~The Man and his Boy~

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux had just turned fifteen the day he arrived in Lasquenet, or at least, January 7th seemed to be around the time it had been when he was a child. It was difficult to remember these things when you had no parents to remind you. Roux was an orphan who came and left as he pleased, his life was a whirlwind of different places, different people, freedom, pleasure, sometimes danger. He often avoided trouble, for he was not a small child, yet not a man capable of provoking fights and such.

Lasquenet, he found, was a conservative town. The folks there all went to early mass with their heads together in quiet gossip, clad in the browns, grays, and blacks of modest French countryside. Roux went to the small local cafe for a soda water, but was not acknowledged, for the owner was old and stiff and claimed not to serve "outsiders". The boy sighed and returned to the outside of town, (not far, as it was very small) where he was met with a peculiar sight. There, on the bank of the river Tanne, was docked three old house boats. Adults and children lingered around the bank, talking, running, playing guitars. A few shabby dogs lay in the shade. Why, they looked like...gypsies, dressed in earthy colours and worn yet unique clothing, versus the stiff style of the townspeople.

Roux, extremely interested, crept forward through the trees and sat just where the grass turned to dirt and sand. He had the look of a shabby puppy, his wavy golden brown hair cropped at his neck, his slim trousers a bit short and scraped in one knee, his brown leather boots ratty and tied just above his ankle. He wore an old red, chocolate and burnt orange striped shirt, rolled up at the sleeves and unbuttoned slightly. Roux was slender, skinny almost, but with the wear of long travel, and his hands and elbows were dusty. On his young, tanned face there were two large and beautiful eyes, the green brown of the earth seen from far above; a slightly upturned freckled nose and rosey lips set determined and straight. He looked on at the people with curiosity and shyness, wondering just who the man lingering to the left was.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien paced by the bank, his green eyes darted from one person to another. The tension was becoming almost unbearable... he hated it, not knowing what would happen next. He tried to calm himself, to reassure himself that everything would just pass by, and he'd get away without any issues. The problem was that he knew it would never happen like that. Instead, Damien expected to be caught by the police, arrested, and most likely jailed for a good sum of years. However, he had no intention of being caught. That's why he needed to find a boat to escape in.

He stared at the dock, noticing an empty boat. After checking the area for witnesses and potentially police, Damien moved in, stuffing his hands in his pockets. His pace quickened as he approached the empty boat. He looked around for a moment, and then climbed aboard the boat. Just as he did a man yelled loudly, "stop him, that's my boat!!" Damien's heart sank, his face went pale and a moment later, he leaped from the boat and toward the streets. This was it... either he escaped or he was done for. He charged toward the streets, with several other people taking flight. This wasn't a perfect part of town, and these 'gypsy-like' folks weren't perfectly innocent either. Damien ran back toward the street and suddenly collided with someone. His face hit the road, and he tasted the blood dripping from his lip. He looked up, and saw the kid. "Hey... you're going to get caught man... let's get out of here!" As Damien rose to his feet, the sound of sirens was all anyone could hear. The 'gypsies' ran in panic, some of them selling illegal goods, some merely afraid of the police. Damien looked down at the ground and offered his hand to the kid who was about to get him busted by the French Police. "LETS GO!"

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

"Ouch!" Roux cried as this man tumbled over him, wincing as he saw him hit the ground. He seemed terror stricken, and the boy heard sirens then. Suddenly, this quiet town made Roux feel uneasy; had there been an incident?

"What do you mean?!" the boy asked, allowing himself to be pulled up. He got to his feet, not having time to brush the dust off of himself, and ran alongside the stranger, looking his tall form up and down. "Are you a criminal?!" the boy asked again, his breath quick in his throat. He was a quick runner, as one would expect from his deer-like body. His small satchel bounced against his back, full of a mere one shirt, some bread and a few pieces of wrapped chocolate he had found. "Who are you? Why are we running?" Roux shouted in a pushy, childlike manner. He hadn't ever grown out of asking endless and silly questions like most people did.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien ignored the pestering questions. He'd have time to answer them soon enough... either in a jail cell or in a new hideout. The robbery had went awry earlier in the morning. His crew abandoned him, and he was already exhausted from the long police chase that ensued after the botched theft at the main street jewelry store. The group of people split apart as they neared various side-streets and alleys. Damien darted toward the south, and down an alley. He kept a fast pace, and if the kid he ran into was smart, he would too.

