Stephen stepped into the foyer and let Eloy close the door behind them. He tried to stifle a sigh of relief at the thought that they were finally home. Eloy turned on the lamp in the living room and they both sat down on the sofa with a sigh.
"How are you feeling?" He asked as he wrapped his arm around Stephen and held him close. Stephen leaned into his embrace and rested his head in the hollow of Eloy's shoulder before looking up at him.
"Better, thanks. I hate getting motion sick. It's hell on a tour, let me tell you." He smiled as he tried to make a joke of it. Eloy smiled sympathetically.
"I'm sorry," he said again. He leaned down and gave Stephen a light kiss on the lips. "I'll try to avoid doing that to you in the future."
Stephen savored the touch of Eloy's lips on his own. "Mmm, nice. Thank you." Eloy gave him a curious look. "For inviting me and introducing me to your family. They're great."
"Ja, those you have met," Eloy said with a crooked grin. At Stephen's inquiring look, he continued. "I do have a step-brother, Rob. He's from my father's first marriage and a good bit older than I. He also doesn't approve of my career choice." He said a bit dryly. Actually, that was a bit of an understatement. He hadn't seen either of his nieces in years. Sometimes it made him a bit sad, but it wasn't something he dwelled on. He certainly got enough support from his mother and sister.
He thought it best to change the subject before they got on the subject of Stephen's family. Obviously he didn't get the support from them that Eloy did and he didn't want to bring Stephen down at all.
"So," he said, changing the topic. "What would you like to do now?" Stephen shrugged and he smiled down at him.
"I dunno. What'd you have planned?" Stephen said with a laugh.
Eloy shrugged right back at him and joined him. "Not a thing, yet."
"Yet?" Stephen said, arching an eyebrow.
"I do have something in mind for later," he said with a grin. Stephen looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before standing up and surveying the room. He casually walked around, examining the room. They hadn't had much time in the apartment earlier, and he had to admit he hadn't paid too much attention the previous night because he had been focused on Lucienne.
He wandered over to the Disney cel of Snow White that was on the wall behind a recliner. A low whistle escaped him as he saw the number at the bottom. Eloy came over and stood behind him.
"You like?" He asked with a grin. It was one of his prize possessions. He had gotten it at an auction and was one of the first things he had brought into the apartment when he moved in.
"Wow, do I!" Stephen said, his voice tinged with awe. "How the hell did I miss this last night?"
"The lighting was a bit dim, if I remember." Eloy said with a chuckle. He moved around so he could watch Stephen's face. "I have some others in the spare bedroom, but none quite like that one."
Stephen blinked owlishly at him. "Spare bedroom? Is there one?"
Eloy nodded. "You haven't had the tour yet. Would you like one?" At Stephen's nod, he took him slowly around the living room, pointing out some of his other prize possessions. Stephen made him go over his gold records on the walls, which he would have glossed over. While Caught in the Act did well in Germany and some parts of Asia, they didn't have quite the following that Boyzone did internationally. Stephen asked him about each of the songs, and who did the lead vocals for each. He apparently was more familiar with the group's songs than Eloy had thought, since he seemed quite knowledgeable about some of their chart success in both Germany and parts of Scandinavia.
From the living room, Eloy led Stephen back down the hall and opened the door to the spare bedroom opposite the bathroom. Stephen hadn't noticed it before. The room was decorated much in the same fashion as the rest of the apartment. There was a queen-sized bed against one wall and some pillows thrown over the duvet. A rocker was off to one side, opposite a window that looked out over the canal. Stephen glanced around the room and smiled at the décor. There were Little Mermaid figurines on the dresser, and some Beauty and the Beast characters mingling amongst them. On the wall over the bed there was a large print from Beauty, and Stephen saw that it was autographed by one of the artists. Opposite that were a series of animation cels from The Little Mermaid and he walked over to inspect them. Eloy leaned against the doorjamb and let him look around.
"How'd you get these?" Stephen said as he examined the framed cels. He had been working on getting his collection together, but tended to be a bit picky about what he bought because he didn't have much room to store things at home.
"The first was a gift for a birthday present, then I started to fill out the rest of the collection myself. Friends have a habit of looking out for what they know I'd like to buy." Eloy said.
