The Secret Catamite Bk 1, The Book of Daniel (27 page)

"That Layton again, I think, Mrs
Gray," said Simon.

"Oh darling, what happened?" she
said to her morose fourteen year old son.

"I came second in backstroke AND
butterfly," grumbled Daniel.

"Front crawl?"

"Oh I won that of course, by
miles. But I wanted to beat Layton in backstroke especially."

"Well, you can't win everything,
Daniel. What about the county? You are in the team?"

"Yes," said Daniel, "first two
go through."

"You mean you're on the team for
all three strokes?" said Simon, wondering why in that case Daniel
was so upset.

"Yes," said Daniel, a bit
defensively now. "It's just that I really wanted to beat Layton in
something other than crawl. And the county gala is in two weeks.
Easter Saturday."

"Well," said Mrs Gray, "nobody
can question that you're the best when it comes to the crawl, and
you're in the team for the others as well. You've done very
well."

"Oh, I suppose so. I took it out
on Simon a bit too," he admitted, mellowing somewhat now.

"It's OK," said Simon. "You
stink of chlorine, anyway." And it was true. The chlorine of the
swimming pool was now evident in the warm kitchen.

"Oh," said Daniel, "yes, there
was a lot in the water today."

"Well, anyway boys," said Mrs
Gray, "I'm going into town for a couple of hours, will you try not
to burn the house down?"

"Where's Dad and Louise?" asked
Daniel quickly.

"Dad won't be home until this
evening, Louise probably won't be back until late. She went out
with Sarah and that lot. I think she's seeing Graham later. You'd
better do something about that chlorine." With that, Mrs Gray took
up her handbag, put on her coat and left to get the bus.

"Better take your coat off,"
said Daniel to Simon once the two were alone. Simon did so.

"Back room," Daniel commanded.
Simon knew what was coming. When Daniel felt frustrated, he would
play the piano, venting his frustration into the music.

"Rachmaninoff, I think," said
Daniel, rummaging among the music books. "Sit," he ordered Simon,
patting the piano stool. Simon sat next to Daniel. To him, the mass
of tightly packed notes meant nothing, except that the tune went
higher when the notes went up. But when Daniel said "Turn", Simon's
job was to turn the page.

Daniel paused, and then with a
burst of sound began to play. The three dark opening chords
matching his mood. Simon loved the Russian music, its emotion, its
soaring drive and rhythms, its complexity, but especially he loved
it because Daniel loved it and played it. He watched Daniel's
hands, those large, strong but somehow delicate hands, sweeping
across the keys, his legs as he pedalled, raising and lowering
allowing the sound to crescendo, killing it when he wanted. His
passion and feeling, even anger, going into the poignant chords as
the piece reached its climax, and then subsiding, its work done.
Simon watched with a mixture of admiration and envy, turning the
pages on command. Daniel's face expressing the feeling in the
music. The piece ended. Daniel stopped, panting slightly.

"That's better," he said. "Did
you like it? I played that for you."

"Of course I did."

"Good. The prelude in C sharp
minor, Opus 3, number 2.

"I do recognise the prelude,"
Simon said. "Quite apart from it saying at the top of the page. Why
do you like Rachmaninoff so much?"

"It matches my mood. He's an
amazing composer, especially for piano. And it's very challenging,
hard to play. When I was younger my hands were too small but Mum
adapted his music for me, but my hands are bigger now. So I like to
master it. There's a part of that where there is so much fingering,
he used double staves to fit all the notes in. That took me ages to
learn. But listen to this one," he said, thumbing the music book,
"It's a bit more cheerful, now I'm feeling better."

The next piece was
different in tone, but Simon could see that it was a hard
piece,
Prelude Op. 23 No. 5
,
according to the book. The music danced, Simon almost felt like
clapping along with it, and this time Daniel was smiling slightly
as he played it, glancing at Simon to see his reaction. Simon knew
this was being played for him too.

"Do you like that one?" asked
Daniel as he finished.

"Yes, it's a bit more cheerful
than the C sharp one."

"C sharp minor," corrected
Daniel. "I have to work on that last one, I made a couple of
mistakes. Can you still smell the chlorine?"

"I didn't notice any mistakes,"
said Simon, but he knew how Daniel always strove for perfection.
"And you do reek a bit."

Daniel sniffed. "Suppose I do a
bit." He went into the kitchen and checked the Aga. "I'll have a
bath." Turning to Simon, he added mischievously, "Want to come and
wash my back?"

