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.
As you might notice, I've switched to a new email service since I wasn't able to retrieve email from my old one. Since I was unable to resolve the problem with them, you can write to me at this new email address. I apologise to those people who were wondering why I haven't responded to my email recently. Hopefully this one will prove more robust. In the meantime, please enjoy this next chapter offering.
Cheers!
Musicfan
Eloy took a different way through the town and headed towards the coast. He pointed out some windmills off in the distance and Stephen sat back and let him play tour guide as they drove. Occasionally he would pay attention to the signs as they passed and saw signs for Rotterdam. Eloy kept in that general direction for a while and they chatted about little things as they drove along.
Stephen noticed that they seemed to be getting closer to their destination as Eloy reached the end of the highway and brought them to a small town by the coast.
"And where are we now?" Stephen asked as he looked out the window. There were pennants hanging across the street, and it seemed like a pleasant place to be.
"Basically where I grew up as a child," Eloy said as he navigated his way through the narrow streets.
"Oh?" Stephen asked, his interest piqued by Eloy's comment.
"Ja. We lived north in Zoetermeer, but I spent a lot of my time here when I was growing up. There was always something going on here, which was nice. My father traveled a lot when we were younger, so it made sense for Mama to stay in one place. She still has the house there, but prefers living closer to the city these days." Eloy pulled over on a side street and parked the car. "The best thing about this place is that no one bothers you. So you're pretty much free to do what you want, which is why I chose it."
Stephen got out of the car and looked around as he stood up. There were all sorts of shops on the street, and it looked quite quaint. "Seems lovely."
"Ja. It is," Eloy said. He smiled down at Stephen and beckoned him towards the main road. Stephen nodded and walked alongside him as they walked to the corner. "This is also where I started horse jumping."
"Really?" Stephen asked. They turned the corner and started walking down the hill. Stephen could see the glint of water at the bottom and he felt a stir of excitement at the thought of getting out on a boat. "How did you get into that?"
"I've always loved horses. My aunt used to take me down to watch the shows when I was really little and when she saw how fascinated I got with the show jumpers, she convinced my mother to let me take lessons. Mama thought I was a little young, but the people at the school my aunt found thought it was perfect to start out early.
"You know that picture Mama was showing you?" Eloy asked as they made their way down the long street. At Stephen's nod, he continued his story. "I had been riding for about 3 years at that point."
"Really? You looked so tiny!" Stephen said as he looked up and laughed at Eloy.
"That was a long time ago, really." Eloy said as he grinned down at Stephen. He paused at the corner and turned left. Stephen had one last glimpse of the shimmering water before it disappeared behind the building.
"Not to worry," Eloy said, having noticed his wistful look. "We just need to go to this other street to get to the place I'm looking for." Stephen nodded and followed along, peering in the different shop windows as they walked along. There were a lot of people strolling around, but no one really paid any attention to them as they made their way down the street.
"Here we are!" Eloy said as he pointed to a sign with a sailboat and opened the door. A bell attached to the door rang, announcing their presence. Stephen looked around with interest. The storefront had a very nautical feel, with model boats of every shape and kind and he wandered around while Eloy waited at the counter for someone to come out from the back room. After a few moments an older woman came out and she and Eloy started talking. Stephen didn't really pay attention to what was going on until Eloy came over to him with a smile on his face.
"All set!" He said.
"We are?" Stephen asked. When Eloy nodded he just shrugged. "Well, lead on then!"
They left the shop and made their way down an alley between that building and the next. When they reached the back, they were facing the docks in the harbor and Stephen paused to admire all the boats moored there. Eloy nudged him out of his reverie and they made their way down the stairs and onto the dock. It took a minute for Stephen to get used to the gentle movement of the wooden dock, but he followed Eloy willingly enough until they got to a small sailboat.
"How's this?" Eloy asked, pointing to the sailboat in front of them. He hadn't wanted something so big that it was too unmanageable for them, but still something they could get around in. Stephen smiled and nodded in agreement. It looked perfect to him.
"Why don't you get in and check it out? I'm going to get something at that place over there to bring with us." Eloy said, pointing to a place further down the quay. Stephen nodded and watched as Eloy quickly made his way down the dock. He looked at the sailboat with a smile. It had a good sized sail on it that was currently furled along the mainmast, and Stephen could see it had a bit of potential for being a fast mover, based on the streamlined design. He stepped onto the deck and made his way around, checking the ropes and moorings. By the time he was done checking it out, he could see that Eloy was most of the way back with a sack in his hands. Stephen waved and ducked under the boom as he made his way to the other side of the boat to greet him.
