Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
2
Velntin s Day
VALENTIN hung the lantern over the door s lintel at sunset,
and his lover came to him, just as he had done so many
times before. The boy s eyes were hooded with desire, a
longing echoed from deep within Valentin, and the lovers
had no patience for words.
Valentin took Laurent into his arms. The boy s ruby lips
parted in a joyful smile that pierced his heart. Laurent was
fully himself: eyes that flashed with wit and adoration, pale
skin covering lithe muscles that gave him the lines of a
proud forest buck, and a heart that called to Valentin s own
with painful force.
Valentin wanted to devour Laurent. No, he wanted to be
devoured by Laurent. To pour himself into his lover so
completely that nothing was left, and they could finally be
together always.
He kissed those lush, red lips. Warmth spread through
him, along with a joy he hadn t felt, it seemed, in a lifetime.
Desire possessed him. With a growl, he bent to pick Laurent
up. His strong, young arms cradled under Laurent s back
and knees. He carried his love to the cabin s only bed, which
was wide and soft and built with care to serve for their
lovemaking: an altar of sorts, consecrated to their union.
Its headboard was just the right height, and gently
curved, with a round bar at the top. Laurent could drape
himself over the curve or grip the bar for leverage. He could
surrender completely without discomfort.
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The bed and lantern were the only elements of the cabin
which differed from the gallery they shared as students in
Parige.
Valentin lay Laurent upon the bed with the care of a
mother placing her firstborn in his crib. Then Valentin s
hands were free to roam over the geography of that perfect
body, using friction to light little fires of passion in all the
secret places, while he reassured himself that, yes, Laurent
was here with him again, and soon they would join.
When he was alone, he became sometimes obsessed
with the question of how best to demonstrate his love in
these stolen hours. These days he wondered: Was it in his
kiss? Then no part of Laurent would lack the touch of his
lips, whispering his truth into flesh.
Valentin kissed Laurent s chin, then the place where his
jaw met below his ear, and his neck and throat. Oh, how
that made the lad sigh! His chest not forgetting the
nipples and down his taut stomach to the crevices where
his thighs met his groin. Valentin parted his legs and bent to
kiss him, with a teasing swipe of the tongue, in the crease of
his backside. Laurent s breathy moans stoked the need to
linger and tease inside, but there was more of him to kiss:
the trembling muscles of his thighs, the hollows at the backs
of his knees, his calves and ankles. Valentin kissed the soft
soles of his feet, hoping every brush of contact
communicated adoration, a gift given never possession, not
a taking of anything.
Laurent s moans had changed to stifled laughter as
Valentin s lips tickled his feet. The joyous sound was sweet
Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
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and perfect. Heartbreakingly so, like everything about him.
Valentin considered taking those legs, turning them, urging
him onto his stomach. Laurent would comply, of course, and
Valentin could lick him there until he was mad with desire;
and Laurent would open himself gladly to penetration. He
would enjoy the rutting as much as Valentin, but for now it
did seem as if that would be a taking, and it was something
Valentin could not bring himself to do.
Laurent had stopped laughing. He looked at Valentin
with an expression of love and sex and a little bit of mockery.
Valentin had been caught, paused with lips pressed to
Laurent s foot. What a foolish sight.
 What are you thinking about down there? Laurent
asked.
Valentin lay the foot in his lap, where it brushed against
his erection.  Only how to please you. If I ask what you d
like, you ll tell me to do whatever I want. But the only thing I
want to do is something just for you.
Laurent carefully moved that foot so that the softness
on top glided against Valentin s cock, making him suck
breath in a hiss.  It seems I m an impossible riddle. One you
must solve, but the answer should be obvious.
 Yes. Whatever I can do, it will please you. He ran his
fingers lightly up and down Laurent s calf.  But it s not
enough sometimes, don t you see? Tonight I want to worship
you.
Laurent considered him with a smirk.  Am I an aeon,
come to save you from the Broken World?
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 Oh, you are. My aeon. You save me every time you come
to this room, but you never know it. You deserve everything.
You are everything. He raised the foot again, wanting to
cover it with kisses, but Laurent snatched it away.
 And you, my daft little man, are a lunatic. Laurent
rolled over, turning away in mock disgust which exposed
his ass to Valentin s gaze. An unmistakable invitation. Oh,
they knew each other so well.
Valentin crawled forward and lowered his face.
Laurent was utterly clean and smooth. Valentin licked
the walls of his ass with slow, teasing strokes which tore
guttural sounds of tortured pleasure from both of them. This
went on for a time without time until Laurent was breathing
in shallow, panting gasps, and Valentin knew his desire had
reached its peak.