Damien noticed the warehouse ahead of him. He glanced behind him to see who was following. "Hurry kid," he yelled! Damien plunged through the door, and waited for the kid to enter behind him. A swift moment later and a tremendous slam and echo filled the entire building. "Alright... we made it... for now", Damien said to anyone who would listen. The building seemed abandoned, but Damien knew better. It was a planned escape house... a hideout, just in case something went wrong. History would show that in fact, something HAD gone wrong. Damien tossed his brown leather jacket over a desk that was on the ground level. He found a chair and collapsed into it. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Yeah... I'm a criminal", he said bluntly, looking directly at the kid, his face stern, and without remorse.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux bolted into the warehouse, the door slamming shut right as he entered. He collapsed onto the ground, sitting with his legs spread out, his arms holding him up. It took a moment of panting, and a cough before he looked up. The man, though nervous before, seemed to get rather comfortable rather quickly. It seemed that he might have been used to such chases. Roux shrank slightly at the confident and firm look from the stranger.
"Oh..." the boy spoke, tucking some hair behind a round ear. "Well, I'm Roux, what's your name?" He scooted closer to the man, holding out a dusty hand and smiling carefully. His hands and feet were at that stage where their size made his limbs look even skinnier, like he was still catching up in a way. "How old are you?"

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien calmed his cold stare. His eyes looked up toward the warehouse door, and then gently down toward Roux. "It is nice to meet you, Roux. The name is Damien... I'm 21, and how about you... how YOUNG are you?" Damien looked at the boy peculiarly. He extended his right hand, and firmly grasped the boy's outstretched hand. Without warning, he pulled toward his body, pulling the boy to his feet. "We will be okay here for a little bit... we have to give the police time to give up on finding us. Then, I've gotta get out of here. I can't stay much longer, not after this morning." Damien paused and quickly released his firm grip of the boy's hand. He had already said too much. 'Damnit' he mumbled to himself. He looked up for a moment, and checked to boy out from head to toe and back up again. "Where do you live? Why were you out by the banks of the river anyway... shouldn't you be in school?" Damien looked at the boy, and gave him a big-brother-look... one that was intended to both chastise and forgive the boy.

Damien smiled calmly, and threw one hand through his blonde hair, finger-combing it for a moment. He was sweating from the run, even though it was January and snowing. 'What a day', he thought to himself.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Damien...Roux rolled the name over in his mind, and found that it quite fitted the man. "I've been fifteen for a month." the boy replied, raising his chin in a matter-of-factly way. Why, he was five years away from twenty now! That had to count for something. He could feel the stale air of the warehouse tickling his exposed forearms.

Roux was surprised by the grip and stumbled to his feet. "I live in the world, of course." he said as if it were obvious, "I don't need to live in a house. And I most certainly don't need to be in a schoolhouse either, though I think I've slept in one before. I used to be in Rome, but then I came to France....because I felt like it."

Roux said this a little defensively, crossing his arms. "Why aren't YOU in school?" he asked, a smirk tugging at his lip.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien chuckled inside as the kid smarted off. The arrogance of the youth... their spirit. He remembered being fifteen... he was always out causing trouble back home in the U.S. Damien looked at Roux and smirked. "Fair point... but I'm not going to be going back to school... I entered the war back home in the U.S., and then went AWOL here... I can't return home, and honestly... don't want to. So... that's what brings me here." He admired the kid's feisty spirit and attitude... it was cute.

