- 1 -

The connecting flight to Saint Lucia arrived late, so Larry and Palmer mooched around the airport lounge for as long as they could. Larry bought some early-send postcards, and Palmer considered a Tee-shirt, but Larry’s pursed lips swiftly changed his mind.

‘Fancy a coffee, Lal?’ Palmer asked as he threw an arm round Larry’s shoulder.
‘I need something stronger,’ Larry said, already heading toward the bar.

A group of off-duty servicemen were seated noisily in a corner of the pub, cans and bottles of beer piling high around their table. Two of the young lads watched Palmer and Larry intently as they ordered drinks and found a place to settle.

‘That one on the end’s nice,’ Palmer whispered.
‘The blond?’
‘Mmm!’
‘Yeah, he is quite tasty.’ Larry studied the group. The mix brightened his mood, he even received a surprisingly warm smile from a dark haired squaddie sprawling along one of the benches. The two lads who had watched Larry and Palmer enter, came up to order more drinks. They could have been twins they looked so similar, both lithe, dark and close-cropped. The bar tender, a guy with a face as rough as his Irish brogue, leaned on a set of pumps determined to take no messing. The lads called back to their table that the bar man said there’d be no more alcohol served to them before they embarked. An empty can flew across the bar room, it hit a picture, knocking it skew.

‘Right!’ The bar tender yelled, ‘You lot out!’

A cigarette pack hurtled toward the bar, followed by another tin can. ‘O.K. lads,’ the blonde squaddie stood up to place himself between the bar and the table, ‘quiet down.’ He turned his head toward the bar and called over, ‘soft drinks all round, mate, then we’ll go.’ A groan bit into the air, and a flow of swear words cursed everything and everyone.

‘Should we go, Pally?’ Larry asked.
‘Nah!’ Palmer smiled carelessly with his answer.
‘Well I need a slash, I’ll not be long. Keep an eye on my drink, eh?’
‘Sure,’ Palmer nodded, his eyes fixed on the blond soldier.

The bar’s gents was cramped but clean; a urinal trough along one wall, two sinks facing it and a single cubicle at the far end. One man turned swiftly to the sinks as Larry opened door. The door to the cubicle also closed stealthily. The man at the sink and Larry shared a glance in the mirror as he passed, the look was no more than momentary, yet it spoke loud and clear. Larry nearly laughed out loud at the the number of volumes he could have written on that little experience.

The sordid pleasures of cottaging swarmed back into Larry’s mind. The risk, the variety, above all the total lack of permanence.

After checking the hot-air drier was working, the sink man splashed water on his face, then he went back to the drier and stood there pressing it a number of times. Larry unbuttoned at the urinal, leaning back a tad to examine a small peep hole in the cubicle wall. As Larry started his slash the door opened behind him. But it wasn’t the sink man leaving, he had just pressed the drier again. Larry found out who had entered in behind him soon enough.

‘Hi!’ said one of the two twined squaddies, closing in to stand beside him.

Larry said nothing. He looked round to see if the other twin was with him. He was.

The lad at the urinal bent slightly at the knees to look at the cubicle peep hole, then he smirked at Larry. The second lad perched by the sinks. He eased back his legs to let the man by the air-drier hug past him. With the door closed he stuck one leg across the door, jamming his foot on the wall.

An uncomfortable pressed-in feeling came over Larry as he finished his piss. The whole toilet seemed to shrink even further, the walls closing in, the ceiling sinking, and the floor lifting up to push the lad beside him closer still. A rustle from the cubicle broke the crushing sweat rising over Larry’s body, the occupant was kneeling to get a better view of the action at the urinal. Larry stepped back.
‘Where d’you think you’re goin’?’ The lad at the urinal leaned across Larry as he tried to button up his jeans. He grabbed Larry’s T-shirt and twisted it into a tense knot. Leaning harder against Larry, he forced him to back up against a wall. With his head pressing down vice-like against Larry’s brow, he growled, ‘You’re a fucking poofter.’

- 2 -

‘Oi! You,’ Palmer called, pushing his way passed the lad by the sink, ‘what the fuck do think you at?’

Without letting up on the pressure set against Larry’s forehead, the Squaddie holding Larry turned his head slowly toward Palmer, his face curled in hate. ‘You wanna make somethin’ of it?’
Palmer wasted no time, he took a swinging hold of the lad by the sink. Lifting him of his feet, he crashed him against the other lad’s shoulder. With another swift move he grabbed Larry’s arm and yanked him free. Squaring up to the lads as they steadied, he snarled, ‘Yeah, I wanna! D’you?’

‘Bloody, fucking hell!’ a voice called as it entered the toilets. The two squaddies looked away from Palmer and toward the man at the door.