"Back! So what do you think?" Eloy asked as he stepped onto the boat. It rocked slightly under the addition of his weight.
"It's perfect. Shall I help you stow that so we can get out of here?" Stephen asked with a grin. Eloy nodded and they moved to put it in the little wheel well at the stern. Eloy tucked it under a bench and moved to release their lines from the dock. Stephen coiled the ropes off to the side and they started drifting away from the dock once the lines were released.
"Hope you know how to do this, because I don't have a clue," Eloy said with a twinkle in his eye. Stephen stuck his tongue out at Eloy and worked his way towards where the sail was furled. He seemed to know what he was doing from what Eloy could see, because he had unwrapped the tarp and was raising it aloft when Eloy came over to help him out.
"You know, for a city boy you're pretty good at this stuff," Eloy grinned down at him as he grabbed the rope and started hauling the sail upwards.
"Well, this city boy actually got out occasionally, believe it or not," Stephen said, grunting as he pulled on the rope and tied it off. The sail filled and started pulling them out into the open water. Stephen ducked down under the boom and worked his way over to where he could control their direction. Eloy walked along the deck to join him.
"And where was this?" Eloy asked curiously. He hunkered down to avoid getting beamed while Stephen took control of the helm and steered them out of the harbour and towards open water.
"Dublin is a port town, in case you haven't noticed," Stephen said with a grin as he looked at Eloy. Eloy couldn't help but grin right back at him. "But actually, I learned at a holiday camp that the local counsel thought would be good for the poor inner city youth. One thing they were right about was getting us out of the city. We didn't get too far, but still, Dalkey is a wee bit better than hanging out in an empty tenement building all summer."
"Hmmm, I see what you mean." Eloy said thoughtfully. "Well, it was good for something, because you're doing quite well." He reached out to put his hand on Stephen's knee and scooted closer to him on the bench. By this time they were out of the small harbor and tacking along the coastline. Too far for anyone to really see who was on the boat, never mind what they were doing on it. Stephen leaned into him and sighed, content with how their day was going so far. Eloy transferred his arm to Stephen's shoulders and hugged him.
"Where are we going, by the way?" Stephen murmured softly. He had the thought that once they got out of sight that it wouldn't be a bad idea to drop the sail and just drift a bit.
"Anywhere you want, zusje." Eloy said as he leaned in to snuggle against Stephen's neck. Stephen closed his eyes and sighed. It felt so good to be touched like this. He couldn't imagine how he had lived his life so far without knowing what this was like. Eloy's lips on his neck moved to his ear where he whispered "I love you." Stephen shivered. He turned his head so that he was looking into Eloy's eyes.
"You know you're distracting me, don't you?" He asked softly, looking at Eloy. Eloy nodded, smiling all the while. He shook himself and looked around, trying to figure out where they were in relation to the coast. They were a lot farther out than he last remembered, so a lot of time had passed while they had been locked in their own private reverie. There were no other boats in sight so Stephen locked the wheel and turned to kiss Eloy lightly on the lips.
"Hold that thought. I'll be right back," he said as he disengaged himself from Eloy's embrace. Eloy nodded, watching him get up and move about the boat. He tugged on the knots to let the sail drop and he folded it carefully so that when they pulled it up it would raise again smoothly. Then he walked back to where Eloy was sitting and tugged on his arm. Eloy got up and together they moved to the deck where they could lie out together.
Eloy pulled his shirt off before lying back with a sigh. Stephen didn't go that far, being mindful of his habit of burning, but rolled up his sleeves as he sat down besides Eloy. He leaned on one arm and admired his lover, who was stretched out beside him. Sometimes it seemed he couldn't get enough of looking at him.
"Like the view?" Eloy asked, shading his eyes from the sun as he smiled up at Stephen. He was well aware of the once-over he had just gotten.
"Oh, yeah," Stephen said with a slow grin. He looked down at Eloy until Eloy gestured to him with one hand to join him. He dropped down so that he was lying on Eloy's shoulder and relaxed with a sigh.
