Clueless Camping - 9. Confidential Conversations I

I won’t bore you with a description of every detail, but we managed to get ourselves sorted in time to arrive at Faster[1] Helena’s garden plot just after four-thirty. We hadn’t indulged in any fun stuff, but I found time to reply to Charlotte. Since the email from this morning she had seen my update on Facebook and written a delighted message about how cool it was. I read both her emails before answering.

Charlotte to Russell: Dear Russell. You’d be surprised at the number of people who have asked me about you and Evan. Most of them are just nosy scandal-seeking gossips, but there are a few who are genuinely pleased to hear that you have found love. And there was even one guy from our class who was actually envious and a bit sad. I think he may have had a crush on you. I can’t tell you his name, since he’s not out.

The next part had made me swallow nervously at first, since I knew Charlotte’s parents were even more strictly religious and old-fashioned than my father. I expected them to forbid her to ever speak to me again.

Anyway, the news has reached the ears of my parents, and they confronted me last night. I told them the truth about not knowing until just recently. I also told them we’re good friends and always have been. My silly mom worried about you leading me on and using me to hide behind. But would you believe it? Dad shut her up with one of the nicest compliments he’s ever paid me. He said, ‘Nonsense, Molly. Our daughter is much too clever to be tricked by a boy like that. If she says they are friends, it is good enough for me.’
I think he was surprised but pleased when it earned him a hug and a kiss, plus a ‘Thanks Dad, you’re the best!’ But we really do have to remember to reward our parents when they are being sensible for once. I was also proud of them for not saying anything stupid about me being in touch with you. They were somewhat surprised when I told them about going to your wedding at some point, but the funny thing was Mom got all romantic and soppy about it. She even talked about contacting your mom to congratulate her and get all the details.
So, I just wanted you to know that even if your dad is being a jerk about it, not all people of his generation and faith are judgmental. I know it doesn’t lessen your hurt, but maybe when he is confronted with this sort of reaction from his peers, he’ll eventually change his mind. But if not, he’ll be the one left out and you’ll be loved and accepted by the rest of your family and by your friends. So focus on that. Love, C.

I shook my head ruefully at her attempt to cheer me up. Charlotte always tried to boost my self-confidence. Then I went on to the other message:

Charlotte to Russell: I saw your Facebook update, it’s so cool to see you out and proud instead of hiding yourself away. You are a wonderful person, kind and considerate and talented. I hated the way you put yourself down all the time, and I’m glad you have found someone who can see all your good qualities and who loves you just the way you are.
I’m guessing Evan has arrived by the time you see this. Please give him my regards and tell him I’m delighted for both of you, and I can’t wait to meet Chris as well as Jacob. If not before, then at your wedding, because no matter what, you can be sure I’ll come over to Denmark for that. Have a lovely time with your twin. Love, C.

I couldn’t help the happy and grateful tears I shed while reading her messages. Once again, Charlotte proved to be a true friend, and imagine: her parents sort of accepted me! Wonderful news, but it did put my father’s behavior in an even worse light. Should I tell Charlotte about his visit? No, I better not. I didn’t have time to continue the conversation in case she was online. So I opted for an optimistic message.

Russell to Charlotte: Dear C. I’ve just come back from picking up Evan and Chris at the airport. It was wonderful to see him again! I’m looking forward to spending lots of time with him during the next week. His boyfriend Chris seems nice and perfect for my excitable twin, lol. We’re going out for dinner tonight after they have had a rest. I’ll pass on your message to Evan.
We’re having a small engagement party on Saturday, but only with the close family. Mom and Kristin arrive on Sunday, and we’ll all leave next Sunday. Don’t tell anyone yet, but Jacob and I will travel around Asia and Australia for three months. Sort of like a pre-wedding honeymoon. I’ll write more later, but for now we’re off to see his aunt and godmother for a couple of hours. Love, Russell.

When we arrived at the small garden plot, Jacob’s aunt was outside, cutting away dead flowers from a large butterfly bush. She exclaimed with delight when we entered through the small gate.

“Jacob! Velkommen hjem![2] Russell, my goodness, you’ve grown a lot in five years. It’s wonderful to see you looking so healthy and happy.”

She embraced us both, and luckily I did recall her from my previous visit. I still felt a bit awkward and shy, but she bustled around and served us cake and orange juice and a choice of tea or coffee. Apparently the miniature wooden house on the plot boasted electricity and water. She had a large garden parasol to protect us from the sun shining from the blue sky, and a soft breeze helped with the warm temperature. We chatted about the sights I had seen on my trip with Jacob and nothing was said about the reason for my visit to Denmark.

