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.
Here's the next chapter. Hope you like it...
Cheers!
Musicfan
On the way to the airport Stephen kept Eloy talking about what his group had planned for promotional work over the next few weeks. Eloy knew he was doing it to distract him from their impending separation, and privately was amazed that Stephen could be so calm in the face of it when he was having such a hard time himself.
For Stephen, the knowledge that their separations were just passing events served to settle him down. He knew that they both had careers that they wanted to pursue and that there were going to be times when the two clashed. Especially in the upcoming months as he went abroad to work on the album.
It seemed like they reached the airport all too soon, and Stephen reluctantly pulled his hand back as they entered the parking area. Though they were flying different airlines, their flights were leaving from the same terminal at Schiphol. Eloy dropped Stephen off with the baggage and went around to park the car. Stephen stepped into the shade, lugging the bags off to one side and pulled his cap out of the side pocket. He put it on and grabbed his sunglasses. The bright sunlight was beginning to give him a headache and he knew that staying up all night hadn't helped the way he felt. He was relieved to see Eloy walking across the car park towards him. He smiled up at Eloy and grabbed his bag, leading the way inside.
The relative darkness inside was a boon to his assaulted senses and he sighed with relief. Eloy gave him a sympathetic grin before heading towards the flight board to check on their outbound flights.
"Ah, mine's been delayed." He said, looking down at the ticket in his hand. "What flight are you on?" He turned to Stephen. Stephen rummaged into the pocket to find his ticket, and looked at the stub for his flight information.
"EI 605," he said, looking back up to the board to see where it was. "It seems to be on time, 10:10."
"Ja, that's right. Mine is the KL 1109, now leaving at the same time. I'm not sure why I thought it was earlier." Eloy shrugged and hoisted his bag over his shoulder. "It's this way."
Stephen nodded tiredly and trailed behind him slightly. He kept an eye out in case anyone should recognize either one of them. They made their way over to their departure hall. Travelling as much as they did, both preferred to carry their bag rather than check it. Since neither was on a big trip, their bags weren't that large to cause a problem upon check in.
As they made their way over to the check in area, Stephen could see that there was a big crowd in the way. He had a feeling that there were going to be some of Eloy's fans there. He cleared his throat and Eloy turned around, giving him a questioning look. He looked around and nodded towards the men's room. Eloy nodded, waiting a moment before following him into the room.
It was a rather large room with banks of stalls in rows, and urinals against the wall. There were a few men finishing their business, and Stephen stepped over to a urinal as he waited for them to leave. Eloy went over to the sink and started washing up. When there was a momentary lull, Stephen picked up his bag and went into one of the larger stalls. Eloy quickly followed him, closing the door behind him. He knew that Stephen wouldn't have suggested this without a reason, and with one ear listening for someone to come in, he looked concernedly at the man in front of him.
"I'm sorry, we shouldn't be doing this," Stephen said, speaking in a low tone of voice. "But I have a feeling that crowd up by the check in is for your group. I just wanted to be able to say goodbye, because I don't think we should be seen together." Understanding dawned on Eloy's face and he nodded slowly.
The sound of a door opening startled them and Stephen gingerly climbed up on the toilet seat to get his legs out of the way if someone looked underneath. He wobbled precariously and Eloy moved forward to steady him. He wrapped his arms around Stephen and held him close, knowing they were out of time but unable to stop himself from doing so.
"You didn't have to do that, you know." He whispered into Stephen's ear. "It probably wouldn't be the first time someone witnessed a meeting in the men's room between two gentlemen." Stephen chuckled softly in his ear as he nodded. The sound of a toilet flushing and the person leaving distracted them from their furtive whispers.
"I just wanted to say goodbye while I still could," Stephen whispered softly back. He moved his head so that he could give Eloy a kiss, pausing to freeze at the sound of another toilet flushing in a stall nearby. "Have a good flight, and I'll talk to you later on, okay? But we better scoot. I just wanted to let you know that I think you should go ahead of me."
