Disclaimer:
The following story is the next installment in an on going series about Stephen Gately from Boyzone and what I imagine to be the story behind the beginning of his relationship with Eloy de Jong from Caught in the Act. I have no contact with either person, nor know any of the members of either group.
As always, if you're not old enough to be reading this, then don't do it. If you are, then please, keep on reading, and don't forget to write and let me know what you think of this next chapter.
Cheers!
Musicfan
Their shower this morning wasn't as leisurely as the one the night before, as both of them were conscious of the passing time. Though they kept in constant touch with each other, it was with knowing grins and promises for a later, more restful time together later. They got out and dressed without too much play together before heading downstairs to the car.
Eloy nodded at one of his neighbors on the second landing as Stephen hesitated behind him, unsure of how to proceed. This was the first time that they had run into someone in the building, and he was a bit gun-shy about being recognised.
"Goede voormiddag, Madame Van der Schmidt." Eloy said politely as he paused on the stairway. Stephen stood on the step behind him, looking down at the worn carpet on the stair.
"Goede voormiddag, Eloy. Op welke manier zich situeren u?" The woman asked, smiling up at Eloy. She nodded pleasantly to Stephen who nodded with a smile of his own.
"Goede, goede." Eloy said. He went on in rapid Dutch to explain that they were headed out the door and she patted his arm with a smile while nodding amiably. She pushed on his arm, urging him to leave and smiled warmly at Stephen as he passed, his eyes downcast. He wasn't sure how to react when meeting up with one of Eloy's neighbors, but he hoped that she hadn't jumped to any conclusions. As they climbed down the stairs he berated himself silently for being so paranoid. He could be any friend of Eloy's here for a visit, but because he knew what was going on, he assumed everyone else did.
They stopped briefly in the lobby to look out the front door before heading down the hall to the alley. No one was out front for a change and Eloy breathed a sigh of relief. They made their way through the dim corridor to the back door and opened it. Eloy went out first to the car while Stephen stood in the doorway, waiting for him to open both doors before he scooted out and climbed in the passenger seat.
"Ready?" Eloy asked with a grin as he secured his seatbelt and turned to look around. He nodded and gave him the thumbs up gesture and Eloy started the engine and backed out of the alley. The backwards motion disoriented Stephen and he closed his eyes and pretended to look out the window until Eloy shifted back into drive and started out on the road. He willed his queasiness to subside and tried to distract himself from it by chatting with Eloy.
"You know, the first time I was here was back in 1995 with the rest of the lads. The first thing they had to do was check out the red light district." Stephen said.
"Oh?" Eloy asked, glancing briefly at Stephen as he shifted gears on the main street and headed out of the city. "Did you go with them?"
"Yeah, I did." Stephen admitted. "It was pretty funny, actually. Keith and Shane were all set on wooing these women, and inadvertently one of the women insulted Keith by calling him a boy. Needless to say, we had been drinking a bit before heading out, so Keith was determined to prove he was a man." He chuckled as he thought back to the look on the woman's face as Keith had dropped his trousers in the street, proving he had indeed passed puberty.
Eloy laughed, imagining the scene. "And what happened?" He turned onto the main boulevard along the canal and leisurely drove along the banks as he made his way towards the edge of the city.
"Keith dropped his kit to prove that he was definitely a man." Stephen laughed. "Well, I was waiting for the police to show up, actually. But apparently she was impressed enough to drag him off into her place inside. The rest of us lost it, pissing ourselves laughing and too much in hysterics to take the offerings of the other ladies there. Besides, for some strange reason, they really didn't interest me," Stephen said. They shared a grin at the thought before Eloy turned his attention back to his driving.
"I for one am glad of that." Eloy said firmly turning to wink at Stephen as he headed out onto the highway. "Have you ever tried making love to a woman?" He asked, keeping his tone idle.
Stephen seemed startled at his comment. "What me?" He turned in his seat to stare as Eloy nodded. "Well, I had my share of dates with girls when I was in school, of course. But once I realised what I really wanted, they really didn't appeal in that way." He mulled the thought over. "Have you ever been with a woman?"