I sat in a garden chair, which could recline to an almost horizontal position, and Faster Helena encouraged me to try it out and gave me a pillow for my head. Before I knew it, I had dosed off, warm and tired from the long day and the bike ride from the apartment. Jacob and his aunt had switched to Danish, and the soft roundness of their native speech became a soothing buzz in the background. I didn’t hear my name or Evan’s or anything else I recognized, so I didn’t think they were speaking about me or my family.

At some point I felt a hand smooth my hair and a kiss on my cheek.

“Wake up Russell, it’s almost six. We need to get back.”

I slowly woke and sat up. Jacob and I were by ourselves and Faster Helena was back to working in her garden. We went over to say goodbye.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep. Your chair was too comfortable.”

She smiled. “No need to apologize, Russell. I was glad to catch up with my godson, and we’ll see more of each other before you leave. Give my regards to Evan. I hope to meet him and Chris soon.”

She gave us a hug and a kiss and we went back to the apartment. We had time for a quick shower, before we had to catch the Metro back to the hotel at Femøren. I wore a pair of my new jeans and the only dress shirt I had with me. Jacob looked handsome in a dark blue button-down shirt. When we entered the hotel, Chris and Evan were already waiting in the reception area.

They looked awesome together; Chris was handsome, poised and calm, standing with his arm around Evan’s shoulders. Like me Evan was about five inches shorter than his man, since both Jacob and Chris topped six foot three. My twin was gazing at his boyfriend with adoration written all over his face. I knew he loved Chris just as much as I loved Jacob. They were clearly a couple in love and I was interested to see that no one seemed to take notice. The few glances were admiring rather than censorious.

Evan turned at something Chris said and when he spotted us, he smiled and came rushing over to hug me.

“Russ, finally! I’ve been waiting forever.”

“Yes, all of five minutes!” Chris didn’t hide his amusement, as he walked up to greet us. He shook Jacob’s hand and mine, before pinching my pouty twin on the butt.

“Ouch,” Evan grabbed his wrist. “You were eager for them to arrive too.” He tried to scowl at Chris, but his delighted smile kept breaking through.

“Well, I had to deal with a whole flight of you bouncing around impatiently, because you were desperate to be with your twin. So I’m relieved he’s here.”

Chris smiled at me, and even the twinkle in his eyes didn’t hide that he was serious as he said, “I’ve never seen Evan so upset about anything. Those weeks when he couldn’t get in touch with you, were pretty bad. Promise me you won’t disappear on him again, Russell. I don’t think Evan could cope.”

Oh. I didn’t know what to say. We used to talk on the phone every one or two weeks, and I always assumed Evan called home for my sake. The idea of Evan needing me was new and unexpected. I looked at my twin to see how he felt about Chris saying so. To my surprise my brother had tears in his eyes.

“Promise me, Russ.”

I pulled him into a hug. “I promise, Evan. I’ve missed you like crazy, and I’ll do my best to stay in touch when we’re travelling. After all, there’s no need to hide now.”

“Don’t worry, Evan, I will remind Russell of his promise. And I’ll do my best to ensure you are never far apart in the future.”

Jacob patted my back and smiled at me when I turned to give him a grateful look. Without thinking, I reached up and kissed him, and he didn’t hesitate to kiss me back.

We walked out of the hotel lobby and towards the Metro, and Evan who was walking with me, asked about Jacob’s statement.

“What’s this about you going traveling? And what did Jacob mean about making sure we’re not far apart?”

“He suggested moving to the US permanently and living close to wherever you and Chris are.”

“Really?” Evan glanced back to where our partners were discussing something as we walked up the stairs to the platform. “So, it’s not only while he writes his thesis and you go to art college?”

“No, he says he’ll settle where I want, and I want to be close to you. If that is OK?”

“Fuck, Russ, how can you even ask?! It’s more than OK, it’s awesome.” Evan was bouncing around, but just then the Metro train arrived and we had to get on.

Evan went over to join Chris and whispered in his ear and Jacob came to my side and took my hand.

“He seems happy with what you told him?”

“I said you supported me in being close to him and I wanted us to live near him and Chris if possible.”

“Chris says he can definitely get me a couple of interviews with potential host companies when we arrive in the US around Christmas. We’ll talk about it some more when he’s had time to go over my résumé and read the outline of the thesis I’ve been thinking about.”

We arrived at Christianshavn Metro station and got out. Jacob led us to the restaurant, a small place called L’Altro. When he told his name to the maître d’ we were taken to a table in the front of the room. Evan and I slipped into the sofa with our backs to the window and Chris sat down opposite my twin. This way we could talk to and admire our handsome boyfriends at the same time. They were contrasting in looks, but their personalities were probably quite similar. Neither of them was rattled by being with a somewhat excitable and love-starved teen who needed someone stable in his life.

