Chapter 33
Kim awoke disorientated, confused even before opening his eyes from the fragrance of woodsmoke and the enticing odor of the warm body in whose arms he lay wrapped.
Then he recognized Dídac’s unique earthy scent, and the particular smell of his hair.
Flexing his fingers, he ran them through the dense carpet of hair on Dídac’s chest, and his cheek felt Dídac’s stubble against his own.
Opening his eyes, everything was pitch black, except for a tiny ray of gold that crept in a crack from the shutters.
The hearth, still emitting heat, was a blanket of dark ash, with just a hint of deep red glow shining through here and there.
He needed to piss, and his dick was hard from the pressure of his full bladder, but Dídac was snoring softly, his body half-resting on Kim’s, and he didn’t want to wake him.
Taking the chance, he slipped carefully out from under him, trying not to disturb the coal-smudged cat that was lying curled up on Dídac’s side of the sofa, which raised its head, looking warily at him as he left.
Marks from its paws and fur stained the duvet.
Standing before the almost-dead fire on the cool flagstones, Kim wondered which way the toilet might be.
He hoped it wasn’t outside as might be possible with an old house like this.
To the left of the huge fireplace that filled most of one of the farmhouse’s walls, he saw a door and went to explore.
Through it he found a kitchen, complete with an old coal range and beside it, a modern stove.
Beyond the kitchen another door led out to a covered patio area with a large stone sink, off which he found a toilet, bathroom and laundry. He pissed and padded back to bed.
But in the living area, Dídac had now risen, and thrown open the heavy shutters on the window, letting in the morning light.
Kim stood in the kitchen doorway, watching him walk naked across to the main door, unfasten the heavy iron bar that locked it, and swing the big oak doors wide, so that sunlight and crisp morning air streamed in, returning color to the world.
The storm was gone, and the day was bright and freshly washed.
Dídac stood in the doorway for a few moments, the most beautiful thing Kim had ever seen.
Kim walked across and embraced him from behind.
“Morning.”
As he cradled Dídac’s warm body against his, his cock stirred again, finding its happy place, nestled between the twin mounds of Dídac’s ass. Dídac grasped his forearms as he cradled him.
“So, I can’t quite believe you’re here. What about the play?”
“Do you have anything to eat? And maybe coffee? Let’s talk about this after breakfast.”
“Yeah, sure. Sorry, that was rude of me. Let’s get breakfast first.”
Dídac turned to him, keeping Kim in his arms. Dídac still smelled enticingly of sex and the intimacy of the night. Their cocks pressed together, fighting to rise. Kim chuckled:
“Uh-uh. Breakfast first.”
“Depends how you like your coffee… with cream?” Dídac asked, smiling. “I’ve got some croissants I bought yesterday, and I’ll make coffee. There are apples and pears off the trees here. They have the odd wormhole, but if you cut that out, they’re delicious.”
“That sounds amazing. Can I help?”
Dídac’s hand found Kim’s cock and began to stroke it. They were both now fully erect again.
“You can help by putting some clothes on. Otherwise I’ll never get round to making breakfast.”
Then he leaned down and took Kim’s cock in his mouth, sucking slowly down the length of him. Kim sighed.
“Oh God, yes please, more of that!”
But almost immediately Dídac broke off, smiling.
“We said breakfast. A man can’t fuck on an empty stomach.”
Kim laughed.
“Cock tease! And he can. You know we both can! But some breakfast first would be great.”
“I agree.”
Dídac walked off toward the kitchen, on the way snagging his track pants and jersey from the floor where he had tossed them last night, and slipping them on.
“Do you just have those wet clothes? I’ll find you something.”
“I had a suitcase,” Kim said, “but it’s somewhere down there in the paddock. I must have lost it when I slipped in the mud.”
“I’ll get you something.” His gaze lingered on Kim’s cock, standing straight up in the morning sunlight. “You’re too much of a distraction like that.”
“The temperature’s also quite fresh. Amazing what a difference up here compared to Barcelona.”
