by Andrew Grey
“Johan…,” Robin breathed, and he stopped.
“I love the way you say my name. Please do it again.” Johan slipped his hand inside Robin’s briefs, and Robin breathed his name again as Johan cupped him, rubbing his finger down the ridge of his cock. A flood of near ecstasy washed over him, and he groaned softly.
Johan worked his pants and underwear down, and Robin shifted his legs until they fell away. He was naked, bared completely to Johan. He knew Johan had seen him in the sauna, but to be completely naked in front of him was both nerve-inducing and exciting at the same time. “You’re beautiful,” Johan whispered, his breath ghosting over Robin’s lips.
Robin rocked his head on the pillow.
“Don’t you have a saying about beauty being in the eye of the seer?” Johan blinked, his deep brown eyes shining in the light coming in from the window.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t argue. I know what I see and what I want.” Johan kissed him again. “I want you to stay here with me. Lead more tours, and I will be your driver during the day and your lover at night.” He kissed Robin before he could answer, and Robin returned it. He wasn’t sure if that was possible, but now was not the time to pop Johan’s bubble with logic and practicalities. Sometimes it was nice just to be asked, no matter what the answer might have to be.
Robin worked open Johan’s belt, his fingers fumbling in his haste. He needed to feel him against him. Johan sighed softly and got off the bed once again, this time to strip off the rest of his clothes.
He stood naked near the side of the bed in all his glory, a masculine feast for Robin’s eyes only, standing tall, cock thrusting toward the ceiling. Robin groaned and slowly reached out to close his fingers around Johan’s length, drawing Johan forward, heat radiating from Johan to him. Robin needed all he could get.
Johan slowly climbed back onto the bed and pulled the two of them together, heat melding and desire building in seconds. “I don’t want to squish you,” Johan whispered as Robin tugged him down, reveling in Johan’s weight and solidity on top of him.
“I’m not made of glass,” Robin whispered, then kissed away Johan’s protest, slipping his tongue between Johan’s luscious lips. He groaned as the intensity built, Johan’s cock sliding along his, the kisses deepening along with desire that swelled enough to fill the room.
Johan slid his lips down Robin’s neck, and Robin groaned and stretched, giving Johan better access. He continued lower, sucking lightly on Robin’s nipples and then using his lips and tongue to blaze a trail of heat down his belly. Robin’s muscles fluttered with anticipation. He closed his eyes again, running his fingers through Johan’s hair, which fell onto his skin, tickling and teasing at the same damned time. He willed Johan to go further, biting his lower lip to keep from screaming out what he wanted. When Johan blew his hot breath over his length, Robin tensed, and he gasped loudly when Johan’s lips closed over him for the first time.
It took all his willpower not to thrust forward to bury himself inside Johan’s throat. He wanted it more than anything, but he held still and let Johan set the pace. And one hell of a pace it was. He groaned even louder as Johan took more and more of him into his wet heat. Needing to see, Robin opened his eyes and lifted his head, nearly coming at the sight of his cock disappearing into Johan’s talented mouth.
Johan pulled away, their gazes meeting, and then Johan kissed him hard. Robin tasted some of himself on Johan’s tongue, sucking it as Johan closed his arms around him. He wanted to reciprocate, but Johan held him too tightly, kissing him deeply as his hips thrust back and forth. Robin’s cock slid along Johan’s heaving belly, and pressure built to the point he had little control over his own body. Robin’s need took over, instinct propelling him until heat splashed between them, sending Robin over the edge.
He held still, gasping for air, as waves of ecstasy washed over him. Damn, he loved that floaty-cloud feeling. Johan didn’t move either, holding him until his eyes drooped downward. Then Johan’s weight lifted. He left the room and returned with a towel. Robin intended to protest that he could clean himself up, but Johan was so gentle and caring that he kept his eyes closed and waited for Johan to rejoin him. Without much effort, Robin slipped into a doze, holding Johan in his arms.
“HOW MUCH longer before we get there?” Javier asked the following morning as they rode to Neuschwanstein. Robin swore the man acted worse than a six-year-old.
