Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2006 12:27:05 +0100
From: A.K. <andrej@andrejkoymasky.com>
Subject: The Odd Couple 08/14 (m+m - Beginnings)

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THE ODD COUPLE by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005 written on September 28th
1993 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Dave

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USUAL DISCLAIMER

"THE ODD COUPLE" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic
scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family,
opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to
read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or
because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed
guest.

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CHAPTER 8 - Apologies

Stefano thrived at the pub. He soon made friends of everybody with his
outgoing but serious character. He was a good listener. And, word had
spread about how he treated that "straight prick of a male - all dick
and no brains." His role as a host fit him perfectly. He welcomed new
customers, visited with them, then introduced them to those regular
customers who seemed best suited to the newcomer. He gained their
confidence, at times just listening, at other times giving his advice;
but from his mouth never came the first hint of gossip.

He proposed table games and organized little parties for birthdays or
anniversaries of the couples.

The pub grew more and more crowded, and Pigg", happier along with it. A
month passed peacefully. Stefano enjoyed some conquests at the pub.
Among these, he chose the few with whom he wanted an erotic encounter
without attachments. He didn't yet feel ready for a serious
relationship. Most mornings he slept until eleven 'o clock, unless he
had taken somebody to bed.

An American youth was passing through, and Stefano hosted him for five
nights. Kevin was twenty-eight years old and had a velvet body with
platinum blond hair, clear hazelnut and gilded eyes, and an
irrepressible sensuality. He enjoyed both top and bottom, so in bed they
merrily padded from a sixty-nine to the anal penetration, freely
exchanging roles. Stefano admired Kevin's circumcised member, which
quivered at the least touch, and whose erect state was hard to tame.
Kevin made love cheerfully as well as passionately. He could be
provocative or tender. The boy was both skilled and sweet.

Kevin lived in Detroit with his lover, Michael, who was his age and
whose picture he shared with Stefano. Michael was more muscular than
Kevin, with an intense face crowned by coppery-brown rebel hair. They
had met in the Army, and now lived together.

"We have an agreement - when we are together, neither of us even thinks
about an adventure outside the relationship. But, when we are separated
for more than three days, then we both can have all the adventures we
could wish for. It works. We have been together for seven years,
including the time in the Army."

"Could you make love also in the barracks?"

"Oh, no way, not in the barracks! It was too dangerous. But we met as we
both worked at the officers' mess. Almost every day we had take the jeep
downtown to buy fresh produce and meat. On the third or fourth day while
he was driving, he said to me, 'You're gay, right Kevin?' I said, 'Why
do you ask?' And he said, 'Because I'm gay and I like you very much. I
want to make love to you.' So I told him, 'I'm not gay and I'll report
you!' Then he said, 'Well I'm not gay, either, and I'm going to report
you!'

"We both burst out laughing. Then I said, 'Michael, I'd do it right now
on the spot!' And he answered, 'No please; I'm driving now. I can't. But
later...' So I asked, 'But where, then?' He told me he was trying to get
a small apartment in town for us to use. I asked him, 'Were you so sure
about me?' He said no, but he sure hoped he was right.

"As soon as he got the apartment, we just took more time - about an hour
- to make our purchases. We were going to the supermarket, so we would
give a list to a salesclerk who was his friend. Then instead of waiting
thirty minutes at the bar as we had before, we went to our place to make
love for about an hour. Then we were back to store, loading all the
purchases and went back to our base. Before I met Michael, I was
something of a little bitch... I was hopping from bed to bed, and I
liked orgies. But he changed me."

Stefano liked to listen to the American boy's tales as they relaxed in
bed between one fuck and the next.

When they made love for the last time before Kevin had to leave, Stefano
told him, "Michael is really lucky to have a man like you. I envy
him..."

"No, I'm the lucky one. If I hadn't met him, I might be a hustler, to
say nothing about dope. With his sweetness and his vigor, his fantasy
and his love, he made me forget about dope and all the men... well,
almost all the men." Kevin smiled as he caressing Stefano's naked body.

When Kevin left, he gave Stefano his picture, an integral nude that
Michael had taken on their apartment's terrace. Stefano framed it and
hung it in his bedroom. After many days, he thought of Maurizio, who was
far more beautiful than Kevin. The man would have liked to have his nude
picture, too. What a pity that the boy was not as mature as Kevin.

