There was only one town on this, one of the smaller islands in the northernmost reaches of Puget Sound, hard by the Canadian border. There were no beaches on this side of the island and the town sat above the huge rocks on which the waves crashed below.

The town had one store and a small restaurant to serve the fewer than five hundred people who lived on the island year round, most of whom lived in the town. Inland there were a few farmers who grew strawberries in the mild summers. The winters were too wet for strawberry growing.

Of the fleet of fishing boats that once plied the waters only three remained, one of which belonged to Thor Volden. Thor was a descendant of one of the many Norwegian fishermen who had come to these shores generations ago.

In the thirty-seven years he had lived, the fishing industry had died out, first with the Chinook Salmon and more recently with the bottom fish like Halibut and Sole. But Thor continued doing the only thing he’d been raised to do, trying to eke out a meager living.

He didn’t earn enough money to pay for help and so he piloted his boat, spread his nets and hauled in whatever he caught with no assistance. The strenuous labor had kept his body slim and his muscles hard. He’d developed a permanent squint from the hours with the sun reflecting off the sea, but when one looked directly at him they were still taken by the clear, ice-blue eyes that looked back at them.

Some of the village residents felt that Thor was unsociable and held that against him, but when they expressed their beliefs there was always someone who immediately spoke up in his defense.

“Do you remember that time Lillith Marsden had let herself run out of her blood pressure medicine and Thor sailed all the way to Bellingham to pick it up for her?” one might say.

“And don’t forget,” chimed in another, “the weather was terrible.”

“Yeah,” the first provided. “Just terrible.”

Or someone remembered the time Olin Robertson fell and twisted his ankle so badly he couldn’t stand up.

Maria Sells told how “Thor just happened to be passing and saw Olin layin’ on his porch. He picked Olin up and carried him inside and got him all comfortable. He was gonna call the doc but old Olin told him not to and not to tell his daughter.”

When asked why, she continued, “Well, Sally and her husband were goin’ through a rough time and he didn’t wanna make things worse. But ya know, Thor went by there every day, well, twice a day really, to see how Olin was getting’ on and fix him somethin’ to eat. That went on for a week or more, as I recollect.”

But it was true that Thor kept to himself for most of the time. He’d never married and lived alone in a house on the edge of town with no close neighbors. His work kept him busy for the major part of daylight hours and when the rains grew in strength to the point he couldn’t go out in his trawler he sequestered himself in his house.

On a day when an approaching storm convinced him he should head back in, he came around the island and spied what appeared to be a broken skiff being washed up onto the rocky shoreline. When he reached his dock and got the boat moored he trudged back along the shore for the mile to where he’d seen the wreckage.

On his way, he passed in front of the Hughes’ house which had been vacant for a couple of years. He’d heard somebody had rented it but didn’t know by whom. When he got to where the dingy was he saw that it was unsalvageable. He had no idea who it belonged to, but he’d put out the word at the local market so that if the owner was from around here they’d know the fate of their boat.

Returning the way he’d come, as he was approaching the Hughes house he saw ahead that a younger man was climbing down the large shore rocks. He seemed to be attempting to get to a boulder that stuck up from the waves a couple of feet from the shore. As he got closer Thor saw that there was a cat perched on top of said boulder.

He shouted out, “Hey!” He repeated, “Hey, you! Stop! Don’t do that!”

The man drew his foot back and clung to the rock he was standing on. He watched as Thor drew closer. There was no visual way to see how the cat had gotten on the big boulder, but it was apparent that it soon was going to be very wet with the incoming tide.

When Thor got nearer he loudly said, “Those rocks are slippery. You’ll be worse off than your cat you don’t watch out. You better get back up here.”

“Yeah, but that poor animal. I heard it calling for help, and I came out and found it. I just wanted to save it. I couldn’t stand by and watch it die.”

Thor had reached where the man was and reached his hand down for the guy to clasp so he could help him scramble back up to the grassy area.

“Well, I’ve climbed over these rocks all my life, so I got a better chance. Here, hold my jacket.”

He lowered himself down the rocks and found firm footing. He took a long step and got one foot onto a jagged outthrust of the boulder. He reached and teetered. He caught himself with his hand pressed against the boulder and stood still for a couple of seconds. He looked down at the waves lapping against the rocks, noting that they were rising rapidly as the tide came in.

He tried again and got a grip of the scruff of the cat's neck. He paused again as the cat struggled against being captured. With a sudden movement, he pushed with his extended foot and thrust himself back against the shoreline rocks. With his free hand, he grabbed a handful of grass that grew out of a split in a rock.

“Here,” he said, holding the cat up. The guy reached down and took the cat from his grasp. Thor pulled himself up onto the bank.

The man was holding the cat, which was purring and rubbing its head against the man’s jaw.

“Well, you got your cat. Maybe you better keep him inside.”

The man looked at Thor. “Thanks, but it isn’t my cat. I told you, I just heard it.”

“Well, I think it's yours now. He seems to have taken to you. I never seen it ‘fore. I don’t know who it could belong to.”

The man laughed. “Well, I guess I could use some companionship.”

“Watcha gonna call him?”

“Is it a him? I don’t know. How about Piedras?”

He didn’t tell Thor that piedras was Spanish for rocks.

“You want to come in for a cup of tea? That’s all I can offer.”

Thor shook his head. “No, I better get on home ‘fore the rain starts comin’ down. It’s supposed to be a big one comin’.”

“Well, thanks again.”

The man turned and went up the slope to the house. As Thor went on his way home he reflected that they had failed to introduce themselves and he didn’t know the man’s name.