"No, you go first," Eloy whispered, all too aware of how precarious their position was. "Chances are you'll get through before I do. If those are fans out there, let's hope they don't recognize you." Stephen's eyes clouded, knowing that the fans were fairly wily where spotting a pop star was concerned. At the sounds of increased traffic in the men's room, he knew their time was running out. He gave Eloy one last lingering kiss before getting down off the toilet and running his hands down his shirt to straighten it. Picking up his overnight bag, he opened the door and slipped out, pausing to wash his hands before heading out of the men's room and down to the check in area.
Eloy waited a few moments to give him time before exiting the stall. An older man at the sinks glanced at him curiously and he wryly wondered if the man had seen Stephen exiting, too. He gave the man a brazen smile and a wink, pausing to admire him in the mirror. This made the man rather uncomfortable and he quickly finished washing up before heading out the door. Eloy grinned in the mirror before grabbing a towel and drying his hands. He grabbed his bag and headed out the door.
There was no sign of Stephen as he approached the check in area. He could see Lee's hair sticking out over a crowd of girls as he approached and in a short time he was surrounded by fans all asking for his autograph. He was happy to oblige until one of their minders came and reminded them that they were going to be late for their flight. He made his farewells to the fans before checking in for his flight and being escorted through the security checkpoint. The band traveled this flight enough that they were regulars on it and were passed through customs rather swiftly.
As he raced with Lee down the hall, he passed Stephen's gate but didn't see him in the area. With a sigh he continued, stretching out his legs to catch up with Lee who hadn't slowed down at all. They barely made it to the gate in time, getting on the plane at the last moment. They were flying first class today, so they immediately got to their seats.
"Ah," Bastiaan sighed. "I was wondering if you two were going to join us or whether we were going to have to work extra when we got to Stockholm." Ben just rolled his eyes and made a face as if to ignore Bas' comments. Eloy gave them an unapologetic grin as he stowed his bag in the overhead compartment and then sat down next to Lee.
"Have a good time off?" Ben asked, his eyes alight with curiousity. Eloy gave him a thumb up without comment as the flight attendant passed by their seats, making sure that they were ready for the flight. They didn't have the opportunity to talk as the security check was gone through and the plane left the gate. Lee just leaned back, put a cap over his eyes and nodded off. He wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination and tended to get as much sleep as he could when they traveled. Eloy didn't mind much as he wasn't really in a talkative mood this morning. He accepted the cup of coffee that the attendant handed him and sat back to enjoy it.
As they taxied out to the runway, he idly glanced past Lee out the window, seeing an Aer Lingus jet breaking away from its gate and he wondered if that was Stephen's flight. He figured it had to be since there probably wasn't another Aer Lingus flight leaving at the moment and he silently sent warm thoughts in the plane's direction, wishing Stephen a good flight home. It was soon out of sight and he leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes to the bright morning sun shining through the window.
Stephen fell asleep as soon as he had sat back on the plane, exhaustion taking over once he had finally allowed himself to relax. It hadn't been too bad avoiding the group of fans because they hadn't been looking for him. He had been able to slip through the check in and down the hallway to his gate with no problems. His flight was already boarding when he got there, so he immediately went down the ramp to his plane and got to his seat.
He was awoken by a light touch on his arm by the flight attendant, who told him the plane was getting ready to land in Dublin. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, feeling sluggish as he sat up and stretched in the limited room of the seat. He had a businessman next to him whom he hadn't even noticed when he had sat down in the seat. The man was busy tapping away on his laptop and the attendant had to ask him several times to turn it off as the plane made its approach. Stephen turned away from his scowl, not wanting to have to talk to anyone. He rested his chin on his hand and waited for them to land. His mind wasn't functioning too fast and he just let himself drift as they touched down on the tarmac.
They weren't even close to the gate when the man next to him pushed past him to get his bag down out of the overhead compartment. Stephen stifled a sigh and scrunched down out of the way. A few of the passengers sitting around them gave the man annoyed glances as he banged his bag down. By that point they were at the gate, and the man moved up to the front of the isle so he would be the first one out. Stephen stayed where he was so that others who were in a hurry could get their stuff and get in line. He hated getting crowded in situations like that and would rather sit back until they had cleared out than to stand in line waiting.
