Disclaimer:
The following story is the next installment in an on going series about Stephen Gately from Boyzone and what I imagine to be the story behind the beginning of his relationship with Eloy de Jong from Caught in the Act. I have no contact with either person, nor know any of the members of either group.
Cheers!
Musicfan
Stephen felt that the next week crawled by as he waited to go on his trip to Amsterdam. He was ready to go long before the day came and he was itching to just get on the plane and go. The rest of the lads teased him mercilessly. He didn't mind it really, because they meant well. On the night before he was to head off, Keith gave him all sorts of advice. He laughed most of it off. But it was sweet of Keith to stay behind and keep him company the last couple of days. The rest of the lads had scooted off when their work was done. Stephen really couldn't blame them. They got so little time as it was.
"You going to be okay, going off by yourself?" Keith asked as they sat in the bar together.
"I'll be fine," Stephen assured him. "E's going to meet me at the other end, so all I have to do is get myself on the plane. Not a problem at all."
"Well, it is a foreign country and everything," Keith said, looking concerned.
"Yeah, it is. Not like we haven't been there in the past, either." Stephen laughed. "No need to worry at all. But thanks for thinking of me." He sat back in his chair and swirled his beer around in his glass. "Not much longer now."
"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine," Keith said. He had a few shot glasses lined up in front of him and was stacking them on top of each other.
"I think so," Stephen assured him. "Hey, thanks for hanging out with me. Though you could have gone home, you know."
"It's okay," Keith said. "Lisa's fine with it. I'll be home for a whole month, so she'll probably be climbing the walls by the time that's done." They both laughed at the image.
"Well, speaking of climbing the walls, I think I better climb back upstairs to bed," Stephen said with a yawn. "When do you fly out tomorrow?"
"First thing in the morning. I'm going to surprise Lisa at the store. She doesn't know I'm coming in." Keith said with a grin.
"Ah, sweet." Stephen said. "Make sure you pick her up something nice for when you get there."
"Oh, good idea!" Keith said. "I'll get something in the duty free. Probably should get something for Jordan, too."
"Yeah, you should. He misses you so." Stephen told him. "Reminds me I should pick up something for my nephews before I head back home, too." He finished off his beer and stood up. "I'm for bed. You coming?"
"I suppose," Keith said amiably. He got up and knocked his glasses over. Stephen helped him pick them up off the floor and put them back on the table before leaving money on the table for their barman. They made their way upstairs to their rooms and bid each other goodnight. Keith wished him luck on his trip as he headed down to his room.
"Thanks," he said as he opened the door and entered his room. It felt awfully quiet after the noise of the pub. He turned on the television for some background noise. After flipping through the channels for a bit, he shut it off and decided to call his sister.
The phone rang a few times before Alan picked up. "Hello?"
"Hey Alan, its Stephen. How are ya?" Stephen said. He sat down on the bed and leaned against the headboard.
"Not too bad, Stephen. How about yourself?" Alan asked.
"Can't complain," Stephen said.
"You'll be looking for the missus. Let me get her." Alan said. At Stephen's assent, he called upstairs to where Michelle was giving Jordan a bath. She got up and picked up the extension in the hall.
"Hi honey," she said. "Are you all set for tomorrow?"
"Just about. Still have to pack my stuff, but I don't have too much anyhow. I think I'll just bring a small carry on bag and leave my stuff in storage until I head back home." Stephen said. He could hear Jordan splashing in the background as Michelle stood in the doorway to watch over him while she chatted. "It's a bit late. What's Jordan doing in the bath at this time of night?"
"Ah, well, we had a bit of an exciting day and I'm just trying to let him wind down," Michelle said. "You all alone there in the hotel now?"
"Well, Keith's still here, but he's flying out in the morning. He's planning on surprising Lisa." Stephen laughed softly. "You know, I think he's more nervous about my trip than I am!"
"He's a grand friend you know," Michelle said. "One of the best."
"Yeah, he is," Stephen replied. "He always looking after me on the road. And I do appreciate it."
"I know you do. Listen hon, are you going to be able to call me when you get in tomorrow? Just to let me know you arrived safely and all?" Michelle tried to mask her concern about Stephen's trip. She knew he was nervous about meeting Eloy's family.
