Mundy's eyes shot to his father's.
"I.. I have found someone."
"Well that's good news, son. Why are you so nervous th-"
"It's not a girl."
Mike's eyes opened very wide and his jaw dropped.
"Whot...?"
Mundy's heart was beating so fast and strong that he thought his chest would burst out.
"What so you mean... 'it's not a girl?' ?"
Mundy was now at a loss for words he wanted to explain himself, apologise, convince his father, persuade him, go back in time, return to Paris, don't take Jay to the wall, not meet with Marie-France, not play in Lucien's band, not go to the restaurant with Lucien, not work in the zoo, not walk to the zoo, not bump onto Lucien...
The tears had grown so big in his eyes they were not flowing down his cheeks.
"You mean... Oh God... It's a... man?"
Mundy's eyes shot back to Lucien.
Sorry, love. I will never forget you.
Mike seeing Mundy's eyes divert to Lucien, turned to look at Lucien who was pale.
"Oh don't tell me that...!"
Mike jumped out of his chair and walked backwards slowly, looking at Mundy and Lucien as if they were ghosts.
"Oh, no, no, Mundy... Mundy don't tell me that... Nah, c'mon..."
Mundy's tears continued to stream on his face. Mike's back bumped on his car.
"Mundy tell me it's not true."
Mundy was uncapable of speaking.
"Mundy?"
He sniffed.
"MUNDY?!"
Mike's roar echoed in the valley and resonated in both Lucien and Mundy's heads. Silence fell. Mike turned and put his hands flat on the car, his arms stetched in front of him and bending his head down, his eyes locked on the ground.
"Roight, I'm taking y'all back home. This afternoon, you fly back to Paris."
"Dad..."
Mundy stood up but his legs gave up and he collapsed to the ground. Lucien jumped to help him up.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY SON!"
Lucien took a step back.
-- Lunch time --
"Why is no one eating food this lunch? And why is there no fish? Have you caught nothing?!"
Lucien and Mundy were mute for the whole lunch and of course none of the men could eat anything. Lucien and Mundy, because they were living their last moments together, Mike, because he was disgusted.
"Mike, what's the problem?"
Caroline had put her fork down and was determined to know what was going on. Mike sighed.
"Caroline, your son has found someone."
"That's great news, but why are you all so sad?"
"That's the someone."
Mike pointed at Lucien. She opened eyes the size of a planet.
"Whot?"
"Yup, look at us now. Look what we've raised, look what our only child has become..."
She put a hand in front of her open mouth.
"Micky, is what your father's saying true?"
With his head still down, Mundy nodded.
"And to think I trusted you and told you about- Argh! God damn you Lucien!"
Mike was furious.
"Oh but wait, when you were describing that lady, the love of your loife, that what HIM? That was MY MICKY? "
Lucien raised his head. He was not afraid of Mike, he had nothing left to lose.
"Oui, I was talking about him."
"And you called him a 'she' ?"
"And apparently, rightly so."
"WATCH THE WAY YOU TALK ABOUT MY SON, YOU FILTHY WANKER!"
Mike stood up, to tower Lucien, and hit his clenched fist on the table. The cutlery jumped in the plate and the metallic noise resonated in everyone's head as much as Mike's burst of anger. Lucien was dangerously calm. He was not looking at Mike in the eye, he was focused on Mundy.
"I mean that if I had said 'him', you would have reacted like that even before Mundy could tell you about us."
"So it was Mundy who healed your hand?"
"Oui. He came everyday to my flat to take care of the wound, in exchange for which, I taught him French."
"All that you said to me was true?"
"Absolutely true, Monsieur."
Caroline watched the conversation develop as a tennis match, looking at Mike on her right and Lucien on her left, back and forth. She finally decided to get into the conversation.
"So that's how you learnt French, Micky... It's because you l-... liked Lucien, so you paid attention...?"
Mundy, head still low, nodded. Lucien took a cigarette out and lit it.
"And here you are lighting a cigarette and relaxing?!"
Mike was talking to Lucien.
"You clearly are misunderstanding the situation."
He puffed on the cigarette and elegantly blew a ring of smoke of his mouth.
