good to you. I always love to look at my boy, my pretty Noah," Navid laughed. He slid a hand between my legs and pushed his finger down between my cheeks.
"I like it on too. Your body makes me so hard. The way you move..." I gushed.
"I move like what?" Navid eyed me weirdly.
"When you're naked. Sometimes you come in and get undressed but you're on the phone or answering emails and you just strut around naked without thinking about it. Your cock just swings between your muscled thighs and I just... fuck. It gets me so hard," I admitted.
"I do?" Navid looked as though he didn't understand his power.
"You do... And your bubble butt. It's furry and when you move it just looks like gears on a powerful machine. You never let me play with it though," I said.
"I am `furry?' Why you want to play with my butt? I do not receive pleasure like you do. You are built for this, a perfect pink hole to pleasure. You get so happy when I play with yours. It is so beautiful and smooth. It fits me so well. Is best one I have ever see, so perfect and full... Ok next question please," Navid said in an urge to change the topic. I noted the growing bulge in his pants.
"Number four... How do you feel when you see me talking to an attractive guy?" I asked.
"Furious! I try to fight this... sometimes the guy is not even attractive, but I worry... Not as much as I used to, but still anger comes. I try to control this. You deserve to have friends. I can not keep you only for myself. But the beast inside me seeks to protect my cub," Navid said.
"I get the same way," I admitted. "When I see a guy look at you and I know what he's thinking."
"You don't need worry for this, Noah, but... I guess it keep us work to build our love, right? We never take this for granted. But I know my heart live inside you and yours in me. There is no space for others to come fill." Navid rubbed my thigh.
Soon we turned back onto the coast highway and went up a few miles into a turnoff that led down to the shore. There was a spanish villa compound of low-rise buildings surrounded on the side towards the road by a tall hedge of greenery.
+++
"Oh it's beautiful! I can see the ocean!" I yelled when we got into our room. Navid set our bags down as I ran to the window. It was open just a bit and I pushed at it as the cold ocean breeze filled our room.
Navid found a remote control on a side table and the fireplace came to life. We had a huge bed and our only view was crisp blue waves. He wasted no time in sliding his arms around me as I looked out over the endless blue.
"It's beautiful for you. Happy first year to know you. I know we have many more," he said and his lips settled into the place on the back of my neck that filled me with chills.
"It's so perfect... Thank you... It's cold," I noted and Navid pushed a hand past me to close the window. I could hear the fire crackle and its warmth began to reach me.
He rubbed my tummy and then pushed his hand to my chest as his lips worked down my neck. One hand slid up my shirt and he pushed it off.
"I warm you, baby," Navid said. He pulled me back against him and walked backward until we hit the couch. He sat down and pulled me to his lap, kissing down my shoulder and nuzzling his close-cropped beard against my skin.
I reached my hand down between my legs and rubbed his pants where his bulge was beginning to snake down his thigh. He was filling out quickly as I started to grind my ass against it.
"Lap Dance," he whispered with a laugh. He put his hands on my hips as I began to ride him. My arms went back over my head and rubbed his hair as his lips sank into my neck.
I slid off his lap. I wanted to taste him. I stood up and pushed off my shorts. They fell to the floor and I knelt on them to crawl between his legs. Navid knew what I wanted and he laid back against the couch cushions and spread his legs for me. He reached for my hair and guided me to him. I put my lips to his right knee and kissed my way up his thigh until I met the tip of his cock. I lipped it through the material of his pants. I felt it jump as I made my way up to his zipper.
Navid didn't waste time, he opened the button of his pants and pushed at the zipper. I pulled my head up as he pushed off his pants and grabbed his cock through the stretchy boxerbriefs. He gripped the outline and wagged it at me.
I put my lips to the tip of his cock and he gave it a squeeze. A spot of precum formed on the material and I tasted it. I didn't usually get to swallow his cum as he always liked to deposit it inside my hole.
"More please," I said and looked up at him with the blue eyes he couldn't say no to. Our eyes locked and he rubbed his shaft, not taking it out of the boxerbriefs. He pumped it quickly five times and then gave it a tight squeeze and exhaled with a growl. A bigger spot formed and I sucked in more of his salty juice.
"Yesss... ahhh," Navid hissed and pet my hair in approval. He pulled his cock back and pushed down his boxerbriefs. I had soaked them with my eager sucking. He slid them down his thighs and his fat shaft popped up to greet my lips. It loomed in front of me and I quickly dove in to suck him.