Damien walked to the door and peered out a fogged-up window. He wiped some of the dew away and looked outside. "Well, we're alright for now... I've got some things upstairs. You know... some food and maybe even some cleaner clothes for you if you'd like. Not sure if they'll fit you, but we're not all that different in height and size. Damien knew the clothes wouldn't fit perfectly, but who cared... they were cleaner than the rags Roux was wearing now.

He took the lead and headed up the nearby staircase. After reaching the top of the next landing, he called down below. "Roux... seriously, get some food and clothes, man." He was trying to help this kid out... it was the least he could do. Being able to help someone again, and be a friend: it was something he thought he'd never be able to do again. He had lost his 'friends' in the war, or back home. He was lonely, wanted by the police for his crimes, and he was seriously tired. He sat down near a makeshift bed and positioned a pillow to support his head and neck. He sat there, listening to the bustling streets outside and the occasional siren. The police were still looking for him... but he was safe. He felt safe, and he wasn't alone. He thought he heard footsteps but before he could respond, his body pushed him into sleep. At last.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

"Oh, I didn't know you had stuff here." Roux spoke, following Damien upstairs. It saddened the boy to hear about such hard times; war was something he often heard about and feared. It also interested him that the man was from the U.S, a place of which he had little knoweledge of.

The teen shook his head at the food, smiling politely. "No thanks. I just ate some chocolate." he nodded, setting his bag down on the floor. It was a bit cold up here, and he shivered as he watched Damien curl up on his bed mat. He figured it wouldn't hurt anything to at least grab the remaining blankets. Roux kicked off his boots, then quickly peeled off his shirt and trousers, leaving him in a pair of shorts. He shook the clothing of dust and threw them in a pile on the, then quickly making a cocoon of blankets for himself on the floor. Roux found that if he curled up with little clothing on, he actually kept himself warmer and used all the heat his slightly underfed body generated. In his socks and underwear, the boy fell into a surprisingly deep sleep, his hair and small nose helping him to resemble a snoozing mouse.

 

[jesseyoung]

The dream ended as quickly as it had started. He took in a long draw of air as he filled his lungs. Opening his eyes, he noticed the sunlight had faded, and the brisk evening air seemed to whistle sweet songs as it slipped through the broken warehouse windows. He hadn't slept like that in a long time. Most of his time was spent on the run, from one job to the next. He looked down at the floor, and saw a pile of clothing. He stopped for a moment before remembering that he had company. Taking a moment to look around him, he stood up, exposing his shirtless body. He had a bad habit of losing clothing throughout the night... he had always been a restless sleeper.

Damien walked toward a pile of blankets, and smirked. Roux had literally formed a cocoon of blankets to keep warm... but he had shed his clothing, and by the looks of it... he wasn't wearing anything but some underwear and socks if he even had any. The boy was sweet, seemed innocent and Damien could only imagine how scary the world must have seemed at first to him. But he knew Roux wasn't weak, and he wasn't a child... he was a growing young man, just like Damien was when he moved away from home back in the states. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the brisk country air of Oklahoma... home.

Damien found a canteen that he had filled before his 'attempt' at robbing the jewelry store earlier in the day. He opened it up and took a big swig of it, putting out the fire in his throat. There was something with the smoggy air in France that made his throat burn. It was never like that back home in the countryside of Oklahoma. He placed the canteen on a table, and looked down toward Roux's concoction of blankets. He smiled, chuckling to himself. 'Cute', he mumbled. He bent down on his haunches as he examined the mound of blankets covering the boy. He noticed a slight constant tremble. It reminded him of his dog 'Drake' when he was just a puppy... he'd always shiver in the cold, and Damien was always willing and able to warm him up.

Damien walked across the upper room and grabbed a pillow and a blanket that he had been using. He moved back toward Roux and placed the pillow against the wall. Sitting down on the cold cement floor sent shivers up his spine, and through his body. His nipples stood at attention, his hair standing up from the cold. Cold bumps covered his skin, but a moment later, they were gone as he snuggled up beside Roux, and covered the two of them with another blanket. He was just glad to have someone here with him...

