The Thief of Hearts - 4. Chapter 4

Part 4.

With the customary greetings between the boys and adults out of the way Mr Anderson addressed his son, “Micah, seeing that your mother and I returned a bit later than anticipated it would be a bit too late for her to start cooking, would Luke and you like to come out with your mother and I for a meal?”

Micah looked at Luke who nodded his head in response.

“Okay Dad, but do we have to get dolled up or are we alright to go like we are?”

“The two of you look alright, but your mother and I have to freshen up we’ll be ready in about an hour.”

“Okay, Dad, no hurry. Luke and I haven’t anything planned for this evening.”

Micah’s parents left to get changed and the two boys found themselves alone again.

“Shit, Micah, why did you say that we can go as we are?”

“I thought you didn’t like getting washed and changed?”

“Yeah, but I wanted to try on my new clothes that your dad bought.”

“Well, if you want to go ahead and change I’m not stopping you.”

“You coming up as well?”

“No, I’m not changing.”

“Oh come on and keep me company.”

“Bloody Hell, Luke. You want me to hold your bloody hand.”

“If you don’t want to hold my hand you can hold something else, I won’t complain.”

Micah laughed, “Yeah, I bet you won’t, okay lead on I’m right behind you.”

They went to the bedroom and Luke proceeded to strip and put on some new garments that he was itching to try out. When finished he looked to Micah for approval and was rewarded with a thumbs up sign.

Luke walked over to Micah who was seated on the bed. “We’ve got a bit of time before your parents are ready; you want to roll around on the bed for a bit of the other.”

“And what about your new clothes?”

“What about them, they’ll only get crumpled, but I get to wrap my lips around yours.” Luke jumped on top of the older boy knocking him back on the bed then brought their lips together. And as predicted they rolled around on the bed his clothes getting crumpled, but he got what he wanted, their lips glued together and their arms and legs locked in a passionate embrace.

Breaking the kiss and untangling himself from Luke’s arms and legs he looked at the younger boy saying, “God, you’re like a leech once you take hold it’s nearly impossible to get you off.”

“Yeah, well wait till you get to know me better super glue will have nothing on me.”

Micah smiled. “Come on let’s get downstairs in your new crumpled clothes.”

“Hang on, Micah.” Luke dashed over to the clothes that he had been wearing stripped off the crushed clothes and dressed back in is original clothing.

“God, that was a bloody waste of time. What was the idea of getting changed in the first place?”

Luke laughed, “It got you up here didn’t it and we had a roll around on the bed as well, didn’t we?”

“You conniving little shit, come on- lets go.” The boys made their way down to wait for the adults to make their entrance.

After having to wait another half hour before Micah’s parents were ready twenty minutes later saw them seated in their parents favorite restaurant. They let the adults order for them and when the food was presented they got to work on it in no uncertain terms. They spent an hour and a half eating and making small talk and then it was back home again.

Once inside his parents removed their coats and Micah asked, “Mum, Dad, can we ask your advice about what Luke should do in a few months time- to be exact three months?”

His mother spoke first, “And what happens in three months time?”

“Umm, Luke…”

Micah was interrupted by his father, “I think if we’re about to have a discussion about Luke we should be in the sitting room instead of standing out here in the hallway.”

They all made their way to the sitting room. When they were all seated Mrs Anderson asked her son again, “What happens in three months time, Micah?”

Micah turned to the boy sitting next to him, “Go on Luke, tell them what you want to do.”

Luke nervously cleared his throat, “Umm, I turn sixteen in three months’ time and I hope to find a job and a get a room of my own so that I can leave the home.”

Mr Anderson looked at his wife, then back at the small boy seated next to his son. The boy looked too small to be starting work, never mind living on his own. “Luke, do you really think that you’d be able to cope out there on your own and what kind of employment do you hope to obtain?”

“Yeah, I think I can manage on my own Mr Anderson. I thought I’d try one of the local supermarket or any of the fast food outlets, they’re always looking for workers.”

Mr Anderson turned to his wife. “What’s the legal position on this dear?”

“As long as Luke is over sixteen he has the right to leave home whether it be his parents or a children’s home they cannot keep him at home against his will.”

Again Mr Anderson addressed the boy, “Luke, working in supermarkets isn’t going to give you much of an opportunity for improving your financial status, and from what I gather you won’t be making any money from your other activities.”

“Uh, what…” Luke looked at Micah who shrugged his shoulders, Luke returned his gaze to Mr Anderson. “No, I won’t be doing anymore burglaries, but I still think I can make out okay on my own through hard work.”