Simon smiled and nodded,
followed Daniel upstairs, where he started to run the bath. Simon
sat on Daniel's big bed and watched as his friend undressed,
completely unselfconscious with Simon. In Simon's eyes, he was the
most beautiful creature walking on God's Earth. In the bathroom,
Daniel tested the water and then climbed in and sat down.

"That's good," he said, and lay
back, allowing the hot water to swirl around him and over his
chest. Simon perched on the side of the bath. Daniel lay further
back and submerged his head, his hair floating out, momentarily
reminding Simon of the lido when they were younger. Daniel blew
bubbles up at Simon and then surfaced, pushing his now wet hair
back, and lay back again.

"I can't do your back with you
lying on it," Simon pointed out.

"You get in," said Daniel.

"There's not room."

"I'll make room. Come on.
They're all out. Let's have a bath together."

At that, Simon quickly
undressed, watched by Daniel, both boys now becoming aroused with
the anticipation of this novel arena. Daniel sat up and Simon got
in, facing Daniel, their legs overlapping each other.

"Ah!" exclaimed Simon as the
cold tap touched his back. "I've got the tap end. It's cold."

"Well, don't lean on it then,
idiot," said Daniel, with that wide grin on his face for the first
time since getting off the bus. He reached forward and pulled Simon
close, their hands exploring each other. Simon reached round and
started to rub Daniel's back.

"Simon, what are you doing?"

"Washing your back. Or trying
to. It's a bit awkward. Turn round."

With some splashing and
difficulty in the confines of the bathtub, Daniel turned and sat,
knees drawn up, with Simon behind him, his legs either side of
Daniel. But Simon was pushed back against the cold tap again.

"This is too awkward," he
complained.

"They manage in the films," said
Daniel.

"Have you seen the size of the
baths they have, though?" countered Simon. He kissed the wet nape
of Daniel's neck, who responded by running his hand up the inside
of Simon's thigh.

"You're right," said Daniel, "I
think the chlorine will have washed off now anyway. Let's get dried
off."

They both climbed out, and stood
together, dripping. Daniel took up a bath towel and started to dry
himself down.

"What towel can I use?" asked
Simon.

"Better share this one. Too many
wet towels might look odd."

So they dried themselves and
each other, using the ends of the large towel. Daniel hung it on
the towel rail. "Come on, bring your clothes." Daniel led the way
into his bedroom, closing the door. Simon dumped his clothes by
Daniel's heap on the floor. Daniel lay on the bed and beckoned
him.

"Come on, then. After this
morning, I need this."

Simon joined Daniel and they lay
arms round each other.

"Let's get in," said Daniel.
They both climbed under the sheet and blankets. It was warmer and
Simon always loved being in Daniel's big bed with him. It was warm,
safe and like a loving cocoon.

Daniel propped up on one elbow,
looked down at Simon's head on the pillow, put his arm round the
back of Simon's neck and leaning down, kissed him, their lips
exploring each other, Simon's hands in Daniel's now almost dry
hair, arousal heightening, Daniel running his hand down Simon's
back to his thighs, Simon responding.

They used their bodies to
pleasure the other, the joy each found in the other's body ending
with mutual climax, each drinking the fruit of the other's loins.
And as so often, they sang the chorus of what they had come to
think of as their private song, certainly in this sense, in
celebration of their shared joy.

Fire! fire! fire down
below;

Fetch a bucket of water, boys,
There's fire down below!

As they lay together afterwards,
Daniel said, "You always make me feel better. I know I get too
tense sometimes. You're good for me."

"And you for me," said
Simon.

"You do like doing this?"

"Yes, you know I do. Why are you
asking about that again?"

"I feel a bit guilty I
suppose."

"Guilty? What about?" asked
Simon, puzzled.

"Ages ago, when we first
started, going to the den and that, one reason why I liked it was
because …" Daniel stopped.

"What?"

"I was the boss, telling you
what to do, it made me feel kind of powerful."

"That's all right."

"No, Simon, it's not. It's
almost like I was using you, and I'm really sorry. You're worth
more than that."

"Honest Daniel, it's OK. I never
felt used. Just safe and looked after. Maybe I was using you in my
own way. You've always been there for me and you've never let me
down, ever. No apology required."

"If you ever do feel like that,
used I mean, tell me, won't you?"

"OK, but I know you never would.
You're just not like that, and this proves it."

"Well, I was a bit worried about
it," continued Daniel, "especially now I am sometimes going into
you. If you're not happy about it, I would feel as though I was
using you."