"Comfortable?" Eloy asked as he wrapped his arm around Stephen's shoulder. Stephen nodded and closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of himself against Eloy's skin. Eloy rubbed his back, making slow circles. The gentle rocking of the boat was soothing, and they just let it lull them for the time being.
"Eloy?" Stephen asked, not sure if Eloy had drifted off.
"Ja?" Eloy replied, brushing his lips against the top of Stephen's head.
"Thank you for this wonderful break," Stephen said softly against his chest. "Though I wish this could last forever."
"Ja, I know." Eloy said. "I have a lot of those type of wishes, too." He rolled over, keeping Stephen in his arms so that they were face to face. "Someday, I hope they all come true, too." He kissed Stephen lightly on the lips.
"Mmmm, I think I could get used to this kind of thing happening all the time," Stephen said when he pulled back from the kiss. He tried to think about the future and a time when they could be doing this without having to look over their shoulders, but he really couldn't see when that would be. Eloy watched him, seeing something flit across Stephen's face without knowing what was causing the change of expression.
"Well, we have today, and that's all we should worry about for now. Though I'm sure there will be a time some point in the future where we'll look back and wonder how fast it all went." He said, guessing where Stephen's thoughts were at the moment. At Stephen's wry smile, he knew he had guessed right. So he pulled the younger man closer in for another kiss. A bird calling overhead pulled their attention upwards and broke the moment between them. Stephen sighed again and rolled over onto his back to watch the seabird.
"This is grand," he said, watching the bird circle overhead.
"Ja, it is." Eloy responded. He propped himself up on an elbow and watched Stephen. The younger man's hair was swept back by the coastal wind and he had this rapt expression on his face as he watched the seabird. Eloy inched closer and lay down so that his lips were close to Stephen's ear. "What are you thinking in there?" He kissed the ear before him and Stephen shivered with a reaction.
"What it would be like to be free like that," Stephen replied softly. "To have no worries and to soar wherever you want, without anyone to bother you." Eloy turned to watch the bird also, and pulled Stephen back onto his shoulder.
"I don't know about that. I'm sure he has some worries." Eloy said thoughtfully as the bird dipped down to the water and back up again with a cry.
"Yeah, like what?" Stephen asked.
"Like where his next meal is coming from," Eloy replied. "Where he's going to spend the night..."
"And with whom?" Stephen laughed. Eloy grinned down at him and squeezed him tight.
"Ja, that too, I suppose," he said as he tried to muffle his laugh.
"I guess you've got a point," Stephen mused. "Guess it's not so different after all, is it?" He sighed again as Eloy brushed his lips against his head. "We should get going, I guess."
"Whatever you want, liefste." Eloy said quietly. He felt Stephen pull away and he let go as Stephen sat up. Stephen stretched and looked around the boat. They had drifted a bit further out away from the coast as they had lain there and he could see that the sun was a little lower in the sky.
Stephen was feeling like time was slipping through their fingers, and though he was enjoying this time right now, he didn't want it to be the only thing they did for the day. So he leaned over and after giving Eloy a kiss, he got up and made his way back to the stern of the sailboat. Eloy got up and followed him, helping him hoist the sail back up.
Stephen let the wind catch the sail and pull them inland while Eloy rummaged in the bag at their feet. He pulled out a couple of cans of soda pop and offered one to Stephen.
"Mmmm, thanks." Stephen said. He trimmed down the sail and opened his can before leaning against Eloy. "This was a great idea, honey."
"I'm glad you like it," Eloy said softly. He really got a kick out of seeing Stephen happy, and the younger man was definitely looking more relaxed than he was a couple of days ago when he had first arrived. He found himself wanting to spoil Stephen all the time, and was constantly trying to stop himself from trying to do too much with him. He knew there were going to be other times together, but he also knew how hard it was to arrange their schedules together. He leaned back and just contented himself with watching Stephen as they sailed.
For Stephen, he was unaware of Eloy's eyes on him as he gazed avidly about the boat, wanting to remember each bit of their time together. They had spent more time than he had thought out on the water, because the afternoon sun was a lot closer to the water than he had thought it was.
"E?" He asked tentatively, turning to look at Eloy. "Would you mind if we stay out here for a bit?"
"Mind?" Eloy asked. "No, not at all. We can do whatever you want, liefste. It's your day."
