“Yup!”
The restaurant was dark and cozy, lit by orange lamps that gave the illusion of firelight. The booths were wooden, only thin cushions providing any comfort. Kelly remained silent as they sat, not wanting the waiter to hear they spoke English. Sure enough, he came over and plopped down two menus, both of them covered in indecipherable text.
“Was zum Trinken?”
Whatever that meant. Kelly spoke the two words he felt he’d pieced together. “Tsfy beers. ”
The waiter raised an eyebrow. “Zwei Bier? Welches denn? Pilsner? Hefe?”
Kelly stared in response.
The waiter stared back a moment, then took a menu, opened it, and tapped a finger on one section. “Welches?”
Kelly glanced down at a list of brands, choosing one with Berlin in the title. People were always raving about local beer, so he figured it was a good choice.
The waiter leaned over to see and asked, “Himbeere oder Waldmeister? ”
Kelly nodded hopefully in response.
“Na gut, ” the waiter said. “Beides. ”
Thankfully he then went away, Nathaniel chuckling as he did so. “Very impressive!” he said.
“Shut up,” Kelly said. “I managed, didn’t I?”
“Hopefully. Who knows what you really said. The guy might be on his way to call the police.”
Kelly waved a hand dismissively. “Then it’s a good thing I’m equipped with a military-grade leg. This thing probably has secret deployable missiles, so don’t mess with me.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Nathaniel said, eyes twinkling. “How does it feel? As good as the real thing?”
“Almost,” Kelly said. “One of my butt muscles keeps twitching on that side.”
“Maybe something needs to be adjusted. You’ll have to tell them tomorrow.”
“That’ll be a fun conversation.” Kelly frowned. “Listen, I’m really grateful for all of this—”
Nathaniel raised a hand. “Thank Marcello, not me.”
“I definitely will, but between you and me, I’m worried. Having a leg of this caliber is wonderful. It’s only the first day and already I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at... everything, really. But no prosthetic leg lasts forever, and I’m dreading the day this one breaks down. I plan on calling my insurance company as soon as we’re back and opening a separate savings account, but if I ever need an entirely new leg, I’m not sure I’ll be able to afford it. I know they say it’s better to have loved and lost, but in this circumstance, I hate the idea of returning to the life I knew.”
“Was it so bad?” Nathaniel asked.
“No,” Kelly said. “Of course not. The accident could have been much worse. Day to day, I was happy. I don’t know what I’m trying to say, other than getting what you want can be scary, because then you have to face the idea of losing it again.”
Nathaniel stared at him, frowning slightly. “I know exactly what you mean.”
“Zwei Berliner Weisse,” the waiter said. He set down two drinks on the table. “Noch was dazu?”
Kelly shook his head instinctively. The waiter wandered away. That was good, because at the moment he was struggling to find words. Instead of mugs, they had received comically squat versions of wine glasses. The beer—if that’s even what it was—came in two different colors. One was red, the other green. Sticking out of both were fat black straws.
“Wonderful,” Nathaniel said, “you somehow managed to order us clown beer.”
Kelly stared a moment longer before laughing. “This is some sort of joke, right? Something they do to stupid tourists who think they can speak German?”
Nathaniel shrugged and peered at the printed image on the glass. “It looks like a little kid sitting in a beer mug. Maybe this is the beer Germans give to their children.”
“Is that even legal?”
“In Germany it probably is.” Nathaniel pushed one of the glasses toward him. “Here. You drink the green one. I figure it’s the most likely to be poisoned.”
“Thanks,” Kelly said. He sipped gingerly on the straw. The flavor was sweet. He still wasn’t sure if it was beer, because it mostly tasted like some sort of fruit syrup.
“Not bad,” Nathaniel said, after half-emptying his glass with one swig, the straw resting on the table. “I’m not sure I’d want to get wasted off them, but it’s kind of good.”
Kelly nodded and made them swap glasses so he could try the red kind.
Nathaniel watched him grab the straw from his old drink and used it to sip from the new one. “You don’t have to worry,” he said. “If anything ever happens to your leg, you’ll get another.”