“How would you like to come and work for me as an office boy? You’ll start on £200 a week and as you learn the housing trade your salary will increase.”

“Uh, I don’t think so Mr Anderson. Thanks all the same, but I’m not much good at writing and spelling and all that stuff. I been bunking off school most of the time.”

“That’s no problem, Luke, during your evenings Micah can bring your education up to a reasonable level if you come and live here.”

“No, Mr Anderson, I’ll agree to working for you and getting Micah to teach me, but I want to have a place of my own. I’ll rent my own place at first, but when I’m old enough and earning a good salary I want to buy my own house.”

“Luke, please listen, it’s very commendable you wanting to live in your own apartment, but I think that you should wait till you have grown a bit more. You still look like a twelve-year-old and there are bound to be people out there that will take advantage of your size. I promise that as soon as I think you’ve grown enough I’ll make it a point of finding you an apartment that you can move into.”

The boy looked at his older friend who didn’t say a word, but nodded. Turning back to his friend’s father. “Okay, Mr Anderson, it’s a deal, but I can’t move out of the home till my Birthday.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that. Mrs Anderson is a solicitor and I’m sure if she were to speak to Mr Richards we could come to some sort of agreement about your coming to live with us before your Birthday.”

“I’m not too sure about that you see Mr Richards hates my guts and always does things to spite me. I’m sure he won’t let me leave the home till my birthday.”

Mrs Anderson walked over to Luke and sat down beside him putting an arm around his shoulders. “Don’t worry your head about it, Luke. After I’ve had a little chat with Mr Richards I’m sure he’ll be only too willing for you to leave the home as early as possible.”

Luke’s eyes lit up. “You’re not kidding me Mrs Anderson are you.”

“No, Luke, I’m not kidding.”

“That’s bloody fucking brill….. oh shit, oh fu, I mean, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Luke’s apology was cut short by the Anderson’s laughing at Luke’s embarrassment and language.

“It’s alright, Luke,” Mrs Anderson said, “We understand.”

“Umm, Mr Anderson if I’m going to come and live here it’s a bit awkward calling you Mr and Mrs all the time.”

“Yes, it is a bit of a mouthful. How about Aunty Lucy and Uncle Bob, will that suit you?”

“Yep, that’s fine.” Luke turned to Micah asking, “You don’t mind, do you?”

Micah smiled. “Mind? I’m over the moon.”

Later that night after a bit more discussion about Luke and a hot drink the two boys found their way to Micah’s room.

“I don’t suppose you’re going to wash before going to bed are you Luke?”

“You supposed right. You want to wash your stinky body go ahead, me I don’t stink.”

As he turned on his heels to make his way to the bathroom Micah gave the younger boy a withering look that brought a smile to Luke’s face as he blurted, “Stinky.”

Returning ten minutes later Micah saw Luke under the covers lying on his side. Lifting the covers he slid into the bed and spooned his body into the younger boy while at the same time wrapping his arms and legs around the small form more or less totally enveloping him with his body.

“You smell nice now, what’ve you got on aftershave?”

“No, White Musk body cream.”

“Is it because you want to make love to me again that you put all that stuff on?”

“Don’t flatter yourself, whenever I take a shower I rub cream on my body and I think we’ve done enough for today. I just want to hold you in my arms till we go to sleep.”

Luke slowly turned around till he was face to face with Micah. “You won’t ever get fed up with me Micah, will you?”

“Come off it Luke, what made you ask a question like that?”

“Dunno… I’m so, so, shit. I don’t how to say it, Micah. I umm, I need you around me like all the time and I’m scared that when you fuck off to university you might forget about me.”

“Will you get it into your thick head that from the first day we met I fell for you, why the hell do you think that I remembered your name when you had forgotten mine?”

Luke leaned forward and kissed the older boy on the lips then settled down turning onto his side with his back to Micah. Micah promptly wrapped his arm around him and drew him into his body. Kissing Luke on the side of the face he said, “Night Luke,” and got a “Night,” in response.

Monday afternoon, the day Luke was to return to the Children’s Home, Micah’s parents accompanied Luke while Micah stayed at home. On arrival at reception they asked to speak to Mr Richards and were shown the way to his office while Luke went to his room. Half an hour later there was a knock on Luke’s door, he opened it to see one of the staff with Micah’s parents in attendance.

“Aunty, Uncle, come in.” He showed them into his tiny cubicle of a room.