There were others on the island who also wondered what the name of the young man who had suddenly moved into the empty Hughes’ house was. It had become the leading topic of gossip when more than three people accumulated in the market or at the counter of the small restaurant.

Some commented on how he carried himself so upright, his shoulders back. Others noticed he lifted his feet in a strange way when he walked and it seemed more like he was gliding along instead taking steps.

Rupert Edmond Langley was born and raised in San Francisco. At the age of twelve, he had joined the San Francisco Ballet School and devoted himself to daily training. He’d been an excellent student and after eight years was accepted into the corps de ballet. Three years later he was promoted to soloist.

It was acknowledged that he was on fast track to becoming a principal dancer, but fate has a way of unceremoniously wrecking man’s plans. In rehearsal one day like dozens of others, Rupert tore a muscle in his leg behind his knee. His dancing career was ended.

For years he’d dabbled at painting, mostly as a way of relaxing from the rigors of his training. Now he had nothing but time and filled it by devoting hours to developing his artistic abilities. The Hughes’ house was now as much an artist studio as it was a place to live.

In the market, an afternoon’s speculation about the new resident’s identity was joined by Missy Rickard.

“I was hired to clean the house before he moved in, but I didn’t get it all done before he got here. I was there finishing up when he was movin’ his stuff in. He’s got all these paintings, stuff he did.” She paused to get her breath.

Paula Seamans jumped in. “What did they look like. What kinda things does he paint?”

Missy shrugged. “I don’t know how to say it. Sorta like trees, but like if you was lookin’ through a crystal or somethin’. They’re pretty though. Anyhow, I saw he signed them all R. E. L.”

Mavis Taylor, who was the doyenne of the market crowd, laughed. “Ariel. Of course. That’s the perfect name for him. He even looks like an Ariel.”

Missy didn’t understand a bit of that. It just didn’t make sense to her, but she’d never think of questioning Mavis Taylor.

And so, unknown to Rupert Edmund Langley that day, he’d become a one- named “Ariel”.

The storm came and winds blew dampness in through the smallest cracks. Only the leaping flames in the fireplace dispelled the gloom in the room. Piedras spent hours curled on the rug in front of the fire. Rupert took breaks from painting to sit with a mug of steaming tea at a window looking out at the grey sea or deep into the dripping woods. As the tempest waned the clouds settled onto the tops of the tallest trees and the rain continued unabated for day after day.

On the morning he awoke and found the sun struggling to break through the ragged clouds, he pulled on a jacket and began a walk into the village. The wind was still kicking up the waves and he zipped the jacket up to his chin.

As he neared the first houses he saw Thor on his boat at the end of his dock. He was vainly attempting to tie down a canvas hold cover that had ripped loose, but when he secured one corner the opposite one would escape and flap wildly in the wind.

Rupert trotted out onto the dock and stepped onto the boat. He made several tries at grabbing the flailing corner of the canvas and finally succeeded. It fiercely tried to wrench free of his grasp but he held tight. The wind inserted itself under the canvas and puffed it up into an empty mound.

Rupert lurched forward and fell full-body on top of the tarp and quieted it while Thor wrapped the rope around it and secured it with intricate knots. He straightened up and made sure he had accomplished what he’d set out to do.

Satisfied he offered his hand to Rupert and pulled him up onto his feet.

“Thanks. You’re a godsend. I’m afraid the wind was defeating me.”

“Glad I happened along.”

“What are you doing out in this mess?” Thor inquired.

“I was going to the store. I ran out of tea, and I was going bonkers locked up in the house for so many days.”

Thor laughed. “Yeah, I get the same way, but at least you got company. How’s Piedras doing?”

Rupert was impressed that he remembered the cat’s name.

“He’s fine, but not much of a conversationist.”

Thor repeated his chuckle. “I don’t have any tea, but I got coffee brewing if you’d like to come in.”

“Thanks, I’d like that,” Rupert said, remembering how Thor had turned down his invitation a couple of weeks before.

“By the way, I’m Thor,” Thor said, extending his hand.

“I’m…” Rupert began but Thor cut him off.

“Yeah, I know, Ariel. Mavis told me.”

Rupert was confused. How did Thor know his initials? Who was Mavis?

“She told me too who Ariel was. From Shakespeare. She knows that sort of thing. It’s a real nice name.”

They’d reached the front door and Thor opened and stepped aside for Rupert to enter.

“She said that you paint. Real nice pictures she said, though I don’t expect she’s seen many of them. But I’d like to.”

Rupert thought, ”So now I’m Ariel. Okay, not what I’d have chosen, but that seems apt, too. New life, new name.”

“I’m not a professional. It’s just a hobby. I’ve never had an exhibition or anything like that.”

Thor had poured two mugs of coffee. “Sugar? Milk?”

Ariel took the offered mug. “Just milk.”

“Ha, I think I still got some left. I need to go to the store, too. But it’ll probably be packed today. I’ll wait till tomorrow.”

They settled in the chairs flanking the fireplace and Ariel looked around. The room was sparsely furnished but neat. It reminded him of a ship, probably the captain's cabin. Thor watched him.

“This used to be my dad’s place. Almost everything in here is just the way it was. Not none of it is mine, hardly.”

“Well, you keep it nice. Mine looks like what it basically is, the painting studio of a bohemian artist.”

When Ariel finished his coffee he set the cup on the broad wooden arm of the chair.

“I’d better go on to the store before the rain starts up again.”

“I doubt it’ll rain for another few days, although there is another storm out in the Pacific heading this way. But we should have a little break.”

Thor stood and collected the mugs.

Having had second thoughts he said, “If you don’t mind I’d like to go along with you. Like I said, I need to restock on some stuff too.”

