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| Fandom: | Houston Knights |
| Series: | Round Robins |
| Rating: | NC-17 |
| Pairing: | Joe/Levon |
| Archive: | Starwinder's |
| Title: | A Dark And Stormy Night |
| Author: | Various members of hokns@smartgroups.com |
| e-mail: | strwndr@surfsouth.com |
| Standard Disclaimer: Houston Knights belongs to Jay Bernstein and Michael Butler and Columbia Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended. This is fan fiction, written out of love for the shows. I am making no money off this. I have no money so please don't sue me. Any original characters that may appear in these stories are the property of the author. | |
Part 1 By Mac
It was a dark and stormy night. Levon Lundy had been trying to get Fooler calmed down for some time. The dang horse had a mind'o her own and wouldn't settle in. He could feel the fine blonde hairs on his forearms standing on end, like the static electricity in the air was building for a mighty burst.
So far, the rain had been sporadic and mean, short drenching bursts that knifed through his thin cotton work shirt and made his jeans feel like they wuz glued on.
It would be another thirty-six hours afore he and his pardner, Joe LaFiamma, were due back on duty at Reisner, where HPD's Major Crimes Unit was located in Houston. The Texan forked another pile of straw into Fooler's box stall, softening the bedding for hiz ole girl. She side stepped the arriving bits, and finally seemed to calm a bit, going fur her feed bin.
[Good.] She'd plenty o'water and he'd cleaned out the stall afore puttin' her in fur the night. He speared the pitchfork into a bale across the walkway and rubbed at hiz arms. [Dang, it waz cold suddenly.]
*******
Joe LaFiamma lit another candle. Good thing I like to romance the ladies, he thought as he surveyed his apartment. Candlelight flickered here and there, softly lighting the large open space. The power had been off when he got home and a call to the apartment manager let him know it was the whole complex. Seemed there'd been a power failure and when it came on the fusing in the main box blew. The earliest an electrician could be there was tomorrow.
The rattle of hail against his large back window in the living room startled the dark Italian. It ended so soon that he peered out, only reassured when he saw the tiny icy balls on the sill.
[Wonder how Lundy's gonna be tonight?] Joe did not like this particular yearly celebration. Hadn't liked it in his hometown of Chicago, and wasn't looking forward to it here in Houston.
Sitting down on his couch with a glass of mineral water, Joe stared into the candle flame dancing above a large, chunky candle squatting on the coffee table.
He could almost see the pathetic misshapen pumpkin that his mother had salvaged one year, on sale at the neighborhood market since it was really already Halloween eve by then. He'd watched her carve it, talking all the time about All Soul's Day and death. Telling them how this was the time of year that, back in Italy, they'd be getting chrysanthemums and going to the cemetery, visiting with dead family, leaving the mums, flowers of death and remembrance, there for love of the lost members of their extended families.
Joe thought about that Halloween. The pumpkin had looked lost too, sitting on their table, with a candle inside, trying to find enough oxygen to burn, with the pumpkin lid back on. He remembered his mother, his sister and him, sitting there, eating dinner, while she talked about his dad, already dead two years by then. Tomorrow, on the first day of November, they'd go visit his grave. Tonight, he and his sister were supposed to go out and trick or treat. Since they didn't have much money and his mother was too proud to let his bent uncles help, he and Angelina, his sister, were gonna have to wear sheets again. His mother would cut small four-way slits for eyeholes and then tomorrow, she would sew them back together.
Sighing, LaFiamma sipped his water and decided he really didn't want to be alone tonight, with thoughts of dead family, friends and even, enemies.
Without conscious thought, he reached out a hand and picked up the telephone. He stopped and stared at the receiver in his hand, then shrugged. [If Lundy's home, maybe he'll feel like a nice dinner - I could go over and cook - can't do it here with no electricity.] He began to dial.
*********
Lundy hung up the phone, a bit confused and a bit excited. Joe wuz comin' over, tonight. Had invited hizself and wuz bringin' the fixin's fur a full meal.
Levon wasn't exactly shore why his partner had decided to call and offer the meal, figgered he'd be out partyin' with the singles crowd. This was a good night fur partyin' - costumes ever'where. 'Course, it wuz also a good night fur crime. [Glad we're not on call.]
He wandered into the front room and over to hiz picture wall, straightening Caroline's photograph. Sometimes it seemed to tip a bit, like she wanted hiz attention. [Foolish thoughts], he decided. Touched the tips of his fingers to the glass covered photo. "Caro?"