"Of course I will," Stephen assured her.
"Good. I just want to know that everything goes off the way you want it," she said.
"Well, I can hope. And his mother does sound like a lovely person. She'd have to be, though, being his mam and all." Stephen said with a chuckle.
"Of course," Michelle laughed. "Make sure you remember everything that happens so you can share it with me, you know!" That got Stephen laughing as he pictured her wanting to know every single detail of his weekend away. As their laughter died down he could hear his nephew chattering away.
"I should let you go before Jordie turns into a prune," Stephen said.
"Yes, I suppose so," Michelle acknowledged with a sigh. "He is a bit of a wrinkled old man at the moment. Hold on a sec while I get him out of the tub and you can say goodnight to him."
"Alright," Stephen agreed. He heard her put down the phone and smiled as he heard the noises of Jordan getting out of the bath and Michelle tickling him as she dried him off. After a couple of moments she let him know who was on the phone waiting for him and the sound of a squeal echoed in the bathroom as Jordan ran to the phone.
"Uncle Steve!" He yelled as he picked it up. Stephen winced. He had been a bit slow in getting the phone away from his ear in time.
"Hey Jordan. How are ya?" Stephen asked as he brought the receiver back to his ear.
"Good! Guess what? I had a lot of fun today! First Timmy's mommy took us to a tinker circus that was in town and we saw all sorts of people dressed up as clowns and stuff. It was really neat. They let us put on all sorts of stuff and act like clowns, too. But even better was when Mommy and I went down to the park today and guess what we saw? There was this really big horse in the park with a policeman on it. It was really really really tall and the policeman let me ride his horse!"
"Wow, he did?" Stephen made the appropriate appreciative noises to let Jordan know how impressed he was. "Was it scary?"
"Nope!" Jordan crowed. "It was neat. I think I want to be a policeman so I can have a horse like that and chase all the bad guys away."
Stephen leaned back against the headboard as he listened to his nephew chatter on. "I think you'd make a really good policeman. And I bet you'd have the best horse, too."
"Yup!" Jordan agreed. He talked about the rest of the day and asked his uncle when he was going to come home for a visit.
"Well, that's the news I have for you," Stephen replied. "You'll be seeing me this weekend." Jordan's shout of delight at the news brought a grin to his face.
"Are you going to come stay with us instead of grandma and grandpa?" Jordan asked excitedly.
"Do you want me to?" Stephen asked, all the time knowing the answer.
"Yup! Then we can go to the park together and we can go to the beach and see the fish and maybe have a picnic, and play games together and have a ball!" Jordan said.
"That sounds pretty neat. I think if your mam says I can that I'd like to do that." Stephen laughed as Jordan nearly dropped the phone in his excitement. He could hear Jordan begging his mom for him to stay with them. Michelle played her part well, pretending to consider it for a while before assenting.
"She said yes!" Jordan said.
"Oh, grand!" Stephen said. He found himself really looking forward to going home. There was so much he felt he was missing with being on the road so much. "Well let me chat with mam for a bit so I can work out the details. You get yourself to bed and before you know it, I'll be home for a visit."
Jordan eagerly agreed and after saying goodnight he handed the phone over to his mother and padded off in the direction of his room.
Michelle laughed softly into the phone. "Can you call every night and do that? That's the easiest I've ever gotten him to go to bed. He probably thinks that if he goes early that you'll get here faster."
Stephen chuckled. "Yeah, I bet. He was so funny about the horse, too."
"Oh, he's been talking about that ever since it happened. It was a bit of an ugly brute if you ask me, though." Michelle said as she cleaned up the bathroom. "But it certainly made an impression, didn't it?"
"That it did," Stephen agreed. He glanced at the clock and was surprised with how early it still was. He and Keith had started out early in the pub and it had felt a lot later than it actually was.
"I should run, sweetie. Lord knows what my little boy is up to at the moment. I should go tuck him in and get Alan to read him a story."
"Ah, all right," Stephen said. "Well, I'll give you a call tomorrow when I get a chance."
"You will call, won't you?" Michelle asked. She hated it when he didn't call when he promised. Mainly because she'd be dying of curiousity if he didn't.