Stephen looked up from the cel he had been examining on the wall. "Nice friends you have," he said with a grin. Eloy grinned back at him and beckoned him into the hallway.
"Ja, I do," he said as Stephen followed him back into the hall. He brought Stephen into the master bedroom and pointed out some other posters and collectibles about the room. Stephen wandered around the room while Eloy sat on the end of the bed. He would occasionally ask questions about things and seemed more interested in the family pictures that Eloy had than anything else. He wandered over to the window that looked out onto the street. It was a quiet residential street off of the main road near the canal. Across the canal, he could see what looked like a park off in the distance. Trees in front of the house shaded the window from the street. Stephen could see that the late afternoon sun was dipping down behind some buildings on the other side of the city.
He turned around and noticed that Eloy was watching him. "I like your place a lot," he said. He walked over and Eloy pulled him down onto the bed next to him.
"Thank you. It's grown on me. When I first moved in, I was miserable." Eloy said, thinking back on when he first got the apartment. Stephen wrapped an arm around Eloy's waist.
"I remember. But you were having a bit of a difficult time overall, actually." He said. Eloy nodded. He draped an arm over Stephen's shoulders and hugged him close.
"Ja, I was. I'm glad that time is over now. That seems like ages ago now. And I have you to thank for my change in attitude." He smiled down at Stephen before leaning down for a kiss. It seemed like each one was better than the last to him, and he opened his mouth at Stephen's insistence. Stephen's tongue darted in and the kiss deepened. He turned in Eloy's embrace so that they were facing one another a bit better before pushing Eloy back onto the bed.
Eloy thought he had died and gone to heaven. Stephen was rubbing his chest with one hand while pulling the other arm out from behind Eloy's back and using it to prop himself up so he hovered over Eloy. Eloy reached up and held Stephen's lips to his own. It was magical. He pulled so that Stephen was half laying on top of him and enjoyed the weight of the younger man's body on his own. Stephen encouraged him by reaching beneath the collar of his shirt and caressing his neck. He wrapped his arms around Stephen and held him tight.
When Stephen finally pulled back he laughed softly at the expression on Eloy's face. He had a silly smile on his face. At Stephen's laugh he opened his eyes and looked up at his lover.
"What can I say, you do that to me," he said softly.
"Darling, the feeling is quite mutual." Stephen said. He leaned down and lightly traced Eloy's lips with the tip of his tongue. "I find you quite delectable."
"Oh, what a big word you used!" Eloy said in wonderment. Stephen pulled a face and he laughed before pulling him back to kiss the tip of his nose. Stephen smiled companionably down at him and they were silent for a moment.
The rumble of Eloy's stomach broke the quiet. Stephen laughed at the startled look on his face. "I can't believe you're hungry right now! After all we ate!" He laughed.
"Was that me?" Eloy said. At Stephen's nod he shook his head. "It couldn't be. I'm not the one with the vocal stomach."
"I am not getting blamed for that one!" Stephen said. He rolled off of Eloy and leaned over to listen to the other man's stomach. "That one is all you, hon." Eloy looked down, bemused at the noise.
"Do you think I caught it from you?" He asked with a sly smile. Stephen swatted him before sitting up on the edge of the bed. He sighed, realising their moment had passed. He could have lain there all day doing that. A glance at his watch showed him that quite a few hours had passed since their brunch that afternoon.
"Absolutely not." Stephen asserted with a sideways glance at Eloy. He rolled off the edge of the bed to avoid Eloy grabbing him. "Uh uh. You're not getting me again!" He warily watched Eloy rise from the edge of the bed and backed away. "Behave, you!"
"Did I even suggest I was going to do something?" Eloy asked mildly, his hands out to either side in supplication.
"You didn't have to. I know that look, and I'm not falling for another tickling session!" Stephen said, shaking his finger at Eloy. He laughed at the look of consternation on Eloy's face. "Yeah, you can't hide it. I can read you like a book. Stop!" He said as Eloy started to approach. "Turn around and go that way." He pointed to the door and Eloy looked over his shoulder before looking back at Stephen with a slight smile on his face. "I mean it, mister."