Stefano had another pleasant encounter that month with a
twenty-three-year-old university student of Upper Adige region. The boy,
whose name was Matteo, liked only to give head and to be a bottom. But
he did both with such consummate skill that he gave Stefano wonderful
orgasms. The boy liked to come by just lying near the Stefano after the
man had spent himself inside him. Matteo would masturbate while Stefano
embraced, caressed, and kissed him.

Stefano was almost getting a crush on Matteo. The boy, also, seemed to
be more and more attracted to the man. But, as much as Matteo was
uninhibited at home or in bed, he was painfully withdrawn elsewhere. He
had the terror that somebody who got to know him could guess that he was
gay. His concern was obsessive - almost paranoid. So Stefano decided at
first to lessen, then finally to stop their encounters altogether.

About a month after the night of his outburst at Maurizio, one evening
Stefano was sitting at the counter talking with a customer. Tony said to
him, "Hey, Steu, you'll never guess who is coming in! Don't look now...
it's your body guard."

Stefano stiffened and turned. Maurizio was coming over to him, with a
hesitant smile.

"Ciao." the boy said, awkwardly, when he drew near.

"How are your bruises?"

"Bruises?"

"Yes, there and there," Stefano said pointing to the two spots.

"Ah, practically gone, just a shadow..."

"Good." Stefano said dryly, without smiling.

"Yes." the boy said, then hesitantly asked Tony, "May I order a beer?"

"Sure, honey, have two."

"Would you like a beer, Stefano?"

"No, thank you. Rather, you can have my seat." the man answered
indifferently, standing up and turning.

Maurizio looked at him and said with amazement. "What's wrong with your
cheek?"

"Nothing." Stefano answered.

But at the same time Tony said, "A slap."

Stefano gave him a dirty look.

Maurizio asked, "Who, the guy from last time?"

"No, another. But this time I deserved it." Stefano added readily.

"Deserved it?" the boy asked, unbelieving.

"Yes, I insulted him."

"And he slapped you."

"Yes, and he was right. In fact, I apologized."

"You apologized to him? But... what did you say?"

Stefano was about to explain, but then realized that he was conceding
too much to Maurizio. "It really isn't any of your business, I think!"
he answered dryly.

"No, but... if somebody bothers you, all you have to do is tell me, and
I'll take care of him. Agreed?"

"I'm quite able to take care of myself. I'm not a kid any more, but
neither am I an old man." Stefano answered harshly, then added, "Thanks
anyway." Then he held out his hand. "But I'm busy now. Goodbye."

Maurizio held Stefano's hand in his. "My mother said she would like to
meet you..."

"What? Ah, really? And what for?"

"Well, you had been kind towards her... and then I... I do nothing but
talk about you to her..."

"Ah, I see. And do you tell her... everything?" the man asked, looking
at Maurizio with a teasing expression.

Maurizio blushed and said, "No, not really everything. She would like
you to come have lunch with us next Sunday."

"Tell her thanks, but I can't. I'm busy on Sunday."

"Perhaps another Sunday, then..." the boy insisted.

"I don't know. I can't see any good reason for this. There is nothing
between us."

"She would be glad if you would come. And at home... with her there...
Nothing could happen. I mean, it is not for that. Just for...
friendship."

"I don't know, I'll see."

"Thank you." Maurizio said releasing his hand. Then he said, "Ah,
Stefano?"

"Yes?"

"Would it bother you if I were to come here, sometimes?"

"This is a public place... Even though I really don't see why you would
come here."

"Thank you." Maurizio said sitting on the stool that Stefano left.

Ambling through the pub, Stefano saw that the boy stayed at the bar for
about an hour-and-a-half. Then he didn't see him any more so he went to
the bar and asked Pigg", "Did Maurizio leave?"

"Yeah, about five minutes ago. He said he didn't want t' disturb ye, and
t' tell ye goodbye for him. He doesn't give up, right?"

"Well, he just wastes his time." Stefano answered.

But to himself, Stefano had to admit that he had enjoyed seeing Maurizio
again - just holding his hand. For him that boy had a magnetic, animal
fascination - yes, an animal fascination.