Stephen smiled and Eloy felt his heart was going to burst from the look he was given --- it was so full of everything that made Stephen special to him. "Awww, you're the best, you know that, right?"
"Not at all," Eloy said gallantly. "I just want you to be happy, zusje."
"Well, I'm happy!" Stephen said, his smile still broad. "Being with you, I can't imagine life otherwise." He moved over to where Eloy was sitting and sat down, moving back in between Eloy's outstretched legs. He leaned back into Eloy's chest, lifting his face for a kiss. Eloy obliged, tilting down to brush Stephen's lips with his own. "Mmmm, nice."
Eloy moved back so he could focus on Stephen's face. "Ja, it is. Very nice." He smiled down at the younger man and hugged him a little closer. "You have fantastic kissing lips."
"Oh I do, do I?" Stephen said as he smiled up at Eloy. "Well, I think it's fair to say that you have a nice set yourself."
"Danke, liefste." Eloy said with a grin. "And I've practiced so."
"Practiced with whom?" Stephen said suspiciously. He knew that Eloy was joking, but he couldn't help tease him a little.
"Not whom, what." Eloy said with a knowing laugh. "My pillow, of course." Stephen cracked up at this comment, easily picturing Eloy lying on his bed practicing with a pillow. After teasing each other back and forth, Eloy asked why Stephen had changed his mind about heading back.
"Because I want to share the sunset with you." Stephen said simply. By this time, the sun was just on the horizon, painting the sky red with streaks through the clouds. Stephen leaned into Eloy's embrace. "Isn't it grand?"
"Ja, zusje, it is." Eloy said as he rested his chin on Stephen's head. They sat there watching the sun dip down into the ocean before stirring again. "I suppose we should head back before it gets too late."
"Yeah, I guess." Stephen said reluctantly. He tacked back towards the coastline and let them get pulled closer to shore as they made their way back to the harbour. Lights were coming on as they entered the tiny harbour but there was still more than enough light for them to make their way. Eloy pointed out their slip and helped Stephen steer them into their place. He jumped out onto the dock and pulled the boat to its moorings while Stephen furled the sail against the mast. They cleaned up as they got off the boat, Eloy picking up the bag he had stowed under the seat before disembarking. There were a few people moving about doing the same thing as Eloy shifted the bag in his grasp as they walked along the dock.
"So what now?" Stephen said. He looked up at Eloy and felt that the distance between them was enormous compared to the closeness they had felt together on the boat.
"Now?" Eloy said, stretching. "We head home where I make you one hell of a fantastic dinner."
"Oh really?" Stephen asked with a grin as they made their way along the quay. "What's for dinner?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," Eloy said with a grin. He loved teasing Stephen and laughed at the look on the younger man's face. He led the way out onto the street and back towards the car.
"Don't we have to pay for the rental?" Stephen said as he looked back down onto the wharf. Eloy shook his head and Stephen increased his speed to keep up with him. "No?"
"Already paid for the rental while you were off looking at everything inside the shop." Eloy said with a chuckle. Stephen hadn't even noticed, he had been so caught up with the models by the window.
They reached the main street and walked back to the car. There weren't too many people out as it was dinnertime. Soon they were back at the car and headed home. Stephen looked out the window as they drove away and held back a sigh. He was all too aware of having to leave the next day and he really didn't want his time with Eloy to end. He tried to keep things in focus by thinking about the next time he was going to come out and made a resolution to get his tickets the minute he got home so he could look forward to the next time.
Eloy noticed that Stephen had gotten rather quiet, but decided to let him be as they drove. He had a pretty good idea what was going through Stephen's thoughts at the moment. To brighten the silence he turned on the radio and tuned in a station.
It seemed to Stephen that it took less time to get back from their trip than it did to get there as he recognised more landmarks closer to Amsterdam. He reached across the space between their seats and rested his hand on Eloy's, which was resting lightly on the shift. Eloy gave him a quick grin before turning his attention back to the road.
"What would you like for dinner tonight?" He asked, glancing in the mirror before changing lanes.
"Whatever you'd like. I'm easy." Stephen said absently. He really didn't have a preference at all.
"Hmmm, that's not what I've heard." Eloy said with an impish grin. He could see Stephen's startled turn out of the corner of his eye, but didn't look over as he pretended not to notice Stephen's reaction.
"Brat!" Stephen said with a laugh, once he came to the conclusion that Eloy was teasing him.