“No, I’d like that,” Ariel said.

As they walked through the market, each one choosing what he needed, other shoppers took notice of them. It was unusual to see Thor associating with another person, and this was an almost stranger. How had they come to meet? What had brought them together?

Ariel stopped and spread his arms out.

“Can you believe this? They’re out of tea. Nothing.”

“Well, you drink coffee,” Thor said.

“By default,” Ariel responded.

They finished their shopping and headed toward home. The fog was coming in and writhing between the trees.

When they reached Thor’s he said, “I’d invite you in, but it looks like you’d better get on home before this fog gets so thick you won’t be able to find your way.”

“Thanks for going with me. I really enjoyed your company. And thanks for the coffee.”

Thor chuckled. “By default. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

Ariel stood there for a few seconds. It seemed there should be something more to say. Something unsaid.

“Well, okay. I guess I’ll see you. Bye.”

He turned away and began walking. After a dozen steps, he looked back and Thor was still standing there, watching him go. Thor lifted his hand and went up onto his porch and through the door, closing it to the fog that tried to cling to him.

In the days that followed he would find himself unexplainably thinking about Ariel, remembering a certain expression that had crossed his face or a particular manner in which he’d moved.

The new storm arrived but it wasn’t as powerful as the first. However, the rains fell with only brief letups for four days and nights. When it stopped and the sun came out and crossed a cloudless sky Thor went again to the market.

He carried a small package as he later went to the Hughes’ house. His knock on the door went unanswered. He returned home and found paper on which to write a note. He trudged again to the Hughes’ house and left the package and the note on the top step.

Ariel had taken advantage of the clear day to take a walk along the shoreline. When he got back home he picked up the paper bag and looked inside. There was a box of tea. He read the note.

Ariel,

Enjoy. The next time, if you invite me again, I’ll accept.

Thor.

Ariel brewed a mug of tea and sat at the window looking out at the Sound. He thought about this man. He was ten or maybe fifteen years older than Ariel. He was good-looking in a very distinctive way. He was viral and lived a solitary life, and yet he was kind and open with Ariel. Why wasn’t he taken?

The heavy fog returned, making the surroundings disappear, making the house an island unto itself. In the afternoon the sun would weakly burn through and then the fog would gather strength and block the sun out. Condensation dripped from the needles of the pines and the eaves of the house.

Ariel found a piece of gift wrapping paper and cut out a square. On the back side, he wrote,

Sir Thor,

You are invited to an afternoon tea tomorrow at four o’clock (or before the fog grows too thick to find your way). Fancy dress is not required. A tolerance for my poor cooking is.

Your servant,

Sir Ariel

Thor arrived on time clutching a handful of leaves and grasses he’d gathered on the way. When Ariel opened the door he thrust them forward.

“I’m afraid there isn’t any flowers between my place and yours.”

Ariel took the bundle. “Well, I’ll have to find a vase for these. I’ll just put them outside the back door until I can dig one up.”

They sat at the small table he’d cleared of its usual clutter and which now held a spread of crackers and a small bowl of Underwood Deviled Ham he’d mixed with mustard, some slices of pepperoni, slices of cheddar and Swiss cheese and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.

“Actually, I have coffee if you’d rather. You don’t have to drink tea,” Ariel offered.

“No, this is a tea, so I’ll drink tea.”

He looked around at the paintings that leaned up against the walls.

“Now I see what you do with your spare time. Maybe I should get a hobby.”

“I’d go nuts imprisoned in here by the weather if I didn’t do this,” Ariel said. “What do you do to stay sane?”

“I grew up with it so it doesn’t bother me all that much. Sometimes I repair stuff from the boat, like nets. And I read a lot.”

“Oh? What kind of stuff do you read?”

“I get a lot of magazines, different sorts. And I read books. Mostly detective.”

“Any favorite authors?”

“I like some of the old ones, like P.D. James and McDonald and Leonard. And I like James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly, of course.”

Ariel sipped his tea.

Thor pointed to one of the oils.

“I like that one. I mean I like a lot of them, but that one especially.”

Ariel smiled. “That’s the first one I painted after I got settled in here.”

He waited a moment and then asked, “Do you want it?”

“What? No, no I couldn’t. I mean thanks, but I couldn’t take it.”

“Of course you could. I’d like for you to have it.”

“Maybe I could pay you for it. How much do you want?”

“I don’t want a fucking thing. It’s a gift. I want you to have it if you really like it. You need something to hang on the walls of that living room of yours.”

Thor cut his eyes sharply at Ariel and then laughed.

“I guess you’re right about that. Thanks.”

“More tea?”

“Just a little”

After another moment's silence, Thor said, “You know what I’d really like to do? I’d like to come here someday and watch you paint.”

“No, you wouldn’t. You’d be bored to tears.”

“No, I don’t think so. I’d love to watch how you mix the colors. You don’t just paint with plain old yellow, and how do you know where to put it? I think I could just sit here and watch you for hours.”

“And could I come with you on your boat someday when it isn’t raining or windy or foggy or cold and watch you?”

“You’d probably fall overboard.”

“Oh, that’s what you think of me? I’m that clumsy?”

“What I think is I’d better shut up before I get in any deeper.”

“Yeah, good idea. But you know, I think that would be wonderful. To be out on the water, just you and me and the sky and I could watch what you do. I wouldn’t get in your way. I’d just watch you work, watch how your body moves.”

Ariel stopped, afraid he’d said too much. They sat quietly for several minutes, each lost in his own thoughts.

Thor stood. “Look at the time. If I don’t get out of here I’ll be here all night.”

“That wouldn’t be a tragedy,” Ariel quietly said.

