How the River Feels

With a shout that was surely heard up and down the hallway, Dan exploded. His cock shot out ropes of cum into Jack's hungry mouth, his hips still thrusting and Jack's hands still working on his balls and prostate.

With one final thrust of his hips, Dan collapsed, unable to move. Jack pulled off his cock and slipped his finger out of Dan's ass. He lay on top of Dan and kissed him, sharing the load of sweet and salty semen. They passed it back and forth as their tongues danced a slow dance of love. Then they swallowed.

Jack and Dan looked into each other's eyes with love and tenderness. Then Jack rolled off of Dan and cuddled at his side, throwing one arm over Dan and entwining their legs together. Dan rested one arm on Jack's arm and stroked his hair with the other.

Their breathing slowed and they were soon asleep in each other's arms. The sleep of total surrender and peace. The sleep of those who know they are loved.

~~~~~~~~~~

Seven - Travels Together

Will you give me yourself? Will you come to travel with me? Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?" - Walt Whitman

Jack stood at the rail of the ferry. The cold October sea wind whipped at his hair. He had let it grow out for a while now, and his usually trim beard was getting a bit shaggy. It gave him a more relaxed, less formal look that still attracted Dan.

Dan silently slipped up beside Jack and put his arm around Jack's waist. Jack put his arm around Dan and leaned in for a kiss. No words were spoken. No words were needed. They spoke a silent language of the heart, and a touch or a kiss said all that needed to be said.

They were the only passengers foolish enough to brave the cold. But Jack had wanted to see the English Channel slip by. The famous White Cliffs of Dover had receded to a white line on the western horizon. It was not clear enough to see France yet, but they stayed on deck. In the chilly weather, their shared warmth was all they needed.

~~~~~~~~~~

During the past five days in London, they had done all the touristy things. Shopping at Harrod's, touring the Tower of London, even a horse-drawn carriage ride through the city. They rode through Hyde Park, past Buckingham Palace, through Trafalgar Square. The driver had provided them with a blanket against the cool air. At the end of the ride, the driver said goodbye with a knowing grin. Their activities beneath the blanket had not gone unnoticed.

There was Don Giovanni at Covent Garden. Phantom of the Opera and Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap in the West End. Hearing the booming toll of Big Ben as the toured Westminster Palace, the home of Parliament.

All this was old hat to Dan, who had been to London many times. But as Jack excitedly pulled him along or pointed out some new thing with glee, Dan began to see things with different eyes. His heart, so calloused by pain and bitterness, was softening. By seeing things through the eyes of the man he loved, the world took on a fresh, new look. And the old Dan was slowly but steadily burning to ashes, and the new Dan, the man with a tender, loving heart, was rising from the ashes.

