The Broken Road

Well, after a loooong time.... finally, I'm back!
I didn’t want it to be so long, but sometimes life is not that merciful to let you carry on with your favorite tasks.
I hope you still remember what’s going on here...

Oco - well, sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you’ll enjoy the next chapter 

l.fire - yeah, nature is something we can’t beat ;) it has this annoying habit of embarassing us in the most inconvenient moments...
well, here’s some wind for your sails ;)

Baron-gerin - what a pity that just when you wrote you couldn’t wait for the next chapter, I had to take this awful break...

nay - I hope you were comforted by quick Jigsaw updates, as this story had to wait a bit. things develop nicely, so far ;) but soon... something sad must happen, right?
before it happens – have some more action :]

leedee – a to zaskoczenie! za pierwszym razem przeczytalam Twój komentarz, zrozumialam tresc i przez dobra chwile zastanawialam sie dlaczego to jakos dziwnie wyglada. dopiero po kilku sekundach dotarlo do mnie, ze to nie po angielsku :D
dziekuje za mile slowo! mam nadzieje, ze czekanie Ci sie nie znudzilo i nadal tu zagladasz...
do uslyszenia 

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Song of the Heart

Ringo stood in a cabin on his trembling legs, holding onto the walls and deriving almost sexual pleasure from the warm stream teasing his sensitive flesh from the inside. He was bursting with wild energy, excitement, and whatnot, and the load of chaotic emotions was so overwhelming that his body could barely handle it. He didn't know what to do with that irresistible need to go crazy and explode that was happening to him for the first time in his life. He wanted to laugh, shout, and run in circles, although he was pretty sure it wouldn't help to cool down his fever. As his bladder relaxed pleasantly, Ringo pressed his temple against the wall, closed his eyes, and moaned very softly, recalling the kiss, the touch of Kayden's fingers, and that rush of blood to his dizzy head.... His body arched back involuntarily as his left hand closed around his penis. Pissing was sooo nice. He smiled and blushed at this embarrassing thought. Wasn't it stupid to stand in the bathroom dreaming of something that waited for him just behind the doors?

When he left the cabin, blue, shining eyes looked at him from the freckled face he saw in the mirror. As he mechanically washed his hands, his lips stretched in a significant smile and he ran the tip of his tongue along the upper one. He had never been so aware of his lips, pulsating and fleshy, as he was now.

When he finally shot out of the bathroom, he fell straight into Kayden's arms on the other side of the door and heard, "You surely like to make me wait." Kayden pouted his lower lip, which seemed very attractive to Ringo.

"Sorry." He smiled. "Just trying to sort out my thoughts."

"And...?"

"I fell in battle." Ringo chuckled, pressing against Kayden, his hands on his friend's hips. With his chest hardly in control over his madly thumping heart, he felt the trembling of Kayden's body, as well as the boy's fast heartbeat. "You nervous?" Ringo asked quietly, running his left hand up Kayden's stomach to the left breast as if he wanted to suppress that fluttering bird.

"Kind of...maybe." Kayden covered Ringo's hand with his own and brought it to his mouth to smother the fingertips with light, quick kisses. "I feel excited, that's for sure. And happy. Actually...I've been nervous for some time now, you know. But now it's just...anticipation."

Ringo enjoyed the feel of Kayden's soft lips giving way under his fingers. "I'm still nervous. I—it's a bit—"

Suddenly the door slammed on the lower floor, and at the sound Ringo jumped back as if he’d been burnt. "Geez, that scared the shit out of me!" He snorted and laughed nervously, trying to cover his panicked reaction.

For a moment Kayden, surprised, stayed there with his arms open before they drooped down beside his body. "Are you really that scared?" he asked, more amused than hurt. He wasn't sensitive and he liked that about himself. It made his life easier.

"You're not?" Ringo answered with another question. He pushed his hands into his pockets, shooting nervous glances in the direction of the staircase.

"Nah," Kayden smiled and shook his head. "Just thrilled. No risk, no fun!" He laughed teasingly and took a step forward just to check Ringo's reaction.