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux slept long and hard, completely unaware of Damien moving about. Though the warehouse was old and a bit drafty, the boy felt safe upstairs with an older male next to him. He was extremely thankful for a place to stay, at least for a night.

The boy awoke around 8:30 in the morning, his head tucked in to his chest. His lashes fluttered open, and he stuck his head up from under the blankets, met with the sight of Damien sleeping next to him. He must have moved in the night, and it was nice of him to drape another blanket over him. Roux smiled, shifting his tangled limbs in the warm cavern; he was dreading getting up. A few minutes passed as he laid there, looking into the peaceful face of Damien. He was indeed handsome, and Roux wondered if he had or had had a girlfriend in the past. Roux certainly did not, for he was fifteen, and girls were still playmate-like creatures in his mind.

Eventually, the boy found the courage to leap out of his cocoon and to the pile of clothes. The morning air brushed its fingers over his sleepy white body, the peach fuzz on his legs stood on end, as did the rosey nubs on his chest. "Chilly..." the oprhan said to himself, tugging his pants on as quickly as possible.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien's body lurched to life as Roux moved to get up. His eyes opened wide, the sun glaring at them for a brief moment before he moved his head away from the beam. He saw Roux get up quickly and grab his clothes. The boy started to put on his pants, and Damien caught a look at him. He was slender, small-ish, but not a twig. He seemed like a normal fifteen year old, and that was the problem... if he was going to be living out the the real world, an 'average' fifteen year old wouldn't cut it. Damien smiled widely... "good morning, Roux," he said calmly. He removed the blanket from his body as he rose to his feet, his chest and body exposed, except for his jeans. He felt a slight bulge and he brushed it away out of his mind... he was twenty-one and that sort of thing was going to happen to him for a long time.

"So, are you hungry," Damien asked the shirtless boy. He took no time to grab his button-down shirt and throw it on his back. He started to button the shirt as he looked around for his belt. "If you want... we can grab a bite to eat... and then I've got to hit the road." He was trying to be nice; something he never experienced as a kid back home. He grew up with an angry alcoholic of a father, and a subordinate mother. He used to be bullied and got beat up a lot... then, well... things changed. Damien finished buttoning his shirt and put his belt on snugly. He grabbed his coat and looked over at the semi-clothed boy. "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable... you were shivering, and so I figured that the two of us would provide enough body heat to keep us both warm... and comfortable," Damien said apologetically. He wasn't like most men his age, and he knew that... sometimes he forgot that others didn't.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

"Nah, I wasn't uncomfortable." Roux grinned, grabbing his shirt and slipping it onto his body, buttoning the front. Though he wouldn't admit it, it felt nice to have someone else close to him; he was starved of that kind of attention and presence of another body. More warmth was always welcome with Roux. He had been pretty hungry lately, and though he looked like a slender boy now, he was about to get skinnier than was healthy if he didn't get more aggressive with his skills. After slipping his shoes on, the boy dug through his pack, taking out a fist sized piece of bread and a few chocolates.

"Here, they're good." Roux said, tossing one at Damien. The piece of bread and his own chocolate were gone in a minute, into the endless void that was his teenaged boy stomach. For not being a very big teenager, Roux had the capacity to eat quite a bit.

An emotion crossed Roux's face as he heard Damien speak of leaving. "You're going? Where are you going to...?" he asked, his voice suddenly less cheerful. Of course, living as an urchin had toughened him, but once in a while, the child in Roux began to show. He had been robbed of the innocence of having parents, a sibling, or a home, and he longed for the feeling once in a while. Of course, he didn't know he actually felt that way. "Are you leaving because of what you did yesterday..?" the boy questioned curiously, wiping a bit of chocolate off of his mouth.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien caught the bread and chocolates as Roux tossed them to him. He was glad to have not offended the boy or made him uncomfortable. Something about him was bugging Damien, something hidden. He could tell the boy enjoyed the company, and he understood that feeling. The boy's reaction when he said he would have to leave soon was not expected. Roux had literally changed facial expressions and vocal tone in a split second. Damien paused for a moment as the boy questioned him a bit before wiping the chocolate from his face.

