Chapter 2 - Why The Honeymoon Suite?
At eight a.m. Kieren is jolted awake. His pleasant dreams took a nasty turn towards the time the sun rose, and now his hands shook uncontrollably. Pushing away the covers, he dashed to the bathroom. He didn't bother to cover the mirror – not anymore – and jumped into the shower. He didn't expect to feel the cold water on his face, but he did.
"What the f-" With a high-pitched voice abundant in surprise, Kieren almost squealed. He rushed to turn the water off. Did he just feel cold water on his face? Did he feel? But how? His lips were pulled into a wild grin. He rushed to turn the water back on, and let it pour down his face and body. Nothing. He didn't feel it this time. With shaking hands he rubbed his eyes. This had been the second time he felt something in the past month, and it was great, but it was driving him insane. When would he 'heal' completely?
He dismissed the thoughts and continued his shower. With lazy strokes he removed all mousse and dust from his dead skin. Then he got out of the shower, dried himself with the towel and then stared in the mirror, deciding not to let this affect him. He picked the bottle of mousse and the little sponge. At least his hands weren't shaking anymore. He covered his face, neck and hands with mousse then put his contact lenses. He kinda hated doing this – that's why he hasn't used the mousse in a long time after Jem was admitted to the psychiatric hospital.
Mentally preparing for the day, Kieren sat at the head of the stairs. Upon hearing his parent's voice he remembered he actually had to move if he wanted to get down there. He put on a smile. He wobbled down the stairs on legs like bits of rope.
Steve waltzed at the bottom of the stairs the moment he saw Kieren. His smile was radiating. "Good morning, son! Auxilio Divino!" He was holding a plate with some colorful foods on it.
Kieren stopped in the middle of the room, not sure whether to laugh or look away. His parents were dressed in matching white t-shirts with green neckerchiefs.
"Why – What?" Kieren stared at them and remembered it was way too early for this. He just rolls with it.
"Ah, it's the Devonian motto." His mother placed the dishes on the table, looking as pleased as Steve.
"But why?" Kieren followed his father and took a seat, trying hard not to laugh.
"It's to make you more comfortable, Keir. See, we're matching dressed in the colors of the flag. I used the internet. " Steve proudly said, adjusting his neckerchief.
"Okay. Sure." Kieren bobbed his head, hands in his pockets. He chuckled as his father took another neckerchief and tied it around his neck. As weird as this scene would have been for an outsider, Kieren wouldn't have loved it any other way. He felt he just couldn't thank his parents enough. "I- I love you. I mean, thanks for-"
"Don't mention it, Kier." His mother cupped his cheek, careful not to wipe the layers of covering mousse. Her eyes were gleaming with motherly affection. They stood like that for a while. Then Steve placed the food on the table.
The colorful food he saw was actually just boiled eggs in a simple sauce made from melted butter, mustard and vinegar his mother would explain. "We also made Devonshire cream tea: scones, jam and clotted cream." His mother winked tenderly.
He smiled. "Thank you."
His parents looked at each other, the affection for their son obvious on their faces. He could feel things were going so much better.
After they ate breakfast – more accurately: after Kieren watched his parents eat and talk about all the things they heard about Devon from their friends – a knock came from the front door.
"I'll get that." Kieren almost jumped from his chair and rushed to the door. It's amazing how, despite not feeling his limbs, he could still move so fast.
He opened the door to a neatly dressed Simon, hands nervously tugging at his button-down. Simon – just like him – had covered his exposed skin in layers of mousse and was also wearing his lenses. "Nice neckerchiefs." He said, beaming.
"Nice tan." He took the neckerchief off, hanging it on the rack. He moved aside to let Simon walk in.
Simon stopped in the door, mildly pushing Kieren in the wall and claiming his lips in a hungry kiss. "Ready for the flight?"
Kieren looked over Simon's shoulder for any sign of his parents. "The flight part isn't the one I'm nervous about."
Simon nodded. He moved a step back and took Kieren's hand. "Don't worry - I'll be next to you." He squeezed his lover's hand, reaching his free hand around the nook of his neck.
"Oh, hullo Simon!" Steve's voice came from the corridor startling Simon.
He took another step back. "I'll go bring your bag." He turned and smiled. "Hello, Steve – Sue!"
They walked into the living room and Simon headed upstairs to pick Kieren's bags. He's came back shortly, just as Kieren was hugging his parents.
