Vengeance, ch. 7 (M/M, anal)
by einhard
PLEASE NOTE: This story is fiction from beginning to end. The characters don't exist, and the stuff they do, never happened.
Leo and Radu, December 23d:
Leo stood at the door waiting nervously. He tried to remember Radu's mom from the old days, but found he couldn't. The visit to the bishop had taken a lot out of him, and right at the moment he felt empty. So, he imagined a classic "grandma" type: 5 feet tall, white hair in a bun, wearing an old-fashioned dress. Thus, when a dark-haired, slim woman, taller than himself, opened the door, nothing connected. He simply had no idea who this person could be.
"Mom!" said Radu, with obvious delight in his voice, and bent down to kiss her on the cheek.
"Radu", answered the woman in a measured voice, looking over at Leo.
"Oh! This is Leo Ghiberti. Maybe you remember him, he used to live next door."
"Of course! The older Ghiberti boy. Pleased to meet you again, Leo." Mrs Mirkovic extended a shapely, manicured hand.
"Err, yes. I mean, hello, uhm, Mrs Mirkovic."
"Please, call me Vera. Otherwise I'd have to call you "Mr Ghiberti", and I really don't like being so formal."
"Oh! Oh, yes. I mean, I'm sorry, Mrs...Vera."
"Well, are you two boys coming in, or should we all stay out here in the cold?"
All three of them stepped inside, and the two men got out of their overcoats. After they were seated in the living room, Leo plucked up his courage and spoke to the woman who was still calmly looking him over.
"I'm sorry if I seemed a little distant just now, err, Vera. I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that this morning has taken quite a bit out of me, and...uhm... your appearance startled me."
"It did?" Vera raised both eyebrows. "Actually, I'm rather pleased with my appearance. It doesn't usually startle people."
Leo went deep red.
"No, no! Please don't misunderstand me. It was just that I somehow expected an older, frailer woman. You know, the grandmother type."
"Did you, indeed? And how do you know that I'm not a grandmother many times over?"
"Well, I...I guess I don't, but I thought Radu was an only child, and, err..."
Radu tried to hide the expression on his face, but to no avail. The obvious embarrassment of his lover caused him to burst out laughing.
"Oh, mom! You really shouldn't tease him like that. It's not fair!"
"But I like teasing people, Radu. You know that."
Leo looked from one to the other in obvious confusion. Then, redder still, he lowered his gaze to the floor.
"Oh, look! Now he's really embarrassed. Mom, you are a fiend!" Radu got up, walked the three steps over to Leo, got on his knees and kissed him full on the lips.
"Wh...?"
Both Mirkovics burst out laughing. Leo, who by now was the color of a ripe tomato, just sat there.
"It's perfectly all right, Leo", said Vera. "Radu told me he had met you, and that he was in love. He didn't say it in so many words, but he didn't have to. And I do love teasing people. Especially when they respond as well as you did. Now, come over here and hug your mother-in-law."
She got up and opened her arms. When Leo came over, she grabbed him and squeezed tightly. As she released him, she laughed again and gave him a kiss on the forehead.
"Tod zwischen den Brüsten!" mother and son exclaimed loudly.
"I'm sorry?"
"It doesn't matter. It's just something an old friend of mine in Germany likes to say. She has this habit of hugging people really hard. It means "Death between the breasts", which in her case is a very real risk." Vera's eyes twinkled with mirth.
"Wow!" Leo shook his head. "But what...I mean, how? How did you know Radu and I were...lovers? I mean, we only met again two days ago, and it wasn't until last night that we...uhm..." Leo blushed again.
"He called me after the game two nights ago, and then he told me about you. >From the rather gushing report he gave of you, it wasn't hard to figure out that this wasn't just any old friend. And the way he's been looking at you since you arrived here...I do know my son. We are, after all, old acquaintances, he and I."
"Plus Mom is just about the most direct person in the world. She doesn't know the meaning of words like "tact" or "finesse"."
"When you're a journalist, tact and finesse are positive drawbacks. Especially when you're a reviewer, like me. You should know that, Radu, I've..."
"You've told me often enough, I know. You're a bulldozer, you are."
"Really? Just for that, you can go down to the basement and think a bit about how sons should talk to their mothers. And while you're down there, get some chocolate cake out of the freezer."
Radu obediently trotted off, leaving Leo and Vera together.
"Now, Leo. You're not going to prove me wrong, are you? You will give my son all the love he needs and wants from you? I know I came on strong just now, but the thing is, he's been rather unhappy in his personal life for some time. And then, when I heard him talking about you on the phone...Well, I began to hope. Your arrival here today seemed the confirmation I needed. You know, the two of you might just as well start wearing big neon signs saying "We're in love!". That's how obvious you are."
"Hmm. You're right about us being in love, Vera, but I really can't think it's that obvious. Maybe you're just an extra perceptive person." What Leo kept to himself, was the thought that maybe his namesake had somehow visited Vera, too. He sure hoped that not everybody they met, would start making loud proclamations about him and Radu being in love.