As predicted, Ringo took a stiff step back, and another, and when he finally flattened himself against the wall, trying to stay as far as possible from Kayden, his eyes had the pleading look of a wounded hind. "C'mon, Kayden, don't be such a jerk. Someone could come in."

There was so much fear and imploring in Ringo's voice and face that Kayden had to take pity on him. He nudged the other boy's shoulder with his fist, saying reassuringly, "Nobody will come in. Relax."

"That’s easy for you to say." Ringo bit his lower lip, trying to calm down his nerves. "It's all so sudden. I, um...I’m having a kinda hard time keeping up, ya know? Things just happen and...." He tried to explain, maybe more to himself than to Kayden, his confusion and extreme reactions. "I'm slow, Kayden. I'm sorry."

His expression was so honest and disarming that Kayden found it challenging to refrain from taking Ringo in his arms. "I get it," he said softly and nodded. "Just...I don't feel very confident either, so...do you like it? I mean—" He rolled his eyes impatiently when the proper words didn't come.

"It's...nice." Ringo blushed, looking at Kayden unintentionally coquettishly from under his long eyelashes. "Really. It's just difficult."

"Yeah, I know. That's okay." Kayden was all smiles again, fortified and already excited from that hot expression of Ringo's. "Wanna go for a walk?" he asked, locking his fingers behind his back and stretching his shoulders. Suddenly his body had too many limbs to control, to keep off of Ringo, at least for now.

"Sure," Ringo answered quickly, and immediately felt embarrassed by the speed with which he’d made his decision. He knew exactly what the proposition meant. "Where?"

"Dunno." Kayden shrugged with that bewitching wide smile of his. "Somewhere. I don't care."

"'Kay. Sounds good to me."

"I'm honored, my lady." Kayden performed a courteous bow, showing Ringo the way with a gesture.

"Say that one more time and we're done, sir!"

The tone of Ringo's voice told Kayden that the words weren't a joke. "Hey, just kidding." He smiled apologetically.

"I'm not a lady, Kayden, and I'm not going to substitute for one for you", Ringo said seriously, his eyes watchful and unsure. He wasn't ready to joke about it. He still didn't know where his feelings put him and how it all was supposed to work, but he was very certain of this one thing: he wanted them to be friends, like before; friends and partners. "I'm not your chick. Respect that, okay?"

Kayden put on a solemn face and slowly, with deep conviction in his voice, he answered, "Absolutely." His hand, of its own accord, reached out to Ringo's cheek to brush it in a gentle caress, but at the last moment, just before skin touched skin, Kayden, mindful of Ringo's request, clenched his fingers to withdraw them. He was greatly surprised when Ringo grabbed the hand as it dropped. Looking intently into Kayden’s eyes, he opened the other boy’s hand and leaned forward to nestle his face in its palm.

"The hell," Ringo whispered defiantly, a little devil stirring up his hidden naughty side. He didn't even know he had it and that it would be so hard to keep it on a leash. "I'm a fucking braveheart, so appreciate it!" He laughed quietly, kissing the inside of Kayden's wrist. It smelled nice, seductive.

Ringo's face became sweetly, because completely unconsciously, provoking. That injected a fresh dose of adrenaline into Kayden's veins, making him grow warm. His hands started to tremble again with impatience, and his thumb slid into Ringo's mouth. "You're a fucking walking sin, Ringo," he whispered. He pulled Ringo closer and clasped him to his breast, at the same time covering Ringo's lips with his own. For a moment Ringo went with the flow, but soon he placed his hand on Kayden's chest and shoved gently.

"God, we're crazy," he breathed.

"Oh yes, we are," Kayden confirmed, and he tried to overpower Ringo's arm, keeping a distance between them.

"Wait, wait." Ringo nimbly dodged Kayden’s advances. "I admit it might be fun here, but still I'm not as much of a daredevil as you are." He smiled, a little proud of his small victory over his fear.

"As you wish. But I sense a huge talent here! An uncut diamond." Kayden winked at his friend and turned Ringo so he could close his arms around the boy's body, clinging to his back. He buried his face in dark hair on Ringo's nape and murmured something softly, at which Ringo shuddered and arched back to snuggle into Kayden’s strong, embracing body.

