AllFreeNovel
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As dancers we constantly sought perfect alignment, and that’s what was laid out before us that morning. The spacing between the stones, even the ones that had fallen, was faultless and beautiful, as if man and nature had worked together to create an example of exact and impeccable placement. And we were all part of it, the living, breathing beings of the scene: Will and I stood on the outside of the snowy circle while the two deer held corresponding places within.
They gazed at us, then slowly turned and walked away, leapt a barbed-wire fence and were gone across a field, the tips of chocolaty-brown ploughed furrows just visible through the snow and between the trees.
“It’s a mini Stonehenge,” said Will.
“A stone circle,” I agreed. “Really old, aren’t they? Prehistoric.”
We walked the circle, touching each stone, smiling at the cloven hoof prints. The atmosphere of the place was at once ancient and futuristic. Wisdom and peace were discernible, but so was fun. The castle and everyone it contained were far away in some other time and existence. This was a holiday, a festive occasion, just for us two.
“We need to dance, Treadwell. Can you feel it?”
He was right. We skipped round the inside of the ring, jumping over and onto stones that had tumbled long ago. An unsuccessful, but hilarious, ballet lift took place.
“We should be naked,” I said, and then put a hand to my mouth, shocked by my own words.
“We’d die, or something,” said Will. “How cold is it?”
He was right again. But the feeling, the fact, wouldn’t go away. It was so strong and absolute. Naked was how it had to be. Here. In this moment. With Will. In this circle of stones. “I’m doing it,” I told him. “You don’t have to watch. Or join in. Or even stay.”
He stared at me and then backed away a bit. He stood up on a half-buried rock and took his jacket off. I retreated to the other side of the circle, stepped onto a big flat stone, and mirrored his actions with my jacket. He pulled his top over his head and paused.
“Bit chilly, Hearse?” I asked.
“Turn around,” he requested. “Don’t look.”
Giggling, I obeyed.
“You can turn back now,” he told me, moments later.
I roared with laughter at the sight that met my eyes. Trousers round his ankles, Will had formed his hands into a modesty-saving cup.
“What?” he said. “It’s freezing, so I’m not looking my best.”
Laughter faded as I felt the heat of the sun on my back. It was enticing, pulling at me, commanding me. I closed my eyes and pulled off one layer: my sweater. Yes. The rightness of what we were doing was intense and overwhelming. In a good way. Everything should be natural and free in this ancient setting. It was not a place of sophistication. I threw my pyjama top on the ground, making the top half of my body naked, and gazed over at Will.
He stared back, for once silent. I turned away from him to face the sun, and stretched my arms to the sky in a solar embrace. Golden rays gifted warmth and relaxation and love.
I smiled as he stood in front of me on the ground, his trousers back up.
We hugged, skin against skin, under the fiery orb. His pointy nose and warm breath touched the centre of my chest, and I rubbed hands up through his hair, laughing as it sprang back into place. He was bowed in worship, while I reigned above. And I knew we were going to lie down together on the stone—
A cloud passed across the sun. Everything chilled. And what were we doing?
I sat down on the flat stone and pulled my clothes back on, very glad that I’d not taken my pyjama bottoms off.
He sat too. “Hey, Malph. Don’t loop out on me now.”
I buried my face in his neck, as if it were possible to hide from confusion and embarrassment.
“This was beautiful,” he said. “Don’t turn it into something else. Whatever’s going on with you and the prick had nothing to do with this, us, here. He doesn’t own you.”
“It was beautiful, wasn’t it?” The stones, the snow, the sun; they were all here creating perfection, and we’d been a part of it for a short moment.
“Something odd, though…” He shivered and got up to seek his own discarded garments. “I was thinking we were going to, you know…”
I nodded. I knew.
T-shirt round his arms, he went on. “But I don’t have a condom. That wasn’t going to be a part of it.”