"Uh huh," Eloy murmured while he concentrated on the road. A moment later he felt Stephen's head rest on his shoulder. Stephen's hand crept onto his knee under his arm, but Stephen made sure he had more than enough room to maneuver the car. He briefly rested his cheek against the top of Stephen's head before upshifting the car and hitting the petrol as they made their way onto the motorway.
Once they got closer to the city Stephen sat back up, stifling a sigh. While he was eager to get to Eloy's apartment and relax a bit, he also didn't their time together to speed by so fast. It seemed like no time had passed before they were winding their way along the canals in Amsterdam. Eloy came into the city via another route and Stephen looked about with interest at the different sites.
"I'm going to stop and pick up something to make for dinner." Eloy said as he looked across the seat at Stephen. "Would you like me to drop you off at the apartment, or do you want to just wait in the car while I run in?"
"I can wait. No need to backtrack if you're going by someplace." Stephen said. They area they were in didn't seem too busy, so he didn't mind sitting in the car while Eloy ran into a shop. Eloy nodded and looked for a place to pull over. He found one around the corner and left the car idling.
"I'll be right back!" He said with a grin as he got out. Stephen smiled in acknowledgement and listened to the radio while Eloy went into the shop. No one seemed to be about, so he sat fiddling with the radio until he found a song he liked. A few minutes later Eloy came back with a sack in his arms. He got in and put it in the back seat behind them.
"What'd you get?" Stephen asked, craning his neck around to look. Eloy slapped him lightly on the knee.
"None of your business!" He said with a laugh. "You'll find out soon enough." He laughed again at Stephen's pout but refused to give in. Stephen pretended to sulk, but had to turn his face towards the window so that Eloy wouldn't see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. As they drove past the length of a large park, Stephen saw that they were across a canal from Eloy's apartment building. As they crossed over the bridge he could see the front of Eloy's building and he looked to see if anyone was there. Eloy decided not to take any chances and pulled into the alleyway behind the buildings. It was dark along the narrow passageway as Eloy drove along cautiously. Finally they were at the back of his building and he pulled off into one of the spaces provided.
"Not too bad," he said as he looked over at Stephen. He was happy to see that Stephen was looking a lot better than the last time he had pulled into the alley the day before. "All set to go inside?" At Stephen's nod he got out of the car and grabbed the sack along with the other bag they had had on the boat before Stephen could turn around and pick them up. "Uh uh uh, no peeking!"
Stephen chuckled ruefully, noting that Eloy had seen right through his plan before he had even thought to act on it. He got out of his side of the car and walked around the rear. Following Eloy up the stoop, he entered the doorway and climbed the stairs up to Eloy's apartment. In the lobby Eloy paused to check his mail chute and grabbed a handful of letters before they spilled out onto the floor. He shoved them in the sack and led the way upstairs. They didn't meet up with anyone along the way, and Stephen was grateful for that. He wasn't too comfortable with anyone knowing who was visiting Eloy. While he was sure that most people would think it was just a friendly visit, he had visions of people finding out the truth. He suppressed a shudder as they finally reach the top floor and Eloy gave him a curious glance as they made their way to his door.
"You okay?" He asked, wondering what had caused Stephen's odd reaction. He put his key in the lock and opened the door, standing back to let Stephen enter first.
"Yeah, fine." Stephen said, brushing off the question as he made his way into the dark apartment. Eloy turned on the light and made his way to the kitchen.
"Why don't you find something good to listen to while I put this away?" He called over his shoulder to Stephen. Stephen shrugged, well aware that Eloy wasn't going to discuss dinner with him. He made his way over to the stereo and pulled out a pile of CDs to flip through while he heard Eloy moving about in the kitchen. Finding a group he liked, he put the stereo on and turned up the volume. He wandered around the room, looking again at some of the pictures that Eloy had. He saw a lot of pictures of Eloy with his sister. A smile tugged on his face when he drew a comparison between his and Eloy's relationship with their sisters. It seemed like they had quite a bit in common.
A sound behind him made him turn around and he saw Eloy walking into the room with a tea towel in his hands, drying off. "All set?" He asked, still filled with curiousity but knowing better than to ask what Eloy had been up to in the kitchen.
"Ja, for now." Eloy said as he crossed the floor to where Stephen was standing. He looked at the picture that Stephen was looking at and smiled. "There she is in all her glory, my wild, nutty sister."