"Shit, Kayden, you're a devious viper."

"Yessssss, I am," Kayden hissed, pretending to be a snake.

"Don't push your luck, you shrewd operator." Ringo reached up and far behind him to slide his fingers into the blond hair at the back of Kayden's head, and pulled it into the crook of his neck with the pleasurable anticipation of Kayden's lips on his skin. He was very disappointed when he felt only a warm breath under his ear and heard a voice full of amusement.

"But I love it. And you like me for this."

"No, I don't. I don't remember saying that I liked you at all." Ringo’s face crinkled up comically.

"Hmm, when I think of it, me neither," Kayden said jokingly. "I'm waiting, then."

"What?" Ringo looked at him over his shoulder in pretended surprise. "You must be kidding!"

"Really? If you said it, I’d consider kissing your neck. I can see you're dying to get it."

"Fuck you, smartass. Don't want - don't kiss. I'll find someone else."

"Did I just heard some emotional blackmail? Don't you even dare to think of it!" Having murmured this straight into Ringo's ear, Kayden sucked on the soft, pale neck. He ran his lips and his tongue up to the other boy's ear lobe and nibbled it. Ringo tensed slightly and clung more strongly to the body behind him, drawing in air with a loud hiss. He tilted his head to the side, exposing his neck to the caresses, and when Kayden’s lips lazily crawled along the line of his jaw, he turned his head to Kayden and caught the boy’s lips with his own. Continuing this movement, he faced his friend, turning inside his embrace, and threw his arms around Kayden's neck.

"Damn, I like you," he said simply, breaking the kiss, his blue eyes fixed on Kayden's. "I really fucking like you."

"I know!" Kayden stuck out his tongue at Ringo and, suddenly, he ran the tip of it up Ringo's nose. His hands closed tighter around Ringo's waist.

"Behave like that and you'll make me regret saying it." Ringo pouted his lower lip in a charming expression of sulking.

Kayden only smiled at this picture and leaned forward so their foreheads touched. "I'm in love with you," he whispered.

He said only that, yet....

The sudden words acted as a trigger, introducing a whole new range of sensations into Ringo’s emotional landscape. It felt as if something had permeated his skin and flesh, reached his heart, and...kissed it.

Ringo's knees wobbled precariously and his arms wrapped around Kayden's neck more strongly. It wasn't because of weakness, though, but because of something that had felt like a flow of electric current. A wave of heat rolled up Ringo’s body, making his back sweat and his face turn red, and a growing lump of emotion in his throat wouldn’t let him stammer a word. Not that he could think of anything coherent to say, anyway. He just raised his goo-goo eyes and gave Kayden a helpless, longing look, unconsciously biting his lower lip almost to the point of drawing blood.

Kayden gently parted Ringo's lips with his fingers. He didn't slip them inside but ran them to the side, across Ringo’s cheek, to mechanically put Ringo's hair behind his ear.

"Hey," he whispered, pulling Ringo closer. He cuddled the boy’s dark head and stroked his thick hair. "Don't push yourself too hard. I'm a pretty tough bastard."

Ringo smiled widely into Kayden's hoodie, feeling so very, very happy inside. His mind finally managed to catch up with his heart and his emotions crystallized in his brain into fantastic awareness and understanding of what he'd just heard. That enigmatic yet well known force of yearning, which had become a part of his friendship with Kayden quite some time ago, pulled him still closer to Kayden's chest and tugged at his heart impatiently. Kayden, although so close, was still too far, too...separate, and there was no way to decrease the distance between them.

"God...this is so unbelievable." Ringo shook his head and lifted it to face his friend. "I didn't expect this." His face expressed a sweet mix of disbelief and elation. He felt as light as a feather; everything inside him wanted to dance, sing, and laugh.

"Tell me 'bout it!" Kayden gave Ringo's nose a flick. "After that first night, and even later, you were so freaked out that I thought the best I could get out of it was being your buddy."

"So you’ve—since then?"

"Ummm, kind of, I think. But I only realized it a bit later. Took me some time."

"That means I'm even slower. Why didn't you...you know, try or something?"