“Half an hour or so,” Oliver answered, and Javier turned to look out the window. Oliver rolled his eyes and sat back, watching Javier.
They were slightly ahead of schedule, and when they pulled into Füssen, Johan parked the bus and everyone stood.
“Please remain in your seats for a few more minutes,” Robin instructed. “I need to get the tickets.”
He hurried off the bus and went up to the ticket window. He gave them the name of the tour group, and they handed him the reserved tickets with their time stamp. The town was already busy, and there was a line forming at the window and a steady stream of people heading up the hill. Thankfully Albert was smart enough not to get him a ticket. Robin had made the trip once before, and it had nearly worn him out completely. The road was uphill the entire way. There were carriages that would take you up part of the way, but that was all.
Robin returned to the bus. “Okay. Please file off, and I’ll give you each a ticket. As you can see, there is a time stamp, and you have a little less than an hour to get to the top of the hill. Don’t wait down here. I suggest you go right up. There will be lines that form for your ticket time and a board to explain where to go.”
Everyone seemed to heed his advice and headed uphill, which meant he had a couple of hours to kill at least.
“You can go if you like,” Robin offered, smiling at Johan.
“No. I’m fine right here. It’s so busy that I need to stay with the bus. Sometimes they ask us to move.” He stayed in his seat, leaning slightly over the steering wheel. “Don’t you go?”
“Not anymore.” Robin looked away sheepishly. “I didn’t get as much sleep last night as I usually do.” A smile formed on his face without the least bit of help from him. “Do you have to stay in the bus or…?”
“No. I’ll put my number on the door and they will call. Why?”
“We could get some coffee or something,” Robin offered. “When they get back, we can let the group have lunch here and then make a shopping stop. We’ll have plenty of time.”
“Sure.” Johan locked up the bus and put his sign where it would be seen. Then they went into the restaurant and took a table where they could look out at the passing crowds. “I went on a tour of the castle earlier this year and was disappointed. They used to give personalized tours, but now it’s all electronic.”
“Yeah, and I hate to say it, but the place is looking shabby and showing a lot of wear. I suppose millions of people traipsing through it for decades will do that. Still, if we didn’t come, every group would ask why, so Albert includes it on the tour.”
They ordered a drink and some light pastries and sat watching the hordes of people descend on the small town.
“You asked me something last night,” Robin said. “I think I need to give you an answer.”
“Yes,” Johan agreed. “But you do not owe me an answer. Not right now. I know what I want, but I have to give you a chance to want what I want.” He grinned, and it took Robin a second to figure out what Johan was saying. “This is new for you and—”
Robin huffed softly. “Why do you have to be so danged perfect all the time?” he asked with mock exasperation. “I’m a bundle of leftover teenage angst, and you seem to know what I need. It isn’t fair. You’re too damned perfect.” He sipped his juice and turned to watch the ever-growing crowds of people headed up the hill. It was a steady stream in one direction that eventually would become two-way traffic.
Johan leaned over the table “I’m not perfect. Just ask my mother. She will tell you that I’m stubborn, and most of the t
ime, I do not know when to quit. I know what I want, and I’m willing to be patient. My mom would also tell you that I waste my life… at least if she knew you better.” Johan turned away. “I went to university.” He shivered. “In Germany we take tests, and those who do well go to university. Those who do not go to other schools. It is how it is. Very little choice built into the system. We all know this since we are small.”
Robin knew of the system, and he would have loved to have been able to take advantage of a free education. Instead, he’d had to work for it. Especially after all the homeschooling. His mother…. Robin pulled his thoughts back to where they belonged. “What was so bad?”
“My mother and father were very proud. They want me to study business so I can help run the restaurant. I wanted….” He groaned. “I like working with my hands. I make things.” He pulled out his phone and brought up his photo gallery. “I make these.”
There were pictures of wooden toys that looked somewhat like the ones in the tourist shops, except finer and with more details. Then there were tables that looked amazing—like old, traditional Black Forest work, absolutely stunning.
