Benny & Ray 124

Good-Byes

Ben slowly floated back up to consciousness and opened his eyes. He blinked in momentary puzzlement; the room was flooded with bright sun.  A diagonal pattern of sunlight shone across the exposed brick wall of the bedroom.  He glanced at the clock and sat up in a panic, thinking he was late for work.  Remembering, he plopped back down on the bed again.

It was his day off. He had dropped Carie off at Rosalie’s this morning, come home, and gone right back to bed.  His sleep cycle had been disrupted as of late, and he was exhausted.

He felt decadent, and maybe a little lazy, being in bed at this hour. His naked body was twisted up in the white cotton sheet.  He freed himself from it, and rolled to his side. His penis felt thick and heavy, and he let his left hand roam down and finger it idly.  He watched the breeze stir the curtains and move the leaves on the tree outside his window.  Birds sang outside his window.  Ruby-crowned Kinglets, his mind automatically supplied. At least half a dozen.  Their rapid-fire song was upbeat and confident. 

He smiled and closed his eyes. He stroked his rising cock, slowly, soothing himself. After several moments, his breathing deepened and his cock demanded more attention.

He rolled to his back and spread his legs.  Ben opened his eyes once more.  “Ah!” He yelped.  His father’s face was inches from his.  His father grinned, teasing.  “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Do you have to do that?”  He hastily pulled the sheet up to cover himself.

Bob Fraser chuckled.  “Gets you every time, doesn’t it?” He sat on the bed next to his son.

“Dad, I wish—

His father wore a thick Gore-Tex jacket, despite the warmth, and knee-high mukluks.  There was a bedroll and knapsack strapped to his back.

Ben sat up. “Where are you going?”

He smiled sadly.  “It’s time for me to be moving on, son.”  His image appeared so faint that Ben could see the sun shining through him.

“What do you mean?”

“My work is done here. Time to go on to my next mission.”

Ben peered into his father’s bright blue eyes.  His father’s eyes were misty.  “It's just I, I thought you were permanent.”

“Oh son, nothing's permanent.”

“Can’t you stay a few more days?”

He shook his head.  “Your mother’s waiting.   She’s been patient long enough.”

“But, Dad!”

“Time’s a-wasting.”  He patted his son on his covered thigh and rose. “Give my grandchild a kiss for me, will you?”

“Dad! That’s it? You waltz in and then just waltz right back out?”

“You don’t need me hanging around here anymore, son.”

“Will I see you again?”

His father removed his parcels from his back, letting them carelessly drop to the floor.  Next, he did something that Ben could not remember him doing since he was perhaps five or six.  His father leaned forward, and gave him a kiss on the forehead.  To Ben, it felt like the wisp of a feather.  His father was transparent. “Good-bye, son.”

Even as his father’s image dissipated into nothingness, Ben pleaded, “Don’t go! There’s so much I have to tell you, and—

“Talkin’ to yourself again, Benny?”

Ray had slipped in so quietly that he startled Ben.  His hands were behind his back and Ben was instantly intrigued.

“Apparently so,” Ben replied. He peered at Ray, trying to see what he held behind his back. “What is it?”

“A surprise for you.”

“I like surprises, Ray.” He smiled encouragingly.

Ray produced what he held behind his back, beaming from ear to ear.

Ben instantly recognized the two slips of printed cardboard stock as tickets for the Chicago Opera.  He gasped, jaw falling open.

Ray grinned.  “Wanna go see Don Giovanni tonight?”

“Do I?!”

“And I made reservations at Aria, if that’s all right with you.”

“That’s fine, Ray.”

“You sure?  Because I could change it.  We could go to Tavern on the Park, or the Grill, or—

Ben grabbed him and stopped him with a kiss.  “It’s perfect. Perfect.”  The two shared a searing kiss, exploring each other’s mouths like it was their first kiss. After a long moment, they separated, but not before nipping and sucking each other’s lips. Ben stared into Ray’s eyes. Ray’s eyes were brimming with love.

Ray caressed his lover’s stubbly chin.  “What are you doin’ still in bed on a nice day like today, mmm?” He stroked Ben’s hair, wild with untamed curls, with the back of his hand.