“This is the Pre-Pyrenees. It can get chilly, especially at night.”
Kim stood naked in the doorway, waiting for Dídac to fetch him some clothes.
Looking out the door, he could see the entire valley up which he had struggled last night, and in the distance, mountains.
The grass and trees were all tawny and dried out in the summer, and the mountains had little snow on them.
Had he really struggled up all that way?
There wasn’t much of a path to speak of, just a muddy cow trail.
He couldn’t even see the end of the stony track where his car had given out.
Halfway down the paddock he spied a turquoise blob the color of his suitcase.
After breakfast they could retrieve it and see about the car.
Right now his priority was Dídac, and making sure this wonderful guy never left his side again.
Breakfast was as good as Dídac had promised.
They sat at a table out on the terrace, where a straggly, yellow-leaved grape vine overlooked them from its pagoda, dangling bunches of small, greenish-purple grapes.
It was sunny and warm, a complete contrast to the stormy night before.
The croissants were delicious, filled with runny chocolate (“my biggest vice,” Dídac claimed), the coffee was strong, and the apples and pears were small and gnarled, like wild fruit, but sweet to the taste.
“I just left the production,” Kim said. “Trying to work with that Isard instead of you was beyond me.”
“What do you mean? You left… just left?”
“I needed to find you. We finished rehearsal… the play’s a mess. It won’t be ready by the opening. But I don’t care about that. I realized…”
“But how did you find me? It had to be Laia. She was sworn to secrecy—”
“It wasn’t her fault. We went for a drink. She told me to leave you alone. But she let slip the name… ‘Canamat’. My map app did the rest.”
“Ca n’Amat. It means ‘house of Amat’. This was Grandpa’s house. But there are at least half a dozen places called Ca n’Amat throughout Catalonia… You were lucky.”
“I was. This was the one I found. And here you were.”
“Finding me here was like finding a needle in a haystack. You must have had divine help.”
“Maybe.” Kim smiled. “I don’t believe in any of that, but in this case… perhaps.”
“And you came up the old track. I can’t understand how your car made it up there. Did you have a four-wheel drive? No one except the goats have used that path in fifty years.”
“Yeah, that’s obvious… now. The rental’s still down there somewhere. Not quite sure what to do about that.”
“There’s a tarmac road on the other side of the house, the one everyone uses. After breakfast we can take mine and go find yours. But…” And now Dídac looked down at his coffee. “Why, Kim? Why are you here? Why did you leave your show? It’s the most important thing to you in the world.”
Kim shook his head.
“When Laia told me to stay away, to leave you alone… I realized. I couldn’t give a toss about the show. You’re far more important to me. Dídac, I don’t care what happened with whatever scandal that was that took—”
“It was before you… before I met you, Kim. It was stupid, but… that period before starting work on The Swan… before meeting you… It was a low point in my life. I was lonely. I went out, took stupid risks—in terms of my career, I mean. I never took risks sexually. I’m on Prep, and always used a condom too, just in case. ”
“Hey…” Kim reached over and cupped Dídac’s face between his palms. “I said I don’t care. Whatever that was, it means nothing to me. I don’t care about The Swan either. What’s important to me is being with you.”
“But what’s happened with The Swan? Did you just abandon it?”
“Today’s Friday. I’m missing a day’s rehearsal.
Yeah, there’ll be a stink. But I really don’t care, Dídac.
I was thinking about it, driving up here.
It was my vanity project. About an ugly duckling that wants to grow up beautiful, be loved and accepted by the world.
That’s me in a way. It’s like my way of screaming out to the world to notice me, look up to me.
But that isn’t me anymore. I don’t need that sort of reaffirmation.
What I care about is being with you. I want us to be together. ”
Dídac huffed slowly.
“My career as an actor…”
“I can’t really believe it’s over! Why? Because they outed you as gay? In this day and age? Come on!”
“I was Catalonia’s heterosexual leading man. A lot of people are really pissed off. Santi…”
“Santi’s an idiot if he’s prepared to let Catalonia’s most talented actor go over a silly thing like this.”
