Chapter 7
Pete was not an articulate man, so he tried to use his kisses to show Henry what he couldn’t say as they lay tangled on the bed, but he felt a hesitation on Stitch’s side.
“Are you angry I read everything? I know I shouldn’t have gone back so far, but Po-but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I just wanted to understand.”
Henry rolled onto his back and covered his face with his hands. “I wanted you to read them. I’m just… I’m trying not to fall back on self-loathing.”
Pete squeezed Henry hard around the waist.
“You should hate Charles. I do. It’s really easy, ‘cause he is a total dick.”
Henry gave a week laugh and gently wrapped his arms around Pete. “I’m embarrassed, and I don’t even know what you read. I don’t remember what we’ve talked about…”
“Don’t matter,” Pete interrupted, “because every e-mail was the same. It was him pretending to build you up when he was really tearing you down. He’s a con man.”
“I was with him over a year, I continued to sleep with him after I broke up with him, I let him make me feel so unsettled I ended up almost dying. It isn’t all him.”
“It is all him, because he’s a vulture. He keeps circling around until you’re injured, and then he swoops in.”
“I played my part.”
“You played the part of a human being who wanted to feel loved and appreciated. We all want that, Henry. Imagine if Charles had come after me?” Pete could tell by the way Henry’s arms tightened around Pete’s body that his partner had considered just that scenario. “I was really confused and lost when I met you. You could have played me just like Charles would, but instead you were a good friend to me and tried not to take advantage.”
“I’ve dragged you into my mess with Charles and my addictions and my sexual hang-ups.”
“Wot? You are mental if you think that’s what happened! I spent months working my way into your bedroom, and I did everything I could to get between you and Charles. Remember the first time I met him and he came to ask you out, all slimy and full of apologies? I invited myself along and got between you guys all night long.”
Henry looked surprised. “I didn’t think you realized what was going on.”
“I didn’t really,” Pete admitted, “but I could tell he was up to no good. There was this dead handsome guy asking you out for a drink and you were looking more like someone trying to decide if a piece of fish had gone bad than a man about to go on a date. I knew there was something wrong there.”
Pete had been suspicious that Henry might be gay early on in their friendship because of the way he avoided using pronouns when he discussed dating, but he’d been surprised by Charles. Pete had expected Henry to fancy brainy, bookish types like himself, and Charles looked like he’d stepped out of an ad for an expensive hotel line. He’d been polished from head to toe in a way that did not fit in with Henry’s general aesthetic, and the way Charles had spoken to Henry clearly had not suggested that they were just mates.
“I am always underestimating you, Pete. I’m sorry about that.”
“I like for people to think I’m dimmer than I am,” Pete admitted. “People like me more when they think I’m harmless.”
Pete was surprised by his own words, even as they came tumbling out of his mouth. Life was easier when people thought he didn’t have any thoughts in his head. Henry never would have hired him at the kiosk if he’d thought Pete actually had a motivation other than seeing a brightly colored ‘help wanted’ sign. Pete had been able to slip through Henry’s defenses with a wide-eyed stare.
Henry responded in a halting voice, as though he were sharing a dark secret. “I used to try and play dumb with Charles and let him explain things to me so he wouldn’t always feel like he had to prove something to me… but then he’d get condescending, and I’d lose it. My ego can’t handle not being the smartest guy in the room, even if I am a loser working in a kiosk.”
“What’s wrong with working in a kiosk?” Pete asked. “I love it. There’s a really cute guy at work, and I get to check out his arse all day long.”
Henry smiled and brushed the hair back from Pete’s face. “You are so lovely.”
Pete went in for another kiss, but he could feel Henry holding back.
“Tell me what’s going on, Henry.”
“I talked to my counselor about my… particular interests in the bedroom and whether or not you were happy about our sex life, and I had no idea. It’s been nearly a year for us, and I have no idea what you really want in bed because it’s always about me.”
Pete felt a blush creeping over his body.
“I like everything, you know me. I just want to be with you.”
“I like everything, too, but clearly I have some specific interests,” Henry countered, his eyes suddenly sharp and all-seeing.