“What?”

“Nothing. Has it gotten too foggy? Do you think you can make your way home?”

Thor opened the door and looked out.

“It’s pretty thick, but I can find my way around here with my eyes closed. I know all these parts like the back of my hand. Tell you what.”

He closed the door.

“Why don’t I return the favor of this invite by having you over for dinner some night soon. I’m pretty good with salmon.”

“I love salmon. So does Piedras, as a matter of fact. But both of us only eat the canned kind. It’s been so long since I ate in a restaurant I hardly remember what well-cooked food tastes like.”

“Well, mine don’t taste like restaurant food. Not like any restaurant food you’ll find around here, that’s for sure. I’m going out to sea as long as this weather holds up and the fog lifts somewhat. When I get back with a load I’ll let you know and we’ll get together. Is it a deal?”

“It’s a deal. Oh, don’t forget your painting.”

Ariel picked up the canvas Thor had admired and handed it to him. He held the door open and watched Thor go down the steps and slowly disappear into the thick fog.

The next day the fog had given way to the sun and Ariel brought a chair out and sat in the sun. He thought about what it would be like to be on the boat with Thor and imagined watching him haul in nets full of fish and how the sun would glint off the sea spray that covered his muscular, shirtless back.

And he wondered at why he was thinking about this straight man in such a way. There was no future in it, and he had no plans to set himself up for hurt once again.

At about the time Rupert had joined the corps of ballet he’d met and been seduced by Ross. Ross, who was seven years older than Rupert, was a rough, hairy man with broad shoulders, big arms, a big chest, and big thighs. He drove a dump truck for a demolition company, hauling the rubble from buildings which were being torn down.

He loved drinking with his buddies from work, he loved watching sports on television, he loved drinking beer and eating pizza and he loved fucking Rupert in the ass, not necessarily in that order. What he didn’t like, or even understand, was any kind of art, plastic or performance. He had no interest in what Rupert did and didn’t want to hear about it.

He’d talk about any and all games he’d watched and didn’t understand why Rupert wasn’t excited about them. Therefore, conversation was almost nonexistent between them, but that was no problem as long as Rupert got naked and got in his bed and gave his ass to Ross to stick his fat cock in.

He’d pound away, biting the back of Rupert's neck until his balls finally emptied themselves and he could fall back, sweat-soaked, and laugh and say, “That was good, wasn’t it, baby?”

Rupert’s friends persuaded him there was no reason to stay with Ross, that there were dozens of better guys who would love to get a crack at him, so he broke it off with Ross, who said, “It’s your loss, baby.”

But Rupert wasn’t the kind who wanted to play the field. He didn’t enjoy going to bars and flirting. He didn’t like cruising. He wasn’t interested in one night stands and quicky sex. He wanted stability.

Three years later he was introduced to Hugh, who was short and cute, with a big smile and curly hair that kept falling across his forehead. Hugh moved in with Rupert and they had fun cuddling in front of the TV and cooking together and even soaking in the claw-footed bathtub together.

Hugh liked having an apartment he could come home to. That is to say, an apartment for which he didn’t have to worry about paying the rent on time. And he liked having a hot meal on the table when he came home in the evening. That is to say, if he came home in the evening. Hugh liked variety in his life. That is to say, in his sex life.

The affair lasted six months and Rupert asked Hugh to move out. Then he told him to move out. Then he locked him out.

Time heals all wounds and often erases bad memories. A couple of years before he was promoted to be a solo dancer Rupert began dating Emmanuel, a fellow member of the corps. He was three years younger than Rupert and seemed to adore him.

The romance flourished and they became lovers. Emmanuel was the fiery Latin type, and jealousy was always just below the surface, but Rupert gave him no reason to exhibit his suspicions. Things appeared to be going along as they were supposed to. But then those nasty fates stepped in and Rupert tore the muscle in his leg.

Emmanuel was there for him as he underwent surgery and started down the long road of therapy. But when it became evident that Rupert would never return to dancing Emmanuel grew distant and soon rumors reached Rupert that he was seen in the company of one of the older principal dancers.

Emmanuel was determined to hitch his star to someone who might help his chances to advance in the company more rapidly, someone with influence. Rupert was crushed, and the knowledge that his dancing career was at an end sent him seeking a different life, in a different world. And so he’d ended up on this small, rainy, fog-enshrouded island only a few miles from the Canadian border where he knew no one and no one knew him.

And now he was called Ariel and he’d met a man named Thor.

The sunny days lasted for only a very few days. The sky grew heavy with clouds which seemed to press down against the tops of the trees. The dampness collected on the window panes until drops formed and ran down to form puddles on the sills.

Shortly before noon, there was a knock on the door. Ariel opened it to a smiling Thor.

“Hi, How ya doin’? Remember that salmon dinner I promised you? It’s on. Tonight. Okay?”

Ariel laughed. “Hi, yourself. Would you like to come in?”

“No, I can’t. I got on my muddy boots.”

He lifted a foot as evidence.

“So, is tonight good?”

“Yes, tonight’s fine. Can I bring anything?”

“Your appetite, that’s all. I got it all covered.”

“What time should I be there?”

“Six? But come on over any time you want. I got beer. Oh, do you drink?”

“Yes, sure.”

“Beer?”

“Yes, I drink beer.”

“Good. Okay. I’ll see you at six. Or whatever time you come. I better go. I’m lettin’ all your heat get out. See you tonight.”

“All right, tonight, six or before. Bye.”

Ariel closed the door and leaned against it, smiling.

The afternoon crept by and he couldn’t work up any interest in picking up a paintbrush. He didn’t want to go too early. In his book, that was as rude as being late.