"Yes, Shel." Stephen said. "I promise."
"Okay then. Are you going to call Eloy now?" She asked as she turned off the bathroom light and headed towards Jordan's room. She could hear him moving things around in the room and peeked in around the door to see him playing with his toy horses again.
"No, not tonight. He had some party that the group had to be at, and I don't want to bother him. Things sound pretty hectic over there right now." Stephen said.
"He'll be looking forward to your time off then," she said.
"I hope so. I know I am." Stephen replied.
"And well you should be. Don't you worry about it all too much. Just get yourself on the plane and once you meet up, everything will be all right." She assured him.
"Yeah, it will. I'll let you go now," Stephen said. "Love you."
"Love you to pieces, sweetie. And don't forget to call!" She warned him.
"I won't," he promised. "Good night." They run off and he sat there on the bed for a bit. His conversations with his sister always made him want to be home at that moment and he felt himself torn between wanting to be home and wanting to go to Eloy. With a sigh he closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall. One of the things he was going to have to think about was the distance between Dublin and Amsterdam. His heart wanted to be in two places at once, and he knew there were going to be a lot of these conflicts. It was unavoidable.
He got up off the bed and padded over to the window and looked out onto the street. It had been raining and water droplets were slowly running down the glass, refracting the streetlights. He opened the window and leaned out to catch the breeze on his face. It felt really good and he sighed deeply. One of his books had a relaxation technique where one stood in the rain and let it wash all their cares away. He tried to use it as much as possible as a way to de-stress when he was on the road.
His mobile rang and he was startled out of his reverie. It took him a couple of moments to find out where he had put it down. He finally found it under his hat on the table.
"Hello?" He said as he wiped the rain off his face and up through his hair.
"Hey," a soft voice responded. It was Eloy, and for a moment Stephen almost didn't recognise him, he sounded so tired. "Got a moment?"
"Yeah, always for you," Stephen said as he sat down at the table. "You okay?"
"Ja, just been a long day." Eloy admitted. He was slumped in a chair in his hotel room. "I just wanted to give you a ring before I headed out again to see how you were doing."
"You're not going out tonight, are you?" Stephen looked at his watch. "Can't you stay in?"
"Unfortunately, no. Though I'd love to." Eloy sighed. "This is one of those music channel parties and we've been told we have to be there if we want to promote. I just wish it was on a day I hadn't been running all over the country talking to radio stations."
Stephen's heart went out to Eloy. "I'm sorry, hon. I know what you mean. It never seems like they plan these things out, do they? You going to be all right?"
Eloy smiled. Just listening to Stephen's voice was enough just now. "Ja, I'll be fine. Just need to catch my breath for a moment. And no, they don't plan it out at all. But at least it will be over for a couple of days. Everything all set for tomorrow?" He asked.
"Yup," Stephen said. "I only need to toss some things in a bag and head to the airport. Not much longer now."
"Goed." Eloy replied. "It seems like the last week or so has been a lifetime. Every day has dragged. I've even been checking it off on my calendar." He chuckled.
"Me, too." Stephen hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Eloy, is this a good idea? Maybe you should just crash instead. It sounds like you really need it."
"No, I want you here. I need you," Eloy said softly. He was so tired and the only thing that had been keeping him going was the knowledge that Stephen was coming over. "Please come."
"I'm coming!" Stephen was quick to assure him. "But I feel like its going to take even more out of you."
"No, it won't. I might not be a lot of fun when you see me tomorrow night, but at least we'll be together," Eloy said.
"You don't need to be fun for me," Stephen replied. "Just being together again will be enough. It seems like the time is dragging right now."
"Ja, it is." Eloy agreed. He looked at the clock and stifled a groan. "Zusje, I have to go jump in the shower. But I wanted to give you a call before I did so I could say goodnight. I don't know what time I'll get back, but I have a feeling it's going to be late."
"Take it easy and don't tire yourself out too much, baby." Stephen said. "Don't want you collapsing on me or anything like that."
"Nah, I'll be fine," Eloy said with a smile. "Thank you, Stephen."
"What are you thanking me for?" Stephen asked curiously.