Pete wasn’t quite ready to admit he didn’t know what his ‘specific interests’ were, so he remained silent.
“I see how you react to different things, and I know that after we play the rougher stuff, you like things to be very tender and romantic, but when we’re in public, it seems like you prefer things a little harder and faster. I know that after I tie you up, you seem a lot more comfortable expressing your feelings. It seems like…”
Pete put his hand over Henry’s mouth. “I get it, Henry. Your tiny eyes see all.”
Henry smiled and pulled Pete’s hand down. “I happen to be studying you quite closely, Pete Sweet, but there’s a lot I don’t know about you that I probably should.”
“You already know more than me,” Pete admitted. “I’ve just been trying to be what I thought you’d want. I didn’t even notice any of the stuff you’re talking about.”
“Maybe it’s time we figure out what you like,” Henry suggested softly. “Together.”
Xxx
Pete watched Henry’s hands twitch and knew his partner would be more at ease if his hands were tied, but Pete liked when Henry had to work to stay still. It was hotter that way.
Henry was completely naked, and Pete was fully dressed. Henry thought that particular kink was symbolic, because Pete always felt like his thoughts and feelings were exposed while Henry kept his hidden. That particular theory had earned Henry an hour of being quiet without a gag. Pete could see the effort it had taken Henry not to speak, and he liked it.
Through months of experimentation, Pete had found his biggest kink was getting Henry to submit to his worshipful appreciation. He could, and had, spent hours just kissing and stroking Henry’s body before allowing either of them any kind of release. He liked bringing Henry close, but then stopping and focusing on the lovely arch of Henry’s foot or the freckles on his shoulders. He’d learned from Daisy that what he was doing was called ‘edging,’ but Henry called it, “being a prick.” For all his grousing, Henry never hesitated to let Pete take charge. Pete could see that it made Henry uncomfortable to have his body be openly adored unless they were actually fucking, and that discomfort drove Pete to play their new game even more.
“Lift your arse up a bit,” Pete ordered, and Henry quickly obliged. Pete squeezed and massaged the firm cheeks before spreading them and licking at Henry’s entrance. When Henry moaned into the pillow, he was given a warning.
“This is quiet time,” Pete reminded him before he began rimming in earnest. When Henry tried to rub his leaking cock on the bed, Pete made him pull his hips up higher.
“Not yet, Henry. I am not done admiring this beautiful arse of yours.” Pete ran his finger around Henry’s puckered hole while Henry tried to push into his finger. “Now, do I want to fuck you, or do I want to be fucked?” he wondered aloud.
“Anything, please,” Henry begged.
“You’re supposed to be quiet,” Pete reminded him with a light smack on the arse. Henry glared at Pete over his shoulder but then went back to biting his pillow. Pete slowly worked one, then two fingers into Henry’s tight opening and stroked them in and out until Henry’s back was tense and sweaty.
“You really need to come, don’t you?” he asked, getting a growl and a moan in response. He ordered Stitch to roll over and then chucked off his own trousers and pants. Henry’s eyes were dark and hooded as Pete straddled his waist wearing just a t-shirt.
“Fuck me,” Pete said as he slid his fingers back inside Henry’s arse. Pete continued to finger Henry as he was prepared to be entered. Henry’s hands were shaking with desperation and as soon as he pulled Pete onto his cock, Henry looked ready to come, but he held off even as Pete worked his hips in slow circles, his fingers still working Henry’s own entrance.
“Come inside me,” Pete suggested. “And then I’m going to fuck you.”
That was enough to get Henry off. Henry stroked Pete’s erection gently as he continued to ride Henry’s softening cock. When Pete finally climbed off of Henry’s waist, his partner was quick to spread his own legs as Pete moved into a new position. He put Henry’s long legs over his shoulders and fucked him with long, slow strokes. He would pull out almost all the way before pushing in until Henry was moaning for more, despite being spent.
“You’re going to have trouble sitting at the premiere,” Pete teased. “Especially since I plan on doing this again before we leave.”