"My boy," he praised and his hand rested on my head. He gently brushed back my hair with his fingers and then gripped a chunk of it to guide me onto his cock. He pushed into me until he felt me gag, my throat is never used to his size. He pushed me back and my tongue rubbed back and forth across the underside of his shaft.
"Fuck yes, so good, my baby," Navid hummed as he started to pull me back on his cock and then nudge me away. He let go of my hair and his hand brushed down along my jaw. His thumb rubbed my cheek where his tip pushed it out.
I looked up his chest over his thick bush of dark pubic hair. Navid isn't much for body hair management. He is proud of his body and about the only thing he maintains is trimming his beard. I like his hair. It makes his hard, muscled chest soft to lay my head against. It makes his cheek prickly when he rubs it against me.
"Uhhh huh," Navid rumbled as his breathing picked up. His cock was at full mast and I was doing my best to please it. "So close," he said and started to push me off.
"Come, I need to taste my boy." Navid reached down between his legs and hooked his hands under my armpits. He lifted me up into his lap and I wrapped my arms around him. We kissed as his hands rubbed down to my ass. He gripped my cheeks and squeezed them as his tongue wrestled my own. He slid a finger inside my briefs and slowly rubbed my hole.
"Fuck..." he hissed. "It's always so tight for me. Open to me, Noah. I need you."
"Yes... sir," I whimpered as he started to push inside me.
"Let me help, my love. Lie down on tummy." Navid said as he kissed my neck. He pushed me over gently so I laid ass-up on the couch. I got up on all fours so he could do what he wanted. He pushed down my briefs and slid them off. He leaned into me and I felt his warm tongue slide inside my hole.
"Ahhhh... yes sir!" I yelped as I felt a wave of warmth spread through me. He rubbed my back and then pushed my chest down against the couch so he could get at it better.
"Mmmm," Navid said with his mouth full of me. He wiggled his tongue up into me and then made loops, circles, waves, fireworks with it. He did a full circus act to open my ring and make me melt into the couch cushions.
"Fuck... fuck... uhhhh... daddy... fuck me... yes sir," I mumbled a string of nonsense as I moaned, begged, whimpered at his expert touch. He knew his boy, knew how to make me feel perfection.
"Mmhmm," Navid nodded approval as I felt my cock rage harder and pulse at the waves of pleasure from his tongue. I felt his hand on my cock, he gave it a few soft pumps against his palm until it released its precum. He pushed his hands up to my lips and I slurped it off his palm.
He went to do it again. His tongue worked my hole as his hand slowly stroked my cock. He liked when I swallowed my own loads. Boys needed cum. Men needed to feed.
"Ahhh uh huh... yes... please sir... fuck me," I whined as he worked me from both ends. His tongue had loosened me up, but I was ready for the main act. I needed his thick, Persian snake inside me where it belonged. I needed to feel him, sweaty and pounding, in my arms and in my hole.
"Yes, Noah. I fuck you," he said as he slid his tongue out of me. "I give my boy what he begs for."
He raised up and I felt both of his thumbs push slowly inside me. I opened for him. He pulled gently at the ring to open me up. I looked back and up at his face as a long drizzle of spit formed from his lips.
He let it drop and I felt a warm wet glob land inside my hole where his thumbs pried it open. He nodded a smile of victory... bullseye.
He went down again and slurped up his spit as his tongue worked into me between his thumbs.
"Beautiful pussy, my baby," Navid beamed when he finished with me. He gave one quick kiss to my neck and then sat next to me on the couch.
He pulled me back into his lap. I faced him, ready for my prize. I felt his hard cock rising between my cheeks. I reached back and gripped the shaft. I slapped it against my hole and I raised up and down to rub his tip against me. Navid grabbed the little travel bottle of lube and his body gave a few quick jerks as I played with his cock.
"You feel so good, my Noah. I cannot last long at your touch," Navid said. He slicked up his cock and slimed my hole as he rubbed the tip against it.
"Please fuck me," I said and bit my lip while giving him the wide, blue-eye staredown he never rejected.
"Yes, you want this cock to breed you? You need your juicebox?" Navid growled. I laughed at that. He had some strange analogies sometimes.
"Uh huh, yes sir," I whined and pressed my lips into the side of his neck.
"You feel so good, Noah. I love you," he said as his cock began to sink into me. He had done his best and opened me to him so he could claim his prize with minimal resistance.
