Chapter 9 #2
Athens wasted no time in preventing the negative dwelling again.
“I’ve got a list of bands you must listen to, very similar vibes, but all doing something new and unique.
There’s a record shop not too far from here I don’t think.
We should go some time, after I get my friend to fix your player of course, which…
” Athens wandered over to the record player and inspected the make and model, flicking his eyes over parts and playing around with the tonearm, likely trying to figure out the issue, “should be an easy fix. I’ll get my mate to take a look… ”
Finally, Dariel understood. This was all part of Athens’ plan. He never intended on killing Godwin. Only to show him how worth life could be living, even if it was just the small things.
Godwin didn’t seem to acknowledge what Athens had implied. That he would be here past this evening. He was still clutching onto the iPod with a smile across his face, mind wandering.
Huh.
Their next endeavour of the evening was the wardrobe room. Athens insisted the three of them had a look around, calling it a fun exercise in learning more about Godwin whilst it also being ‘a fashion designer’s dream’—he glared at Dariel as he said the last part.
Godwin unlocked another door further up the landing and Dariel’s first thought was one of relief—that this room actually did seem used. Lived in. Not quite the shrine of halcyon days the record room had been.
If the original plan had turned out to be real, Dariel thought he would have rather enjoyed coming up with a new wardrobe for his host. Godwin already had style—a rather attractive one too—all beiges and browns.
Green braces, waistcoat, and corduroy trousers—the post-war look Dariel grew up around.
It was oddly comforting to see an entire wardrobe full of the clothes of his time as a human.
Hangers of well-worn and appreciated items, not stuck in the back of an antique shop or on display in educational visitors’ sites.
Without even thinking, Dariel traced his fingers over the shirts in the mahogany wardrobe closest to him, flitting his gaze to the hat boxes and polished shoes at the foot of the cupboard. His chest fluttered.
“I’m quite… different to you both, as you can see. I never enjoyed the lavish life of experimenting with accessories and such, though I wish I had.” Godwin had positioned himself on the stool beside the dressing table in the far corner. The light buzzed above them.
“Nonsense. I adore vintage,” Athens said, hands in the pockets of his low-rise trousers.
Dariel caught the briefest glimpse of skin where the other man’s top had risen slightly, the material hugging his waist, defining the slight curve of his hips.
Dariel quickly snapped his gaze back to the clothes in front of him, teeth biting into his lip.
Athens wandered over to the single window and began looking out into the evening rain.
It was growing quite late, though Dariel hadn’t checked the time for quite a while. He continued to rummage.
Then he saw them. Right at the back of the wardrobe.
“Oh, Godwin!” Dariel beamed, carefully pulling out the polished brown brogues he’d found, holding the soles with care. “I used to have a pair exactly like these!”
“You did?” Godwin shot up and walked over to get a closer look.
“Oh, I used to love those shoes. Early sixties I think, they were my fathers.” His voice was ever so slightly bitter at the mention of his family, though it seemed his thoughts were growing far beyond that now. “Try them on! What size are you?”
They should be the right size.
Dariel jumped over to the cushioned bench against the window and began to try them on. They wouldn’t fit his attire at all, in fact looked rather silly, but joy flooded his senses as memories came flooding back…
Annette.
Dariel gulped, a lump forming deep in his throat. He looked down at the brogues on his feet, dizziness whirling around him like a storm.
“My wife got me these… as a wedding present,” he heard himself say. “I lost them in the… there was a fire.”
“Oh, oh, Dariel.” It was Godwin’s sympathy he heard first, the human stepping over and bending to his knees in front of him. “Forgive me, if I’d known…”
Instead of letting the memories consume him though, he frowned. “Whatever do you have to be sorry for? I pulled them out, I wanted to remember… They made me happy.”
‘We can change rooms if you’d rather, darling?’
Dariel swallowed hard again and looked up to where Athens stood, both men positioned rather close to him now, modelled in expressions of melancholy.
Darling. He said it again. And again. He keeps saying it.
“I’m okay, honestly,” Dariel said aloud, lifting his legs to admire the shoes. “But who am I kidding? I’m only a size seven.” They all laughed.
They continued to look about; Athens pulling out what were, in his words, the more ‘out there’ items, and instructed Godwin on how best to style a bow tie.
Godwin produced his selection of full-length ties and Dariel went to town on picking out the ones he liked the most, holding them up to Godwin from a distance, squinting and focusing on what would suit the man best.
“I think red suits you quite well, you know,” Dariel announced.
“You should try incorporating a few pops of colour. This red tie perhaps, or even red socks.” He imagined Godwin in a soft pair of red socks under his beige trousers and wondered if that was what Victorian men would feel when they caught a glimpse of their wives’ ankles.
“I always wished to own a burgundy shirt. Though I never found one I liked in shops,” Godwin said, casting his mind back.
“Well then, I’m sure Dariel can fix you up with something. He’ll know all the best places in London, isn’t that right?” Athens moved to join Godwin’s side, but he looked at Dariel. Again, working his subtle magic.
“Oh, of course. I know the places to look where most other people don’t bother.” Dariel joined in, noting the delighted expression on Godwin’s face.
“Speaking of shirts!” Godwin leaped up, both knees clicking as he stood. “I just remembered something… bear with me!”
