The Wings of a Butterfly

.:15:.

Days passed by peacefully. As busy as the manor would normally be, as quiet was it now. Frederick didn’t want people to show up at will anymore, and had informed his friends and family he would only open the door when they were invited by him. To his own surprise, they accepted his decision.
It gave him enough privacy to seduce Julian as often as he wished.

Oh, how he loved to seduce the strong man. He was a dedicated sinner now, and he wondered why he hadn’t done it before. No longer did he wake up between stained sheets without knowing what caused it. He still woke up between stained sheets, but now he erected as he remembered how Julian had buggered him... It was much more pleasant, and only his soreness kept him from doing it every moment of the day. That, and the fact Julian sometimes couldn’t perform, of course. Perhaps asking for it ten times a day was a bit too much for the man’s stamina.

Julian was quite busy. The tailor had taken his measurements, and created a new suit. They had ordered a few more, for different occasions. Frederick wanted to teach him horse-riding, but Julian didn’t have the time. He was working on the arrival of his friends. Frederick was very curious about them. He wondered why they didn’t simply come, and stay at the manor for the time being, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t want to suggest it either. He wanted to be alone with his Julian.

Julian... He was such a sweet man, and yet so odd at times. His speech was the least strange about him. It was what he said, rather than how he said it. Sometimes it seemed as if he came from a whole different world... A world like Frederick's, but with different morals and standards. It fascinated him endlessly. He asked as many questions as he could, but unfortunately Julian didn’t answer them all. He was a little vague, at times. It only triggered Frederick.

Until he had met the dark stranger, Frederick Vane was a bored man. Now, he was blushing, eager, happy, and utterly intrigued. Even his family and Henrietta noticed the change. Henrietta looked at him with renewed interest, but she stood no chance. Her fiancé didn’t quarrel anymore. He even barely looked at her... The wedding was off.

“Jules...?”

Julian lowered his letter, looking up with suspicion. “Oh good,” he said. “You’re still dressed.”

Frederick stuck out his tongue -something he had learned from Julian. He took the letter between thumb and index finger, snatched it from Julian’s hand, and dropped it. They kept appearing in his study. He didn’t ask about how they got there, anymore. He climbed on the man’s lap. “When will your friends arrive, Jules?” He liked the pet name. He also liked the way Julian held him around his waist, and pulled him in for one of his delicious, peppermint-scented kisses.

“Soon, I hope. Why? We won’t see them often, I’m sure.”

“I am glad,” Frederick said earnestly. “You are my man, and mine alone. Where are they now, Jules...?” His voice was sugary sweet, and he put up his big, innocent eyes.

Julian laughed at the display, and cuddled him lovingly. “I love it when you look at me like that,” he said, before he kissed him with warmth. “They come from the same place as me, Ricky. And they are scientists. They invent things. That’s why they need a quiet place, with privacy.”

“Are they as odd as you?”

“Am I odd?” Julian laughed. “Hm. I probably am. Yes, I believe they are, sweetheart. Is that okay with you?”

Having learned the meaning of Julian’s strange words, Frederick nodded. “I am ‘okay’ with it,” he said. “When will you tell me where you come from, Jules? I want to go there, with you. I want to be with you without living in sin...” He tilted his head, and pushed his tongue possessively in the man’s mouth.

As Julian couldn’t answer, he kissed him back. His hands slid slowly over Frederick's back and sides, pulling him tightly against him. Finally, as they broke the kiss, he replied, “I will tell you everything as soon as the time is right, my love.”

“But when will that be, Jules?” Frederick whined slightly.

“As soon as I find a way to take you with me,” Julian promised. “I already told you, sweetheart, and I will keep my word. As soon as I can go home, I will tell you everything, and then you can decide if you want to come with me.”

“Of course I want to come with you.” Frederick pulled a stubborn face. “Where is your house? What does it look like?”

“My house?” Julian smiled, and gave it some thought. “My house is your house,” he said cryptically. “And that’s the truth.”

*

The check list was long, but most items were striped off now. Close to exhaustion, but unwilling to call it quits, Simon and Greg worked around the clock to finish their preparations. Their funds were nearly exhausted. It was about time they would start their amazing adventure.

As they had to move the whole machine to the newly built shed, at the exact location of the house in the 18th century, they wouldn’t be able to see or contact Julian. They had informed him in a letter, and he had given them the thumbs-up, so they dismantled everything and built it up again. The whole process took them close to a month. All the time, they both felt a slight worry about Julian’s well-being. Not because they liked him so much, but because they would step into the dark, as it were. It made them edgy.

It was already dark, when they entered the secured shed for the final time. This was it. They would go through the wormhole, one after the other, and arrive in 1758. They would create a second time-machine. All the equipment and parts had already been sent through.

Simon wanted to go through first. Greg didn’t quite understand why, as the whole idea petrified him, if he were honest. So Simon changed in his local, 18th century outfit, and stepped into the machine.

“Make it quick,” he said with a tremble. “Before I shit in my pants.”

“Will do. Bon voyage... See you at the other side.”

The world went black, for Simon. It hurt, too. It felt as if he was stretched out like an elastic, and sprung back into shape again. He rolled over, feeling hard floor planks under his hands as he pushed up on all fours. “Greg?” he said quietly, but there was nothing but dark silence around him. Carefully, bumping into their equipment even though he tried to avoid it, he walked a little away from where he landed. With trembling hands, he pulled the candle and matches put of his pocket. He sighed relieved when the soft light showed him a room, full of boxes and luggage; everything they had sent through the machine.

Only minutes later, Greg arrived. “Ugh. That was awful,” he groaned as he lay on the floor. “Have we done it, Simon?”

Simon almost kissed him, and grinned from ear to ear. “Yes,” he nodded. “We did it, Greg. We sure did it. Welcome to the 18th century!”

“Welcome to our new life!” Greg lifted his arms, cheering as he lay on his back. “Amazing...” He sighed deeply. “I’m tired now...”

“You too? I thought it was the exchange, but I believe it’s the nerves dropping away from me. Let’s see if Julian made us some beds.”

Of course he had. Julian had prepared the house, thinking of the smallest detail. The men fell asleep instantly, dreamless until the next morning. It was Greg waking up first. And he screamed.
“What the fuck have we done?!”