"I'm not suicidal, man." Kayden burst out laughing. "You'd break my teeth, I thought." He looked at Ringo with a frank expression. "And I don't think you're slow. It's just that I was more familiar with something like this. You know, my brother and all... Some things have to ripen at first before you start to act on them, and rushing can cause more harm than good. Actually, judging by where we stand now, you're quite brave, I must say."

"It's...just happened. And then I was so scared I hadn't got it right. Huh!" Ringo sighed deeply. "Yeah, it was crazy. It is crazy." He laughed, shaking his head.

"It's totally awesome!" Kayden put his arms behind his head and arched his back.

"Mm-hm," Ringo agreed. "Sooo...are we going?"

"Sure. Ready? Or you want to take something?"

"I'm okay. I'm—" Ringo broke off in the middle of his sentence, blushing visibly. Hot. It was a word he felt was too suggestive to voice.

"You're...?" Kayden asked slowly, raising his brows in a teasing expression.

"I'm okay." Ringo gave Kayden a friendly poke in the ribs.

"Let's go, then."

As if carried by the wind they flew downstairs and sneaked out of the building. Hastily yet cautiously, in order to not be noticed, they skirted the circle of campfire light to reach the line of the first trees, and vanished in the coniferous forest that separated the inhabited area from the sea.

The night was chill and clear, stars winking playfully at the boys as they rushed hotfoot in the direction of the monotonous swoosh of surf. The power of their emotions transformed into a source of inexhaustible energy that fought to find an outlet and drove them across the sand dunes until they were breathless. With a cheerful shout, Ringo fell on his back and rolled down the dune, intoxicated by the softness of the cool sand on his skin.

"Wow," he sighed at length, when he landed at the foot of the dune, on his back again. The sight of the black velvet sky, deep and distant, strewn with hundreds, thousands of blinking diamonds, was overwhelming. There was something solemn in that unshakable, indifferent infinity. The swoosh of the dangerous, oily, shimmering ocean only heightened the impression.

"Space is incredible, isn't it?" whispered Kayden, as if speaking louder was inappropriate when facing something so enormous. He collapsed onto the sand above Ringo, the other way round, and lay down, placing his head ear to ear with Ringo's. His bent arm encircled the other boy's head and his fingers lightly brushed the skin below Ringo’s ear.

Ringo felt his heart speed up at the touch and he clung to Kayden's hand in search of a more intense caress. He didn't have the courage to voice his desire yet, but he could act on it. "Yeah. We're so small and so...insignificant. Our short lives and small problems seem funny when you think about the Big Bang, billions of light years, and all that."

"I did think about it sometimes to get the right perspective on what was happening to me. You know, you feel better when you imagine how tiny your problem is in the big scheme of things." Kayden's hand guessed the invitation and let its fingers outline Ringo's earlobe.

Ringo shivered and bit his lower lip to hold back the sound of bliss that perched on the tip of his tongue. He wanted to keep up the seemingly indifferent conversation, but opening his mouth now threatened to give away his completely uncomposed inner state. Thus he remained silent, all his thoughts lingering on those teasing fingertips playing with his earlobe, slipping into the dimple from time to time, then going back to the outer part.

Suddenly a panicked, incoherent thought fought its way through the maze of pleasant sensations Ringo was experiencing My ears—God, did I wash them decently? What a shame it would be.... His muscles tensed and he involuntarily dodged the touch. He couldn't remember when he’d last washed his ears; he always did it automatically. Was it that day? The day before? Yesterday. I had a shower yesterday. It should be good enough. His body relaxed and his ear exposed its soft, delicate flesh to the equally delicate caress once again.

The cool, fresh air of night soothed their fevered foreheads, and the breeze, smelling of the sea, left a deposit of salt and damp on their skin and hair.

"Strange, isn't it?" Kayden threw out a disconnected thought, completely unaware of the storm that had just rolled over his friend's mind.

"What?"

"Everything. You know, that we're here, and all these feelings."

"Strange is an understatement. It's completely unbelievable."

"Yeah. It rarely happens to me that something like this—I wouldn't believe it if someone had told me that."

"Me neither." Ringo snorted a short laugh. "Remember the first time we met?"

"Oh, you were such a dick!"

