Mistaken Identity

Michael laid there in the dark bedroom with only the moonlight shining through the window, and thought. It was the middle of the night and only one of them was able to sleep soundly. Nick slept beside him yet both men had kept their distance. He had talked Nick into giving him a gray T-shirt and blue-gray and purple polka-dotted boxers to wear as the whole "nakedness" was only making him cold. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, every once and awhile he would glance over at Nick sleeping peacefully beside him. He felt odd. Not sure if he should sleep in another man's bed or get up and sleep on the sofa, downstairs.

It was decided. Pulling back the covers and easing out of bed, Michael slipped silently from the bedroom. Padding softly down the cold marble steps, he looked around the first floor and settled in the room with the fireplace. The rest of the house was dark and quiet except for the moonlight that poured in through the windows. The fire in the den had burned to smolderings but the room was still warm from the heat that Michael curled around an arm of a plush white sofa and rest his head on his folded arms. The occasional pop of wood made him jump but not enough to keep him awake. He lay there and stared at the bits of fire before finally closing his eyes to sleep.

His dreams were fuzzy and grainy and he felt like he was in a fog when he tried to think of who he was. The sound was gone from his name and people around him were faceless but he could see every other feature about them. Struggling to make light of his dark, shadowy dreams, Michael tried to move the dream on further to see if there was something else he might remember. Nicholas has been the only person he could see and hear clearly in his dreams. His mind seemed to be telling him about the other man but Michael wasn't sure he should believe what he saw. They were kissing and making love quite passionately in full view of a crowd of beach-goers but they hadn't paid attention to be discreet.

The cold waves of the ocean and warm wind on his face gave Michael the feeling of being out in the ocean. As he lifted his face up to look at the sun and it's brightness, he felt lips touch his in a soft kiss. His body was warmed as a white, knit blanket was draped over him. It had been the pinch of his bottom that awakened him with a start.

"Good morning, love. Sleep better down here than in our bed?" Once again Nick was dressed in a sharp tan business suit complete with white pinstriped shirt and brown tie. He had come downstairs early and found his lover asleep in the den. After closing one blind to shield Michael's face, he left the second one open to let in the morning light. Nick smiled down at the young man he now sat beside on the sofa.

Michael stretched his legs out from their cramped position and took a deep inward breath before rubbing his eyes and moving to sit up. The hours had passed so fast that Michael felt that he had just gotten comfortable when it was time to wake up. "What time is it?" His head cleared only so much before realising that Nick had given him another shot of whatever that liquid was. Absently, he pulled the blanket around to cover his legs.

Nick smiled and handed Michael a dark blue mug of coffee that he had placed on the coffee table while he administered the drug to the younger man. "It's about 8:30. Would you like some breakfast?" A sly glance down as Michael held the blanket over his growing erection made him smile and think about other activities.

"Uh, yea. I'll be right there. I just have to--" Michael blushed. He didn't want a repeat of the night before and have the already awkward situation go from strange to worse. Wrapping the blanket more around him, Michael stood up and turned to look for the restroom on the first floor.

Standing up as well, Nick pointed the way to where Michael had been looking. "Through the livingroom, on the left, there is a half-bath." He continued to speak as Michael walked in the direction that he pointed to. "I will make us some scrambled eggs and toast. Is that alright?"

"Sure!" With the blanket wrapped around his waist, Michael hurried into the small room that housed only a wash basin and toilet. Flipping on the light and shutting the door, he found it a small but neatly furnished room. The walls were an Indian-clay colour, with a round, white wash basin that stood alone to the left of the door, and a small, tankless toilet to the right. Gathering the blanket and setting it, in a rolled wad, on the basin, he took a breath and sank to his knees in front of the toilet. Raising the lid and noticing the clean porcelain, he was thankful that Nick hadn't made a move toward him for sex.

Pushing the blue-gray and purple polka dotted material down, Michael started to stroke himself. Being already very hard, it wasn't going to take long to accomplish before rejoining Nick at the breakfast table. He hadn't been able to picture any women or men that he might have been with so him thoughts defaulted to the prior night with Nicholas and what almost happened. Oddly enough, he found himself thinking about the other man going much further than they really had. His strokings quickened as he imagined the older man working up a speed, sweat glistening on his body, and finally the outcome of their venture. Sighs and pants and moans were becoming impossible to keep quiet and he prayed that Nick hadn't heard him from the kitchen. One more firm tug and Michael found himself gripping the toilet seat with his free hand and leaning over to make sure the spray of semen hit the bowl.