The movie, “Whipped,” was having its official opening that night. Unlike “Sweet,” “Whipped” was expected to have a big crowd. Rather than cast Daisy in the lead, Gel had given her a smaller role (at great personal risk to himself) and cast another actress, named Lucy, as Andy. Lucy was an amazing actress who had unexpectedly become a household name only weeks before, when an independent horror film featuring her had become a surprise hit. Suddenly, people were eager to see her “new project.”
“You’re going to have trouble sitting once I get you in that men’s room,” Henry countered.
Pete decided self-control was overrated and went at Henry like Beefheart humping a table leg until he came so hard he saw stars.
Xxx
Pete and Henry were trying very hard to act casual as they walked out of the men’s room, but they were immediately accosted by Gel.
“People are loving it, Stitch!” he cried as he threw his arms around Henry. “This is amazing. We need to start moving on the next film before Lucy gets too famous and we can’t afford her.”
Pete zoned out and watched the crowd mill about them in the lobby. “Whipped” had premiered before another, larger-budget independent film, but from what Pete was hearing, the buzz was much stronger for Henry’s film.
Some people recognized Pete and Henry as the couple hosting an orgy and bickering over the refreshments and generally making it impossible for the lead character to get into what he called “an orgy groove.” Pete greeted people and accepted compliments while Gel and Stitch were deep in conversation. It wasn’t until he heard the name “Jane” that he paid attention to their conversation. He waited until Gel had moved on to ask, “Were you talking about Jane? My Jane?”
Henry looked guilty as he explained. “It was just an idea. You and I have talked about writing about her, and I had some good ideas… I don’t know why I told Gel about it before I talked to you. We were spitballing storylines and it came up, but I promise I didn’t go into detail, and I won’t write it if you don’t want me to… Are you listening?”
“Shh. I’m trying to be mindful.”
Pete closed his eyes and tried to do what Henry’s counselor had suggested and listen to what his body was telling him. She said that while they did it in different ways, ultimately Pete and Henry both had a habit of ignoring their feelings, and they needed to learn to be “present and mindful.”
Pete thought of his first love, his ‘Glamorous Jane’ who had taught him it was okay to be different, that being different could be a good thing. Jane, who had lived ten lifetimes before dying at nineteen. Jane, who had showed him that sex could be fun and spontaneous and not at all like the movies.
“You should write about Jane.” Pete was surprised by the crack in his voice as he spoke. His eyes welled with unexpected tears, and Henry pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. Pete wanted there to be a movie about Jane just as wonderful and full of life as she had always been, and Henry was the person to write it. If that meant Pete had to spend the next year having mini-breakdowns, that was a fair exchange. Pete was learning that it was okay to be sad.
“Oh dear!”
Pete jumped at Marie’s voice and quickly dried his eyes, as though there were a chance she wouldn’t notice.
Marie held out her arms and Pete happily fell into her embrace.
“Now, tell Mummy what’s wrong.”
Pete didn’t have to see Henry to know he was smiling. Marie was as grateful to have a son she could coddle as Pete was to have a mum who wanted to.
“Well done, son,” Edward said in the background. Pete assumed they were exchanging some kind of awkward handshake/hug. Henry had spent a lot of time with his parents after his hospitalization and Pete had got to know them quite well. In fact, Edward sometimes called Henry “Stitch.” It made Pete smile to know that even Henry’s dad found him a bit prickly.
Pete assured Marie that he was fine and just really proud of Henry, so she could turn her attention to making Henry self-conscious with her adoration. Marie appreciated that Pete was helping Henry to be more comfortable receiving love and affection, though Pete chose not to mention that spanking and blowjobs were often part of the process. It was enough that Edward and Marie accepted their relationship. Pete figured no parent wanted to acknowledge that their precious babies grew up and had kinky sex.
“You looked so handsome on screen, Henry. You should think about acting,” Marie said, echoing what Pete had been saying since “Sweet,” while Henry blushed and kicked at the ground. Charles had backed off after his machinations nearly killed Henry, but his ghost lingered. Henry still equated feeling good about himself with being manipulated. Pete refused to talk to Poppy when she popped up, because it only got in the way of him talking to Henry directly, but he kept her words in mind. Henry still needed to kill Charles in his own way.