Palmer kept the lads in sight but manoeuvred Larry away from the door.

‘Look you two,’ said the blond soldier from the bar, placing himself squarely between Palmer and the squaddies, ‘can’t you keep out of bovver?’
‘It was ‘im,’ the lad from the urinal whined drunkenly, ‘it was ‘im came on to me, Corp.’
‘Yeah,’ his sidekick mumbled without conviction.
‘Right.’ The young corporal nodded toward the door, and the squaddies sidled by him. ‘I am sorry about that,’ he said to Palmer, after he had smiled at Larry.

Larry tucked his T-shirt back into his jeans, trying to look cool about the whole thing. ‘It’s OK,’ he shrugged.

‘It’s bloody well not “OK”, no way!’ Palmer was still het up, his fists clenched tight as springs ready to let fly.
‘Please, Pally,’ Larry took a stand, ‘really, I mean it.’ He patted Palmer’s chest as he moved to separate the fields of pumping testosterone. ‘No actual harm was done.’
‘But it might’ve,’ Palmer countered.
‘You’re right, but all I can say is they really aren’t that bad usually,’ the corporal said. He put out his hand toward Larry, saying, ‘My name’s Don.’
‘Hi!’ Larry gave him a smile. ‘This is Palmer. I’m Larry.’ Larry gave Palmer a look that said shake his hand, or else. Palmer relaxed and gave the blond a firm handshake.
An awkward silence filled the space that held them apart, yet a few even more awkward shared looks seemed to draw them together. ‘Well, anyways,’ Don broke the spell, ‘I’d better get out to see they don’t start a riot or something.’
‘You all right, Lal?’ Palmer softened.
‘No,’ Larry shook his head. ‘Hold me.’

With a light rocking sway to comfort him, Palmer held Larry tight. They breathed together as almost one breath until a creak at the toilet door sprang them apart. They both slipped carefully to the sinks to enjoy a refreshing wash, flicking water at each other with childish glee.

The soldiers had gone when they returned to the saloon. And with a thankful roll of his eyes to the heavens, the bartender showed them that he was delighted to see the back of them. ‘Refresh your drinks, would you, sir?’ he intoned, facing no more competition than the chorus of pinging electrical game machines and the crooning beat of wallpaper rock.

Palmer looked to Larry, who pursed his face into a no.
‘Was there any trouble in there,’ the bar man thumbed toward the toilets, ‘with the grunts?’
‘Nah!’ Palmer hugged Larry’s shoulder.
‘High spirits floating on booze!’Larry laughed.
‘Listen!’ Palmer held his hand up for silence. ‘That’s us, Lal.’

The queue to the boarding lounge had already started to tail when they went to the pub for a drink, now it snaked back almost to the check-in desks. Suddenly bodies appeared and doors opened, as if by magic, to swallow up the straggling, ill-tempered crowd.

Larry sensed Palmer’s hatred of crowds around him rising with the colour at the back of neck. He pointed at two elderly ladies in the queue, chatting and bickering away over their hand luggage. ‘A straight forward case, my dear Elias. What do you deduce?’

‘What?’ Palmer snapped tetchily, then spotted the ladies.‘Ah! well, Carter, now let me see. A blue rinse on one, with a lacquered bouffant newly administered. The other, sensible shoes, and a fresh casual wave; salon, not home permed. From Essex, I’d say, still the backbone of their Conservative club. Genteel, but no longer in touch with their onetime professional colleagues.’
‘Librarians or school marms?’ Larry saw his rouse had worked, Palmer no longer fidgeted with the cases but really entered into the spirit of the game.
‘The bouffant had been a senior administrator for the local library board. The sensible shoes,’ Palmer considered for a moment, ‘a disillusioned probation officer turned hospital visitor.’
‘Lesbians?’
‘They missed out after the war, never quite daring to speak its name.’
‘Passport and ticket, sir.’ A delicately scented official asked, looked then pointed them toward a set of doors. ‘Boarding area three, in twenty minutes,’ she said. ‘Sir!’ she called after Larry.‘Your boarding ticket.’ She gave him a sweet almost lingering smile before turning back to the fray.

‘That looks like that blond army chap you fancied.’ Larry indicated the back of a head in the mass crush of crowd ahead of them.