"For being here," Eloy said. "For keeping me sane, knowing you're out there and thinking about me. It really makes a difference, you know. I can't tell you how long it's been since I've been looking forward to going home. Knowing you're going to be here tomorrow... I can't describe how that makes me feel."
Stephen smiled as he listened to Eloy. "It goes both ways, honey. There isn't a moment that I don't think about you, or wonder how your promotion is going, and that you're all right. And I really am looking forward to being with you. I just wish it was now instead of 24 hours from now."
"Ja," Eloy agreed with a sigh. "Me, too."
"I'm going to let you go then. When you're in the shower, think of me," Stephen said teasingly. Eloy's answering groan brought out a chuckle. "Or maybe not."
"No, if I do that, I'm never going to make it to this stupid party." Eloy said. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"Yeah, tomorrow will have to do. Take it easy and don't push yourself tonight, okay?" Stephen asked.
"Ja, I'll be good." Eloy promised. "Sleep tight, sweetheart. And I'll see you tomorrow night."
"Sounds good to me," Stephen said. "Love you."
"I love you right back," Eloy said. "Goed nacht."
Stephen sat back after they had rung off and sighed. He knew how bad it could get trying to cram in everything the record company wanted you to do and he could tell how tired Eloy was. He resolved to make it a relaxing time for them both and that Eloy would get enough rest before he had to go back on the promotional road again. With that in mind, he got ready for bed. He had a few things he wanted to do before he left for Amsterdam.
The next morning Stephen was up bright early. He packed what he needed to take with him and put the overnight bag away to one side. The rest of his stuff went into his suitcase and checked it in with the concierge. By the time he was done, it was almost noon. He checked on a couple of calls he was waiting for answers for, and then went out shopping.
The afternoon passed quickly and he got back to the hotel with barely enough time to pack his new purchases into his overnight bag and head to the airport. He caught a taxi from in front of the hotel and made his way to Heathrow. The rain had stopped while he had been shopping and the sun was just peeking through the clouds. He took it as a good sign that things would go well for his trip.
He got off at terminal four and headed over to the Aer Lingus terminal where he checked in for his flight. Since he had a small bag he decided to carry it on with him. He was a bit early and so he looked through the duty free for ideas for gifts for his family. He got a few ideas before it was time to get to his gate for his flight.
He felt a bit nervous as he approached the gate. This trip had been something that he had thought of for so long that he hoped he wasn't building it up to something that would leave him disappointed. He got a coffee from a shop near the gate and waited until his flight was called. In a short time it was, and he proceeded down the tunnel to his plane.
The flight didn't take very long. Stephen walked down to the gate and found a crowd of people waiting for the passengers to disembark. He looked around, trying to see if Eloy had made it to the airport. He was a bit nervous, because he really didn't have a clue as to where to go if Eloy hadn't got there to meet him. The crowd around him thinned and his heart sank as he realized that Eloy wasn't there. He stifled a sigh, knowing it was probably something simple like he was stuck in traffic, but he had to admit that he was feeling a bit nervous.
"Stephen?" A soft voice asked and he looked around. A young woman was standing off to one side. She was tall with dark brown hair and with a pretty face. He immediately assumed a fan had caught him.
"Yeah, hi." He said. She didn't look familiar to him, though there was something about her that he couldn't quite place.
"Hello. I'm Eloy's sister, Lucienne." She said with a smile. He relaxed when he heard the name. This was no fan at all.
"Hi," he said with a smile. "How are you?" He put down the bag he was holding.
"Goed. I'm sorry if there's been some confusion. Eloy hasn't made it back from his promotion in Norway and he asked for me to meet you here. Is that all right?" She asked with a concerned look on her face.
"No, it's fine," he said as he tried to hide his disappointment that Eloy wasn't here to meet him. "I'm Stephen."
"Ja, I know," She said with a laugh. "Eloy has told me all about you." She smiled and he responded with a smile of his own.
"Has he now? Well, I'm very pleased to meet you," Stephen said gallantly. Eloy's sister was very pretty and now that he looked further, he could see the resemblance between them. "It was nice of you to come and meet me."
"I had to," she said with a laugh. "I was dying of curiousity." They both laughed and she leaned forward to give him a quick hug. He hugged her back and she kissed him on the cheek. "I'm so happy to finally meet you. Hopefully Eloy won't be too late. I offered for us to wait for him, but he thought it would be better for you to settle in at home."