When there was finally room to move, he got up and grabbed his bag. Adjusting his hat and putting on his sunglasses, he thanked the flight crew as he passed his way out of the plane. Going through customs was just a mere formality and soon he was through the door and in the main terminal. There were fans waiting for him and he had to wonder how they knew that he was coming in today on a plane. They converged on him and as he signed autographs and stood for a few photographs he found that they had been waiting for Peter Andre, whose flight was coming in also. The news made Stephen a bit more relieved that they hadn't been waiting for him, and he got more relaxed around the fans, chatting with them until his sister came looking for him.
"Hopefully Peter's flight will be in soon," he said as he spied his sister. "Have to run now. Bye!" He waved at the fans as he picked up his bag and made his way across the terminal to where his sister was.
"Hey, sweetie!" She said, throwing her arms around her little brother and hugging him. She pulled back and looked at him critically. "God, you should have stayed there. You look beat."
"That's what happens when you stay up all night," Stephen said with a grin, leaning forward to give his sister a kiss on the cheek. "Making the most of the time we had, you know."
"I guess so!" She laughed. She waited for him to shoulder his bag again before linking arms with him. Together they walked to the parking garage. "Did you get any sleep the whole time you were there?"
"Yeah, of course I did!" Stephen laughed. "Oh, Shel, it's so good to see you!" He gave her arm an affectionate squeeze as they reached the car.
"Yes it is. Remember that, for the next time you think about running off for months on end without visiting!" She said tartly. Her smile took the sting out of her words and they laughed companionably as he put his bag in the boot and they got in. She started the car and backed out of the space, keeping up her one-sided conversation as they left the airport and headed to her house.
"Mam doesn't know you're here. I figured you'd need a few days to unwind." She smiled at him and he returned her smile before she turned back to her driving. They took the shoreline road down to Dalkey. Stephen didn't contribute much to the conversation, but Michelle didn't seem to mind as she went on about what had been going on at home with friends and family. They reached her house in short order. After pulling into the drive, they got out and Stephen carried his bag into the house.
"Where's Jordie?" He asked, stepping through the door. Barking from the back of the house announced Soirise's arrival and he braced himself for her greeting as she bounded into the living room and playfully jumped at him.
"Hey beautiful!" He said, dropping his bag and accepting her legs on his shoulders. She gave him a thorough tongue lashing before Michelle called her off. He protested, enjoying the dog's attentions.
"Aw, don't pick on her. She's just happy to see me." He said to his sister as he picked up his bag again. Soirise shadowed his every move, pausing to sniff at his boots when he paused for a moment. He knew she probably smelled Lucienne's boyfriend's dog on his boots and he laughed delightedly. Michelle berated her again good-naturedly before heading to the back of the house.
He loved his sister's home. It always felt so comfortable to be there. While Alan made very good money as an architect, they didn't flaunt it in material goods, of which he heartily approved.
"Jordan's off at his grandam's," Michelle said as she lead the way back to the kitchen. Stephen dropped his bag next to the sofa and followed her to the back of the house. The kitchen was a light and airy room, and had a deck that looked out onto the beach. Stephen peered out the door, seeing some people walking along the beach. "Coffee?" His sister asked, taking the pot out of the coffee maker and holding it up. "Looks like you can use some of this."
"Mmm hmmm," he said appreciatively. "Didn't have any on the plane." He sat down at the table as Michelle poured him a cup of coffee. Soirise paced around the room before settling herself at Stephen's feet with a gusty sigh. Reaching across the table to the sugar bowl, he spooned out some sugar before pushing it back towards her. She filled her own cup and put the pot back before sitting down across from him.
"Okay, so tell me everything!" She said, waiting expectantly. Stephen laughed, knowing she was probably dying of curiousity about his trip to Amsterdam.
"Hmmm, well, let's see." He mused, stalling as he took a sip. He knew his sister wasn't going to let him skip over too much, but there was a certain amount of detail that one didn't share with one's sister. "What do you want to know?"
"Stephen!" His sister cried, feeling like she was on tenterhooks while he dawdled. "Just tell me!"
"You sure you really want to know?" He asked teasingly. She tried to hit him from where she was sitting and he sat back with a laugh. "Uh uh, you hit me, no story."
She sighed dramatically and stared at him. "Stephen Patrick David if you don't start talking right now, I'm going to kick you." He pretended to ward off her glare.