Stephen laughed at Eloy's description. "Do you think that it's possible that we're related through our sisters? I think I've used that same description for Michelle at times."
Eloy joined in Stephen's laughter. "I think you may be right, though not having met your sister, I can't be certain." He tugged on Stephen's hand and led him over to the sofa where they both sat down. Eloy put his arm over Stephen's shoulders and hugged him close, smiling down at him.
Stephen forgot his curiousity about dinner as they chatted. Eloy occasionally got up to check what was cooking in the kitchen and Stephen could smell something good. One of the times Eloy came back he had a bottle of wine and two glasses, and while they drank Stephen played a game of trying to guess what Eloy was making for dinner. Soon his stomach was growling and Eloy made a point of teasing him about it.
"What is it with you and that growl of yours?" He asked with a laugh as they snuggled together on the sofa.
"It's called lack of food," Stephen said, pouting.
"Ah, is that what it is? Well, soon, honing. Soon." Eloy assured him, then changed the subject from the topic of food for what seemed to be the millionth time to Stephen. They got into a deep conversation about animation and their favourite movies until a bell went off in the kitchen and Eloy got up to check their food. By this time Stephen's mouth was watering from the smells emanating from the back room. From what he could tell, there seemed to be a mixture, with at least one beef dish, based on what he thought he smelled. There were some spices that he found intriguing, and he found himself rather impatient to know what Eloy was spending so much time on.
Eventually his waiting was rewarded with a crooked finger from the doorway. "Oh, am I allowed in now?" He asked in a sulky tone.
"Ja, you are." Eloy stuck his face around the corner and grinned. "Believe me, it is worth the wait. Don't forget your glass," he said as he ducked his head back around the corner.
Stephen got up with a long-suffering sigh and picked up their wineglasses. He made his way down the hall and when he entered the kitchen, he saw that Eloy had lit candles and put them around the room. Not only were there long tapers on the table, but there were smaller candles set about the room, giving it a warm glow. Stephen smiled in appreciation as he put their glasses down on the table.
"Please sit, zusje." Eloy said quietly. He had an expectant look on his face and Stephen found it hard to refuse him. He sat down and waited for Eloy to make the next move. Eloy walked behind him and opened another bottle of wine from the rack. He poured Stephen another glass and after filling his own, put the bottle to one side. He then went to the sideboard and carried a pot over to the table. There, he portioned out some of the aromatic soup that Stephen had smelled earlier. After filling his own bowl he put the pot back on the table and sat down across from Stephen with a satisfied sigh.
Eloy leaned his chin on a hand and waited for Stephen to try the soup. Stephen obliged by picking up his spoon and stirring the soup. He felt a bit in the spotlight as he brought the spoon up to his lips, since Eloy was waiting so expectantly. A thought flittered across his mind about being set up for a joke, but he didn't think Eloy would do that sort of thing. Cautious, he blew on it to cool it off a bit before trying it.
"Mmmmm, I like." He said with an approving smile, thinking that Eloy was waiting for his verdict on the course. Eloy smiled and nodded before settling into his own soup. He found it quite tasty, with leeks, carrots and other vegetables mixed in with a sort of meatball.
"Okay, I have to ask. What do you call this?" He asked between mouthfuls.
"Hengst soep," Eloy said helpfully. Stephen gave him a look, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he wasn't expecting the Dutch words for what he was eating.
"And that means...?" Stephen asked leadingly.
"Soup, of course." Eloy said, drawing out the moment. Stephen rolled his eyes and took another spoonful of the soup. Just as he was swallowing, Eloy continued. "Stallion soup, to be exact."
It was all Stephen could do not to spit his mouthful back into the bowl. He choked on a leek as it went down the wrong way and looked at Eloy accusingly. "Excuse me?"
Eloy was howling with laughter at Stephen's reaction. "Well, that's what it is called. Hey!" He said, warding off Stephen's thrown napkin. "You were the one who wanted to know what it was!"
"You're pulling my leg!" Stephen accused him, trying not to laugh along with him. He could now see why Eloy had been so secretive based on the name of the dish, if that was what it was.
"Actually, I'm not." Eloy said, holding up his hands in surrender as Stephen pretended to fish a meatball out to throw at him. "That's its name! Honest!"