With the overcast of the clouds, the day was coming to an early end when Ariel tapped on Thor’s door. Thor opened it, stood aside and with a sweeping motion of his arm ushered Ariel in.

It was the first time he’d seen the room at night. It was warmly lit by several table lamps scattered about the room. A fire flickered in the fireplace, adding to the warmth. Ariel automatically stepped over to the grate to hold out his hands and chase the chill away.

There on the mantle rested the oil painting that Ariel had given him.

“Well,” he said, pointing at it. “You didn’t put it in the bathroom.”

“Hell no. I thought about hanging it in the bedroom, so I’d see it every morning, but I couldn’t find a good place for it. I like it there. You think that’s a good place?”

“I think it’s perfect. I’m very honored you put it there.”

“Dinner will be ready pretty soon. You want a beer now”

“Yes, thanks. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No, I got it covered, but you can pull up one of those stools and talk to me while I finish up.”

Ariel picked up a tall stool and put it just inside the kitchen doorway.

“And what would you like to talk about?”

“You wanna know, Ariel? You! I’d like to know more about you. Why you’re here, for instance. Not many people move here.”

“Well, for starters, my name isn’t Ariel. If we’re going to be friends, I think you should know that.”

Thor had stopped slicing cherry tomatoes in halves and tossing them into the salad bowl. He stood with the knife pointing at the ceiling.

“It isn’t? What is it? Why are you using it?”

“I’m using it because that’s what you told me my name was, I guess. It’s Rupert, Rupert Langley. I’m guessing that somebody told you it was Ariel.”

“Yeah, Mavis.”

“I think somebody must have heard my initials, somehow. Look at that painting.”

He leaned back toward the open door and pointed toward the fireplace.

“R. E. L. Those are my initials. REL. Get it? REL, Ariel.”

Thor stood silent, turning it over in his mind.

“No,” he said. “To me you’re Ariel. That’s who you are. That’s who you’ll always be. I don’t know a Robert.”

“Not Robert. Rupert.”

“No matter. You’re my Ariel.”

He turned back to the salad. Ariel sat there, the “my” ringing in his ears.

After a silent minute he quietly said, “Okay, I’m your Ariel. That’s fine with me. I came here to get away from Rupert, anyway.”

Thor busied himself with putting the salad together.

“You know, I went to San Francisco once, for a week. Just to see it. I stayed two days and came back here.”

“Two days only?”

“Yeah, that was enough. Too many people, too crowded, too much traffic. Everybody going somewhere in a big hurry. Too much noise. I guess I’m just an old fogie. I like it here.”

Ariel smiled. “I do, too. The longer I’m here the better I like it.”

Thor finished tossing the salad and carried it into the front room and set it on the table.

“If you like we can start with the salad and then I’ll do the salmon. They only take a few minutes.”

Ariel got off the stool and went into the room.

“You can sit there. Are you ready for another beer?”

Ariel held the bottle up to the light. “No, I’m fine for now.”

“Well, when you want one, just ask.”

They began to eat.

Thor said, “You still haven’t told me how you ended up coming here.”

Ariel gave him an abbreviated account of his adult life but hardly mentioned the failed affairs with Ross, Hugh, and Emmanuel, and at no time used their names. He only obliquely hinted that there had been more than one heartbreak., focusing instead on his career and injury.

Thor said, “A ballet dancer! I’ll be damned! Somebody said you moved like a dancer, but I never imagined. That’s fascinating. I wish I could’ve seen you dance. I bet you were special.”

Thor got up and took the empty salad plates into the kitchen and took the salmon filets out of the marinade and put them on the griddle. He covered them and uncovered a pan of sauteed potatoes. The aroma filtered into the front room.

He lifted a piece of foil from the back of the griddle and took up stalks of asparagus which he arranged on two plates beside the potatoes. He removed the lid with which he’d covered the salmon and used a spatula to transfer them onto the plates, which he carried into the room, placing one in front of Ariel.

“Oh, you need that beer. I told you to ask. I’m a dummy sometimes.”

He went to the refrigerator and got two beers, popped them open and returned to the table.

He sat down and then got back up, saying “Damn me!”

He went back in the kitchen and returned with a glass for Ariel’s beer.

Ariel decided to deflect any more questions from himself.

“Let me ask you something. How is it that you aren’t married? Were you at one time?”

It was a question which had been raging at him lately. To him, Thor seemed like a prize that any number of women would vie for, and especially in a place like this where eligible men had to be scarce.

Thor had been asked that questions dozens of times and repeated the same answer he’d always used.

“I just never met the right person, I guess.”

Actually, even though he didn’t realize it, his answer had changed slightly over the years. He’d subconsciously replaced “the right girl” with “the right person.”

This time he added, “How about you? Why aren’t you spoken for?”

“Well, I kind of mentioned one of them. I guess we would have but we were too early for the law. It hadn’t been changed yet. That came shortly after we broke up, which was really lucky, as it turned out.”

Thor looked up from his plate. “What law?”

“You know, the same-sex marriage law, so two guys can legally marry.”

Thor sat with his fork loaded with salmon paused in midair, halfway to his mouth. He let what Ariel had said turn over in his mind, revealing itself slowly as it turned. So much came together, so much became clear, and so much wasn’t surprising.

“Oh,” was all he could think to say.

Ariel finished his meal and laid down his fork. He picked up his glass and took a long drink of beer.

“That was absolutely delicious. Where the hell did you learn to cook like that?”

“Living alone you better learn to cook, and you might as well learn to cook good. But I’m really only good with fish. That’s because of so much practice.”

“Well, you sure beat me. I should have you teach me.”