"Your anger is completely taking over you and not once have you commented the obvious."
"Whot?! Are you calling me stupid?"
"Again, you are missing the most important part of this."
Lucien was trying to contain his wrath.
"Which is...?"
He paused to put his cigarette elegantly on the edge of his plate. He raised his eyes to Mike, they were shining fiercely.
"First, have you thought for half a second about Mundy? What courage it actually took him to tell you the truth, mh?"
Tick.
"Of course not. Second, have you got any idea what it feels like to be so scared of you that he actually would rather fall into a nervous breakdown rather than talk to you about his preference for men, hm?"
Tock.
"Again, no. Your son, because he loves you more than anything, preferred to make himself sad and sick rather than hurt you. He preferred to BE. DEPRESSED. FOR. YOU."
Lucien couldn't contain his anger anymore. He punched the table with his right hand so powerfully the bang deafened everyone, the plates jumped up and fell to the ground, tumbling and shattering on the wooden floor. Caroline and Mike got startled and jumped back from the table slightly.
"Of course you didn't think of that. Do you have any idea how it feels to live all your life with your parents, HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT?"
Tock.
"Let me know remind you what I said earlier about Mundy, just so you understand and so that Caroline also knows."
He took a deep breath and looked at Mundy.
Tick.
"Mundy..."
Tock.
Mundy raised his eyes to meet his lover's. Lucien straightened his back and his shirt.
"At the risk of sounding ridiculous, I love you too much to just marry you. You are my reason to live, the reason why, when I wake up in the morning, I want to get out of bed."
Mundy burst out sobbing heavily but didn't want to stop looking at Lucien, it was the last moments where he could see him. Caroline went to comfort him.
"You are why I continue to breath, not for my personal satisfaction, but because you deserve to have someone to be at your side, spoiling you, making you happy, comforting you when you need a shoulder to cry on. And I, well, I'm your humble servant. I can't imagine my life without you. If it ever boils down to that, yes, I would trade my life for yours."
Tick.
Lucien went to Mundy and put his hand in his pocket. He took his knife out of his pocket. It was his Black Rose. He put in on the table in front of Mundy. The Australian put his hand on top of Lucien and tightened his grip as hard as he could. Lucien stayed there for a second, enjoying the last contact he would have with his lover, and then withdrew. Mundy's sobs grew louder.
"Lu'! Please!"
Lucien headed to the front door. He stopped and turned.
"Mike?"
Mike looked at Lucien.
"You have crossed the best Spy in France, some would say even the best in the whole of Europe. Be grateful you're the love of my life's father, or you would have been dead after you shouted at me for the first time, for now, I have nothing left to lose."
Mike gasped.
Lucien opened the door and left. He walked out the small wooden gate and walked in direction of the nearest city, his hands in his pockets, his mind blank, his heart, shatterred.
-- Mike and Caroline's house --
As soon as Lucien shut the door, Mundy sprang out of his chair in an attempt to run after Lucien but his legs couldn't carry him and he fell, his face first, the Black rose in his hand. He crawled on the floor to the door and shouted.
"LUCIEN, NOOO! LUCIEN... COME BACK! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEAA-EAAA-EAAASE!"
He could stopped tryin and laid flat on the gound, between the dining room and the front door, on his stomach, his face on the ground. He continued sobbing, his tears flowing on the wooden floor. Caroline looked at Mike with tearful eyes. She went and crouched down next to her son. She patted his back.
"C'mon sweetie. It's over."
She was on his right and looking down she saw some blood.
"Crickey! Where's that blood from?! Micky?!"
He was holding the Black Rose from the blade and was clenching his right fist so much that he actually was cutting his hand. And the pool of blood was growing wider, mixing with the tears.
"Mike, quick, the first aid kit!"
Mike was astounded.
"MIKE! HE'S LOSING BLOOD, QUICK!"
"Uh? Yeah, yeah."
He ran to the bathroom and back.
"Micky? Micky, do you hear me?!"
He could only cry. Caroline opened the first aid box and opened some compress. Mundy raised his head off the ground, as if he was possessed. The sound of tearing open the compress platic package reminded him of the first time he met Lucien, the wound on his right hand.