Or at least that’s what Evan told me after we’d ordered, and I had to agree. After which we fluttered our eyelashes at the wonderful men across the table and smirked when they suddenly shifted and had to adjust themselves. Maybe if we played our cards right, we’d both get laid tonight. I licked my lips and Evan did a small tongue play against his upper lip.

“Evan! Behave.” Chris sounded stern, but I could see he wasn’t all that serious. Of course, Evan had to push it a bit.

“Or what? PDA is safe here, isn’t it, Jacob?”

“Yes, relatively. But I’m not sure that’s what Chris meant.” The two men exchanged looks, and I had the feeling they were building a joint defense against adorable twin power. I leaned against Evan and pouted slightly. He caught on immediately and we turned up the charm.

“But we were just saying how wonderful...”

“…and dependable…”

“…and handsome…”

“…protective…”

“…strong…”

“…caring…”

“…hot…”

“…understanding…”

“…sexy...” Evan’s voice was a silky, seductive whisper and I felt a blush starting.

“…our boyfriends are.”

“And how safe we feel in your arms.” At Evan’s final words I nodded vigorously and suddenly it wasn’t a game anymore.

“Yes, that’s right. You make me feel safe and loved, Jacob. No one except Evan has made me feel like that before, and that’s why I love you with all my heart.”

Jacob’s blue eyes shone and I heard a small sniffle next to me. I glanced to see Chris reach out his hands and felt Jacob’s clasp onto mine as he whispered, “I love you.” Next to us my twin was reassured in the same way. The subsequent silence as we stared into the eyes of our loved ones was broken by a discreet cough.

We turned our heads to see two waiters smiling at us, each carrying two dishes with our meals.

“Oh, sorry.” I pulled my arms back to make room for the bowl of pasta to be deposited in front of me.

The other waiter served Chris and Jacob and walked off. The waiter next to me gave Evan his dish and looked at me.

“Not at all, sir. Sorry to interrupt the romantic moment. Enjoy your meal.” He nodded at all of us, and was there perhaps a glimpse of envy as his eyes slid across our faces before he too disappeared?

We were quickly absorbed with eating the delicious meal and most of the talk was about our travel plans. As expected Evan was thrilled but envious. We heard about the apartment which Chris and Evan shared, and discussed the problems of finding affordable accommodation in Copenhagen compared to the US. I learnt that Jacob only rented his place and he had planned to leave it at the end of August in any case, so he wouldn’t have to pay rent while he traveled.

“But what about all your things?” Evan asked the question I was thinking.

“Most of the furniture was rented with the apartment. I’ll pack up my belongings and they’ll be stored at my parents’ house. In any case, the most valuable things I own are my bikes, camera, laptop, and my camping gear. They are all the best I could afford.”

Jacob turned to me and held out his hand. “But after Saturday I’ll be wearing the most precious thing in my possession and not because of the price but for the symbol it is of our commitment to each other.”

“Oh, Evan, just wait till you see our engagement rings, they are so beautiful.” I stared at Jacob until he grinned and got out his phone to show the pictures. As expected Evan had a small squealing fit and we spent a few minutes huddled over the display and whispering excitedly. I noted with satisfaction that whenever Evan and I talked, our partners seemed engrossed in conversation too. It was nice to know they got along.

By the time we were done, Jacob had paid the bill and it was time for us to go home. Chris and Evan were more than happy to eat dessert and have tea and coffee at Jacob’s place. On the way there I kept Evan intrigued by talking about my new clothes and hinting at having bought him stuff too.

In the apartment I immediately dragged Evan into the bedroom and showed him all of my new clothes. He loved the leather shorts and insisted he wanted to try them on. Jacob had bought two identical thongs, and I gave Evan the unused pair. He persuaded me to get into the black shorts and the green shirt. He was wearing a tight grey tank top underneath his shirt, so we looked quite twin-like in our outfits. When Jacob knocked on the door to let us know dessert was ready, Evan suppressed a giggle.

“Let’s surprise them. I bet they’ll forget all about dessert – or want something completely different.”

Before I could object, my twin dragged me onto the living room and went over to hug my boyfriend.

“Thanks for getting me these cool club clothes, cousin.” He spun back to me and made me turn around with him in front of Chris. “Do what I do, Russ.” The whisper was for my ears only.

“They fit perfectly, don’t you think so, babe?” He looked over his shoulder at Chris who was almost drooling.

Evan slowly stretched his arms over his head. As always, I followed his lead. We were standing precisely halfway between our men, and both of them were riveted. Our tank tops rode upwards to expose bare skin above the tight shorts. Evan turned his back to me while his arms sank down to be crossed in front of him. At the same time he rotated his head to look over his shoulder at me and I mirrored his actions.