Palmer ignored him, guessing he was trying to distract him because he’d returned to sorting out the luggage. ‘What do you mean,’ it suddenly dawned on Palmer, ‘that I fancied him.’
‘I saw they way you looked at him in the pub,’ Larry quipped. ‘That was fancied, big time!’
‘Nah!’ Palmer tried to lie. ‘Well, OK, a little.’ His lie fell to shreds. ‘Yeah, tasty!’
‘Actually,’ Larry glowered, ‘now that I think of it, he was a bit of a dish.’ He gave Palmer a burning dark-eyed glare. ‘I don’t know that I approve.’
‘Away!’ Palmer threw a fake punch at Larry. ‘I can’t help feel I’ve seen him before.’
‘Oh, yes?’
‘Pu-lease! Yes.’
‘Is this your hand luggage?’ An uninterested-looking official sighed. ‘Did you pack it?’ He went on, not waiting for a proper reply. ‘Has it ever been out of you sight?’ he said to Palmer, then stopped his spiel to give him a look over. He looked Larry over too, then looked back to Palmer and gave him a gorgeous shining full-teeth smile. ‘Right ahead, sir,’ he said, ‘have a great time.’

After a gruelling transfer to Soufriere, a jungle ride, and checking into their hotel, they collapsed on their bed and just drifted out to the crisp clear glow of purple-tinted mountains, a blue carpeted sea, and numberless hues of greenery around their wood frame open-view panoramic balcony.

‘Beautiful,’ Palmer summed it up with his usual understatement.

They slept at peace, tied in each others arms despite the warmth until Larry woke with a start. ‘What’s that?’ he whispered to the darkening, empty gloom. Palmer slept on, merely mumbling as he turned away from the heat of Larry’s body. What was it, Larry wondered. What had roused him from sleep. All he could hear was the silence of nature: timbers creaking, evening birds calling and the sigh of a slow sea breeze. Silence. That was it! Silence. ‘Pally!’ Larry cried. ‘Palmer,’ Larry nudged him, ‘listen, just listen.’

‘What to?’ Palmer grumbled, ‘there’s nothing there.’
‘Yes, exactly!’ Larry stretched and smiled.

They shared a long sensual shower, familiar with each other yet eager to absorb every inch of the familiar sights and scents. ‘Thanks for being strong for me, Lal.’ Palmer caressed Larry’s back with a soft enveloping towel as they stepped from the steam. ‘I know I can be a twat.’

‘But a lovely one,’ Larry tapped Palmer’s nose. ‘Thank you too.’
‘What for?’
‘For being,’ Larry stopped and thought, ‘for being what I need.’

‘Hello there!’ A voice bellowed with welcome across the bistro bar that Palmer had chosen for their first night out. The welcome was more than a polite greeting, it had the ring of recognition. Palmer stared at what he took to be the manager as he approached them, trying hard to place where he’d seen him before. ‘I never forget a face, man,’ the manager said, ‘but names, they aren’t so lucky.’
‘I sort of recognise you too,’ Palmer said edgily, ‘but I can’t recall.’

‘London, about five years ago.’
‘At the Apprentice?’
The manager nodded with a grin.
‘You were staying with my mate Carson.’ Recognition flooded Palmer’s mind. ‘George?’

‘In the flesh!’ George laughed then called to a recess, ‘Hey! Donnie, I’ve some friends from my London days. Come!’ From a candle lit corner a young, trim, athletic blond approached them. ‘This is my partner of two glorious years,’ George beamed. A frown creased his face as Larry and Palmer burst into peels of laughter with Don, the Corporal they had met earlier.
‘You’re Carson’s nephew, Donald,’ Palmer nearly exploded with relief. ‘I haven’t seen you in what, ten years?’
‘About that,’ Don agreed. ‘But I recognized Larry straight off.’

All eyes fell on Larry, who blushed and shrugged. ‘Sorry, I don’t recognize you.’
‘I used to hang about the Swan when I first came out, before I joined up. You know, for the strippers and tacky amateur nights.’ Don winked.

Again all eyes focused on Larry. ‘I used to do a Shirley Bassey turn.’
‘Good too, you were.’

Palmer slid an arm round Larry’s waist as they walked up the dimly lit and deserted tressel stairway to their hotel. The evening had flown by, a fine meal, drinks, and plenty of laughs, and they all promised to meet up again for a night out before the holiday ended.

‘Crazy,’ Palmer said, squeezing Larry, ‘just how small the world is.’

Larry looked deep into Palmer’s eyes in the moonlit darkness. With a tender hold on Palmer’s neck, Larry drew him into a lair of tropical fronds. He pressed Palmer closer and kissed his lips. Their mouths opened and sealed together in a French embrace. Long, passionate, and full-bodied they held tight to each other, until the sound of footsteps and giggles came up behind them on the path. ‘Let’s get to bed,’ Larry pecked Palmer one more swift kiss before they set off up steps.

They made their way to their room, abandoning clothing as soon as they got in through the door. Already Palmer’s cock was erect and throbbing out of his boxers. Larry stroked it as he nibbled at Palmer’s neck, running his free hand into an inviting butt crack. Palmer arched his back to engage with Larry’s probing finger, and his hole seemed to quiver with anticipation.

