Golem

The phone rang the next morning just as Brian was getting Noah settled at the dining table with a bowl of cereal. Brian strode across the loft and snatched up the handset, barely making it in time to avoid setting off the answering machine.

“Yeah,” he answered.

“Hey, Brian,” came the weary response. “I just wanted to see how you and Noah were getting on.”

The beginnings of a smile curved the corners of Brian’s mouth as he glanced toward the table. “Noah’s fine. You don’t need to worry.”

“I’m more worried about you,” Julian teased. There was silence on the phone for a moment before he spoke again. “I hate to ask this, but do you think you can handle him for a couple of days? The doctors say Mom’ll be fine, but I’d like to stay with her until she gets out of the hospital, you know? Especially with Dad out of the country.”

“You’re going to owe me about a hundred blowjobs for this.”

“And you’ll get them, I promise. Thank you so much, Brian. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Brian snorted. “You’d manage.”

“Probably, but I’d rather not test that theory, if it’s all the same to you. I better go now. I’ll talk to you soon, all right? Tell Noah I love him.”

The two said their goodbyes and hung up. “That was Julian,” Brian said, sitting down next to Noah.

“How’s his Mom?” His innocent eyes were wide with concern.

“She’ll be fine. Julian’s going to stay with her for a couple more days. Oh...he sends his love.”

Noah face lit up for a moment. “Am I going to stay with you until Julian gets back?”

“Yeah. Is that okay?”

“Only if you buy some kid food,” the boy replied with an impish grin.

“I think that can be arranged.”

For a moment all conversation ceased as Noah concentrated on his cereal and Brian his coffee. After turning up his bowl to drain the milk, Noah set it aside and faced Brian with a serious expression.

“Brian, can I ask you a question?

“You just did.”

Noah rolled his eyes. “What’s a ‘blowjob’?”

Much to Brian’s credit, he managed not to spit coffee all over the table. “You shouldn’t eavesdrop on other people’s conversations,” he said.

“You were standing right there. I wasn’t trying to listen,” Noah reasoned. “So?”

“You’ll find out what a blowjob is in about....ten years. Less if you’re lucky. Now go watch TV or something while I get a shower,” Brian answered dismissively.

With a huff of annoyance, Noah did as he was told.

*

Brian and Noah spent most of the rest of the day in front of the TV. They argued a little over what to watch, Brian being adamantly opposed to “SpongeBob” and Noah refusing to watch anything that wasn’t in color. Eventually, they decided to take turns choosing, and Noah graciously allowed Brian first pick after being bribed with the promise of pizza for lunch.

That afternoon, they made a quick trip to Julian’s house to get Noah’s backpack and clothes for school. The boy selected a couple of his favorite DVDs to take along, as well, and Brian grabbed the latest book from Noah’s bedside table. Last time Brian had read to him, they had been working on “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” but it seemed that Julian was now reading to the boy from “Island of the Blue Dolphins.”

“Brian?” Noah’s voice cut into his musings. “Can we read this instead?” The boy handed him a paperback copy of the first Harry Potter book.

“Whatever you want, munchkin.”

Noah’s smile was infectious. He tucked the book into his school backpack almost reverently, like it was made of gold rather than paper and ink.

In fact, the child treated all of his belongings that way, Brian realized. It made sense; after all, the boy had owned precious little before he came to live with Julian. He could and did appreciate the things he was given.

Shooing the boy towards the stairs, Brian resolved to give Noah a few more such things to appreciate.

By Wednesday, Brian had fulfilled his promise to himself to buy Noah a few small presents. The first gift had been a simple one: a DVD of a movie that he knew the boy loved. The sunshiny smile that lit his innocent face had made it impossible for Brian to resist showering the child with more gifts, which ranged from inexpensive toys to his first Armani shirt. Regardless of expense, Noah met each unexpected gift with the same gratitude and exuberant thanks, squeezing Brian tightly around the middle and smiling so widely that it must surely hurt his cheeks.

*

Sometime between Wednesday night and Thur mor morning, Brian awoke to the sound of the loft door sliding closed with a slight bang. He tensed, although he was certain he had locked the door, and waited in the near-darkness. When a familiar form paused in the doorway, he let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding.

“Hey Julian,” he said, his voice still rough from sleep.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Brian replied, watching his lover cross the bedroom to stand on the far side of the bed. “I wasn’t expecting you back until tomorrow.”

“Dad showed up earlier than expected, so Mom made me come home.”

Brian grinned up at Julian in the near darkness. Then he turned his attention to the small body lying beside his in the big bed. With a gentle touch, he shook the child awake. “Look who’s here,” he said quietly.

Rubbing his eyes sleepily, Noah looked up. It took a moment for his brain to register what his eyes were seeing, but when everything clicked into place, he jumped up with a glad cry of “Julian!” and flung himself into the man’s waiting arms.

After a few minutes of talking and hugging, Noah excused himself to the bathroom. Brian took advantage of the child’s absence to draw Julian into his arms. They kissed, gently at first, and then more forcefully. Brian pulled away with a small, frustrated groan.

“The loft doesn’t give us much privacy.”

Julian chuckled. “Probably a good thing. I’d hate to insult you by falling asleep in the middle of....things.” He glanced toward the bathroom door.

Brian pulled his lover in for another kiss, trying to say without words how much he had missed the other man’s presence the past few days. An over-exaggerated sigh from across the room caused them to pull away slightly.

“Do I hafta sleep on the couch, now?” Noah wanted to know.

Brian laughed. “Not if you promise to actually go to sleep so I can.”

Noah climbed over Brian’s legs to settle beside him again. “Promise,” he swore, closing his eyes tightly.

Chuckling quietly, Julian kicked off his shoes and crawled beneath the duvet, turning to face Noah and Brian. He kissed his boy on the forehead and lightly touched Brian’s cheek. “Good night,” he whispered.