Stephen nodded. Chances were, with Eloy's group arrived there would be a crowd of fans waiting for them. Not the place to be if they wanted to keep this quiet. He picked up his bag and followed her through the baggage claim and out to the car park area. "I'm sure he'll be home soon, but he was concerned that you weren't left here waiting for him to show up." Stephen followed her through the car park to her car. "I hope you aren't too disappointed."
"No, not at all," he said. "I know how schedules often turn out differently than from what you planned." They finally reached an old Saab and she opened the boot on so he could put his bag inside. They then got in the front and she drove them out of the airport and out onto the highway.
"I'm sure you do," she said as she maneuvered through the parking area and out the gate. They were soon onto the highway and heading towards the city proper. It didn't take them too long to get to the city and Lucienne kept up the conversation as she drove. Stephen found that he was instantly drawn to Eloy's sister and that it was like they had always known each other. She chattered about Eloy's promotion as she drove and brought him up to date on everything that had been going on.
Soon they were entering the area of Amsterdam where Eloy had his apartment. They came to the street where he lived and Stephen was enchanted by the old world charm of the buildings that they passed. Lucienne was good about seeing that there were no fans lurking about before they parked in front of the townhouse where Eloy lived. Stephen pulled his overnight bag from the back seat and followed Lucienne past the people sitting on the stoop and into the building inside. He was impressed with how nice the local people were and smiled and nodded at everyone he passed on his way into the lobby and up the stairs.
He was a bit out of breath when they finally reached the top floor, but he tried to hide it from Eloy's sister when she turned around with a smile and announced they had finally arrived. She opened the door and motioned for him to proceed her with his bag.
His first impression upon entering was the profusion of plants around the simply decorated living room. There was a large sofa with a glass-topped coffee table in front. There was a recliner off to one side that matched the sofa and both were facing a large television console. There were all sorts of music CDs scattered on the coffee table as if Eloy had just stepped out. Stephen grinned.
"Would you like something to drink, perhaps?" Lucienne asked as she headed towards the back of the apartment.
"Oh, you don't have to go through any trouble like that," Stephen protested. He put his bag down next to the sofa. There was a fern on the end table and as he brushed past it he was startled to see that the leaves moved. He wasn't sure if he should just stay there or follow Lucienne. But when she continued chattering to him about what was available he decided it would be okay to follow her into the kitchen. There was a short hallway which lead back to the kitchen and when he entered, he stopped and looked around.
More plants were scattered around the kitchen, most hanging from hooks in the ceiling. A skylight took up most of the ceiling and Stephen could imagine how it would look in the daytime. Lucienne was standing at the counter and looking through the contents of the cabinet.
"One good thing about my brother is that he keeps a well stocked larder." She said with a laugh. Stephen laughed. He walked further into the room and looked around. As a child he had spent most of his time hanging out in the kitchen with his family. It was where everyone would sit down for a cuppa and there were many times when he'd come home from school to find his mother and a friend sitting down at the table gossiping. Eloy's kitchen felt like one of those places where you could just sit down and spend the day. He realized that Lucienne was looking at him with a smile on her face. She must have asked something and was waiting for a response.
"I'm sorry, I was woolgathering," Stephen said apologetically. "Did you ask something?" He stood next to the kitchen table and leaned against a chair.
"No, that's all right. Just thought you'd like something to drink. We have tea, coffee, pop, or if you want something else, there is some beer and wine." She saw his face light up at the mention of the wine. "How about some wine?"
"Yeah, sure. That sounds lovely. What can I do to help?" He asked. He felt a bit awkward going through Eloy's things when he wasn't here, but obviously Lucienne was quite at home here.
"Well, it would be great if you could get us a couple of glasses. They're over there in that case." Lucienne said over her shoulder as she opened up the refrigerator and reached inside for a bottle of white wine. Stephen looked around and saw a wine rack off to one side with glasses hanging from their stems. He pulled two down and then grabbed a third for when Eloy arrived. Lucienne smiled and lead him back to the living room where they sat down on the sofa together. Stephen opened the bottle and poured them both a glass before sitting back.