Eloy meekly obeyed, walking out the door and turning so he could watch Stephen. "Are you coming? We still haven't finished the tour yet."
"Are you going to behave?" Stephen asked suspiciously. At Eloy's nod, he moved towards the door. "Promise?" He made sure that Eloy kept his hands behind his back before leaving the room. "Go ahead, lead the way." Eloy pouted at him before turning back towards the living room and he bit back a grin. He enjoyed teasing Eloy like this and didn't want him to know that he thought it was funny.
Eloy silently led the way back down the hall after dutifully pointing out the bathroom. Stephen grinned as he followed him back into the living room and through another short hall that led to the kitchen. Stephen was struck by the similarities to Lenie's house.
This time, he took a good look around the kitchen. Last night, he had only stopped inside the door when Lucienne had come in to retrieve the wine. The walls were bare of decoration and the only thing in the room other than the flowering plants, was a table and two chairs. The countertops were bare of all but a few pieces of crockery and glasses.
Eloy leaned against a counter and watched him intently. He was enjoying their time together, and felt that he'd be happy watching Stephen all day. The younger man stepped further into the kitchen and looked around.
"Well, I certainly know now where you get your green thumb!" Stephen exclaimed with a twinkle in his eye. Off to one side he saw what looked to be a kitchen door and he got a puzzled look on his face as he spied it. "You have a kitchen door on the 4th floor?" He asked, looking at Eloy. Eloy smiled and moved over to open the door. Stephen walked over, forgetting his admonishment to Eloy about behaving earlier and peered around the corner. Inside was a pantry with canned goods and boxes. One side had a steep set of stairs that lead up to a trap door. Stephen looked curiously at Eloy who smiled.
"That's the best part of the place," he said. He moved forward and climbed up the stairs, which were narrow and fashioned along the lines of stairs on a boat. Reaching the top, he unlocked the door and pushed. It opened up on hinges and he climbed out onto the roof. He looked down through the opening and motioned to Stephen.
Stephen clamored up the steps and took Eloy's hand as he stepped out onto the roof. A low whistle escaped him as he took in the view. On top of the roof was a wooden deck that encompassed most of the roof on one side. Chimneys for the building formed a wall behind the trapdoor. A railing extended along the edges of the roof, making sure that someone didn't accidentally fall off. Eloy had put up some chairs and a table and he led Stephen over to where they were. Stephen wandered over to the street side of the deck and leaned on the railing, looking out over the city. From where he stood, he could see more of the park that he had caught a glimpse of from the bedroom window.
"Like it?" Eloy asked softly from behind him. He nodded wordlessly. Eloy walked over to stand next to him. "This is the reason why I took this place. I saw this and fell in love with it immediately."
"I see why," Stephen said appreciatively. "What a view." Eloy leaned on the rail and nodded in agreement. "What's that over there?" He asked, pointing across the canal.
"That is Vondelpark. It's named after a famous poet named Joost van den Vondel. It's a great place to go for a walk or biking. I like it a lot. I'll have to take you there some time." He looked around at the view and started pointing out other sights from where they stood. "Off to the left, you can see the Van Gogh Museum." He looked over to see if Stephen was still interested.
He was avidly looking out over the city. He loved traveling and loved learning about new places. This was especially true now that he was here in Amsterdam, because it was where Eloy lived.
"Right behind it is the Stedelijk Museum. There are even more works of art there." Eloy smiled at Stephen. The wind was picking up and pushing his hair into his eyes. Stephen absently brushed it out of his way as he strained to see where Eloy was talking about.
"Have you been to these museums?" He asked.
"No, I'm not one for that type of art," Eloy said with a laugh. "It's a little old-fashioned to me." He continued to point out various parts of the city to Stephen. They walked around the roof and Eloy pointed out other sites that they could see from the roof. By the time they were done, it was getting dark.
"Wow, E." Stephen said as he proceeded Eloy down the stairs and back into the kitchen. "This is a fantastic place. I love it."
"Ja, so do I." Eloy said as he closed the trapdoor and locked it before climbing down the stairs. He followed Stephen into the kitchen and turned on the light. Stephen looked up at him with a smile. "Getting hungry yet?" He asked.
"I can't believe it, but I think I am," Stephen admitted. He smiled and Eloy indicated a seat at the table.