And each night, exhausted from the day's adventures, they crawled into bed, tired but happy, and they were soon asleep in each other's arms. But during the night, one of them would wake and begin exploring his lover's naked body. Soon, they would be caressing and stroking. It was not long before they were asleep again, lulled by the warm aroma of sex, and with the taste of semen on their tongues.

~~~~~~~~~~

At first, they had thought of taking the direct train to Paris through the "Chunnel" under the English Channel. But the traditional route of train-ferry-train seemed more romantic.

They had had an early breakfast in their room before they checked out of the hotel and headed to Victoria Station for the boat train. As they rolled along in their private train compartment, they looked out to see the scenery of Kent go by, the fields mostly harvested and bare by now, with hints of colder weather to come on the land.

They arrived at Dover early and were greeted by the salt tang of the sea in the air. Jack's mind was transported back to his boyhood play of pirates. But now he was on a real adventure with the man who had stolen his heart.

They had enough time to briefly tour Dover Castle, with its tunnels hidden beneath the old pile of masonry. Then they boarded the ferry to Calais. Jack was so excited to be on his adventure with Dan. And his excitement was contagious. Dan began to be caught up in the sheer fun of it all. No more being blasé about the world. There was beauty and excitement all around him, now that love had opened his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

The TGV (Train Grand Vitesse) pulled out of Calais and headed south for Paris. They sat in the mostly empty first-class car.

Jack suddenly said, "What's your middle name, Dan?"

"What?"

"Your middle name. What is it?"

"Uh . . . Andrew. . . Andrew. I don't like it."

"Why not?"

"It's my dad's name. I only use it on official stuff. I've tried to put all that behind me."

"But your name belongs to you. . . In fact, I hereby decree that your name, Daniel Andrew Olson, belongs only to you."

"That's so silly!" But Dan had to smile when he saw the gleam in Jack's eyes. Another part of Dan was being renewed.

"And what's your full name, O Wise One?"

"Jackson Montgomery Roger Middleton. . . Yeah, I know. It sounds like an old Confederate general. So, what's your favorite dessert?"

"You've seen me eat enough cherry pie, so you ought to know."

"True. Okay, favorite movie?"

"You'll laugh."

"No, I won't."

"Yes, you will."

"I promise!"

"Okay . . . Babe."

"The one about the pig?"

"Yes. And cut that smile. I know you want to laugh. Your favorite movie?"

"I like movies nobody seems to have seen. . . I think it would be Harold and Maude. About an unlikely couple."

"Like us?"

"No. He's eighteen and she's almost seventy. But in a way, they are like us. An unexpected pairing of two people. . . Anyway, who would you want to sit next to on a ten hour flight?"

"Besides you?" Dan gave a quick squeeze to Jack's crotch.

Jack swatted Dan hand. "Yes, besides me, smart ass!"

"I think it would be Mark Twain. I like his characters and his quirky sense of humor. What about you, Jackson Montgomery Roger? If you could tear yourself away from me, that is."

"I'd say Beethoven, but he wouldn't be much of a conversationalist. I think . . . Gandhi. What an amazing man, how he changed the world."

"That's so true. Okay, what part of you do you think I like the best?"

"My butt, you grab it often enough."

"Nope."

"My chest hair? My arms? Legs? Dick and balls?"

Dan shook his head at each suggestion. "No, your eyes. I see in them a beautiful man, a man a great character and strength, a man who loves me."

Jack was deeply moved by Dan's answer. Then he said, "What part of you do you think I like best, Dan?"

Dan shook his head.

Jack laid his hand on Dan's chest. "Your heart. So full of the love you have to give, that you give to me every day." He bent forward to gently kiss Dan.

The two men leaned back in their seats, turned toward each other, holding hands, and carrying on a silent conversation of their hearts.

France flew by, unseen by the two lovers.

~~~~~~~~~~

Sean opened his laptop and sighed when he saw the email notification. Another travel update from his dad.

It had been about a month since Jack's big revelation about Dan. Sean and Hannah were beginning to adjust to the new reality. It was like learning to walk all over again.

Sean thought back about his mom and dad, the family times together as he was growing up. It was the three of them, doing things together, eating meals, going to the park, visiting his grandparents.

Then there had been the losses: losing his grandparents one at a time. Then his mother's illness and death. Through it all, Jack had been Sean's rock, his anchor, the one he could always count on. From the start of Karen's decline into helplessness, it had been the two of them, Jack and Sean, leaning on each other.

Then Dan entered the scene. Sean liked him, and he was glad to see his dad moving on from the paralysis of grief. Sean was even beginning to accept his father's attraction to another man. But it was all so new, and he was worried that at some point, Dan would move on. Sean knew about Dan's past, his wild and sensuous lifestyle. He was afraid that Dan would return to that, leaving Jack devastated in the wake of Dan's passing.

Most of Jack's email updates were short on information and long on photos. Being a professional photographer, most of the photos were of little interest. A picture of the fancy hotel lobby. Another castle. A blurry photo of the landscape from a train window. He had saved a few files and discarded most.

Sean looked at the latest email, with its photo attachment. "View of Paris." Big deal.

He opened the attachment and stared at the picture. It took his breath away. There were the lights of Paris below. Obviously from the Eiffel Tower. There were the remains of a lovely sunset in the background.

But all he could see were the two men. Jack and Dan. Both were handsome, strong, poised. Truly photo worthy. But what struck Sean were their eyes. Being a photographer, Sean was a good judge of character. He learned to look into people's eyes, to see to the depths of who they were.

Dan's eyes were bright, sparkling with joy and happiness. Where before there had been closed shutters, there were now open windows of truth and faithfulness. This was a new man.

