Chapter 23
23
LAMPWICK
W aking up in Pinocchio’s tiny bed has always been paradise for me. Sure, it’s cramped and isn’t the most comfortable, but it’s home. Besides, I’ve slept in barns most of my life. He smells great, and most importantly, I get to hold my fiancé as I sleep.
Fiancé—a beautiful word that I swore could never happen to me. But I’ve had the privilege of being betrothed to Pinocchio for the past eight months. And tonight, that word is disappearing, morphing into something else. We’ve spent weeks fixing up the abandoned shack by the creek, our creek. Now we get to have the matrimony my best friend deserves. I’m giddy with excitement over what’s to come, our big day.
As the morning sun peers through the window, I drape my arms over him and cuddle him closer. I love being able to hold him like this. I never take holding my best friend for granted. Every time I see him, I’m reminded how blessed I am.
He stirs and turns over, and I lie on my back so we’re shoulder to shoulder. We don’t wear shirts, letting the Italian spring air warm us. His flat hairless chest is pristine, but his sexy body is nothing compared to his beautiful face. “ Buongiorno ,” he says with a smiling yawn.
“ Buongiorno . Any big plans?” I shoot him a coy grin.
He bounces his eyebrows and it makes my cock twitch. “Not much. Just marrying you.”
We both giggle, and I squeeze his hand. “There’s much to do, Sticks. We should probably get ready.”
“Well, you asked what plans I had today. Before marrying you there’s one thing I need to do.”
“Hm?”
In a blur, he pulls off the sheets and hops on me, straddling my lap in bed. I laugh in surprise, and I’m grateful that Geppetto installed a lock on our tiny door almost a year ago. I grab his hips and gaze at him above me.
“I’d like to make my fiancé feel so good before he becomes my husband,” he purrs.
“Shouldn’t we save that for…?” My words trail off when he leans down and mouths against my neck. Pinocchio knows my weaknesses at this point. Who knew this former puppet could be so sexual?
“I can’t resist you, Lampo,” he murmurs against my skin. He kisses down my chest, and when he licks one nipple, I hiss. I buck upward, so hard down there it hurts. I grab his shoulders as my eyes roll back. Any thoughts of abstaining are long gone—we have plenty of time, how long does it take to set up for a wedding, after all?
He kisses down my torso, a man on a mission. He pulls my trousers off, and he strips as well. When he’s back on me, he kisses just under my belly button, still too far from my hardness. “May I?” he purrs, licking my hip bone.
I nod with my mouth agape. I couldn’t resist him before, and now with my bobbing erection near his lips, I’m helpless. He chuckles and licks my sack. This makes my head roll as I relish the sensations. In the year-and-a-half we’ve been together, Pinocchio’s only gotten better at making love to me with his mouth.
In case I forgot, the next move sends me to the heavens. He sucks on just the tip of my cock, a gentle, loving motion. As the sparks of pleasure fire from my feet to my brain, I feel my manhood pulse and get harder. Pinocchio reads my mind and proceeds to take me deeper.
“Fuhh…” I rasp. In moments, I’m bucking my hips as he has me completely in his throat. He sucks up and down, holding the base with his hands. My eyes are screwed shut and I flail my head back. I’m holding on for life, but Pinocchio doesn’t let up, riding my cock with his mouth. I thrust, and he doesn’t ease off, choosing to keep sucking. The slurping noises are sexy and obscene, and I pray Geppetto can’t hear us through the thin walls.
I bite my lip as my fiancé continues to suck, alternating with deep and shallow swallowing. My head is a storm of ecstasy as that ultimate peak rapidly approaches. My heart pounds faster, as I continue to fuck into his mouth. He moans around me, not gagging once, taking it all. I want to cry, it’s so delicious between my legs.
I’m not going to last much longer, and I think he knows that.
“Fuh…fuck…almost,” I whisper, tapping the sheets. This makes him double his already expert efforts. He sucks and strokes, rendering my cock a slippery mess. Seconds later, my thighs tighten before the lights go out in my brain.
I’m shooting. And Pinocchio takes it all.