"Ahhh!" I muffled my pleasure into his shoulder as his thick arms slid around me and his cock forced its way inside. I smelled his cologne and sweat as his hand came to the back of my hair and pushed my deeper into his neck. I moaned against him while he pushed up into me and whispered appreciation into my ear.
"Fuck, Noah. I love this so much, feel so tight and made for me," he growled as he pushed deeper into me.
"Please... fuck... me," I whined as waves of pleasure crashed over me. He stuffed me with no remorse as his animal took over. One hand spread its fingers as it pushed up through my hair and gripped it while the other hand slid down to cup my ass and raise me up so I didn't get too much too soon. He was in control of his boy.
"Uhhhh," I gasped as he let me slide down on his fullness. He mumbled approval and some Persian words as his lips and teeth caressed my jaw.
"Yes, baby. Spread this for me, take me in," Navid growled. He pressed me into his chest, our heartbeats in deep conversation.
"Fuck! Fuck!," I whined each time he raised me up and let me slide back down his pole. I chewed on his shoulder while he supported me.
He kissed up my neck, rubbed his beard along my jaw, and then raised his eyes to meet mine as he started to pound me faster.
"Baby," he hissed as his cock throbbed and pushed inside me. Our lips locked as I bounced on him.
Our tongues wrestled until I pulled away as my cock was ready to fire off.
"I'm so close... I need to..." I whispered and Navid nodded approval.
"Cum for me, baby. Let me fuck the cum out of my boy," he gasped as his lips kissed down to my neck.
"Fuck yes," I moaned as my cock started to fire off. My body twisted and jerked as he pulled me in tightly. I fired a few shots up his stomach as my cock pushed along his furry, chiseled stomach.
"So... good... Fuck me, daddy!" I whined as my throat let out a desperate growl. I coated our chests with my cum as he started to fuck me with urgency. I felt his fat shaft swell bigger and stretch me as he closed in on his target.
"Uhhh Noah... I'm finish too," he said in a low voice. He pushed me down on his cock a little too far and I felt it throb inside me and hot spurts of his juice shoot deep into me. His tongue licked my ear as he howled in pleasure.
"Fuck that's... fuck... good," he admitted as his cock drove in deeper and filled me with his cream. We clung to each other, firing off and rubbing our bodies together in the slick, sticky sheen of my cum.
"Uhhhh," we moaned together as our bodies finished their last few shots.
We collapsed together onto the couch, spent, exhausted, and hungry.
+++
We found a nice restaurant inside the resort and Navid asked the hostess for a private booth. She said they were pretty busy, but she had a small one left for us.
She led us through the restaurant to this long row of tables broken up by a foot of space between each. On one side of each table was a long, padded bench running along the wall. The other side had chairs. I don't like that setup, but the place was packed. There must have been a convention at the resort. A lot of single adults in business casual dress filled the place.
Our table was surrounded on two sides by an L in the padded bench. Navid slid into one side and I was to his left on the end. It was like I was at the head of a very long table.
Our neighboring diners were four men who looked similar to Navid. They were dressed in button-up shirts and slacks. They had those disposable lanyards on with their names and titles. I tried to read them without staring.
"Salaam," one of them said to Navid with a nod. He didn't respond right away.
"That means hello in Arabic!" I said with a smile. I'd read that when I looked up information on the language. The man nodded towards me and returned my cheer.
"Yes, hello," Navid said. He put his hand on my thigh protectively under the table as though the men would jump on me and take me from him. I looked up to see his forced smile that said he wasn't happy with this situation. He didn't like me engaging strangers. In his tradition, only the "stronger one" engaged strangers. He also wanted our privacy, especially away from people of his home culture who might judge us.
Navid made polite conversation with the group in their language. He knows enough Arabic to function when he needs to and enough French to get me hard. I loved listening to him go on in a foreign language. I wish I understood some of it.
A waiter came and gave them their check. He turned to our table then and Navid ordered for both of us. I was surprised that he picked the exact thing I was looking at on the menu. The men handed the waiter their check and left shortly after.
"They seemed nice," I said when the group had gone.
"There is energy conference for their company. They are workers from Northern California," he noted. We finished our dinner quietly, the rush had died down so no one came to fill the table.
The next morning we slept in late and had room service brunch. We walked down the beach and into the little village. Navid said we needed to buy gifts to send to Iran.
"Is it a holiday?" I asked.
"No, Noah. There is wedding coming soon for my close cousin and two birthdays for my brothers. Also my father will have birthday next month. I send gifts to excuse my absence," Navid said.
"You wish you could be there?" I asked.
