PEYTON & EZRA
Peyton was on top of Ezra, gyrating their slim hips, so the raven-haired man could go deeper inside of them, to fill their body and possess them totally, utterly, completely. They looked fascinated into the two deep pools of blue young Bloom’s eyes, wondering what they did to deserve the love of a man so special.
Thrusting deep into his lover, his hands on their willowy waist, Ezra was smiling in ecstasy, his breath becoming erratic, the beating of his heart irregular. He was panting and moaning, the dirty tricks Peyton played on him bringing the man on the edge. However, he learned how to keep his body under control, to prolong the sweet torture.
But they had their own little, wicked ways, and, leaning a little, started to mercilessly suck one of Ezra’s nipples, making him grab the sheet with both hands, clenching and crumpling it desperately. With a savage, guttural moan, he finally shot his release, Peyton orgasming a few seconds later, crying their victory in a loud voice.
With his last resources of energy, Ezra rolled on one side, taking the beautiful creature he just made love to into his arms, whispering passionate words in their ear, pouring all the love from his heart into everything he said. The young man caressed his lover, not only with his hands, but also with his eyes, heart and soul, as Ardan and Leon taught him.
The one you love, the older men said, needs to feel treasured each moment of the day, not only when the couple is having sex. Looking, touching, kissing, Ardan once said, were all part of another kind of lovemaking, on a deeper, more spiritual level. He was right, Ezra thought, because he never felt more connected to his lover, never experienced a deeper level of intimacy than in the moments after an orgasm.
When the heat of the moment was gone, he was free to revel in the beauty of the one who captured his heart forever, to show his adoration in every possible way. Delicate, petal-like, innocent kisses, gentle, almost tentative touches, sweet words of appreciation—Ezra generously showered his beautiful lover with all that and more.
With an ethereal smile on their beautiful face, Peyton cuddled into the young Bloom’s arms, greedily inhaling his masculine scent, while running their small, soft hand up and down the man’s torso. They loved those moments the two of them shared, the peace, the closeness, exactly how they dreamed their relationship would be.
Ezra shifted, locking eyes with his beautiful lover, a little sad about the perspective of not seeing them for almost two days. Since he reconciled with Selma, a few weeks earlier, the two agreed to spend every other weekend in the company of their respective parents. Of course, Ezra could call his mother, she would have understood, but he didn’t want to deprive Peyton’s parents of the presence of their only child.
“I want to ask you something,” the voice of his lover was sweet music to the man’s ears. But then they stopped, sighing softly. “No, forget it, sorry.”
“No, I’m not going to forget,” the young Bloom replied in a gentle, soothing voice, “it is very important to you, otherwise you wouldn’t bring it into discussion. What is it?”
“I...I need you to be present at my parents’ this weekend, as moral support and...as my partner, if you consider me such,” Peyton said in a small, hesitant voice.
“It would be the greatest honor for me,” Ezra smiled, his beautiful eyes shining like two sapphires. “I’ll call mother, you know how much she cares about you, the lady will let me off the hook as soon as I’ll tell her what it's all about,” the smile turned into a playful grin.
“I love Miss Selma, she’s one of the greatest, second only to mom. Your Aunt Willa and Mamma Rosa come next in my list of preferences, they are cool ladies, I wish my aunt was like that, too,” Peyton suddenly saddened.
“What’s wrong, babe, there is something you want to talk about?” Ezra ran his fingers through his loved one’s hair, kissing them on the forehead. “Is this aunt of yours the reason you want me by your side over the weekend? As you know, talking about a problem, even if it doesn't make it go away, always helps, and I’m always here to listen.”
Then, Ezra fell silent, waiting for Peyton to open up and talk about what was bothering them for the past few days. The young Bloom noticed, but didn’t want to bring the subject into discussion, giving his partner the time and space they needed. He remembered the dedication, devotion and patience the other one put into their relationship, waiting for him to get over his many issues, to get back on track, to come to terms with what happened to him.
Ezra was perfectly aware that, during that time, Peyton could have won the affection of another, who, just like him, would have looked past everything, seeing the beauty in their heart and soul. However, the marvellous creature preferred to wait, picking up the pieces of Benjamin’s older son’s shattered soul and patiently putting them together, giving him strength and finally claiming the man for himself.
“I don’t know if I ever told you about my family,” Peyton finally started to talk, his voice still hesitant, “but the man I call dad, Steve Hunter, is in fact my stepfather.”