“Get your things packed Luke,” Mrs Anderson said, “You don’t have to stay here till your sixteenth birthday, we had a few words with Mr Richards and he’s agreed to wave the rules and let you leave the home three months early.”

“Fuc….. uh, I mean wicked. I’ll only take a couple of minutes to throw my things into a black plastic bag, I don’t have a suitcase.”

“Okay, Luke, you don’t have to hurry- take your time,” Mr Anderson said, “I’ll give you a hand.”

“Okay just a minute, I’ll pop into the kitchen to get one of those bags.”

Within twenty minutes all Luke’s belongings were stuffed into a plastic bin liner and after saying goodbye to a couple of his friends they made their way out to the car and back to his new home.

A week later saw Luke attended school after the half term holiday. The teachers were not surprised as he normally turned up for the first day after holidays after doing his normal disappearing act. But after the first week and then the following weeks with Luke attending school showing willingness to learn as much as he possible, the teachers realized how much of potential there was that they had not been able to work with before. Luke studied hard at school and also at home with Micah. Though sometimes he had to be threatened for trying to disrupt their home classes into areas that did not conform to academically minded subjects. Though he did remonstrate after class that the titillation and suggestive intonations towards his tutor were, as he put it, “Part of the sexual awareness studies.” Which brought a quick slap on the head from the tutor, followed by an impassioned kiss.

So Luke’s life progressed for the next three months. Although he was allocated a bedroom of his own, it was only his in name. as for occupying it, he did that the first day he was shown the room then promptly left it that night to sleep with Micah and never returned. From that day on he only returned when he was in need of a change of clothing.

He started work the week after his sixteenth birthday mainly doing filing and odd jobs around the office; at the end of the month when he got his first pay slip he was over the moon. The money was paid directly into his account that Harry had helped him to set up. Luke had his personal address changed to his new address so that all bank correspondence would come directly to him now.

That weekend Luke drew out some money from the bank and invited Micah and his parents out for a meal at his expense, he took them to their favorite restaurant, and didn’t bat an eyelid when presented with the bill. In the evening when they were in bed, Luke lying on top of Micah, he looked down at his lover.

“Micah, would you like to you know, umm, make love to me like you know how I said before?”

“I’m not sure, Luke. You know I’m scared to, I might make a right mess of it.”

“Micah, pleeeeeeeease? Will you just do it, I need fore us to be like joined.”

“Then why don’t you do it to me. You know more than I do.”

“Bloody Hell! Micah, will you just please make love to me? I don’t care if you have no fucking idea what you’re doing, just try for me, please?”

Micah took the boy into his arms, “Okay, Luke, whatever you want.”

Micah, with instructions from Luke, lubricated the younger boy’s rectum then his own rampant member with Vaseline. When he had finished, Luke was lying on his back. His knees drawn back to his shoulders and a pillow doubled up under the small of his back Luke waited for Micah to proceed. The older boy placed the tip of his erection at the entrance to Luke’s rectum and with a nod from Luke he applied pressure and they were united as his swollen member slid in to the hilt. The feelings coursing through Micah’s body as he lay joined to Luke made him feel that this was the person with whom he’d want to share the rest of his life. He lowered himself taking the weight of his body on his arms as Luke’s legs now wrapped themselves around his waist. Micah brought their lips together; their tongues gently caressed each other.

“Breaking the kiss Luke gazed into the eyes of his lover. “Micah.”

“Uh huh.”

“Can we make love now?”

“Oh God, Luke, you don’t know what this is doing to me. I feel like, like I don’t know what. It’s like we’re one and that your part of me now and I don’t ever want to be away from you ever again.”

“Micah.”

“Uh huh?”

“Love me please, I need you so much.”

And so Micah began the ritual of their lovemaking. They both sailed away on a cloud joined together not only by their loins but also in spirit till the climax of their lovemaking finally brought them back to their bed, where after their lips conveyed their love for one another they fell asleep in each others arms.

***

Luke was never comfortable since he had left the home, there was a constant nagging feeling in him that Mr Richards would try to do something to get back at him.

Even with Micah trying to reassure him that Mr Richards wouldn’t be so stupid to try something, he was always on the lookout when the two of them went out together.

That Sunday Micah yelled out from the downstairs hallway, “Luke.”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going into town, you coming?”

“Yeah, give me a minute.” Micah heard footsteps leave their room and make their way to the other bedroom. A few seconds silence then footsteps and Luke appeared at the top of the steps and started to bound down them to join Micah at the front door.

“What’s the reason for the trip?”

“Have to get a new pair of shoes for school. I thought this pair would last me till the end of term as it’s my last term, but the sole is coming off and to repair them is nearly as expensive as buying new pair.”