"I would want you with me... This would be difficult. Also I finish my degree so there is always possibility I could not return to here, to you. I cannot take the chance. People sometimes get stuck in Iran as way to control the people. We cannot afford for all the educated people to move away. They call this brain drain... But yes... I wish to be there for these things. They are my family," Navid said as we walked past the tourist shops.
"I'm sorry. I wish we could move there and be together with your family. I could live with you and your parents! Maybe I could learn Farsi since you never want to teach me." I said as Navid opened the door to a jewelry store off the main square.
"You are American. You can just visit Iran, not move. Plus you need a loyal Iranian to be with you at all times in my country. It's the law for tourists from USA," Navid said.
"I'd be with you. You never let me out of your sight here. Why would there be any different?" I laughed.
"Is not so simple, and your father is here. You think he will let me kidnap his only child to other side of world? He mentioned to me a few months ago that he was not comfortable with you going to Iran. I don't know why he thinks I would take you there... You think he will be ok with you move there?" Navid tried to sound like he was making a joke, but a deep sadness rang through his laugh.
"No... I don't know." I had no answers, but a salesman interrupted us with a pushy offer of assistance.
"Yes! Good morning. We need a few items for celebrations. Best quality items... two watches for young businessmen first, please... then necklace for a wedding... something we cannot find commonly in Los Angeles. Gold is best," Navid said to him in a tone of superiority.
"Oh! Right this way, sir!" the salesman straightened up. He led us past the counters, where a couple of tourists were haggling over a small chain, back to a small lounge area.
"Please! Relax here while I bring out a few selections!" The man waved his hand towards a leather couch with a large, low coffee table in front of it.
"I think he's going to try and sell you the whole store," I whispered to Navid as the man rushed away.
"He better. We don't dress so nicely for no reason. He takes us seriously," Navid said. We had on new clothes Navid had packed for us. I wondered why he hadn't packed any of the simple t-shirts and shorts I normally wore. We looked like Beverly Hills beach-goers.
The salesman came back with a helper carrying trays. They laid out nice watches while Navid tried them on and looked somewhat displeased. He was a negotiator. I usually played on my phone while he did this. I was raised that the price is the price, but Navid took pleasure in getting a better price for things. I was amazed when he ended up with two watches at a substantial discount.
They moved on to the necklace and the scene repeated until they threw in some nice earrings. Everything was nicely wrapped in small boxes with beautiful ribbon. Navid looked confident and happy as he took the bag and nudged me towards the door. We wandered the little village and looked in a few more shops.
"How will you get them to Iran?" I asked as we looked through a souvenir store.
"I have contact in Turkey. We send this to him and he takes to my family's home. Like a private UPS," Navid laughed.
"Couldn't you get in trouble for that? It sounds illegal," I asked.
"No, Noah. Nothing illegal... The authorities do not care for this. He is respectable traveler who does frequent business between Turkey and Iran so he goes unnoticed. We never send bad things, just family items," Navid said.
We were in a souvenir shop with standard California junk, but there was a table and glass case of handmade items near the cash register where an older lady with colorful clothes was folding t-shirts.
"Oh your mom would love this!" I said when my eyes fell on a pin inside the glass case. It was a small golden brooch in the shape of palm trees. The palm fronds were little emeralds. It could hold her scarf together. It wasn't expensive, but it was handmade by the store and I knew she would love it.
"Let's get for her! Anything you want. I can send with these items. She will like gift from you," Navid beamed at the thought of creating more goodwill between us.
The clerk saw us talking about it and came over to take it out. It felt solid, not cheap. It had a little tag that said it was $20.
"It's beautiful!" I said to the clerk and she nodded with that carefree beach vendor vibe.
"Thank you! I only made five of them. This was the last one," she noted with an artist's pride.
"Oh it's perfect! His mom wears scarves and she will love this," I said.
"It has a sturdy clasp. The vendor shut down last month so I can't make anymore until I find as good of quality," she said and turned the pin over so I could see the quality.
"What is best price on it?" Navid interrupted instinctively.
"Um, it's... 20 dollars," She said awkwardly and pointed to the price tag that dangled from it.
"Navid!" I whispered and tugged at his shirt, but he pressed on. He was making this about the price. It hit me the wrong way. We weren't in a high end shop with overpriced goods. The lady looked offended.
"Can you do $15?" Navid asked.
"No! Please... stop. I have money," I said. I pulled out my wallet and extended the spending cash Navid puts in there. I didn't want to insult her further.
