It started around the time when Henry lost his job as a photojournalist for the local paper. He started bringing home some rather unsavory characters who paid him in exchange for special favors. It wasn't something Henry was proud of or even enjoyed most of the time, but he had to eat and make a living somehow.
Walter didn't approve of it much and it made his blood boil with rage, but what could he do? Henry still had no idea he was living behind his wall and now wasn't the time for the big reveal so to speak. So Walter had to watch on with jealousy as Henry strolled in with one of his regulars. A man by the name of James Sunderland.
James was the superintendent's son and he lived on the first floor, at least that's what Walter had gathered from James' and Henry's conversations. He was a relatively reclusive person, much like Henry, but this probably had something to do with his wife. James appeared to be a widower, having lost his wife some years ago. This was possibly the reason why James paid for Henry's company.
Every time was the same when it came to James. Henry led the blonde into his room, embracing briefly before undressing each other swiftly. They would often still their hands to kiss one another from time to time, an act Henry only engaged in with James and none of his other clients. Henry kissing James had suggested so many things about the two. Things Walter didn't want to think about.
Walter peeked through the small hole in the wall, eyeing Henry proactively as he became more and more bare to the unseen. Walter hated himself for it, but he had to admit that there was a particular thrill he got from watching Henry in his most intimate acts. It wasn't always sexual for Walter either.
The jealousy he felt when James would lay Henry down fueled him with adrenaline he could only reach when he inflicted harm. Watching Henry, as wrong as it sounds, was a more healthy way of releasing that adrenaline. Over time it became an obsession and Walter had sometimes fantasized about coming out from behind the wall to indulge in the obsession. It's never come to that... Not yet.
James climbs onto the bed, stalking up the length of Henry's body until finally reaching his face. Henry sits up momentarily so they can share another passionate kiss, nipping and pecking almost in a playful manner, and this warrants more jealousy on Walter's part. He wanted to know why James was so special than the others. It's not like they were lovers, after all. Maybe it had something to do with James' deceased wife.
They go back and forth like this for awhile, taking their time to feel each other and caress skin they know so well. Henry leans back and lays down across the width of the mattress rather than the length of it. James slides up between Henry's thighs so that their hips are flush against one another.
Henry makes the softest noise at this and it's music to Walter's ears. Walter craves every little sound that comes out of his mouth and every subtle facial twitch that graces his face. Walter's eyes are unblinking as he gauges Henry's reaction to James rubbing against his groin and it's beautiful.
His mouth parts open and his head falls back into the covers as James bends down to bite Henry on the neck, staking a claim over his body. The act itself is possessive rather than tender and it's a mark Henry will undoubtedly have to cover before his next client. But they both know it's there, just as sure as Walter knows it's there. How Walter would love to bite that neck and leave a mark of his own.
During this transition, Henry hands something to James what Walter assumes to be a condom and it's awfully smart on Henry's part. Some people can be reckless with things like that, but not Henry. Walter holds some respect for Henry in that regard. The look on James' face isn't put-off so much as apathetic, but he complies to it anyway. He can understand why someone like Henry would take such a precaution.
Another little packet is passed between them in secret like they know they're being watched, but obviously this is just a coincidence. James opens the condom first, sitting back on his thighs to roll it down his aroused length, then proceeds to tear open the other packet.
The packet itself contains a clear liquid, that can only be one thing, that James spreads graciously along his protected cock. James takes the excess and drops his hand down between Henry's thighs to ease it into the young man's welcoming body to yield the resistance of muscle. Henry makes another soft sighing sound when James' fingers stretch him open.
Henry squirms slightly, whining with exaggeration as if it's his first time because he's aware that this gets James off, or any guy for that matter. Henry pushes himself down onto James' fingers, humping them to get more friction and present the appearance of enthusiasm. Walter won't deny that this is hot either, but if he were in James' position he'd want Henry to be himself. Not put on a show.
Walter has his palms rooted firmly against the wall, breathing hard and staring avidly at the way Henry seems to come to life when James touches him more thoroughly. He's wondered many times on how Henry would feel and Walter imagines it to be fulfilling. Walter supposes Henry would feel nothing short of fantastic. He is envious of all the others who have drifted in and out of Henry's bed.
Walter would do it right. He would take Henry slowly and gently, showing him compassion no others were capable of, and bringing him such pleasure he's never felt before. But Walter is stuck behind this wall, watching and waiting for a day like that to come when Henry no longer has to sell his body. When Walter can finally be acquainted with the object of his desire.
James retracts his hand from Henry and maneuvers him in such a way to where he is on his hands and knees facing the wall Walter hides behind. This enables Walter to get the perfect view of Henry's face in the throes of passion and when James penetrates him roughly, Henry's true beauty shows. His face contorts in pain but there is an underlining of hint of completion about it.