Palmer had pulled off most of his own clothes and turned to stripping off what was left of Larry’s. ‘Stand back,’ Palmer whispered. He crouched before Larry’s bulging briefs, with a joy they both shared he sniffed and caressed and nibbled across the stiffened fabric. Palmer sucked down on Larry’s knob and almost managed to draw the whole thing into his mouth, underwear and all.
‘Lick it,’ Larry demanded as he pushed Palmer’s face into his groin. Keeping one hand on Palmer’s head, Larry drove his cock up through his briefs and he pulled Palmer across the wet spot.
‘Fuck me.’ Palmer said as he looked up at Larry while nestling gently on his balls.
‘Suck it first!’

Palmer pulled Larry’s cock free and grabbed it with both hands. He layered kisses on the foreskin and shaft, then offered his tongue. He opened the generous pucker of skin and fucked the thick knobend underneath. Larry groaned, so Palmer quickened his darting penetration.

‘Suck it.’ Larry pushed Palmer’s hands away to slide his dick into the warm mouth opening before him. ‘Nice!’ he sighed. ‘Now long and deep.’
Palmer obeyed. With every gag on Larry’s massive full length he went at it harder.

Larry patted Palmer’s head with a tube of lubricant, and waggled a condom before him.
Palmer gave up his throat to Larry’s cock, right down to trimmed bush.

‘Up!’ Larry pulled at Palmer. ‘There, bend over against the bed.’ He raised one of Palmer’s legs to insert lube and toy with the hole that eagerly awaited him. Palmer ground back on Larry’s fingers, first one, then two, then, with more lube, three fingers entered and twitched. A tremble of ecstasy shuddered across Palmer’s thighs as Larry played inside him. ‘Arch up for me,’ Larry spoke while rolling on the condom. ‘High!’ He smacked Palmer’s butt cheeks. ‘Higher!’

Palmer gasped when Larry hunkered up close and rammed home. ‘Fuck!’ he cried, knocking his head down against a pillow as the the slow strokes deepened and quickened. ‘So fucking big!’
Larry pulled out, but held the condom in place. ‘Lie down on the bed.’

Palmer wasted no time. He lay down, a pillow at his head and under his hips, his legs drawn up with his hands behind the knees. His eyelids fluttered shut while Larry was re-entering his asshole, but once in and a slow filling groove had started he held Larry’s face in view. A smile, a joyous toss back then down, but mostly a shared loving glance. Palmer reached in between them to hold his cock, a rich ooze of pre-cum stained his belly and moisten his fat cut pole. ‘That’s gonna make me spew, babe.’

‘Yeah?’
‘Yeah!’

Larry straightened up, pinning back Palmer’s legs to get in longer thrusts and to watch him as he wanked. He twisted his own pre-cum across the tip of his dick. Faster as Larry’s thrusts intensified. A sigh and a groan gave way to a contorting cry as Palmer’s spunk shot up over his head, and a fresh wave landed in thick beads on his chest. ‘Suck me.’ Larry eased out of Palmer’s ass, pulled off the condom, and raised Palmer’s head. Kneeling on Palmer’s shoulders Larry yanked on his long thick shaft while his knob received the pleasure of a hot mouth. ‘That’s me!’ he yelled as his load rose, pulling at his balls and tensing every muscle in his body. With a shudder he surrendered to Palmer’s expert attention.‘I can’t hold it!’ His explosive ejaculation emptied more than his seed into Palmer’s mouth, for he fell in quivering exhaustion beside Palmer.

‘Fuck!’ Palmer laughed after he’d swallowed Larry’s spunk.

As they lay together on the bed, looking out at the star strewn sky, they cuddled close yet said nothing. Larry broke into the silence when he turned to Palmer and kissed him. ‘Pally?’
‘Mmm? What?’
‘Pally, don’t be angry with me, but I want to say something I’ve felt for ages.
‘What?’
‘No promise you won’t be really angry first.’
‘OK, I promise. Now what is it,’ Palmer almost groaned.
‘You know what? I love you.’ Larry landed a kiss on Palmer’s lips before any answer could form. ‘I know its kind of weird, saying it like that, but I do. No one else. Just you, my man.’
Palmer turned from Larry and slid toward the edge of the bed. He sat up, then got off the bed. ‘Larry,’ he spoke to night sky, then he stopped. ‘No,’ he said, turning back to face Larry, ‘let me say this right.’ Palmer knelt by the bed nearest to Larry’s head, he took Larry’s hand and put a small box into it. ‘Lal, will you marry me?’