Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 20:19:44 -0800 (PST)
From: louis dreyfus <lash21_98@yahoo.com>
Subject: Lights, Chapter 1

                           LIGHTS
                 By:  Louis Archie D. Perez


*This  is  the first time I wrote anything, fiction  or  non
fiction,  prose  or  poetry, under my  real  name.   I  have
written countless poems under a pen name and one story under
the   name   Achilles   Heinz  that  could   be   found   in
justinscorner.homestead.com.  In truth, this is  the  second
fiction  I  have written and I am not very sure yet  of  the
effectiveness  of  my  writing  style.   I  would   heartily
appreciate any criticism or suggestions from the readers  on
how best I could further improve my works.  Please email any
communication to lash21_98@yahoo.com. Thank you  for  giving
my works a portion of your time.  God Bless!

Note:   The  stage is a revered place for  me.   I  had  and
always will be an actor.  And though it is a place that will
eternally  be  a  dwelling  of  innumerable  characters  and
personalities  that will continue to astound,  drive  us  to
tears, tempt, seduce, be a model, influence, crack us up and
basically entertain; what happens when the curtain falls  is
more priceless and enduring than any story it could ever  be
setting  of.   Let me give you a taste of the limelight.   A
place where everybody is bathed in.LIGHTS!



Chapter I -  "Wake up and smell the flowers Anton."


I could hear the distinctive sound of a spacecraft!

From  beneath  me,  I  could feel the anxious  squirming  of
Isabel  as  I  stopped  what I was doing  and  unconsciously
looked  up.   I held my breath, not in anticipation  of  any
alien  race to descent upon us but to the inevitable  clamor
that I knew was to come.

I  could feel Isabel's breast pressed hard against my sweaty
chest.   Her warm soft hands mindlessly caressing behind  my
neck,  as she lied idle on the hard mattress we were on.   I
could sense that she was on the verge of cracking up like  I
did.   But like me, she had complete control of her emotions
- at the moment.

"CUT.what kind of a fucking sound effect is that?"  Barked a
gruff  voice  from  somewhere within  the  darkness  of  the
audience  area.  "I wanted a sound of sex not  that.unless."
Vincent,  the  director added, his voice sounding  a  little
less  edged  than when he spoke his previous line.   "I  was
thinking along the lines of a moan."

I  could not help giggling at the notion of the sound of sex
being spacey.  I could almost imagine how the world would be
with  all  the  clamor  and banging  extraterrestrial  noise
everybody would make.

"That  would  be  the  day,"  I muttered  under  my  breath,
unmindful that my partner had been pushing me to get off her
for  quite  sometime  as our director forgot  about  us  and
focused   his   attention  on  the  sound  engineer.    That
completely engrossed me, took my mind off the moment and got
me  dreaming of what I wanted to become - just like him,  in
complete control; though he was not so just then.

"Anton,  get off me!"  Isabel's husky anxious voice grumbled
beneath me, the loudness not too soft though she meant it to
be such, forgetting that the theatre's acoustic was state of
the  art.  "Your prick is jamming into my thighs," she added
in  a resounding whisper that attracted the attention of our
irate director.

  "And you two imbeciles, what were you doing?  I asked  you
to  fuck not make out like a couple of high school thespians
you  are! "  Vincent's voice echoed through the gloom of the
lightless   audience  chamber.   "And  you  call  yourselves
actors?   Bah!"  His insults continued to barrage us  though
in  reality it could not affect us in any way since  he  was
constantly  feeding  us with infinite belittlement  that  it
sounded  second nature to our accustomed ears.  We  knew  we
were  good  and  that  made his snide  remarks  but  passing
trivial gossip in our ears.

"Now if you want to make it big in this business just follow
what I say!" we said all together, Isabel and I knowing that
it  would  be the last line of his reprimand - he says  that
every  time.   We  both smiled; Vincent  could  be  so  damn
predictable.  Not that he was a bad director, in fact he was
one  of  the best - known throughout the province to give  a
neoteric  tint to otherwise old or classical  scripts.   His
problem  with  his indifference to his cast  and  production
staff   could  easily  be  overlooked  once  you   see   the
performances of his stage shows.  The truth be known  I  was
damn lucky to be included in this play, it was not his habit
to employ neophytes in major pieces such as this one.  Shall
we say I was at the right moment, at the right time with the
right body!  Talk about coincidences and fate.

  "Now  lets  do the scene all over again." Vincent's  voice
suddenly sounding matter of factly that we all knew that his
head  was  cooled  once more and that it  was  back  to  the
business at hand as usual.

"Act  I,  Scene 4, The Shadow of a Dream," the stage manager
called out as soon as everybody was set.  I was lying on the
cot with only the lower part of my pajamas, holding the prop
journal  that  I was supposed to be reading for  the  scene.
Isabel  was  still at stage left, awaiting her cue  for  her
entrance.

"Action!"