Our faces were towards Jacob and his mouth was open in astonishment. Slowly, Evan bent forward letting legs slide apart and bringing his arms up to rest the side of his head on them. This caused his buttocks to go tight and the shorts to ride up his crack. I did the same and I had to admit it was damn provocative.

“It’s so cool to have a twin. I don’t need a mirror to know what looks good on me. If Russ looks hot, so will I. And together we’re mega-hot. Don’t you agree, cousin dear?” Evan flexed his ass in the most indecent manner, and I tried to copy him.

“You little minx!” Chris leaned forward and snagged Evan. My twin laughed and squirmed until Chris landed a solid smack on one butt check. Suddenly, Evan went limp on his boyfriend’s lap and lifted his face up for a long, heated kiss. I only saw the start of it, because I was lifted by two strong arms and carried into the bedroom. My butt rubbed against the hot, hard length of Jacob as he sat down on the bed with me on his lap.

“Your naughty twin seems to be getting what he deserves. Now what should I do with my sexy boy, hmm?”

His hands kneaded my butt, pulling the cheeks apart and I felt the string of the thong rub against my hole. God, I wanted him to fuck me, and only the presence of the couple in the other room prevented me from begging Jacob to do so. Instead, I kissed him and rubbed my erection against his body. He growled and shoved his tongue into my mouth.

When the kiss ended I was woozy from lack of air. Jacob held me against his chest and chuckled.

“I suggest you change back into your proper clothes before we have an accident. I’ll send Evan in here to do the same, if he’s capable of walking straight.”

Jacob slid me over onto the bed and got up. His pants were tenting like mad, and I coughed and pointed to the evidence of his arousal.

“I’m sure Chris is in the same state. His face when Evan showed off those leather shorts – priceless. I suspect they’ll leave for the hotel soon.”

My boyfriend went to the door and apparently didn’t see anything to keep him from entering the living room. I got op and looked through the door in time to witness another light slap on my twin’s butt and Chris saying, “Off you go, minx.”

Evan was red-faced but laughing when he ran into the bedroom. He closed the door behind him and punched the air.

“Success. Yes! I’m so getting laid tonight.”

“Lucky you,” I mumbled enviously.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Russ?” Evan hugged me. “From what I saw, you have nothing to complain about. Jacob seems pretty well hung, and he obviously likes your ass in those tight black shorts.”

I hesitated, but decided I wanted to know: “Evan, how long did you date Chris before you went all the way?”

“Ahh…” Evan went from excited to serious in a split second. He knew me so well.

“Of course. I’m sorry, Russ. I’d forgotten this is all new to you. Have you done anything yet?”

“Oral, a few times,” I admitted.

“Cool. And that’s what Chris and I did for the first couple of months too. With more and more fingering, until I was ready for the next step. So don’t feel you have to hurry, Russ. Is Jacob putting pressure on you?”

“NO! Rather the opposite. I want him to … you know. But he insists on waiting.”

“That’s good. Have you talked about –” A knock on the door interrupted us. “Shit, we better get dressed. Look, we’ll talk about this tomorrow, OK?”

I nodded and responded to Jacob’s inquiry with, “We’ll be out soon.” We quickly changed back to our normal clothes and joined our boyfriends for dessert. As predicted, Chris and Evan only stayed for another half-hour before going back to the hotel.

Jacob took them down to the Metro station while I cleared away plates and cups and got ready for bed. I was hoping for at least a blowjob and maybe more. My blond Viking certainly didn’t disappoint; he was all over me as soon as he had shed his clothes and jumped into bed. Within a short time he had me thrashing around on the mattress impaled on two fingers as I emptied my balls in his mouth. Afterwards, he let me loose on his wonderful tool while he played some more with my ass and told me how hot I looked and how badly he wanted to be inside me.

When he got closer to completion Jacob took over and fucked my mouth firmly but carefully. I stroked myself and ended up shooting all over the sheet, moaning around the head of his hot manhood. Moments later he came in my mouth and on my face. I loved sucking Jacob, but I craved the moment he would fill my eager hole with his cock and his seed, even if I did worry about it hurting at first.

After we cleaned ourselves and the bed, I lay in his arms. Jacob stroked my hair and I made circles on his chest with my fingers.

“I love you, Jacob.”

“I love you too, Russ.”

“Will you take me all the way soon?”

“Yes, Russ, soon, I promise.”

“Why are we waiting?”

“Aren’t you happy with what we’re doing?”

“Yes! Of course. It’s great. But don’t you want to… you know?”

“Fuck you?”

“Yeah.”

“What about you? Don’t you want to fuck me?”

I raised my head from his shoulder to stare at Jacob in surprise. “Didn’t you say you are a top?” I distinctly recalled the satisfaction I’d felt about that part of the conversation in our hotel room not too long ago.