"Have fun, baby." Sue pulled her son in a long hug, rubbing his back. "We'll miss you." They gazed into each other's eyes until Sue's watery eyes failed to hold the tears back. Kieren's cold fingers press lightly against his mother's. She smiles.
He lets go of her hand and steps in front of his father. "Take care, yeah?" Steve followed her example, hugging him longer. It still felt weird letting Kieren go. Again.
Simon's appealing voice came from behind them. He was watching the scene with tinge of pride but also envy – given his marvelous relationship with his father. "I'll keep an eye on him." Simon picked the bags and followed Kieren outside. Steve and Sue patted him on the back and squeezed his shoulder, wishing them their best.
They waved at the Walkers as they moved further away from the porch. "Are you ready?" Simon asked as they walked down to the train station.
Kieren nodded. "Devon, here we come." He took a deep breath and concentrated on his walking.
Simon squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. They had to accept who they were – what they were – and the increasing changes that kept smashing into them like puffy waves.
While they waited Kieren thought about Roarton – about how weird it always felt leaving that little village, despite the constant need of getting away – about his parents who, surprisingly, were getting better at handling their goodbyes, and about the flight. He was a little anxious.
After a few minutes the train arrived. The trip was rather short and pleasantly quiet. Kieren observed the passengers, the landscapes imagining it as a painting in a gray depressing palette. As soon as they got out of the vehicle Kieren searched for Simon's hand. Despite his body being as numb as a marble statue or his heart failing to flutter in excitement or worry, his brain was as active as a beehive. A thousand worst case scenarios played in his mind on a loop: what if the trembling of his hands expands and his body convulses grotesquely in front of everyone? What if his memory is affected again and he forgets for a moment where he is and panics? What if someone freaks out when they notice he and Simon are PDS? What if, what if – so many 'what if's.
Simon entwined his fingers around Kieren's, holding his shaking hand tight. "Remember how you panicked before our flight to Paris?" He said in his smoky voice. "It was adorable, but for nothing. The flight had been uneventful."
Kieren rolled his eyes, finally smiling. "If you call what you did, 'uneventful." The airport was just small taxi drive away from the train station. They were left in front of a huge building, buzzing with chatter, echoes of footsteps and rolled luggage, speakers blasting with announcements and the occasional hum of a plane taking off.
The edges of Simon's mouth twisted in an innocence-is-unavailable-at-the-moment smile "I don't know what you mean."
They entered the airport and searched for the check-in counter. They spotted it right away. "Uh-uh, so you don't remember dragging me to the cramped bathroom?"
Simon seemed to think about it for a second. "No, no that I can recall." They got in line, waiting until asked to come forward.
"Slamming me into the door?" Kieren turned to look his lover in the eyes.
Simon pouted his lips. "Nope." They move a step forward.
"Kissing me… for about 10 minutes?" The blond raised his eyebrows.
Simon shook his head. When his spoke his voice was fruity with a tint of mock-apologetic tone. "My memory fails me. Maybe you should remind me? Reenact the whole scene…"
Kieren bumped his shoulder in Simon's arm playfully. "I'll think about it."
It was their turn now. The agent behind the counter asked for their ID and Kieren rushed to give them. When asked, Simon placed the luggage to check on the nook in the counter. The woman tagged it, and placed the bags on the conveyor belt behind her. With a polite smile on her face, she handed him their boarding pass.
"Have a good day." She smiled.
"Yeah, you too." Simon stood in place for an instant. He raised his brows in surprise. They made their way to the security checkpoint assigned to their departure gate. As soon as they were out of earshot he turned to look at Kieren. "She was PDS?"
Kieren turned to give the woman another look. Her skin was pale, but abnormally so – it was the same kind of pale he saw in the mirror every morning. "Looks like it, yeah."
"She's not wearing the covering mousse." Creases formed on Simon's forehead, in contrast to his beaming smile.
"I don't think it's such a big deal anymore. Is it that hard to believe? It's been almost three years since they successfully treated PDS sufferers. I think people finally start to accept us." Kieren was smiling too. Maybe Amy had been right after all: he was a huge sappy optimist.
Upon meeting the security worker they showed their boarding pass and ID and were quickly sent forward. They placed themselves in line waiting to get to the x-ray machine and metal detector.
"Do you think Devon will be this tolerant too?" Kieren caught Simon's gaze with his huge puppy eyes.
Simon stepped into Kieren's personal space – as he liked to do (and Kieren couldn't really complain) – talking in his calm, deep, above-a-whisper voice. "I don't know. Maybe. Roarton is a tiny village, people are ignorant born and bred. It's not like that in bigger cities. You've seen how understanding they were in Paris."