The  dimmed lights slowly brightened as I counted the  three
seconds  I  needed before I was to say my lines.  I  quickly
lost  all thoughts of my own as I was plunged into the world
of   my  character,  Daniel  Zimmer,  the  libidinous  rural
teenager.   I started reading from the blank journal  I  was
holding,  oblivious to the dozens of eyes that  I  knew  was
looking  at me, watching my precise yet realistic movements,
my  rehearsed yet fresh performance.  I was a natural - that
I was confident of.

"December  5th."  I  started saying my lines.   "I  saw  him
today!  The child. He was strolling before my very eyes like
the angel I envision him to be, his long ebony colored locks
cascading  on  his shoulders like they had a life  of  their
own.   I  saw him, but he did not see me.  I'm sure  for  he
does  not  even know of my existence! Daniel, when will  you
realize  my presence?"  I paused and looked up, like  I  was
thinking  of the impact of reading somebody else's thoughts,
and  the  thought  was of me.  "I did not know  Carmen!"   I
whispered.

That  was Isabel's cue to enter and she did so.  I knew even
before  she  said  a  word that she was  onstage.   We  have
rehearsed this particular scene countless times that it  was
second  nature  for us to know where everybody  was  at  any
given instance.

"Daniel?"   She said her piece.  "Now you know that  I  have
been  dreaming of this moment a long time ago.  That I  have
had  fantasies of you and how it would feel to  be  in  your
arms."

"I'm sorry Carmen!"  I said rising from the set and casually
folding the revealing prop in my hand.  I placed it  on  the
bed  corner like I had been instructed though I was  feeling
that  it was what was supposed to be and not what I was told
to  do.  I was no longer Anton Cabrera, high school student;
but  a  stud,  anticipating a new  conquest  in  but  a  few
seconds.

I tenderly took her hands into mine giving the towel she was
holding  unto her body reason to fall to the floor and  give
me  a full view of her ripe body.  One I have seen countless
times in the course of our rehearsals but still I viewed  it
like it was the first time I ever laid eyes on such a sight.
She dropped her gaze to the floor, suddenly shying away from
my  staring.  I knew she was acting it out but she was good,
very good that I easily believed in her modesty.

"I like you, even before, when you thought I never knew you.
And I always wanted to do this."  I said, tracing my fingers
lightly   on  her  cheeks  before  kissing  her.   She   was
motionless at first but then she soon followed my lead.  And
we were kissing, like it was the first time though certainly
I could not begin to count the times we have done so.

The  next  actions  were done slowly but  precise.   Like  a
ballet  done with accuracy and one false timing could change
what  was  to follow.  This time the musical score  came  at
exactly  the  right moment and it was a sound  of  love  and
tenderness and the right amount of lust. Accurately what the
characters would have felt had it been real life.

But  I knew from the moment that I held her slim waist above
me,  guiding  her  as  I  was presumed  to  enter  her  that
something  was wrong.  It was not a lewd act, what  we  were
doing  and  except for the one time when I was  supposed  to
bare all, no privates could be seen by the audience.  It was
artistically  blocked  to  tease rather  than  arouse.   But
still,  as actors we should have been into the acts  itself.
Yet,  everytime I can't seem to force myself, to  propel  my
emotions to cooperate.  In reality, I was a bit revolted  at
what  I was doing.  I had been since the start, only  I  was
trying  too  hard  to keep it - that time  I  was  not  good
enough.

"CUT!"    Vincent's  voice  pierced  through  the   scoring.
"Anton,  are you GAY?"  Like thunder, his question descended
upon  me  like  an accusation of a misdeed.  Like  I  was  a
criminal  and  finally found out.  Like a  deadly  incurable
disease sickened me.  Though his voice did not have an  edge
nor  a  tinge  of censure, I felt as if I was  slapped  with
something  vile  and degrading.  I was injured  and  managed
only to gawk at him and remain silent.  The truth hurts when
one least expects it to be thrown at him.

The  theatre  suddenly became as silent as a  sepulcher.   I
would not have been surprised if everyone inside could  hear
the  accelerated beating of my heart, the shallowness of  my
breathing,  even  the  littlest  sound  of  my  perspiration
cascading  down my already drenched body.  I knew  everybody
was  listening and I did not know just how to answer.  Shall
I  tell  him  the  truth and risk being thrown  out  of  the
production three days before gala - or lie and go on  living
a  life  that is not my own to begin with?  I was tired  and
suddenly feeling fearful.  It did not occur to me that I was
being  paranoid.  I only felt that I was being ridiculed;  I
was  brought  up to think that way, that what  I  am  was  a
mistake.   I imagined the snide remarks and the laughter  of
those  who were listening in.  I did not feel anything  else
but fear. Doomed.

"Well.I'll be damned!"  Vincent finally uttered to nobody in
particular.  "I never thought so!"  That did it.  I answered
his  question  with my silence and finally it  was  out.   I
could  not  have  contained it longer and I felt  sentenced.
All  my dreams crashed back at me like a thunderstorm on its
most  ferocious.  I lost all hopes of being  exceptional  in
the  craft that I longed to belong.  On my first production,
I  ended  my  career.   I  wanted  to  storm  out  and  walk
aimlessly,  silent and detached from all that was happening,
I  could  think of no way to salvage the effect of my  being
different.  I knew I was worthless.