When I float back down to earth, I open my eyes to notice my fiancé hiking up on top of me. I wonder for a moment what he’s about to do; is he going to ride me? Because I need at least five minutes before I can get hard again.
But no, the heat in his eyes is flattering, almost frightening, but in a sexy way. And he’s licking his hand and stroking himself off. His hips buck on my abdomen, and I can tell he doesn’t need me to do anything. Still, I love him, and I’m so into this.
I reach up and tweak his nipples, knowing how much that arouses him. “Ah! So…good!” he hisses. He thrusts and jerks without abandon, and I’m so damn flattered.
“Fuck, yes…come for me,” I growl.
“Oh…” He screws his eyes shut and his hand is a blur. “Oh…Lampwick, oh !” His breath comes out in spurts and I continue to roll his nipples between my fingers. When he opens his eyes, I only see white as his pupils have rolled back in his head. He thrusts forward rapidly as his thighs quiver.
“Come for me, Sticks.”
“Fuck!” With that, it happens. He launches volley after volley of his seed all over me. It’s a beautiful sight, and I mutter praises the entire time. His hot fluids burn my skin, reaching my chin and down my chest.
He’s marked me, owned me, in more ways than one. And I love it.
When he collapses on me, I rub his back as his breathing slows down. While I adore our lovemaking, I’m perfectly content with the quiet, softer moments, too. I’m not the boy who was always chasing thrills anymore, I’m the man who gets to love Pinocchio.
But right now, the stickiness is getting to be a bit much. “We should probably go bathe, Sticks.”
He giggles against me, and soon enough, we’re both laughing.
“That was the best way to start the day,” I mutter.
“And tonight we’re going to have the best way to end it.” He leans up and kisses me, and I almost cry with joy. Every moment with him is a treasure I’ll never take for granted. Starting tonight, I get to claim all my moments with my best friend as so much more. My heart swells with joy and anticipation. Today is the most significant day of my adulthood, and we’re just getting started.
* * *
Hours later, the sun has almost set. The abandoned shack by the creek is now clean and decorated, with the walls adorned with fine linens. I look up, impressed by the structurally sound roof Geppetto built months ago. Flowers are carefully placed around me, and I take in the twinkling lightbulbs. How Geppetto got electricity here is beyond me, but now the whole area is fit for a wedding.
Looking outside the barn doors, it feels like half the town is outside waiting by the dirt road. My fiancé should be walking down soon, and the nerves are setting in. I pull on my new clothes, a simple white button-down shirt and a dark vest over black trousers.
“You’re not second-guessing things, are you?” To my left, Giovanna grins at me and bounces on her toes. Her yellow dress is gorgeous, and I’m honored to call her a friend. She’s been close to Pinocchio for years, and since that initial Christmas, she’s been our second greatest cheerleader, a title of first held by Geppetto.
“Of course not,” I reply with a shrug. “Just…with the whole town watching me, it’s a lot of pressure. It has me nervous.”
“Don’t be. Everyone adores you two. Well, except Papa, but he’s staying home.” Her smile falls for a brief moment, before she beams at me again. “Tonight is going to be great.”
“I know it will be.” I shake out my shoulders. “It’s me and Pinocchio, the only thing that’s made sense my whole life.”
“Aww,” she coos. I can tell her eyes are watery, and I’m grateful for her support.
Since we’re waiting for my fiancé, this is as good a time as any to confess to her. “Look, Giovanna, I’m sorry for what I did to your papa as a kid.”
“Oh, you apologized like a hundred times, Lampwick. We’re okay now, and I don’t even remember that.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal.
“Still, thanks. For being so supportive of Pinocchio. And me. And helping organize this wedding.”
“ Prego, amico . He’s my friend, and therefore, so are you. And I want him to be happy with the right life partner. For a while I thought that would be me, but…I think…he was always waiting for you.” Her words warm my soul, and we share a knowing look.
A beat later, our attention is pulled forward when the crowd outside quiets down. Someone behind me turns on a record player, and the sounds of violins and harps fill the tiny shack. A moment later, my breath stops at the sight: Pinocchio is slowly walking towards me. He’s dressed in a dark shirt and black pants, and even yards away, his handsome smile is unmistakable. In one hand he holds a small bouquet of yellow flowers, and on his left, Geppetto guides him forward, holding Arpeggio. Hearing the romantic melodies and seeing my little family approach me makes tears well up in my eyes. The storm in my soul settles with contentment because I finally have a family!