"Yes, Roux... what I did yesterday... that's why I'm leaving Lasquenet." Damien looked at the boy, and could tell something wasn't right. The entire atmosphere had changed in the last fifteen seconds, and he was pretty sure why. "Look uh... I, well..." Damien was bumbling around with his words, fighting his intention to explain further. Finally, he had enough of his internal fighting. "Alright... yesterday, I was working with a crew of four other men. We had a plan to rob the local jewelry store, take the goods, trade them with the local 'outsiders'... you know the gypsy-like folks. We would then take our earnings and move on to a new city. It's my lifestyle now..." He tried to make it sound acceptable, but looking at the teenager, he realized everything he said was exactly as it was... illegal, wrong, and dangerous.

Damien approached Roux, and extended his hand. He gently touched the boy's arm, and looked him in the eyes. Roux's green-brown eyes glistened as Damien spoke. "I usually travel alone... and I keep my jobs secret. Because I cannot trust anyone... but..." Damien looked away, removing his hand from Roux's arm. He looked at the ground and spoke softer. "I wouldn't mind having you come along. That is... if you wanted to." He hoped the boy would want to. He was starting to feel a connection, a brotherly connection and something more was pulling at him. It had been so long since he had even had a normal conversation with someone... this was all 'new' to him again.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux was a bit taken by surprise at the man's words. Why, he hadn't expected him to have pre meditated plans of robbing a jewlery store. He assumed men like that would seem a lot older and meaner, though the more he thought about it, it was just a way of making a living that happened to be dangerous. "I see." Roux nodded, crumpling up the chocolate paper in his palm. "Sounds scary."

He pulled a squashed newsboy cap out of his pack, placing it on his hair which he'd run his fingers through to pull the knots out beforehand. The boy didn't like having his hair short and against his head, especially in the chill of early early spring. His face perked up at the mention of possibly going with Damien. "Do you mean that?" he asked eagerly. "I mean...I could help you out. I'm pretty good at picking pockets, and at other things." A grin touched his mouth as he felt Damien's hand on his arm; his skin was surprisingly warm. Even his eyes seemed to be smiling at the moment. "And I'll stay out of your way when you're...you know...doing that dangerous stuff."

(If at any time you'd like to fast forward or anything, I'm fine with that. )

 

[jesseyoung]

(Fast-forwarding to about a week later - Paris, France)

Damien's heart was thumping hard. He looked around, and took notice of his surroundings. His hands were clammy, and he started to sweat at the brow. This was it... game time. He took a few steps forward in the Paris Bank and pulled out the gun from his coat. He fired several shots into the air, and demanded the two guards in the bank drop their weapons. The nearest police outpost was a few blocks away, and given the bustling traffic, and screaming sirens of the busy 1940's Paris streets, the shots might have gone without notice... but there was no time to waste... just in case.

Damien didn't care if people saw his face... being able to recognize him wasn't a factor, because after this grab, he was leaving France. He approached the counter and saw a young boy in the crowd of people who were on the ground. He yelled at the bank teller to give him all of the money in the bank, and to do so quickly. When the bank manager bumbled around a bit, trying to find the keys to the vault, Damien grabbed the teen boy. He put the gun against the kid's head and looked square in the eyes of the bank manager. "I will kill him if you don't open that vault NOW!" His voice was stern, serious, and blunt. Of course... he wouldn't be killing the kid. Partners don't kill one another and that was something he was sure Roux knew as he held him firmly, a gun to his head. The manager quickly opened the vault and started putting straps of money into the bags Damien had brought. He smirked to himself... the plan was working.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux let out a yelp as Damien grabbed him, attempting to look as frightened as possible. He had a talent for looking very young when he wanted, and right now, he was making his eyes as large as possible, and his lip trembled uncontrollably. Waiting for this moment to come had been nerveracking, but now, even though the situation was dangerous, Roux felt safer being held by Damien. He secretly almost liked it.

