Twilight fell on Empire Bay, casting shadows across the blood stained streets. Wait, blood? No, there wasn't any blood. It was just the streets still, just the hard concrete. I was cruising the streets in a Smith Deluxe Station Wagon. Personally I liked my Jefferson Provincial better, but everyone knew that was my car. First car I stole, ruby red in color. This Station Wagon, well, everyone had one nowadays so I figured it'd blend in. The streets were bare now; I went past a cop going up through Dipton from Bruski's scrap yard. Hoped they thought my window was just down and not cracked open. I didn't want to get in a chase tonight. Damn cops were reckless! I slammed on the breaks to avoid hitting some old lady with her fuckin' grandkid in the car and they use me as a ramp and go SAILING. Who in the right mind does that?
Red buildings passed me, along with a big 'Swift Cola' sign with a happy woman on it. I liked cola. My fingers drummed restlessly on the steering wheel as I made a turn. Went down a hill and passed a cop in a cruiser. God damn rats were everywhere tonight. Glaring at me and telling me to go home Vito. That it wasn't worth it. Just stay with Joe passed out on the couch. He was your friend.
Not Henry.
The big bridge was illuminated on the bay. Didn't see any cars on it, but I was a long ways off. A few more turns and I started passing the more ritzy places. Jewelry stores, bad memories filled up my head. What were you thinking Vito? My fingers sought out the radio and flicked it on, Empire Classic called to me tonight. Filled my car with soft beats and a woman's voice humming out notes. The drive got a bit easier from there. Stop listening to my heart and instead focused on her soft as silk voice. Watched the road as I entered Highbrook. Easy to tell by the steady incline up. It meant I was close.
Don't focus on that Vito, listen instead. Just listen.
I chugged up to the top of the hill, spotted some familiar places. Like, you know, Leo's house. Spotted a star decorated sign that read 'Hillwood Observatory' and felt my stomach drop. Couldn't have been a longer drive could it? Long enough to gather my thoughts. Went down the straight shot of a street, big trees on either side making my path quite evident.
I spotted the statue at the end, a tall pyramid with some sort of iron do-hicky on the top. I drove around to the right side and parked. Sat in the silence once shutting off the car. Trying to gather my thoughts and realizing I had none.
Stepping out I began around it to the path leading up. Being on top of the hill, it was…gorgeous. All those stars up above twinkling down at me, wind brushing through the trees. It was a nice night. I began up some steps, one two three, until I got to six. Found myself in the little square with a few benches and a box with a big ugly bush in the center. I walked around it and up some more stairs, to a hall around the observatory's dome. I passed a telescope propped there before glancing out to see a clear view of Dipton and a bit of Kingston. It was gorgeous with all the lights on.
Those weren't the lights I was looking at though, my eyes slowly rested on a single gleam in the darkness. The red embers of a cigarette as they dangled off Henry's lips. The man wore his nice black suit and leaned casually over the railing. Gazing to the city below.
I stepped beside him, didn't look over at him just stood in the darkness.
"Hey Vito… You wanted to talk right…?" He spewed out smoke and glanced over.
"Uhm, yeah… You know, I don't like you working with Clemente."
"Why's 'at?" He pitched the white stick over the side and out of the corner of my eye I saw him glance over at me.
"You said it yourself, Clemente doesn't treat his workers right. Why don't you work with Falcone instead? You'd be safer there…I could watch after ya too." I hoped he was buying it. Henry was smart though. Always was.
"I get shot once and you immediately assume I can't do shit," he muttered, "Why ya really want me switching Vito?"
I glanced back the way I'd come, it had been a bad idea from the start, "I just wanna make sure you're safe."
"Why Vito?"
"Because I fucking care about you, is that so bad?" I looked back at him, brow furrowed. He didn't really seem to realize that this meant a lot to me. Or did he?
Henry shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around him, "We can't keep this up kid. We'll get caught eventually. No one would approve of this; hell I bet Joe would hate you too."
I looked away and leaned against him, soaking up that warmth in the cold air. "He wouldn't hate me; he'd hate you for fucking me up."
His chest shook a bit as he chuckled, "So I fucked you up now?"
I didn't have a good enough answer, so I just scootched in a bit closer to him. Silence fell around us, minutes ticked by. We were both thinking about it. This relationship. It was forbidden, beyond forbidden, not that forbidden you do because you know it'll taste good. The forbidden you did and found sweet, but, still sour. It was the kind that begged for you to keep coming back, that's too good to be forgotten.
Henry and I were that sort of forbidden.
Henry spent a lot of time hanging around in the cathouse, and here and there I did too. Never though, did those girls taste like him. They never left a sear where they touched, never haunted every conscious moment of my life, never, not ever left me breathless with just a kiss.
He did though.
"Henry, should we stop?" I asked warily.
"It'd be for the best kid."
"Will we though?" We'd had this conversation before. It always ended the same way. I figured it'd end the same again.
He leaned over close and kissed the top of my head, "Probably not. You're like those cigarettes Vito. You'll get me addicted then kill me."
That swung through me and left an arrow in my heart. I turned and looked up at him, "I will not get you killed Henry! God, if it's the last thing I do I will not get you killed." My hands reached up and grabbed his paisley red tie. He stared into my eyes, before nodding.
"I know you won't kid."
I ripped his head down and kissed him. I tried to convey my absolute need for that man through my lips. His arms wrapped around me and held me in. I pushed him up against the wall and attacked his mouth. Claiming it as mine and losing my breath to it once more. He tipped back my head and trailed kisses down my neck, stopped at my collar and settled on holding me. Neither of us moved, neither of us wanted to lose the other.
"I'll carry you through a burning building, over glass and under an onslaught of bullets. I'll give my life for yours, and god Henry, if you die… I'd never forgive myself." I looked up at him. Men don't cry or get sentimental, but I felt that sadness ripping away at my guts.
"Don't worry; I'm not dying anytime soon. I'll figure out a way to switch here soon enough. For now, we got'ta get back. People will notice you know." Henry rubbed my cheek thoughtfully and I pulled him into another deep kiss. Buried my face in his shoulder then nodded.
"You go first. I'll wait behind for a half hour then go myself."
"Good idea." He and I exchanged a few more kisses before he left me standing there. Staring up at the stars and wanting his warmth around me once more. He just wouldn't get out of my head. Every moment I feared for him, I pined for him, I just…
I loved him.
Empire Bay's lights flickered as I stood alone.