Xxx
Pete had started bringing a tureen of soup to the kiosk just to keep up with Henry’s constant need for comfort as he wrote a script without the help of his usual crutches. Then one day, a customer had asked to buy a bowl, and now Pete had a business on the side. It wasn’t legal, he didn’t have a permit or anything, but there was enough word of mouth that Pete was starting to think he actually could make a living using his skills, rather than just riding Henry’s coattails. Henry’s parents had already offered them a loan if he wanted to make a go of it. Pete was flattered and terrified.
Meanwhile, Henry was doing his best to quietly slurp soup as he talked on the phone. The conversation sounded Important.
Pete quietly accepted a “donation” for a bowl of tomato basil bisque and waited for Henry’s call to end.
Henry ended the call sounding cheerful and then clutched his chest.
Pete was at his side in a moment, offering to call the hospital or get him more soup, but Henry insisted he was fine.
“I was just offered a job to write a script. For money. Real money.”
“What kind of script?”
“A short horror piece. Gel was invited to direct a short film in a collection of horror movies. It’s supposed to be based on the letter C.”
Pete could think of plenty of words that began with the letter C, and yet Charles was first and foremost in his mind.
“Here’s your chance to kill Charles,” he said, before he could think better of the idea.
Henry frowned and then smiled.
“I’m going to write a script where I kill Charles, make a bunch of money, and then I’m going to take you to the fanciest restaurant in town and we’re going to wear trainers and be proud of it.”
Pete threw himself into Henry’s arms and added, “And then we are totally going to do it in their fancy bathroom while the attendant pretends he can’t hear us.”
“What would I do without you, Pete Sweet?”
Pete saw Poppy out of the corner of his eye. Henry was starting to make money as a writer and Pete was potentially going to open a diner. Everything was suddenly becoming very real and very grown-up. He wanted to reach out to Poppy for reassurance, but instead, he closed his eyes and sniffed Henry’s hair, scared but happy to be living in the real world.
“Are you angry I read everything? I know I shouldn’t have gone back so far, but Po-but once I started, I couldn’t stop. I just wanted to understand.”
Henry rolled onto his back and covered his face with his hands. “I wanted you to read them. I’m just… I’m trying not to fall back on self-loathing.”
Pete squeezed Henry hard around the waist.
“You should hate Charles. I do. It’s really easy, ‘cause he is a total dick.”
Henry gave a week laugh and gently wrapped his arms around Pete. “I’m embarrassed, and I don’t even know what you read. I don’t remember what we’ve talked about…”
“Don’t matter,” Pete interrupted, “because every e-mail was the same. It was him pretending to build you up when he was really tearing you down. He’s a con man.”
“I was with him over a year, I continued to sleep with him after I broke up with him, I let him make me feel so unsettled I ended up almost dying. It isn’t all him.”
“It is all him, because he’s a vulture. He keeps circling around until you’re injured, and then he swoops in.”
“I played my part.”
“You played the part of a human being who wanted to feel loved and appreciated. We all want that, Henry. Imagine if Charles had come after me?” Pete could tell by the way Henry’s arms tightened around Pete’s body that his partner had considered just that scenario. “I was really confused and lost when I met you. You could have played me just like Charles would, but instead you were a good friend to me and tried not to take advantage.”
“I’ve dragged you into my mess with Charles and my addictions and my sexual hang-ups.”
“Wot? You are mental if you think that’s what happened! I spent months working my way into your bedroom, and I did everything I could to get between you and Charles. Remember the first time I met him and he came to ask you out, all slimy and full of apologies? I invited myself along and got between you guys all night long.”
Henry looked surprised. “I didn’t think you realized what was going on.”
“I didn’t really,” Pete admitted, “but I could tell he was up to no good. There was this dead handsome guy asking you out for a drink and you were looking more like someone trying to decide if a piece of fish had gone bad than a man about to go on a date. I knew there was something wrong there.”