Walter isn't sure if this is still an embellishment or if it's a genuine reaction.
Henry cries out in satisfaction when James thrusts in jaggedly, claiming the young man's body as his for this moment only. Henry's face is beautiful when he's in blissful agony and Walter can never get over how perfect he looks in moments like this. Walter almost forgets that Henry does this because he has to, not because he wants to. Henry is that convincing.
It's all an act, of course. Henry's good at faking or disguising his true emotions on daily matters, so why not during sexual acts? He has to distance himself from feeling anything remotely gratifying about what he does or else it'll consume him. Walter can plainly see this written across Henry's expression no matter how well he hides it from James or anyone else.
The blonde man grips Henry by one of his hips while his other hand comes up to tangle in soft brown hair. James pulls on it roughly when he snaps his hips into Henry, causing the latter to whine from the strain as well as invasion. This reaction may have been more true because Henry had a penchant for wanting his hair pulled, unless Walter had been lead on by Henry's acting like James had.
They move together in a sort of push and pull motion, moving fluidly because this has become so routine between them. Walter realizes now that, even though James has lived in the same complex as Henry for some years now, neither of them have ever had sex until just recently. James probably wouldn't be aware of Henry's existence if the latter hadn't been pulling tricks. But Walter was aware. Henry has always been here no matter how fleeting his presence was.
Henry has had his eyes stitched shut up until now. On a particular hard thrust from James, Henry's eyes flit open at the precise stab inward. His gaze was focused on a spot on the wall, staring directly at the subtle hole in the wall unconsciously. Walter freezes at this and thinks for a moment that Henry knows he's there, but this is wishful thinking.
The sounds tumbling out of Henry's mouth are amplified by the impacts of James' thrusts. Henry's head is being drawn back by his hair, stretching the taut skin around his throat to exaggerate the mark left behind by James. His adam's apple is prominent as it bobs wildly beneath his fair skin, dancing to the inflections of Henry's moaning.
Walter can feel his heart beating faster as he watches Henry continue to ride out James' rough fucking. He can tell that Henry is getting weak in the elbows because the impact of James' hips are knocking him slightly off balance, but he hangs on because he has to. Henry also maintains eye contact with Walter even if he doesn't know it yet, but Walter believes it's best if Henry's oblivious anyway.
James twists Henry's hair on a particularly hard thrust inwards, making the young man wince slightly, and lets out a groan of his own. Henry's back arches to push farther back into James' groin, impaling himself on the blonde's cock fully. James lets go of Henry's hair, opting to grab him by both of the hips as he reaches his orgasm within the confines of the condom.
The sight of James finding satisfaction within Henry makes Walter burn with envy to the point where he makes a low grunt beneath his breath. It's only in this moment when Walter gazes down the length of Henry's body and realizes that Henry has not found the completion James had. In fact, Henry didn't appear to be turned on in the slightest. Maybe he had been when they initially started, but not anymore.
This would have never happened if Walter had been making love to Henry.
Walter found this to be quite demoralizing in the sense that this act Henry had willingly got himself into was inevitably unfulfilling. Henry's lust filled façade cracked and was replaced by a look of cold indifference when James was finally finished with him. James disposed of his used condom and dressed swiftly as Henry retreated within himself.
"I left you something a little extra," James says, referring to the money on Henry's nightstand.
Henry doesn't seem acknowledge this, remaining silent and hoping James will leave soon. James sighs at this sudden mood change and moves onto the bed once again to embrace Henry in his arms. It's a force of habit on James' part. Henry is reluctant at first but concedes all the same at the selfless gesture. It seems that both James and Henry put on acts during these encounters.
"Don't do this to yourself," James pleads lightly, holding Henry close for a moment before pulling away to look him in the eye. "You're no different than anyone else."
"Our time is up," Henry dismisses with a soft tone, looking away from James in order to shut out the kindness that dares to break his composure. "I hope my services have been satisfactory."
It sounds like a line that has been recorded and rehearsed for an automated phone line and James wants to press the issue further but it isn't his place to argue, so he complies. He leaves Henry's room, shutting the door behind him softly as he makes his departure because that's obviously what Henry wants. To be left alone.
In the moments that follow after Henry breaks down and starts to silently sob, laying down against his bed to curl in on himself. The sight of Henry is reminiscent of a fetus as he lies there naked and crying out in the fetal position. Walter has to look on in silence as an unwilling participant in Henry's own struggle with self-loathing.
Henry's own shame was getting the better of him and he hated himself for being so weak and not facing his dilemma like a man. Walter wanted to break down this wall to console Henry, to tell him that everything was going to be okay and to save him from this cold world... But this could never be.
It wasn't in Valtiel's design.