"Alright! Wow, if looks could kill!" He said with a laugh. "Okay, where to start, where to start..."
"How about at the beginning, you brat!" His sister said, whacking him on the arm.
"You keep on hitting me like that and I'm not going to tell you anything!" He warned her with a laugh. He knew the worst thing he could do was to withhold the story from her.
"Fine, you do that, I call Eloy and ask him what happened," she threatened. She laughed at the expression on his face because he knew very well that she'd do it, too.
"Oh god, don't do that. You'd find out more than you ever wanted to if you talk to him!" Stephen said, aghast at her idea. She laughed and smirked at him. Faced with her threat, he knew he better deliver and give enough information that she wasn't tempted to call Eloy.
"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure it would be interesting," she said with a laugh. He blushed, thinking of some of the details that he was sure Eloy wouldn't mind sharing. He didn't have the biggest sense of modesty, and Stephen couldn't bear the idea of his sister finding out his most intimate details.
"All right! Just promise me you won't call him, okay?" He asked. She laughed, but didn't promise anything. With a sigh he took another sip of his coffee and went over the past few days in his mind. "Okay, where to start?"
"Well, why not the beginning? Tell me all about his family. You met his sister and mother, right?" She asked, looking at him expectantly. He nodded.
"Well, Luci -- that's Lucienne, but Eloy calls her Luci. She met me at the airport because she knew that Eloy's flight was going to be late and she promised she'd pick me up. I thought she was a fan at first!" He laughed embarrassed at his assumption. "Once I realised who it was, we left the airport and she took me to Eloy's apartment in the city."
"And what's that like?" Michelle prompted, eager for the next morsel.
"It's a big open place. Beautiful place to have an apartment. It's on the top floor and he has the whole floor to himself, as well as a roof deck." Stephen said, thinking of details as he told his sister. "It's not overly big, but big enough to swing a cat in, if you know what I mean." She nodded in understanding. "We just sat down and waited for him to show up and chatted a bit. You'd like her a lot, you know. You're a lot alike."
"Oh?" Michelle asked, arching an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
"You ask the same kinds of questions!" Stephen said with a burst of laughter. "Luckily she didn't get too far before Eloy finally came home. Poor darling, he was so exhausted. All but collapsed on the sofa and fell asleep."
"Oh no!" Michelle exclaimed. "Not a good way to start your holiday, is it?"
"Not really. Especially since he had a crick in his neck, too. Luci bade us farewell and I gave Eloy a nice back massage to help his neck. He was out as soon as I started. So that was pretty much the first night." Stephen said with a wry grin.
Michelle made a face and Stephen laughed. "And yes, that's all that happened the first night. We slept."
"What about the next morning?" She asked, eager for details. She leaned on the table and angled herself towards him, not wanting to miss any part of his story.
"The next morning?" He mused, thinking back. "We woke up."
"And?" His sister asked, exasperated by his drawing out of the story. She was all but drumming her fingers on the table as she waited impatiently for his response.
"And we got up. After spending half the morning kissing." Stephen said with a laugh, remembering Eloy's expression when he had realised how much time they had wasted that morning.
"Really?" Michelle asked, astutely noticing the expression on his face. "Only kissing?"
"Yeah, only." Stephen said with a nod. "We killed almost 3 hours from when he woke me up until we got ready to go have brunch at his mam's house."
"Oh, that's too funny!" His sister said with a laugh. She was delighted that he was telling her what had really happened. She desperately wanted to know the details because she knew that he was happy and wanted to be able to share it with him. Her little brother didn't have a lot of confidantes, and this was certainly something he couldn't go to their mam with. "What else happened?"
"Not much. We got a shower and went out to his mother's house. She lives outside the city a ways. It wasn't too much of a drive to get there. Oh, Michelle, you would absolutely adore Holland!" He said excitedly. He described the drive from the city to the town where Lenie lived, giving her all the details of what the city was like as well as the small town that Eloy's mother lived in.
"Sounds like you're hooked in more ways than one," she said with a laugh. She felt a pang, knowing that when he finally did come to the decision that it would probably be him moving to Holland rather than Eloy moving to Ireland. She knew what Ireland was like, and there was no way that the two of them would be able to go around here the way they could there. She felt sad with the foreknowledge, but also knowing where her brother's heart lay, it was an inevitable decision. And she knew that as long as he was happy, then she would be, also. Even if it meant she saw him less than she did now. Though what their parents would say about his relationship when they found out was anyone's guess.