The two boys yelled their goodbyes to the adults and made their way around to the garage where Micah climbed behind the wheel of a VW Polo, with Luke joining him in the passenger seat.

“Can I have a drive around in the car park later, Micah?”

“Yeah, if there’s room, but let’s get my shoes first.” He drove off heading for the Shopping City Multi-Storey car park.

With the car parked they made their way to the lower level shopping centre and started looking into the various shoe stores. As they passed a stationary shop Micah said, “Hang on out here, Luke. I’m just going in to get a refill for my pen.” He left leaving Luke looking into the shop window.

“Hi Fingers.” Luke recognized the voice and he put his hand inside the pocket of his tracksuit top then slowly turned confront Freddie Jackson.

“Hi, Freddie, what’s up?”

“Nothing’s up. We’ve been waiting for you to come by for a couple of days now, seems like you don’t hang around your old patch nowadays.”

“So what d’you want to see me for?”

“Oh, not much. Just want a few quid off you that I think you owe us.”

“Yeah and who is us?”

“Look, I’m not here to answer any fucking questions. Just make sure that you meet up with Richards tonight at the home and he’ll tell you how much money he wants you to bring.”

“And how much is your share, Freddie? I suppose it’s the normal twenty quid, shit you’re really fucking stupid.”

“Shut your fucking hole or I’ll fill it with my fist.”

“Freddie, Mr Richards has been taking you for a ride for the last couple of years. Just go and ask him how much money he’s been creaming off all the kids allowances since he’s been there. It’s not hundreds of pounds Freddie, it’s been thousands, and he gets you to do his dirty work for peanuts.”

“Shit, I knew Richards was scamming the kids allowances, but he told me he only took like a few quid from each kids allowance.”

“Freddie, when was the last time the kids went on an outing, and how much allowance do you think each kid gets for the outing and whose pocket does it go into.”

“I’m going to stand here yapping, Fingers, you meet up with Richards tonight at 9 p.m., you understand?”

“Okay, Freddie.” Jackson walked away with a frown on his face and with his small little brain trying to wrap itself around what Luke had just told him.

A couple of minutes later Micah walked out of the shop and Luke relayed to him what had taken place while he was inside.

“We’ll have to tell my mother and father, Luke, and see what they can do to frighten Richards off.”

“Threats won’t work on him Micah, he’ll only lay low for a while then try again, but if we take aunty and uncle along with this...” Luke pulled out a small, but powerful recording device from his jacket pocket. “I think Mr Bloody Richards might just about shit himself.”

“Where did you get that from, Luke?”

“Harry, I told him about Richards and that he might try to put the squeeze on me, so he came up with this. Says he keeps a couple to record any deals he does when he thinks the other party might be a bit iffy, he let me have this one.”

“Okay, forget the shoes. Let’s go home and tell mum and dad.”

“Come off it, Micah, don’t start panicking we’ve got hours ahead of us. Just buy your shoes then we can go home.”

Micah, who was afraid for his young lover’s safety, looked at the small young boy who still looked like a twelve-year-old rather than sixteen plus. “Luke, please. Let’s go home, I’m not into all this sort of thing and I’m scared you might get hurt out here.”

“Micah, I’m telling you nothing is going to happen, they wouldn’t do anything in broad daylight. That’s not how they work, so come on and let’s get those bloody shoes.”

Reluctantly Micah gave in and they resumed their search for school shoes for the older boy, as soon as he saw a pair that were suitable for school he walked into the shop asked for a size ten and without even trying them on paid for them and turned to Luke. “Let’s go home.”

Luke smiled, he knew that Micah was nervous about staying in the shopping mall any longer than he had to and wanted him home as soon as possible.

“So, I suppose the driving trip in the car park is off then?”

“You suppose right. We’re going home right now to tell Mum and Dad, no arguments.”

They rode the elevator to the car park then as quickly as possible Micah was down the exit ramp and homeward bound hardly saying a word till they reached home. Once indoors the boys gave voice to the fact that they were back and were greeted in response from the sitting room. Before Micah could say a word Luke went and handed the recording device to Micah’s mother saying, “Listen to this Aunty.”

Mrs Anderson started the tape and listened to what transpired between Luke and Freddie. After listening to the whole tape she smiled looking at Luke.

“I think I’ll have to make a few phone calls, Luke, to make sure that when you meet with Mr Richards he incriminates himself to such a degree that he’ll be put behind bars for at least a couple of years.”