“Yes, but I can be versatile. And you need to find out what makes you the happiest too. Please be honest about your desires.”

I laid my head back down; it was easier to say if I had my eyes closed. “All I’ve wanted since the first time you kissed me is to feel you inside me, have you take me. Your size does scare me a bit. But … you know what to do, don’t you?” This was my first attempt to dig into Jacob’s past and his experiences.

He sighed. “I’ve been with three guys before you. Two of them were more experienced than me at the time and showed me what to do. The third guy was my boyfriend for almost four years. After we broke up, I haven’t been with anyone until you.”

The bitterness was unmistakable, and I whispered, “What happened?” Silence, and I panicked, “You don’t have to tell me.”

“Yes I do, because it’s the reason I’m so obsessive about us being honest with each other.” His arms tightened around me, “You’re very different, and I love you deeply, in a way that I never cared for him.”

“Anyway, I had been dating him for about eight months when you were last here, which is why I could honestly say to your dad that I had a boyfriend. Everything was fine for the next couple of years and I began suggesting we should live together. He kept avoiding the matter, but I didn’t suspect anything. After all, it’s a big step and it can be a hassle to find a place. But then I was lucky enough to be offered a sublet for this apartment, because the owner had to go abroad for two years.”

Jacob took a deep breath and I could hear the anguish in his voice as he continued. “So I asked if he wanted to share the apartment and he declined. He preferred for us to live apart, but he swore he loved me and wanted us to be together. Like a fool I believed him.”

The silence went on for so long, I finally whispered, “So what happened?”

“Hah, what always happens when you have a trusting fool with a restless boyfriend. He cheated on me. Although, that’s not ‘technically’ true – as he pointed out, when I confronted him. He claimed he had never slept with anyone else, only flirted and kissed, and I’m inclined to believe him. If he did, he was certainly careful. I had several tests done during the first nine months after we broke up, and I’m clean. And there have never been any rumors, not even after people knew we had split up.”

“When did you break up?”

“Last summer. We both had jobs which meant we were apart most of the time. He didn’t seem to mind, and our relationship had been limping along for a few months already. But every time I tried to bring it up, he would be adamant about wanting to be with me and things would get better for a week or two. But the truth was he just used me as a safe bet while he searched for something better. When he found it and was sure of the other guy, he left me and never looked back.”

“Shit, that’s awful.”

“The things that hurt were the lying and the dishonesty, him having secret plans to discard me, but pretending to care, so he would have the benefits of a boyfriend while being on the prowl. If we had broken up a year earlier, I would have been sad, but not devastated in the same way. I haven’t been able to trust anyone since then, not even for casual sex.”

Jacob turned us over so I was beneath him and he looked down on me with a tender smile.

“But then you came along, Russell, so innocent and trusting and clueless. You stole my heart without even trying or knowing what you were doing. You seemed sad and lonely, but when I made you listen and smile or laugh about things we saw, it was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. I decided I wanted to cheer you up, and in return you made me feel happy about life.” He kissed me.

“We could probably have gone back to Copenhagen much earlier, but I enjoyed our camping trip, just the two of us, and I didn’t want it to end. I had almost given up hope that you would return my feelings, but I kept prolonging the sweet agony of being with you and watching you gain confidence and pleasure in my company. That night, when I finally held you in my arms and kissed you, is one of the happiest memories I have.”

“Oh Jacob, me too! It was like I’d been smothered by this thick blanket of sadness and confusion and you ripped it apart and let the light into my life.” I pulled him down to kiss me and once again lost myself in the safety of his warm embrace.

I knew my ‘blanket’ image was weird and sentimental, but it was how I felt. And seeing my father this morning had once and for all shown me who created that oppressive cover. If nothing else, I would be grateful to Jacob for preventing me from falling back into captivity. Although I was smart enough to realize I couldn’t put all the blame on Father. Kathrine had pointed out my need for someone to rely on. But surely it was OK for Jacob and me to depend on each other for the rest of our lives, right?

After a bit more cuddling and mutual assurances of love, we fell asleep. When I woke the next morning the sun was shining and I felt more relaxed than I had for ages. I turned to look at Jacob and it was a strange mixture of déjà vu and a new reality.

Once again Jacob had kicked off his duvet to reveal his muscular and tanned body, with the thick blond chest hair and enticing trail leading from his navel and into his boxer briefs. This time I knew what was tenting them and my mouth watered. I thought back to the first time I had ogled my cousin in this bed almost three months ago. Why had I not realized I was attracted to him? I dug around in my memory, but there was no recollection of feeling the slightest bit attracted to anyone. Fuck, I must have been so much in denial that I didn’t even know I was repressed.

Luckily, before I could start berating myself for being an idiot, Jacob woke up. He stretched and turned his head to look at me, and when he saw I was awake his blue eyes lit up.