"Yeah, but for them it was all about the tourism – I don't know." Kieren shook the thoughts away; it was their turn to place their belongings conveyor belt to be scanned.
"Please take off your jacket, sir, and place it on the belt" The security worker's voice was fickle, her eyes heavy with the dire need for sleep. Kieren's hands started to tremble as he took his jacket off. He tried to hide it from Simon. "Please remove all metal objects, including keys, jewelry, belts." He complied quickly, tucking his hands in his pockets. She led them through the scanner – it was a quick procedure. With trembling hands he took back their belongings from the belt.
Simon low voice next to him made him shiver. "Are you okay?" He observed him with concerned eyes.
"Yeah – no I'm fine." Kieren shot him a quick smile and kept his hands in his pockets.
Now they were in the secure, boarding area. Talking about the liveliness of the airport and miracles of modern technology, they searched for their gate number. They found it after a short while. They had an hour left until their plane arrived, so they decided to go to the comfort area.
They came across a cozy coffee lounge and took a seat in a remote booth.
From the isle the singsong of a voice caught their attention. "Woot can I get ye lads?" A smiling waiter waltzed his way to their seats – he looked as if he were on cloud 9, surrounded by angels, pies, puppies and all things nice.
"Nothing for me, thanks." Simon threw him a quick smile then turned back to Kieren, keen on continuing their conversation. Only then did he notice that Kieren was cheerfully looking through the menu.
"I'd really love a cuppa coffee and a muffin – ta." He smiled at the waiter. The boy scribbled his order on his notebook and dashed behind the counter to an equally jubilant young woman.
Kieren gazed in their direction for a while. What were they drugging their employers with in that place? He caught Simon's persistent look from the corner of his eye. "What?"
"Did you want to eat?" Simon's brows were slightly furrowed, his mouth agape, watching Kieren with his usual fascination and mysticism.
"Yeah, why?" Kieren narrowed his eyes. "This place smells nice, so inviting." He looked at his hands – they finally stopped trembling.
"Kier, we don't-" Simon stopped as the waiter placed the order in front of Kieren. Kieren took a deep breath – the best imitation of one, since he was after all PDS. "You can smell that?"
"Yeah!" Kieren lifted the muffin, taking in the delicious smells of fresh brewed coffee and chocolate. "Why can- ah." He let the pastry fall out of his hands and on the table. "I don't eat."
Dumbfounded and fascinated, Simon nodded in agreement. "You forgot that?" His voice was low and filled with fascination and concern.
"I don't know. It just slipped my mind. I just… didn't think about it." His confused gaze traveled from the pastry to the drink, finally resting on his lover.
Simon reached out his hand across the table, inviting Kieren to hold hands. "Hey, it's okay. It is part of the humanization process, right? Amy was forgetful in this stage too, and Philip said she even ate a few times. This is a good sign." With calm he gently squeezed and caressed Kieren's hand, holding his gaze affectionately.
Kieren nodded. He was at loss of words. How could he explain that for an instant his mind completely forgot about his current condition? How could he put into words what he had felt when the alluring smell tingled his senses – that he even had senses? It was confusing, like being hit by an immense wave and losing all sense of direction, logic or reality for a long moment. Simon's voice brought him out of his terrified and disoriented train of thought.
"What? Sorry I- I wasn't paying attention." Kieren said.
"I said: I know it must be frightening, but I'm here for you. I'm not going anywhere, okay?" With that he gave Kieren's hands another reassuring squeeze.
Under the loving scrutiny of his lover's eyes, Kieren's discomfort dissolved somewhat. He nodded. "Thank you."
Simon expressed his fondness with another dashing smile. "I'll pay the check." He stood up and walked to the register. When he came back he waited for Kieren to stand up then took his hand in his. "How about we visit the gift shops? We still have lots of time to waste."
They fooled around in gift shops until their plane was announced. Simon tried his best to be 'normal' for Kieren, to be everything he needed and cheer him up. He was going through a difficult and scary change, but nothing they couldn't take care of.
Eventually, the incident was forgotten and Kieren was smiling again.
In less than two hours, constant chat (and no kisses for Simon) and a re-watch of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", the plane landed.
The luggage was quickly retrieved and a car was waiting outside for them.
Once they jumped in the car Kieren was finally silent. His eyes wandered all over the place, taking in the vast view of the new county. But with the air conditioner on, the car gently rocking them and the low murmur of the radio, Kieren fell asleep.