"Yes  I am!"  I declared weakly.  I had no will left to deny
what  I was.  If I was to be ruined at least I wanted to  go
down  with dignity and truthfulness.  "I had been ever since
I  joined  this production, and if that creates a difference
to the efficiency of the play I thank you for the chance you
have given me," with renewed courage and sense of self worth
I  stood up and faced my greatest fear - being rejected.   I
prepared  myself to make a graceful exit, if that  was  even
possible at the moment.  Suddenly I wanted to face everybody
and be myself for once.

Isabel had discreetly withdrawn from the stage and since the
stage  lights  were fully directed at me, I  could  not  see
anything  else  around me.  I felt lonely and  severed  from
everybody  else.  I knew I had to face everything alone  but
the isolation was beginning to strangle me.  I was strangely
feeling claustrophobic in the cavernous theatre.

"And what gave you the idea that it matters to me?"  I heard
the  director say.  "What matters is that it gets in the way
of  your  character!"  I did not believe that  I  heard  him
right.   I  was  stupefied once more, I had  been  preparing
myself  for the worst and it seemed that I had been thinking
wrong.   I  could not believe my ears much less  accept  the
implication of what Vincent was telling me.

"What?"  I lamely asked, suddenly unsure of everything  that
has  been happening.  Suddenly shy that I reacted the way  I
had been acting.  Shameful that I was being too presumptive.

"Look  Anton,  the  stage does not  really  care  what  your
preference is, nor does it have any command in your  private
life.   What it requires of you is that for you  not  to  be
yourself  when  onstage.  That is where you were  mistaken."
Vincent  was suddenly sounding like an ally and not  a  foe,
which  I  thought he was a few moments before.  "You brought
your  baggage with you when you should have gone in as empty
as  you  can. It affected your effectiveness.  And for  your
information more than half of this theatre at this moment is
just like you - different!"

I felt all my hopes and dreams jolting me with happiness.  I
could  not contain the elation that I felt at that  instance
that  I wanted so much to shout with joy and jump up like  I
was  about  to fly.  I lost all fears, all gloom, all  shame
that  I  have been feeling.  Instead I smiled and  plastered
the grin on my face for all to see.  I was out, I was proud.

The  rehearsal commenced soon after that.  And though it was
hard to detach the feeling of distaste I had at first I soon
got  around it.  I did not relish the fact that I had to  do
what I needed to do but when I thought about it, it was  not
I but Daniel Zimmer - I am Anton Cabrera.

I  was  more  effective  after  that.   With  Vincent's  and
Isabel's  help, I was able to disassociate my feelings  from
that of Daniel.  Scene after scene I began to realize that I
had been pushing myself too hard in the wrong direction, one
I was pursuing for all my 18 years of existence.

Rehearsals became a breeze.  I enjoyed every second  of  the
experience that day, even the insults that Vincent continued
to  throw at everybody lost the tiniest edge that was  there
earlier.   It  was soon over before I even  knew  it.   With
everybody  I  passed  by backstage, treating  me  just  like
before  with  no  trace of condemnation  or  indifference  I
entered  my  dressing room and sat down.  Ecstatic  with  my
newfound freedom and belongingness.



Chapter II     -  "Bask in the sun, its your time to shine."


I just sat there and looked at myself in front of the mirror
of  the  dressing  room.   Alone yet surprisingly  full  and
unlonely,  blissful and content after all that has  happened
to  me.   I felt like a butterfly suddenly out of the  thick
annoying  cocoon of self-denial.  I stared at the reflection
in  front of me and tried so hard to look for whatever trace
of  change that I could find.  Surprisingly, there was none!
I began to wonder why I was feeling so different from what I
have been feeling prior to that day.

I  scrutinized my facial features, which was lit up  by  the
glare  of a dozen bright lights that surrounded the  mirror,
making  my face clear and bright and so vivid that  I  could
see  the  microscopic  veins  that  was  barely  discernible
beneath  my  translucent  skin.  I could  find  no  variance
whatsoever  -  but  my  eyes, well they  were  beaming  with
openness and glee of being finally free from the bonds  they
have been enchained for so long.

I  heard  a  knock.  It could have been going on  for  quite
sometime  but I was oblivious to it much was my euphoria  on
what has previously transpired.  I looked at the door, which
was  barely  discernible through the bright illumination  of
the  mirror lights that I had to squint in order to  clearly
see  it.  My mind suddenly working overtime trying to  guess
who  the  person outside my door would be.  I came  up  with
nobody  in  particular since I did not know what  to  expect
anymore.  Though in my mind's eye, countless faces seemed to
flash  in  a  series  of  kaleidoscopic  images  much   like
projected  pictures of who I wanted it to be.   It  did  not
occur  to  me  that I had to call out for that  somebody  to
enter;  I just continued to stare past my reflection to  the
closed door waiting for whomever to come in.

"Anton?"   I finally heard the softest whisper outside.   It
was  a masculine voice yet tender and almost passionate  and
at  the  same  time  unsure and  shy.   Though  I  found  it
strangely familiar, I could not tag a name nor a face to the
voice.   So  I kept my silence and waited.  But he  did  not
call out once more.