Gathering himself and letting the shaking of his body subside, Michael thought about why he chose to settle on Nick instead of some big-breasted, faceless, pinup model. Since he had been struggling to figure out who he was, he hadn't thought twice that Nick might have been right in telling him that he and Nick were lovers. Or, it could have been strictly due to their play being the only stimulating and recent occurrance Michael had known since his bump on the head.

Standing up and replacing his boxers on his hips, Michael flushed the toilet and put the lid down to place the blanket there so he could wash his hands. A tan, neatly folded handtowel had been placed on the left side of the basin and the plain soap dispenser with fruity soap had been placed on the right. It had been immaculately clean in the small room and Michael was embarrassed to have contaminated it by using the toilet and basin in such a dirtying way. Washing and drying his hands, he tried to replace the towel as it had been and backed out of the room with the blanket in his arms.

Michael turned off the light and turned to see Nick sitting pleasantly on the arm of another plush white sofa, smiling at him. "Uh, hi. Breakfast ready?"

"Yes. More coffee or orange juice?" Nick smiled faintly at Michael's embarrassment. Standing and holding out his hand to guide Michael back to the dining table, Nick gave no mention that he had heard every pant and moan Michael gave and he, himself, was getting aroused. Taking the wad of blanket from Michael and quickly folding it loosely and draping it on the arm of the sofa he was just sitting on, he followed the young man in to the dining room.

"Coffee, please." Michael hadn't wanted to admit that his shivers were not from the cool air but that he had just done something dirty in another man's restroom. It was best to stick to the "cold" story and hope Nick wasn't offended.

The blinds had been opened and the breakfast plates sat ready and waiting with equal amounts of eggs, bacon, toast and small glasses of water. Michael had been somewhat impressed with Nick's display of hostly duties that he couldn't help but complement his host on how wonderful everything looked. "Wow! It looks so good. I may not want to eat it."

While Michael had been in the restroom, Nick had collected Michael's coffee mug and freshened the cup before setting it down in front of the young man as he sat down in his chair. "I assure you, it will be the same tomorrow. No sense wasting good food to stare at it. Please eat, you'll need your strength."

"For what?"

Nick unfolded his napkin that sat beside his plate and placed it in his lap before picking up his fork and stabbing a piece of egg. "For your checkup, this afternoon. Dr. Madison is stopping by to make sure you are alright, remember?"

Michael concluded his curiosity. "Oh." Taking a bite of eight-grain toast with low-fat butter, he reached for his water for a sip. He hadn't seen Nick watching him like a proud mother over her toddler but he felt the other's eyes just the same as he finally delved into his eggs, placing a forkful onto the piece of toast in his hand and taking a bite.

"Did you remember to do that?" Nick paused from eating and set his fork down, watching Michael in awe. He remembered to tell Michael about the clothing issue and certain bedtime habits Michael had but not the eggs and toast. For a second, his smile returned and the glint in his eye saw the young man he loved and not a bewildered stranger with his lover's body.

Pausing, bent over his plate with his toast and eggs still in hand, Michael swallowed his bite and stared across the table as if he had done something wrong. "Do what?"

Nick smiled more. "You placed your eggs on your toast as if you knew you liked it that way."

Looking like a deer in headlights, Michael responded, "Don't most people do that?"