"Take a seat, and I'll start putting something together for dinner." He turned and went to the refrigerator and opened it. After rummaging through the shelves he pulled out some items and put them on the counter next to him. Stephen sat and watched him. "There's a wine rack behind you, take a look and see what you'd like to go with some chicken."
Stephen glanced around, remembering the wine rack from the night before. "You know, my knowledge of wine isn't the greatest." He went over to the rack and started looking at some of the labels. "Anything in particular that you'd suggest?"
Eloy started pulling items out of their packages and lining them up on the countertop. "Any of the German ones will probably do quite nicely. Definitely one of the Rieslings." He brought some of the vegetables over to the sink and started running the water. Stephen dutifully started looking the bottles over, glancing at the labels as he did. Finding one that said Riesling, he pulled it out of the rack and brought it over to the table.
"Do we need to chill this?" He asked, offering the bottle for Eloy to inspect. Eloy looked over and nodded approvingly.
"Ja, that would be good. Then, if you want, you can help me with this." He started scrubbing some vegetables. Stephen placed the bottle on the shelf in the fridge before heading over to the sink. As Eloy cleaned some of the vegetables he asked Stephen to pull up the cutting board. He told Stephen where the cutlery was and Stephen pulled a suitable knife out of the drawer.
They worked in comfortable silence together. Eloy quickly finished washing and left Stephen to the chopping while he headed over to the stove. Hanging above the stove was a rack for pots and pans. Brushing a hanging vine aside, he pulled down a wok and put it on the front burner. He lit the gas and let it warm up. Along the back wall were spices and cooking implements and he grabbed a bottle of oil and put it to one side. Peeking over Stephen's shoulder, he saw that he had things well in hand.
Eloy went into the living room and turned on the stereo. Soft music followed him back to the kitchen. Moving back to the stove, he added oil to the wok and swished it around. He went back to the counter and opened up the package of boneless chicken breasts. He grabbed one of the larger knives and started cutting them up to smaller pieces. Taking the package over to the stove, he dropped them into the wok and started cooking.
Stephen looked over when he heard the hiss of the chicken in the wok. He sniffed appreciatively as Eloy added a teriyaki sauce and he opened the cabinets to look for a bowl big enough to carry the vegetables over to where Eloy was cooking. Finding what he was looking for, he carried the bowl over to the stove.
"Danke, liefste." Eloy said absently while he stirred the chicken around the wok. Stephen stood to one side, watching in admiration.
"Where did you learn to cook?" He asked, curious.
"I got to hate eating out when we were on the road," Eloy said as he added some of the chopped vegetables to the stir-fry. "One of the good things our management did was to get apartments in cities that we traveled to a lot. I got into the habit of doing my own cooking. Then, when I was living with Carlo, he taught me a bit here and there. The rest I just picked up on my travels." He gave Stephen a quick grin before turning his attention back to the stove. "Now, would you like to eat up on the roof or down here in the kitchen?"
Stephen thought about going upstairs again, but knew it would be a lot of work for Eloy. "How about right here?" He said. Eloy nodded agreeably and suggested that Stephen get some dishes out of the cabinets. He pulled the dishes out and put them down on the table. Moving over to the drawer, he pulled out some cutlery and added that to the place settings. Looking at the table, he thought it felt rather bare. Remembering that he had seen some stuff in the pantry, he went in and pulled a couple of candlesticks out.
Eloy nodded approvingly as he turned off the gas on the stove. "Goed!" He said with a smile. He motioned to the counter where a box of matches sat off to one side. Stephen got them and lit the candles. The smell of the stir-fry made his stomach grumble and he bit back a grin. He hoped that Eloy hadn't heard that or he would get no end of grief.
"What about the wine?" He asked. At Eloy's nod, he pulled the bottle out of the refrigerator and was surprised to feel that it had gotten markedly cooler. He went back over to the wine rack and got two glasses and the corkscrew. While Eloy put their dinner onto their plates, he opened up the bottle and let it breathe. Eloy tossed the wok into the sink and ran some water in it before cleaning it and renewing the seasoning with a film of oil. When he was done, he hung it up on the rack.