The  knocking ceased as suddenly and as unexpectedly  as  it
came.  And with that came the sound of footsteps going away,
to  the direction of the theatre's exit.  Whoever that  was,
slipped away from the moment.  Perhaps, into oblivion  since
I might not be able to have the chance again to discover who
my mysterious caller was.  I began to feel a loss for surely
he  meant  to talk.  Maybe about the revelation of my  being
what I am.  That heightened my anticipation.

I quickly got up and made haste to open the door thinking it
might  not  be too late to at least catch a glimpse  of  his
retreating back.  To have just the littlest idea of  who  he
might  be.  Or if luck had it, to talk to him and  find  out
what he really wanted.

"Wait!"  I called out as I opened the door to a darkened and
empty backstage.  I realized that not only was I too late in
discovering  who knocked but I have stayed  in  my  dressing
room  too long without my knowing it.  The stage lights were
already  dimmed and all have left.  I did not  mind  really,
and  I  thought, "Maybe it was just somebody who  wanted  to
remind me of the time."

I  started closing the door to change into my street clothes
before going out when something caught my attention.  It was
placed  just  outside  my doorstep,  on  top  of  the  white
embroidered rug that said "TRUTH" before me.  It was red and
green  and made my heart leap up with excitement.  It was  a
single rosebud with a note attached to it by a long piece of
lavender  ribbon.  Like a neon sign, it was clearly  visible
in  stark contrast to the foot wipe my mother gave me a  few
days back.

With trembling knees I bent down and picked up the lone stem
from  the  floor.   It was fresh!  I was sure  that  it  was
picked but moments ago from the flowerbed at the back of the
theatre  hall.  I could see that he did so hastily since  he
might  have used whatever vaguely sharp object that came  in
handy to cut the stem from the plant.  The jagged uneven end
of the flower was evidence.

But  of course I did not mind!  Just the presence of the bud
alone  capped my days' adventure with the best  ending  fate
could possibly deliver.  The only drawback was the fact that
I  had  no  idea  who my nocturnal guest  was.   Though  the
mystery of it all sharpened my excitement and glee.

It  took  me awhile to gather myself and be ready to  depart
and go home.  My mind filled with a multitude of conflicting
emotions that I felt I did not have the right will  at  that
moment.  Still, the smile that has been on my face for  most
of  the  night  continued to be plastered as though  it  was
fixed  there and could not be erased.  With the  strides  of
one  that  has been to heaven and back, I glided out  of  my
dressing  room and into the darkness of the stage wings  and
into the night air.

The  night was aglow with the lights of a thousand stars all
afire in the nighttime skies.  All looking down at me as  if
I  was  being  guided by them and that I am  finally  within
their  care.  I felt the luckiest mortal ever to  walk  that
part  of  the  world.   My own piece of paradise,  and  that
everywhere I will go I will be happy.

A few cars sped past me as I stood beside the highway.  They
were  like  carousels of different colors and  their  beauty
seemed to entice me to look and just stare at them like they
were  a  new vision.  As if I have seen them for  the  first
time  in all of my life. The lampposts that lined the street
reminded  me  of  the nostalgic street  lamps  one  sees  in
romantic  movies  and  it  made me  feel  so  in  love  with
everything around me.  I realized that I have been living  a
life  of  pain and pessimism yet now have awakened and  that
made   everything  picturesque.   I  was  seeing  everything
through rose-colored glasses.

I  looked at the rose bud that I have been holding all those
time  since  I  found it lying defiantly on my doorstep  and
wished  that  somehow  I could find  somebody  to  share  my
happiness  at that moment.  Then, everything would  be  more
perfect than it was already.

"Anton?"   A male voice whispered behind me.  It  came  with
the faintest tap on my shoulders.  Slowly, without any trace
of  neither fear nor apprehension I turned around and looked
straight  into the large brown eyes of Christian,  a  fellow
actor in the company.  He was standing just a few feet  away
from  me,  looking intently into my eyes with a  smile  that
seemed to say the sweetest things, what they were I did  not
know.

"Xian?  You're still here!"  I declared smiling at him.   "I
thought I was all alone here, I really did not realize  that
it  was  this  late.  Got into thinking about.you  know.what
happened  in  there tonight."  I told him, hinting  on  what
transpired as something important to me; I had no reason  to
hide any longer and that made everything easier.

"Yeah,  I  guess  so," he said, looking at the  rose  I  was
holding.  "Actually, I was waiting for you.  Guess you found
what  I  left by your doorstep!  Do you like it?  I did  not
have time to get you something more.shall we say I wanted to
make an impression but I did not have the luxury of time and
I wanted to be the first among the rest.  Oh, am I being too
upfront?   I'm  sorry. I don't mean to sound  pushy  or  too
brusque about it but.you know."