“He may be an idiot, but he pulls the strings, the purse strings.”
“I want you back in that production, Dídac. I want to finish directing you and make that show the best play that’s ever rocked Catalonia! We’ll deal with this. We’ll go to Santi together…”
“Ssh.” Dídac put his hand over Kim’s mouth. “Stop talking. This is all too much too soon. Can we just enjoy today… or this morning at least? Then we’ll work out a plan.”
At that moment Dragon appeared, tail swishing in the air as she wound herself around both their legs.
“Wow, she likes you,” Dídac breathed. “The seal of acceptance from Dragon. No one’s ever got that so fast. Just don’t try and stroke her yet—she might claw you. She’ll let you know when you can.”
Dragon jumped up into Dídac’s lap and sat there staring at Kim like he was some sort of alien being who had just parked his spaceship in the orchard.
But as Dídac stroked her, she began to purr.
Kim watched them, and couldn’t help but feel slightly jealous of Dragon, so tight with Dídac, enjoying that special relationship they had together.
The three of them sat there for a while, just basking in the sunshine and peace of the valley.
Soon Kim pulled his chair cautiously closer to Dídac, taking care not to alarm Dragon.
He put his arm around him, and they kissed.
And kissed again, longer this time. Dragon eventually jumped down, and went off to hunt lizards, but Kim and Dídac stayed sitting in the sun, their arms around each other, kissing and knowing that whatever happened, things would work out in the end.
But at some point, Kim’s methodical brain kicked in.
“Did I have my phone on me when I arrived?”
“I don’t know. It might be in your wet things. Otherwise mine’s in the dresser drawer. We can walk up the hill to Grandpa’s forge if you like. There’s no reception here.”
“OK, I should ring Laia, and give some instructions for rehearsal. And also ring Santi.”
Dídac chuckled.
“I knew you wouldn’t be able to stay away from that play. I should call Laia too. If you just upped and left, I imagine she’s trying to contact me.”
“So when I call Santi, I’m going to say I want you back in the play. Will you do that? Face down the scandalmongers? It’s either both of us or neither of us, my career and reputation be damned.”
“He won’t like that.”
“But he’ll listen. What’s the alternative?”
“Keep Isard on. Have Jordi finish directing.”
“Jordi Veràs? He’s a director, but he doesn’t know the play.”
“But he’s an experienced director, and it’s his theater. He would step into the breach to save the show.”
“Well let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
What we have to offer him is a better way out, convincing him that The Swan with an actor who’s just come out as gay and is standing up for gay rights makes a powerful statement, that it’ll be commercially viable for the theater.
We might lose a few bigots, but we could pull in a far bigger audience that way. ”
He paused and took a sip of coffee. Then he set his cup down, and took hold of both Dídac’s hands, looking him in the eye before going on:
“What I need to know, Di, is if you’re ready to do that, go public and go strong?”
“You’re asking me to come out publicly.”
“You’ve already been outed. So rather than running scared, it’s about claiming the moment, making a statement, standing up and turning it to your benefit. I’ll be beside you every step of the way. So will Laia, and I imagine almost everyone in the theater if we can get Santi on board.”
Dídac blew out his breath slowly, looking out over the sunny valley. For a few moments he didn’t speak, then he said:
“Baby steps. Let’s walk up the hill. I’ll show you Grandpa’s old forge.
It’s one of my favorite spots in the world.
We’ll call Laia, gage the temperature. I need time to think about all this.
It’s been so much so fast. Do I even want to stay working in theater?
It’s a pretty cut-throat business. You sort out today’s rehearsal with the actors—what remains of it—and tell them you’re coming back on Monday for work as usual.
I know an amazing restaurant where we can go for lunch, a totally forgotten place way up in the hills.
I promise I’ll give you my answer by the afternoon.
Then we can ring Santi and play it one way or the other. ”
Kim nodded.
“That sounds brilliant. As long as I can spend today with you. And the weekend, I hope.”
“You bet.”
And with that, they kissed again.