“How?” Kelly asked.
Nathaniel took a deep breath and shook his head. “I honestly don’t know. But I’ll make it happen, no matter what. I promise.”
Kelly smiled with his eyes as he continued to sip. The two tiny beers didn’t last long. Rather than stick around and suffer any more awkwardness with the waiter, they used the menus to figure out what they owed and left the money on the table.
Not too far from the restaurant was a department store with impressive window displays called KaDeWe. Not the most catchy name, but he probably didn’t know how to pronounce it correctly. He wondered if German tourists ever stood outside Walmart and shook their heads in puzzlement. Not that Walmart could be compared to a store like this, since what they entered was clearly a high-end store.
“I need new shoes!” Kelly declared. “And maybe a nice pair of jeans. I won’t have to fold one leg anymore! Oh my god! Do you have any idea how exciting this is?”
Even if he didn’t, Nathaniel smiled in response. Maybe the beer had loosened him up a little, because as they were riding up the escalator, he reached over to take Kelly’s hand. Such a simple pleasure, and a maneuver that would have been complicated just a day before. Nathaniel didn’t let go when they reached the next floor, and even when Kelly shook him loose to try on shoes, the second he was finished, Nathaniel sought out his hand again.
He was forced to let go when Kelly stepped into a dressing room to try on some black slacks that had caught his eye. He grabbed a jacket on the way in. Both were much more form-fitting than those he usually found back home, but Kelly liked that. He stared into the mirror and felt like he was dreaming. He had just dressed himself without struggling or hopping around. Now he was standing there, and to the naked eye, he looked just like anyone else.
“You almost done in there?” Nathaniel asked.
“Come see,” Kelly said. He continued staring into the mirror as the curtain behind him opened. Nathaniel came close, put his hands on Kelly’s hips, and considered their reflection. “What do you think?” “Handsome as always,” Nathaniel said.
“Thanks,” Kelly said, “but I mean... I look normal!”
Nathaniel smiled at him from over his shoulder. “Normal? I don’t think so. You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Kelly felt like swooning into his arms. Instead he smirked and said, “You’re just saying that because of the new leg.”
Nathaniel shook his head, his gaze unwavering. “Take it off and throw it in the next dumpster you see. I don’t care. Go back to your crutches if that makes you happy, or let me carry you anywhere you want to go. I’d do anything for you, Kelly. Absolutely anything, because I love you. You know that?”
Kelly nodded numbly, too shocked to respond in words.
Nathaniel appeared less certain. “Is that okay?”
Kelly remembered to breathe and spun around. “Is it okay that I’ve been in love with you for a ridiculously long time?”
A smile tugged at Nathaniel’s lips. “Since when?”
“Gosh,” Kelly said, casting his mind back. “Somewhere between the second and third glass of wine.”
“At the fundraiser?” Nathaniel asked. “That far back? Wow! Must have been some potent moonshine!”
“It was,” Kelly said with a grin. “Honestly, I don’t know when
it happened, but I’ve been keeping it a secret because I was worried that
“Kelly,” Nathaniel said gently.
“Yes?”
“I need you to stop talking.”
“Why?”
Nathaniel smirked, then drew him in for a kiss. They kept kissing long enough that Kelly was wondering if his new leg could handle hopping up and wrapping itself around Nathaniel’s waist. Before that could happen, someone cleared her throat. They turned to find an older German woman with arched eyebrows who wore a department store nametag. She nodded meaningfully at the clothes Kelly was dressed in.
“Just doing a quality control test,” Nathaniel said with a smile. “Don’t worry, I plan to take it all home with me tonight.”
The woman looked Kelly over again, and in lightly accented English said, “Would you like me to gift wrap him for you?”
By the time they entered their hotel room, they were both groaning like old men. Nathaniel sat on the edge of the bed, one shoe and sock already off as he wiggled the toes of a massive foot.
“Feels so good,” he said. Looking over at Kelly, he nodded upward. “You said taking off your old socket felt like getting out of your shoes after a long day. Is it the same with this one?”