"Yeah, I suppose I am," Stephen said in a musing sort of way. He then went on to tell her about meeting Lenie for the first time, and their meal together. She queried him for details every step of the way, asking what her house was like, and she grilled him over the details of Lenie's tour through the house.
"I didn't memorize it all, you know!" Stephen said with a laugh. Michelle had provided food for them to nibble on as he continued his story and he picked up a corner of a cheese sandwich and used it as an opportunity to give himself a break from talking.
"And why not?" She demanded with a laugh. "You know I'd want to know everything that happened!"
"Michelle!" Stephen protested. "There are some things that one doesn't tell to their sister. Even a sister as wonderful as you!"
"And why not?" She asked. "I know what it's like for two people to make love you know." She saw him blush at her comment, but she didn't let it deter her. "Stephen, it's long since passed the time that you should have someone of your own to love. It doesn't matter to me that someone is another man. In fact, I welcome the fact that you feel comfortable enough to share it with me. I know you two made love with each other the time you were there." She reached out a hand to touch his arm as he looked away uncomfortably. "No, don't. When you make love to someone, it's special. When it's with the person you're meant to be with, it transcends that to something better. I know that, Stephen. Eloy is the right person for you. To deny that is to deny part of yourself." She said in an impassioned tone.
He looked at her for a few moments, weighing what she said. He knew his sister was right, but it still felt awkward to talk about. But he also knew how much he needed to shout to the world his love for Eloy. If he had to tell someone, his sister was the person to tell.
"Well, for your information we didn't make love until that night. Does that make you happy?" He asked, hoping to shock her.
"Yes, it does. You need it," she retorted tartly. "Besides, Eloy already told me that you jumped his bones. I'm just looking for details."
"Oh god," he groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "My sister is a voyeur."
"Damn straight I am," she said, pushing against his hands. "Tell me the rest before you lose your nerve."
"What do you want to know?" He demanded hotly. "That we made love all night?
"Yes!" She responded. He blushed and she laughed again. "Oh, c'mon. I know that the two of you did more than that. Tell me all!"
"What else did we do?" he mused to himself as he thought back to the next night together. "Eloy took me up on the roof deck, where we had wine and stare up into the stars."
"Did you really?" She asked. She was captivated by his story and really did want to know it all. She was a romantic at heart and longed to know the tale of their story together.
"Yeah, really. It was a beautiful night. The stars were shining and we spent most of the night pointing them out to one another." Stephen said with a grin. Once he had gotten started on his story, he found that his sister was an easy person to talk to. It wasn't the first time he had shared stories with her and it really did feel good to tell someone else about it. It validated what happened, so that it wasn't just something in his own mind that he was talking about.
"From there, Eloy suggested that we head downstairs and go to bed. I really didn't want to leave the roof -- it was so lovely up there! But I knew he wanted to go inside, so we did."
"And then what happened?" Michelle asked eagerly.
"What happened?" Stephen asked, laughing as he remembered. "We made love for half the night. It was magical, Shel." He thought back to that night and smiled. "Actually it started with a dance, though."
"You danced?" She asked, caught in his story. He nodded. "Tell me everything!"
"We came down from the roof deck and got ready for bed," he said closing his eyes as he remembered. "Eloy turned on the radio and the next thing I knew we were slow dancing together." Stephen laughed softly as he remembered that night and Michelle was caught up in his narrative. "From there, we made love. Michelle, it was pure magic. I can't even begin to describe it."
"You don't need to, hon. I think I get the idea from here." Michelle said with a grin, delighted that he had obviously enjoyed himself.
"That's not to say we didn't have some bumps along the way," he said, thinking back to that second night.
"Oh?" The tone of her voice spoke volumes. He looked up from where he was folding and unfolding the napkin by his plate and stared at her.
"I told him about Stephen Howard," he said. Her expression said it all. She knew how hard he had been hit by Stephen's death, and how shaken to the core he had been. Impulsively she reached across the table and held his hand.