He wandered to the opposite side of the room and opened a wardrobe Dariel hadn’t gotten around to yet.
Athens made himself busy in the dressing table drawers, long hair trailing over the tabletop.
Godwin started humming to himself as he raked through the shirts and Dariel noted it was the same song he’d been listening to in the other room.
“Ahh, ha!” Godwin produced a sheer black shirt with large, ruffled sleeves and a deep V-neck collar. It looked like something fresh from the clothing trunk of a pirate boat, or perhaps a medieval forest gathering. Dariel had these specific images in his head, which was to say, it was a cool shirt.
“I can picture you in this, Dariel!” Godwin said, making Dariel freeze with the words. He can picture me wearing a sheer shirt? His breathing went funny.
“With a few more layers, of course,” the words left Dariel’s mouth before he could catch them.
Godwin’s heart fluttered and… he blushed. “Of course,” he said, though he turned his head to the floor as he spoke, clearing his throat.
Maybe he could take it off me.
Honestly, Dariel. You’re disappointing every version of yourself here.
“This was Gareth’s,” Godwin announced. His old partner, Dariel surmised. The arousal he’d felt mere seconds ago instantly fizzled with a pop in his mind.
“Oh, well I wouldn’t want to…”
“Nonsense! He gave it to me. Though I never had the confidence to wear it. Here…” Godwin stepped up close to Dariel, breath kissing his skin as he held the shirt up to Dariel and his knuckles brushed Dariel’s cheek.
Oh, God. Heat rushed all over Dariel’s body, his legs threatening to give way. He was too close, he wouldn’t be able to contain himself for much longer if Godwin kept looking at him that way and…
‘Come here, darling.’
Athens was behind Dariel in an instant, though Godwin barely stepped back, only lowering the shirt slightly.
Dariel watched Godwin watching as Athens produced a string of small pearls and fastened them around Dariel’s neck—his breath hot on the skin below his ear as he brushed away Dariel’s hair to clasp it shut.
“Now who’s a pretty boy?” Athens said in a comical tone, but it was enough to send Dariel’s thoughts to only one thing as Athens prowled around to see his work, both hands scooped under the shirt collar onto Dariel’s bare shoulders. No rings.
Godwin held up a hand, his face blank. “Oh, those were my…” he shook his head, “Oh, what the hell, you wear them better than she ever did.” He leaned forward and squeezed Dariel’s biceps, admiring him wholly. Athens hadn’t let go of him yet.
They were both touching him.
He could sense the pounding of Godwin’s pulse, the rush of heat over the other man’s body.
Oh, fuck.
‘You’re very attractive when you do that, you know.’
‘Do what?’
‘You’re breathing fast through your nose, you’re trying to restrain yourself, but you’re not doing a very good job.’
Godwin pulled back at the exact same time Athens did, and though it was pure coincidence, Dariel saw it as a tease. The body heat of the other two disappeared instantaneously whilst Dariel had to cling onto every last ounce of self-restraint he had before he combusted.
“I… erm…” Dariel thought it was himself speaking, but it was actually Godwin. He stepped away and hung the shirt on the handles of the now closed wardrobe door, rubbing his palms down his trousers.
“A question,” Athens said rather abruptly. Dariel turned to him, trying to read his face.
Athens clasped his hands together. “I believe it is getting rather late, don’t you?”
“Oh, well, yes. Maybe,” Godwin grew flustered, looking around as if he’d lost time in the boxes and clothes around him.
“Don’t worry, the night is still young, but my question is a rather important one.”
Godwin raised his head high to indicate he was listening.
Athens stepped over to Dariel’s side, clearly displaying the easy five or six inches between them. Dariel’s eyes wandered all the way up and down Athens’ body, ears burning.
Athens’ hand found his, and as the warm, slender fingers wrapped around his skin, he finally realised Athens had taken every ounce of his jewellery off. Earrings, the lot. Did he do that all for me?
Dariel’s stomach flipped.
“Of course, your wish was to take one of us to bed with you. I believe we concluded I would be filling the role of bed partner this evening, though it hardly seems fair to leave such a handsome fellow out, now does it?” Athens said.
Godwin was a deer in headlights. “Oh, well I…” he rubbed his hands against his trousers again, clearing his throat for the thousandth time. “I was rather hoping you both could join me this evening… if that’s what you’d both be comfortable with?”
Oh, God.
‘Would you be comfortable with that?’
‘I thought you’d never ask.’
“I would like that. A lot.” Dariel thought it good measure to verbalise his consent.
“Excellent, then lead the way to the bedroom, Godwin, dear,” Athens said, pointing to the door with his free hand, his other having tightened on Dariel’s own.
Godwin didn’t move though. “Oh, well. I quite wish to erm… It’s been a very long while, you see, and I’d quite like to freshen up and… prepare.” He looked to the side of Dariel, heart pounding again.
‘Oh, this is going to be a lot of fun.’
Godwin produced a key. “It’s erm, the room on the…”
“We know which room, dear,” Athens cooed.
Godwin nodded frantically, mumbling then handing the brass key to Dariel as Athens turned to face him.
“Well then, we’ll go and get a head start, won’t we darling?”