“Yes,” Kelly said. “It’s definitely more comfortable, but I can’t imagine wearing it to bed.”
Nathaniel took off his other shoe with a gasp. “Then why are you still standing there?”
“Because something occurred to me.” Kelly bent the artificial knee before very carefully lowering himself down, resting his weight on it. Then he matched the position with his natural leg. “You have any idea how long it’s been since I could kneel?”
“Neat, but are you planning to spend the whole night like that?”
Kelly looked at him pointedly.
Nathaniel’s eyebrows shot up. As they came back down, a slow smile appeared. Then he stood and strutted over to Kelly with an exaggerated swagger that made them both laugh. He didn’t stop until his belt was eye-level with Kelly.
Oh how he’d missed these little pleasures! Not that there was anything little about what Kelly was about to unwrap. He worked on the belt, then the button and zipper, revealing bulging underwear. Kelly grasped the cotton briefs and pulled them down in one smooth motion, Nathaniel’s cock pointing at him expectantly. Kelly looked upward and smiled, enjoying this vantage point. He took Nathaniel’s heavy balls in his palm, gently caressing them, then reached forward with just the tip of his tongue to tease the ring of foreskin.
Nathaniel gasped in pleasure, putting a hand on the back of Kelly’s head and drawing him closer. Kelly kept looking upward even as Nathaniel’s cock filled his mouth all the way to his throat. He’d lost touch with his gag reflex ages ago, so this wasn’t a problem. As long as Kelly could still occasionally breathe in, Nathaniel could use him in any way he saw fit. He seemed eager to, eventually lifting up Kelly by the armpits and helping him to his feet so they could kiss.
Kelly took advantage of having his hands free, first by undoing his own pants, and then by pressing their cocks together, gripping them tightly and pumping. Nathaniel’s eyes were half-lidded as he shook his head in awe, as if this was all too good to be true. Kelly agreed. He was happy to stay right where they were, but once again, Nathaniel had his own ideas.
“Get naked,” he said, stepping back to shrug off his remaining clothes.
Kelly was shirtless and sitting on the bed to take off his pants when Nathaniel kneeled to help him. “All of it,” he said, reaching for his socket. Kelly shrugged and leaned back, letting him do the work. Being free from its weight felt good. Both stripped bare, they scooted into bed together, Nathaniel crawling on top of him and kissing Kelly. Then he reached for the side drawer, but paused before opening it.
Kelly nodded. Now was as good a time as any. He toyed with Nathaniel’s nipples as he worked on getting the condom wrapper open. He reached down to stroke those nuts as Nathaniel put it on. Then Kelly was flipped onto his stomach, grinning against the pillow and arching his back when he felt the cold lube between his legs. He closed his eyes as Nathaniel slipped one of his thick fingers inside, already wondering how anything could feel better. But he knew from experience just how much higher they could get together.
When he was finally ready, Nathaniel poised himself above Kelly and very carefully lowered himself, pressing against him until he was inside. He took it slow, just as he always did, watching Kelly so carefully that he never had to speak or give instruction. Once he was hilt deep and Kelly wasn’t hissing in warning, Nathaniel lowered his weight. Then, still inside Kelly, he rolled them onto their sides.
This was different. Nathaniel had one arm wrapped around him as if they were spooning, which felt sweet and tender, at least until his hips started pumping. Then all the intense sensations—both physical and emotional—rose up inside Kelly, delivering him to euphoria. He grabbed Nathaniel’s arm, clutching it to him, desperate to be closer than they already were. Nathaniel responded, tightening his grip so much that Kelly almost couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t care. Kelly would gladly give up oxygen to continue squirming against that muscled chest, for those hips to keep slapping his ass, to prolong the ragged breaths panted into his ear.
“I love you,” Nathaniel was saying. “I love you. Ung. I love you so much!”