"Oh, honey!" She said softly, understanding how hard that had been for him to do. "What happened?"
"What happened?" Stephen sat back with a sigh and pushed his hair back off his face in a tired gesture. "Eloy said almost word for word something that Stephen had said to me once. He felt me freeze at his comment and asked what was wrong. Shel, I had to tell him. It was like Stephen wanted me to tell him the story." He went on to tell his sister Eloy's acceptance and his reasoning about why he might have said something like that. Michelle got shivers down her back as she heard her brother's story, and she tried to suppress it with effort.
"But you know something?" He asked after telling the story to his sister. "I felt for the first time that I could let go of him. And that I could go on with this relationship with Eloy with a clear conscience." His smile said it all and she had to respond with a smile of her own. She knew that it had weighed heavily on him and that he felt responsible for his friend's death. She was thrilled to see that he felt comfortable enough with Eloy to work through it with him, and that he wasn't going to feel guilty anymore that he was still alive while his friend was dead.
"I'm happy to know you feel that way, honey. He never would have wanted you to feel like this for all this time, you know." She took her brother's hands in her own and held them.
"Yeah," he said, looking back down to their clasped hands. "But I guess it just took me a while to realise that." He shook himself and put the memory aside, going back to his story. "I can't wait for you to meet him, sweetheart. I can't explain how special he is to me. I guess if one can have a soulmate in this world, he is definitely mine."
"Oh Stephen," she breathed. "I can't tell you how happy I am for you. And I can't wait to meet him. He sounds wonderful. And just looking at you, I would have to love him just for the way he's made you sparkle again." She laughed as he looked down, embarrassed. "It's true you know."
Stephen looked up with a rueful grin. "Yeah, I suppose it is. I haven't been doing a good job of fooling anyone on this, I guess." At her enquiring tone, he continued. "Well, the lads know what's going on -- I couldn't fool them. And you know something? It feels so great for other people to know. To know I don't have to hide this."
"You shouldn't have to, sweetheart," Michelle said, hurting for him and the knowledge that he felt he had to hide something so basic to being himself. "Just because you love someone, you shouldn't have to crawl under a rock."
"That's what the lads said, you know. Ronan himself told me that it's the nineties, it's something that I shouldn't have to hide. But I can't help but wonder what will happen when people do find out. Louis will skin me alive if word of this ever gets out, you know. Especially with the new album and all." A shadow crossed his face at the comment as he thought of the next few months. There was going to be a lot of separation between them as they went their own ways, and he hoped he was strong enough to wait it all out. The touch of his sister's hand on his own brought him back to the present, and he mentally shook himself. There was no point in worrying over the future like that. He knew it. "Anyhow, to go back to my story, we spent the next day with Eloy's sister and mam again, then Eloy took me out for a boat ride. Ah, Shel, it was beautiful! There was no one out there but us. Very relaxing.
"Oh, before I forget, Eloy gave me some things to give you." Stephen said, remembering the packages in his bag.
"What things?" Michelle asked, intrigued. Stephen got up, disturbing Soirise from where she was laying on his feet. She rolled over to her side and he carefully moved away from the table. Stephen motioned for his sister to wait and went into the living room where he had put his bag down. He rummaged through the bag looking for the presents that Eloy had wrapped for his family. It was one of the things he loved about the other man, the way he thought of others. He knew Eloy really wanted to meet Michelle, and that just from their phone conversations the two had already formed a bond. Eloy also loved buying presents for people, and had made Stephen promise to give them to Michelle.
Finally, he found everything he wanted and carried them back to the kitchen where Michelle still sat, waiting impatiently. Her mouth formed an O as he put each of the presents in front of her.
"What's all this for?" She asked.
"For you, Jordan and Alan, of course." Stephen said with a grin as he sat back down again. Soirise promptly rolled over so that she was lying over his feet again. Michelle put the large package that had Jordan's name on it aside and glanced thoughtfully at the one with Alan's name before moving it to join Jordan's. That left a small box for her with her name on it. She looked curiously down at the large handwriting, trying to picture the man who had wrote the note. She opened the card and read the note from Eloy, smiling as she did so.