“We could arrange that,” Thor said, his mind still sorting through the thoughts that seemed to have arrived in his head all at the same time and scrambled together.

He got up and gathered the dishes.

“Do you want to wash and I’ll dry?” Ariel asked.

“Hell, no. They can soak until tomorrow. Give me somethin’ to do. Go sit by the fire and I’ll be right there. Maybe you should put another log on.”

Ariel sat in one of the two chairs that flanked the fireplace. In a few minutes, Thor came in with two more beers.

“Are you trying to get me drunk?” Ariel asked as he took the offered bottle from Thor’s hand.

“On three beers? And you just ate.”

“And again, it was great.”

“Yeah, but I forgot to get dessert.”

Ariel shook his head. “It wasn’t missed. I’m full and I don’t know any dessert that goes with beer.”

Thor had sat in the other chair opposite Ariel.

“So, who was he?”

Ariel frowned. “Who?”

“The guy you almost married.”

“First off, we didn’t almost marry. His name was Hugh and I came here because I wanted to leave all that behind me, so I really don’t want to talk, or even think about it.”

“Sorry,” Thor said and they lapsed into silence.

“Besides,” Ariel said, “you haven’t told me diddly about your affairs.”

Thor scoffed. “There really isn’t nothing to tell.”

The silence lowered again. Thor looked up at the painting.

“I really like that painting. I was thinking, I should buy a couple more from you and put them on the walls. It would cheer this room up some.”

“The room doesn’t need cheering. It’s a very nice room just like it is and none of my efforts will help it. But I’ll tell you what, if there’s anything I got you’d like, you can have it. I’m not doing fuck with them. They’re just sitting there taking up space. It would be my pleasure for someone else to enjoy them. Especially if that someone is you.”

Thor sat looking at Ariel, his expression giving no hint as to what he was thinking. Ariel turned his glass up and drained it of the last of the beer.

“You want another?”

“God, no. It’s getting late. I’d better get on home.”

He stood, followed by Thor. He took his jacket from where he’d dropped it on the sofa when he arrived. He pulled it on and zipped it up. They walked to the door and Thor opened the door and let out a low whistle.

The fog was so thick that it was as if they were the only ones in existence. The steps leading down to the ground disappeared before reaching their destination.

“You can’t go anywhere in this,” Thor said.

“Shit. What am I going to do? I wasn’t expecting this tonight. When’s it going to lift?”

“It won’t tonight, even if it rains.”

He began to close the door and Ariel stepped back in so that he could.

Thor shrugged. “You’ll just have to stay here tonight. You don’t have no choice.”

“You promise to feed me breakfast? Oh, you said your specialty is fish.”

“Hey, I can make breakfast. That’s a snap. Look, you can take my bed and I’ll sleep here on the couch.”

Ariel looked at him with an exaggerated frown.

“Are you nuts? I’m not going to kick you out of your own bed. I’ll take the sofa.”

“I don’t think it’s very comfortable. I’d rather you slept in the bed. I’m used to sleeping on my boat and believe me, that’s a lot worse than this couch.”

“Either I sleep on the sofa, or couch, or I’m walking home.”

“That ain’t gonna happin’, that’s for sure. I can guarantee you that.”

They stood facing each other for a minute.

“Or, there could be another thing,” Thor said quietly.

“What?”

“We could both sleep in the bed if you wouldn’t mind my snoring.”

A smile crept across Ariel’s face. “Everybody snores.”

Thor stepped back and gestured. “The bedroom is in there and the bathroom is that door.”

“Great, because I’m about to piss my pants.”

Ariel hurried to the bathroom and Thor went into the bedroom and turned down the covers. He was grateful he’d changed the sheets two days before. He wondered what he should take off. Well, obviously, his shoes first.

He sat on the edge of the bed and untied them and pulled them off. He pulled off his socks and sniffed them. He pulled his shirttail out and stood. He unbuttoned and removed his shirt. He paused and then thought, ‘Fuck it,’ and undid his pants and pulled them off, too. He tossed them and the shirt onto a chair that was in the corner.

He stood there in his knit boxers and T-shirt waiting for Ariel to come out of the bath. Suddenly he pulled off his T-shirt and threw it on top of his other clothes.

Ariel came out of the bathroom and clicked the light off.

“I need to use it, too,” Thor said.

Ariel clicked the light back on. Thor went past him and into the bath, closing the door behind him.

Ariel tasted the mouthwash he’d found and used since he lacked his toothbrush. He stood still for a couple of minutes, the image of Thor in his underwear still in his mind’s eye.

He slowly undressed, hesitant about the situation he was about to put himself in. When he was only in his lowcut briefs he decided to get in the bed. Thor probably slept on the side nearest the door so he went around to the far side and got in, pulling the covers up to his chin, shivering at the touch of the cold sheets.

Thor came out of the bath and clicked off the light. He clicked it on again and closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar.

“If you have to use it during the night you can find your way,” he explained.

Ariel didn’t say anything but looked up at him.

“You look cold,” Thor said.

“Well, these sheets are kind of cold. You don’t have an electric blanket?”

Thor chuckled as he got into the bed.

“No, never did.”

He settled and reached for the lamp by the bed. He clicked it off and the room was plunged into darkness. In a few moments, their eyes adjusted to the dim light that was furnished by the light from the bathroom.

They lay on their backs side by side not speaking.

After a few minutes, Thor asked, “Ariel, are you still cold?”

Reluctantly, Ariel answered, “Yes.”

Thor turned onto his side and wrapped his arms around Ariel, pulling him close.

He threw one leg over Ariel’s and said, “You should be warm soon.”

