Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 06:30:21 +0900
From: Andrej Koymasky <andrejkoymasky@geocities.com>
Subject: Happy Xmas 08

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HAPPY CHRISTMAS, NEIL & NORMAN
by Andrej Koymasky (C) 1999 - 2000
Written on March 23rd 1990
translated by the Author
English text kindly revised
by Scott

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USUAL DISCLAINER

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS, NEIL & NORMAN" 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 welcome guest.

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CHAPTER 8

Neil felt more at peace and happier than he had ever been. He'd never
dreamed that one day he would find someone as exceptional as Norman. The
boy conquered him more and more as the days went by. One thing that hit
him and moved him was the fact that his friend, besides showing his
pleasure in making love with him, was becoming very attentive toward
him. He was not used to such attention -- nobody had ever shown so much
thoughtfulness and sweetness toward him. Nobody had ever looked at him
with eyes so bright and so full of love. Yes, now he was convinced --
the boy was really in love with him, even if he had not yet said it in
so many words.

Norman had told him that meeting him had changed his whole life, but
Neil was aware that his own life was changing also -- thanks to the
boy's presence. Before, even though he hadn't felt at all old, he was
feeling the weight of his years and advancing age. Although he had
accepted it calmly, he hadn't been looking forward to it. Now, on the
other had, it didn't matter any more -- he was no longer interested in
age, in the passing of years. Even if he were to find himself alone in
his old age, what he was now experiencing was of such beauty and
richness that the future didn't worry him any more.

Neil enjoyed looking at his boy's body when he went around the apartment
naked, and he enjoyed observing how Norman also appreciated his nudity
-- not only when they made love but at any other opportunity. They made
a habit of going around naked or half-naked at home, and especially of
dancing together stark naked. They often touched, kissed or caressed
each other without necessarily making love.

Since January the two girls who were living upstairs had been back at
home. One of then, after meeting Norman, started to court him
discretely. The boy was amused by that and treated her with courtesy and
affability.

But when he noticed that Neil seemed worried, even though he'd said
nothing to him, he at once reassured him, saying, "Neil, it's just fun,
nothing serious. I'm not interested in that girl, as long as I have you
and your love."

Neil pretended not to understand him, "What are you talking about? That
girl? Who is... that girl?"

"Come on, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about and you're
worried. There's no need, I swear. She is quite nice, but I'm not
interested in her, truly. Only you are important to me. I... I... I'm in
love with you!

It was the first time that the boy said it explicitly, clearly, and Neil
felt on top of the world and deeply moved, and looked at him dreamily.

Norman misinterpreted that glance. "Don't you believe me?"

"Yes, love, I believe you. Thank you."

"Thank you? For what?"

"For saying it. It makes me feel good hearing you say so."

Norman smiled sweetly and opened his arms. Neil drew nearer and let the
boy embrace him while the boy, holding him tight and kissing him,
whispered, "I love you... I love you... I love you... It's also really
good to say it, you know?"

"Then say it from time to time. I love you too. You're my man."

"And you mine. You know I think I could even go to bed with another boy
or a girl now and possibly even enjoy it, but I believe that I could
never love anyone else the way I love you; and that nobody will ever be
able to love me as you do. It's incredible how beautiful it is being
together."

Time flew by. Both of them were happy. Living together had gradually
cooled down the ardor and enthusiasm of their first unions but now,
little by little, making love together was becoming even more
pleasurable if that were possible. Now that they knew each other's
bodies better and better, they knew how and where to touch to give each
other pleasure and to reach orgasm at the same moment.

In April it happened that Norman was again approached -- by another
client, a nineteen-year-old boy, who explicitly proposed that they go
and make love together. Norman, equally explicitly, told him that he was
with a man and had no intention of cheating on him. And Norman was
filled with satisfaction and pride at having said explicitly to somebody
that he was in love with a man.

As soon as he got home, he told Neil about the event and concluded, "I'm
so happy loving you and being loved by you. And just thinking about this
all the way home has aroused me so much that now you have to make love
with me... right away!"

Neil smiled, "Let's go to our bed, then..."

"No, here, now. Feel here how turned on I am!" the boy answered, smiling
slyly as he started undressing the man. Neil didn't need to be told
twice and, in turn, started undressing his friend. They weren't used to
making love standing up, but for both of them it was a stimulating
change -- even more so because there in the tiny entrance, beside the
coat stand, a long mirror hung on the wall and reflected the image of
their tightly intertwined bodies. Looking at that reflected image added
to their excitement, making their embrace all the more pleasurable. And
Norman, as he admired their figures engaged in that impromptu and
passionate exchange of love, felt a deep sense of attachment to Neil
growing in him and understood clearly how important they had now become
to one another. He looked at those two bodies reflected in the glass and
understood that they had really become one and he felt a deep sweetness
enveloping his heart.