Eloy nodded. "Ja, a couple of times." He was curious about how Stephen would react to that revelation, but was determined not to look over at him.
"Really?" Stephen asked, surprised. Eloy nodded, keeping his eyes on the road. "And?"
"It was nice." Eloy said, keeping his voice neutral. "But not for me."
"And what made you decide that?" Stephen asked. He remembered considering it only once, and that was when he had dated the group's choreographer, Melinda. He had never acted on it, though and they had soon parted ways as good friends rather than lovers. They still kept in touch and whenever they could, would get together for a chat, dinner and a cuddle while watching a movie, but there was an understanding between them that that was all it would be. He adored Mel, but the thought of having sex seemed wrong to him. It was that feeling that had turned him firmly away from attempting to have a "normal" life. He knew his parents had been disappointed when they had broken up, but his sister knew all along that it wouldn't have worked out. He wasn't sure how she knew, but she had known.
"Well, I think if I hadn't, I would always wonder if I could, you know? And well, I can, but it left me flat. Luckily, it was with a good friend who was willing to indulge me. She was quite a good sport about it, in fact." Eloy said as he remembered the time he had together with his friend Dagmar. She had known from the beginning that he had just been experimenting, and he supposed she took it as a challenge that she could show him a side he was missing. And while he found the time that they were together enjoyable, when he compared it to the time he spent with a man... especially a man like Stephen, he knew there was no comparison at all. From their first kiss together, he had felt something completely different with Stephen. Even his relationship with Carlo paled in comparison to what he felt now. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was definitely something different. A spark that lingered even when Stephen wasn't there beside him. When he had first met Carlo, he had adored the older man, thinking him very worldly indeed. He had been a bit naive at the time, thinking that Carlo knew more than he did about life in the world. Their first years together were passionate enough, he couldn't deny that. But when he looked back on it and compared it to his growing relationship with Stephen, he found that it was vastly different.
He was broken out of his reverie by Stephen's repeated question about what it was like to have sex with a woman.
"Wat?" He said, relieved that they were on the highway where he knew the route so well he didn't have to concentrate very well on where he was going. "Well, it's not much different at all. But I found women to be --- how can I say this right?" He mused, trying to find the words to describe it in such a way that it would make sense to Stephen. "Soft? Ja, that would be it. Making love with a man is much more satisfying to me. There's a hardness there that, well, is a turn on for me. Does that make sense?" He asked, briefly glancing over to Stephen. Stephen nodded tentatively, trying to see what he was trying to say. "I don't think I'm saying this right, but hopefully you'll see what I mean."
Stephen laughed ruefully and patted his stomach. "I think I'm going to have to work on that, because I'm certainly not hard enough here."
Eloy gave him an appreciative glance before turning his attention back to the road. "You're hard in the right places, liefste." He saw Stephen blush at the compliment. "And anyhow, you know what I meant."
"I think I do," Stephen said, turning Eloy's words over in his mind as they drove. "You know, only once did I think about it, but then I thought it wouldn't be fair to the girl, just doing it to see what it was like."
Eloy looked over at Stephen, hearing a note in his voice when he said it. "You were sweet on this girl?" Stephen nodded.
"Yeah, I thought I was. My parents hoped I was." He kept his face turned towards the window so Eloy couldn't see it. "I think that was the problem. I mean, they didn't directly pressure me, but there was the suggestion about it. That I should bring her home to meet them, bring her to promotional events, that sort of thing. I do admit that I adored her. I still do. It's just that we knew that all we'd ever be is just good friends."
Eloy cocked his head to one side as he drove, thinking over what Stephen had just said. "I get the impression that your family really didn't approve of your choice of lifestyle." He had been hesitant to bring it up again, but felt that with all the times Stephen had hinted at it, that he needed to talk about it.
"Oh, not at all!" Stephen protested. "They're fine with it, really."
"Mmm, so you've said." Eloy said noncommittally as they drove. "But that's not the impression I get. Stephen, please, I want to know. I want to know what makes you the person you are today. Your family plays a big part in that."