There wuz no answer, weren't expectin' none, Levon thought. Lots o'dead folks on this wall, he noticed, studying family and friends. There was hiz only picture of hiz mama, one of hiz first horse, and there wuz Bobby, his first, best friend - and lover.
The sound of the heavy purr of Joe's Cobra, out in the front, interrupted Levon's musings.
-------end of Part 1-------
Part 2 By Starwinder
Joe walked up the path to Lundy's front door, carrying the box with all the fixings for a light meal. An odd feeling of anticipation gnawed at his stomach. Butterflies seemed to be fluttering around in there for some unknown reason. He hesitated, suddenly worried, what about he wasn't certain.
The wind gave him a firm push towards the door. He could almost hear quiet laughter in it.
Someone whispered soft against his ear, a woman's voice giving gentle words of encouragement. {{Go on! He's waitin' for you!}}
He took another hesitant step and the wind giggled around him and gave him another little push towards the door.
He shook off a feeling of being watched and opening the screen door, raised his hand to knock on the wooden door. It swung open.
He froze, his hand still raised, then grinned in relief as Lundy stepped around the edge of the door he was holding open for Joe. Lowering his hand, he said, "Whew! For a second there I thought you had ghosts!"
Lundy grinned back at him, "Tonight'd be the night for'em." He stepped back and motioned Joe in.
Joe went on through into the kitchen without waiting to be asked, after all he'd said he'd cook supper. He put the box down on the counter and began taking things out of it. "Hope you don't mind chicken."
"Not a'tall." He paused then grinned to show he was just teasing as he added, "Ya gonna *fry* it?"
The offended look that earned him, made him chuckle. Joe had such an expressive face.
{{Beautiful.}} The word was whispered in his ear. Levon gave his head a sudden shake. That had sounded like Caro's voice.
He moved over to the wall and flicked on the overhead light in the kitchen. "There ya go. You can see a mite better now."
Joe nodded his thanks and kept taking stuff out of the box.
Levon moved closer to get a look at what Joe'd brought. There was a bowl with a chicken in it, cut into quarters and covered with what he assumed was some kinda marinade. Another bowl held salad greens already torn and ready for the salad. There was a package of ready to cook pasta, the kind that you buy in specialty shops, fresh and vacuum-sealed, not the dry kind and a glass jar of what he knew to be Joe's homemade marinara sauce.
He had teased Joe about it, when he'd first found out that Joe made his own at home. Then he'd spent most of the weekend with Joe when Joe'd made it. That was a favorite memory although he'd never tell Joe that.
They'd gone down to the Farmer's Market and he'd watched Joe spend two hours picking out tomatoes, one at a time, looking at, feeling of and smelling each one before accepting or rejecting it as an ingredient in *his* marinara sauce. He'd gone through the same routine for every one of the ingredients. By the time they left Levon was sure that everybody there thought they were a couple of nuts.
Still, when Joe'd finished making it and held out a spoonful to him to taste he'd decided it was worth it. It was, in his opinion, the best damn tomato sauce he'd ever tasted. Of course Joe had gotten indignant at him calling it tomato sauce, had insisted that it was *marinara* sauce.
Joe looked over at him, "This won't take long. Turn the broiler on, will you?"
"Sure," Levon turned the stove on, setting the oven to broil so that it could preheat.
Joe got out the pan he wanted to use, a non stick broiling pan with a raised rack that would let the grease drain into the pan below it.
He placed the chicken on it and set it aside while the oven preheated. He sat a pot on the stove and filled it with water, covering it to bring it to a boil quicker. As soon as the water began to boil he put the chicken in the oven and dumped the pasta in the pot of boiling water. He put another pot on to heat the marinara sauce.
Less than half an hour later it was ready.
As Joe sat the last bowl on the table the lights went out. He chuckled nervously, "Seems like I am destined to be in the dark tonight. I come out here because there's no power at my place and now yours goes off."
"At least ya got through cookin', Boy." Levon reminded him. "Just stay put and I'll go scare up some candles."
"Well, don't scare'em too bad, they might not light!" Joe said, only half-teasing.
The wind rattled the back screen door and something tapped repeatedly against the kitchen window.
He stood frozen as he listened to Levon moving away from the table. His heart began to pound in his chest. [I'm not afraid. I'm a grown man. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's just the wind. A limb tapping on the window.]