“I did what they want and then turned away. My parents were not happy. They wanted more for me, and they are ashamed for a long time that I drive a bus.” He shrugged. “I just wanted to be happy.” He lowered his voice. “My mama convinced me to quit. She said I should do more with my life, and I was about to.” Johan nodded and smiled. “Then I drove for you. And I thought you were really cute and funny sometimes with the groups. They like you. But you did not see me. Just the hair.” He made a face, and Robin closed his eyes, wishing he could take back what had happened before. It hadn’t been fair. He hadn’t given Johan a chance at all, just let appearances dictate his opinion.
“Why did you do that? I was pretty nasty to you, but you asked to be my driver again? Hell, you planned a lot of what’s happened on this tour. I don’t understand why.”
“Because you were so nice to everyone else, and I thought I might have scared you.” Johan nodded and groaned softly. “My mother hated my beard and the long hair. She told me that if I wanted people to see me, then I needed to give them something pleasant to look at.” Johan grinned. “Mama is practical and funny sometimes. I cut off my beard and cut my hair. Mama wanted it shorter.”
“No,” Robin said quickly. “I like your hair. It’s beautiful the way it cascades to your shoulders.” His mind went to the night before and how he had run his fingers through it over and over. Maybe he was starting to develop some kind of hair kink… at least for Johan’s.
“I felt better once the beard was gone, and Mama was happy too. I thought I looked better, and when I saw you again, I knew you noticed me.” Johan chuckled. “You blushed when I watched you. I saw you turn red, and I know you saw me then.”
“Yeah, but I should have seen you before. I was… intimidated, I guess.” Robin wasn’t sure how he could explain all of why that was. “My mom had a brother-in-law. He’s dead now, thank goodness. I hope he rots in hell forever.” Robin wished he drank, because he needed one about now. “I was weak some of the time—I told you that. After the second surgery to fix my heart, I felt better for a few years, and I could go out and be a lot more normal. My aunt and uncle lived in Florida, about fifty miles from Disney. Aunt Gladys is Mama’s sister, and she invited me to come stay with them for a week in the fall. I was fourteen, and Mama put me on a plane and Aunt Gladys was there to meet me. I thought it was going to be fun and we’d get to do stuff.” Robin shook his head. “Uncle Frank was a huge bear of a man, and he had a long beard like some mountain man on television. He and Aunt Gladys fought the entire time I was there because he didn’t want me there and she had invited me. He refused to have any of his money used to take me anywhere. I ended up watching television for a week and then going home, and when I asked to go to Disney, like any kid would, he yelled at me and said I was too weak to enjoy it anyway. He even called me names to Aunt Gladys. I really hated him. Aunt Gladys left him a while after that, and he died of cancer. At least that’s what Mom told me. All I can say is that I hope it was painful.” Robin grew agitated and clenched his hands into fists just thinking about it.
“Did you see him again before he died?” Johan asked.
“Once. He came to Milwaukee for Christmas—I guess it was just before Aunt Gladys kicked his butt to the curb. The two of them visited, and Mama asked me to go to my room. Then she laid into him…. My mama is generally soft-spoken, but she said things that turned the air blue. I think she might have hit him, and then she threw him out of the house, saying that her sister was welcome anytime, but he could go sit at the curb with the rest of the trash.” Robin smiled a little. “The next year I got sick again. Mama had said that she would take me to Disney, but it never happened.” He shrugged. He groaned softly and got his mind back on his original train of thought. “I know it’s no excuse, but I might have flashed on some of my residual feelings for my awful uncle and took them out on you. I don’t really know.” He turned to watch people once more, the restaurant filling behind him, getting a little louder.
“Mason…,” Johan said, pointing across the way.
“What’s he doing back so quickly?” Robin asked, checking the time. The group should be in the castle for their tour. There was no way he should be at the bottom of the hill. He stood near a lamppost, his pack on his back, looking from side to side. Come to think of it, Mason had brought his pack with him, which was odd, because they wouldn’t allow him to enter with it. Robin excused himself, telling Johan he’d be right back, and left the restaurant.