But instead of urging Valentin to enter him, Laurent
rolled away, onto his back, and pulled Valentin up.  Lay on
me, he said.  Press on me. And this time it was his lips
that claimed Valentin. The kiss was all fiery passion, with no
trace of the virginal youth Laurent appeared to be. He
stroked and explored every part of Valentin s mouth, taking
and tasting the very saliva Valentin had been using to anoint
and loosen his tender hole. The kiss was an ensorcelment,
dominating Valentin s senses so that it was impossible to
break away, even as Laurent reached down between them to
scoop up wetness from his ass and returned with a slick
hand to grasp their erections.
Laurent stroked them together. With cocks and mouths
joined, they moved and strained as one in an eternity that
Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
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was all too brief. These were the moments Valentin lived for,
the ones that were all he needed and never enough.
They gasped their pleasured cries into each other s
mouths and gushed together on Laurent s perfect body.
Valentin collapsed by his side and pulled him into an
embrace. Held him until they could speak again.
 So you say I m a lunatic.
 My madman.
 Your young, handsome, princely, virile, grateful madman.
Laurent swiped a hand through the wetness on his belly
and painted a stroke of it on Valentin s chest.  Of that there
can be no doubt.
This time, their kiss was chaste and affectionate.
Valentin merely wanted to rest a bit before doing it all
again, or, if it were Laurent s wish, sharing a rich repast of
coneys in gravy and apple bread pudding their favorite
meal, which awaited them in the preserver.
But for now, shared joy in the afterglow was too
precious to break. He would wait patiently while Laurent
dozed, until he judged they were ready. He wouldn t sleep
this night until he was sure Laurent s appetites were truly
sated. Their time together would not be wasted.
LAURENT S startled intake of breath roused him.
 We were running! Laurent said.
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Too soon!
Valentin brushed brown curls away from the soft curves
of Laurent s face.  Everything is fine. We re not in danger
anymore.
 But, Valentin, I don t remember. How did we get back
to Parige?
 Hush now. You ve only forgotten a little, but it s not
important. Rest with me, won t you? Please. Trust me.
Laurent settled back against him but didn t close his
eyes to rest. Valentin didn t need to look to know it. It was
always the same. He brushed fingers down Laurent s smooth
chest, feeling the flesh tremble beneath them, then lay his
hand flat to soothe and warm his love.
 It was so dark in the forest. You had a scrying glass to
show the way& .
 We made it. We got out. Valentin s voice choked.
 Together.
Laurent slipped from his arms and stood up from the
bed to pace.  I remember! We were running from my
brothers! Why were we doing that? Why were we afraid?
 There s nothing to be afraid of, Laurent. Not ever again.
But Laurent s face took on the familiar set. He wasn t a
child, though they both were so young so young! and he
wouldn t be denied. He turned away and began to run his
hands idly over their possessions while he thought, as if
touching them might wake his memories of that hateful
night.
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Valentin crawled over to sit on the edge of the bed. He
put his feet on the floor and his head in his hands. Their
time together was slipping from his fingers again. He could
never hold on long enough.
 I love you, Laurent. Do you know that?
 They were coming for me!
 I ve always loved you, and I always will. Do you believe
me? Tell me you do!
Laurent returned to lay hands on Valentin s head and
pull him in, cheek to belly.  I know. I ve known since we were
children. There s never been anyone else.
Valentin kissed his belly, tasted the mingled seed that
had dried there.  Come back to bed.
 You ve done something, haven t you? Your sorcelry.
 Yes. I did something. For you. For us.
 This place. It s all wrong. There s no light beyond the
shutters. No fires or sorceler s lamps outside. Are we really
in Parige?
 No.
Laurent looked back to him with a puzzled frown. But
he did at least return to the bed to sit in the middle. He
covered himself with the sheet.  Where are we?
 Does it matter? We re together. But of course Laurent
always had to know. He would wait for a response, stubborn
eyes boring into Valentin s face, until he had the truth. Their
time together slipped steadily away, and Valentin knew from
Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
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experience that trying to dissemble would only waste what
was left.  We re near Balma.
 Still in the forest. But not running?
 No. We escaped, just not to Parige. I built a home for us
here.
 Tell me why I don t remember.
Valentin moved to lie down and placed his head in
Laurent s lap.  Please, don t make me say it. Not tonight. Ask
me again in the morning.
But another memory returned. No way to stop the flow.
 We were visiting& on vacation from university. Papa caught
us together. That s why we were running& .
 I think he wanted to save you. I was inside you when
he found us, and he didn t want you to suffer for breaking
the queen s law. I think he would have killed me so nobody
could ever know.