He turned to look towards the window and had to stifle a scream. There was a face there, just for a second then it vanished. It looked like Caroline, Lundy's wife... like the pictures of her.
He turned back to the table, clutching the edge of it. He was shaking when Lundy returned with a lit candle, held in one hand the other curled in front of it to keep the air movement from blowing it out.
Lundy sat the candle down on the table and said, "I'll be right back with some more." Then he turned and saw how white Joe's face was.
-------End part 2-------
Part 3 By Jennie
"Joe?" Levon moved closer to his partner, looking around to see what might have caused this uncharacteristic fear reaction. "What is it, boy?"
Joe looked at the window again. Nothing. "Thought I saw ... " He broke off and shook his head. "Nothing, Levon. Weather has me spooked for some reason."
Shrugging, Levon turned to get more candles.
"Uh ... Where you going?"
Lundy turned back in surprise. He couldn't remember ever hearing that note in Joe's voice. "'M goin' after candles, Joe."
"Oh." Joe looked at the window again. "I'll come with you."
He wanted to laugh but the look on Joe's face stifled his amusement. Damn sure *something* had the boy scared. He shrugged and set off down the hall with Joe on his heels. As he entered the bedroom, a huge crash of thunder sounded and Joe moved right up behind him and grabbed his arms.
Well, hell. Levon stopped and tried his level best not to lean back into Joe's warmth but found that he just couldn't resist. He stood for several minutes, savoring the unaccustomed closeness.
Finally, he turned to look at his partner. "Joe," he said quietly, "what's a matter?"
LaFiamma swallowed heavily, but maintained his hold on Levon's arms. "I'm ... ah, that is ... I'm not sure, Lundy. I just have this ... *feeling*."
Frowning, Levon raised his hands, closing them over Joe's biceps. "What kind of feeling?"
Peering suspiciously into the shadows, Joe shook his head. "Dunno, partner. Just a kind of a shivery feeling in my stomach."
"Hunger, maybe?"
Joe huffed a laugh and stepped back a tiny bit. One hand still clung to Levon's arm, though. "Get the candles and let's eat, then."
Gathering candles proved to be somewhat more difficult than strictly necessary, not that Levon minded. He kind of liked having Joe stick so close. In fact, he liked it a whole lot. He walked back out to the dining room, Joe gripping his arm tightly. Eating could be a mite tricky if this continued, but he felt sure he could deal with the inconvenience.
Levon lit two more candles, placing one at the other end of the table and one on the sideboard. That would have to do for now; he wasn't even gonna try to move around the house lighting candles with Joe hangin' on to him. 'Sides, if he moved around too much, Joe might let go.
Pulling out a chair, Levon started to sit.
"Wait!" Joe pulled him up and pushed him towards the chair that faced the window. "You sit there," he instructed as he sat in the chair Levon had almost landed in himself.
Shrugging at Joe's odd behavior, Levon settled himself and reached to fill his plate. "This looks great Joe." He put a bite of chicken in his mouth and smiled happily. "Tastes even better."
Joe grinned and lifted a forkful of salad to his mouth. Another loud crash of thunder and he put his fork back on his plate. He slid his chair close to Levon's and pulled his place setting over in front of himself.
The wind gusted, causing a tree branch to rattle against the living room window. Joe moved a little closer and pressed his leg against Levon's.
Hiding a smile, Levon continued to eat. He noticed that Joe was not eating, kept sneaking looks at the window. Finally, he set his fork down.
"Joe, what is botherin' you, boy? Yer actin' like you seen a ghost."
Wide blue eyes turned to stare at him fearfully turned again to the window then back to Levon. "Why ... what makes you say that?"
Okay. So, whatever was eating him, Joe was not yet prepared to discuss it. Levon could wait. He picked up his fork and resumed his meal. "Hey," he nudged Joe's elbow. "Eat, Joey."
Pushing his plate to one side, Joe shrugged. "Guess I'm not so hungry after all, cowboy."
Levon frowned and turned to look at Joe more closely. His elbow knocked a knife to the floor and he bent to pick it up. Hearing Joe gasp, he straightened quickly.
"What? What is it?" He followed Joe's wide-eyed stare to the window but saw nothing.
"Joe? Did ya see somethin' out there?"
"Le ... " Joe paused to clear his throat. "Um ... you don't by any chance have any rooms that *don't* have windows ... Do you?"
Levon's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline at that one. "Without windows? What on earth is yer problem tonight?"