I  looked  at him.  This time convinced that I was dreaming.
In  truth, Christian was one of those people that you  can't
help  but  notice, even in a crowd.  He was tall,  slim  and
bronzed  -  like  he  always basked in sunlight,  had  light
golden brown eyes that mesmerized everybody that looked deep
within them - not that he let just anybody stare, in fact he
was  known to be a loner, and lips that were slow moving  as
if  when he spoke he was making love with each word that  he
says.  And here he was, in front of me, looking deep into my
eyes with a look of defiance and courage and smiling a smile
that  sent  thrills of expectations into my soul.   I  never
thought  it possible but I was again speechless and weak  in
the knees.

"I  never thought that you were gay Anton.  I always  though
of  you to be this hunk who was easy with the ladies,  maybe
because  you are doing Daniel so well that I managed  to  be
taken  by  your  portrayal.   I  never  thought  of  looking
intensely  into  you personally that I was not  prepared  to
hear  what  went on earlier.  Like I was uprooted  from  the
stability that I had built around me.  You see, I am and had
been  completely  attracted to you since  I  saw  you  three
months ago."  Christian said taking my trembling hands  into
his  and  kneading my palms, lovingly like he wanted  to  do
more  and was afraid to say it just yet.  Like a dumb ass  I
just  looked at him and willed myself of wake up, it was  so
surrealistic and dreamlike that I did not have  the  courage
to  believe anymore.  I did not want to wake up crying  over
the most beautiful thing that I could ever imagine.

"Pinch  me!"  I barely managed to whisper.  I knew I had  to
say  something otherwise the actor in me would feel slighted
and insulted by it all.  An actor that always thought he had
control of his emotions at the snap of anybody's finger.

"What?"   With  a  questioning look,  Xian  asked  me.   His
usually   clear   eyes  suddenly  smoked  with   doubt   and
uncertainty.  How I wanted to just hold his cheeks and touch
his  lips and brush away the curls of hair that was covering
his forehead.

"No.   Just pinch me I want to wake up!"  I whispered though
I  never  thought  he would hear them -  but  he  did.   And
slowly, like clay molded by excellent deft fingers, his face
transformed, as he understood what I was saying.  His hands,
still  holding my own tightened their grip as if  afraid  to
let  me  go.  His smile, complete and radiant like  sunlight
beamed  at  me  as if I was that precious.  I  felt  like  a
diamond; clear, priceless and eternal.

"Does this mean yes?"  He asked.

"Yes to what?

"To coffee!"

"Did you ask me for coffee?"

"I'm asking you now."

"YES"

"To coffee?"

"And to anything else."

I felt complete!  For the first time in my life.


Chapter III    -  "A whole new perspective.love"

We  walked  hand  in hand.  Crossing the street,  dodging  a
small number of vehicles that passed us by.  It was bizarre,
everything that happened within the last minutes and what  I
remembered was hazy and unreliable with embedded biases  and
forgotten details.  The only thing that I could have relayed
completely and truthfully would have been the feeling that I
had  fallen deeply during that instance.  I was not thinking
straight, yet, was in my most absolute consciousness that  I
did  not  think of the whole but the littlest  details  were
fixed in my awareness to settle there for memories later on.

My  strides  were light and my steps slow as  if  memorizing
each  second of the experience.  I had no idea  of  time  or
hours  or  minutes but what passed me by were jewels  to  be
kept and cherish, something to hang on to when old age comes
knocking a long time hence.

That  time, the orchestra that I was hearing was  the  right
mixture  of notes, bars and feeling.  A symphony to play  on
and  on in my subconscious.  A song playing for just the two
of us for I was sure that he was hearing it too.

We  finally  entered a dimly lit cafe.  I did  not  remember
where we passed to get there.  But surely, I could have told
you  of the blooming pink carnations we passed by, the smile
on  Christian's lips when we both tripped on  a  stone,  the
last  clinging leaf on a dying tree outside the bookstore  a
few  streets before.  Images, complete and uncensored.   But
to tell you of their order, I could never do so just then.

We settled on small canvas covered easy chairs placed around
a  circular coffee table.  At first all I could do was  gawk
at  him  and memorize each line of his face.  His uncommonly
deep  dimples set nearer his smile than most dimples I  have
seen in my lifetime.  His long curling lashes that leant his
features character - almost feminine and beautiful, only  on
him it was the most manly sight I could ever have seen.

I still held his hands in mine.  Long lean fingers that were
strong  and smooth and supple all at the same time.  Without
thinking,  I  got them to touch my lips in what  could  have
been  a  kiss.   A  gesture that made him  smile  and  blush
profusely  though  it was not that visible  considering  the
dark  color of his skin.  But I saw him, was looking at  him
intently  that it would have been impossible for me  not  to
see it.

"Are you happy?"  he asked in a voice that was suddenly  low
and  musical to my ears.  I had been dreaming of the  moment
when  somebody  asked  me those exact same  question,  never
realizing that it would be that soon.

"I  love you"  was all I said in answer.  It was all that  I
could  coherently say that very moment.  He did  not  answer
me,  instead he looked deeper into my eyes if that was  even
possible.  I knew that somehow, he was reading my thoughts -
and I let him.  All it had there was his name.

