with you, if that’s okay.” He couldn’t think of a safer place
than at Ghost’s side.
Ghost’s mom
rubbed her eyes and walked off. “There’s some fresh food in the
kitchen,” she muttered.
Ghost turned to
Luca with a pale smile. “You must be starving.”
Actually, Luca
really wasn’t ready to eat much, or at least anything solid, after
yesterday, but he nodded not to worry Ghost. “A yogurt, or
something like that, maybe?”
“Sure. Nomad!
Feeding time,” Ghost said to the dog and led Luca to a cluttered
but homely-looking kitchen. Luca tossed the wet towels into the
trash can.
“He’s so
adorable. I was really sad when I saw him on those videos you
posted after you found him,” said Luca, looking at a copy of
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper on the wall. It was an odd
choice for the kitchen.
Ghost got a
yogurt out of the fridge and gave it to Luca, along with a spoon.
“I know. He was so off balance when he was still trying to use that
damaged leg. It was a hard time, and he was there for me. I taught
him tricks from the hospital bed. I couldn’t just leave him there.”
Ghost smiled at the dog with so much tenderness, Luca once again
wished to be Nomad.
He remembered
the night when he got a good-bye video from Ghost all too well.
They lost touch for two days, which had Luca biting his nails in
fear for Ghost’s safety. He hated the fact that the most important
person in his life willingly went off to a war zone and risked his
life every single day. Ghost had ended up taken as a hostage and
was then shot during a successful attempt to set him free. The
video he sent showed him bloodied and bruised, in a hospital bed,
before surgery. Even then, he cared about Luca’s feelings first and
sent the video, in case something went wrong later.
It was the
night of Frederico’s wife leaving for another of her never-ending
exotic trips, and the man of the house was understandably feeling
amorous after enduring her presence for two weeks. All Luca wanted
was to cry himself to sleep over Ghost being in danger, and they’d
had the worst argument yet, which resulted in Luca losing his index
finger.
He swallowed,
holding back the wetness that tickled his eyes when he thought
about all the agonizing uncertainty he’d endured before learning
that Ghost had survived the surgery. The fear Luca had felt back
then was worse than the pain of losing a finger. At least Nomad was
happy. He got to his hind legs and made a pirouette, staring at the
bowl in Ghost’s hand.
“Here you go.”
Ghost put the bowl down in front of the dog, but Nomad didn’t just
dig in. He looked up, pleading, but kept his body inches away from
the food. Ghost crouched, and smiled at Luca. “Look at this,” he
said and turned back to the dog. “Nomad! Nom, nom, nom.” At those
words, the dog lunged at the food, munching fast and wagging his
tail happily.
Luca laughed
out loud, leaning back against the counter, but his hip brushed
against Ghost’s shoulder, and he quickly straightened, holding on
to the yogurt cup. The last thing he needed was to embarrass Ghost.
Talking about Nomad was much safer.
“He’s well
trained.”
“He likes to
eat a lot, so I make sure he gets lots of exercise.” Ghost got up
and grabbed a muffin from a tray on the table. “You said you’ve
always wanted pets, so I hope you can live vicariously through
mine.”
Luca nodded,
eating his yogurt. After years of being apart, it felt as if Ghost
was so close now Luca could sense the heat of his body. It warmed
him up like the summer sun, but the flirting and romantic gestures
were now over. As was the sexting and seeing Ghost masturbate on
webcam. Ghost hadn’t really brought it up, he was probably too
embarrassed. And so was Luca, even if the memory was all too
vivid.
Ghost patted
Luca’s arm. “Let’s go. I’m soaked, and you need rest. We can go
through my closet, and see what fits you. We’re,” Ghost looked him
up and down, “a similar
than at Ghost’s side.
Ghost’s mom
rubbed her eyes and walked off. “There’s some fresh food in the
kitchen,” she muttered.
Ghost turned to
Luca with a pale smile. “You must be starving.”
Actually, Luca
really wasn’t ready to eat much, or at least anything solid, after
yesterday, but he nodded not to worry Ghost. “A yogurt, or
something like that, maybe?”
“Sure. Nomad!
Feeding time,” Ghost said to the dog and led Luca to a cluttered
but homely-looking kitchen. Luca tossed the wet towels into the
trash can.
“He’s so
adorable. I was really sad when I saw him on those videos you
posted after you found him,” said Luca, looking at a copy of
Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper on the wall. It was an odd
choice for the kitchen.
Ghost got a
yogurt out of the fridge and gave it to Luca, along with a spoon.
“I know. He was so off balance when he was still trying to use that
damaged leg. It was a hard time, and he was there for me. I taught
him tricks from the hospital bed. I couldn’t just leave him there.”
Ghost smiled at the dog with so much tenderness, Luca once again
wished to be Nomad.
He remembered
the night when he got a good-bye video from Ghost all too well.
They lost touch for two days, which had Luca biting his nails in
fear for Ghost’s safety. He hated the fact that the most important
person in his life willingly went off to a war zone and risked his
life every single day. Ghost had ended up taken as a hostage and
was then shot during a successful attempt to set him free. The
video he sent showed him bloodied and bruised, in a hospital bed,
before surgery. Even then, he cared about Luca’s feelings first and
sent the video, in case something went wrong later.
It was the
night of Frederico’s wife leaving for another of her never-ending
exotic trips, and the man of the house was understandably feeling
amorous after enduring her presence for two weeks. All Luca wanted
was to cry himself to sleep over Ghost being in danger, and they’d
had the worst argument yet, which resulted in Luca losing his index
finger.
He swallowed,
holding back the wetness that tickled his eyes when he thought
about all the agonizing uncertainty he’d endured before learning
that Ghost had survived the surgery. The fear Luca had felt back
then was worse than the pain of losing a finger. At least Nomad was
happy. He got to his hind legs and made a pirouette, staring at the
bowl in Ghost’s hand.
“Here you go.”
Ghost put the bowl down in front of the dog, but Nomad didn’t just
dig in. He looked up, pleading, but kept his body inches away from
the food. Ghost crouched, and smiled at Luca. “Look at this,” he
said and turned back to the dog. “Nomad! Nom, nom, nom.” At those
words, the dog lunged at the food, munching fast and wagging his
tail happily.
Luca laughed
out loud, leaning back against the counter, but his hip brushed
against Ghost’s shoulder, and he quickly straightened, holding on
to the yogurt cup. The last thing he needed was to embarrass Ghost.
Talking about Nomad was much safer.
“He’s well
trained.”
“He likes to
eat a lot, so I make sure he gets lots of exercise.” Ghost got up
and grabbed a muffin from a tray on the table. “You said you’ve
always wanted pets, so I hope you can live vicariously through
mine.”
Luca nodded,
eating his yogurt. After years of being apart, it felt as if Ghost
was so close now Luca could sense the heat of his body. It warmed
him up like the summer sun, but the flirting and romantic gestures
were now over. As was the sexting and seeing Ghost masturbate on
webcam. Ghost hadn’t really brought it up, he was probably too
embarrassed. And so was Luca, even if the memory was all too
vivid.
Ghost patted
Luca’s arm. “Let’s go. I’m soaked, and you need rest. We can go
through my closet, and see what fits you. We’re,” Ghost looked him
up and down, “a similar
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