Just then another huge crash of thunder shook the house and Joe jumped, nearly landing in Levon's lap.
{{He's afraid.}} A woman's voice whispered in his ear. {{Hold his hand.}}
Reflex had Levon reaching for Joe's hand before he fully realized that he was following directions from his dead wife. He stiffened and stood up. Picking up his empty plate and Joe's full one, Levon headed for the kitchen. As he set them in the sink, the wind rattled the tree branches again.
Figuring he'd best get back in there or he'd likely find his partner under the damned table, Levon turned and ran straight into a warm body. A pair of arms wrapped themselves tightly around him and a body pressed against him.
"Wha ... Joe?" His arms came up to hold his trembling partner. "What is it? C'mon, Joe, tell me what's got you so spooked."
--------End of part 3-------
Part 4 By Mac
Joe ducked his head against Lundy's sharp shoulder and just breathed deeply for a moment. [This is silly. I've just been seeing things, it's only my imagination. Really.] On the other hand, it *was* nice to stand here with Levon's arms around him and the cowboy's concerned voice in his ear. "I guess I just thought I saw something..."
Levon waited for Joe to finish and when a minute had passed in silence, he hugged the man firmly and pushed him back to arms' length. Love to keep this boy close, but he don't want *it*, he's jest scared o'somethin' an' actin' spooked. "Joe? Joey?"
The blue eyes opened wide and looked over Levon's shoulder, toward the kitchen window again.
Suspicious, Levon swung them around quickly but the window was dark.
LaFiamma was making some decisions by now. [Okay, mom always said that this was the eve of All Soul's Day. Looks like one of Levon's "souls" has come to pay a visit. Mom said we should honor the souls, pray for them, visit with them... I think she meant in the cemetery, but it looks like one's come to visit Levon and decided to pick on me.]
Joe closed his eyes and centered himself. "Levon, I think I saw your wife, Caroline, at the window." There, he'd said it.
Levon dropped hiz arms and stepped back away from LaFiamma. Shocked and half-believing, he twisted his neck to look towards the window again but it was still dark. He could hear the sounds of the wind in the trees outside, the scratching of the branches against windows, the patter of another spurt of rain, but nothing else.
Then *she* whispered in his ear again. {{Lee, it's alright... he's so beautiful, you deserve some beauty in your life again...}}
"Caro?" Lundy's hushed voice had Joe backing away until he bumped into the wall of the kitchen.
Lundy found himself accepting this other worldly conversation without question. Caroline wuz lookin' out fur him. She'd never come back like this afore, but then, this wuz a special night. Levon looked at his pardner. [He *is* beautiful. He wants to be close, too, but *that way?*] "Joe? I..."
At that moment there was another sky-rending crash of thunder and light. It sounded like it was right on top of them. The glassware in the kitchen cupboard rattled and both men froze, waiting.
LaFiamma pushed off from the wall and stepped back into the center of the kitchen but did not come up against Lundy. "Levon, you know what day, uh, night this is, right?"
At Lundy's nod, LaFiamma continued, "Back home, my family, we honor the dead souls on Hallowed Eve and then the next day, All Soul's Day. It's their time. It's special. I think maybe some of your souls have come calling."
Lundy would have laughed at his pardner, only he'd now heard Caroline speak into his ear several times. [Ah think Joe might be right.] "That's what you saw, you think? Caro's soul come visitin'?"
Joe nodded solemnly, looking very young, very pale. "Maybe she wants something?"
The blonde wondered if he should tell LaFiamma that, apparently, she wanted him to *take* the Italian. [Now *that* would certainly change Joey's focus. Not likely fur the better, either, way the boy chases after skirts. No, best not to tell him exactly what hiz dead wife wanted Levon to do. Jest wait out this storm, probably woke the dead, it did.]
"Joe, Ah think iffn we jest set down in the front room, Ah kin start a fire in the fireplace and we kin wait out this here storm. Likely causing all sorts of things to happen." Without waiting for a reply, he led the way into the front room, Joe swinging around and following like he was on a tether.
As LaFiamma passed through the archway into the room, a coldness enveloped him. He came to a reluctant halt, like his feet had suddenly become glued down to the plank flooring right beside Levon's old rolltop desk. The flickering candle light of a single candle there seemed to light one newsclipping pinned to the wall - the one of Lundy and his friend Bobby Wilton, triumphant at the end of a college football game. "The Connection" duo, were grinning into the camera and out at him. The cold deepened, his vision narrowed, though he could faintly hear Lundy over by the hearth, stacking wood onto the grate for a fire.