“Okay, Aunty. What’s the plan?”

“Firstly, you phone Mr Richards and tell him you don’t want to meet him at the Home, but at the Hope and Anchor in the Garden section of the pun- that’s just down the road from the Home. By the time you meet up with Mr Richards at the pub there’ll be a couple of surveillance officers already there with listening devices that can pick conversation from forty feet. And Luke, you’ll have to try and mention the scam he’s been operating in the Home which will further incriminate him.”

“Okay, Aunty. I’ll go and phone Richards now.”

“No, Mum,” Micah burst out stopping Luke from going to phone. “You can’t send him in alone, Mum, you never no what might happen with a man like Richards.”

“Micah, they’ll be two men sitting within forty feet of Luke who’ll intervene if they here that the conversation is getting in anyway menacing. So no harm will come to him, did you think I’d send him there if I thought that he’d be in any kind of danger.”

“Okay, Mum.” Micah let go of Luke so that he could make the call.

Their plan went without a hitch. Richards was in a boastful mood and gave out more information than they had dreamed of getting. Aside from the money scams, he also boasted that if Luke hadn’t been so picky and become one of his bed boys he could have been in for some of the rewards that he gave to all his boys.

When arrested and faced with the evidence against him Richards pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to five years imprisonment. Freddie left the home and had to plead with his mother to have him back in the house, but was under threat that if there was just one more incident where the police were involved he was out of the house permanently.

Luke had been a foot and a fart above the ground at sixteen- now at eighteen Luke had grown to 5ft 7ins, but was as slim as ever and still did not look his age. Now he looked more like a fourteen-year-old. Because of his boyish looks he constantly had to prove his age to various authorities, most frequently because he was stopped by the police while driving.

Luke had walked around the house all morning with a look of pure despair on his face and now as Micah said goodbye to his parents he made his way to the car to put Micah’s bags in the back. Then he went and sat behind the steering wheel waiting for Micah to join him, the passenger side door opened and Micah slid into the seat.

“Okay, Luke, let’s go.” Luke drove off with Micah waving to his parents through the open window. He didn’t say a word as he drove starring ahead at the road not glancing to the passenger sitting beside him knowing that if he did he was liable to burst into tears.

“Luke.”

Still he didn’t look to the side just continued to stare ahead. “Uh huh?”

“Oh Shit! Come on Luke, I’m not going away forever and it’s only to Durham University for God’s sake.”

He continued to stare ahead and he couldn’t answer knowing if he did he would probably end up using some sort of abusive language at the same time as breaking into tears. Thankfully the drive was not a long one before he was turning into the station car park. He found a vacant bay and parked the car and killed the engine then sat silently looking ahead.

“Luke,” Micah called softly while at the same time putting an arm around the back of boy’s head and turning it so that they were looking into each others eyes. The younger boy’s eyes were filled with tears it only need a blink from his eyelid for the tears to be sent trickling down his cheeks. Valiantly he fought to hold back the tears and the sobs building inside of him till the boy in his heart leaned forward to kiss him. That one gesture resulted in the dam bursting and his body wrenched with great sobs as tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

“Luke, please. God dammit! Stop it or you’ll have me bawling as well, I promise you I’ll be back this coming weekend and every weekend after that. It’s only an hour by train.”

Hearing Micah promising to come home every weekend was some consolation to Luke and his sobs slowly diminished. When he had dried his eyes and blown his nose he looked at his lover. “You promise, every weekend?”

“I promise and in any case there won’t be a lot to keep me there during weekends. I’d much prefer to be at home with a certain little thief, now you going to kiss me?”

There lips came together and they held the kiss knowing that it would be six long days before they could do so again.

Micah was true to his word. Every weekend that he could he was back to spend with Luke and if he couldn’t then Luke would go to visit him, this went on for the full time that Micah was at university. Meantime Luke’s intentions of buying his own premises were shelved by Micah’s parents pleading with him to stay with them and not to leave the house.

Micah finally finished university and started working as a student teacher in the same school that he studied in. Luke progressed in the Estate Office with Mr Anderson’s help and tutoring he was soon as conversant with the marketing of properties as anyone else in the office.

Three years after Micah had started teaching the property next door to theirs came on the market and within the month Micah and Luke were moving into their own house. They didn’t have far to move, but it was theirs, the first evening they spent relaxing in their own house Micah sat in the armchair with his arms around his lover. “You Happy, Luke?”

Luke not wanting to break the atmosphere of the moment snuggled deeper into Micah’s body, then made his feelings known, “Uh huh.”

The End