Chapter 23: Sparks

The night had been wonderful. Will bounded into the house, carrying his copies of the Iliad and Symposium into the house along with a few other trinkets. Lily had gotten him a silver inkwell with his initials engraved on it. Mary Beth had helped Elizabeth pick out a pocket watch. But there was still one person left.

"So, since tonight is almost over."

Augustus said as he walked him upstairs. "Do you think you have time for one more present?" His voice fluttered, but tried to keep steady.

"Why, yes." Will grinned at him. "I believe I do."

They walked back to his room together and Augustus went across the room, took out something small from the desk and skittered back to Will.

"It's not much," He mused, looking down at his gift. "But I made it, so..."

He handed him a small note with a pretty wax seal, a dark red colour with a swirling pattern on the front.

"I love the seal on here."

Will carefully opened it, making sure to not ruin the seal. He unfolded the page and beheld excellent calligraphy, in a style which was much fancier than his own.

"You did this?" He breathed with a glowing awe.

"'Course."

"Augustus, this is beautiful!" He looked up, beaming.

"Your work is much better than mine. I've never been good at fancy writing. I'm too impatient. I write quick as I can to be done."

"Go on, then." Augustus stammered. "Read it."

Will cleared his throat and read aloud:

" 'To Will: Happy Sixteenth Birthdaye. I hope it finds you well. I --' "

He stopped. His eyes widened.

He silently reread the page then spoke again, in shock:

" '-- I love you.

Love always,

Augustus Black' "

He was speechless.

Will stared at the page in utter amazement.

Augustus shyly met his eye line and spoke again.

"I wanted to put that in so the first time I said 'I love you' was in writing, to...show you how grateful I am."

Will looked up and was immediately drawn into his pretty eyes.

"This is amazing. And..." Will felt his heart pounding. He'd said he loved him! "I love you too."

They quickly kissed and Will broke away.

"Now, what to do with this." He fluttered playfully. "Ah yes, here we are." He practically skipped over to his journal, unlocked it, and opened to the newest page. He took up some ink and carefully wrote, reading aloud as he did:

" 'My favourite birthdaye present.' And I'll just leave it right in here."

He safely tucked it into his journal on the same page. "It's perfect. You're perfect." With that, he closed and locked his journal once again, holding it to his chest for a moment.

"I don't know about that," Augustus humbly admitted.

"You're perfect for me." Will was only brave enough to say this when he was clutching his journal and looking at the wall instead of Augustus.

The journal snapped to his desk and Will whirred back around. They locked eyes, held tight and didn't let go.

"It was with her; it should've been you." He whispered.

Augustus understood completely. He'd seen the look on Will's face as everyone was watching him with Sarah.

"You got me now, don't you?"

Will might not have been able to be with Augustus openly, but he had someone who was clearly in love with him. And that was much more important.

They went to their opposite sides of the room to change.

As he unbuttoned his vest, Will shyly peeked over his right shoulder at Augustus, who, at that exact moment, was taking off his shift. Once it was gone, his eyes traced along his exposed back for a second. He'd seen this before, of course. But somehow, it now felt very different.

Augustus had said he loved him, and he had said it back. They were in love now. Love...

As Will laid down, he couldn't stop thinking. Augustus had said 'I love you'.

He'd always assumed he'd be the first one to say it. Will looked to his right and his eyes didn't leave Augustus once as he watched him approach the bed and lie at his side.

His heart pounded as Augustus leveled him with his eyes.

They laid together, side by side. He leaned in to kiss him, their lips intertwined slowly, sharing a delicious hint of mead when their tongues brushed together. A shiver crept through Will's body when Augustus's hand started tracing along his back as they moved closer.

Warm air breezed in from the bedroom window. White silken curtains drifted with the atmosphere. They laid together, with the golden glow of firelight dancing on the walls. A white down-stuffed comforter was softly draped around two close bodies.

Somehow, this was different than any other times they'd been together before. Could Augustus saying he loved him really have such an effect on his--

"More," Will found himself whimpering against his lips, his hand moved over his waist to pull him closer.

"Oh really," Augustus teased between kisses. "Like last time?"

He pulled back and shook his head. No, that wasn't enough.

Augustus paused and his mind raced. He was lost in a sea of anticipation staring at Will's alluring, slim body.

As his hand wandered along the side of his waist to his hip, he felt the soft cotton of the long shift he was currently wearing and imagined how he'd look without it on.

Yes, he'd seen him in various states of undress before, but even thinking about how his lean stomach and hips looked at this exact moment was...invigorating.

His eyes sparked in anticipation. He had not expected this.

"You really want...more?" Augustus asked, just to be sure.

"I don't know what more would even be. But yes, I want...more." Will replied, eyes blazing.

Augustus paused when his mind snapped back.

Months ago, he was alone at home, peering at the image on the fourth and final page of his obscene pamphlet.

He raised his eyebrows in shock. The harlot laid in bed on her stomach, pretty dress shoved aside as a man hovered over her in a particularly specific position...

"Well." He replied, fluttering his eyes at Will. "I actually have an idea about that..." He murmured.

Will leaned over as his hand teasingly grazing up his exposed thigh. Augustus's body twitched in response, and Will grinned. "Good."

They locked eyes, and Will dove into Augustus's sweet, tantalizing lips.

Will was soon atop him, his heart racing wildly from this uncharted exuberance.

Augustus soon got the view he was hoping for when Will stretched up and his thin, graceful figure with perfect hips appeared above him.