"Welcome to Woolacombe, gentlemen." Said the cabbie upon coming to a halt.
Kieren opened his eyes and closed them shut again. The hot rays of the sun we're blinding him, and for a disorienting moment he forgot where he was, until Simon's husky voice broke through the haze. "Are you coming, sleepyhead?"
Opening the door for him, Simon offered Kieren his hand. The blond gladly accepted it, beaming as he analyzed the surroundings. The car stopped in front of a neat three-star hotel. He could hear the murmur of the sea – a rhythmic pace like a sweet lullaby.
"You really did take care of everything, huh?" Kieren smiled, trying hard to keep his hands to himself. He failed; Simon wrapped his hands around his shoulders and Kieren leaned in on the touch.
Simon kissed the top of his head. "You like?"
"Not bad." Kieren said in a mock-plummy voice. Leading the way, Kieren entered in the big hall of the fancy hotel: shiny freshly polished marble floors, arched sealing and a curved staircase that seemed to lead towards Heaven. Taking him by the hand, Simon walked to the reception, confident and charming as always.
The woman at the reception, with a sunny smile on her full lips, asked for a name and ID.
"Monroe - sure." She chuckled and signed something in the big notebook in front of her. She turned around and picked two magnetic keys. "The honeymoon suite. Enjoy your stay!" With an honest and beaming smile she wished them a good day, chuckling again as Simon distractedly bumped into someone as he saw Kieren's crooked smile.
"The honeymoon suite, aye?" Kieren wasn't sure if that was weird or adorable and he didn't care as soon as Simon added the magic words: 'great view to the sea'.
From there, a lean boy with tanned skin and wild disheveled hair took their bags and followed them to their room on the second floor.
Once he opened the door, Kieren's brain somersaulted away from all the bothering thoughts and right into cloud nine. The room was immense and spacious, with French windows facing the sea, white walls, blue carpets and a round modern bed in the middle. There was a mini buffet covered in colorful drinks and fruits, cozy seats and beanbags, huge mirrored doors and the most fascinating paintings made from shells of varied shapes and colors. If Kieren would have had a breath, the sight would have taken it away.
After leaving a tip for the luggage-boy, Simon shut the door and followed Kieren. He draped the smaller man's shoulders with his arms, holding him in a tight and loving embrace. "How's this trip so far?" His head was buried in Kieren's blond hair, his lips placing kisses all the way to his ears.
Kieren smiled and turned in the embrace. "I could tell you, or I could show you. Whichever you deem more satisfying?" He said in a dulcet tone.
Simon cupped his face just as Kieren pushed himself closer, closing the space between them. Their lips clasped hungrily, moving relentless. The blond man pushed his lover until they fell on the bed. As the kisses got deeper their hands grew more eager to touch and reveal more skin.
Simon broke the kiss, suckling and kissing Kieren's jaw, cheek and collarbone, while his hands pressed, pushed and stroked his shoulders, back and tights.
With a low whimper, Kieren pulled back. It wasn't fair that he kept doing this to Simon, but they couldn't feel it yet. He wanted to wait a little longer, and looking in Simon's eyes he saw the other man was thinking the same.
"Okay." Simon nodded and loosened his grip on Kieren. He smiled reassuringly. "I'll go take a shower then we'll go explore?"
"Sounds great." Kieren rolled off the taller man, and fell on the back. "I can't wait to see the beach." His smile was beaming again.
"Yeah, me too." Simon stood up and walked slowly towards the bathroom. Before opening the door, he stopped in place. "Is it okay?"
"What?" Kieren crawled into the bed, leaning his back against the backrest.
"The honeymoon suite. Isn't it too… out of 'normal' boundaries?" Simon looked so fragile for a moment, and Kieren knew he tried to be 'normal' for him.
He smiled. "Yeah, well it has a great view." He pointed towards the huge windows giving them a great peek of the restless sea. "Thank you."
A peaceful smile lingered on Simon's face for a long while. He observed Kieren full of admiration – Kieren could hear his mystic theories and ideas in his mind – before slipping behind the glass door of the bathroom.
What Kieren didn't know was that Simon's thoughts weren't of mystic theories anymore, and they haven't been for a long time, for Simon gave up that life to be with him, and couldn't care less about it, especially in moments like these.
A/N: How do PDS sufferers do the do? I have no clue…yet. But hey, Kieren is becoming a human again – like Amy. So there will be a lot of smut soon :3