Call Me By My First Name

Elliette flicked his tongue as he brought his freshly lit cigarette to his lips, drinking the silver-gray smoke. His eyes fixated on the lake in front of him. The stars seemed to bleed into the pitch-black liquid, like paint dripping down a canvas. The man's eyes were darkened and inscrutable, and his face emanated, not a drop of emotions. Leaning back into the beach bench, Elliette crossed his ankles and shut his eyes, drowning in the serenity surrounding him.

The front door of the cabin slowly opened, and Romeo rubbed his eye, a yawn tumbling out of his lips. Spotting Elliette next to the lake, he sauntered towards him, dragging the bedsheet engulfing his frame with him. He didn't utter a word when he stood next to the older man, and neither did Elliette. From the corner of his eyes, Elliette observed how Romeo soaked in the scenery.

"Why did you come out?" Elliette asked, murdering the silence between them.

Romeo turned his head towards him. "Am I a bother?"

A chuckle rumbled in Elliette's throat as he exhaled smoke from his nostrils. His honeyed orbs met the lake once more as the corners of his lips tugged towards the night sky.

A chuckle rumbled in Elliette's throat as he exhaled smoke from his nostrils. His honeyed orbs met the lake once more as the corners of his lips tugged towards the night sky.

"I . . . " he murmured, not really knowing what to say. Images of him and the man beside him laying in bed stabbed at the walls of his brain, and his cheeks flushed. Elliette slid him a curious glance and noticed beneath the little light melting on his moonlit skin, the specks of pink dust sprinkled on his cheeks. Almost immediately, he, too, received the same images.

"Is your body all right?" He question, fret on the tip of his tongue. Romeo smiled sheepishly at his feet and nodded.

"Y—Yes, of course. It's not my first time," he uttered the last part beneath his breath, but Elliette caught it. Mirth lit up Elliette's eyes, and he nodded, then sat up a bit. He dropped his legs on either side of the bench and pat between them, signaling for Romeo to sit down.

"Come here," he told him, allowing his lips to hug the death stick between his index and middle finger. Romeo looked down at the bench, the familiar feeling of unease whispering through his body. Elliette took notice and promptly knew what was wrong.

"You can have sex with another man and not feel even the littlest of revulsion, but cannot sit on a beach bench?" Elliette perked an eyebrow at Romeo, who shifted in his spot, his hands clasped together as his thumbs rubbed in circles.

"Those are two very different things," he replied with heated cheeks. His words birthed a chuckle on Elliette's tongue.

"Oh? But I thought we were over this fear, Mr. Levard." Elliette blew out of a puff of smoke and tilted his head to the side. The mention of his last name had irritation boiling in Romeo's blood. With a thud, he dropped himself on the bench, his back facing Elliette.

"Isn't it a bit too late to be calling me by my last name, Mr. Bleeker?" He stressed on the man's name, making his discontent known. The corners of Elliette's mouth quirked up, and he tapped his index finger against his cigar. He hummed in response. Moments of silence went by, and Romeo turned to face him with a tightened chest.

"Say my name."

Elliette perked an eyebrow at Romeo and brought his cigar to his mouth. Smoke tumbled out of his lips and swam up Romeo's nostrils, causing him to scrunch his face in detest. Promptly, he snatched the stick from Elliette's hand and threw it into the lake.

"That's not very—"

"Call me by my first name," Romeo interrupted, and a frown appeared on Ezra's lips. A zephyr brushed their bodies, and a sigh parted from Elliette's mouth.

"That's not necessary—"

"Does my name possess such a vile taste that your tongue refuses to utter it even after having sex with me a myriad amount of times, Elliette?"

Elliette clenched his jaw, his eyes averting from Romeo's vehement gaze to the awakening daughter of the sky. When Romeo received no response, his eyes burnt with anger and unborn tears, and he turned around, scooting to the edge of the bench. Elliette watched as he moved away, his lips pressing into a thin line. Letting go of the topic, he leaned back and observed the slow rising of the sun.

Romeo stood up, having enough of the penetrating silence, and turned on his heels. He proceeded to talk past Elliette and return to the cabin, but the man grabbed his wrist, halting his movement.

"Watch the sunrise with me," he said. The name of the man beside him rested on the tip of his tongue before he gulped it down and clenched his jaw. Romeo watched in anticipation, but his name was never uttered.