"Noah, I have the cash. You do not need pay," Navid said and pushed my money back. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty. "Twenty dollars is ok... Tax is included, yes?"
"Uh... no... well... sure... it's fine," she said with a raised eyebrow of suspicion and turned to ring it up. She handed me my change and then wrapped it in tissue paper and put it inside a tiny gift bag with her artist's logo on it. She handed it to Navid who put it in my hand with a look of pride like he'd just won something.
I felt my pulse racing and had to get out of there. I thanked the lady and quickly left.
"I didn't want to do that! I had the money to pay for it without trying to talk her down. You can't do that everywhere," I fumed when we walked out of the store. I started walking quickly away from the scene of embarrassment.
"Why you don't want me to get better price?" Navid asked as he caught up to me.
"Because... I don't do that. It feels weird... I didn't grow up like that. We don't do that stuff here. This isn't Iran," I said. I looked away from him.
"But is good to negotiate things. We get good deal at jewelry store! They expect these things when is not big store, Noah. My mother will be proud if she knows you get good bargain for gift," Navid said. He stopped me outside a coffee shop and turned me towards him.
"I don't like that though... I want to buy something and have a nice experience, and... be nice to the clerk, and... everyone's happy, and we feel good about it. She made that and put work into it. It's her art... and you made her discount it. You made her cheapen it," I said angrily.
"But is good to bargain! You win! Is better to get good deal," Navid said, not understanding.
"I didn't want to win. I wanted to get something nice for your mom without having to fight for it. Not everything has to be a contest. We made her feel bad about her craft. It was embarrassing. You hurt her feelings and made me look like a rude person," I said with anger in my voice. I didn't want to yell, but I was upset about the encounter. It was awkward and I felt like we stole something.
"Oh..." Navid sounded ashamed as though he suddenly understood, but we walked on in silence.
"We eat here," Navid said softly and put his hand to my side to guide me into a cafe. We got a table and sat quietly, pretending to study the menu. We did talk when the waiter came, but only to him.
We were at a secluded table in the corner of the cafe. There were people at the tables around us, but there was a guy singing and playing guitar to drown out any noise... or silence.
"I embarrass you, Noah. What else does strange, Persian boyfriend do that embarrass you?" he asked as he took a bite of salad.
His tone was angry, sarcastic. I wasn't used to hearing him like that. The venom in his voice, it scared me. He was always so loving. If I did something to offend him he usually explained it sweetly and we made up quickly.
"You're mad at me?" I stated the obvious. I was mad at him too.
"I don't want to be," he said with a softer voice.
"That's..." I started to say something, but I got choked up. I felt my eyes tearing up, and I just looked at him and sniffled them back. He looked angry, but he softened his eyes when I met them. I set down the fork and reached into my pocket for my wallet.
"I need... to be alone." I took the money from my wallet and set it on the table. It was more than enough to cover the salads and water.
"Where you will go!?" Navid asked a little too loudly as I got up and started to leave. I didn't want to make things worse or have an argument in the cafe.
"Noah!" he called as I walked away.
I didn't run, I wasn't trying to escape, but I walked out of there and down the street as I heard him catching up to me.
"Noah!" he said as he caught up to me. He came in front of me and put his hand to my chest.
"Noah, you can't just walk from these things like a child! You are being selfish to just leave me like this and not eat your lunch!" Navid spoke with a flash of anger.
"You embarrass me once and you get upset about it! But you're embarrassed of ME all the time! You act like we're just friends or I'm just some white boy who tags along. You even told your parents that I was some lost orphan who needed your help! I'm just supposed to accept it! I'm supposed to be ok with it! I'm supposed to be the stronger one, right?" I said and felt the tears running down my cheek.
"You claim to be some big, strong man! But I'm the one who has to be tough and put aside his feelings so I don't embarrass you! Every single day you're ashamed of me, but you get offended when I ask one thing of you," I finished. I was gushing and ugly crying at that.
He looked stunned, speechless. I shoved his chest to move him out of my way. I pushed past him and walked down a side street that looked like it headed in the direction of our hotel. I just wanted to get back there and find a place to sit and think. I didn't want to be around him right now.
I made it to the end of the block and saw the ocean to my right. There were people down by the beach, but the trail to the hotel was deserted. He caught up to me again red-faced and breathing heavily.
"Noah, stop please!!" Navid yelled.
I stopped and turned to him, wiping my face with my sleeve.