Stephen rested his head against the window and sighed. "I wouldn't say they disapprove, really. It's just that they don't understand. Like why I'm attracted to men and not women. My mother acted like she had done something wrong in raising me, my father honestly didn't seem to mind until she got upset. My brothers..." He shook his head. "They can't figure me out. Tony I don't think has figured it out yet. He wasn't around when I told the rest of my family and my parents didn't want him knowing because he was too young to figure it out at the time. Alan thinks I'm nuts. Mark is okay with it, as is Michelle. But then I've always been closer to them, anyhow, growing up."
"Did they ever try to change you?" Eloy asked. Stephen looked at him, surprised by the question.
"No, nothing like that. I think they've accepted me, it's just that they can't understand why I'm not attracted to any of these screaming girls I see on the road." He toyed with a string that was coming loose on his shirt as he talked.
"You know, this sounds rather familiar," Eloy mused. "My father said the same exact thing to me when I told him. Couldn't figure out when I had all these beautiful girls throwing themselves at me why I didn't take advantage of it. My mother, well, she knew better." Eloy said with a smile. "Do you know how I told her?"
Stephen shook his head. Eloy hadn't told him about how he had come out to his family, though he knew his father hadn't approved and that they hadn't got along because of it.
"I asked her if she thought I liked girls or boys best." He said with a laugh, thinking to that day back in the kitchen of her house in Zoetermeer as they were making lunch together. He didn't know what had possessed him at the time, but he had always suspected that she knew which way his interests lay. "She came back with an answer without hesitation, saying 'boys, of course.'" Eloy chuckled as he remembered. "You know, she said something that really struck a chord with me."
"What was that?" Stephen said, caught up in Eloy's story.
"That she didn't care whom I was attracted to, as long as I was happy with myself, and my life, and the person I was with." Eloy said. He glanced at Stephen again. "Even when she didn't care for my choices at the time."
"Oh?" Stephen asked. He was curious about Eloy's comment, but he didn't want to seem too interested. As long as Eloy was in such an expansive mood, he was willing to lead him along. He loved listening to Eloy talk, and found that the more he talked, the more he wished he had had the type of upbringing that Eloy had. Even with the problem of his father. Though for the life of him, he couldn't imagine a different upbringing than he had had. He loved his family but sometimes he wished that they could be as accepting of him as Eloy's mother was.
"She'll never come out and say it, but I think she was relieved when Carlo and I broke up." Eloy admitted. He looked down briefly at his hands on the wheel and saw that he was gripping it tightly enough to make his knuckles white. He made a conscious effort to relax. Just thinking about his time with Carlo could still stress him out. But it had been almost five years that they had been together, and he didn't want to dismiss that part of his life. He had grown up a lot at the time.
"I first met Carlo when he was hosting some tv show that the band was on. I was instantly attracted to him. He seemed so self assured. So funny. And he wasn't shy in any sense of the word. First chance he got, he made a move on me." Eloy laughed briefly at the memory. "God, I was so young. I was flattered, too."
Stephen turned in his seat, restricted by his seatbelt. "Surely it was more than that, though?"
"Oh, ja, later on it was. But the first time we were together? Pure heat. I had had my share of boys before this, in school. But never a man as sophisticated as I thought Carlo was. I mean, he had been around the world, had his own tv show --- he seemed to have it all. I moved in with him before I knew I fell in love with him. It was a very physical relationship at first." Eloy was quiet for a bit as he continued to drive, lost in his memories. "Mama didn't approve at all, actually. She thought that Carlo was too --- what is the word? Engulfing. Controlling. I didn't think so at the time. But then, I was what? 19? Very young to be in such a relationship. Being on the road didn't help us, either. It turned into a hot and cold relationship, where Carlo was alternately all over me when I was home, or ignoring me because I hadn't been home and was heading out again. It was that which started the fights.