The next evening, while Stefano was in the bar's middle room, Pino came
to find him. "Steu, there's a woman at th' door asking for you!

"For me? A woman? Who is she?"

"I haven't got the faintest idea. She asked, 'Is Professor Genta in?' So
I said, 'Yes, come in, you can find him in the other room.' And she
said, 'No, it is a private matter, would you call him, please?'"

"She didn't tell you her name?"

"I didn't think to ask her. You want me to go and ask?"

"Doesn't matter, I'll go and see..."

Stefano went into the front room. There at the door stood a woman in her
fifties, of medium size, and dressed simply.

When he drew near her, he said, "I am Stefano Genta. Were you looking
for me?"

She smiled hesitantly, showing a line of teeth so bright and perfect
that it was obvious that they were dentures. Holding out her hand, she
said, "Yes, I am Maurizio's mother."

"Ah, how do you do, madam. Some problems with your son?" Stefano asked,
alert.

"No, no. No problems... One of my cousins lives nearby and I went to see
her. My Maurizio told me you were working here, so close to Rita's
house, in a pub called Tambo. Rita told me it was really close and
explained to me how to get here. I just thought I would come to thank
you for all the kindness you have shown to us."

"Don't mention it." Stefano answered, as he wondered what really was
behind this odd visit.

The woman looked inside the pub, slightly ill at ease, then asked, "May
we go outside for just a moment?"

"Certainly."

The woman crossed the street and stopped on the other side, under a
street lamp. Now Stefano became quite anxious.

"Well, I... I wanted to thank you for all the advice that Maurizio says
you have given him. The boy has changed. He is more thoughtful now; and,
more gentle towards me, more careful. And then, you too are so kind to
me even without knowing me... First the flowers and chocolates, then
that fine scarf, and now even the money for my new denture. I really
don't know how to thank you."

"The... money for your denture?" Stefano asked widening his eyes.

"Yes. Maurizio told me that you didn't want him to tell me. But I had to
thank you. Don't get angry with him that he told me the truth..."

"But I, Madam, really..." Stefano stammered in confusion.

"Oh, you are such a refined and kind person - a real gentleman at heart,
as my Maurizio always says. Yes, and then... to tell the truth, I came
also for another reason..."

"Tell me..." Stefano said, even more confused.

"Well, my son told me that a while ago he said something to you that
made you really angry. I told him he should come apologize to you. And
he told me that he was not really sure what he could have said to make
you so angry with him. He had thought about it a lot, but he still felt
confused. He thinks he must have said something really wrong that you
would become so angry with him... you, who are so kind and learned.

"So I told him all the same, he must come apologize to you, and ask you
what he said that was so bad... so that he would not do it again. Then
he told me that yesterday evening he came but could not talk with you.
Now, I don't really know if he could or not, or if he was just too
ashamed. But I know that Maurizio is not a bad boy. If he did something
wrong, it wasn't on purpose. It has been like... like an accident... do
you see?"

"Yes, I think I can understand." Stefano murmured, feeling quite
awkward.

"So, then, I told him he must find the courage to pay for his wrong
deeds, whatever that might be. He must... must apologize to you, and
stop... especially after all you have done for us. I told him that he
must learn from you were he is wrong and to ask your forgiveness for
having made you so angry. Oh, not for your gifts, you know, but just
because it is right.

"But Maurizio says he is afraid that you don't want to talk with him any
more and not even see him if he comes here or to your place. And he
feels so bad, believe me, because I feel that to my Maurizio you became
even more important than his father was, even though he admired his
father so blindly. So, I told him he has to humble himself to you until
you accept and listen to him. Was I wrong to tell him that?"

"Well... nobody should humble himself in front of another..." Stefano
answered hesitantly.

"Oh, yes! Because he who humbles himself will be exalted!" the woman
said with conviction.

Stefano smiled at her quotation of the Gospel. "Madam, there is no need
for Maurizio to humble himself to me. If he really wants to talk with
me, I will listen to him."

"Oh, thank you! My Maurizio said that you have a good heart. He has so
much to learn from you, he always tells me so. My son says that you make
him use his brain... Thank you. And... if this doesn't bother you... can
you call me Natalina, and not madam?" the woman said making her false
teeth shine in a smile full of hope.