Now they really were living together, and this was highlighted by the
fact that neither of them thought any more in terms of "I" but of "us".
Yes, undoubtedly their style of lovemaking had changed. Yes, that sense
of novelty, of discovery that had permeated their first unions was no
more, but they now knew each other a little better each time they made
love, and they knew that they belonged to each other. Norman, feeling
his lover move inside him with a sweet yet strong rhythm, decided that
now making love had become much more beautiful.

They continued to look for a new home and often made appointments to see
other places, but they had not yet found anything that satisfied them
fully. Most of the time when they saw something really beautiful, it was
out of the range of their budget. Anyway they continued to search and
added to their savings so that they'd have more money to invest in
buying their new home.

They decided to take two weeks of vacation in July. Norman wanted to
visit York so Neil booked a hotel. But he also suggested that Norman
spend a few days in Bristol with his family. He was, in fact, curious to
meet them. Norman called home informing them that he would be visiting,
together with a colleague. In fact they had agreed to say that Neil was
working in the administration section of the shop where Norman was
working, to make things easier.

So, on July 12th they reached Bristol. They took a taxi to Norman's
house. Their welcome was polite but formal. They were settled in
Norman's room, in Charles' bed, empty since his marriage. Margie, who
had been using that room, went back to sleep with her sister Sara. The
two girls, although twins, were very different. They were twenty-five
years old and Margie was to be married before the end of the year. Sara
was also engaged, but hadn't yet made any plans for her marriage.

Instinctively, Neil didn't like Norman's family very much. He now
understood fully why the boy always talked about them in critical terms.
His mother was really fussy and conceited and his father cold to the
point of rudeness. His sisters were interfering gossips and each time
they spoke to Neil they gave him the third degree. The way they treated
Norman disturbed Neil very much -- they treated him with a superior air,
and at times also with ridiculous sarcasm that was completely
unjustified. Neil almost regretted having suggested the visit.

On their second day in Bristol, Neil heard an argument downstairs while
he was changing and Norman was downstairs fixing some tea. He recognized
voices belonging to Norman, his mother and the two sisters. He went to
the door trying to listen, to determine the reason for the unexpected
and furious quarrel, but he couldn't make out any words. He became
worried. After they had arrived, he had no reason to think there were
particular tensions or grudges -- apart from the coldness of the whole
family. What could have happened? He finished dressing, then sat on the
bed wondering whether to go downstairs at once, or to wait there for
things to calm down.

After a while he heard a door slam followed by footsteps coming up the
stairs and more doors slamming. Then Norman entered the room visibly
angry.

"What's up, Norman, what's happening?"

The boy smiled at him, "Nothing, love. Let's pack."

"But what happened? Why did you quarrel?"

"I'll tell you later. Now I just want to get out of here. It's nothing
serious, anyway."

"To go away so suddenly, it must be something serious..."

"For them, possibly. Not for me. Come on, don't worry and just start
packing."

They packed quickly. They went downstairs carrying their luggage. Norman
opened the front door and they started walking out.

"Shouldn't we say goodbye?" Neil asked hesitantly.

"No, it's not worth it. Actually, I want to bid them farewell..." he
stopped in the doorway, turned back toward the inside of the house and
shouted, "And anyway Neil gave me more love in one second than all of
you did in my entire life! Go fuck yourselves, you shits!" and went out
slamming the door.

Neil was standing on the pavement, his suitcases in his hands, agape.

Norman turned, smiled at him cheerfully and said, "Let's go. There's
nothing more for us here." and walked quickly toward the bus stop.

Neil followed him. While they were waiting for the bus, he asked Norman,
"Did they find out about us? Is that why you quarreled?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now I'm still a bit pissed off. Not with
you, my love, not with you, but with all of them."

A man waiting beside them, when he heard the expression "my love",
stared at them with evident contempt.

Norman noticed it and addressed him, "Yes, sir, you heard correctly --
this man and I are two fags in love with each other. But then, that's
none of your fucking business!"

The man stiffened, glared at them, turned around and shuffled off,
leaving the bus stop. Norman laughed aloud sarcastically, then looked at
Neil and became serious.

"Forgive me, love, I didn't want to embarrass you..."

"No, you did the right thing. Anyway nobody here knows us, so I don't
give a shit!

They caught the bus and got off in front of the railway station, where
they caught the next train to York.

They were alone in the compartment, so Norman told his friend what had
happened. Margie had guessed the nature of their relationship and, in
front of her sister and her mother, had asked him if they were both
faggots. Norman had quietly answered "yes". When the three women
appeared to be surprised and scandalized, he had tried to explain things
calmly. But when they started making harsh judgements in relation to
Neil, and being sarcastic about their being in love, he lost control and
responded to them sharply, at which point the quarrel had broken out.

While Norman was telling him these facts, the boy seemed more amused
than angry, but Neil saw a veil of sadness over the boy's eyes. He took
his hand and squeezed it tenderly.

"Don't worry, Neil. I have you so everything's OK. I'll get over it.
After all, I'm glad I've broken away from my family. So now my family --
the real one -- is you, just you."

"I'm sorry that all this happened through my fault..."

