Part V.
The play was finished--for tonight, at least. Percival sat alone on the stage, still in his Romeo costume, his feet dangling over the edge. At least, he thought he was alone. But the sound of shuffling caught his attention, and he turned his head. Rody was moving onto the stage, but instead of shuffling as the knight had assumed, he was sweeping; it was the sound of the magician's broom that Percival had heard. The knight's face lit up when he saw the boy, but then he realized that Rody was dirty. The boy's cheek had a streak of something like soot across it, and his clothes were dusty. He was cleaning the theater all by himself!
Percival frowned and climbed to his feet. "...Rody?"
The boy jumped, dropping his broom onto the stage's hard, wooden floor.
Oh, no! Rody thought in dismay. He must have heard me! The magician had been reciting lines from an upcoming scene as he worked--a scene he would have liked to have played in with Sir--with Percival.
Rody tried to hide his sudden blush by reaching down to retrieve the broom handle, but the knight bent over at the same time, and from a crouching position, they bumped heads.
Percival watched in avid fascination as a few strands of ebony hair slipped from the boy's tie and fell into his face, and couldn't resist the urge to tuck the hair behind the boy's ear. He reached out to twist the strands around his finger, ever so gently... For just an instant too long, Percival's hand lingered on Rody's flushed cheek.
"I'm sorry--" they both started, then laughed again.
"You have to stop apologizing to me," Percival said quietly as the pair straightened up, the broom forgotten. "Especially when it's my fault..."
"All right...Sir Percival." Rody looked up into the older man's eyes feeling as though he were walking in a dream--a very familiar dream.
"And don't call me 'Sir' anymore," the knight murmured softly, moving even closer.
"...Then what shall I call you?" Rody whispered, feeling the same kind of flutter as he had the first time they'd kissed.
Percival reached out and put his arms warmly around the boy's shoulders, drawing him nearer. "You can call me 'yours'..."
"...Oh..." Rody couldn't say anything else in that final instant before Percival's lips captured his. He tried to think of something poetically romantic to whisper to describe his feelings, but he just couldn't get anything out save a happy sigh. By the way Percival was holding him--was kissing him--told him that indeed actions spoke louder than words.
The kiss ended all too soon, just as before, but this time Rody felt secure in the knowledge that it wasn't just for show; there were sincere feelings behind that touch.
"...Was that wrong of me?" Percival asked quietly, but he didn't let Rody go.
The magician's palms rested on the knight's chest. For once he was glad that Percival was not in his armor. He looked great in uniform, but...he probably wouldn't have felt this nice.
Rody couldn't answer the question. He just looked up into Percival's eyes like a lovesick puppy.
"You're right," Percival said suddenly, letting go of the boy's shoulders and taking a step back. "I shouldn't have--without permission, most especially... That was very wrong, Rody, and I'm sorry. Can you ever...forgive...me...? Rody, what's wrong?!"
The boy had begun to cry.
"What have I done? Oh, Rody... I'm so sorry... I never should have--this is all my fault!"
The boy shook his head hard. "No! Please, please don't say it was wrong! Don't take it back! I needed it--I need you!"
"...Rody..." Percival hadn't been so touched since...since last week's moving performance. This, however...this was no act; this was for real. And it was beautiful.
"Please!" Rody begged, rushing forward to clasp hold of the knight's shirtfront. "Don't let me go--Percival!"
The knight need not have been asked twice. He brought his arms up once again to encircle the trembling body and hold it to his own in a warm embrace. He let the boy sob for a few minutes, realizing with an aching heart that he hadn't been the only one to suffer in silence over the past week.
As Rody calmed himself, Percival felt the temptation to try another kiss. He decided to work up to it, though, instead of rushing Rody again. He began to gently massage the boy's back, squeezing him tightly. Then he bent his head to take a deep breath of the scent of Rody's beautiful hair.
But the boy had been cleaning for half an hour, and he was covered in dirt and dust. Percival tried to hold it back, but his body refused to listen, and he let out a sneeze.
Rody pulled away. "I'm so sorry! I forgot...I didn't meant to get you dirty..."
"My fault," Percival sniffled. "Let me help you sweep up this mess, then we'll try again after we've cleaned up, okay?"
Rody's eyes grew large and round. "...Really?"
"Of course!" Percival said. "You don't think I'd let you get away from me after that, do you?"
It took them another hour and a half, but they finally finished sweeping the audotorium and trashing the excess litter lying about. Afterwards, they clasped grimy hands as they walked to the exit. "...When can I see you again?"
It was Percival who asked.
"Any time," Rody said sincerely. "But please let it be soon."
Percival was touched. "Fine, then: how about tomorrow evening? We can have dinner in my room, then you can help me learn my new lines, okay?"
Rody gasped. "...Dinner...together? In your room?"
Percival looked uncomfortable. "I'm moving too fast...?"
"Nonono! I'll be there!"
Percival smiled down at the boy. "Can I have one last kiss?"
Who am I to refuse...? Rody happily tilted his head to receive Percival's sweet parting gift, then he watched his fantasy-come-true walk out the door.