“Good morning Russ. Enjoying the view?”

“Mmm, yeah. How did you know?”

“Well, I do whenever I wake before you. Plus you’re fondling yourself.”

I looked down and my hand was inside my boxers gently kneading my private parts. I ripped it away, but Jacob just laughed. Before I knew what was happening he had me on my back, naked and erect. He wasted no time but swallowed all six inches to the root.

“Aaahh,” I tried to buck my hips, but he held me down and sucked gently. Moments later he sat up.

“Let’s go take a shower. I need to pee.”

“Shit, me too, but I’m not sure I can now.”

“Haven’t you ever done it with a hard-on?”

“No, that’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“Nah, but it’s best done in the shower unless you want to clean up the floor and the whole toilet.”

He dragged me into the shower and turned on the water. We joked around until we had managed to relieve the pressures in our bladders and balls. Jacob guided me to play with his hole as I sucked him, and the sensation of his sphincter contracting around my finger while he came in my mouth, was fascinating.

After breakfast I left to visit Evan in the hotel while Jacob dug out his books to begin reviewing for his exam. I still didn’t have a phone, but Chris and Jacob had each other’s numbers, so they could get in touch if our plans changed. Otherwise we would come back to the apartment around six and have a meal and chat before going out. Chris and Evan had been excited about the plans to go clubbing tonight.

When I got to the hotel, Chris was standing in the lobby, which I thought was a weird coincidence.

“Go on up, Russell. Evan is still sleeping, but I’m sure he won’t mind if you wake him up. I’ll bring him some breakfast if I don’t see you in the next 40 minutes.” He handed me a key card and as I thanked him and turned to go upstairs, I saw him dig out his cell phone.

I let myself into the room and blushed a bit when I saw Evan in the middle of the double bed. He was partly under the duvet, but it was obvious he was naked. There was a faint scent of lingering excitement in the room, and my twin looked sated and almost worn out. I was faintly envious, but I told myself Evan and Chris had waited two months, so I should be able to wait two weeks. In fact, tonight would be my one-week anniversary of first spying on Jacob naked in the moonlight. Unbelievable!

“Evan,” I called out softly as I stopped next to the bed. He didn’t react so I reached out and pushed the hair back from his damp forehead. “Evan, wake up.”

“Mmmm, Chris?” my twin mumbled and I felt like giggling. I put my hand on his cheek and he turned his head and nuzzled into my palm. Suddenly his eyes flew open, “What the… oh, it’s you, Russ.”

Evan had pushed up and away, but now he collapsed back on the mattress. “Fuck, you nearly gave me a heart attack, Russell.”

“How did you know it wasn’t Chris?”

“His hand tastes and feels different.”

“I thought I felt your tongue on my palm.”

“Where is Chris, anyway?”

“Downstairs having breakfast. He said to come down within the next half hour; I guess the morning buffet ends at ten.”

“OK, I’ll just have a quick shower.” He pushed the duvet back and got out of bed, ignoring the fact he was half erect. I turned away, but still caught a glimpse of the love bites – and a prominent hickey – on his butt. Evan laughed.

“Are you still shy about nakedness? I would have thought three months in Denmark had cured you of that.”

“Yes, no … it’s just I’m not used to seeing my twin with the teeth marks of another guy on him.”

“Huh?” Evan walked over to the full-length mirror and inspected his backside. “Oh, right. Yeah, Chris got a bit carried away last night. He went all possessive on my butt after he spanked it a few times.”

“He…he what?!” My voice came out like a little squeak. And then I saw something I’d have sworn would never happen. My twin blushed, a deep and fiery red. All over.

“Ooops. TMI. Sorry. Ehm, shower time.” He ducked into the bathroom and closed the door and I stood there with open mouth and stared. After a few seconds I shook my head and went over to the window. The view was quite nice, but I didn’t really take it in. My mind was awhirl with questions, but I finally reverted to my oldest and safest tactic: I shut it all away and decided to forget about it until later. Evan and I had so many other things to talk about.

I turned and smiled at my twin when he came out of the bathroom and rushed around to get dressed. He grabbed the key card I had left on the desk and we went down to the breakfast lounge. Chris was eating a proper Danish and drinking coffee. I sat down opposite him while Evan collected what he wanted to eat.

“How did you meet Evan?” The question popped out of my mouth before I could think.

“Through mutual friends. They threw a huge party before Christmas last year and that’s where I saw Evan for the first time. We ended up dancing and talking most of the night and I asked him out on a date. I had already planned a ski holiday during the Christmas break and I invited Evan to come with me. We became a couple during that trip.”

“Sounds like a whirlwind romance.”