Ariel’s heart beat in his chest. He could think of nothing to say.

“Better?” Thor asked.

“Yes, a little.”

“A few more minutes.”

Still wrapped in Thor’s arms and leg Ariel turned so that he faced Thor. He bent his head so that his forehead touched Thor’s lips. They lay still.

Thor removed one arm and placed his index finger and thumb under Ariel’s chin. He lifted his head. Their lips met. A gentle kiss morphed into one of passion. Thor’s tongue parted Ariel’s lips and pushed past his teeth to find the warmth of his mouth.

Ariel sucked Thor’s tongue in and used his tongue to move Thor’s around in his mouth. He fought to free his arms so that he could embrace the strong body that belonged to this magnificent man. He ran one hand up his back and buried his fingers in Thor’s hair.

He felt Thor’s manhood grow hard and press against his own erection. Was it because it had been so long or was it because of who this was? Never had his passion risen so high.

Somewhere in the back of his mind Thor was aware he’d never done anything remotely like this, but he’d never known anyone like this, his Ariel. What he felt at this moment was like nothing he’d ever felt before. There was nothing wrong with this. This was simply right.

He didn’t know what he wanted to do with this person, but he knew he wanted whatever happened.

Ariel removed his fingers from Thor’s hair and moved his hand to his chest. He massaged his pecs and felt his nipples harden. He ran his hand down over his abs until he got to the elastic waistband of Thor’s knit boxers. He slipped his hand in and wrapped his hand around the stiff muscle. It had been years, but he was sure this was as thick or perhaps thicker than Ross’ and longer than Emmanuel’s. More importantly, it was Thor’s and it was here, now.

Thor withdrew his tongue from Ariel’s mouth and covered his face with kisses. Ariel pushed the waistband down and Thor used both of his hands to push them down and off so he was completely naked.

No longer held in Thor’s arms Ariel slid down, kissing and licking Thor’s chest and stomach as he went, tasting and inhaling the essence of his body. When he reached the thick patch of hair surrounding the base of his cock he breathed deeply.

He placed the flat of his tongue at the base of Thor’s cock and slowly licked up its length. When he arrived at the head he enclosed it in his mouth and swirled his tongue around and over the head, feeling the shape, the flare, and the large piss hole.

Without thinking, Thor draped a leg over Ariel’s shoulder and captured his head in his two hands. He gasped and his cock jerked in Ariel’s mouth. He urged Ariel to go lower on his cock and Ariel complied until he’d taken almost all of it down his throat.

He paused and worked his throat muscles. He pushed against the rod of flesh with his tongue. Thor relaxed his grip on Ariel’s head and he raised it slowly, once again swathing the cock with his tongue. He pushed down and came up, each time he went down letting the head touch the back of his throat.

He was enchanted with sucking on Thor’s cock, but he wanted another kiss. He let the cock go and licked his way back up his chest. Thor pulled him and their mouths united again.

Thor wasn’t sure what he could do, but he wanted to give Ariel the same pleasure he’d just experienced. He rolled Ariel onto his back and threw back the covers, their body heat repelling the cold in the room. He rose up and leaned over Ariel kissing his face and neck. He continued down his body placing kisses as he went.

When he got to his pelvic area he clumsily grappled with his briefs. Ariel helped him pull them off. His cock sprang free and hit Thor’s chin. He closed his eyes and waggled his head around until his open mouth found Ariel's cock. He closed his mouth around it and felt its warmth, its smoothness, its firmness.

This wasn't the same as with a woman. This was unmistakably a man, but he was okay with this. This somehow seemed to be right. This was right.

He moved his head up and down, letting the cock slide freely in his mouth. He did it faster while he rubbed his coarse hands over Ariel’s smooth body. He felt his ass cheeks and ran his fingertips down the crack.

He found his asshole and pressed his middle finger against it. Was this Ariel’s pussy? Should he consider it that? Would he lick it?

He pulled his head back and let the cock flop from his mouth. He pressed his face into Ariel’s stomach. He pulled back and kissed it multiple times. He kissed his way back up and they mashed their bodies together while they kissed.

Thor kissed and swirled his tongue in Ariel’s ear. He moved his hand back to his butt and pressed his asshole with his finger again.

“Ariel,” he whispered. “Can I enter you there?”

Ariel answered, “Ask me if you can fuck me. Tell me you want to fuck me. Say it.”

“Yes, I want to fuck you. I want to fuck you in your ass. Can I? Will you let me fuck you?”

“God, yes. Please do it.”

When he’d been in the bathroom and had swished mouthwash in his mouth he’d looked for and found Vaseline. He wiped a glob in his asshole, hoping but not really expecting that anything would happen. Now it was going to.

He rolled onto his side and presented his back to Thor. He bent one leg and reached back to spread his butt cheeks. Thor took his cock base in his hand and looked at Ariel’s round, smooth butt. He guided the tip to the opening and pressed. The muscle opened and accepted the head. He pushed again and went in a couple more inches.

He stopped and felt the heat, the damp smoothness, the tightness. This was unexpectedly amazing. He pushed all the way in until he could go no farther. He wasn’t sure if it had been him or Ariel who moaned.

He embraced Ariel and kissed the back of his neck.

“Are you good?” he asked.

“No, not good. Perfect.”

Thor moved his hips back and his cock slid out. He quickly pushed it back in and paused again. He pulled back again and almost out. He slid in and began to repeat the movement quicker and with each thrust in he did it with more force.

He set up a rhythm. He pushed his body back so he could watch his cock appear and disappear. The idea he was fucking the ass of his new friend was wonderful.

He embraced him again and harshly whispered in his ear, “Kiss me.”