"I  love you too"  he whispered slowly, finally.  He savored
each  word,  each syllable as though it was sacred.   And  I
believed him.  Lost all doubts I might have had before that.
Giving my hand one final grip, he eventually let go.

We  ordered coffee from a waiter who was obviously too  busy
to  notice anything that was happening between us.  And when
our orders arrived, we completely forgot about it as it grew
cold  and  stale in front of us. But not before I  memorized
his  request of a cappuccino without the cinnamon, I  placed
it  inside my subconscious for future reference -  who  knew
when it would come in handy.

We  talked.  Basically about things that was common  between
us  -  and that is the company where we belong that  moment.
We stayed away from more personal matters since we both knew
it  will eventually come to that, though at time we tend  to
include  just  portions  of  our  private  selves   in   the
conversation.

"So  you've  been in your high school's theatre group  since
freshman  year?"   he  asked,  needlessly  toying  with  the
teaspoon in his cup, the contents of which was untouched.

"Yes, ever since.  I have always dreamed of  being in a more
professional troupe, that's why I was so afraid that I  blew
my chances away today."  I answered him, looking deep within
his  eyes to know what his emotions would tell me - will  he
feel pity, remorse or will he share my feelings with me.  "I
was  so  frightened that Vincent would judge me just because
of what I am!"

I  could not read his thoughts.  Still, when I think him  to
be  vulnerable, he surprises me with the amount  of  control
that he has over his sentiments.

"And  just  what are you Anton?"  he inquired, this  time  I
could not help myself but blush because of the bluntness  of
his  approach.  I was not offended in anyway but  still  the
impact of his query left me trembling.  "How many times must
I  be  asked  this  before  I was  sure  and  firm  with  my
answer.with the truth!"  I thought.

"Gay,"  was all I said.

Surprisingly, that opened him up.  And for the first time  I
was allowed to see him without the walls that he has erected
around  him.  I felt that we were one in spirit rather  than
in words.

We  soon left the cafe.  Ignorant to the stares that we were
getting  from  a handful of milling hookers that  lined  the
street,  we  joyously  walked  the  short  distance  to  his
apartment.  I knew before hand that he did not live with his
parents;  young  as  he was.  I have passed  by  his  rented
dwelling  a  couple of times.  I knew it was  his,  somebody
pointed  it  out to me - who, it did not really matter.   We
did  not  talk about going there, it was just  the  flow  of
events that led us to stand, suddenly uncomfortable in front
of his place.

We  must  have looked stupid, standing there with our  heads
hung   low,  unable  to  say  the  first  line  that   would
undoubtedly  take us inside his room - to the most  intimate
niche of  his existence.

"Um, thank you for coffee."  I somehow managed to say.

"So  are we calling it a night?"  he asked, I can see in his
eyes that he did not want it to end right there, right then!

I  decided that if there was to be something for us to share
that night it would have to come from me, so I looked him in
the eyes and lovingly took hold of his hands once more.

"Why  did  you  have to say these things to me?"   I  asked.
"You  just don't know how beautiful you look and how I  feel
as if I am dreaming right now."

With those words I kissed him.  Right there on his doorsteps
without giving him a chance to say no.
How we got into his bedroom I don't recall, but soon I found
myself locked in his embrace.  Entangled and unable to  stay
away from his affections.

"Ooppss!"  he soon said, pushing me away from him, giving us
both  a  chance to catch out breaths.  I laughed at both  of
us.  The intensity our struggle to control each other's need
to grab and smoother ourselves with more kisses.

I  realized that we were on top of his queen-sized bed which
was  covered with blue satin sheets, though in our haste and
energy,  it  managed to fall scattered on  the  floor.   The
pillows  covered with a deeper colored blue were strewn  all
across the room.  All was in chaos, much like the tumultuous
heat that has suddenly assailed me.

"Slowly  my  love,"   he whispered.   This  time  his  voice
sounded heavier and more syrupy than earlier.  His eyes hazy
somehow, like it was clouded with something I cant name.

"I'm sorry!  I don't know how!"

"What?"  he asked, the surprise and glee mixed in his  eyes.
"You mean, this is your first time?"

I  did not answer him.  I only affirmed his question with my
silence and the barest nod of my head.  I was too ashamed to
admit it.  I was too excited for him to stop.

"Thank  you,"   he  said  before I felt  his  tender  loving
fingers stroke my chin and tilting my head as he kissed  me.
I  could  feel  his hot unhurried breath on my  cheeks,  his
moist soft lips caressing my own with the slowness that both
excited  me and made me want it more.  His hand stroking  my
hair  while the other held my face tenderly like it was  the
most  delicate china.  I could only respond as much, praying
that I was doing the right thing.

He  soon was kissing my neck, my earlobes which felt so damn
good  that I had to give out a moan of ecstasy.  I  did  not
know if that was okay and to be safe I just bit my lower lip
as the unfamiliar sensations filled my body with want and an
unusually exquisite ache on my groin.
I  felt him opening my shirt buttons, one by one.  His  deft
fingers   sliding  inside  when  it  was  but  half  opened,
caressing my heaving chest, tweaking at my nipples.  I could
have  cried loudly in sweet surrender yet he had  his  mouth
covering  mine  with a kiss that was now hungry  and  harsh.
Equally   excited   as   he  was,  I   just   returned   his
ministrations, reflecting what he was doing to me.