With a sigh, he obliged.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The sound of fingers slapping the keys of a mill danced in the air. Elliette caught a glimpse of Romeo, who sat on the beach bench next to the lake. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since the sun settled in the sky, and it was beginning to bite at Elliette's consciousness.

His fingers ceased their dance on the typewriter, and he stood from his seat and headed for the kitchen where he prepared a cup of tea. He grabbed a blueberry muffin from the fridge, rested it on a flat appetizer plate, and made his way to the lake when the tea brewed.

Hearing Elliette's footsteps, Romeo quickly wiped his tear-stained cheeks, and the action went unnoticed by Elliette, who stopped beside him and handed him his daily snack. Murmuring his thanks, Romeo accepted it. He spread his legs and set the plate between them as Elliette walk back to the cabin, grabbed a chair, and returned to the lake. Romeo fixated his gaze on the sun that melted into the water, and Elliette turned his head towards him. His breath caught in his throat at how comely he looked, and his heart throbbed.

"Are you upset?"

A giggle liberated itself from Romeo as he brought his fingers to his lips to hide his smile.

"No, I'm not," he replied sincerely. Elliette turned his head away and nodded, hanging his leg over the other. His foot tapped the air at an expeditious pace, and that caught Romeo's attention.

"I really am not," he assured, laying a hand on the man's knee. Elliette met his soothing gaze, and a line etched between his brows as the corners of his lips sank. Romeo slid him another sign of assurance — a smile — and Elliette's shoulders slumped. He pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and a lighter, then lit it up.

Looking down at the grass, he muttered, "That truly makes me happy."

Satisfied with his response, Romeo turned back to his snack and peeled the cup off of the cake. He promptly sunk his teeth into the deliciousness. His mouth watered, and he shut his eyes in pure content. Elliette focused his attention on the man's chewing and gulped, his stomach tying in a knot. He stole a whiff from his cigar and exhaled through flaring nostrils. When Romeo opened his eyes, Elliette pushed himself off his seat and connected their lips, startling the man. A gasp parted his lips, and Elliette used the opportunity to slide his tongue into his mouth, savoring the mixture of cigarette smoke and blueberry muffins.

"Wh—What was that for?" Romeo asked when Elliette pulled away and leaned back into his seat. Cerise stained his cheeks and the tip of his ears when the wind gently brushed against his moistened lips, reminding him of what happened just a few seconds ago. Elliette slid him a shrug in response, and silence fell upon them.

"Should I return to the support group?" Romeo asked after a few minutes. Elliette's shoulder stiffened, and he ceased half-way through exhaling smoke.

"Are you not over your fear?" He questioned, and Romeo lowered his head and brought the cup of tea to his parted lips.

"N—Not entirely."

"Not entirely? And what does that mean exactly?"

Romeo sighed and placed the drink back down.

"It's been weeks. I . . . I'm not wholly healed," he said. "My skin still crawls when I see the slightest of uncleanliness."

"You have sex with me."

Romeo clenched the cup tightly. "Your blatancy is amiable, Elliette."

Elliette chuckled softly. "So is your sarcasm, Mr. Levard."

Ire stirred within Romeo, and his grip tightened around the cup. Elliette looked down at his hands and lifted an eyebrow.

"Are you afraid?" Elliette asked. Romeo's face fell, and his body slumped a bit at the question.

"Wh—What is there to be afraid of?" Romeo grilled, but his words came off in a whisper. Elliette turned in his seat and tilted his head to capture a glimpse of the man.

"That I might leave you if you were ever to overcome your phobia," he replied, and almost immediately, Romeo shot back with widened and teary eyes.

"Th—That's preposterous!"

"Is it?"

Elliette stole another whiff of his cigar, and Romeo remained silent. The lack of bitterness in the stick cause Elliette's nose to scrunch up as he threw it into the lake. His eyes landed on the darkening sky, and the few silver-sequins winked down at him. Romeo lifted a hand and dried his eyes, trying his best to ignore the suffocating throb in his throat. Elliette stood from his seat and returned to the cabin leaving Romeo to think that he was done with him. The slamming of the door made him flinch, and a string of his heart tore. Elliette returned with a lantern in hand after turning on the lights outside, and he set it down between them just as relief engulfed Romeo. A blanket dropped over the man's shoulder, and Romeo instantly wrapped it around himself. They both decided on sitting in silence, and Romeo chose to use that time to finish up his drink that had become a bit cold, and his muffin that remained half-eaten. Elliette glanced at him blatantly, but Romeo refused to return the stare as he placed the now empty cup on the plate.