“I was exhausted. You wore me out last night.” He plopped down on the bed. 

 “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?”   Ray toed off his Jordans and slipped his T-shirt over his head.  He lay down next to Ben and gathered him in his arms.  He covered his lover’s face with kisses. After a few moments, they settled in each other’s arms. 

“So, how’d she take it?” Ben asked.

“Pretty badly,” Ray admitted.  At Ben’s urging, Ray met Stella for coffee to deal with the situation face to face like a man, and had formally broken it off, with profuse apologies.  “But she understood.  She wasn’t even surprised.”

Ben nodded.  “Thank you.”  He pulled away briefly, and reached for his nightstand. Turning back, he presented to Ray the gold band he held in his hand.

Ray laughed, eyes filling with tears.  “You kept it?”

“Of course.”

“I would have thought you’d have thrown it in the trash. Or hocked it.”

“Never, love.”  Ben slipped it back on Ray’s finger, and kissed it reverently.  He then kissed his way up Ray’s arm, shoulder, neck, and face. Ben kissed the scab over Ray’s eyebrow, apologetically touched Ray’s slightly swollen lower lip.

Green eyes locked onto gray.  “I love, you, Benny,” Ray said, helplessly.

“I love you, Ray.”

The nestled in together, each listening to the other breathe for a few moments.

“Benny?” Ray said into his hair.

“Mmm?”

“I got some sad news.”

Ben pulled back.  “What is it Ray?”

“I got a call from Ma when I was out.  Uncle Lorenzo died this morning.”

Ben cooed sympathetically, and pulled Ray into his arms again.  “I’m sorry, love.  I’m so, so sorry.”

“It’s alright, Benny.  It was his time, you know? What a life he had, eh? The things that he saw.”

Ben murmured.

“And…I’m sorry for the way he treated you.”  Over the years, Lorenzo had made some disparaging remarks about Ben’s sexuality often to his face, although he conveniently ignored the fact that he was married to his nephew.  But Ben always took the high road.

“It’s alright, Ray.  He was a product of his generation.”

When Ray and Ben had had their talk, they spoke at length about homophobia in the community, and specifically how it had impacted Ray.  Last night, they had dinner at Tommy and Bruno’s, at Ben’s behest, and they had helped Ray get some perspective on it.  Tommy was doing well, healing very nicely.  He looked more and more like himself every day.  One could hardly tell the man had one prosthetic eye.  Tommy and Bruno were flying out to San Francisco in the fall to get married. 

“Ma wants me to help with the funeral plans. It’s too much for Uncle Vincenzo to handle, and Uncle Antonio’s not in any position to help, either.”

“I’ll help you.”

“You don’t have to do that, Benny.”

“You’re my husband. We’re in it together.”

Silently, Ray reached out and hugged Ben, so tightly that Ben grunted. 

Ray pulled away from Ben, sat up and removed his nylon pants and his underwear in one fell swoop. His rigid member swayed with his movements.

He pulled the sheet completely away from Ben’s body.  “Turn over,” he whispered. 

Ben complied, and in an instant, he felt Ray’s warm hands on his ass.  He rubbed in circles.  Ben moaned.  He felt Ray’s lips next, depositing kisses on his left cheek, and then his right.  He slipped his tongue in the crevice between, and Ben spread his legs invitingly.  Ray pulled his cheeks apart and slipped his tongue right in the center.  His tongue made little circles.  Ben groaned into the pillow and spread his legs even further.

“Are you still sore?” Ray asked. He sucked on Ben’s right cheek, giving him a hickey.

“No,” Ben whispered.  Although he was in fact, just a little.  He pulled away to reach into Ray’s nightstand for their Eros lubricant. 

Within moments, Ray was inside his lover’s tight hot body, submerged completely.  They inhaled together, moaned together, exhaled together, moved together.  Their rhythm increased.  Ray turned Ben to the side so that he could grasp his weeping cock. He shifted his hips to get good purchase again. Ben moaned his satisfaction.

Soon, they were flying.