Leandor and Claire – A Cambridge Love Story
Relics of Love
A Fantasy
I
Shawn
asked him to meet him at the Spade and Becket near the lock on Jesus Green. He
would have preferred the Pickerel Arms near Magdalene. But no that was Shawn for
you - always taking the odd choice. But he long ago decided after he first met
Shawn that what Shawn wanted he usually got. He pushed open the door of the pub
- it was full of the usual post Hall crowed - mostly from Jesus and Johns. He
did not see Shawn at first and checked his watch to be sure he had the right
time. As he looked up from his watch his eye caught her standing in a small
group at the far right of the bar
Unusually, his
gaze lingered on her. It was her face. It was her face and eyes that caught his
attention. As she spoke it was animated
in a compelling open friendly way - her eyes seemed particularly lively and
open.
Shawn came up
behind him and slapped his back. He jumped out of his reverey and turned to
face Shawn. "What were you staring
at" Shawn asked him. "Oh nothing" he responded a bit
embarrassed.
"Was
it her?" Shawn asked as he motioned with his head towards the knot of
three at the bar. "Um ah ya well maybe" he stuttered. Shawn laughed.
"Stay away
my little boy, she will eat you alive."
"Do
you know her?" Leandor asked quietly.
Ya, some - he
paused- she was with that Euro kid Elisandro who was at the summer Language
School last term.
"She is a
second year at Newnham"
"You know
how these Euro trash blow in here for the language schools in summer term -
turn on the charm and try and fuck all the pretty English girls or boys."
He
thought for a moment and continued - "Stay away - not your garden to play
in. I hear she is a bit of an ice princess - demanding. Out of your league
Leandor
"No no was not
thinking that way. Was just fascinated by her face - as I am with yours Shawn.
He chuckled to himself"
Shawn
cuffed him on the head.
"Are you
going to buy me a pint? All I have is a onecer and no ciggys. - I am officially
skint."
"Ok ok
I'll take care of you little brother. What do you fancy?"
"A pint of bitter pls" – Leandor
answered in his soft small voice. He was a bit in awe of Shawn and around him
he always felt smaller and more vulnerable.
Shawn went to
the bar and Leandor followed. As he trailed after Shawn his eye wandered once
more to her. He thought "I never asked Shawn her name." "I
wonder how he knew her?"
Shawn
walked back to Leandor and handed him his pint. "So how did the boat go today?"
Shawn asked. Leandor was number 7 seat in the 2nd Caius Boat. Shawn was stroke
in the Caius 1st Boat. "Well enough we did a long lock to lock steady
state. Boat sat well and seemed to move ok. That kid Leandor Black is
distracting to row behind - I keep thinking what it would be like to be with
him."
"Ha
keep your mind on your rowing you ass. I'm the only one you should be thinking
of being with!" Shawn chided him.
"Ok ok
just idle speculation" Leandor responded.
"Um how do you know that girl who you said was with that kid
Elisandro?" Leandor asked quietly.
"What
did you say?" Asked Shawn above the din in the pub.
"Oh
nothing - just mumbling." Said Leandor embarrassed that he had even asked.
They talked in
a desultory fashion of the prospects for the Lent bumps and drank their beer
quietly. When he was finished Shawn
asked "Want another or do you want to go back to my rooms - I have some
brandy."
"Oh sure -
I never much warmed to this place - too many Jesus chaps!" "Why did
you choose it?"
"Well it was close to the boathouse and
I'd been working out there."
"Oh
ok. Are you ready?"
"Ya let's go." As they left Leandor
cast a backward glance at the girl whose face caught his attention. As they
left he asked Shawn "so what is that girl’s name?"
Shawn laughed - "she is Claire Strachey - but I told you she would eat you
- so stay away. Besides you ready to throw me over??"
"Very
funny Shawn - sure why not! You accuse me every other day of I am throwing you
over."
"Ha
just because you wanted to read law - stop talking like a barrister."
They
crossed the Green and made their way up Queens Parade and eventually to Trinity
St. Soon they came to Caius and entered Tree court. Shawn had rooms in Caius Ct. so they made
their way through the Gate of Virtue into Caius Court.
As
they walked Leandor couldn't loose the image of the girl in the pub. Her face
was haunting him. He was pensive as they reached Shawn's staircase. They mounted the stairs as Shawn had rooms on
the first floor landing across from Titus Prynnes, English Don and mad poet
from what Leandor could tell.
The outer door to Mr Prynnes’ room was shut
so they would be alone on the landing.
Entering Shawn’s room he saw the usual
clutter and wondered yet again how he could live in such disorder. Books,
papers, notebooks lay scattered over the entire surface of the large table in
front of the windows on the right as you entered the room which overlooked the
Master's garden. A welter of clothes lay
strewn over the sofa in front of the fire. A squash racquet occupied the club
chair to the right of the fire along with shorts, shirts, socks and underpants.
It was clear that Shawn had not been entertaining recently.
"Shawn
you are a true pig!" He exclaimed.
"Oh
shut it Leandor - none of your obsessive compulsive neatness pls."
He
went to the cabinet at the far end of the room and found the Martel and two
glasses. Pouring two substantial drinks he handed Leandor one and went to the
sofa brushing off the littler of clothes and patted the seat next to him for
Leandor to sit. Leandor moved slowly to the seat and sank down his legs extend
toward the unlit fire. Shawn took a pull at his brandy and got up to light the
fire. It was not yet cold but the gas
fire spread a warming light across the otherwise dim room. Shawn settled back
down with his brandy and looked to Leandor. Leandor felt his penetrating gaze
on him and blushed.
"Aw
you are so cute" Shawn said softly.
Leandor
put his head down and concentrated on drinking his brandy.
Shawn
reached over and tussled his chestnut hair.
"Stop
please! You know where that will lead to and I'm not sure we should get
involved." Leandor was pensive and his words came slowly and again the
face of the girl appeared before him.
"Oh
stop Leandor. You always want this as much as I. No one has ever forced
you.". He reached over and stroked Leandor's face. Leandor turned towards
him and smiled.
"That's
my little brother!" Shawn almost whispered.
He
finished his brandy and slid closer to Leandor on the sofa. Leandor put his brandy down. Shawn embraced
him pushing him back against the arm of the sofa. He rubbed his face on his and
in his hair. Leandor could feel his deep breathing and he seemed to inhale his
smell. Shawn undid Leandor's shirt and
belt loosening his clothes. He rose up for a moment pulling his own shirt off
and opening his pants. He then lay on Leandor - running his body and sex
against Leandor's. Their cotton covered
sex rubbed hard against each other in a rhythm as if that of the boat on the
river - thrusting forward and pulling back - relentlessly in a steady state.
Leandor could feel his wetness grow. He
was lost now - he felt Shawn's hardness against his own.
"Oh
Shawn he gasped as he shuddered and his seed flooded over and he went rigid!
Only moments later Shawn made his own contribution to this act of surrender.
They lay together in the warmth and dampness.
They
were still for a long while. Then the damp began to feel cold and clammy. Leandor stirred and said softly in Shawn’s
ear “I should go”