“It was on my part. I knew he was the one the first time I kissed him. I did worry about Evan being so much younger.” He caught my questioning look. “I’m almost twenty-eight.”

“Oh.” I thought for a bit. “You look the same age as Jacob, and he’s twenty-five.”

Evan plopped down next to me. “What are you talking about?”

Chris smiled at him and I recognized the protective, caring expression, Jacob had towards me at times.

“I think Russell is trying to find out whether I’m good enough for his beloved twin.”

Evan almost choked on the orange juice he was drinking.

I quickly reassured him. “I just asked how you had met.”

“Uh-oh, did he tell you how I trailed him like a lost puppy for two hours before he finally took pity on me and asked me to dance with him. He hasn’t been able to get rid of me since.”

“Silly boy, as if I wanted to!” Chris shook his head fondly. “You know very well I’m addicted and committed to you and nothing you do or say will ever change that. I just hope you’ll feel the same way in five years’ time.”

“I’ll feel that way in fifty years’ time, Chris.” The firm tone told me Evan had given this promise more than once. I took his hand and squeezed it. When he looked at me, I nodded. His eyes got moist but his smile was brilliant. He held up our clasped hands and looked into his boyfriend’s eyes.

“By my twin bond I vow that I love you, Chris, and want to be with you forever.”

“Just so you know, Chris, this is the most sacred oath we can swear. I’ve never known Evan to use it lightly or break his word.”

Chris didn’t say anything, just moved his chair back from the table and held out his hand. I reached out and placed Evan’s hand in it and my twin got up and walked around the table. He sat down in his boyfriend’s lap and the dark-haired head dipped to whisper in his ear while Chris embraced Evan. Whatever he said made Evan look so happy I thought he might burst. They shared a quick kiss and then my twin scampered back and dug into his breakfast with gusto.

“Would you like anything from the buffet, Russell?” Chris picked up his coffee cup and stood up.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind one of those Danish, like you were eating, if you think it’s OK.”

He nodded and walked over to fill his cup. He brought back a plate with the Danish and set it down between me and Evan. My twin cut it in half and we ate it quickly while making small yum-yum noises. It was so freshly baked it was still warm and utterly delicious.

“I’m going to go upstairs and get my laptop, while you finish. I’ve found a place where I can work.” Evan just nodded and held out the key.

“No, it’s all right, I have my own key. If you want to go for a walk or something, please come and tell me.”

Chris downed the last of his coffee and left the table. Ten minutes later we saw him cross the lobby with his bag and go into one of the rooms on the other side. Apparently he had found a place to use as an ‘office’ area.

Evan and I took the elevator back up to the sixth floor and went into the hotel room. As soon as I closed the door, Evan started dancing around. He jumped on the bed, back down, came over to hug me, did a giddy swirl, chanting: “Oh my God, I’m so happy. I can’t believe it, Russ. Oh man, it’s awesome, I’m over the moon. Chris wants me, oh, oh, oh. I’m SO HAPPY!”

“Calm down, Evan. What are you talking about? What did he say to you?”

He grabbed me up in another hug, hard, and kissed my cheek. “He said ‘I guess it’s time to put a ring on you too.’ Fuck YES!”

“Does that mean…?”

“We’ll get engaged too? Yep. I mean…” Evan stopped his dance around the room. “If it’s OK with you, Russ. I don’t want to steal your thunder.”

“Don’t be silly, Evan. I love the idea of ‘twin engagements’! You know I hate being the center of attention. If we both get engaged on Saturday, I can hide behind you.”

He suddenly looked serious. “Oh no, you don’t. You’ve been hiding yourself for far too long, no more of that! Chris and I won’t have a ceremony or anything, and the ring he’s thinking of, is back home anyway. It’s a sort of heirloom in his family.”

“How come you know about it, if he hasn’t proposed until now?”

“Well, I sort of asked him.”

“What? Like I sort of asked Jacob?” I began laughing and Evan joined in. We ended up side by side on the couch by the window, holding hands and leaning on each other. Evan sniffled a bit before he told me the story.

“It was the night I ran away from home. Good thing Chris was waiting at the motel, I was a complete mess. After he had calmed me down, he held me in his arms and told me he would always be there for me as long as I wanted him. So I looked at him and said ‘Will you marry me too?’ God, you should have seen the shock on his face.”

Evan snickered sadly, and I hugged him.

“But he was really good about it, in his own calm way. He kissed me and said he would love to marry me, but he wanted us to wait. He thinks I am too young. Later, when we got home he showed me the ring and suggested we get engaged on our anniversary, if I still felt the same. I’ve tried to convince him to do it before, but so far he’s refused. But once we get back…”

Evan was lost in private contemplation, and he looked deeply content. My fingers itched to draw him, to capture his face as he dreamed of a future with Chris. In the old days I would have had a sketchpad and pencils ready beside me, wherever I was, but now they were in my bag. When I tried to slip over and get it out, Evan refocused his attention on me.