"You think I embarrassed for you! How you can ever think this? Please don't cry, it is knife to my heart to see your tears, my precious prince," Navid begged. He balanced the bag of gifts in one hand and used the other to lift my chin to look at him.
"Please, I do anything for you stop crying. Come sit for me here?" Navid pointed to a bench in a little alcove off the trail that overlooked a cliff-drop down to the sand. I sat down and wiped my face with the sleeves of my shirt.
"Noah... I never am embarrass for you," Navid said as he squatted down in front of me and put his hands on my thighs. I knew he was conscientious of people seeing us like this, but he needed to touch me.
The little town we had just walked through had a half-dozen rainbow flags and there was a good amount of gay and lesbian couples walking the streets, but he didn't take note of that.
"Everyone I care about who meets you know you are too good for me. My father even say you should not put up with me!" Navid laughed as I sniffled a half smile.
"Just last night though. You got embarrassed and tense to be with me in front of those strangers. We're supposed to be here celebrating our first year together... our love," I said.
"Is not for you! Is embarrass of myself that I care too much what they think. Is never for your fault. My baby, never think this!" Navid was squatted between my legs and laid his head on my thigh. He didn't care who was watching. He wanted to comfort me, comfort himself with my touch.
"You can't let other people shape how you live your life... I'm pretty sure you told me that as advice! Besides, this is California, gays run this place! If anyone said anything rude to us in LA there would be ten angry strangers taking up for us and shaming them. Even my father would jump in," I laughed.
"You will forgive me?" Navid asked humbly and kissed my knee. He widened his eyes and batted those long, black lashes sheepishly.
"If you forgive me... I'm never embarrassed of you. I just... I didn't mean to hurt your feelings at the store. I just wanted to feel good about getting something for your mother. She's so warm and sweet to me... I wanted to get her something nice to say thank you," I said.
"You did, my love. She will wear it so pretty," Navid assured and scraped his beard back and forth against my knee. I pushed his dark, fluffy hair back.
"You're so handsome," I whispered.
"I am hot? I am irresistible sex machine for you?," Navid nodded sheepishly.
I laughed, nodded, leaned down, and his lips raised to meet mine.
"We had a fight. We never fight," I said.
"I hate it. Make my stomach twist in a knot to see you upset and feel upset to you," Navid shook his head. "Is not possible to fight with prince who holds my heart."
"Well we can makeup if you want... maybe have some sex," I said with the sudden realization that I needed to be naked with him to feel back to normal.
"We can go back to hotel now and have make-better sex?" Navid asked with eager lips.
"Always," I laughed. He got to his feet and took my hand. He carried the bag in one hand and held mine with the other. We headed back to the hotel to finish our weekend.
+++
We were almost home when my cousin called which was odd since she hadn't called me in years and I hadn't seen her since the last time my dad took me to my aunt's house for dinner. We were just getting back into the city when I answered.
"Noah! Oh thank God! I need your help," she said with panicked breath. I thought someone must have died, but she told me she had a bridal shower in LA and my aunt was supposed to watch her son. An emergency had come up and her trusted friends were going to the shower too so she had no one to sit with Dylan for the night. We didn't know where his father was.
I put her on mute to ask Navid what he thought.
"She is family, Noah! You never get the chance to help. How can we say no? Tell her of course we help!" he insisted. We didn't have plans so I told her sure.
I don't know why she asked me. Dylan was three and I usually entertained him when we visited, but it wasn't like we saw each other regularly. She must have been desperate for help. She had always been nice to me and was happy for me when I had told her I was dating Navid.
I was glad that I left the house clean. Everything looked ok when we got home, but I still rushed around to straighten up. She showed up thirty minutes later and deposited the shy boy on our couch with a bag of toys and clothes.
"Thank you guys so much! You are a lifesaver! What a beautiful place! Oh Noah he's very handsome!" She said and made flirty eyes at Navid.
"If there's any problem at all just call me and I'll come rushing back. He's a good sleeper and he'll eat whatever you make for dinner. I promise he won't be any trouble," she said. I turned to Dylan who looked around with apprehension.
"He will be fine! We'll take care of him. I'll make something special for dinner!" I put on a brave smile. Navid had younger siblings, but there were women to take care of them. He hadn't been solely responsible for them.
She went through a quick list of information with us and then gave Dylan a hug and told him she would see him tomorrow.
"Tomorrow?" I asked not realizing it was an overnight event.
"No, tonight! It's just that he will be asleep by the time I come to pick him up tonight! If I tell him tonight then he won't go to sleep and he'll be cranky when I get here... I'm already late for the first event! Lunch in Beverly Hills! Thank you! Be good, Dylan!" She yelled and ran off to catch her friends.