Krrrrrr...
What am I doing?
He jumped to his feet, slammed the front door wide open and ran.
"MUNDY, YOUR HAND!"
He jumped over the fence and ran as fast as he could. Caroline looked at Mike.
"Whot?"
"Mike, you went too far."
"Oh now it's me?! I'm the problem?!"
"Lucien was right about everything."
"Oh don't take that wanker's side!"
"Shut up and listen!"
Mike opened wide eyes.
"Have you ever seen Micky that upset? Bloody hell, he's running in the desert, in the middle of the day, under the bloody scorching sun, barefoot, losing his blood, trying to catch up with that man! Don't you understand?!"
"WHAT IS THERE TO UNDERSTAND?!"
"WHO WOULD YOU DO THAT FOR, YOU BLOODY IDIOT?!"
The answer hit Mike like a train.
"You."
Caroline took the first aid box, a bottle of water and the car keys.
"What an idiot you are, Mike, sometimes you behave like such a cretin!"
A moment later, Mike heard the roar of the car engine starting. He came to the front door and saw the car pass fast in front of the house and heard the engine dying in the distance.
Mundy could only hear his heavy breath and his heart beat, he felt the blood pump fast and strongly in his temples.
Lucien, Lucien, Lucien...
He was not feeling the heat of the sun. He was not feeling the dry, black and sizzling asphalt ground burning his feet. He was not feeling he was bleeding and leaving a trail of blood stains behind him either.
Lucien, Lucien, Lu-uh-He tripped and fell.
Bloody hell... Argh... Must... Catch up...
He lifted himself to be an all four.
Too hot... I'm too hot...He wanted to remove his shirt but his hand started stinging. He sat on his knees, took the Black Rose and tore his shirt apart. He threw the torn fabric away, got on his feet and ran again. He did not care if someone could see a madman running barefoot with a bloodied hand, covered with scars on his back and chest. All that counted was:
Lucien, Lucien, Lucien...Caroline was in the car and speed limits had become optional. She wanted to catch up with her son before he collapsed. She opened the glove box and took a pair of glasses that she put on top of her usual pink ones. The sun was shining and grilling too brightly and too hot.
Hold on Micky, I'm coming for you. I'm sorry, my Micky, I'm sorry you've been so sad because of us, I'm so sorry, I never meant to make you sad.Her tears streamed while she was trying her best to focus on the road.
Mundy was still running.
Lucien, Lucien, Lucien.. Oh!
Lucien heard a noise behind him. He turned his back and Mundy was too emotional and at a loss in his own mind to actually brake thus crashing into Lucien's arms at full speed. Both men tumbled and feel,Lucien ending up in Lucien's arms, on the ground.
"Mon Dieu Mundy! Qu'est-ce que tu fais à moitié nu ici ?!"[My God Mundy! What are you doing half naked here?!]Mundy could not answer, he was out of breath, out of emotions... and out of blood. He passed out in Lucien's arms.
"Mundy?! MUNDY?! Oh my God, the blood! Your hand you've-! Oh, I see."
Lucien picked up the Black Rose and put it in his pocket. He then took Mundy and put him on his shoulder.
"Right, stay with me Mundy, I'll take you back home, Mundy! Stay with me!"
Mundy was not answering. Lucien walked as fast as he could but Mundy's weight prevented him from running.
"MERDE MUNDY, NE ME FAIS PAS ÇA, RESTE AVEC MOI, MUNDY ALLEZ!"
[SHIT MUNDY, DON'T DO THAT TO ME, STAY WITH ME, MUNDY, COME ON!]He saw a car coming.
Dieu bénisse cette voiture, qui que ce soit à l'intérieur, je vais les arrêter et si je dois tuer toute une famille pour ramener Mundy chez lui sain et sauf, que Dieu me soit témoin, je le ferai![God bless that car, whoever it is I'm stopping it, and if I have to kill a whole family inside it to get Mundy to safety, then may God be my witness, I will!]Lucien took his knife out of his pocket and with an elegant trick of his finger, threw the blade at the car. It flew and stuck itself in the windscreen, in the middle of it. The car braked so hard that the tyre squeaked leaving black traces of rubber on the asphalt. The car stopped a metre away from Lucien who got closer, took his knife back from the cracked windscreen and shouted angrily.