Kayden must have turned his head, as Ringo felt the warm breath on his ear. He swallowed hard, hot currents shooting through his body. "Yeah." He did his best to sound relaxed. "You too."

"Nooo, I wasn't."

It seemed to Ringo that Kayden's lips were a bit closer to his ear now; so close that it was extremely difficult to gather his thoughts. "Well, maybe you weren't. But you seemed like a snooty snob to me."

"Do I still?"

"I wouldn't be here with you if you did. I was really surprised to discover—um—the other you." Ringo fought bravely not to show the impression Kayden's closeness was having on him.

"Me too. I thought you were a stiff bootlicker and a grind."

"No shit. Really? That bad?"

"Sorry. That's a fact." Kayden caressed Ringo's neck as if in a gesture of apology or consolation. "It was quite unexpected to learn that you aren't."

"I am, kind of." A wide smile brightened Ringo's face. "I am a grind, remember? And you've almost become one too. It seems it's contagious." Ringo chuckled, recalling the first time when Kayden had been able to get more than the eternal E at the blackboard.

"So maybe I should start avoiding you, huh? Who knows what could happen if I'm exposed to such a source of lethal disease as you?"

"True. You might become a complete freak, like all those people who happen to actually know something."

"I know something."

"Oh, you do? Really? Would you mind sharing?"

"Not at all. It's all I dream about." Having whispered that, Kayden grabbed Ringo's head more determinedly and turned it to the side. Their eyes found each other and for a long, poignant while they stayed frozen in this silent communication, their noses touching and lips impatient and willing. Everything around them ceased to exist: the beach, the sea, the sky with its billions of stars. Space, however enormous it was, suddenly lost all importance, and the whole world shrank to two bodies lying on the sand.

Ringo felt his salivary glands go crazy; his mouth suddenly filled up with saliva that he had to swallow over and over again. The air felt nice on his skin, but its coolness went no deeper. Inside, heat ruled.

Kayden's eyes closed as he changed the position of his head and entwined his fingers in Ringo's hair. His lips came closer to Ringo's and then broke that magic barrier of vibrating air, locking their mouths in a slow, gentle kiss.

Ringo unintentionally held his breath when Kayden's soft lips captured his lower one. Naturally, without thinking much, he returned the caress, nibbling slightly at the lower lip of his friend. It was strange to feel it upside down, but exciting. The wet, slick inner surface of Kayden's mouth invited Ringo to overcome his nerves, manifesting themselves with the fast and hard pounding of his heart. He shyly run the tip of his tongue over the Kayden’s lower lip and gum.

"You have a scar inside." He smiled, breaking the kiss but not moving away; their lips were only millimeters apart.

"Yeah. I bit myself once." Kayden smiled back, playing with the dark hair of the other boy. "You didn't feel it before?"

"I was too preoccupied before, I guess." Ringo's husky voice and his facial expression were now far from shy. Kayden was surprised to realize that the seductive half-smirk and smoldering glance of pretty eyes were completely deliberate! Inhibitions were letting go of Ringo one by one, kiss by kiss. He started to feel more self-confident and comfortable with his sexual attraction. Something was waking up inside him, making him aware of his body, his needs, his power. Now that he had finally discovered the pleasure of being desired, he found it quite entertaining and was learning how to use it. He had a long way to go yet, but still...

Oh, yes. It felt good.

"And now you're not preoccupied?" Kayden raised his brows in pretended amazement.

"The more you have, the more you want," Ringo whispered softly, encircling the other boy's head with his arm and pulling it closer. He planted an innocent kiss on the tip of Kayden's nose and then brought their lips together again.

"You're one big fucking surprise, Ringo," Kayden breathed into his friend's mouth, before the air was pushed back down his throat and his lips were completely devoured.

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So... talk to me! I really need it :) Times are difficult (you know, crisis ;) ) so every bit of motivation is a piece of gold...

Oh, and I decided to give you some kind of 'status bar' on chapters-to-be on my profile. If you want to know the progress - check canterro's section 'About' :)

Aaand... as I'm a bit irregular when it comes to updating, if you want to be notified about new chapters, leave me an e-mail :) I'll send you an info.