"Is there a game you like?" Navid said to Dylan, but the boy turned his head to me and stretched out his arms.
"He's really shy," I offered and went to give Dylan a hug and see what toys his mother had sent in the big bag.
Navid just shrugged. He had some business emails to catch up on so he sat at the table on his laptop while I helped Dylan unpack a box of Legos on the floor. I put on a cartoon channel and helped him build a stack of the plastic blocks.
When Navid finished his work, I asked him to sit with Dylan while I went to make lunch. He reluctantly sat on the carpet while I headed off to the kitchen. I found a box of macaroni in the pantry and made some turkey meatballs to go with it. It seemed kid friendly.
I came back out with the food and set it on the table as I watched Navid building an elaborate house from the legos. Dylan watched with amazement and I listened to Navid telling him a story about the house. He said it was magic and granted wishes. He went through a whole suspenseful story as Dylan looked at him with rapt attention, mouth agape.
I froze in awe of him as he entertained Dylan and made him feel at ease. I'd never seen him that way. He was so good with him, a natural father, and it melted my heart. I waited for him to finish before announcing that lunch was ready. Dylan jumped up and grabbed Navid by the arm.
"You can sit by me, ok!" Dylan announced and Navid pretended as though he was being dragged over to the dining table. I set down bowls of macaroni and cheese with the meatballs in front of them. I had cut Dylan's into small pieces since I remembered he wasn't a good chewer. Navid sat at the head of the table and talked with Dylan as we ate.
It was easy to let my mind wander to thoughts of us having a little family of our own someday. I pictured it just like this. Us sitting with our child, maybe a few boys. They would look just like him and speak English and Persian. He would be such a good father, good provider.
We finished lunch and I cleaned up while Navid and Dylan settled in on the couch to watch a cartoon. Dylan was telling him about all the characters and Navid kept asking questions like he was genuinely interested. I laughed when Navid overreacted in amazement to every fact Dylan told him about the show.
I came back out after finishing the kitchen to find Dylan curled up next to him around a pillow. Navid had draped a blanket over him and tucked it around him securely. He was sound asleep with a peaceful smile. I was amazed at how quickly Navid had gotten him to nap.
"How did you do that? He hates naps." I pointed towards Dylan with a questioning look, but Navid just shrugged and turned back to the sports channel. I sat next to Navid and pretended to be interested in the latest soccer updates and team trades. He put his arm around me and I pushed into his side until I fell asleep too. He was the nap magician.
A few hours later, Navid woke me and handed me a notepad.
"He will need food tonight. I will go buy this while you stay with the baby. Ok? Write down what we will need for the dinner and whatever you wish. I don't know what babies eat," Navid said. He never went to the store without me, but we didn't have a carseat for Dylan.
I wrote down a few things and asked him to get a movie for us out of the machine. He left me to play with Dylan while he went to the store to get some things for our dinner and rent a kid's movie for us to watch. He came home and took Dylan out to the little backyard to kick the soccer ball around for awhile while I made dinner. He showed him tricks he could do with it.
We had a nice evening and Navid even seemed to enjoy the cartoon movie we watched. I got Dylan ready for bed and tucked him into the guest bedroom where he could sleep until his mom came to get him. I laid next to him and talked to him until he fell asleep. He was worried about his mom coming, but I promised she wanted him to try and sleep before she came. Navid watched me from the doorway.
We went back downstairs and watched TV quietly until my cousin came back to pick him up. She thanked us as Navid carried him out to her car and buckled him in his car seat.
"You two are so great! Thank you! You're so cute together. I'm happy for you, Noah. I really am," She said. We hugged and she drove off into the night.
+++
"You were so good with him, Noah. I am proud of you," Navid said when he locked the door and started to turn off lights.
"I've helped out with him before when we were visiting them. I even changed his diaper a few times," I said with a scrunched face.
"You are so good take care of him. He knows he is safe with you. Now your cousin will want us help with him," Navid laughed.
"I know... I hope you didn't have anything planned tonight. Next time I'll tell her..." I started to say.
"We will help. Is good practice for future when we are parents. You never know where life can lead," Navid said. He pulled me in for a kiss.
We went upstairs to get ready for bed. I put on pajamas while Navid stripped down to a pair of boxers.
We settled into bed and he pulled out his phone to open the questions app again. He handed it to me and told me to get back to that couple's quiz we were working on.