"Some time later, Mama told me that she thought Carlo wasn't mature enough for a relationship like that. When you love someone, you have to take all that they are and accept it. My father couldn't do that, which is why my parents got separated. You know, I think she saw a lot of my father in Carlo. I'm not so sure myself," Eloy said as he took the exit off to Maarssen.
"Any regrets?" Stephen asked, watching him intently. He had wondered when they had first started out if it was something that was going to come between them at some point.
"About leaving Carlo?" Eloy asked, startled by the question. "No, I think that in some ways we were too different to be compatible. I wanted so much to be the man that he wanted me to be, but I couldn't do that. I'm not sure Carlo knew what he wanted, either. He's not exactly the domestic type. He'd rather go out to clubs and party all night. Me, I'm happy puttering around the kitchen or sitting on the divan watching television. I do enough running around with the group. When I'm home, I want to stay put."
"I know what you mean," Stephen said in agreement. The first few years he had been in Boyzone, he'd come home from the road and all his friends wanted to do was go out. He found it was the last thing he wanted to do. Especially once he realised that they only wanted to do it because he could get them into the more posher places in town. He had felt rather betrayed by his friends and had withdrawn into himself for a long time. It had been Keith who had pulled him out of his shell, along with Shane. The two of them wouldn't let him get down, and would drag him out for a night at the movies or dinner. Eventually he had been able to sort out his true friends from the ones who just wanted to know him for what he could get them. It had been a harsh lesson and one that he had taken to heart.
"Almost there," Eloy said as they drove through the center of town. He pulled over in front of a small shop at the end of the street. Stephen looked out the window curiously. It was a quiet little town, with people walking in and out of the shops, but not paying attention to anything but their own business. He followed Eloy's example by getting out of the car. Eloy waved amiably to a passerby and led the way into the bakery.
Stephen sniffed appreciatively as they entered the shop. He always had a sweet tooth and was always mad for cakes and sweets as a child. He used to drive his sister crazy with his begging for just one more cookie when they were kids. He grinned at the thought and followed Eloy about the shop as they looked through the various cases. A small child ran past him and up to the woman behind the counter, begging for something in Dutch. Stephen shared a grin with Eloy as they watched.
"That's me as a kid," Stephen said softly to Eloy as they waited to place an order. Eloy cast a glance at him and chuckled.
"Oh?" Was all he said.
"Yeah, ask Michelle sometime. I used to drive her mad when we hit the shop in town." Stephen said with a grin. Eloy could picture him doing that, too. He turned away with a chuckle and talked to the woman behind the counter. Stephen wandered around the shop, looking at the various displays.
"Mei ik wees zo goed hebben een ontbijtkoek." Eloy asked to the woman behind the counter. She smiled took one out of the case before putting in a box and tying it with a string. He passed her some money across the counter and after providing change for him she gave him the box. He smiled as he wished her a good day and preceded Stephen out of the shop.
"Is this a good choice?" Stephen asked as Eloy gave him the box to hold in his lap as he sat down.
"Ja, one of my favorites. It's ontbijtkoek. For you, a spice cake." Eloy said as he closed his door and started the engine. Stephen quickly got his seatbelt on and kept one hand on the box as Eloy pulled away from the curb.
Once they left the village, Stephen knew they were close to Lenie's house. He found himself looking forward to meeting her again. She was such a lovely person, and he could see that she adored her son. That made two of them, he thought to himself.
"What's funny?" Eloy asked, seeing the smile on Stephen's face. He had been pretty quiet since they had left the shop, but then, Stephen tended to be quiet most of the time. It was such a contrast with Carlo, who tended to be a bit on the boisterous side.
"Hmmm?" Stephen asked, lost in thought. "Oh, nothing." He said absently. Eloy continued to glance at him as they drove along the country road, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. He found himself distracted by the movement of Stephen's hands on the bakery box in his lap. He had very nice hands, Eloy thought to himself. Thoughts of his hands brought to the fore thoughts of what Stephen had done with those hands last night and he firmly pushed them back as he felt himself react to the memory of the night before.