Part of Kelly felt like laughing, since his words sounded like someone had dubbed over the typical trash talk of a porno movie with the sappiest dialogue possible. But he also understood. He’d waited so long to hear those words, to be free to speak them aloud, that he felt like doing the same. At the moment though, he really was having trouble catching his breath. It wasn’t just the toned bicep and forearm squeezing his torso like a python, or the way they both had to stretch their necks to kiss. Something else was building inside Kelly. Nathaniel was hitting him just right. Kelly wasn’t even touching himself, and as he began to whimper, he realized he wouldn’t need to.
“Yeah?” Nathaniel asked.
Kelly nodded, no other signal needed. Nathaniel started thrusting harder, slamming himself against his rump, which was all it took to send them both over the edge. Thought shut down completely as pleasure permeated Kelly’s body, causing him to convulse. Nathaniel held on tight, lost in his own throes. Then they both exhaled long breaths and relaxed. Kelly’s muscles melted like butter in sunlight. From the heaviness of Nathaniel’s arm, he could tell he felt the same way. Eventually he glanced down at the sheets and saw multiple streaks of moisture in the fabric.
“When the maid sees the bed tomorrow,” Kelly said, “she’s going to flip.”
“It’s a guy,” Nathaniel murmured, “and from the way he was checking you out in the hallway this morning, he’ll probably ask you to autograph the bedspread so he can frame it.”
“In that case, I’m glad I forgot to put up the ‘do not disturb’ sign.”
Nathaniel raised his head. “I don’t do threesomes.”
“Which is why I’ll wake up early and hide in the maid’s laundry cart. Won’t that be a nice surprise for him?”
A pillow thwacked Kelly in the head. After he pushed it away, he said, “Don’t worry. You’re the only one for me. And just for the record... I love you too.”
Nathaniel squeezed him closer, tangled up their legs together, and celebrated this news by falling asleep. Kelly lay still a moment, basking in the wonderfulness of it all, before closing his eyes and giving chase.
Chapter Twenty-one
The wind whips around me, welcoming me back, inviting me to race off into infinity again. I pick up the pace, gyrating my hips to compensate, the artificial leg jutting off to the right. I’m tottering at high speed, bouncing along the track like a rubber ball, and the wind laughs... but not mockingly. The sound is joyful, because we are together again, the wind and I, rushing through space. I laugh too as a dog cuts across my path, nearly tripping me. I watch as he zips down the lane ahead, skidding to a halt before racing back towa
rd us. And that’s the best part. Us. Not just me and my elemental friend, but a real companion, jogging beside me and scowling at his dog. Then he looks over at me, wipes the sweat from his brow, and smiles.
Kelly’s foot landed wrong—the biological one, ironically—causing him to stumble and tumble to the ground. Rolling to a stop, Kelly ended up on his back. Then he started laughing. Zero rushed up to give him a few sloppy licks before tearing off again. Soon after, a large form blocked out the sun.
“You all right?” Nathaniel asked.
“I think I skinned my knee,” Kelly said, pointing at the artificial limb.
Nathaniel shook his head. “You better hope not, because we’re not going back to Germany to get another one. Not until the snow melts there.”
He offered Kelly a hand out of courtesy more than need. He knew Kelly could get up on his own these days. Once he was standing, Kelly shifted to the right, letting the sun warm him again. Being back in Austin felt good, especially now. They were standing on the track of his old high school, which had seemed a practical choice since the material was softer and would hurt him less if he fell. But running here again had another unexpected advantage. Kelly felt like he’d returned to a place of despair to conquer it with triumph.
“Keep grinning like that and people will think you’ve gone insane,” Nathaniel said.
“I don’t care,” Kelly replied. “That felt too damn good. Ready for more? I’ll race you!”
Nathaniel ran his fingers through damp hair. “Only if you promise to slow down.”
“That was nothing. Just wait until I get my running blade. Then you’ll really see fast.”
“I’d rather see fast food.” Nathaniel checked his watch. “It’s past lunch time.”
“Save your appetite,” Kelly said, reluctantly heading off the track to where he had set up a tripod and camera. “The party will have plenty of food.”
“Isn’t that tonight?”
“No, in just a few hours.” The camera took one more automatic photo before he turned it off.
“Kind of early for a party,” Nathaniel said, watching him work.