"Number five... Was our relationship more exciting when we first met than it is now?" I asked with a sigh.
"Exciting more now! I was so nervous and worry when we first start. You are so young and feelings so fragile. You do not trust me back then. I had to prove my love for you. But now... I get so excited when I think of us now because I know we are perfect for life. I get to see future for us, bigger house, nicer things, beautiful children to come home to," Navid said.
"Wait! You want children?" I wandered off of the question I'd asked.
"With you, yes! Of course. I was sure of it before, but seeing you with the boy today... you are a natural caretaker. You will be perfect for our children. It is so beautiful to see you take care of a tiny life. You did everything so nice. He was never scared," Navid said.
"You were pretty good too. It just seemed so natural for you when you played with him. You made him love you and kept him entertained. You're going to be the best dad ever," I said.
"With you as the mothering figure, being the father will be simple. You are so caring and know what the baby needs. You will be perfect," Navid praised. He kissed my cheek without seeing any sort of problem with implying that I would be the mother.
"Wait! Why do I have to be the mother? Why can't you be the mother?" I pushed against his chest.
"Because my nipples are too hairy. You want the baby to get a hairball when I try to feed him?" Navid laughed and tried to tickle me until we just wound up kissing and he pinned me back against the pillows.
"Ok fine. But I don't want them calling me mom. I can be daddy and you can be Persian daddy... or whatever that word is," I said and realized I needed to learn more Persian.
"We say Baba... or Pedar," Navid offered, happy to be the language helper. He rarely offered to teach me Persian. It seemed unimportant to him that I learned any of it.
"Baba. I like that! Baba, baba," I repeated several times and kissed up his nose.
"Shall we try to get you pregnant? You will look so beautiful with baby inside you. Your little belly will carry my children?" He asked with a look of intent.
"I wish I could... I would have a house-full of children for you, but I can't... I'm a boy," I said and pulled away from his side. I regretted this topic.
"Noah, it was joke! Of course you are boy... and growing into handsome man that I love more every day. I see your cock. I like it." Navid pulled me back to his chest.
"I know but... I can't get pregnant." I laid my head against his heartbeat.
"I know how babies are made. I don't need it to come from your womb to know it can have your beautiful soul and perfect light. Our children will have the love we put into them, the warm family we make for them. You will be perfect parent to them. They will adore you. We worry about a womb later," Navid said.
"They would have to be mine or yours though... right? We can't smoosh the sperm together?" I asked.
"No, they would be ours! Always ours! There are ways, Noah. Karim tells me of this. He will help. He does not want his own children, but for a time he and Mike consider this. We can get Persian eggs and decide which sperm to use first. We can have many if you will take care of them," Navid said seriously. He had been thinking about this for awhile.
"I would want to use yours. You are so handsome. Plus, If our babies were yours, your parents would have to accept them..." I said.
"I don't know, Noah..." Navid sighed.
"They will! They love you and they love me. They will come around. I'll make them. They will love their grandchildren," I assured.
"That is true... I hope that will be true. We will fix it. They will love them. How can they deny their own blood... " he said and trailed off in deep thought. He was unsure.
"Question six?" I asked and tried to change the subject.
Navid nodded.
"How do I sleep?" I read the question.
"You sleep like dead body most night. Sometime I will put fingers under your chin to check for the heartbeat. Some nights you talk a little," Navid laughed.
"I do? Like what?" My dad had told me before that I talked in my sleep.
"Is not always easy to understand. You call my name sometimes. At first when we share bed I think you need me or need something so I answer, but now I know you just dream of me," Navid said happily and kissed my forehead.
"I always dream of you," I assured.
"And me? I snore and it keep you awake, yes?" Navid asked.
"No, I love your snoring. It lulls me to sleep. It means that everything is safe. The doors are locked and the world is at peace when you snore. I love sleeping with my head on your heartbeat and you get so warm at night. It feels good on me. I get so cold when I nap without you," I noted.
"I don't wake you up? Sometimes in the night I wake up with hunger for you. You let me rub you, touch where I need to. I kiss all over you and get my fill so I sleep again. I never want anyone else in my bed. You are all I need." Navid let a hand slip down to cup my ass and squeeze it.
"Next question?" I asked.
"No, it is time for sleep, time to hold my little love and dream together," Navid said and brought me into his heartbeat. He took his phone back and put it on silent before setting it on the nightstand. He pulled the covers up over us and kissed me before we drifted off.
+++
tarzanacide@gmail.com