"Please Sir, just open it, just o-open it!" he begged the man, then trying not to smile happily as he did. The boy hung onto Damien with a trembling hand, the gun at his head as the banker filled the bag. When Damien picked the bag up, Roux was forced to walk slowely backward with him, face still terrified. The folks on the floor stared at him in fear, some with pity.

 

[jesseyoung]

As quickly as the heist had started, it was over. Damien grabbed Roux and charged out the door with him, and into an adjacent alleyway. The guards immediately grabbed their weapons and ran outside, calling for police. The bank manager grabbed the nearby phone and made his calls. Pandemonium was all that could explain the scene as the dozens of 'victims' ran into the streets crying, screaming and trembling. Meanwhile, Damien ran toward a parked truck and opened the door for Roux. "Get in, quick", he said. He slammed the door shut behind him and started the vehicle, and before he knew it, they were gone, a few blocks from the chaos.

His hands were shaking as they neared the northernmost portion of the town. He was heading north, out of Paris, and toward the English Channel. His goal was to be in England in the next few days, safe and far away from his 'crimes' and worries in France. When they were a safe distance from the city, Damien pulled the truck off the side of the country road, and shut it off. His hands quivered a bit, the adrenaline flowing through his body. Sweat was dripping from his brow, his face red with intensity. He looked over at Roux and smiled wide. "WE DID IT, Roux... we actually did it!" He was ecstatic! Without thinking he leaned over, grabbed Roux's face and kissed him on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you... I can't believe we did it!!" His smile beamed from side to side, and his pearly white teeth almost illuminated the interior of the truck. A moment later, he started to chuckle a bit... he was completely stunned that they had actually pulled off a convincing and practically flawless bank heist. This kid was really good at his part, and Damien was just as happy to have him out of there and safe as he was to score big on the bank's money.

Damien sat for a few moments before starting the car back up and turning onto the country road. Their journey was just starting, but it was getting wilder each day. It was a great feeling, to Damien, to have a companion with him... someone he trusted, and someone he liked. Someone he really liked.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux jumped from the trunk, tumbling to his hands and knees in excitement before getting back up. "We did it!" he exclaimed, leaping up and down, his body hot and slightly damp from the tense adventure. He laughed in surprise when Damien kissed him, a faint blush touching his face. Roux paused before literally throwing himself into the man's arms and clinging to him like a koala, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck. "Now we can get croissants for dinner!" the boy grinned, hugging Damien as hard as he could. He was scared, but he was happy, and his young heart was thrilled.

When they got back in the truck, little Roux was slumped in the front seat, his eyes tired and his hair mussed. He wasn't exactly aware of where they were going, and just assumed they were staying in France. "I'm glad I helped...we're a team now..." the boy spoke, snuggling into the seat tiredly. His limbs and muscles relaxed completely, and he felt relieved... He would certainly get a surprise when he woke up...


(If you'll do the same for Roux, I'll start throwing challenges at Damien aka situations/character/plot twists.)

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien kept driving, the night becoming darker as they headed north. His little trooper of a partner was sound asleep in the front seat of the truck. Damien saw a sign, indicating that they were about two hours away from Cherbourg. Once there, Damien and Roux would get on a ship with some of the money they had made, and set sail across the channel to England; away from France, their problems and their worries. Damien glanced over at the teen's sleeping body and admired him. He felt an urge, and his mind began to wander. He saw a safe-looking place to rest for the night, and pulled the truck over. The moon was out, and it was nearly full. The way Roux had said 'croissants' in such a child-like and excited manner made Damien feel good... like he had brightened up someone's life. 'We're a team now', Roux had said... Damien liked that idea. A team. Roux and him... alone; together.