{{He'll always be *mine*! Stay away from him!}} That was definitely a male voice, talking in his ear softly. It had sounded like... like Wilton. Bobby Wilton.
"Joe?" Lundy was puzzled, looking over hiz shoulder, first the boy wouldn't quit hiz side, now he's standing in the doorway like he done decided to homestead that spot. "Joe, you comin' in here or what?"
As from a great distance, LaFiamma heard Lundy ask him something. The cold seemed to be climbing up his legs, the chill so intense that it was painful.
------end of part 4------
Part 5 By Jennie
Lord, the boy was white as a ... sheet. Levon crossed quickly to his side. "Joe ... Joe ... Joey!"
He grabbed Joe's arms and gasped. "Joe, yer freezin'." Tugging at the man's arm, Levon urged, "C'mon, Joe. Move, dammit!"
Suddenly, Joe's glazed stare fixed on a spot directly in front of him. "Caroline?" He whispered.
Levon stared as hard as he could at that spot, wishing ... praying for just one more chance to look at the woman he'd loved. Nothing. He looked back at Joe.
Slowly, as if he were being pushed, Joe started backing out of the living room.
Levon paced him, concentrating on keeping him moving.
They had just passed through the archway when Levon saw her. Just for a millisecond and only out of the corner of his eye. But, there wasn't a shred of doubt in his mind. Caroline had pushed Joe out of the living room. All of his pulling and urging and shouting had had no effect at all ... but his wife's ghost had *pushed* Joe out of the room.
He turned to stare at her and she was ... gone. Or, at least *he* couldn't see her any longer. Silently, he stared at the air, willing her to reappear.
{{Joey's freezin', Lee,}} *she* whispered in his ear. {{Go to him ... hold him.}}
He started in surprise, but did as she directed. Moving closer, he pulled Joe into his arms and held him tight.
Joe stood froze for several minutes his glassy stare fixed on the living room.
"Joey," he said softly into Joe's ear, "look at me Joe ... Look at *me*"
With a shiver, Joe turned his eyes to Levon and brought his arms up to close convulsively around Levon's neck.
"Levon ... Levon ... Levon ..." Joe just kept repeating his name over and over, moving closer and closer. It was as if Joe were trying to climb right inside of him.
{{Exactly!}} Caro said in the distance. {{get him away from Bobby, Lee. Do it now.}}
"Wha ... Bobby? Bobby Wilton?" Levon asked.
Joe moaned and shuddered. "Levon, get me away from him ... Please."
Waking up to the urgency of the current situation, Levon started backing towards the dining room. With each step, Joe's shivering increased. It was that delayed reaction to fear he'd experienced so many times himself ... but, exaggerated.
"It's okay," he murmured, pulling Joe's head to rest on his shoulder. "We're outa there now ... easy does it ... easy, boy. Yer alright." Speaking in that soothing almost-croon that always calmed Fooler, Levon ran his hands over Joe's back. "Hush now, I've got ya ... yer okay, now."
{{Take him into the bedroom, Levon,}} Caro whispered. {{That's *my* room. He'll be safe there.}}
"Bedroom," Joe suddenly said. "Yes, Levon ... bedroom."
"Alright, Joe," Levon responded immediately. It never occurred to him to refuse Caro ... much less Joe. "C'mon then," he started to turn to the hall, but Joe clutched at him with surprising strength.
"Easy, Joe," Levon soothed, backing now toward the hallway. "We're goin' into the bedroom now ... c'mon, boy ... just a few more steps."
It proved a tad bit tricky shuffling backwards down the hall with Joe clinging to him like a limpet, but Levon managed it. "Here we are," he said with relief as they crossed the threshold into the bedroom. "It's okay now, Joe. We're here, now. Caro said you'd be safe in here."
Joe tightened his grip. "No, don't let go yet, Levon. Not yet." He buried his face in Levon's neck and trembled.
Raising one hand to stroke Joe's hair, Levon kept the other closed around his back. "Take it easy, son. I'm not going anywhere. Hush, boy. Yer okay now."
Gradually, Joe's shivers decreased though he did not loosen his hold on Levon. He heaved a sigh and relaxed a fraction, resting his head on Levon's shoulder. "Damn, cowboy. That was ... I never felt anything like that. Just pure unadulterated hatred."