"YOU THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE ME AND MY FRIEND HERE EXACTLY WHERE I TELL YOU OR THIS TIME I WILL MAKE SURE THE KNIFE GOES THROUGH YOU!"Because of the lot of cracks on the windscreen, Lucien did not see who was in the car. Caroline jumped out of the car and opened the door for the backseats.
"Oh, it's you Caroline?!"
"Get in!"
Lucien obeyed. He went in the backseats with Mundy.
"I do apologise, I did not recognise you"
"It's fine. Here is the first aid kit. I guess you know what to do."
"He did it to me when we first met. And now I'm doing it to him as I'm about to go."
"You're going nowhere! Heal him!"
Lucien raised his head and looked at Caroline on the inside mirror. She was too focused driving. He got busy with the wound. He disinfected it and put some bandages on it.
"There's a bottle of water, try and get him refreshed with it."
Lucien opened the bottle and poured some water on his hands then put his hands on Mundy's face, brushing them on his forehead and his cheeks.
"C'mon Mundy, C'mon, mon amour, wake up..."
"Is he breathing?"
"Oui, he is still breathing..."Lucien had made Mundy sit and lean on him. He poured water in his hands again and passed his hands on Mundy's face and arms, on his chest too...
"Mon amour..."
Mundy took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes.
"Mundy?"
"Uh...?"
"Here's the house, Lucien, get ready to carry him in."
"I'm ready."
She stopped the car, jumped out and opened the door for Lucien. He got out and put Mundy back on his shoulder. Caroline led the way in.
"Get your ass out the couch, Mike! Lucien, put him there."
Mike jumped out of the couch and Lucien delicately put Mundy laying down on the couch.
"He's shaking with the cold, I'll grab a duvet and make him wear something!"
"Good idea Lucien, I'll prepare something sweet for hil to get a bit of sugar back!"
Lucien ran upstairs and instictlively wznt to his own suitcase. He took one of his shirts and stripped the duvet our of his bed. He ran back downstairs and to his lover's side. He threw the duvet on Mundy and helped him wear his shirt. Caroline joined in with some cocoa milk in a glass with a straw. Lucien was kneeling down next to Mundy, holding his hand and a his hand on his face, stroking his cheek.
"Mon amour, can you drink at all?"
Mundy's eyes were half open, half closed. He closed them and fell asleep.
"He fell asleep. He must be so tired."
"Well of course he is, he ran half a dozen miles at full speed while losing his blood under the afternoon sun!"
Lucien turned to Caroline.
"Thank you for coming after him."
"I was coming after you both. Come in the dining room."
Mike followed them. She took a broom out and swept the shatterred plates away.
"Take a seat Lucien. You too Mike."
Both men sat down.
"Lucien, all you said is true and I had never thought of that. Our poor Micky never brought anyone home because he pit our happiness and comfort before his own. I do apologise."
Lucien nodded.
"Thank you, but first, let me apologise properly and say that of course I will pay for the damaged windscreen. Second, if anything, you should apologise to him, not to me. And finally, if you just let me wash my hands from the blood and get a change, I will go away and leave you in peace."
Lucien started to stand up but Caroline put her hand firmly on his shoulder.
"I already told you, you're going nowhere. You're family."
Lucien opened eyes the size of Jupiter.
"I beg your pardon, did you really say-?"
"Yes, or as you say, oui."
Lucien's eyes filled with tears.
"Mike, you have to know what Lucien nearly did to bring Mundy back here."
Mike looked at his wife.
"He nearly killed me!"
Mike had experienced all the spectrum of the human emotions in a few hours. At this point, his body was uncapable of feeling anything anymore.
"He saw a car coming and while carrying Mundy on his shoulders, he threw his blade at the windscreen, right in the middle. He shouted very angrily that he would not hesitate to kill me if I didn't drive him back here. Mike, do you understand?"