Stephen sat back to watch her reaction. Eloy had pulled the presents out of the closet that morning when they were getting ready and had quickly scrawled the note off to Michelle while Stephen had packed. He had told Stephen that if it was better, then to say that the other gifts had been from him, in case Michelle's husband didn't know what was going on. Stephen had laughed at him, telling him that Michelle never hid anything from her husband, and probably he knew more about the two of them than anyone else at the moment. Eloy had laughed back, ruffling his hair as he had dropped the presents on the bed.
She looked up expectantly, pausing before pulling on the ribbon that held the wrapping on. "Do you know what's in it?"
"No," Stephen shook his head. "He didn't tell me. But I think you'll like it. He has good taste."
"Of course he does!" Michelle exclaimed. "He loves you, doesn't he?" She laughed as he made a face at her comparison and slowly tugged on the ribbon, untying the package. Releasing the taped edges, she opened the box and peered inside, gasping with delight.
Stephen craned his neck to see what it was, but all he could see was tissue paper that obscured his view. Michelle reached inside and lifted out a delicate hand blown glass flower that was standing in a vase. She held it up to the light, marveling at the colours that refracted inside.
"Oh, it's lovely!" She beamed at Stephen who couldn't help but smile back at her enthusiasm. "You're right, he does have good taste!" Stephen laughed at her assertion. "And I know exactly where to put it!"
She stood up and walked over to the kitchen window, moving a plant aside that was there. Standing the vase on the sill, she moved it so that it caught the light and refracted it into the room. "Ah, lovely!"
She came back over to the table and wrapped her arms around her brother, kissing him on the cheek. "This one's a charmer. Don't lose hold of him, okay? Or else I'm going to be quite angry!"
Stephen laughed, hugging the arms that were wrapped around him. "Don't worry, I have no intention of it!"
"Good, just want to make sure!" She said with a laugh before sitting back down. "Now, no more distractions! Get back to your story." She couldn't help but glance over to the glass flower occasionally as he continued.
"I don't know how much more there is, actually." Stephen said. She pretended to glare at him and he laughed. "Okay, okay! Where were we?"
"You were telling me about Holland, and how beautiful it is," she said, undeterred from his distraction. He nodded, picking up the story and describing the drive back through the countryside from Den Haag.
"From there, we went back to his place in Amsterdam where he made dinner for us. That was an interesting affair, with all sorts of local dishes that he made," Stephen said, leaving out the details of the meal.
"Oh?" Michelle asked, arching an eyebrow. She had a feeling her brother was glossing over the details, but knew that he had to keep some things from her. "And what happened after that?"
"After dinner?" Stephen smiled as he thought back to the previous night. "We sat back in a chair and cuddled for most of the night before heading to bed. And yes, we stayed up all night, making love." He sighed, thinking back to just the past few hours. "We also did a lot of talking, so it wasn't just sex, you know."
"I didn't say it was!" Michelle protested with a laugh. "I know that more than just sex happens in bed you know!" They laughed together as he continued the story, telling her of their hopes and dreams together. She desperately wished for them to come true, since it was about time that he finally got a chance to enjoy himself. He ended the story with their trip to the airport and his leaving before Eloy got accosted by a group of fans.
"Oh honey, I'm so happy for you!" She exclaimed. Just seeing the sparkle in his eyes, she knew that he was hooked. She thanked god that he was finally settling down with someone he loved. The front door slamming drew their attention away from the conversation and a small whirlwind in the form of her son came barreling in and headed straight towards Stephen.
"Uncle Steve! Uncle Steve! I knew you'd come! I knew it, I knew it!" Jordan crawled into Stephen's arms and wrapped himself around his uncle. "I missed you!"
"Hey Jordie! Of course I came! You think I wouldn't?" Stephen asked with a laugh as he gave his nephew a kiss on the cheek. "I've missed you, too!" He looked over Jordan's shoulder as Alan's mother. "Hey, how are you?"
"Busy, busy!" She beamed, seeing her daughter-in-law's little brother. Jordan had been a bundle of energy, knowing his uncle was flying in this morning. As much as she loved her grandson, sometimes he was too much to handle, and it was with relief that she was able to bring him back home.
"Hi Mam," Michelle said, standing up and giving her mother-in-law a hug. "Hope he wasn't too bad today. Can I get you some coffee?"