As he stepped out onto the sidewalk, a man approached Mason. He stopped, spoke quickly to Mason, and they walked back toward where the buses were parked. Robin tried to follow but couldn’t see them. He glanced around and returned to the restaurant.
“I don’t know what’s going on.” Robin’s curiosity was definitely piqued, and he was going to find out what was happening on his tour. Any trust he had for Mason was long gone.
Ten minutes later Mason came back into view.
“Look, his pack is empty. It was full before, and now it’s hanging there and flat.” Robin leaned closer to the window. “What the hell is he doing?” When Mason looked toward them, he turned away and lifted his glass to his lips, hoping he’d covered the fact that he’d been watching.
“This isn’t good,” Johan said.
Robin agreed, but he had nothing other than suspicions and supposition. “But I don’t know what to do.”
“Nothing to do. If he’s a thief, then confronting him could put you in danger.”
Robin nodded. What Johan said made a lot of sense, and it was probably best that he stayed out of it. He finished his drink and ate the last bite of pastry, trying to put Mason out of his mind.
A few minutes later, Oliver and Javier exited the path from the hill, with Oliver looking very pale, a hand over his chest.
“We have to go.” Robin pulled out his wallet and handed some money to their server, then practically pulled Johan along with him. He raced over to where Oliver sat on the grass beside the path, as pale as a ghost and gasping for air. “What happened?”
“I’m okay,” Oliver wheezed. Robin wasn’t so sure and pulled out his phone to call for help. Oliver shook his head as he held Robin’s hand. “I overdid it. That’s all.” He raised his gaze, and Javier sat down next to him, taking Oliver’s hand and putting an arm around his shoulders.
“Do you want some water?” Javier asked, and before Oliver could answer, Johan had hurried away.
“I should have taken the carriage ride up and not tried to walk the whole way.” Oliver leaned on Javier, who held him.
“Then why did you?” Javier asked with surprising gentleness.
“I didn’t want you to be disappointed,” Oliver said, and Javier clicked his teeth and held Oliver closer. “I’m getting old, I know that, and….” Oliver closed his eyes as his breathing returned to normal. “You’re
going to leave me behind, and I need to figure out how to keep up.”
Johan returned and handed Oliver a bottle of water. He drank and seemed much better.
Robin took Johan’s arm, and they left the two of them alone. Robin would watch that Oliver was okay, but he and Javier seemed to need some time alone.
“Wow,” Johan said as they found an empty bench. “I thought they….”
Robin understood immediately. “I know. With all their bickering and Javier’s impatience, I thought he didn’t care for Oliver particularly.” Javier still held Oliver, helping him to his feet. Robin motioned and stood to give them room on the bench.
“I’m sorry,” Oliver apologized again. “I just overdid it.” He sat with a sigh.
“When we get you home, you’re going to the doctor, and he’s going to give you a thorough physical. You haven’t been in a long time, and you need to take better care of yourself.” The concern was genuine and nice to hear. “Maybe we’ll find a trainer who can help you get stronger if that’s what you want. We can go to the gym together.” Javier truly seemed shaken. “Whatever you need, we’ll see to it that you get.” Once again Javier sat and held Oliver closer.
“The food is good in the restaurant. Why don’t you get out of the sun and have a little something to eat? Oliver can relax until it’s time to go on.” Robin saw them inside and caught the others as they came down the hill to tell them to eat and that they would leave at one thirty as planned.
“Have you ever gone up to that one?” Billy asked, pointing to the yellow castle on the hill.
“That’s Hohenschwangau, and no. Usually there isn’t time. Someday maybe. That’s one of the castles that’s still owned by the family. It isn’t fanciful the way the other one is. Though it is where Ludwig spent part of his childhood. There are books in the gift shops with pictures of it, I’m sure.” Robin could remember seeing them the last time he looked around.
“We should eat,” Kyle said gently, and led Billy inside.