They pulled down the lane that led to his mother's house and he told Stephen that they were almost there. Another car was parked in the drive, and he saw that his sister was there before him. At Stephen's look he told him it was Lucienne's car and saw that he relaxed a bit at the name. He parked behind Lucienne's car and turned off the engine.
They got out of the car and headed towards the house. Again, Lenie was there to meet them with a big smile for them both. She kissed each of them with a murmured "Zoet voormiddag" for them as they walked inside.
They could hear a dog barking in the back of the house and Lucienne murmuring something in Dutch as they made their way to the back of the house. Stephen briefly glanced at the sofa where they had spent their afternoon the day before and he smiled when he thought about it.
"Hello Stephen!" Lucienne said as they walked through the door. She made her way over to the younger man and threw her arms around him. "How are you this fine morning?"
"Lovely, thanks," He said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He was immediately attacked by a small ball of fur which alternately jumped on his leg before retreating and running around in a circle, barking all the while. "And who is this?"
"This," Eloy said as he scooped up the little dog before he could attack Stephen again, "is Luci's latest boyfriend."
"Eloy!" Lucienne laughed. "Behave, even if it hurts." She shook her finger at her brother. "And that is Henri's dog, Boomer."
"Boomer?" Stephen said, looking at the dog skeptically. "He doesn't seem to boom very much."
Eloy roared with laughter, which caused Boomer to bark again in excitement. "That's exactly what I said!" The little dog wiggled and Eloy set him down on the floor again. Stephen knelt down on the floor and held his hand out for Boomer to sniff. Boomer cautiously examined his hand before deciding he was a friend and licking it. Stephen grinned and ruffled the little dog's ears as he patted it.
"He's adorable," he said as he looked up at Lucienne. "Looks to be a poodle, yeah?"
"Amongst other things," Eloy said dryly as he leaned against the counter and watched Stephen play with the dog. A smiled tugged on his lips as he saw the way Stephen crouched down on the floor. From his actions, it was obvious he loved animals. When Eloy glanced upwards he saw his mother smiling at him and he had to grin back.
A pot bubbling over brought Lucienne's attention back to the stove and she ran over to take it off the burner before it spilled too much further. Stephen finally tired Boomer out and stood up, brushing his hands against his pants. He grabbed a towel from where it sat next to the sink and moved over to help Lucienne clean up the spill.
"Okay," he said as he put the cloth back next to the sink. "Before we were interrupted by your protector here, I was giving you a hug." He wrapped his arms around Lucienne's waist and gave her a hug from behind. "Let me get back to where we were. How are you?"
"Fabulous!" She said gaily, turning around to return his hug. "It's a lovely day and you are here. What more could I want?"
Stephen laughed and saw that Eloy was rolling his eyes, though he was smiling as he gave his sister a hug and a kiss. He tried to peer into the pot but she batted him away. "What's for lunch?"
"Nothing for you, if you don't behave!" She said, brandishing the spoon menacingly. He backed off, holding his hands up to protect himself from her and she laughed merrily. Lenie tugged on Stephen's arm and indicated a seat at the kitchen table. They sat down to watch the two sibling's antics as Eloy playfully tried to look into each of the dishes which were already covered on the counter. Lucienne batted his hands away each time and Stephen laughed along with Lenie.
"Stephen, where's our present?" Eloy asked, finally giving up at trying to find out what was for lunch. Stephen had placed the box on the table when he had come into the room and now offered it to Lenie with a smile. He found that they got on well enough without having to say a word for the most part. As she pulled on the strings holding the box together he felt Eloy step behind him and put his hands on his shoulders. He leaned back into his embrace and enjoyed the feeling.
"Ah, ontbijtkoek!" She said with a knowing smile as she pulled the spice cake out of the box. Her son had a bit of a sweet tooth and it was with a lot of difficulty as a child that she had kept him away from stuff such as the cake. "Goed!" She winked at Stephen who smiled back at her reaction.