"This is really a great place," he said as he looked around again. Eloy had a Fantasia poster on one wall and the mantle had some Disney figurines from different movies. "I like his decorator."
Lucienne laughed and Stephen turned to look at her. She had this lovely laugh and he found himself captivated by her. She sat with one leg tucked under her so she could face him on the sofa. "Eloy had told me that you are also a Disney fan. Is that right?" She took the glass he offered and rested her arm on the back of the sofa.
"Oh, yes. I'm probably just as bad as he is where Disney is concerned, if not worse!" He said with a laugh before taking a sip of his wine.
"I don't think you could be worse!" She exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with merriment. "Often my mother and I have talked about having an intervention for his obsession." They both laughed at that.
"Well, I'm sure my family feels the same," Stephen admitted. "My sister actually threatened to break the next Disney gift I give my nephew. Oh, and speaking of my sister, I promised to call her once I got in to let her know I was here. Let me get my mobile." He moved to get up and go to his overnight bag but was stopped by Lucienne's hand on his arm.
"No, use the phone here. I'm sure Eloy won't mind," she said with a smile. She picked up the cordless phone and handed it over to him. He put down his glass and dialed his sister's phone number. She picked up after a couple of rings.
"Hello?"
"Hey Michelle, its Stephen. Just wanted to let you know I got in." Stephen said.
"Oh, good. Everything going well then? Eloy was there to meet you?" She asked. She knew how nervous he was about this trip.
"Well, yes and no. Eloy hasn't made it back from his promotion yet." Stephen admitted.
"Oh no! You're not stuck at the airport, are you?" She asked concernedly. She could imagine how disappointed he must be.
"No, his sister was kind enough to meet me and take me to Eloy's place. We're just waiting for him now." Stephen said.
"That's nice of her. I hope you don't have to wait too long for him to come home. I know you too don't have too much time to spend together." Michelle felt disappointed for Stephen that his trip wasn't starting off better.
"Hopefully not. But it's okay. We'll make do. We knew this was going to be bumpy from the beginning. It'll all work out in the end," Stephen said positively. He was determined not to let anything rock him on this trip. They didn't have time for him to get into a mood and wreck everything. "I better not tie up the phone, in case he calls, though. I'll let you know more later when I can."
"Let's just hope he isn't too late," Michelle said. "Give me a ring when you can."
"Will do. Thanks Shel." Stephen said as he rung off. He handed the phone back to Lucienne who put it back on the cradle again. He picked up his glass again and sipped at his wine. "Thank you, Lucienne, for being here to meet me."
"I'm happy to. This way I get to find out everything about you without Eloy rolling his eyes at me." Lucienne said with a smile. "So that was your sister, correct?"
Stephen laughed at the image of Eloy rolling his eyes. "Yes, Michelle. She practically raised me when we were kids."
Lucienne rested her chin on her hand and watched him with sparkling eyes. "And you have some brothers, too, no?"
"Yes, three. Two older and one younger." Stephen said. He was amused at her questions. He had a feeling that Eloy had already told her this information, but she was asking anyhow.
"My, such a big family!" She exclaimed. "Your poor mother!" They both laughed and she continued to ask him questions about everything. The time flew by and they were both startled to hear a key being inserted into the front door lock and the tumbler turning. The door swung open and Eloy walked in.
He looked worse than Stephen thought he would. He was practically dragging as he dropped his bag down. He looked up at Lucienne's cry of dismay. He looked from his sister to Stephen sitting on the sofa together and his face lit up.
"Oh, what a sight for sore eyes," he said. Stephen put his glass down and went over to where Eloy was standing. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to meet you at the airport, liefste."
"It's okay, honey." Stephen said as he closed the door behind Eloy after taking the key out of the lock. "Welcome home." He turned to look up at Eloy. Eloy opened his arms and he stepped into them. They hugged each other hard and Eloy buried his face against Stephen's neck.
Lucienne watched them with a lump in her throat. They didn't have to say anything. Just the look on their faces told the story by itself. She was so happy her brother found someone to share his life with, and the brief time she had spent with Stephen so far already showed her what a good match he was for Eloy.