"I'm glad, Leo. Glad that Radu has found someone to love him and to receive all the love I know he has to give. And it's nice to know he found himself such an articulate and gifted boyfriend, too."
"How do you know I'm gifted and articulate?"
"I am a literary reviewer, Leo. I've read and reviewed all your books. Most of them favorably, too. Except the second one. That was a bit below par. But you really excelled in the last one. That Jenny Lipinsky is one very interesting woman. I'm amazed that a man is able to create such a credible female character. Do you make a lot of money out of your writing?"
"I do okay. It pays the mortgage, puts food on the table and clothes on my back. Two years ago, after the third book came out, I was able to get out of my job as a sports reporter and write full time. The fourth one has done quite well, and the publishers are planning a big marketing campaign for the new book. They're even working on translated versions. German and Spanish first. Plus, they'll be promoting all the books in Britain and Australia."
"My, my! Maybe you'll be richer than Radu soon."
"Well, yeah. I've been wondering about that. Just how rich is he?"
"He's got lots of money, but he's still human. I mean, he's no Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. He's approaching the two million dollar mark. I'm guessing you play in a different league. So far, anyway."
Leo nodded. "My collective assets are something like 150 000. I hope that won't be a problem."
"If you can just manage to let your male ego rest a bit, I'll make sure my son keeps his head screwed on right. I've taught him to be proud of who he is and of his achievements, not of how much he owns. If he forgets those lessons, I'll remind him."
"Somehow I feel you won't have a problem getting your meaning across." Leo smiled.
"Of course not. I'm his mother, and I don't let him forget it." Vera smiled, too, but the determination in those steel grey eyes was evident. Leo remembered that Radu's dad had died before the family moved to his neighborhood. Radu must have been very young at the time, and as far as he knew, there was very little family except Radu and his mom. In fact, he'd never heard about grandparents, uncles or aunts. Which meant Vera was probably a single mother. She seemed to have coped.
"Speaking of Radu...He seems to be taking his time down there", said Leo, looking round.
"Of course. He's a bright boy who can take a hint."
"You mean you sent him away so you could have a word with me in peace?"
"Yes."
Leo chuckled. "Remind me not to get on the wrong side of either of you. If you team up against me, I'll be toast."
"Just you remember that, young man! But here is the stick insect now. Let's have tea and cake!"
The next two hours were spent eating cake and chatting amicably. Vera proved to be a very witty person, and she had no problems keeping them entertained. To Leo's delight, Radu turned out to be knowledgeable and well-informed on all sorts of topics, too. Even if Radu was ten years younger and a hunky sports star, Leo could see that he'd be teamed up with a guy who was at least his intellectual equal.
Stepping out into the wintry sunshine, they decided to walk back to Radu's place rather than take a cab.
"Think you can keep up, shorty?" asked Radu with a smile.
"If I can't, you'll just have to give me a piggy-back ride, won't you?"
"No way! You're much too heavy."
"Am not! I'm only 180 lbs. With all your muscle, you must be at least 50 lbs heavier. You could carry me easily."
"If you wanna know, I'm 260 lbs. And my muscles aren't that big."
"But very nice. Not at all a stick insect."
"You think so? And who's been calling me a stick insect?"
"Your mother called you that. And to answer your first question: Yes, I do. And not just your muscles, either."
"Stop it! Now you're making me blush."
"Oh, dear! We can't have that, can we? I can just see the headlines: "Basketball star blushes in public". Your career would be ruined."
"Moron! Here, take that!"
Leo felt a hand grabbing his collar, and after two seconds Radu dropped a generous amount of snow down on the inside.
"Ow! That's not fair! Your arms are so long I don't stand a chance."
"Too bad, little man. Let's see if you can run."
Radu turned and sprinted off, with Leo giving chase. They kept it up for five minutes, until both were standing on the busy sidewalk, bent over with their hands on their knees, breathing heavily. People were giving them odd looks, causing both to giggle like maniacs.
"Come on! Let's go home and see if we can't have some more fun", called Leo.
"Did you say "home", Leo?"
"I...I guess I did."
"Meaning my place?"
"Well, yeah. I didn't mean to...I mean, I'm sorry if..."
"Don't be. It made me very happy. And I think I know about something fun we can do, too. So let's go."
"Yeah, let's."
The bishop, December 24th:
Bishop Flanagan was tired. If anyone had been there to see him, that fact would have been obvious.
"All right, I've finished. Now I've got four copies. Satisfied?" The bishop was talking out loud, his eyes turned to the empty chair facing his desk.
"All of them? How about I just send the one to the Archbishop? I'm sure he can deal with it. The church has experience in matters like these."
Pause.
"What the fuck do you mean? I'm a bishop of the Holy Mother Church; I don't have to stand for this...Aaaaah!" The bishop clutched his temples in obvious agony. After a minute he let go and, breathing heavily, he opened his eyes again.