"I'm not, my love, I'm not. And it's not your fault, it's theirs. I was
born in that house only through a mistake, in every sense of the word.
Today, in some ways, I've put that mistake behind me. Now I'm no longer
part of it. Alleluia!"

In reality it took Norman two or three days to settle down again
completely and Neil did his best to amuse him, to encourage him to have
fun. York was really beautiful and they took in many of the sights --
strolling along the streets and visiting the splendid cathedral three
times.

On one occasion, just as they were coming out of the cathedral, a small
old woman, with a merry expression, stopped them and said, "Handsome
young men, buy a lottery ticket from me and I'll bring you luck, love
and health."

"Grandma, we already have love as well as health," Norman answered her
with a smile.

"Well then, if the good Lord has given you health, and if you give love
to each other, I can still give you luck."

They didn't know whether or not the woman had guessed that they were
lovers, but they were so amused that they decided to buy from her not
one but ten tickets. The old woman, after thanking them, rummaged in her
bag, pulled out a pencil stump and marked one of the tickets.

Then, smiling a little slyly, she said, "This is the lucky ticket. Don't
lose it, my boys, and continue to love each other." And she went away
quiet and happy, toddling off to approach other prospective clients.

Neil and Norman watched her ambling away, then Norman said, "Grandma
understood everything, you mark my words! That one is a smart one. And
she didn't seem at all scandalized. What do you think, will this really
be a lucky ticket?"

"Well, we'll see. Anyway, I've already got luck -- you're my luck!"

"Sure. But we couldn't possibly say that to grandma; she had to have a
reason to sell us some tickets, didn't she?" the boy answered with a
gentle smile.

Their vacation ended and they went back home.

On the first day of August Patrick invited them to a party for Robert's
birthday. There they met two other gay couples -- Francis, a West Indian
graphic designer and his boyfriend Steven, a TV actor; then John, a
simultaneous translator who worked at the Foreign Office and his
boyfriend Edward, who worked at Telecom. They immediately got on well
together, as they were all really pleasant people. So, after that, they
started getting together with their new friends as well.

But after a while Steven started courting Neil who made him understand
that he had no intention of doing anything, as he was with Norman. But
Steven continued acting as though nothing had been said. Neil was rather
flattered that the beautiful actor was attracted to him, but at the same
time that persistent attention was also annoying him. So he talked with
Norman, suggesting to him that they stop seeing Francis and Steven. The
boy told him to let him take care of the problem, that he would fix the
whole thing up.

"What are you going to do?"

"Trust me. You'll see that he will stop."

"Alright, I trust you. But I am curious."

"You know that I always tell you everything, don't you? Be patient, then
I'll tell you."

Norman called Steven and arranged to meet him downtown, after work.

When they met he said at once, "I know that you like Neil and that you
are courting him."

"Are you jealous?"

"No. Because I know that he won't go with you anyway -- or with anybody
else for that matter."

"How can you be so sure?"

"For two reasons. First because I trust Neil. Second because I can't
believe that you'd be so mean as to try and break up a relationship that
works."

"No, I don't intend doing that. But Francis and I have an open
relationship and an adventure would not hurt it. I don't want to take
him away from you. And Francis likes you, though he dare not tell you.
It would just mean swapping partners every now and then. After all we
are friends, aren't we?

"No, we're not yet really friends; we hardly know each other. And we are
not in an open relationship. Anyway we could still become friends, if
you stop making Neil uncomfortable. You've tried, and it hasn't worked.
Please stop now."

Steven looked at him and smiled, "Alright, even though all's fair in
love and war. It's a pity, anyway, as Neil is really a fascinating
person."

"That's for sure! I know what you mean, Steven, but unfortunately for
you I found him before you did!"

"Did he send you to talk with me?"

"No. He just told me how he felt about the situation, and I asked him to
let me take care of it. That's all."

"Did you suspect it?"

"No, not at all. But Neil and I tell each other everything -- always.
Everything."

"Aren't you pissed off with me?"

"For the moment no. It depends on how you behave from now on..."

"Alright. I give you my word that I won't try any more. After all I
think that the possibility of having a good friendship with you two is
more important than just having a fuck."

"OK. Call us, we'll arrange to get together sometime. We like you both."

Norman went back home and told Neil everything about his meeting with
Steven.

"Why didn't you want to tell me before?" Neil asked, curious.

"Because I didn't know before what I was going to say to him."

"And what if he hadn't reacted positively?"

"It would have been his bad luck... I would have told him not to show up
any more, or I'd punch his face in."

"You really would have done that?"

"So that you could have your peace, yes. I don't care if anyone bothers
me, but if they bother you, they'll have to deal with me," Norman said
with determination and a smile.

Neil was delighted by his young lover's self-assurance and protective
attitude.

There were no more problems with Steven and, in fact, they became even
better friends.

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CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 9

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In my home page I've put some of my stories. If someone wants to read
them, the URL is
http://www.geocities.com/andrejkoymasky/
If you want to send me feed-back, please e-mail at
andrejkoymasky@geocities.com

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