They walk up to me, and Mr. Donatella steps forward, standing in the middle.
“We are gathered here to unite these two best friends in holy matrimony.” Mr. Donatella’s voice echoes to all the folks standing outside watching. “While uniting two men is far from conventional, there’s nothing ordinary about a puppet being brought to life.”
There is a smattering of laughter, but I can’t even focus on anyone else. I hold Pinocchio’s hand, absorbing just how perfect he is. As Mr. Donatella talks about unity and love, I watch as Pinocchio’s eyes signal me to look to my left.
I turn and my eyebrows jump. Under the night sky, a familiar blue glow forms into a womanly silhouette. Floating through the wall, the Turquoise Fairy manifests before us. Hovering next to her in a blue ghostly glow are the Talking Cricket, the goldfish, and Pinocchio’s first cat. Geppetto and Giovanna don’t react as the ethereal figures phase through them and smile at us.
I exchange another disbelieving look with Pinocchio. The crowd has no idea who has visited us for our wedding. Even in death, our old friends have given us this magical gift on our big day. I get to marry Pinocchio while the Turquoise Fairy and the several others we’ve lost get to witness us.
“And now the vows.” Mr. Donatella’s voice pulls me back to the present.
Pinocchio hands the flowers to Geppetto and squeezes my hands. “Lampwick. I was granted the gift of life by someone very special. That was the most important day of my life. But the second most important day was when you came back to me. We went from best friends to so much more.”
My eyes sting and I nod. He squeezes my hand and takes a deep breath. “These past almost two years have been amazing, and I have you to thank for that. My world only truly makes sense with you in it. I can’t tell a lie, so in case you didn’t know, Romeo Lucignolo Lampwick Scorfano, I want to be with you for the rest of my days. I want to claim you, because you’ve already stolen my heart. Thank you for letting me be your husband. I love you.”
Dio mio . My heart is set ablaze at his words. I sniff and wipe my eyes as I try to fight back the joy crowding my throat. He takes one ring from his pocket and places it on my finger.
“Let me try to get through this,” I say with a scratchy voice. I take a deep breath and blink back the tears, ignoring the murmurs of laughter from Giovanna and the crowd. I do look ridiculous, but that’s to be expected. After a few seconds, I nod and squeeze his hands.
“Sticks, before I met you, I didn’t know right from wrong. I could barely read, no one supported me, and I was doomed to roam the streets. I almost lost my life, but because of your affection, your friendship, I was brought back.” I nod at the crowd. “All of these people gave me a second chance. But you…” I sniff and my voice breaks. “You never thought I needed it. Because you always saw more in me than I saw in myself.”
Pinocchio wipes one of my tears and I cry and laugh at the same time. “With you, I have a home and I have a purpose. I’m the man I want to be. I don’t want to picture a life without you. So, please, do me the honor of marrying me, and I swear, I’ll try to make you as happy as possible every day. I love you, Pinocchio Carlo. I always have and I always will.”
The crowd murmurs as he wipes away his tears. I put a band on his finger, and my soul feels complete. Geppetto and Giovanna are crying now, and even the Turquoise Fairy gives me an emotional nod.
“Do you, Pinocchio Carlo, take this man to be your husband?” Mr. Donatella asks.
He nods and smiles at me. “I do.”
“And do you, Romeo Scorfano, take this man to be your husband?”
My voice is raspy as I nod and reply, “I do.”
“Then I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.”
Pinocchio takes my face with surprising force and plants his mouth on mine. With all of our loved ones in town watching, we seal this ultimate bond between the two of us.
All those years ago, I was a bad kid who befriended a boy made of wood. I had no support, and tumultuous pain in my soul. But now, I have a town of friends, a family, a home, and a soul mate. It may have taken some dark turns, but I’m so damn grateful the Turquoise Fairy took a chance on me. And now, I get to love Pinocchio until my dying day, for all the world to see. I’m blessed in every sense of the word.