He shivered again and Levon hushed him. ""S okay, Joe. Tell me when yer ready ... no rush."
"It was Bobby, Levon. He said ... he said ... well, he warned me away. Said you were *his*." He raised his head and looked into Levon's eyes. "What did he mean? What were you to him?"
Levon shifted uncomfortably and looked away from Joe. "He was ... we were ... we were lovers for a time, Joe. He was always a little ... possessive, I guess."
He blushed as his partner's eyes widened in amazement. Shrugging uncertainly, he tried a small smile. "C'mon Joey ... It don't bother ya, does it? My being bisexual, I mean."
"Uh ..." Joe blinked. "No. No, Levon, it doesn't *bother* me ... I was just surprised, that's all. I never thought ... I mean ... I thought I was the only one ... " He stuttered to a halt, his eyes fixed on Levon's mouth. "Ah ... would you mind if I..."
Holding his breath in sudden and unexpected hope, Levon watched, transfixed, as Joe moved closer. He waited, wanting this to be Joe's decision ... Joe's desire ... Joe's need that brought them together.
Ever so slowly, Joe tilted his head just so and brought his lips to Levon's. His mouth whispered across Levon's so softly, so carefully, so reverently, that Levon found himself close to tears.
He gently traced the outline of Joe's lips with his tongue, wanting, needing desperately to be allowed in, to taste Joe ... to *taste* him. He moaned and probed asking Joe, begging him ...
And, the answer was yes. Yes! Joe's lips parted and Levon sighed as his tongue slipped inside. Oh god. It was wonderful ... It was everything. Everything!
"Hmmm," he hummed, opening his mouth wider. And suddenly what had been a gentle kiss of discovery had become a wildly passionate clash. Almost violent in it's need, the kiss went on and on, each man fighting to get closer ... to touch more fully ... He pushed his hips into Joe's, and hissed his pleasure when his erection found its mate.
When the simple human need for oxygen drove their mouths apart, Levon attached his open mouth to Joe's neck and clamped down. He needed to mark this man ... to proclaim his ownership ... to be his lover.
"Joe," Levon struggled to speak through the haze of lust, "Joe, please ... if you don't mean this, tell me now. 'Cause pretty soon it'll be too late ... I won't be able to stop."
"It's always been too late, cowboy." Joe whispered in his ear. "Since the first time I laid eyes on you that day at the airport, it's been too late for me. Now, make love to me, Levon. Make love to me."
-----End of Part 5-----
Part 6 By Starwinder
"Oh, God! Joey! I've wanted this for so long... so long..." Levon backed towards the bed, pulling Joe with him. His hands busy pulling and tugging at Joe's clothes.
He moaned as the shirt came out of the waistband of Joe's pants and his hands slid underneath, touching the warm firm flesh.
Joe gasped at the touch. Levon's fingers felt like they were trailing ribbons of fire across his skin, pleasure so intense it was almost painful. His own hands were busy tugging at Levon's shirt.
The snaps on the western style shirt, made it easier for him to remove it than it was for Levon to remove his. He swayed back away from Levon just long enough to give a quick yank that unfastened the snaps with a satisfying pop, pop, pop.
He pushed it back and off Levon's shoulders as the cowboy surged against him, bending to trail kisses down his neck to his collarbone, nipping along it as he continued to struggle with the buttons on Joe's shirt.
In frustration Joe pulled back and catching the bottom of his shirt quickly stripped it up and over his head, ignoring the sound of a seam ripping as he did so.
The instant his nipples were uncovered, Levon dived on one of them, clamping his mouth around it and sucking it up into a hard nub.
Levon was still pulling them back towards the bed and as his knees hit it he fell backwards onto it, Joe falling on top of him. They rolled on the bed, scooting up until they were fully on it, without ever breaking contact.
The door to the bedroom slammed shut and the lock snicked closed. It rattled suddenly, violently as if someone was trying to open it and the wind shrieked, seemingly in the hall outside the door, howling in rage but both men were too wrapped up in what they were doing to notice.
Joe's legs opened and Levon slipped between them, his cock aligning with Joe's as if it were the most natural thing in the universe. He began to move, thrusting eagerly. He moaned his pleasure into Joe's mouth as he claimed it again in another passionate kiss.
Joe matched him, moan for moan, thrust for thrust, passion for passion. His tongue dueled with Levon's hungrily, starved for the taste of his cowboy. His arms went around Levon, his hands grasped the tight ass and pulled it down as he arched up, grinding his erection against Levon's, harder and faster until they were both shouting as they came.