Inspired by this sight, Augustus sat up and soon, all of their clothing was happily flung onto the floor.

Will grasped his hips and pushed their warm, uncovered bodies together, just to tease him.

Augustus whimpered at this sensation.

Will's warm breath and wet lips seductively glazed his and then traveled to his neck, tasting the salt of his skin.

As his hands eagerly roamed his body to grope him, he heard his soft whimpering and looked down at Augustus: eyes closed, vulnerable; willing to submit to his touch. His sexual confidence surged as Augustus nearly squirmed under him.

He pursued him further, still tasting a mix of salt and sweet. As he went, Augustus gripped his hand, stroking his hair as his breath went shallow.

When he couldn't stand it any longer, he pulled Will back up and pursued him in turn.

As Will swooned back onto his pillows, he felt drunk on the exhilaration. His mind spun as his body buzzed. He could hardly catch his breath, a hand gripping onto Augustus's shoulder as alluring, sweet tensions coursed through his body.

When Augustus paused and looked up, he saw a tiny glisten of sweat on his stomach. He stopped.

This was it.

He leaned up and moved Will with playful aggression, pulling him close from behind.

Augustus gripped the small of Will's back to steady him, but couldn't control his racing heart.

Their inhibitions were permanently destroyed when he advanced into him, his lips crashing onto Will's neck from close behind.

Augustus began to move: slowly, gently, feeling an immense pleasure while trying to be gentle. Will closed his eyes and leaned back onto him, willing to surrender his body, his heart, his soul.

Augustus moved further and soon their movements were almost a dance, a sensual swirl with a steady pace.

Once Will was comfortable with everything, Augustus moved faster and their bodies tightened as their hearts fused, now adrift together in a sea of lust, pushing each other closer. They were entwined, flying apart and being pieced together at the same time.

The intensity grew between them at a dizzying pace, rushing to the shared impending euphoria. As sweet, warm tensions finally broke, Augustus gripped his waist, frantically mewling in his ear as he panted and whined and moaned and gasped, trying to breathe again.

Will soon following suit, seemingly unable to breathe--or be particularly quiet--when he felt a rush like none other he'd experienced before. It was all heat and sweat with a brilliant, erotic flash of adrenaline.

They were content to melt together, happily exhausted.

The stars looked down and sparked in delighted approval.

Will turned, dying to see the look on Augustus's face. He was dazed and bleary-eyed from the intensity, and softened his affections by stroking Will's hair in content.

Staring into his perfect eyes while his breath slowly evened out, Will knew he would never want to be with anyone else in this way. His attraction, passion, and commitment were all permanent.

As the haze slowly lifted from his mind, Will realised Augustus was now his lover. He watched Augustus slowly fall asleep and thought back to when it all began.

A sincere, unknowing passion had shot through him as soon as he first laid eyes on his new teenage body and face over six months ago, having longed for it ever since.

But he knew their tryst was the beginning of his pursuit, not the end.

He happily laid in his arms, promising himself he would write down every last detail in the morning. Augustus was his.

He went on to fall asleep in the arms of the only boy he knew he'd ever love.

With their dynamic romance now advanced, their Fate was permanently merged.

~*~

The next morning, it was just after 10AM and Lily was asked to check on Will, their mother wanting to know if he was awake yet.

She quietly opened his bedroom door to see if he and Augustus were still asleep. They were.

Her eyes scanned the room and shock coursed though her.

They laid together under a tangle of sheets and wore nothing, with seemingly all their clothes strewn on the floor.

She quickly closed their door and whirred around, back now against it, hand on her face in chagrin. "Oh dear God."

She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, trying to discard the image she just saw. She sighed heavily as she walked down the hallway.

Catching them kissing a few months ago was nothing compared to whatever this was! While she wanted her brother and Augustus to be happy, she certainly could have done without seeing so many details.

"Well, I made a promise." She mumbled to herself as she descended the stairs.

An awkward wave of attention hit her as she re-entered the dining room.

Oh, no...

She just saw them after they had clearly done...well, something unseemly last night and now she faced a room full of family members!

Cousins they saw once or twice a year, a couple aunts on her father's side, none of them having a single clue about what Will might have been doing mere hours ago--and why he and Augustus were both still in bed.

Her stomach churned as she tried to erase any guilt from her face. There her mother sat, perfectly prim and proper at the table drinking tea. She stared at her daughter, waiting for an explanation.

"No, still sleeping." Lily nervously tittered, eyes darting around the room. "It would appear turning sixteen is exhausting." She plastered on a fake smile and laughed nervously.

Please don't ask anything else... She begged in her mind.

"All right, then. Very well." Margaret replied, now largely uninterested.

Uncle Deus stood from the table as he'd just finished his coffee. He needed to leave, having more work to do for the Society. He had wanted to talk to Will for a moment about a piece in Symposium he wanted him to read, but chose to not wake him.

"Margaret; it's been lovely as always."

She nodded in acknowledgement.

"And remember, the earth is circling the sun, not the other way around. Good-bye."

~*~

Upstairs, Will opened his eyes, and saw Augustus.

He looked perfect.

The strong sunlight of mid-morning hit Augustus beautifully. Still asleep and unclothed, his dark brown hair was messily strewn over his eyes as he breathed in and out quietly. The sun highlighted his warm, exposed back. Will rubbed it slowly, then looked beyond him and saw his journal on the desk. He remembered the promise he made to himself last night.

He kissed Augustus lightly to not wake him.

He got out of bed, threw on his shift, and grabbed his journal.