Damien shut off the truck and opened his door. He had a few blankets in the bed of the truck, and pulled a few out for Roux. He re-positioned the boy across the entire bench-seat in the truck and placed a blanket around him. Soon enough, he thought, the boy would be in a cocoon anyway. Before closing the door, he took a moment and looked down at Roux's peaceful face... his chest moving slightly with each somber breath. He smiled as he ran his fingers through Roux's hair. Bending down to come closer to his face, Damien kissed the boy's forehead... like a big brother or a father kissing his brother or son to sleep.

Damien closed the door and headed for the bed of the truck. He ignored the tailgate and hopped into the bed of the truck, using his fit body to climb the side of the truck quietly and gently. He positioned a pillow and some blankets they had brought, and was about to lay down when he felt it. 'Damn, nature calls', he thought to himself. He jumped out of the truck and headed toward a nearby tree. Unbuttoning his trousers, he arched back a bit, and let nature take its course. The air was brisk, and cool... but it wasn't cold. There was snow outside, but it had mostly melted away up in the northern part of France. Damien climbed back into the truck. After ten or fifteen minutes, he simply couldn't get comfortable, and so he climbed back out of the truck. His trousers were pretty tight... but he couldn't be picky seeing as he had stolen those too. So, he unbuttoned his trousers and decided to sleep without them... something he didn't do often, out of military habit. Before he climbed back into the truck bed, he paused and proceeded to take off his underwear. 'Why not' he said... he jumped back into the bed of the truck and wrapped up in his blanket... his bare skin bumpy with chills as he fell into a peaceful sleep.

(I'll do my best - I'll take your cues and do what I can to meet those challenges and start leaving some for you too )

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux shifted a bit in his sleep as Damien covered him kindly, a sleepy smile tugging at his lips. The leather of the truck seat was cold at first, but warmed up quickly with the fierce heat of the boy's body; he had always been extremely warm when he slept, as if a heater himself. For hours the little criminal was content, dreaming of the candy Damien might let him buy as a treat during the next week with their money. All was well until about three in the morning, when Roux's dreams turned sour. He awoke with a start, expecting to see faces, and let out a nervous whine.

Of course, Roux was ashamed after a few moments, and snatched up his blankets, trying to seem like it hadn't affected them. "Damien...?" he whispered, climbing into the back of the truck while trying to be as quiet as possible. The boy laid down next to Damien, wrapping himself in his wool blanket and snuggling close to the man. So close that his nose was in his bare chest, though blankets seperated them below... Roux was comforted by the light masculine musk of Damien, one hand poking up from between them and resting on his chest as well. They were like pirates, the two of them, and Roux found himself growing connected to the other without even meaning to.

Something strange happened before he fell asleep, and he wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Something about the closeness of himself to Damien sparked a sudden urge for his hand to start migrating towards the front of his trousers, as if someone other than himself was urging it. Of course, Roux did not oblige, and merely slept away his embarassment, why would such an action be desirable now? Though when he awoke in the morning, he would find that his left hand and wrist would be tucked conveniently between his legs, as if he had been trying to mildly comfort himself while asleep, aware that he should not be doing anything more while others were around.

 

[jesseyoung]

The sun had yet to peak above the horizon when Damien escaped his peaceful slumber. He opened his eyes and allowed himself to wake up a bit before moving. The night sky was lit with millions of stars, the moon glowing, but that was it... the rest was dark, silent and calm. He glanced down at his chest, and noticed something was different. Roux was cuddled up next to him and his hand was lying on his chest. The warmth of the two of them side-by-side like this made Damien comfortable. He enjoyed being 'connected', and he was very happy to have Roux around. It had been a long time since he had been around anyone... especially in a special way like he was beginning to notice between himself and Roux.