"All set?" He asked, turning to Stephen and indicating the table. At Stephen's nod, he moved over to the table and pulled on the string to the light. The only illumination came from the candles on the table. They sat down and Stephen poured them each a glass of wine.
"To peace and quiet," Eloy said as he picked up his glass and held it out for a toast. Stephen chuckled appreciatively as he tapped his glass against Eloy's. They both took a sip and Stephen let the wine rest on his tongue. It had a fruity taste and he enjoyed the flavour. Eloy waited expectantly for him to start eating. He put down his glass and took a bite of the stir-fry.
"Oh Eloy, this is really good!" He exclaimed. Eloy grinned at him. "Not that I was expecting it to be bad, mind you, but I'm just surprised that it came together so easily."
"Nice recovery," Eloy said, saluting Stephen with his fork before putting it into his mouth. Stephen laughed and made a face at him before taking another sip from his wineglass. "But I do agree that it is quite tasty."
Stephen grinned before impulsively reaching over and touching Eloy's hand that was resting on the stem of his wineglass. "This is perfect." Eloy turned his hand over to hold Stephen's.
"Ja, it is. Thank you for coming." He smiled up at Stephen. "I just wish we had more time."
"Hush. Eat your dinner," Stephen said, waggling his fork at Eloy before giving his hand a little pat. He picked up his glass again and sipped. "I like the way the wine offsets the teriyaki. How'd you learn so much about this stuff?"
Eloy shrugged. "You just pick up things here and there, you know? My father was a bit of a wine connoisseur and I guess seeing the right wines at meals just sank in."
"My parents weren't much for drinking wine," Stephen said. "We're more of a 'let's go down to the local pub and grab a pint' kind of family. But I find beer a bit heavy for my tastes."
Eloy nodded in agreement. "I like it well enough with certain foods. Like if we were having pizza or something. But for this, a wine goes much better." They continued with their dinner, touching on different subjects as they ate. Stephen quizzed Eloy about his horse riding and he told Stephen about how he used to compete on the jumping circuit as a kid.
"That's neat. I never learned to ride myself, but both Ro and Mick are mad about horses." Stephen said.
"Why is that?" Eloy asked. He put his fork down on the empty plate and poured them each another glass of wine.
"I don't know actually. Too much of a city kid, I guess." Stephen said. He was making ring circles on the table top with the bottom of his glass. He glanced up to see Eloy looking at him. "All right, because I'm scared shiteless of them."
Eloy let out a laugh. "But why? Horses are beautiful animals."
"Yes they are. They're huge, too!" Stephen exclaimed with a laugh. "What can I say? I'm a wimp. We did a video once where Ro and Mick got to ride horses. I got in between their horses by accident at one point and it scared the bejesus out of me. I knew that one step, one false move and wham!" He slapped his hands together. "No more li'l Stephen. I'd be crushed."
"I can see how that would have been a bit intimidating," Eloy said understandingly. "Maybe someday when we have a bit more time I'll take you out to meet a horse or two."
"Thanks, but I'll pass on that one," Stephen said after finishing off his glass of wine. "Not that I don't appreciate the effort, but when something's that big, I like to keep my distance."
Eloy reached across the table and grabbed Stephen's hand. "Hopefully, you don't want to keep your distance from me. After all," he said lightly, tracing a pattern on the back of Stephen's hand. "I'm about the same height as one of those horses."
Stephen cracked up laughing. "In more ways than one." Startled, he put his hand over his mouth, shocked at what he had just said. Eloy sat staring at him for a moment before he roared with laughter. Stephen got up and started clearing the dishes away, trying to hide his embarrassment at his outburst and failing miserably.
"I think I'll take that as a compliment," Eloy said after he calmed down. Stephen had his back to the table as he washed the dishes industriously. Eloy got up and stood behind him. Putting his hands on Stephen's shoulders, he leaned down and put his lips to his ear. "Stephen."
Stephen jumped slightly at Eloy's touch. He was still blushing from his faux par and sought to hide himself in doing the dishes. "What?"
"Did you really mean that?" Eloy's breath tickled his ear and he shivered.
"Mean what?" He asked, a bit breathlessly. Though consciously he tried to stop himself from responding to Eloy's actions, his body sought to mould itself to Eloy's, leaning back slightly into his embrace.