And his dad! The transformation was unbelievable. The lines of sorrow and pain were erased. The spark of living had returned. The father Sean adored was back. The man who had taught him to ride a bike. Who went to Sean's soccer games. Who ran up and wrapped his arms around Sean at his graduation. Who had been his best man when he married Hannah.

With eyes streaming with tears, Sean stared at the photo. Whatever life had in store for Jack and Dan, Sean felt sure it was good and would last.

Sean saved the photo and began to enlarge on an idea that had popped into his head.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dan found that seeing the world with Jack opened his eyes to beauty. How had he ever become so calloused about the wonderful things he had experienced?

In Paris, the Louvre was more than a collection of artworks. It was an expression of the human spirit in its many varied forms. The crowds in the city were not an annoyance. They exemplified the bustle and activity of people, the energy of living.

In Amsterdam, they visited the Van Gogh Museum and attended a concert at the Concertgebouw. They were glad they had brought their tuxes. And the music filled their hearts and minds and let them soar above everyday living to higher planes of understanding.

Berlin was next. They shopped in the fashionable modern district and visited the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a reminder of war and suffering. Visiting the site of the former Berlin Wall, they thought about how determined people triumphed over tyranny. And the concert of Beethoven and Brahms symphonies by the Berlin Philharmonic was superb.

Prague lived up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. They toured Prague Castle and were fascinated by the city's fifteenth century astronomical clock.

The high speed trains that whisked them from city to city left little time for conversation while traveling. But each night, as they lay in bed after the day's activities, they made love to each other, learning more about each other's heart, mind, and body.

Dan loved to explore Jack's masculine body. The strong muscles of his arms and legs, the full chest, the slim waist. Dan was a little over six feet tall, but Jack had three or four inches on him. And Dan really loved Jack's body hair. His arms and legs, his belly and chest. Dan loved to just run his fingers through the hair of his furry lover.

Jack's face was handsome. The full lips, the shapely nose, the full beard. All combined to make Jack a fine specimen of a man. And his eyes! Jack's eyes were a window into the soul of a man who loved deeply, who was confident in his identity, who strode through life with assurance.

Dan loved to kiss, suck, bite, and lick all over Jack's body, finding the most sensitive spots and marking them in his mind. His earlobes, the sensitive spot just below the collarbone, his nipples, especially the left one, the tender spot between his ball sack and his thigh, the inside of his thighs, the arches of his feet. All of this became a map to Dan as he explored Jack.

And his cock and balls drew Dan like a magnet. Dan knew exactly how to make love to Jack's cock and balls. His hands, tongue, and lips tortured Jack with the exquisite thrill of being pushed to the edge of orgasm and then being made to wait. Jack loved to have Dan lick and suck his balls, taking them one at a time into his mouth and caressing them with his tongue. Then taking both into his mouth and giving a slight tug that drove Jack wild.

Dan would lick up and down Jack's shaft, pausing to taste and savor the sweet precum that flowed freely. Then he would slip a finger into Jack's ass, doing wonderful things to his prostate. Before long, Jack would cry out as he exploded into Dan's eager mouth, shooting the evidence of his love into Dan, who would hold it in his mouth to share with Jack.

They would kiss, letting Jack's semen pass freely between them as their lips and tongues were joined in a celebration of love. Finally, they would swallow Jack's cum, taking his essence into their bodies.

Jack loved it when Dan played with his ass, and the sexual earthquakes from his prostate were shattering. But Dan didn't try to fuck Jack. He knew it would come, but Jack wasn't quite ready for that final surrender yet.

Jack learned much from Dan and became an expert in his favorite subject: Dan. He would explore Dan's body with his hands and mouth, stroking, rubbing, caressing, finding the spots that drove Dan insane. Dan's ears, his Adam's apple, armpits, both nipples, his navel, the backs of his thighs, his toes. This knowledge became a treasure map for Jack to follow, with X-es marking the spots where wonderful things were hidden.

Dan's cock became Jack's favorite toy. He would stroke up and down on the shaft, licking and sucking. Being circumcised himself, Jack was fascinated with Dan's foreskin. He would spend time just covering and uncovering the head. Then he would swirl his tongue around between Dan's foreskin and cockhead, tasting the lovely precum. He would lick and suck on Dan's balls, knowing that they were such a sensitive part of a man.