Elliette clenched his jaw. "Come here."

Hesitation settled in Romeo, but he obliged. Elliette grabbed hold of his hand just as he commenced to sit on his lap.

"Face me," he told him, and once again, Romeo obliged with his bottom lip between his teeth.

A sigh left Elliette's nostrils as he pulled the man closer to him. He rested his chin on his shoulder and brought his cold, long-fingers to his back, sliding it underneath the blanket and his shirt. The contact sent a shiver down Romeo's spine, and when Elliette's fingers danced across it, his eyes squeezed shut, and his hands came up to Elliette's shoulders.

A whimper tumbled out of Romeo's mouth, and Elliette licked his lips at the sound. His eyes closed, and he inhaled the boy's scent, drowning in his fragrance. Elliette's lips parted, and on his tongue rested a name he had been aching to say for a while.

"Romeo," he whispered just as his hand trailed up the man's back to his neck before lowering itself to the dip in his back. Romeo bit down on his bottom lip and tightened his grip on Elliette's shoulders.

"Romeo." He continued to murmur beneath his breath. His hands came to Romeo's sides and slid up until they reached his bud.

"Romeo, Romeo, Romeo," he repeated over and over, and this time, Romeo heard him. Just as he was about to utter his thoughts,  Elliette's thumb flicked over his bud, and he gasped. He threw his head back a bit, and Elliette examined his face, his cheeks burning up with lust.

Lowering his head, Romeo met the gaze of the man below him, and his breath hitched. His face burnt up, and his reaction formed a smirk on Elliette's lips. Instantly, he grabbed the man's hands, stopping him from going further.

"I—Idiot. Don't use pleasure as a way to ease my heartache," Romeo tried to chide, but his voice came off weak from the heat coursing through his veins. Elliette's smirk widened, and he leaned forward, connecting their lips.

"I will never leave you," Elliette whispered against his lips after pulling away. Romeo's eyes glassed with adoration, and he nibbled on his lip.

"Say it once more," he pleaded softly, and Elliette's eyebrows furrowed a bit, but he obliged.

"I will never leave you."

"Call me by my first name."

The corners of Elliette's lips tugged upward, and he pressed their foreheads together.

"Romeo." He pecked his lips. Tears stabbed at the back of Romeo's eyes, and he smiled softly.

"Again."

Elliette chuckled and cupped his cheeks. He pressed his lips to Romeo's cheek, to the other, and then to his forehead.

"Romeo." He kissed his teary eyes before moving to his lips. The kiss lasted longer there, and Romeo sighed in gratify.

"I will never leave you, Romeo."

A tear slipped from Romeo's eye, and Elliette promptly wiped it away with his thumb. He gave him a doting smile, and Romeo returned it, resting his forehead on his shoulder as Elliette wrapped his arms around him.

"Do you know how long I have been waiting for you to utter my name?" Romeo asked with a chuckle. "This 'I don't call people by their first name unless we're together' nonsense is ridiculous, Elliette. It was unbearable."

Elliette frowned and said, "I'm sorry for bringing you pain."

Romeo pulled away and pecked the man's lips before he rose from his lap and sauntered towards the lake. Sitting down, he crossed his legs and gazed at how the silver-plate melted into the lake, and he couldn't help but think;

It's like painting sliding down a blank canvas.

Elliette watched the man's frame beneath the light of the moon, and his heart squeezed almost painfully. He couldn't help but allow the smile on his face to grow bigger as he fell deeper in love with the man sitting next to the lake. Elliette snapped out of his stupor and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Rising from his seat, he said, "I'll be heading inside. Would you like to join me?"

Romeo shook his head as a faint smile appeared on his lips, and Elliette furrowed his brows.

"Are you sure?"

"Certain."

After a moment of staring at his back, Elliette turned on his heels and headed for the cabin, leaving the man to sit in eternal equanimity.