"Please tell me why the hell someone would call it that?" Stephen asked, trying to keep his outrage to the fore. It wasn't working, since Eloy could see his shoulders shaking with laughter.
"I have no idea. But that's what it's called," Eloy laughed. "Though maybe because someone thought the meatballs looked familiar," he said, brandishing one on a spoon. Stephen laughed at him and just shook his head. They continued on with the soup, though Stephen kept on glancing at him suspiciously. From there, they went onto a veal dish that Stephen found rather tasty.
"Dare I ask?" He said cautiously. He refused to eat another bite until Eloy told him what the dish was called, not wanting to choke on this course, too.
"Just blinde vinken," Eloy said in a mildly deceptive tone as he picked up his fork and took another bite.
"And what does that mean?" Stephen asked suspiciously. It smelled awfully good, so despite whatever the name meant, he knew he'd eat it. But he didn't want to fall victim to another of Eloy's jokes.
"It's commonly known as beefrissoles... basically stuffed veal. This is what I was working on while the soup was cooking." Eloy said as he mixed a bit with his mashed potatoes. "Nothing to stop you from swallowing, if that's what you're wondering."
Stephen laughed. "Well, one never knows, with you." He laughed at Eloy's pretended hurt look. "Oh, get out of here." Eloy joined in with his laughter as they finished their meal. For dessert, Eloy brought out the cookies he had bought for their boat trip, but hadn't eaten.
"So, how was that?" Eloy asked as he sat back at the end of their meal.
"Good," Stephen said. He felt like he had eaten a lot, but it had all tasted so good. "Very tasty."
"Danke," Eloy said, looking satisfied. He pushed back from the table and started to clear the plates away. Stephen got up to help and between the two of them, they made short work of cleaning up the kitchen.
"So, what would you like to do?" Eloy asked as he put the towel down on the countertop to dry. "Upstairs to the roof, or just stay down here?"
Stephen thought about it, but he was feeling rather lazy. "How about just hanging out down here?" He asked, looking up at Eloy.
"Sounds good to me. Shall we retire into the next room?" He asked. "And would you like coffee or anything?"
"Nah, couldn't have anything else. I'd burst!" Stephen exclaimed. "But if you want something, go right ahead." Eloy shrugged.
"No, I'm fine." He said. He led the way into the living room and over to a large recliner. "Come, share with me," he said, sitting down and moving over to give Stephen some room. Stephen smiled down at him and turned to sit down next to him.
Before he got there, though, Eloy had scooted back over so that he ended up in Eloy's lap. "Got ya!" Eloy said, wrapping his arms around Stephen's waist and pulling him back.
"So you do!" Stephen said with a laugh as he leaned against Eloy's chest. He pushed himself around so that he was able to put his legs over one arm and smiled up at Eloy. "You are just an imp tonight, aren't you?"
"Ja, so?" Eloy said, seeing nothing wrong with it. "It's your fault, anyhow."
"Mine!" Stephen cried indignantly. "How is it my fault?" He glared up at Eloy, who laughed back down at his expression.
"Well, you're so tempting, teasing me the way you do." Eloy said as he leaned forward to nibble on Stephen's ear. Stephen tried to push him away, but he held close and kept on doing it.
"Your mother is right, you know! You are a brat!" Stephen said. Eloy's actions were quickly distracting him, but he made an effort not to give in.
"Am not," Eloy breathed into his ear while suppressing a laugh. He could tell that Stephen was weakening, and kept up his attentions, moving his hand over Stephen's stomach in slow circles as he kept kissing his ear.
"Stop that." Stephen said faintly, knowing he was losing the battle. He couldn't stop himself from letting his arm creep around Eloy's waist and he leaned into the kisses with a sigh.
"Mmmm?" Eloy murmured, turning Stephen's face towards his for a deep kiss. "You were saying?"
"Saying what?" Stephen responded in a low voice as Eloy broke their kiss. He leaned his head against Eloy's shoulder and tried to remember what they had been arguing about. He found it pretty amazing that he didn't have a clue as to what had started it.
Eloy felt Stephen give in as he rested against him. He pushed the recliner back so that Stephen was lying almost on top of him as he put his feet up and he just let the music from the stereo drift over them as they relaxed in the chair. He knew it was getting late, but it just felt so right for them to stay like this that he decided to enjoy it for a while.