"What you said just now," Eloy was teasing him mercilessly and having a ball. "Your insinuation."
"What insinuation?" Stephen asked softly, still trying to figure a way out of the conversation and unable to come up with a suitable distraction. It wasn't helping that Eloy was sucking on his ear before nibbling down his neck and back up again. Eloy reached around his waist to shut the water off.
"Well, your comparison between me and a horse. I do hope you were referring to a stallion." Eloy said, trying his damnedest to keep the laughter out of his voice. He barely succeeded.
Stephen silently admitted defeat to himself and decided to brazen it out. He dropped the hand towel on the counter and turned around so that he was facing Eloy. He looked demurely down before coyly glancing up into Eloy's face. "Why of course I meant a stallion. A well hung one."
The look on Eloy's face was priceless. He ducked beneath Eloy's arms and swatted him on the butt as he passed him. Eloy tried to turn and grab him, but he moved away from his grasp and put the table between them. Eloy sauntered over towards him, confident that he wasn't going to get away.
"Oh, is that so?" He asked, leaning on the table and grinning at Stephen. "And just how many stallions have you been looking at for comparison?"
"Well, you know," Stephen said with a sly grin. "When you've seen one..." He darted out the door with Eloy in hot pursuit. They entered the living room and Stephen made sure that the sofa was in between them. When Eloy made a move in one direction, he'd move in the opposite direction. He thought back to their recent tour and tried to remember if either of the bedroom doors had locks on them. He hadn't really been paying attention to the locks. He thought back to the kitchen and decided to make a break for the pantry door.
He narrowly avoided Eloy's outstretched hand as he passed him. He moved the chair away from the table as a delaying tactic and made it through the door a step before Eloy got to it. Closing it, he realised it didn't lock from the inside and he started climbing the stairs.
Eloy knew he had no place to go and so he took his time at chasing him. He opened the door to find Stephen was halfway up the stairs. Climbing up behind him, he straddled Stephen on the narrow steps and trapped him.
"Got you!" He said as he held onto one railing and wrapped an arm around Stephen's chest. He rested his head against Stephen's back and listened to him pant.
"Damn," came the soft response. "I thought I could make it up, but I forgot you had locked the door." Stephen had a stitch in his side from the chase and took the moment to rest. Eloy reached past him and after releasing the lock, he pushed the door up.
"Go on. I want to show you something," He said softly in Stephen's ear. He loosened his hold on Stephen, allowing him to climb up the rest of the steps unhindered. Stephen made his way up and onto the roof. Eloy followed him and once again they stood up on the roof.
This time they couldn't see much of the city beyond streetlights and the occasional light that showed from windows here and there. It was a clear night out and Stephen gasped as he saw the stars overhead.
"Good Lord!" He said staring up at the sky. He opened his arms and spun around, feeling like he was a part of night sky around him. Eloy quickly moved over to grab him by the waist before he stumbled.
"It is incredible, isn't it?" he asked softly, his breath warm in Stephen's ear. Stephen, still mesmerized, nodded silently. If he looked straight up, he could ignore the streetlights off the side of the street and think of himself as walking amongst the stars.
"I've never seen anything like this," he said softly, his voice tinged with awe. "Is it always like this?"
"On a clear night, ja. There's something about this area that gives some great weather sometimes." Eloy said. He brushed Stephen's arm. "I'll be right back." Stephen nodded without saying anything and Eloy went back down the stairs.
He went to the linen closet and pulled out a blanket. As he went through the living room he tossed it over his shoulder and pulled a couple of throw pillows from the sofa, tucking them under his arm. On his way back through the kitchen he grabbed another bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and two new glasses. Juggling them all carefully, he made his way up the stairs and back onto the roof.
Stephen hadn't moved. He had his head tilted back as looked up and Eloy had to smile at the look of wonderment on his face. While Stephen was engrossed with the sky above them, he took his time spreading out the blanket and pillows before opening the wine and putting it to one side. He then got up and walked over to where Stephen was standing and wrapped his arms around him.
Stephen automatically leaned back into his embrace. "Mmm, nice."