Though I have had countless fantasies of him, I have not had
the  pleasure of seeing him in the raw.  I did not have  any
idea what to expect though in my mind's eye, I knew it would
be the loveliest sight that I would see in a man.  Much as I
did  not  want to stop at the moment, I just needed to  halt
for  a  time  so as to see him, looking at me,  waiting;  as
slowly,  I  unbuttoned his shirt and saw for the first  time
the body that constantly haunted my nights and day dreams.

"You  are so sexy!"  he said, gliding the tip of his fingers
on  my  chest downwards unto my abdomen.  I dropped my hands
which were busy with the last button as I arched my back and
sucked  in my breath with the intense reaction that my  body
was  subjected  to.  I did not realize before  then  that  a
simple action such as that would remit such reaction.

He  threw  both our shirts on the floor.  To lie there  with
the  strewn  bed  sheet and comforter that  has  since  been
discarded in our rush.  His room looked like an aftermath of
some tornado named after the two of us.

"Do  you want me to put off the lights?"  he whispered.  The
pressure in him, evident in his voice.

"No, I want to see you," I replied as gently I took hold  of
his shoulders and guided him to kiss me once more.

"No, my dear.  I don't think I can do this now.  You are  so
vulnerable!  I  don't want to force you into something  that
you are not sure of."
he painfully grunted out, anxious that I would really hinder
what was about to come.  I was prepared for him to say such,
but I was not prepared to say no!

"I  want this to happen!  I know you do too, I can see it in
your eyes!"
Those  words  of mine gave him the courage he  needed.   The
assurance, that I wanted really what was inescapable at that
moment.

He  grabbed  me then.  And kissed me with a hunger  I  never
expected  of  him,  a  hunger  that  mirrors  my  quest  for
affection  and acceptance.  I was drunk with  want  and  the
vigor  that  was  suddenly in me burst  forth  with  renewed
strength.

We  tumbled  on the bed.  Intertwined like two  ropes  bound
together  with  so  much  force  that  it  would  have  been
impossible  to  undo us. Legs around legs,  hands  and  arms
around each other's torsos.  We were in a tight embrace that
was the first time I ever felt one with somebody.

The  room  soon  reverberated with our moans  and  cries  of
pleasure.  I knew it was right, and the inhibitions  that  I
was  feeling  before was soon gone with the lightest  touch,
the gentlest kiss, the furious lovemaking.

It  was  not  long before we got around to taking  off  each
other's  pants.   The  vision of him in  his  birthday  suit
filled  me  with so much thrill that I just looked  at  him,
standing  before me, the light of his overhead  lamp  giving
him an aura that was both revealing and angelic.  To my eyes
he  was just like an angel, flown from heaven to share  with
me that instant.  I knew I was blessed!

I  felt sexy in front of him.  The glint in his eyes lent me
the  bluntness  and the daring to tell him  exactly  what  I
wanted - what I really wanted to say.

"You  are so delicious.  To me, now, you look like  a  candy
that  I could just eat and swallow.  Every drop, every  bite
will  be such heaven!"  how poetic that sounded even  in  my
ears.  But that's how I really felt.  Like I could fly  just
then.

The  wantonness in me made everything unreal.  Fantastic and
enchanting, the bliss of the first time.

Words  really  did not matter then.  Not anymore,   how  can
words  compensate for the truth that was there in  front  of
us.  We have each other, we have the night.

We  kissed  again, the smoothness of our bodies  contrasting
with  the  hardness that was rubbing with each  other.   Our
embrace was tight and the moment gave us reason to hold  our
breaths and hang on to each instant.

He  gave  me  so much pleasure!  His tongue and  lips  doing
wonders that I never even imagined was possible.  I tried to
do the same for him but unfortunately, he was so damned good
that it was hard for me to compensate his attention.  He was
so experienced and I was a neophyte in that game of love.  I
was  thinking that I needed to learn so much to be  able  to
give  him  my all.  I was ready, I was prepared  and  I  was
getting him to teach me.soon!

"I love you,"

"I love you too!"

It did not matter who said which, but that it meant the same
thing.

Spent  and content for the moment we dozed off. Still locked
in each other's embrace.


Chapter IV     -  "Reality is not a dream."

I  woke  up baffled with my surrounding until I felt a  warm
hot  tongue sliding into my ears.  Then the memories of  the
night  before  all came crashing back into my consciousness.
That made me smile inspite of the tickling wonderful feeling
that suddenly filled me.  I was greeted by bliss so early in
the morning.

My  hard  on suddenly meant different from the other morning
erections I have had.  It was because of him.  Christian was
beginning to be my aphrodisiac.

I  reached  down  and began stroking my struggling  manhood,
taking Xian's hand with the other and guided it to touch  me
where it hurt most.  He held it tenderly in a tight grip,  a
stroke  that  almost made me cum right  then.   I  was  that
sensitive.   I  was  moaning in the  sweetest  feeling  that
assaulted my senses.