"Oh, he wasn't bad at all. Just a wee bit excited is all. No darling, nothing for me. I just wanted to make sure that he got in all right. I left a cake in the oven and really should head back. Just knew that you'd be expecting him soon." Her mother-in-law headed back to the front door after waving to Stephen and her grandson with Michelle trailing behind.
When Michelle came back, she found her son chattering away at Stephen, who was listening intently to everything he was saying. Stephen had given the package to Jordan, who had ripped it open, crowing with delight at the large stuffed horse inside. Michelle saw a curious look on Stephen's face when he saw it and asked him why he looked that way but he waved her question aside in the face of Jordan's excitement. Jordan went back to saying how he was going to become a policeman and ride a big horse like that. He ran about the room, playing with the horse, all the while talking to Stephen before settling back down in his lap.
She sat back in her chair and watched her brother, noticing how tired he looked, though not in the same soul wearied way he had the last time he had been home. She was happy that they had had time to talk, though she didn't get enough details to satisfy her. She smiled, knowing that she had gotten a lot more than she thought she would. Stephen wasn't use to confiding about those kinds of things, but she really did want to know that he was happy, and she was dying to meet Eloy. Just in their phone conversation she could tell how well they worked off one another. She also knew that her brother was dreading that meeting, because he'd probably be the butt of their teasing. Stephen yawned, interrupting her thoughts and it made her realise that he hadn't had any sleep at all, other than the short time on the plane.
"Jordan, I think you're wound up entirely too much!" She exclaimed, attempting to peel her son off Stephen. "You're going to talk the poor man's ear off! He'll be here for a while, don't fret. Anyhow, it's time for a nap."
"Mama, I don't want to take a nap!" Jordan cried, distraught that she was going to send him to bed when he had only just gotten home, and hadn't even begun to take his uncle around the house to show him all the things he had been working on.
Stephen chuckled, moving his head back to give himself some breathing room. "Well, I'm going to go take one. Don't you want to join me?" He looked at his sister and they shared a smile. "I know I need one."
Jordan sat back and looked at his uncle suspiciously. "I thought grown ups didn't have to take naps."
"Well, I'll share a secret with you," Stephen said softly. "I'm not exactly a grown up." He winked and his nephew giggled. "And I need a nap. How about you come lie down with me and we give your mam a break?"
Michelle was amazed at how fast her son acquiesced, watching him jump off Stephen's lap and lead him out the door. Stephen winked tiredly and waved to his sister as he was dragged towards the living room, Soirise following them quietly. She laughed softly to herself. She loved watching the two of them together. Stephen was so good with children, and they responded to him. She made her way into the next room, listening as Stephen explained he should take his bag upstairs with him and letting Jordan help him carry it up the stairs. The sounds of them thumping the bag up each step had her in giggles and she had to move back to the kitchen so that they wouldn't hear her. Eventually, all was quiet above and she cleaned up the cups and plates from the table, enjoying her quiet time.
A short time later she crept up the stairs, curious to see if Jordan was out that fast when he had been so wound up earlier. She got to the top of the stairs and passed his room, sighing as she looked in at the mess she was going to have to clean up. Walking past it, she saw that Stephen had left the door open to the guestroom and she peered around the edge, trying not to be seen.
Her brother was lying on his side in his shorts and t-shirt, Jordan curled up in front of him. Jordan was dressed the same and she had to stifle a laugh at the sight of the two of them. They were both fast asleep and she marveled at the fact that Stephen had been able to get him to lie down and take a nap so easily. Soirise was lying down on the throw rug, watching her intently. She moved over to the window and drew the blinds, trying to avoid making any noise, but not wanting the afternoon sun to come in and wake them. The slight sound didn't disturb them at all, and she backed out of the room after caressing her son's cheek.
She went into Jordan's room and started picking up his things. The room looked like a cyclone had passed through, which she supposed one had, it being in the form of her son. As she cleaned up, she mulled over the details of Stephen's story, smiling as she went. She was determined to meet up with the man her brother was so in love with, and she promised herself it would be as soon as she could arrange it. Otherwise, the suspense might kill her. She laughed at her thought and after straightening up, made her way downstairs to do some baking before she had to start getting dinner ready.