In the living room Caroline's picture fell, striking the floor, the glass shattering. In answer a window suddenly flew up and a gust of wind snarled through the room, splattering rain on the carpet. It snatched the news clipping of Bobby and Levon off the wall and whipped it across the room, dropping it into the fire that Levon had built just before Caro had pushed Joe from the room.
In the bedroom, Levon slowly rolled off Joe, to lie beside him, holding him close. Spent but still hungry for his partner he stroked and caressed Joe, murmuring broken almost incoherent words of love to him.
Joe responded by clinging to him, babbling in Italian, while his own hands touched and caressed, exploring gently but eagerly. By mutual, yet unspoken agreement, their hands reached for the waistbands of pants, opened buttons, pulled down zippers and pushed the unwanted clothing down and off their bodies, kicking them off the bed.
Levon reached down, finding the folded quilt at the foot of the bed and pulled it up over them.
They snuggled down, wrapped in each other's arms, covered by the quilt Caroline had made and drifted off to sleep.
In the livingroom, the scrapbook of Levon's football days, fell from it's place, The wind gusting through the room flipped the pages, tugging and pulling at the pictures which showed only Levon and Bobby Wilton, ripping them from the album, carrying them towards the fire and into it.
Outside the rain slowly abated and the wind dropped to a soft sigh. The sky began to clear, leaving the world bathed in pale moonlight.
The fire in the fireplace died down, but the room remained warm.
The lock on the bedroom door quietly snicked open and the door swung gently open.
Levon stirred slightly as someone adjusted the quilt, pulling it up and tucking it in around him and his lover.
Soft lips brushed his cheek. {{He's so beautiful, Lee... and I don't just mean the body. His soul shines. His heart's warm and gentle. Be happy. I love you. Goodbye.}}
Caroline smiled down at the sleeping men. She could go now. They were safe. Bobby could never bother them again... and her Levon had someone to love him, take care of him.
***************
All Saint's Day dawned bright and beautiful. All trace of the previous night's storm was gone.
Levon awoke slowly, warm and filled with happiness. He smiled as he realized that the warmth he felt came from Joe's warm body lying close against him. His mind drifted back to the previous night. He'd never believed in ghosts but it had certainly seemed as if Caro had come back, just long enough to push Joe into his arms.
Whatever had happened, he was glad it had. He and Joe were together at last... together in every sense of the word. He turned his head to look at Joe and found himself looking into sleepy blue eyes.
He smiled, "Mornin', Love."
Joe grinned, "Morning, noon or night. Always love you." He snuggled closer, the sleepy blue eyes closing again.
Levon pressed a kiss to his hair then grinned, "Go ahead and sleep in. I gotta go check on Fooler."
Joe mumbled something as Levon slipped out of the bed then snuggled down farther under the quilt and drifted back off to sleep.
Grinning Levon went into the bathroom to get bathed, shaved and dressed. When he was done he headed for the kitchen. As he passed the livingroom doorway he froze.
One of the windows was open. The room was a shambles. It looked like somebody had fought a war in there. Caro's picture lay on the floor, the glass shattered. The clipping of him and Bobby was nowhere to be seen. The picture frame that has held the picture of him and Bobby from when they were kids was on the floor. The picture itself wasn't there. His scrapbook of his football days lay open on the floor.
Bending to pick it up, he stood and flipped through it. It looked as if every picture of him and Bobby, alone together had been ripped out. He looked around. He didn't see the pictures anywhere.
"Wow!"
He turned to see Joe standing in the doorway, wrapped in Levon's old bathrobe.
"Jesus!" Joe exclaimed staring at the mess.
Levon shrugged, then closed the scrapbook, "I reckon it wuz about time I got rid of some of this old stuff..."
Joe walked over and picked up Caroline's picture. "But not this." He said firmly. He set the frame back up in its place. Brushing his fingers across the picture he said, as if speaking directly to Caroline, "We'll get you a new frame. Something real pretty."
Turning he walked over to Levon and right into his arms. "Ya know," he began, "it's All Saints Day. Back home I'd be visiting my folk's graves, taking flowers and stuff you know..." he hesitated, "Would... would you like to go see Caroline?"
Levon held him close and leaned in for a kiss, "Ya gonna go with me?"
"If you want..." Joe said shyly.
"I want... and I think Caro would too."
The End