Jack would be so preoccupied with Dan's cock and balls that he was almost oblivious to Dan's thrashing and writhing in pleasure as he steadily moved toward his orgasm. Jack would massage Dan's prostate, stroking and tapping, until Dan could no longer take it. With a roar, Dan would erupt into Jack's mouth, thrusting his hips and moaning as his orgasm took him. Finally, he would relax into blissful rest as Jack lay on top of him and they lazily, lovingly kissed and shared Dan's cum with each other.

Their exploration of the treasures of the cities they visited was mirrored by their exploration of each other. Not just their bodies. They shared their hearts and souls, hopes and dreams, thoughts and feelings. Each day, their lives became more intertwined.

Jack found in Dan a guide to adventure. The exciting dreams of boyhood were being realized in a way Jack would never have expected. But Dan had pried open the box that Jack had lived in and helped the adventurous boy/man inside find a wide open world of newness. Dan was helping Jack to live passionately.

Jack didn't really understand yet that what Dan was drawn to in him was a corollary, almost a polar opposite quality in Jack. Dan saw Jack as a man who knew who he was, who took his place in the world confidently. His obvious physical strength was balanced by his tender heart. Dan saw a man who mourned the loss of his mate, and who loved his son with a depth that Dan didn't know was possible. His own life experiences had left him wounded and hardened. Now Dan saw the possibility of a life that was settled, secure in his relationship with the man he loved.

The journey around Europe was a reflection of their journey, the exploration of their love for each other.

~~~~~~~~~~

Eight - Vienna

Surrender is faith that the power of Love can accomplish anything even when you cannot foresee the outcome. - Deepak Chopra

Jack and Dan walked down the famous Kaertnerstrasse in the heart of old Vienna. They were staying at the Opera Suites, a small family owned bed and breakfast which fully justified its name. They could look out the bay window of their luxurious third floor suite and have a perfect view of the Vienna State Opera House.

They had explored the area around St. Stephen's cathedral, with its distinctive colorful roof. They even managed to hear a mini concert by the Vienna Boy Choir.

After a tasty lunch at Café Frauenhuber, the oldest coffee house in a city full of coffee houses (Beethoven had been a regular there), they were sauntering back to their hotel. Hand in hand, they were enjoying the cool but sunny autumn weather when Jack suddenly stopped with his jaw dropped and eyes wide. They were looking at a sign advertising that evening's performance at the Opera. Tristan and Isolde. Jack turned to Dan and asked, "Do you think we can get standing room tickets for tonight? I think they go on sale about an hour ahead of curtain time."

"Let's ask the concierge," replied Dan. "He'll probably know."

Towing Dan by the hand, Jack practically ran back to the hotel and to the concierge desk.

"Do you know how to get tickets for the opera tonight?" he breathlessly asked.

"Let me see, Herr Middleton, if I can find the information," said the man. He rummaged around under the counter for a few moments. "Aha! Here it is!" he exclaimed triumphantly. He stood up and held out an envelope with Jack's name on it.

Puzzled, Jack tore open the envelope and pulled out two tickets for that night's performance. He turned to Dan, who was watching everything, trying to keep from bursting out in laughter.

"I called the hotel from London to see about tickets," he explained. "They have a private box that they sometimes allow guests to use. When I found out which opera was on tonight, I practically begged. So, break out the tux again. We're going to the opera tonight!"

Jack threw his arms around Dan and kissed him. The concierge was beaming at them. "Thank you, babe!" exclaimed Jack. "This is perfect. I love you!"

They went to their room to get ready. After a light snack, they showered separately so they wouldn't get distracted and be late. They put on their tuxedos, looking in the mirror together to tie their bow ties and smooth out their jackets. They gave each other a wolf whistle.

"Time for the show!" said Dan as he kissed Jack's cheek, and then they were off.

~~~~~~~~~~

Walking through the foyer of the Vienna State Opera House was like walking back in time to an age of opulence and beauty. They could imagine running into any of the great musicians of Vienna's past. Their box was just above the orchestra level and near the center, so they had a perfect view with a perfect balance of voices and instruments.

The lights dimmed, the conductor took his place, and the heartrending strains of the Prelude began. Both men were caught up in the music, and unconsciously their hands met, and their fingers intertwined. They sat still throughout the first act, pulled into the action by the excellent performance of such great music.