Antonio adjusted his clothes...again....while David lay on the bed squinting his eyes in concentration and chewing on his lower lip.

"Are you really sure you want to go to this party?" Antonio asked and then lit a cigarette. There were no ashtrays in the room; so he opened the outside door and peered into the shadows between the garden lights.

David answered him from the bed, "I promised my father and he's the reason I came here in the first place." He smiled and turned over onto his side, watching Antonio smoke. "We had a great talk this afternoon. He really likes you."

Antonio glanced at him. "He just met me."

"It doesn't matter. He likes you. He told me not to screw it up." David replied.

Antonio grinned and blew a trail of smoke into the night. "All we need is your mother's approval and we can get married."

David lost his grin at the mention of his mother and flopped onto his back, but just for a moment before standing up. "I need a drink," he said. "Let's go and get this over with."

Most of the family had already gathered for cocktails when they arrived. The room's furnishings matched the Mediterranean style of the mansion and there were people standing and sitting everywhere, most of whom Antonio had never seen before. David ignored them all except for his father. He moved directly to him where he sat in his wheelchair.

"My dear boy I'm so glad you stayed!" James Addison reached out for his son and held his hand as he tugged at him. "Sit down, sit down! All these people standing puts a crick in my neck." David sat on a large stool beside him and made room for Antonio. David's father looked at them both and grinned.

Antonio smiled and nodded his head in greeting, "Mr. Addison. You're looking great. David told me you had a nice talk this afternoon."

James Addison winked at him. "We did and I can only hope David follows his old man's advice, but he's very stubborn. You're good for him Antonio. I can tell by the look in both your eyes how much you love each other."

David nearly fell off the stool and only just steadied himself with a hand on Antonio's thigh. "Father! If you don't stop talking like this in front of everyone .....well, I don't know what I'll do since we don't have any stairs in this house that I can push you down, but you've got to stop it! You're embarrassing Antonio!" Antonio snorted beside him and James chuckled, sharing a look with Antonio of two boys delighting in tormenting their victim. David looked from one to the other and sighed. "Okay, okay. I give up. What do you want me to do? Throw Antonio down onto your nice oriental rug and have my way with him? Of course I'd have to ask Uncle Matthew and Aunt Lucille to please step aside while I make love to this ravishing creature. Would you be satisfied then?"

Antonio quirked an eyebrow and leaned close to whisper in David's ear, but loud enough for James to hear, "You're on a high protein diet, after all, Rubio," and he bit the soft earlobe. The sensation of Antonio's lips and teeth on his skin sent delightful shivers of lust through David's body, but he felt the heat of the embarrassed flush as his face turned red. He groaned and quickly stood up. "I need a drink!"

He ignored the beautiful eyes looking up at him as Antonio said, a touch of laughter in his voice, "Bring me what you're having, will you?" David hastily began to make his way toward the bar. He heard his father and Antonio's laughter behind him, but he could only sigh and apologize to Aunt Lucille for jostling her as he politely but firmly pushed through the crowd.

Antonio and James were quietly laughing together when Jonathan took David's place. At first Antonio thought it was David returning, but the look in James Addison's eyes told him something was wrong. He turned his head and tried not to let the shock show on his face. Jonathan was dressed exactly as David in a white silk shirt and black pants. They were so alike it took Antonio's breath away.

Jonathan grinned at him, his eyes sweeping appreciatively over his body. "Hello beautiful. I see you and dear old dad are hitting it off. Something I never achieved, unfortunately."

"That was your own fault, Jonathan." James Addison's eyes no longer laughed, instead there was old pain in them and he suddenly looked like a very sick old man.

Jonathan's eyes were cold and bitter when he looked at his father. "Oh yes, daddy, I know." He moved his shoulder to press it tightly against Antonio's and he leaned close to whisper, "He spent tons of money on therapy for me, making sure I knew it was entirely my fault I have become the worthless son I am today."

"Self-pity has never been an attractive trait, Jonathan." James grated the words out, barely containing himself and Antonio frowned, suddenly worried the sick man would collapse. He reached out and put his hand over the bony one gripping the arm of the chair. It was as cold as a corpse's.

Jonathan's lips stretched into a grin as he eyed their two hands. "You have a soft side, Antonio. I would never have guessed it. You seem so much the macho type." He raised his hand and let the back of a finger trail over Antonio's cheek. "David must adore that side of you." Jonathan leaned closer still, his lips nearly touching Antonio's cheek. "He always loved fucking beauty's like you."

"That will be enough, Jonathan!" James Addison's voice would have been a shout if he'd had the strength. As it was his lips were blue and he had started to tremble. Antonio ignored Jonathan and knelt beside the man, trying to calm him.

"James?" The soft voice of Cecile Addison caused Antonio to glance up. He quickly moved aside to let her stand in his place. She took some pills from her husband's pocket and placed one under his tongue and patted his shoulder. "There, there dear. You've excited yourself. Adam will take you back to your bed. You really shouldn't stay up any longer."

The nurse began to wheel James Addison to his room, but he reached up and clutched at Antonio's hand almost frantically. Antonio looked down into the watery blue eyes and felt pity. There had been such life in them and now there was only sickness. He bent down to hear what the man was trying to say to him. "Keep him safe, promise me!" It was more of a gasp than a whisper and the strength in his grasp faded entirely as his hand slipped from Antonio's. Antonio could only nod and whisper in return, "I promise." He wanted to think he saw a smile of gratitude begin to form itself on the old man's lips as he was taken away.