They stood there for a long time before Stephen pulled back and lightly caressed Eloy's cheek. "You're dead on your feet, hon. Come sit down." Eloy nodded tiredly and they moved over to the sofa. Lucienne stood up and he gave her a hug and a kiss.
"Danke, Luci," Eloy said. He sat down in between his sister and Stephen. Stephen grabbed the extra glass he had put out and offered to pour some wine for Eloy, but Eloy shook his head tiredly. "If I do that, Stephen, I'll be out cold in about 2 sips."
Stephen nodded. He was probably right. He let Eloy pull him back and under his arm. It felt so good to be here, even if Eloy was dead tired. Eloy slanted a glance at his sister, who was watching the two of them with a smile on her face. He raised an eyebrow in her direction.
"Mij zoals hem. U zitten volmaakt tezamen." She said with a smile. "Mama zal adoreren hem."
Stephen glanced over, curious about what she was saying to her brother. He had a feeling she was talking about him. He looked up at Eloy who was smiling. Eloy glanced down at him and hugged him tighter.
"Now, now, Luci. English please. But danke." He said.
"Ja, I know. Sorry Stephen. Sometimes I don't think." Lucienne laughed again "And right now, it's late and I should be heading home. You two think you'll be all set by yourselves?"
"I think we can manage," Stephen said. He pulled away to see Lucienne to the door. They both waved Eloy back to the sofa. "You stay right there. I don't want to have to cart you around because you crash on the floor."
Eloy waved to his sister and watched Stephen walk her to the door. He also insisted on making sure she got down to the car, so he left the door slightly ajar. Eloy could hear him coming back up a few minutes later. He walked back in and locked the door behind him. When he turned around, he saw that Eloy was all but asleep on the sofa.
"Oh, honey," he said in dismay. "You're pushing yourself too hard." He walked over and sat down next to Eloy who was struggling to keep his eyes open. "Let's get you to bed."
"This isn't the way I had planned this," Eloy said apologetically. "I thought I'd be back earlier and could make you a nice dinner for when you got here. Instead you were left waiting around for me. I'm sorry."
"It's okay," Stephen assured him. "We're together and that's all that matters. C'mon and I'll help you up." He stood up and offered his arms to Eloy who pulled himself up off the sofa with a grunt. He smiled down at Stephen and pulled him into a hug again. As he did so, he winced. "What?" Stephen asked as he pulled back.
"It's nothing. Just got a crick in my neck from the flight over. I fell asleep and am just stiff." Eloy tried to stretch out but stopped himself with another wince. "Oh, that was a bad idea."
"All right, off to bed with you. March," Stephen said, pushing him away. Eloy smiled and led the way, pulling Stephen along by the hand.
"It's this way," he said as they made their way through another door that Stephen hadn't noticed before. It led to a short hallway. A bathroom was off to the left and at the end of the hall the bedroom door was ajar. Eloy pushed it open with a sigh and turned on the lamp.
Stephen looked around curiously. Like the rest of the apartment it was simply furnished. A large bed dominated the room. It had a beige duvet covering it. Off to one side were a dresser and a wardrobe, and two nightstands were on either side of the bed. An old rocker was at the window. The wood floor gave it a rustic appearance. He smiled. On the walls were animation cels. It was so Eloy.
"All right, darling. Over here." He tugged Eloy over to the bed and sat him down. Eloy collapsed onto the edge and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Stephen reached down and tugged on the laces of his shoes to untie them so he could kick them off. Then he reached up and unbuttoned Eloy's shirt for him. Eloy followed all of this with a bemused smile on his face. He let Stephen pull his shirt off and undo his belt. "I don't suppose you have any massage oil or something that I can use on that kink, do you?"
"It's not necessary," Eloy said. "I'll be okay." Stephen stood back and frowned at him.
"That's not the answer I want to hear, mister." He said sternly. "Because like it or not, I'm going to give you a back massage."
"Oh, really?" Eloy asked. He held back a grin.
"Yeah, really. Get used to it." Stephen said. "Get your clothes off while I see if you have anything I can use."
Eloy found himself obeying without thinking. "I think there is some baby oil in the cabinet. I use that for when I'm sunning myself on the deck." He shrugged out of his shirt and lifted his hips off the bed long enough to pull down his dress pants. By the time Stephen came back he was just in briefs.