Pete had been suspicious that Henry might be gay early on in their friendship because of the way he avoided using pronouns when he discussed dating, but he’d been surprised by Charles. Pete had expected Henry to fancy brainy, bookish types like himself, and Charles looked like he’d stepped out of an ad for an expensive hotel line. He’d been polished from head to toe in a way that did not fit in with Henry’s general aesthetic, and the way Charles had spoken to Henry clearly had not suggested that they were just mates.
“I am always underestimating you, Pete. I’m sorry about that.”
“I like for people to think I’m dimmer than I am,” Pete admitted. “People like me more when they think I’m harmless.”
Pete was surprised by his own words, even as they came tumbling out of his mouth. Life was easier when people thought he didn’t have any thoughts in his head. Henry never would have hired him at the kiosk if he’d thought Pete actually had a motivation other than seeing a brightly colored ‘help wanted’ sign. Pete had been able to slip through Henry’s defenses with a wide-eyed stare.
Henry responded in a halting voice, as though he were sharing a dark secret. “I used to try and play dumb with Charles and let him explain things to me so he wouldn’t always feel like he had to prove something to me… but then he’d get condescending, and I’d lose it. My ego can’t handle not being the smartest guy in the room, even if I am a loser working in a kiosk.”
“What’s wrong with working in a kiosk?” Pete asked. “I love it. There’s a really cute guy at work, and I get to check out his arse all day long.”
Henry smiled and brushed the hair back from Pete’s face. “You are so lovely.”
Pete went in for another kiss, but he could feel Henry holding back.
“Tell me what’s going on, Henry.”
“I talked to my counselor about my… particular interests in the bedroom and whether or not you were happy about our sex life, and I had no idea. It’s been nearly a year for us, and I have no idea what you really want in bed because it’s always about me.”
Pete felt a blush creeping over his body.
“I like everything, you know me. I just want to be with you.”
“I like everything, too, but clearly I have some specific interests,” Henry countered, his eyes suddenly sharp and all-seeing.
Pete wasn’t quite ready to admit he didn’t know what his ‘specific interests’ were, so he remained silent.
“I see how you react to different things, and I know that after we play the rougher stuff, you like things to be very tender and romantic, but when we’re in public, it seems like you prefer things a little harder and faster. I know that after I tie you up, you seem a lot more comfortable expressing your feelings. It seems like…”
Pete put his hand over Henry’s mouth. “I get it, Henry. Your tiny eyes see all.”
Henry smiled and pulled Pete’s hand down. “I happen to be studying you quite closely, Pete Sweet, but there’s a lot I don’t know about you that I probably should.”
“You already know more than me,” Pete admitted. “I’ve just been trying to be what I thought you’d want. I didn’t even notice any of the stuff you’re talking about.”
“Maybe it’s time we figure out what you like,” Henry suggested softly. “Together.”
Xxx
Pete watched Henry’s hands twitch and knew his partner would be more at ease if his hands were tied, but Pete liked when Henry had to work to stay still. It was hotter that way.
Henry was completely naked, and Pete was fully dressed. Henry thought that particular kink was symbolic, because Pete always felt like his thoughts and feelings were exposed while Henry kept his hidden. That particular theory had earned Henry an hour of being quiet without a gag. Pete could see the effort it had taken Henry not to speak, and he liked it.
Through months of experimentation, Pete had found his biggest kink was getting Henry to submit to his worshipful appreciation. He could, and had, spent hours just kissing and stroking Henry’s body before allowing either of them any kind of release. He liked bringing Henry close, but then stopping and focusing on the lovely arch of Henry’s foot or the freckles on his shoulders. He’d learned from Daisy that what he was doing was called ‘edging,’ but Henry called it, “being a prick.” For all his grousing, Henry never hesitated to let Pete take charge. Pete could see that it made Henry uncomfortable to have his body be openly adored unless they were actually fucking, and that discomfort drove Pete to play their new game even more.
“Lift your arse up a bit,” Pete ordered, and Henry quickly obliged. Pete squeezed and massaged the firm cheeks before spreading them and licking at Henry’s entrance. When Henry moaned into the pillow, he was given a warning.