“You mentioned it once, when we were talking about my mother and why the two of us couldn’t stand each other. It was the first time we...um...kissed each other,” Ezra blushed violently, making his lover giggle.
“It was one of the most memorable moments of my life, my first kiss, with one of the hottest guys on the planet,” Peyton sighed dreamily, half closing his eyes. “That day, when I got home, I was on cloud nine, so my parents realized something happened and asked me what it was, and I told them you kissed me.”
“How did they react?” Ezra asked, wanting to know how his lover lived the experience, “What did they think, and most of all, what was their parents’ opinion about the whole thing?
“Well, mom hugged me and cried happy tears, as expected, blubbering something about her child having a boyfriend, and how thrilled she was. Dad, on the other hand, started to ask me all kinds of questions about you, and he hugged me tight, telling me to take care and not to end up brokenhearted.”
“And that’s exactly what happened,” Ezra whispered in a pain-filled voice, “because that day marked the debut of one of the darkest periods in my life, when everything went down the drain. I’m sorry for chasing you away, I thought that, if I treated you coldly, you would give up on me and move on. Thanks to all the gods in the universe for Alasdair’s big mouth!”
“Yeah, he is the best friend I could wish for,” gratitude and melancholy were mixed in Peyton’s voice as they spoke, “he gave me strength and words of wisdom, helping me to understand that what you did wasn’t because you stopped caring about me, on the contrary. I have a lot to thank him for, but I keep asking for favors, and he accepts.”
Ezra couldn’t help but smile thinking about his red-haired cousin. For those who didn’t know him, the big-mouthed, yelling, snarky teen was nothing else than a major pain in the back. However, for the few who had the privilege to see into his soul, Alasdair was the embodiment of selflessness, generosity, and friendship.
“So, are you still curious to find out about my family saga?” Peyton’s half-playful, half-sad voice brought Ezra back into the present.
“Of course, I’m curious about everything and anything related to you, one way or another. I’m ready to listen to you anytime you would want to talk,” the young Bloom answered in a soft, assuring voice.
“Well, dad has two sisters, Madeline, younger than him, and Imelda, the oldest of the three. While Aunt Maddie is relatively cool, Imelda is very mean with both me and mom. The worst thing is that, although it pains him to see the cruel treatment we are subjected to, dad can’t do very much about it.”
“He should do something,” Ezra spoke harshly, “What kind of man is he to let his wife and only child be insulted? Why doesn’t he tell the bitch to just fuck-off?”
“It isn’t so simple,” Peyton replied, the sadness in their voice a little subdued, but still there. “You see, Imelda was the one who financially supported her siblings after their parents died. Thanks to her, dad went to college and then started his own pharmaceutical company, using the money she loaned him.”
“This isn’t an excuse, he should’ve repaid the loan, becoming free of obligations,” Ezra frowned. “You and your mother should be the man’s primary concern, the center of his universe. I’m sorry, babe, perhaps I shouldn’t have overstepped the line, but I couldn’t help it, you are so precious to me!”
Peyton inched closer to their lover, putting an arm around him, making the young man smile. He reciprocated the gesture, and the two of them stayed like that for a while, until the sleep took over them. The “sensational two”, as they were known among the investigative journalists, needed all the sleep they could get, as the case currently assigned to them was complex and with a lot of ramifications.
It involved a network of art objects thieves, forgers and traffickers, most of them connected to people in high places. The worst part was that most of those influential people didn’t have any idea what kind of poisonous snakes they took under their wing. Those who did, however, would have gone above and beyond to protect the traffickers, as they also had a share of the profit from the criminal activities.
They worked with Jamie Stuyvesant, who was a genius when it came to telling apart a forged work of art from an authentic one. The member of the special team loved to collaborate with the duo, of whose ardent fan he was, appreciating Ezra’s sharp intuition and unique style, his accurate perception of facts and the ability to see the big picture.
But Jamie admired Peyton’s fine, close to perfection photographic skills, their attention to details and impressive knowledge of different art currents. Whenever he could, young Stuyvesant mentioned the photographer’s contribution to the progress of the case, praising their finesse in handling not only the camera, but also the natural elements.
With Ezra taking advantage of every opportunity to show how much he loved them, with their merits acknowledged not only by Jamie, but also by everyone else in the special team, Peyton bloomed, their self-esteem and confidence increasing by the day. And then, all of a sudden, all that positive evolution was threatened by his aunt’s visit. They kept telling themselves that she was not going to win, but deep down inside, they knew it wasn’t true.