I  grabbed  at his face, burying my mouth into his  own,  my
tongue delving deeper into his insides that I felt as if  we
were  glued together. His deft palms fondling me,  my  hands
fumbling  blindly for his equally straining  cock.   He  was
wearing  briefs, now tented so much that I knew  he  was  in
pain somehow. An ache that I knew I could pacify.

We were grunting with both our exertions and the anxiousness
to  get to the brink of our desires.  There was none of  the
tenderness that we displayed the night before.  It was  pure
lust,  potent  and concentrated!  We needed each  other  for
release.

I was soon licking every inch of his stomach.  A part of his
body  that I was beginning to be fascinated with, much  more
than  any  other  part  of him with  the  exception  of  his
precious  manhood.  It was so flat and his abs was  strained
and contracting with each touch of my dripping wet tongue. I
did  not leave an inch dry with my ministrations.  Even  the
littlest hairs that grew from his belly button arrowing down
into his pubes were sleek with my saliva.

My  hands  were holding on to his butt cheeks as I slobbered
and  hungrily lapped at him.  One of his arms was  over  his
head,  clutching on to the bedpost as he arched his back  in
ecstasy.  His other hand was grasping at my hair, pushing my
head ever downwards to get to his erection.

With  slobbery  sounds  of my kissing,  I  delved  into  his
briefs.  Inhaling the strong musky scent that was pushing me
into  the  brink of unstoppable desire. Sliding  one  of  my
palms  on  his  body  from his chest to his  stomach.  Then,
slowly pushing his underwear downwards until the tip of  his
cockhead was visible to me.

"Shit  Anton, please don't stop!"  he was moaning  so  loud.
His  hand still gripping at my hair that it would have  hurt
had  we  been  in another situation, but I did  not  feel  a
thing.   In fact, his action seems to be sending me  into  a
frenzy.

I  got  my tongue out, and slowly licked at the tip  of  his
dick.  Just enough to cover his pisshole, there, where a bud
of precum rested.

"Ahhhhh!"  was all I heard from him, I knew he was straining
to control the pent up emotion that was about to come out of
his mouth.

He  pushed  his pelvis unto my face, perhaps too excited  to
wait  for me to do what I was about to.  I knew I was  doing
so  many  things  that I have only read and seen  in  Belami
movies  that I was enjoying the novelty of everything.   Bit
by bit, I took off his briefs, careful not to touch his cock
in  the  process.  I had plans, and it did not  include  his
cumming before I was prepared to take it all.

>From  his  ankles, I lightly trailed the tip of  my  fingers
upwards,  running it teasingly through the  insides  of  his
tights.   I  was giving him so much pleasure that he  arched
his back so much.  I was enjoying the control I had.

"Ohhhhh  Shit!"   Xian's voice reverberated  throughout  the
room which only managed to fuel my need for control.

In front of me, waving like a hard rod of iron was his cock.
I  looked at it lovingly, not touching it.  I wanted to  see
every   vein  that  crisscross  the  thick  pinkish   shaft.
Reverently, I gave it a tentative touch.  Just a  bit!   And
without  giving him a moments notice I licked at the  entire
length,  from  where his balls met the  shaft  up  unto  the
mushroomed cockhead.

"Anttttoooooonn!"  was  all I heard him  say,  then  muffled
moans as he took hold of a pillow and covered his head.

I never knew what took me then, I completely lost control as
I  held  his testicles in my hands and took the whole length
of  his dick into my mouth.  Gagging at first, I soon  began
to slow down, taking deep breaths every now and then until I
got the entire 7 inches deep into my throat.  I felt so full
and  the  presence of his cock in my mouth  felt  so  right.
Slowly,  I  let  it out, bit by bit; making the  tip  of  my
tongue  pointy  as it leaves a path of spit  underneath  his
dick.  I felt as if I had been doing it my whole life though
in reality I was doing it for the first time.

Groaning loudly now, Christian could not help but thrust his
pelvic  bone into my face.  Fucking my mouth with a  passion
that  was  anything but innocent.  We were locked  together,
his manhood the key and I was his hole.  His loving hole.

"Ah,  Shit  Anton.Oh Shit.I can't stop..Shit!"  I heard  his
cries in tempo with the wet  slobbering sound of my sucking.
I  knew from the way I was using my mouth and my throat that
I was born to suck.

"I'm cumming Anton!"  was all I heard before I felt him push
my  head away from his unwavering thrusting hips.  I  wanted
to taste his juices but the idea of seeing his jism erupting
from the tip of his cock was enough to keep my head away and
look at how it would be with him.  I wanted to see him cum.

He took hold of his dick and with a frenzy I understood he
stroked his cock in wild abandon.  Masturbating in front of
my face, grunting and groaning my name.

His dick was merely inches from my face, looking up, I could
clearly see him; his face contorted in what could only be as
mask of esctasy.  I felt good.  Gazing up at him, his cock
filling most of my view, I thought that I looked like a slut
then.  I smiled, somehow that made me feel good, with
Christian it felt right.