"Look, I know the Bible says that only the forgiveness of those you have sinned against and the forgiveness of God matters. But the church have dealt with things like this for centuries. Can't we please leave it in the hands of the Archbishop? In fact, I'm sure he'll consult with the cardinals, maybe even the Curia in Rome. The Pope, even. Yes, that's how we'll do it. The cardinals, the Curia, the Pope. That will be enough, surely."
There was silence. The bishop seemed deep in thought, and at first, the look on his face was entirely impassive. Then, slowly, his eyes widened, his lower jaw dropped, his complexion reddened, and after a while, all of him was shaking. This went on for a couple of minutes, then some more silence.
"That's what he showed me this morning. Leonardo Ghiberti. He said it was a vision of Hell. And now you..." The bishop shook his head.
"I don't believe you!" he screamed suddenly, standing up. "It's all some devilish trick! You're no angel, you're...Aaaaahhh!" On his way round the desk, the bishop stopped dead in his tracks, as if he'd hit a wall. Again, he clutched his temples, sinking to his knees. The screaming stopped, only to be replaced by a piteous, whimpering sound. After a few minutes, the bishop relaxed a little, but didn't get up.
"I tell you, I can't do it!" he said, almost with a sob. "I can't handle the shame, the...No, I can't do it."
He turned his face to the chair again, a pleading look on his face.
"It's not good enough? Well, then fuck you! Fuck your master! I hate you! Go to hell, all of you!"
The desklamp, the only light in the room went out. An outside observer would not have been able to see the bishop slump lifelessly forward, nor would he have seen the four envelopes and their contents vanish from the desk. It all happened in the dark.
Leo and Radu, December 24th:
Radu woke up, feeling refreshed and happy. Not only happy, he was positively beaming to himself, as if the day was destined to be one of play and merriment. He could see, hear and feel Leo sleeping soundly. Not a big surprise; the distance between them was no more than six inches. He was so beautiful!
Radu rolled over on his back, recalling the night before. After they'd been to see his mom, they'd returned home, eager to explore each other some more. They'd been interrupted, though. Calvin, Radu's team-mate, had called to invite him to supper. The invitation had been extended to Leo, as well, and the two of them had decided to get some Christmas shopping done before they had to be off. Leo hadn't brought any clothes that were appropriate for social occasions, and he wanted to look good for Radu's friends. And when that was done, Radu had suggested that they buy engagement rings for themselves. The old lady who served them, had raised her eyebrows a bit when she heard the rings were for the two men themselves, but as they each lifted a hand with a ring on it, intertwining their fingers and kissing, right there in the store, well, Radu couldn't be sure, but he distinctly thought she was wiping tears from her eyes. Another young couple had applauded. Leo, of course, had done his celebrated lobster impression. But it felt good to be wearing Leo's ring. Oh, so good. They had waited to have the engraving done, and had taken the rings with them. The text was simple: "Leo and Radu, December 24th, 2000 - ¥".
The little party at Calvin's house had been a bit awkward at first. Calvin, at Radu's advice, had finally come out to his parents, and they were both there, along with his sister and her husband. Everything had been stiff and strained for a while. Until Calvin's mother, obviously the head of the family, had found out Leo was the author of the Jenny Lipinsky books. It wasn't long before she had thawed completely. Before the end of the meal, Leo's charm, her obvious admiration of him, along with generous helpings of wine, had her giggling like a teenager. Calvin's father seemed to go along with everything his wife said and did, and had not given any trouble at all. The other two had kept quiet. What Radu didn't know, was that they were both in awe of him, of Radu. Celia, Calvin's sister, had started leaking in her panties at the mere sight of him, while her husband, James, could only think about how he was sitting there, having supper with an NBA star.
After the meal, the coffee and the cognacs, they had played games, just like a family gathered for Christmas.
It had been late before Radu and Leo returned home, and both had been really tired. Pleasantly tired. But not so tired they went straight to sleep. Radu reached back to feel his ass. Still moist and sticky. Leo had taken him, slowly, gently. Radu had lain on his side, allowing the hard, thick penis to pierce him, to fill him up, to take possession of him. Leo had fucked him, and it had been so right, so tender, so loving, so...beautiful. As the older man had orgasmed inside him, Radu was sure that nothing would ever feel so good, ever again. Now, in the morning, he wasn't so sure. Maybe everything would just go on, their love and their enjoyment of each other, bodily and otherwise, growing stronger and stronger. Yes, that would be the way, surely.
He himself hadn't orgasmed, but who cared? There was no hurry. But right now, he surely needed to hurry, or else he'd wet the bed.
As gently as he could, he got up, not disturbing Leo. Completely naked, his half-hard penis leading the way, he found the bathroom and relieved himself. On the way back to bed, something in the living room caught his eye. A light. Funny, he was sure every lamp had been put out the night before. He opened the door, and had the shock of his life. A man was sitting there! And he was shining! No lamp had been lit; the light radiated from this person.
"Hello, Radu. We meet at last. I'm Leonardo. And I don't know if you've noticed, but you're naked."
This story is copyrighted by me, einhard. (c) March, 2001. All rights reserved.
Any comments? You can mail me at: einhard@excite.com