"I think everything is almost ready. I'll go set the table," Lucienne said as she turned off the burner on the stove and reached for the silverware. Stephen went over to help her and together they carried the dishes and cutlery into the sunroom. Eloy brought up the rear, carrying some hotplates to place on the table. Boomer ran circles around them, barking excitedly until Lucienne hushed him.
"Henri is her latest beau," Eloy whispered in Stephen's ear at one point as they moved around the table. "He's a travelling salesman and I think that most of his attraction for my sister is the dog, actually." Stephen grinned at his comment.
"So Stephen," Lucienne asked as they set up each of the place settings at the table. "How have you liked your trip so far?"
"I've loved every minute of it," Stephen assured her. They shared a smile as they finished putting everything in place. Lucienne shooed them to their places and went into the kitchen to help her mother bring out the dishes for their meal. Stephen wanted to go help them, but she brushed them off with a smile and a hand on his shoulder to stay seated.
"This is truly lovely, Eloy," Stephen said as he glanced around the room. There were pictures of both Lucienne and Eloy as children about the room and they were pictures he hadn't seen on his tour with Lenie the day before.
"Ja, my mama is quite the interior decorator," Eloy said as they sat quietly waiting for Lenie and Lucienne to come back into the room. He reached across the table and rested his hand on Stephen's. "She's really taken a shine to you, you know."
"That makes two of us then," Stephen said with a smile. At that point Lucienne and her mother walked through the door with some iced tea and set the pitcher on the table in front of them. They sat down and Lucienne playfully uncovered each of the dishes, announcing each of Eloy's favorite foods as she did so. His grin got bigger and bigger as she went on. Stephen just shook his head.
"You know, you're spoiling him to the point he's going to expect this all the time." He warned Lucienne with a smile. While she laughed at his comment, Eloy repeated his comment to Lenie, who laughed and replied. Stephen looked over at Eloy for a translation.
"She says it is already way too late to stop that." Eloy said when he could get his mirth under control. Stephen nodded emphatically and they all laughed as they passed the dishes of food around. Stephen wasn't familiar with them, but he was determined to sample a little of each. If these were Eloy's favorite dishes, he had a feeling he better get used to eating them. While they ate, Lucienne quizzed him about his own family, and he told them stories of his own upbringing in Dublin. Eloy translated for his mother as they went along and the time was interrupted by laughter as they made their way through the meal.
Eloy also told them of their phone call with Michelle, though Stephen tried to stop him from telling them some of the more risqué parts. He ignored Stephen's protests and told the whole story. Stephen's cheeks were burning with embarrassment by the time he was done and the only thing he could do was hide his face in his hands rather than face them. He felt a hand brush his own and peeked out between his fingers to see Lenie smiling at him sympathetically. She said something to him softly and he looked over to Eloy for a translation.
"Mama says not to be embarrassed, that this is the way we always act around each other," Eloy said with a laugh. "Besides, what was said wasn't that bad, was it?"
"Yes it was!" Stephen blurted out. He saw how funny it was, but still felt a bit embarrassed that Eloy would tell his mother that kind of story. Especially the part about him jumping Eloy's bones. At the thought he groaned and dropped his face back into his hands.
"Even I have to admit that my brother has nice bones," Lucienne said matter of factly as she took a sip from her glass. That caused them to all laugh again and worked to distract Stephen from his embarrassment. From there, they changed topics to Eloy teasing Lucienne about her current boyfriend. She made a moue of distaste as his change in subject and tried to ignore his comments, which he repeated to their mother as fast as he'd say them in English to Stephen.
By the time they were finished with their meal, Stephen's sides were aching from all of the laughing he had been doing. Together they all enjoyed the spice cake that they had brought to the meal and they sat around the table chatting. Stephen found it as relaxing as the day before and sat back to enjoy his time with Eloy's family.
Lenie turned to Eloy as they were cleaning up and asked him a question. He replied in Dutch while Lucienne interpreted what he was saying for Stephen.
"She wants to know what your plans are for this afternoon," Lucienne said, leaning over to whisper to Stephen. She went onto to tell him of Eloy's idea to rent a boat for the afternoon. Stephen nodded. He was looking forward to an afternoon on the water and hoped they would have enough time to get a boat and go out for the afternoon.