The woman was going to come to their house, sit at the same table, eat the food their mother would cook, and then she was going to step all over both of them, while her brother would watch helplessly. Ezra was right, Peyton thought, sometimes they wished Steven Hunter would take an attitude against his sister’s rude behavior, showing her the door.
Usually, Sheila, Peyton’s mother, was indifferent to her sister-in-law’s attacks, smiling graciously and getting over the poisonous remarks with calm and grace. This time, however, it was different, as the perspective of the woman’s visit made her agitated and edgy. No matter how hard she tried to hide it from her child, it was clear that Imelda’s visit troubled her.
Peyton told Ezra about the changes they noticed in their mother’s behavior, and the two young men decided that, instead of sleeping at the apartment, the photographer should sleep on Thursday night at their parents’ house. Knowing them there, the young Bloom said, their mother would have been less tense and worried. Also, Ezra suggested his lover should ask their parents to invite a couple of more friends.
The Hunters, especially Steven, enthusiastically approved their child’s request, so Jamieand Ardan were also invited for the next day. The three stayed until late at night, chatting about a lot of things, Peyton’s work and their relationship with Ezra among others. Soon after they retired for the night, the young photographer heard a soft knock on the door, and invited the person on the other side to come in.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Sheila Hunter tentatively smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “I was waiting for the right moment to tell you this, but it seems that there is no better moment like this one,” she smoothed the wrinkles of the sheet with her palm.
“Mom, you are worrying me,” Peyton said, their beautiful, light-green eyes, shadowed with sadness. “What’s wrong? Look, if it’s about Aunt Imelda’s visit, we’ll get over it, we always do.”
“When I met your father, he just went through a very ugly divorce, losing custody of his only son to his calculated, cold-hearted ex. When Steven saw you, it was love at first sight, and the rest is history. He courted and married me because he wanted you in his life, and I was kinda jealous,” Sheila smiled again.
“I know dad loves us both,” Peyton softly spoke, “he always encouraged me to get into the world, express myself, make friends. Words of encouragement and praise was all I ever heard from him, but sometimes I wish he was more categoric in defending us in front of his sister.”
“He does, honey, the two of them have terrible fights behind closed doors. Last time, however, it was a major fallout, as your aunt told your father that he should take care of his own son instead of pampering you. He reacted very badly, practically threw her out of the house, and now we suspect she’s back with a vengeance.”
“Do you think she’ll bring dad’s son along, hoping to make him turn his back on me? Because if so, she’ll win from the start, mom, I can’t compete against dad’s own flesh and blood,” Peyton sounded defeated. “Especially since he’s a boy, and I’m...”
“Unique. Special. Blessed with so many gifts and talents,” Sheila ran her fingers through her child’s light-brown hair. “You don’t have to be afraid of losing your dad’s love, he’ll always be in your corner, supporting you.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I am thrilled at the idea of having a brother, someone to share my dreams and ideals with, someone to talk to, but I’m afraid Aunt Imelda already poisoned his mind, and he is going to look down on me. I can’t do that mom, I can’t make dad choose between me and his son. If that would be the case, I leave, he stays.” Peyton’s voice was sad, but also very determined.
“Honey, we don’t know yet if Imelda found your dad’s son, and even if she did, it’s possible that he wouldn’t like her very much and wouldn’t agree to come here. Oh, his name is Tobias, by the way.”
“What a beautiful name,” Peyton weakly smiled. “I really hope the two of us can get along and make things work.I want to have a solid relationship with him, the kind I have with Alasdair.”
A big smile lightened Sheila’s face when she heard the redhead’s name. For a year, he was her child’s only friend, a blessing in disguise, a lively, spirited, dynamic, brilliant, talkative boy, who wouldn’t hesitate to get into fights to defend the weak against bullying, just like he did with Peyton when they were constantly picked on.
He was also the one who introduced her child and Ezra to one another, and later was the communication link between the two wounded souls, giving them hope and strength, making them have faith in the future of their relationship. And then there was Alasdair’s boyfriend, always gentle, kind and considerate around Peyton, treating them like his own little sibling.
Yes, Sheila said to herself, carefully closing the door behind her, the situation was very different from the one four years earlier, when her sister-in-law last stepped all over her poor baby, breaking their little heart. There was almost nothing left, except the big, love-filled heart of the lonely, sad fifteen-year-old from then, replaced by Peyton’s current, confident, smiling self.
