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They had it down to an exact science, this covert relationship of theirs.
For the first two weeks, when Ardal hadn't been attending school, it was easier. Mal went to his classes each day, picked up Ardal's work, and then stopped to eat something before returning to Ardal's house, since he wasn't supposed to eat their food. Then he and Ardal did their coursework together before spending the entire night doing anything they wanted. Which usually involved a lot of kissing and roaming hands and not much else. Ardal's parents were as oblivious to what was going on under their roof as they always were. They were much more interested in what was on telly than their son, no matter how much they pretended to care.
When Ardal returned to school, it was more difficult. The entire mess had started because Ardal and Mal had kissed on school grounds in full view of most of the student body. Now they couldn't go near each other or look at each other. School was a very lonely experience for both of them because they were so close and yet so far away.
After school let out, Mal and Ardal would meet at Mal's favourite spot in Whitehead. It was a little alcove under one of the town's main roads. The cement over their heads made them feel like they were protected from the view of everyone else. And kids usually avoided the area because there were stories it was haunted, which Mal believed to be pure bollocks. From there the idea was that they would continue to Ardal's house together, though they usually got carried away for an hour or two first. Such was the wont of teenage boys.
On weekends, Mal would enter the Quinn household sometime in the afternoon, redily ignoring the glares he received from Mr and Mrs Quinn. On Sunday the 29th, he continued on up to Ardal's room but when he entered, he didn't find his boyfriend waiting for him in an over-excited state. Instead, Ardal was sitting on his bed, head hanging, hands firmly tucked between his knees. "Ardal?" Mal closed the door behind him and he stepped over to his boyfriend.
"What's wrong?" His first thought was that Frankie had said something to him. That or Ardal's parents had found out about their relationship, though Mal dismissed that one quickly. To do that, they would have to pay attention.
"My cousin's dead," Ardal blurted out, looking up at Mal with shining eyes. "Theresa."
"Oh." Mal was overcome with both discomfort and sympathy in equal measure. He had no idea how to comfort someone, especially not through something like this. "Uhm...one of the ones in England?"
Ardal nodded. All of his aunts and uncles had defected to either England or Ireland, and Theresa had been one of the English ones. "Yeah. My Uncle Bob said she got beat up. Like me..." Not exactly like him. She had been killed.
Mal's heart hardened into a fist, which began pounding relentlessly against his chest. "Ardal..." He sat beside Ardal then, pulling the boy into his arms. "I'm sorry..."
"I didn't know her really well. Our mothers hate each other." Ardal sighed, knowing Mal would understand not wanting to be around a sibling. "But I liked her. She was kind of like you." Ardal looked sideways at Mal, a sad little smile on his face. "I think she started smoking at eleven..."
Malachy raised his eyebrows, but it sounded about right. "Nine," he admitted. "Frankie and me used to steal Da's cigarettes and smoke 'em behind the garage. It smelt like fumes and tobacco."
Ardal chuckled once and then he leaned his head against Mal's shoulder. "I'm afraid, Mal."
"Afraid of what?"
"I...I don't want Frankie to find out and end up like Theresa..."
Mal chewed on his lip and then he pulled his shoulder out from under Ardal's head so that the other boy fell forward a little before catching himself. "You said it wasn't going to take you away-"
"Mal, it's not. I'm just afraid." Ardal reached for Malachy's hand and he brought it to his lips to kiss. "He's going to find out. You know he is."
"Then I'll kick his stupid arse!" Mal said, feel defensive and angry now. Feeling things like sympathy and love was confusing to him and it was all a little overwhelming. "He's not going to touch you again! No, goddammit."
"Mal." Ardal reached out for Mal's hands again, this time trying to contain them so he didn't flap them around. "Let's just...forget I said anything?"
Mal sighed and he let the anger drift right out of him. It was like he was deflating, and his shoulders drooped. "Okay." He certainly wasn't about to argue.
"Mal..." Ardal leaned forward and he kissed Mal's cheek. "Do you think we could..." Ardal cleared his throat, not really wanting to say it. They had been dancing around the topic since their first date, but every time sex came up for real, one of them changed the subject as quickly as possible. They had done their share of kissing and touching, but nothing below the belt, and Ardal didn't even know how, though he knew Mal was experienced enough with women. Ardal hadn't even been with a woman. "Uhm..do you think we could...you know? I don't want to get the crap beaten out of me when I'm not even...you-knowing..."
Mal looked up at Ardal and he smiled then. "You want to do me!"
Ardal instantly turned red, and it took a minute before he realised Mal wasn't having a go at him. Mal wasn't mocking his virginity, or the fact that Ardal was expressing his desire to sleep with a man. He hadn't reverted back to his old self. His voice had held within, much interest. "I do."
"And you're not too sad?"
Ardal shook his head firmly. "I'm not too sad. And I love you." Mal still couldn't say it, though he had worked up to saying 'you too', and Ardal could deal with that. "Lock the door."
Mal moved so quickly, it made Ardal laugh. The door was locked in seconds. And in seconds more, Mal's lips were against his and they were kissing. Mal had thought this would be the hardest thing they would do. He had gotten over his issues with having feelings for a boy, but how did you manage to sleep with one?!
As it turned out, Mal found it easier than sleeping with a girl. He understood all the bits, as he happened to have them too. And he was able to make Ardal feel good, judging by the other boy's reactions. All in all? Mal liked it more. He used his mouth and his hands to bring Ardal to orgasm and then Ardal followed his example and did the same for him. They spent the entire autumn afternoon experimenting with each other's bodies.