"No," reiterated Simon. "It's
super. It feels right and you know I sometimes come just from the
way you are in me. I like it when you come there as well. I know
I've got you for longer in a kind of way." Simon had never heard of
the prostate but was very aware of its highly erogenous effect when
stimulated! He turned and kissed Daniel. "No more apologies,
right?"

"Right. Thank you, Simon. You're
an amazing friend to have. Do I still smell of chlorine?"

Simon moved closer and drew in
breath on Daniel's shoulder. There was no chlorine, all Simon could
smell was the masculine scent of him that he found so exciting. But
all he said was, "No. You smell normal now."

"Good," said Daniel, "so do
you."

"I didn't smell of chlorine in
the first place."

"So? You still smell
normal."

Simon laughed, but it was cut
short by a shout from downstairs.

"Daniel? Are you in?"

"It's Louise, shhh," said
Daniel. They heard Louise coming up the stairs. Simon instinctively
clung closer to Daniel's warm body. Louise seemed to stop outside
the door.

"I didn't lock the door,"
whispered Daniel anxiously, fearful that his eighteen year old
sister would just come in.

"Daniel, are you in there?" came
from the other side of the door. Daniel knew he would have to
answer.

"Yes. Got back from
swimming."

"D'you make the team? Silly
question."

"Yes, three events."

"Three? Good," Louise said.
"Simon in there with you?"

For a moment Daniel wondered
what to say, just in time remembering Simon's coat on the chair in
the kitchen.

"Yeah. We're OK," he called back
from the bed, praying Louise would not open the door.

"I'm sure you are," answered
Louise. "I've just come back for some things. I'm off out again.
Mum in town?"

"Yes," said Daniel, he and Simon
still locked in unmoving embrace.

"OK bruvver." They heard Louise
go to her room. A few minutes of movement during the which the two
boys didn't stir, and then footsteps on the landing outside the
door.

"I'm off then. See you
later."

"Bye!" called Daniel.

"Bye!" Louise paused. "Bye
Simon!"

Daniel nudged Simon,
nodding.

"Bye!" shouted Simon, hoping the
nervousness in his voice wouldn't show. They heard Louise going
downstairs and a few moments later, the front door closing. Both
boys exhaled and relaxed their grip on each other.

"That was close," said
Simon.

"You can say that again!"

"That was close," said Simon,
smiling now, and then getting poked by Daniel for deliberately
taking him literally. The two remained in that warm cocoon for an
hour longer, relaxing in their closeness and talking, of the county
swimming gala - "Of course I'll be there!" said Simon – of Simon's
athletics – "I bet you win the 100 yards again," said Daniel. "I
will if you're watching," said Simon. "Try and stop me," said
Daniel – of school and plans for the coming Easter holiday,
including more time like this. Holidays, when both Daniel's parents
were at work, presented the best chance for the two to use Daniel's
bed. When Daniel said his mother might be back soon, they
reluctantly relinquished their warm nest and got dressed.

Simon watched Daniel with Mr and
Mrs Gray and Louise from the spectator seats as he sped through the
water to win the county front crawl well in front of the next boy,
Daniel waving up at them as he climbed out of the pool. He came
second again in the backstroke and butterfly heats, losing the
final place to Layton, but he went on to star in the four length
relay. His team were in third place after three lengths, and Daniel
was to swim the final part. Simon watched as Daniel, face set in
determination and concentration, was poised on the edge, waiting
for his teammate to touch, risking disqualification if he dived too
early. As soon as the boy touched, Daniel dived over the boy's
head, but well behind the leader who was already powering away.
Simon looked on agitated with excitement and anxiety, as Daniel's
powerful, lithe body cut through the water leaving barely a ripple,
the muscles on his back, arms and legs working hard to make up the
deficit, his skin glistening as the water coursed across it. Simon
couldn't see Daniel's face as his breathing side was away from him,
but he could visualise the look of resolve he knew so well. By half
the length Daniel had pulled almost level, the leader seeing this
redoubling his efforts, but it was neck and neck as they neared the
end. Everybody was now on their feet yelling. Simon was shouting
"Come on Daniel!" at the top of his voice. In the last yards,
Daniel eased in front to touch an arm's length ahead. The crowd
roared at the excitement of the race and the home club's victory.
After a pause in the water while other swimmers finished, Daniel
leapt out of the water and stood on the pool edge. He waved at his
family and Simon, exhilarated. He hadn't won all his races, but he
had helped his team win the county gala overall. Daniel was
pleased, and so was Simon.