 He sent my brothers.
 We couldn t get to the horses. Had to flee into the
forest.
 Why are we still here?
Valentin closed his eyes.  Because you re here, and I will
never leave you.
Laurent remained quiet for a time, stroking him with
fine, uncallused fingers. Valentin tried to take the offered
comfort, to memorize every touch and store it for the long
months ahead.
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 You lied, Laurent whispered.  We didn t escape
together.
Now it was Valentin s turn to offer comfort. He rose to
his knees. Laurent s frightened eyes searched his face.
 What happened to me? Can I not leave the forest?
Valentin said nothing, but moved to gently take the
beautiful boy into his arms, clasping Laurent against his
chest, offering all his strength as the chasm of the past
opened again before them.
 I died! The forest took me! I m not real! Hot tears
spattered Valentin s chest.
 Shhhh! Hush, now, of course you re real! The pangs in
his chest were sharper now. Deeper and more difficult to
ignore. He hugged Laurent fiercely.  How could you be killing
me like this if you weren t real?
 How did I die? How did you bring me back?
This was the worst of it. Laurent could never accept less
than the truth. But the truth hurt so much& .  I think your
brother mistook us. I believe it, Laurent, I m sure of it. He
didn t mean 
Guillaume didn t mean to strike his own brother with
that arrow. Didn t mean to end all the joy, beauty, talent
everything Laurent had been and everything he might have
become.
Laurent had studied to be a healer. He would have
helped so many.
Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
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Guillaume hadn t meant to take everything from
Valentin. Just his life. And, really, what was that worth in
comparison?
Laurent sobbed against Valentin. Every time he learned
was the first time. The loss and fear were always new. But
after a few moments, he composed himself again; and
because he was Laurent, his first concern was for others.
 You didn t& . You didn t hurt them, did you? My brothers?
You didn t 
Instead of lying, Valentin said,  I went back to finish my
studies. I learned all I could about sorcelry. Blood sorcelry, but
he wouldn t admit that to Laurent.  Then I came back for you.
 What? No! Laurent pulled away to look into his eyes.
 You ! You can t stay here! What is here for you? You can
do anything, but not hide in these woods!
 No, I m not hiding. I m an herbalist, too. I make things
and sell them in Balma. We have everything we need.
 But& . You ve got your whole life ahead of you. You
can t sacrifice it to me 
 I have the life I always wanted: A lifetime with you. I
won t change. I won t go anywhere else. He smiled as best he
could and ran a tender hand down Laurent s neck and chest.
Laurent was still concerned. He bit his lower lip, a habit
Valentin had always loved. He was wavering. Valentin said,
 I can be happy here, because this is where you are. There
isn t anywhere else, not for me.
 How did you bring me back?
Valentin s Day | Charles Edward
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 Tomorrow, my love. I ll show you the device and how it
works. I ll show you everything. But for now& . Won t you lie
with me again tonight?
Laurent sighed and offered a smile that was only half
sad.  You have to promise. You ll explain everything
tomorrow.
 In the morning, I ll answer any question you ask.
Laurent settled into Valentin, who soothed him with
hands and gentle words as the last of the crisis passed.
They made love once more before sleeping.
VALENTIN woke in a cold bed.
He glanced to the lintel, where the lantern hung dark
and cold. The spark that powered its sorcelry had exhausted
itself before the break of dawn. Its light could not sustain
Laurent s shade in this world for long.
He didn t fight the pain of his heart now as he removed
the ensorcelled bracelet that had provided a glamor for
Laurent s benefit. When he unhooked its silver clasp, youth
and strength fell away. With shaking hands, the old man
pulled bedsheets to his face to inhale deeply the scents of the
boy he loved and the boy he had been. Within hours, even that
would be gone, and only the new memories would remain.
Then he would begin the process of bleeding himself, bit
by bit, to gather the spark for next year s visit.
About the Author
CHARLES EDWARD and his spouse are among the 18,000
same-sex couples wed in California before the passage of
Proposition 8. They are recent empty-nesters who live in a
drafty house near Knoxville, Tennessee, where there are two
good ways to stay warm during the winter. One is to sit in
front of the space heater and write.
Copyright
Valentin s Day ©Copyright Charles Edward, 2011
Published by
Dreamspinner Press
4760 Preston Road
Suite 244-149
Frisco, TX 75034
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the
authors imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead,
business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Cover Art by Anne Cain [e-mail]
Cover Design by Mara McKennen
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Released in the United States of America
June 2011
eBook Edition
eBook ISBN: 978-1-61581-968-3