"Good. Lie down." Stephen said. He made Eloy get up and he pulled the duvet off the bed. Eloy lay down with a stifled groan. He couldn't even turn his head at this point. He felt the bed shift as Stephen got up on the other side and crawled over to him. Cool hands caressed his back as Stephen felt around for the knot. He let out a soft hiss when Stephen found the spot.
"Jaysus, E. What the hell have you been doing to yourself?" Stephen asked indignantly. He opened the bottle of baby oil and poured a generous amount on Eloy's back. He then leaned into the area with the knotted muscle as he tried to get it to loosen up. Eloy grunted as he went to work. He started at the back of Eloy's neck and massaged down the left shoulder, working his way down the arm and trying to dig under the shoulder blade.
"You," he grunted as he worked on the knot. "Have. Got. To. Relax. More." Each word was punctuated by another grunt as he dug his fingers into Eloy's back. He shook Eloy. "Relax!"
"I am relaxed," Eloy replied. Occasionally Stephen hit a sore spot as he worked on Eloy's shoulder, but for the most part he was doing a great job.
"You are not!" Stephen said. He poured more oil and kept on working. "Now, that's better."
"Mmmm," Eloy murmured. The more Stephen worked on him, the better he felt. Eventually he was able to turn his head and he gratefully rested his cheek against the pillow. Within moments, he was fast asleep.
It took a few moments for Stephen to realise that Eloy had fallen asleep. He slowed down his massage as he worked his way down Eloy's back, feeling the muscles loosen beneath his hands. Eventually he stopped and cocked his head to one side to watch Eloy. A small smiled played around his lips. He crawled off the bed and went back to the bathroom to wash up. Once he had gotten the baby oil off his hands, he headed back into the living room where his bag was. He noticed the wine glasses on the table and picked them up and took them into the kitchen.
As he rinsed them out in the sink he was surprised to realise how comfortable he felt. It didn't feel like he was sneaking around Eloy's apartment. He felt quite at home. He turned and looked around the kitchen before shutting off the light and heading back into the living room. With a groan he lifted both of their bags and brought them back into the bedroom. He placed Eloy's next to the rocker and opened his bag up. He didn't have much, but he pulled his shirts out and laid them over the back of the rocker. Then he grabbed his overnight kit and padded back to the bathroom. The light was a bit harsh after the dimness of the other rooms and he blinked as he walked in.
He looked at himself in the mirror. Though he was feeling pretty tired himself, he felt a buzz at finally being there that kept him restless. He pulled out his toothbrush out of the kit and brushed his teeth. Even if he wasn't quite ready for bed, he might as well get ready. His thoughts wandered over the evening and he grinned to himself when he thought of Eloy's sister. He could just picture her and Michelle getting along like a house on fire. They seemed a lot alike in many ways. Though he privately admitted to himself that Lucienne didn't seem as bossy as his own sister.
He finished cleaning up and switched off the light as he headed back to the bedroom. Eloy was snoring lightly when he came in. He knew how tired Eloy was when he had come in, and so he went over to the nightstand on Eloy's side and made sure that the alarms weren't set. Let him sleep in. Lord knew he needed it.
He took off his clothes and folded them neatly in a pile next to the bed. Then he walked over to the lamp by the door and shut it off. Moonlight drifted in through the curtains over the bed. He stood and let his eyes adjust so he wouldn't stumble into something and wake Eloy up. He could just make out the shape of the bed from the light coming in the window. He yawned and realized that he was more tired than he had thought. It had been a pretty eventful day.
Stephen carefully crawled onto the bed and laid down next to Eloy. He thought briefly of pulling up the duvet but was too lazy to do so. A light touch along Eloy's back told him that Eloy wasn't cold, so he figured he would make due. He rested his cheek against Eloy's arm and closed his eyes. He inhaled Eloy's cologne and smiled. This was perfect. He felt a tightness inside himself that he hadn't known was there loosen as he allowed himself to relax. It didn't matter to him that things hadn't gone the way they planned tonight. All that mattered was that they were together. And right now, he'd take it any way he could manage that. He smiled as he drifted off to sleep.