Ariel turned his head and their tongues swirled around together.

Thor pulled his cock free and said, “Roll over.”

Ariel turned onto his back. Thor grabbed his legs and lifted them high, settling them on his shoulders. He looked down and once more led his cock to the puckered opening. He pushed in again and shifted his gaze to Ariel's face.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he said.

He let Ariel’s legs slide down and rest on his hips as he leaned forward and kissed him again. He resumed his fucking motion, driving his cock deep inside. He repeated picking up speed and force. He altered between lifting his head and staring into Ariel’s eyes and lowering his head and crushing his mouth against Ariel’s.

He lay on Ariel as he continued his invasion of Ariel’s body. The friction of his torso served as masturbation of Ariel’s cock.

From the moment Thor had entered him Ariel had been filled with a lust he’d never known. The feeling of his large cock gave him a satisfaction far beyond any he’d ever experienced with any of his three other lovers. This was a man he’d found attractive from their first encounter but whom he’d never expected to touch in a sexual way. Now here he was with his cock deep inside him, binding them together.

Their kisses were filled with passion on both their parts. Never had a kiss so ignited a flame within him that caused him to beg to be fucked. Never had a man’s arms made him feel so possessed, so protected. The thrusts of Thor’s cock in his gut and the movement of Thor’s body on his cock brought him to the edge and he came, the trapped cum forcing its way out and coating both their stomachs.

A film of sweat broke out on Thor’s forehead and his breathing became ragged. He gasped in a breath and held it as his balls stirred and the cum rushed through his cock and spurted out, time after time. He held still as his cock emptied its load, his head swimming.

He became aware that his heart was pounding in his ears. He took a deep breath and slowly pulled his cock out of its warm, moist confines. He raised his body, noting the cum that covered his stomach. That pleased him.

He pushed himself up and lay on his back beside Ariel, waiting for his head to clear, for his mind to accept what had just happened.

Ariel rose up on an elbow and looked down into Thor’s face.

“Are you all right?”

Thor returned his gaze. “Yeah,” was his response.

Ariel leaned down and gently kissed his mouth. Thor waited for a second and then put a hand on the back of Ariel’s head, holding him there to prolong the kiss.

He let Ariel go and said, “I think both of us need to visit the bathroom again. Why don’t you go first?”

When Thor came back into the bedroom Ariel was back in the bed with the thrown off covers pulled up to his chin.

“You cold again?”

“God, yes. I didn’t notice it when we were making love, but now I’m freezing.”

The term “making love” rang in Thor’s head, but as he got in the bed he said, “I’ll warm you up again in a hurry. Come here.”

He wrapped himself around Ariel again, his superior size easily enveloping Ariel.

“Sleep tight,” he whispered.

When Ariel awoke the next morning he saw at once that Thor wasn’t there. The aroma of brewing coffee filled the air. He got out of the bed but bundled the comforter around him. He went into the kitchen. Thor had put on his knit boxers and T-shirt and was standing at the sink peeling potatoes;

“Good morning,” Ariel said.

Thor glanced Ariel’s way and said, “Mornin’. Coffee? I’m sorry, I don’t have any tea. I promise I’ll get some next time.”

Ariel cocked an eyebrow. “Next time?”

Thor glanced back and then smiled a shy smile.

Ariel smiled back. “Coffee will be fine. It seems appropriate since we’re in your house.”

“Cups are in that cabinet,” Thor said, indicating the cabinet with his chin.

Ariel looked toward the window above the sink.

“Has the fog lifted?”

“Some, but it’s still heavy. There won’t be any sun today, I don’t think.”

“Well, I need to go home. I need to take a shower.”

“You can shower here. I got soap and hot water, and even clean towels.”

“But you don’t have clean underwear. I mean for me. I also have a cat to feed.”

Thor had finished slicing the potatoes and sprinkled them with salt and pepper. He glanced up and out the window.

“Well, not anytime soon. It’s started to rain.”

“Shit.” Ariel heaved a sigh. “Fog and rain, every day.”

“You’re in Washington in the winter. Rain and fog, always. You can count on it.”

He turned and looked at Ariel, perched on the bar stool from the night before. He went to where Ariel sat and took his hand.

“I don’t know how to say what I want to say. It’s probably too soon to say it. I don’t even know what’s going on with me, but I’ll just say I like you. A lot. I want you to be a part of my life. I want to a part of yours if you’ll let me.”

Ariel looked deep in his eyes. “Thor, I don’t want to be hurt again.”

“I’ll never hurt you. I can’t imagine hurting anybody. Surely not you.”

“But think about where we live. Everyone here knows what’s going on. They’d be talking before you’d even know it.”

Thor leaned back against the counter.

“I don’t care what they’d say. I’ve lived right here all my life. They all know me. What can they do? They’d accept it. They’d have to. Maybe what you’re sayin’ is that it’d bother you, what they’d say.”

Ariel shook his head.

“I don’t give a shit about that. Do you think I didn’t put up with crap in San Francisco? I’m a gay male ballet dancer. Even San Fran has its share of evil bigots. Nobody here has any power over me.”

“Then why not? You and me, always.”

Ariel chuckled. “Like the fog and rain?”

“Me and you, every day, like the rain and fog.”

He stood up straight and stepped forward. He pulled the comforter away from Ariel’s shoulder and opened it revealing his bare chest. Thor leaned down and took one of Ariel’s nipples between his teeth. He parted his teeth and swirled his tongue around it, closed his lips and sucked.

Ariel slipped his fingers under the elastic waistband of Thor’s knit boxers and stood up. He stood up and pulled Thor forward.

“Come on back to bed. Breakfast can wait.”