The boy wiggled a bit as Damien examined him. He moved his body and reached his arm around the boy's body. He pulled him closer, and allowed his bronze fingers to comb through the boy's hair, smiling as he did this. It felt so right... it felt so normal for him to be so intimate like this. The blanket moved a bit near the boy's waist, and it didn't take Damien long to put two and two together... a fifteen year old boy, his hand underneath the blankets and they're moving. It wasn't anything that upset Damien... in fact, he sort of liked it. He rested his head on the pillow and allowed Roux's head to move onto his bare chest, the little blonde hairs standing up a bit from the gentle contact. Soon, he thought, the situation might get a little more complicated; he was already beginning to feel a slight bulge in the blanket. Then it hit him... 'oh shit', he mumbled. He was ass-naked in the truck, and here was Roux... his head and hand on Damien's chest, his hand down between his legs. Damien thought for a few minutes before the energy started to escape him again... sleep was something he came to love and enjoy, especially after years of torment and sleeplessness during the war.

Damien's free hand moved under the blankets and toward his waist. His fingers trailed his thighs before moving upward slightly. He felt the boy's clothing around his butt as he placed his firm hand gently and softly on the boy. He relaxed and allowed his mind to drift...

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

In his sleepy state, Roux accepted every touch from Damien, even the hand that wandered around his back and leg. His body responded only by wiggling closer, his cheek pressed against the light fuzziness on Damien's chest. It was the warmest and coziest night he'd had in a long while...

The boy awoke around the same time as his partner, and found himself blushing a little when he realized the nakedness of Damien. Trying to be polite, Roux made an excuse of needing a bathroom, skipping off the road and returning when he was sure he'd given Damien time to dress. Of course, the boy might have liked to sneak a peek, but that seemed silly to him, and he didn't. That was only a boyish curiosity talking, right? He was sure of it.
"Why are we going to Cherbourg..?" Roux asked when he returned, climbing over a patch of waist high boulders next to the road. He jumped from the highest one, landing catlike, then scrambled back to climb again. He almost fell a few times, but continued his playing around, trying in a way to sate his excess energies.

 

[jesseyoung]

Damien had dressed by the time Roux returned to the road. He had slept like an angel... the most peaceful sleep he'd had in a long time. He looked up immediately when Roux asked Damien about Cherbourg. "How did you know we were going to Cherbourg?" Damien wasn't trying to be mean, but he was curious how the boy knew... "I'm not trying to hide anything from you... I just... I don't know why I didn't tell you, Roux." He approached to boy, and put his hands on the boy's arms, holding him still for a moment. "We've got to leave the country. I wanted to take you with me... to England... today." He hoped that Roux understood that they wouldn't be able to return.

"I think you're a great person, and you're special to me... you're a good friend, and a great partner." Damien smiled at Roux, blushing just a bit. "I know its odd but... I really like you Roux, and I want you to come with me... I really do." She gently released Roux's arms and turned toward the road. He walked slowly before taking an abrupt seat on the bumper of the truck. He looked at the dirt and then up at the road, staring off into the distance. "If you don't want to go... I understand. I can take you wherever you want to go..." His voice trailed off; the thought of being alone again pained him. He held in his emotion.

 

[BeautifulYoungPrince]

Roux shrugged his shoulders. "I saw the sign...Cherbourg seemed like it was most likely your destination, unless you wanted more countryside." he nodded, biting his lip. The boy assumed he wanted to go there, but he didn't assume he wanted to sail from there. The statement took Roux by surprise, and there was a sort of confusion in his eyes when he looked up. The feeling of Damien holding him like that was comforting, as if he had a father or brother who cared for him, even if Roux did still amuse himself by imagining he was a pirate. He searched for treasure didn't he? Pillaged and plundered? Went with the wind, and now he was leading Roux to a ship? The thought almost brightened him up.

Though, Roux was still saddened; France had been his home for a while now. A small smile touched his lips as Damien said such thing as he did, sweet coming from a young man. "I like you too..." Roux replied, cheeks lightly pink. "I'll come with you." He watched Damien walk away, then looked down, kicking at the dirt with his worn boot. The tears came rather quickly, and he didn't know how to stop them. Two dewy fingers slid down his young face, but he wiped them, sniffling back the feeling in his nose. He followed Damien, eyes red but expression content. "I am ready now, Damien."