In the wake of tragedy, two people came together and never looked back.
For the first two weeks, when Ardal hadn't been attending school, it was easier. Mal went to his classes each day, picked up Ardal's work, and then stopped to eat something before returning to Ardal's house, since he wasn't supposed to eat their food. Then he and Ardal did their coursework together before spending the entire night doing anything they wanted. Which usually involved a lot of kissing and roaming hands and not much else. Ardal's parents were as oblivious to what was going on under their roof as they always were. They were much more interested in what was on telly than their son, no matter how much they pretended to care.
When Ardal returned to school, it was more difficult. The entire mess had started because Ardal and Mal had kissed on school grounds in full view of most of the student body. Now they couldn't go near each other or look at each other. School was a very lonely experience for both of them because they were so close and yet so far away.
After school let out, Mal and Ardal would meet at Mal's favourite spot in Whitehead. It was a little alcove under one of the town's main roads. The cement over their heads made them feel like they were protected from the view of everyone else. And kids usually avoided the area because there were stories it was haunted, which Mal believed to be pure bollocks. From there the idea was that they would continue to Ardal's house together, though they usually got carried away for an hour or two first. Such was the wont of teenage boys.
On weekends, Mal would enter the Quinn household sometime in the afternoon, redily ignoring the glares he received from Mr and Mrs Quinn. On Sunday the 29th, he continued on up to Ardal's room but when he entered, he didn't find his boyfriend waiting for him in an over-excited state. Instead, Ardal was sitting on his bed, head hanging, hands firmly tucked between his knees. "Ardal?" Mal closed the door behind him and he stepped over to his boyfriend.
"What's wrong?" His first thought was that Frankie had said something to him. That or Ardal's parents had found out about their relationship, though Mal dismissed that one quickly. To do that, they would have to pay attention.
"My cousin's dead," Ardal blurted out, looking up at Mal with shining eyes. "Theresa."
"Oh." Mal was overcome with both discomfort and sympathy in equal measure. He had no idea how to comfort someone, especially not through something like this. "Uhm...one of the ones in England?"
Ardal nodded. All of his aunts and uncles had defected to either England or Ireland, and Theresa had been one of the English ones. "Yeah. My Uncle Bob said she got beat up. Like me..." Not exactly like him. She had been killed.
Mal's heart hardened into a fist, which began pounding relentlessly against his chest. "Ardal..." He sat beside Ardal then, pulling the boy into his arms. "I'm sorry..."
"I didn't know her really well. Our mothers hate each other." Ardal sighed, knowing Mal would understand not wanting to be around a sibling. "But I liked her. She was kind of like you." Ardal looked sideways at Mal, a sad little smile on his face. "I think she started smoking at eleven..."
Malachy raised his eyebrows, but it sounded about right. "Nine," he admitted. "Frankie and me used to steal Da's cigarettes and smoke 'em behind the garage. It smelt like fumes and tobacco."
Ardal chuckled once and then he leaned his head against Mal's shoulder. "I'm afraid, Mal."
"Afraid of what?"
"I...I don't want Frankie to find out and end up like Theresa..."
Mal chewed on his lip and then he pulled his shoulder out from under Ardal's head so that the other boy fell forward a little before catching himself. "You said it wasn't going to take you away-"
"Mal, it's not. I'm just afraid." Ardal reached for Malachy's hand and he brought it to his lips to kiss. "He's going to find out. You know he is."
"Then I'll kick his stupid arse!" Mal said, feel defensive and angry now. Feeling things like sympathy and love was confusing to him and it was all a little overwhelming. "He's not going to touch you again! No, goddammit."
"Mal." Ardal reached out for Mal's hands again, this time trying to contain them so he didn't flap them around. "Let's just...forget I said anything?"
Mal sighed and he let the anger drift right out of him. It was like he was deflating, and his shoulders drooped. "Okay." He certainly wasn't about to argue.
"Mal..." Ardal leaned forward and he kissed Mal's cheek. "Do you think we could..." Ardal cleared his throat, not really wanting to say it. They had been dancing around the topic since their first date, but every time sex came up for real, one of them changed the subject as quickly as possible. They had done their share of kissing and touching, but nothing below the belt, and Ardal didn't even know how, though he knew Mal was experienced enough with women. Ardal hadn't even been with a woman. "Uhm..do you think we could...you know? I don't want to get the crap beaten out of me when I'm not even...you-knowing..."
Mal looked up at Ardal and he smiled then. "You want to do me!"
Ardal instantly turned red, and it took a minute before he realised Mal wasn't having a go at him. Mal wasn't mocking his virginity, or the fact that Ardal was expressing his desire to sleep with a man. He hadn't reverted back to his old self. His voice had held within, much interest. "I do."
"And you're not too sad?"
Ardal shook his head firmly. "I'm not too sad. And I love you." Mal still couldn't say it, though he had worked up to saying 'you too', and Ardal could deal with that. "Lock the door."
Mal moved so quickly, it made Ardal laugh. The door was locked in seconds. And in seconds more, Mal's lips were against his and they were kissing. Mal had thought this would be the hardest thing they would do. He had gotten over his issues with having feelings for a boy, but how did you manage to sleep with one?!
As it turned out, Mal found it easier than sleeping with a girl. He understood all the bits, as he happened to have them too. And he was able to make Ardal feel good, judging by the other boy's reactions. All in all? Mal liked it more. He used his mouth and his hands to bring Ardal to orgasm and then Ardal followed his example and did the same for him. They spent the entire autumn afternoon experimenting with each other's bodies.
In the wake of tragedy, two people came together and never looked back.
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