“Oh! Have you started drawing, Russ? Can I see?”

“I haven’t actually done anything yet. I wanted to do a sketch of your face just now. But it can wait.”

“Leave it out in case you want to do something later. I’m so pleased you want to draw again.”

“Don’t get too excited, maybe I’ve forgotten all my ability.”

“Nonsense, talent like yours doesn’t disappear.”

“But skills have to be exercised or they will get rusty.”

“You have a whole year to get up to speed before going to art college.”

I nodded and changed the subject.

“I forgot to tell you: Charlotte sends her regards. She’s happy for both of us and looks forward to meeting Chris and Jacob. And guess what, her parents are more or less OK with us and will let her keep in touch with me.”

“Awesome. Charlotte is a wonderful girl. I’m glad you had her as a friend when I left for college.”

“So am I. It was awfully lonely without you.”

“It was even worse when you suddenly went off to Denmark and I couldn’t get in touch with you. I still think Mom overreacted. I mean it’s not as if Father has done anything.”

“Ehmm, well…”

After I had told Evan about Father confronting Jacob’s parents and about the surprise visit and he had finished ranting about Father, we held each other for a while. Finally I broke the silence.

“Do you think he loves us at all? Enough to accept us one day?”

“Oh Russ,” Evan sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe if we do well in life and other people praise us in front of him, he’ll regret that he didn’t accept us; especially if Mom does leave him. He may even consider a deal where she comes back to him in return for pretending it’s OK. And then perhaps in time…”

“You’re saying his precious image is worth more than the love of his sons.” I tried to conclude without breaking down, but it was no good. I sobbed my eyes out on Evan’s shoulder and I think he cried too. He had never cared as much about Father’s approval as I did, but he was still hurt by the rejection.

Just as I was beginning to calm down, there was a knock on the door. Evan called out “Yes?” and the door opened. I kept my tear-streaked face hidden on my twin’s shoulder. It was the maid and she apologized for disturbing us.

“No, it’s OK, just give us two minutes and we’ll go out for a bit.” She closed the door and we heard her knock on the door opposite us. Evan dragged me into the bathroom and we rinsed our faces. He told me to grab my sketchbook.

“I looked at Google Maps and there seems to be some sort of park out near the water. Why don’t we go for a walk?”

“OK.” I put everything in the small backpack Jacob had lent me and we made our way downstairs. Evan held my hand as we walked into the room where Chris was working.

“We’re going for a walk.”

“OK, let me finish this and I’ll come with you.”

“You don’t have to; we’re just going to the nearby park. It should be perfectly safe. This is Denmark, you know. And I’m able to defend us.”

Chris kept tapping at the keyboard while Evan spoke, then he closed the laptop and stood up. He packed everything away in his bag and gave it to Evan.

“Would you mind running it up to our room, babe? I’ll grab three bottles of water and some fruit from the buffet.”

Evan rolled his eyes, but did as requested. As soon as he had left, Chris pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. This time curiosity got the better of me.

“Who are you texting?”

“Your boyfriend, I’m telling him where we are going.”

“What?! Why are you doing that?”

“Did you tell Evan about your dad’s visit?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact I just did.”

“Hmm, I thought he was looking a bit grim. And you’re not looking too chipper either.”

“It’s not exactly a pleasant topic.”

“I’m sorry, Russell. Jacob filled me in and we agree you and Evan shouldn’t be going around on your own. Jacob was relieved when I texted him this morning about you arriving safely. He alerted me as soon as you left.”

Chris walked out of the room and towards the reception and I trailed him, sputtering a bit.

“But, but…, but you can’t really think that… that our father would do anything stupid like… like abduct us, or hurt us. This is real life, not a soap opera.”

“Of course not, Russell. I’m worried about what Evan might do, not that bastard who rejected you.”

“Wh…what?!” I was even more confused now.

Chris glanced around as if to be sure Evan wasn’t back yet, and no one else was close enough to hear us.

“Russell, if your dad showed up and upset you the way he did yesterday, Evan would go ballistic. And I’m not excited by the prospect of my boyfriend being charged with assault, or worse. So, will you please stop objecting to me going on the walk with you guys.”

Oh. I stood in the lobby not knowing what to say, as Chris bought three bottles of water in the reception and scrounged apples and bananas from the buffet.

To my relief the trip to Tiøren park was completely drama free, and we all enjoyed it. Chris acted the perfect bodyguard, and stayed discreetly in the background so Evan and I could talk. Though I had the feeling he preferred the ‘rear position’ and liked the view, particularly whenever Evan strutted seductively. My twin is such a tease.