“This is quiet time,” Pete reminded him before he began rimming in earnest. When Henry tried to rub his leaking cock on the bed, Pete made him pull his hips up higher.
“Not yet, Henry. I am not done admiring this beautiful arse of yours.” Pete ran his finger around Henry’s puckered hole while Henry tried to push into his finger. “Now, do I want to fuck you, or do I want to be fucked?” he wondered aloud.
“Anything, please,” Henry begged.
“You’re supposed to be quiet,” Pete reminded him with a light smack on the arse. Henry glared at Pete over his shoulder but then went back to biting his pillow. Pete slowly worked one, then two fingers into Henry’s tight opening and stroked them in and out until Henry’s back was tense and sweaty.
“You really need to come, don’t you?” he asked, getting a growl and a moan in response. He ordered Stitch to roll over and then chucked off his own trousers and pants. Henry’s eyes were dark and hooded as Pete straddled his waist wearing just a t-shirt.
“Fuck me,” Pete said as he slid his fingers back inside Henry’s arse. Pete continued to finger Henry as he was prepared to be entered. Henry’s hands were shaking with desperation and as soon as he pulled Pete onto his cock, Henry looked ready to come, but he held off even as Pete worked his hips in slow circles, his fingers still working Henry’s own entrance.
“Come inside me,” Pete suggested. “And then I’m going to fuck you.”
That was enough to get Henry off. Henry stroked Pete’s erection gently as he continued to ride Henry’s softening cock. When Pete finally climbed off of Henry’s waist, his partner was quick to spread his own legs as Pete moved into a new position. He put Henry’s long legs over his shoulders and fucked him with long, slow strokes. He would pull out almost all the way before pushing in until Henry was moaning for more, despite being spent.
“You’re going to have trouble sitting at the premiere,” Pete teased. “Especially since I plan on doing this again before we leave.”
The movie, “Whipped,” was having its official opening that night. Unlike “Sweet,” “Whipped” was expected to have a big crowd. Rather than cast Daisy in the lead, Gel had given her a smaller role (at great personal risk to himself) and cast another actress, named Lucy, as Andy. Lucy was an amazing actress who had unexpectedly become a household name only weeks before, when an independent horror film featuring her had become a surprise hit. Suddenly, people were eager to see her “new project.”
“You’re going to have trouble sitting once I get you in that men’s room,” Henry countered.
Pete decided self-control was overrated and went at Henry like Beefheart humping a table leg until he came so hard he saw stars.
Xxx
Pete and Henry were trying very hard to act casual as they walked out of the men’s room, but they were immediately accosted by Gel.
“People are loving it, Stitch!” he cried as he threw his arms around Henry. “This is amazing. We need to start moving on the next film before Lucy gets too famous and we can’t afford her.”
Pete zoned out and watched the crowd mill about them in the lobby. “Whipped” had premiered before another, larger-budget independent film, but from what Pete was hearing, the buzz was much stronger for Henry’s film.
Some people recognized Pete and Henry as the couple hosting an orgy and bickering over the refreshments and generally making it impossible for the lead character to get into what he called “an orgy groove.” Pete greeted people and accepted compliments while Gel and Stitch were deep in conversation. It wasn’t until he heard the name “Jane” that he paid attention to their conversation. He waited until Gel had moved on to ask, “Were you talking about Jane? My Jane?”
Henry looked guilty as he explained. “It was just an idea. You and I have talked about writing about her, and I had some good ideas… I don’t know why I told Gel about it before I talked to you. We were spitballing storylines and it came up, but I promise I didn’t go into detail, and I won’t write it if you don’t want me to… Are you listening?”
“Shh. I’m trying to be mindful.”
Pete closed his eyes and tried to do what Henry’s counselor had suggested and listen to what his body was telling him. She said that while they did it in different ways, ultimately Pete and Henry both had a habit of ignoring their feelings, and they needed to learn to be “present and mindful.”