The play was finished--for tonight, at least. Percival sat alone on the stage, still in his Romeo costume, his feet dangling over the edge. At least, he thought he was alone. But the sound of shuffling caught his attention, and he turned his head. Rody was moving onto the stage, but instead of shuffling as the knight had assumed, he was sweeping; it was the sound of the magician's broom that Percival had heard. The knight's face lit up when he saw the boy, but then he realized that Rody was dirty. The boy's cheek had a streak of something like soot across it, and his clothes were dusty. He was cleaning the theater all by himself!
Percival frowned and climbed to his feet. "...Rody?"
The boy jumped, dropping his broom onto the stage's hard, wooden floor.
Oh, no! Rody thought in dismay. He must have heard me! The magician had been reciting lines from an upcoming scene as he worked--a scene he would have liked to have played in with Sir--with Percival.
Rody tried to hide his sudden blush by reaching down to retrieve the broom handle, but the knight bent over at the same time, and from a crouching position, they bumped heads.
Percival watched in avid fascination as a few strands of ebony hair slipped from the boy's tie and fell into his face, and couldn't resist the urge to tuck the hair behind the boy's ear. He reached out to twist the strands around his finger, ever so gently... For just an instant too long, Percival's hand lingered on Rody's flushed cheek.
"I'm sorry--" they both started, then laughed again.
"You have to stop apologizing to me," Percival said quietly as the pair straightened up, the broom forgotten. "Especially when it's my fault..."
"All right...Sir Percival." Rody looked up into the older man's eyes feeling as though he were walking in a dream--a very familiar dream.
"And don't call me 'Sir' anymore," the knight murmured softly, moving even closer.
"...Then what shall I call you?" Rody whispered, feeling the same kind of flutter as he had the first time they'd kissed.
Percival reached out and put his arms warmly around the boy's shoulders, drawing him nearer. "You can call me 'yours'..."
"...Oh..." Rody couldn't say anything else in that final instant before Percival's lips captured his. He tried to think of something poetically romantic to whisper to describe his feelings, but he just couldn't get anything out save a happy sigh. By the way Percival was holding him--was kissing him--told him that indeed actions spoke louder than words.
The kiss ended all too soon, just as before, but this time Rody felt secure in the knowledge that it wasn't just for show; there were sincere feelings behind that touch.
"...Was that wrong of me?" Percival asked quietly, but he didn't let Rody go.
The magician's palms rested on the knight's chest. For once he was glad that Percival was not in his armor. He looked great in uniform, but...he probably wouldn't have felt this nice.
Rody couldn't answer the question. He just looked up into Percival's eyes like a lovesick puppy.
"You're right," Percival said suddenly, letting go of the boy's shoulders and taking a step back. "I shouldn't have--without permission, most especially... That was very wrong, Rody, and I'm sorry. Can you ever...forgive...me...? Rody, what's wrong?!"
The boy had begun to cry.
"What have I done? Oh, Rody... I'm so sorry... I never should have--this is all my fault!"
The boy shook his head hard. "No! Please, please don't say it was wrong! Don't take it back! I needed it--I need you!"
"...Rody..." Percival hadn't been so touched since...since last week's moving performance. This, however...this was no act; this was for real. And it was beautiful.
"Please!" Rody begged, rushing forward to clasp hold of the knight's shirtfront. "Don't let me go--Percival!"
The knight need not have been asked twice. He brought his arms up once again to encircle the trembling body and hold it to his own in a warm embrace. He let the boy sob for a few minutes, realizing with an aching heart that he hadn't been the only one to suffer in silence over the past week.
As Rody calmed himself, Percival felt the temptation to try another kiss. He decided to work up to it, though, instead of rushing Rody again. He began to gently massage the boy's back, squeezing him tightly. Then he bent his head to take a deep breath of the scent of Rody's beautiful hair.
But the boy had been cleaning for half an hour, and he was covered in dirt and dust. Percival tried to hold it back, but his body refused to listen, and he let out a sneeze.
Rody pulled away. "I'm so sorry! I forgot...I didn't meant to get you dirty..."
"My fault," Percival sniffled. "Let me help you sweep up this mess, then we'll try again after we've cleaned up, okay?"
Rody's eyes grew large and round. "...Really?"
"Of course!" Percival said. "You don't think I'd let you get away from me after that, do you?"
It took them another hour and a half, but they finally finished sweeping the audotorium and trashing the excess litter lying about. Afterwards, they clasped grimy hands as they walked to the exit. "...When can I see you again?"
It was Percival who asked.
"Any time," Rody said sincerely. "But please let it be soon."
Percival was touched. "Fine, then: how about tomorrow evening? We can have dinner in my room, then you can help me learn my new lines, okay?"
Rody gasped. "...Dinner...together? In your room?"
Percival looked uncomfortable. "I'm moving too fast...?"
"Nonono! I'll be there!"
Percival smiled down at the boy. "Can I have one last kiss?"
Who am I to refuse...? Rody happily tilted his head to receive Percival's sweet parting gift, then he watched his fantasy-come-true walk out the door.