"I suppose." The smile faded but the glint in his eye was hopeful as they finished their morning meal in silence.

~~~

Dr. Madison greeted them with a cheerful hello and a smile as he set his medical bag down on the coffee table, in the den, and sat down on the sofa facing the kitchen. Nick and Michael sat on the sofa across from him. "So, Michael, how was your first night? A little scary, I suppose. Has Nicholas treated you well?"

"It was fine." Michael hadn't another explanation to give as the doctor was the one who made him uncomfortable.

Madison nodded in agreement. "Good, good. How is your head? Still hurt, or fuzzy at all?" He wanted to take a few minutes before the exam to see how Michael was adjusting to his new surroundings, and lover. He had read the young man's driver's liscence and looked at the few pictures of the youth and a girl named Patsy and was not totally convinced that Nick's plan of attack would work. From what he could tell, the "Richard" and the girl looked very happy together according to their vacation pictures.

Raising a hand to feel the bump on the back of his head, Michael jumped slightly at the touch. "It doesn't hurt that much. It's only fuzzy when I try to remember something." Clasping his hands and placing them in his lap, he had to control himself from shaking. He was growing impatient with the niceties and wanted to get the checkup part over with as soon as possible.

Nick had smiled at the doctor as the older gentleman glanced his way. "Henry, I think he's coming back. He might have brushed it off with a side-lined gesture but this morning he placed his scrambled eggs on his toast and ate them until his eggs were gone." Nick beemed in the thought of their breakfast.

"Well done, my boy. I'm sure the rest will come flooding back to you anytime now." Standing up, the doctor opened his bag and took out his thermometre and penlight. "Now, shall we get on with our evaluation?" Placing the thermometre under Michael's tongue and taking his heartrate by holding a thin wrist, Henry waited for the bell before checking Michael's eyes and ears. Next was the reflexes and he had to laugh as Michael's legs didn't want to cross completely due to the concealed erection.

Clearing his throat, Michael inched backward on the sofa to a comfortable distance as the evaluation ended. "Well, will I live?"

Henry smiled and chuckled as he sat back down and closed his bag. "Oh yes. I'm sure you will have returned fully by next week. Before you know it, you will be headlong in wedding plans and decorations." He had been so busy closing his bag that he hadn't seen the expression change on Michael's face.

"I- I think it's a bit early for wedding plans. Maybe we can postpone it until I really figure this out?" Turning and looking fully at Nick, Michael saw the faintness of hurt in the other man's eyes as Nick only replaced his smile and nodded calmly. "Excuse me. I have to use the restroom." Michael stood up at an angle that made his arousal less obvious and turned to hurry to the half-bath he had been in earlier.

"Of course, my boy." Waiting for Michael to be out of earshot, Henry turned back to Nick and raised his eyebrows and the day's events. "Have you enough of a supply, or do you need more?"

Nick crossed his legs and folded his hands on his right knee. "I have enough for a few more days. If you would drop off the prescription at my office, by Friday, we will determine if we need to continue them or not." So far, Nick hadn't pressed the issue of sex but was pleased enough to relish the sounds of moans and pants that came from the restroom each time Michael felt the effects of the drug. "I think, in a few more days, he might be ready to take it to the next level."

Henry leaned in, his brow furrowed in thought. "If this young man truly is Michael, he should be himself by the weekend. But, Nicholas, if this poor young man is merely a look-a-like, the trauma of this entire rouse might be too upsetting even for a normal young man."

Nodding, Nick concluded before the restroom door opened and Michael was on his way back to them. "Until I see a little more of the real Michael in him, we will both be in the dark. Have you brought his things to my office?"

"Yes. His plane ticket says he is here for two weeks. Ample time to sort this out. Just be careful." The doctor warned and quickly replaced his smile as Michael approached the sofa where he had been sitting. "Well Michael, I leave you in Nick's capable hands. I will be back in a few days to see how you are fairing then." Standing up and shaking both their hands, the doctor gathered his bag and excused himself to the door.

Nick stood up and made his way to the kitchen to set his own coffee cup, that he had been nurturing, in the sink and then back into the den to explain to Michael that he needed to leave. "I will leave you to get to know the house a bit more. I have to stop by my office for a bit, but I will be back soon. Feel free to take a shower or to wander around or take a nap. I shouldn't be too long. Tonight, we'll go to the beach, sound good?"

Michael tried to make sense of what Nick was saying. "You're leaving me? Here? Alone?" He wasn't completely sure he liked that idea. The house didn't bother him but it was the idea of being alone that made it uncomfortable.

"Just for a bit. My cell number is by the refrigerator, next to the phone. You can call me if you need anything." Coming around to stand in front of Michael, Nick quickly leaned over and kissed him and to his surprise, he wasn't met with uncertainty. "Mm. Still taste as lovely. I will see you in a while, okay?" Not waiting for the answer, Nick patted Michael's left arm and stepped around him to the door. "Goodbye, my love. Oh, I have some turkey in the refrigerator. I thought we would have that for dinner, alright?"

"Sure." Michael turned around to watch as Nick smiled in return and shut the door behind himm as he left.

Next.