Stefano wondered at the woman's candor, honesty, shrewdness... and
stupidity, and how much of it Maurizio took from her. He answered with a
forced smile, "Well, then you can call me Stefano... Natalina."

The woman clasped his hand tightly in hers. Stefano felt her withered
and hard hands and felt pity for her. These hands obviously had borne
years of suffering.

"Then, can my Maurizio come apologize to you?" the woman asked again.

Stefano nodded without smiling. And looked at her walk away under the
light of the street lamp. He thought he understood - that woman was
greedy. She was not after his "gifts" or his money. Instead, she was
greedy for her son, that he might rise above the misery of his empty
life. That woman saw in Stefano her son's salvation - his exaltation. He
who humbles himself will be exalted. She was pushing her son towards him
so that the boy could improve himself. How, in what sense - she probably
did not even know.

And, what would that woman have thought... said... how would she have
reacted if she knew what had happened between the two of them? Would she
become the furious she-cat who shields her kittens? Or would she grasp
for even more, this time for money, thinking to exploit the situation?
Or would she just lose all her hope? Or would she cry and curse her bad
luck and that of her son, to have run into such a pervert? Who knows?

Further, why did Maurizio lie to his mother, saying it was Stefano who
gave him the money for the denture? Even if it was clearly a cheep one,
the prefabricated model, yet it could not have been that inexpensive...

He went back into the pub, deep in thought.

Pigg" asked him worriedly, "What happened? Who was thet woman? What did
she want?"

"Pigg", do you know the story of Pandora's box?"

"Eh? Yes... well, more or less... What does that have to do with... "

"See? When I met Maurizio, that Friday evening, I opened the lid of that
box..."

"Of all human ills?"

"Even worse, I still don't know what will come out."

"But, who was she?"

"Maurizio's mother."

Pigg" whistled long and low. "Fucking shit! And what did she want... to
stir up trouble?"

"Who knows," Stefano answered then took him into the kitchen and told
him the strange dialog he had.

Two evenings later, Maurizio had not yet shown up. When the pub closed,
Stefano asked Pino to give him a ride home in his car. As they pulled up
to Stefano's house, he saw Maurizio standing at the front door of the
building.

"Oh, shit! Pino, do you have to go back home, tonight?"

"What? No. Why? Is this a proposal?"

"No, that is Maurizio, do you see? Certainly, he wants to come upstairs
with me. But if you are with me... Can I tell him you are stopping at my
place? So at least he will go away. I don't want him to think he can
come upstairs with me. The two of us... alone..."

"Are you afraid you can't resist his charms?"

"Rightly so. Does that bother you?"

"No. But are you sure you can resist my charm?" the boy asked
half-serious and cunningly.

"I'd rather surrender to your charm, than to his."

"Hey! That is really a compliment. Agreed, my friend! Tonight we'll
fuck, at least officially."

They got out of the car. Maurizio was looking at them. They went towards
the door.

"Ciao, Stefano..." Maurizio greeted, faltering.

"Hi Maurizio. How comes you are here?"

"I wanted to talk to you..."

"I'm sorry... you know Pino, right? He works at the pub... Tonight he is
staying with me. If you want to talk, you can see me at the pub..."

"I see... but... in the pub there is all the people... I wanted to talk
with you privately..."

"In the pub, Maurizio, very willingly. In my place, no! 'Night,
Maurizio." Stefano said opening the door and pushing Pino inside.

Stefano turned toward Maurizio, "In the pub, more than willingly. I will
listen to all you want to tell me." he repeated, and shut the door. Then
while going upstairs, he told Pino, "Thank god. That was easier than I
thought... If you want, in ten minutes you can leave and go home."

"No way ... you are still trembling. I will stay with you. Besides, I am
not going to let you off the hook so easily as I have been waiting a
long time for you to give me such an invitation"

They went upstairs.

"So, determined to spend the night at my place?" Stefano asked entering
in his apartment.

"No, not at your place. With you... if this doesn't bother you." Pino
merrily answered.

Stefano smiled at him, "Bother me? I don't really think so. Let's get
undressed, then. The bedroom is throught that door, the bathroom through
this one..."

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 9

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In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to
read them, the URL is http://andrejkoymasky.com If you want to send me
feed-back, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I
can put on-line more of my  stories in English please e-mail at
andrej@andrejkoymasky.com

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