Mike's stare was blank.
"Micky was ready to bleed himself dry for Lucien and Lucien was ready to kill to get him to safety. Mike?!"
"Yes, I'm listening."
"So what? Come on, you have to apologise to Lucien and Mundy and you have to thank Lucien."
"What for?!"
If she could, Caroline would have shot real bullets at her husband with her eyes. She gave him a black stare.
"Roight, roight. Lucien, I... I don't fully understand everything but I'm grateful that you returned Micky here. Also, I..."
"Mike...?"
"I..."
"Go to hell with your pride Mike! I'm telling you he saved our son and they love each other the same way we do!"
Mike sighed. He stood up and went to Lucien.
"Lucien."
Lucien looked up at him. Mike extended his hand.
"I apologise, son. Welcome to the family."
Lucien stood up and, learning from his own son, he took Mike's hand and hugged him. Caroline's face brightened. Mike returned the hug.
"I apologise so much... I hope Micky will forgive me."
"Mike, if we are happy for him to be with Lucien, I think he will find it in his heart to forgive us. Now, Lucien,go wash your hand, dear."
"Merci."
He went at Caroline and hugged her. She hugged him, from the tip of her toes, dearly.
-- Later that afternoon --
Mundy opened his eyes.
"Lucien...?"
Lucien was sitting on the rug in front of the sofa where Mundy was lying, he was reading a book. Upon hearing his name, he dropped the book and turned.
"Mon amour, you are up?"
When Mundy saw Lucien's face and heard his voice, he smiled.
Lucien looked around. Mike was out somewhere in the farm and Caroline was in the kitchen. La voie est libre.[They're all out of the way.]He was on his knees, got his face closer to Mundy's and pit his lips on his lover's.
"Thank you, luv'."
"Non, mon amour, thank your mother. I'll go and get her and your father. Stay awake, please."
Mundy blinked and nodded slightly. Lucien got on his feet and went to the dining room.
"Caroline? He's up."
"Oh my Micky!!"
She dropped everything she had in her hand and went to check on her son.
"Mum..?"
"Micky, oh my Micky, forgive me please!"
She kissed his forehead.
"I apologise for everything. Hopefully you will forgive me, I didn't mean to harm you."
He smiled.
"As long as I can stay with Lu'."
"You can and you will. He's family, he's your... your..."
"Everything."
Caroline's look softened as she saw the very loving look Mundy gave Lucien when he said that.
"Oh, look at you being so cute!"
He blushed slightly.
"Is he up?"
Mike had entered and seeing both Lucien and Caroline around the sofa, he joined them.
"Mundy, son, I'm sorry I've been so stupid."
"It's fine dad."
"No, it's not. I apologise to you and Lucien. Your mum's right-ouch!"
Caroline had gave an elbow knock to Mike.
"Roight, roight, Lucien was right. I'm sorry to have behaved the way I did."
"It's ok.. I just want Lucien to stay, dad, I love him."
Mike smiled, although a bit sadly as he thought that it took him a lot of time and effort and drama for him to realise that yes, all his son needed was Lucien.
"I know. And I try to understand."
"Mike?"
"Roight, roight, I understand. You love... him exactly the same as I love your mum... somehow..."
"Mike!"
"Alroight, fine! Anyway, Lucien can stay. After all he did for you, it can't be bad to keep him with you."
"Oh crickey Mike!"
"What?! That's what I needed to say, innit?!"
Caroline facepalmed.
"What your father is saying is that we're very happy for you to stay together, boys."
Mundy smiled and his cheeks went pink. He slided his bandaged hand out of the duvet and took Lucien's. A tear fell from his eye.
"A lesson engraved in the flesh, eh?"
Lucien smiled.
"Oh! That's my sentence!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about but please Micky don't cry, you've lost enough blood and water today!"
-- Author's notes --
What a marathon. I have written chapter 35 and 36 in one sitting and here I am. It is now 10.19pm and I haven't had dinner yet. Also I can't feel my knuckles anymore as, as always, I've been writing on my phone. It has been approximately 5 hours of writing without stopping. oof!
See y'all around for 37!