Pete thought of his first love, his ‘Glamorous Jane’ who had taught him it was okay to be different, that being different could be a good thing. Jane, who had lived ten lifetimes before dying at nineteen. Jane, who had showed him that sex could be fun and spontaneous and not at all like the movies.
“You should write about Jane.” Pete was surprised by the crack in his voice as he spoke. His eyes welled with unexpected tears, and Henry pulled him close and kissed the top of his head. Pete wanted there to be a movie about Jane just as wonderful and full of life as she had always been, and Henry was the person to write it. If that meant Pete had to spend the next year having mini-breakdowns, that was a fair exchange. Pete was learning that it was okay to be sad.
“Oh dear!”
Pete jumped at Marie’s voice and quickly dried his eyes, as though there were a chance she wouldn’t notice.
Marie held out her arms and Pete happily fell into her embrace.
“Now, tell Mummy what’s wrong.”
Pete didn’t have to see Henry to know he was smiling. Marie was as grateful to have a son she could coddle as Pete was to have a mum who wanted to.
“Well done, son,” Edward said in the background. Pete assumed they were exchanging some kind of awkward handshake/hug. Henry had spent a lot of time with his parents after his hospitalization and Pete had got to know them quite well. In fact, Edward sometimes called Henry “Stitch.” It made Pete smile to know that even Henry’s dad found him a bit prickly.
Pete assured Marie that he was fine and just really proud of Henry, so she could turn her attention to making Henry self-conscious with her adoration. Marie appreciated that Pete was helping Henry to be more comfortable receiving love and affection, though Pete chose not to mention that spanking and blowjobs were often part of the process. It was enough that Edward and Marie accepted their relationship. Pete figured no parent wanted to acknowledge that their precious babies grew up and had kinky sex.
“You looked so handsome on screen, Henry. You should think about acting,” Marie said, echoing what Pete had been saying since “Sweet,” while Henry blushed and kicked at the ground. Charles had backed off after his machinations nearly killed Henry, but his ghost lingered. Henry still equated feeling good about himself with being manipulated. Pete refused to talk to Poppy when she popped up, because it only got in the way of him talking to Henry directly, but he kept her words in mind. Henry still needed to kill Charles in his own way.
Xxx
Pete had started bringing a tureen of soup to the kiosk just to keep up with Henry’s constant need for comfort as he wrote a script without the help of his usual crutches. Then one day, a customer had asked to buy a bowl, and now Pete had a business on the side. It wasn’t legal, he didn’t have a permit or anything, but there was enough word of mouth that Pete was starting to think he actually could make a living using his skills, rather than just riding Henry’s coattails. Henry’s parents had already offered them a loan if he wanted to make a go of it. Pete was flattered and terrified.
Meanwhile, Henry was doing his best to quietly slurp soup as he talked on the phone. The conversation sounded Important.
Pete quietly accepted a “donation” for a bowl of tomato basil bisque and waited for Henry’s call to end.
Henry ended the call sounding cheerful and then clutched his chest.
Pete was at his side in a moment, offering to call the hospital or get him more soup, but Henry insisted he was fine.
“I was just offered a job to write a script. For money. Real money.”
“What kind of script?”
“A short horror piece. Gel was invited to direct a short film in a collection of horror movies. It’s supposed to be based on the letter C.”
Pete could think of plenty of words that began with the letter C, and yet Charles was first and foremost in his mind.
“Here’s your chance to kill Charles,” he said, before he could think better of the idea.
Henry frowned and then smiled.
“I’m going to write a script where I kill Charles, make a bunch of money, and then I’m going to take you to the fanciest restaurant in town and we’re going to wear trainers and be proud of it.”
Pete threw himself into Henry’s arms and added, “And then we are totally going to do it in their fancy bathroom while the attendant pretends he can’t hear us.”
“What would I do without you, Pete Sweet?”
Pete saw Poppy out of the corner of his eye. Henry was starting to make money as a writer and Pete was potentially going to open a diner. Everything was suddenly becoming very real and very grown-up. He wanted to reach out to Poppy for reassurance, but instead, he closed his eyes and sniffed Henry’s hair, scared but happy to be living in the real world.