"The stars, or me?" Eloy asked softly. He rested his head on Stephen's shoulder and nuzzled his neck.
"Oh, both, of course," Stephen said with a soft laugh. Eloy tightened his hug before loosening his grip.
"Well, before you get a crick in your neck, I have a better way to watch the stars." He whispered into Stephen's ear. He tugged on Stephen's hand and turned him around. Stephen saw the blanket stretched out on the deck and smiled.
"Oh, that's a good idea," he said. He allowed Eloy to lead him to blanket where they sat down together. Eloy reached over and opened the wine bottle. He poured them both a glass and handed one to Stephen. Stephen accepted with a smile and wrapped his arm around Eloy's waist. He rested his head on Eloy's shoulder with a quiet sigh. Eloy squeezed him tight before resting his cheek on Stephen's head.
They were quiet for a bit while they were lost in their thoughts. Stephen took another sip of his wine. "This is great, Eloy."
"Mmm?" Eloy was feeling a bit dreamy.
"I can't think of a more perfect way to spend the evening." He said. He pulled away from Eloy so he could turn and smile up at him. Eloy looked down at him and felt a pull on his heart. How he had waited so long to find Stephen was a mystery to him. They got lost in each other's gaze for a long time before Eloy dipped his head down to lightly brush Stephen's lips.
Stephen shivered in response. He leaned into Eloy's kiss and opened his mouth in an invitation. Eloy silently accepted, reaching out to lick Stephen's lips before sucking the bottom lip into his mouth. A muffled gasp met his action and he took his time exploring the delectable opening in front of him. He reached behind and put his glass down before reaching out and pulling Stephen's glass out of his hand and putting it alongside its mate on the deck.
His hand free, Stephen let his hand reach up and run his fingers through Eloy's hair. They came to rest lightly on his neck and he pulled Eloy closer.
Eloy leaned back, pulling Stephen down onto the throw pillows with him. Their lips parted briefly before Stephen asserted himself and started avidly kissing Eloy back. They were lost for moments at a time as they pulled back and stared into each other's eyes.
After a few minutes of being lost like this Eloy smiled. "I think we're missing the view."
"No, I've got the perfect view right here." Stephen said, laughing down at Eloy. Eloy made a face at him and pulled him down to his side.
"No, that view!" he said, pointing up at the sky. Stephen sighed dutifully and looked up. Eloy tucked him into his shoulder so that he was resting comfortably. "It is magnificent, is it not?"
"I suppose," Stephen said, trying to keep a sulky note in his voice. He didn't succeed very well and stopped himself before it became a laugh. He was soon distracted by the nighttime sky. Eloy pointed out stars and constellations, softly telling Stephen the stories behind each.
They grew quiet and lay together staring up at the skies. After a while, Stephen began to sing softly:
I feel so much better when it's nighttime,
That's when I can sort of disappear
When the sun is setting it's the right time
For pretending I'm not here
Sometimes I just stare into the heavens
Wondering if the answer is inside
That's when I see the light
Eloy interrupted him with a light touch to his cheek and he stopped, looking over. "What?"
"What song is that?" He asked curiously. He hadn't heard it before. Stephen explained that he had been asked to record a song for a new Disney movie that was coming out in the Fall. Eloy showed how impressed he was and Stephen laughed up at him.
"It's just a matter of begging the right people until they get sick and tired and say yes," Stephen said with a grin. "Though I do adore the song. I can relate to the character a lot, too."
Eloy held back a comment about how Stephen sang the lyrics. It tugged on him to think that Stephen was singing about himself as he sang that song. "Though I do have to say something," he said in response. When Stephen looked at him curiously, he continued. "I'd be awfully sad if you disappeared on me," Eloy said quietly.
Stephen smiled up at him. "I'm not going anywhere, darling."
"Goed, because I would be devastated if you did." Eloy said softly. He didn't know if Stephen realised he was serious, but he was. Sometimes he felt that Stephen had a bad opinion of himself, and he hoped he could change that viewpoint. He knew it was going to be a slow process, trying to show Stephen how wonderful he thought he was. But he was willing to take it a little bit of a time, hoping that eventually Stephen would come to understand his viewpoint.
They went back to looking at the stars, spending quite a few hours up on the roof together.