The night passed way too quickly for the Hunters’ liking, and when they gathered for breakfast, each of them were making efforts to put on a somewhat optimistic face. For the first time in years, Steven hoped his sister would talk about the charity causes she was involved in. Although she made his life impossible, the woman had the biggest heart when it came to homeless, orphaned, neglected or abused children.
Whenever she heard of a case like that, Imelda was there, ready to give her last cent to help a child in need, and that made her reaction to Peyton even more difficult to understand. Finally, the dreaded hour arrived, and not even Alasdair, who was usually the soul of the party, didn’t manage to reduce the tension in the atmosphere.
“Hello, brother dear, did you miss your old sister?” Imelda ignored everyone else, heading straight to Steven, whom she gave a warm hug. “Hello, Sheila, long time no see,” the woman said in a neutral tone. “Or talk to you, on the phone or otherwise. Well, I guess your husband’s sister does not present any interest to you,” she sighed.
“Here is our Peyton,” Steven said, his voice thickening with emotion. “They have grown up quite a bit since you visited us last time.”
“Hello, Aunt Imelda,” they smiled, extending their hand. “Nice to see you again, it’s been a long time. Allow me to introduce you to my boyfriend, Ezra Bloom,” they gestured to the raven-haired young man standing next to them.
“So, you got yourself a boyfriend,” the woman started to examine the two, to see if they were faking the affection, if the other one wasn’t an actor her brother paid for the occasion. “Since when are the two of you together?”
”Almost three years,” Ezra said, blushing. “I’m lucky to have Peyton in my life, they are the best,” he affectionately hugged his lover from behind.
“And these,” Steven gestured to the little group of three, “are our child’s friends, Jamie, Ardan and Alasdair. Jamie is a member of a team that collaborates withInterpol and other international crime-fighting organizations. Alasdair is a med school student who wants to become a neurosurgeon, and Ardan runs a shelter for abused children.
“What outstanding young men!” Imelda’s face brightened into a genuine smile. “I want to sit next to you at the table,” she pointed to the one in charge of The Base, “so you can tell me everything about the shelter you run. I don’t know how things are here, in New York City, but in San Francisco it’s hell on earth! So many poor souls are crying for help, but just a few are willing to help!”
“New York is just as bad, if not worse, especially because of some goddamn bastards who kidnap children from the street, in broad daylight, and sell them into slavery. And, as you said, almost no one gives a damn,” Ardan spoke in his usual, flat voice.
Quickly, Imelda and him became engaged in a conversation on the woman’s favorite subject, and she was thrilled to discover how wise the man was, in spite of his young age. Gradually, the others also intervened in the conversation, the subject being all too familiar to all of them, to Imelda’s shock, especially when she found out about Peyton’s involvement in saving the innocent from the human traffickers’ claws.
She took a deep breath, admitting to herself how bitterly wrong she was all this time, especially over the past four years. Blinded by resentment, soon after Steven kicked her out of his house, the woman got in touch with his biological son, Tobias, determined to take him under her wing, offer him a good, solid education, and then bring the young man to his father’s doorstep.
But Imelda’s plan failed miserably, because her nephew proved to be hot-tempered, disrespectful, superficial and lazy. She caught him stealing money, to finance his night escapades and expensive purchases, but what pained her the most was Tobias constantly belittling the kids seeking her help, especially those disowned by the families because of their sexual orientation.
When she finally realized there was no chance of getting a decent young man out of her nephew, Imelda packed his bags and got him embarked on a flight to LA. Several months passed since then, and the woman had no news from Tobias during all that time, so she decided to pay her brother a visit, to see how his wife’s child evolved during the four years she didn’t have contact with them.
And there they were, doing outstanding things, surrounded by friends as special as they were, dedicating their life to saving others, having the love and support of their boyfriend. Steven was right all this time, Imelda thought, Peyton was his flesh and blood, and it was about time she admitted and embraced that.
“I came here, today, to apologize for my foolish behavior over the years,” the woman started, after getting everyone’s attention, “and to congratulate Steve and Sheila for raising such a gifted, special child. You are a wonderful person, Peyton, and I’m proud to be your aunt.”
As Imelda hugged them, warmly and sincerely, the young photographer gazed in Ezra’s direction, love, gratitude, joy and a thousand other emotions filling their eyes. And, when their parents, and then all the others, joined the group hug, Peyton knew that, as long as those sapphire-blue eyes would brighten the path, they would never be alone in the dark.