"Would you like to come with us this afternoon?" He asked Lucienne. While he would rather spend the time alone with Eloy, he felt that it was only polite to invite her.
"Not me!" She said, holding her hands up in horror and laughing. "I do not sail. Just looking at the water makes me green!" Their laughing drew the attention of Lenie and Eloy and they both demanded what was so funny.
As they got up from the table, Lenie shooed them away from the dishes, telling them to spend their afternoon out on the water rather than in the house. Eloy could see that Stephen was itching to get started, so he quickly acquiesced to her demands.
"Eloy, please tell your mam how nice it was to spend this time with her," Stephen said quietly. Eloy turned to his mother and translated for Stephen what he wanted to say. She paused as she listened to what her son was saying and put the dish she was washing back in the sink. Turning as she wiped her hands on a dishrag, she dropped it on the counter and held her arms open for a hug. Willingly he stepped into her embrace and gave her a big hug.
"Vreugde scheppen uzelf, zoetelief." She said, kissing his cheek. He returned her kiss on both cheeks and smiled. As Eloy gave his mother a hug and a kiss, Lucienne quietly translated their mother's comment for Stephen.
"She said that you should enjoy yourself, sweetheart." Lucienne said as she embraced Stephen around the waist and hugged him lightly. "I for one happen to agree."
"Well, then, I shall try my best to enjoy myself." Stephen promised her as he leaned into her hug. "Thank you, Lucienne, for being so good as to meet me at the airport and make sure I was okay until Eloy got home. It was very sweet."
"Oh, no! It was very selfish! That way I had you all to myself without my brother trying to interrupt!" Lucienne laughed. She leaned into his hug. "Also, have fun enjoying my brother," she whispered into his ear with a laugh. He blushed at her forthright comment and she laughed again, drawing her family's attention to Stephen's blush.
"Are you teasing him again?" Eloy said, coming to his rescue.
"Yes!" Stephen said as Lucienne laughed and said no. He looked from one to the other and shook his head with a grin.
"Behave!" He said, shaking his finger at his sister and taking Stephen's side. He held out his hand and Stephen took it willingly. He pulled Stephen under his arm and hugged him tight. "That's my boyfriend you're picking on here." Stephen smiled at his comment and wrapped his arm around Eloy's waist. It felt so good to hear him say that out loud.
"Gaat!" Lenie said, brandishing her dishtowel at them. "Afwezig!" Eloy laughingly put up his hand to fend her off and leaned down to give her a kiss, also pulling Stephen into the hug between them. He pulled back and tugged on Stephen's hand to pull him out of the kitchen. Lenie and Lucienne followed them out of the house with Boomer escorting them to the door.
Stephen followed Eloy out the door and turned to wave to them both before stooping down to pat Boomer on the head before getting into the car. Lucienne called the little dog back to the door before Eloy got in and started the engine. They waved as they backed out of the drive. As they moved away from the house, Stephen turned frontward again with a sigh.
"What?" Eloy asked, glancing curiously. He reached a hand out to Stephen, who clasped his hand in his own.
"That was fun," Stephen said with a smile. "I love your family."
"I think they feel the same about you, honing." Eloy said as he gave Stephen's hand a slight squeeze. "But how could they not?"
"Very easily, I imagine." Stephen said impishly. "Stealing you and all." He pulled Eloy's hand into his lap where he held it on his knee. Eloy rubbed his knee before pulling his hand back to shift the gear. He returned his hand to Stephen's knee when he was done and they shared a smile together.
"I have a feeling they feel they've gained, rather than lost." Eloy said, giving Stephen an intimate glance before looking back at the road. They were silent for a bit as they drove down the road and back onto the highway.
"So, where are we headed?" Stephen asked curiously.
"A little place I know," Eloy said with a smile. "You'll just have to wait and see." Though Stephen tried to cajole him into telling more, he kept quiet and wouldn't talk. Eventually Stephen gave up and sat back to enjoy the ride through the countryside.