"He's a touchy old thing." Jonathan said as he took a sip of his martini.

Antonio turned on him and started to say something, then thought better of it, instead he looked around the room for David.

"Jonathan, do try and be civil, won't you?" Cecile took her son's arm in hers and pressed it against her breast. Her words were meant to be reproving, but her eyes were warm as they surveyed her son. "You and David look charming tonight, dressed as you are. It reminds me of when you were young boys together."

Jonathan patted his mother's hand as it rested in the crook of his arm. "Don't fret, dear heart, I have no intention of causing further trouble." He looked appraisingly at Antonio. "Unless, of course, I can persuade David's friend to accompany me outside for a smoke. He looks like he could use one."

Cecile said, "What a lovely idea! You two really should get to know each other better. David is always so possessive of his friends. Do go Antonio, David isn't much use to us now I'm afraid, Lucille has him cornered at the moment and it will be ages before he can get loose of her."

Antonio followed her eyes to where David was standing with a woman who looked remarkably like James Addison, but with her blonde hair still shinning. She was showing him a trail of wallet sized pictures contained in a plastic casing. David looked up and caught Antonio's eye. He grinned slightly and gave a small, helpless shrug.

Cecile laughed and said, "You see! It's part of the price of being a member of such a large family. Go have your smoke, both of you!" She withdrew her arm from Jonathan and pushed Antonio gently in his direction as she made her way toward the bar. "I want to make sure the champagne has arrived."

Antonio opened his mouth to refuse Jonathan's offer and then thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to him. It was almost as if Jonathan were teasing him with some secret and he wanted to find out what it was. He tilted his head slightly to the side in acquiescence of the idea and motioned for Jonathan to lead the way.

They walked, smoking, around the largest of the garden's fountains. Jonathan's white shirt and blonde hair shone in the lights from the house and the garden. He stopped and looked up at the night sky, blowing a trail of smoke between them and the stars. "David's in love with you, isn't he." He said it conversationally as if he were asking after the price of the latest model Ferrari.

Antonio studied the handsome profile and didn't bother to answer, since Jonathan already seemed to be in possession of it. Instead he asked a question of his own. "How long have you and David hated each other?"

For a moment Jonathan actually looked startled as he turned to look at Antonio and then he laughed brightly. "Oh, I don't hate him, I assure you."

Antonio shrugged. "You could have fooled me."

Jonathan moved closer. "You shouldn't always go by appearances." He poked the hand holding the cigarette at Antonio. "Take you for example."

Antonio let the smoke drift slowly between his lips as he studied the man who looked so much like David. He shrugged. "I'm an open book."

Jonathan laughed again and Antonio thought he looked handsome in this setting, where you couldn't see into his eyes. It could be David standing beside him.

"You are delightful! I can see why David is so taken with you. Beautiful and mysterious, two very intoxicating combinations." They were standing very close now and Jonathan suddenly reached out a hand and gripped the back of Antonio's neck, bringing them together violently and without thinking Antonio's mouth opened to Jonathan's. It was so like David's. His hands remained at his sides, his body frozen in the moment except for Jonathan's hungry mouth on his and the unyielding embrace of their bodies pressed together and then a voice broke through the night, giving Antonio the power to jerk free. He gasped for breath as Jonathan stood smiling, looking over Antonio's shoulder at the house. "Hello David. I'm glad you escaped Aunt Lucille. I was just showing Antonio the garden."

David stood, his face shining as ghostly white as his shirt. "Fuck you, Jonathan!" He choked it out, refusing to look at Antonio, staring only at his brother. "How could you? You bastard!" He walked over and pushed Jonathan in the chest, nearly sending him into the fountain.

Antonio got between them, facing David and holding his arms, trying to push him back. "Rubio, don't! He's just trying to get to you."

David's eyes glared with a blue shimmer as they focused on Antonio. "He's fucking well succeeded!" He reached around Antonio and pushed at Jonathan again. "I'm warning you! Stay away or I'm fucking going to kill you! Do you understand? It's not going to happen again, ever again do you understand?" David was practically screaming the words at Jonathan and Antonio was growing increasingly worried. He struggled to push him back, away from Jonathan, trying to calm David. "Let's go back inside, Rubio. We both could use a drink." He continued to push at the taller man, slowly easing him toward the house.

"Do what your lover suggests, David. We wouldn't want to cause a scene and ruin mother's party." Jonathan's voice was smug. "You're a lucky man, brother, if he fucks as well as he kisses."

David tore free from Antonio's grasp and would have gone for his brother's throat if Antonio's reflexes weren't so fast. Antonio managed to swing him around, placing himself between David and his brother. "Stop it, Rubio! He's not worth it."

"Well, I don't know about that." Jonathan's voice drawled behind them. "There was a time when David would have disagreed with you about that, wouldn't you brother dear?"

Antonio could feel David's body stiffening beneath his hands, becoming almost rigid. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and his eyes widened as he took in the glint of silver metal off the small gun in Jonathan's hand. Jonathan smiled at them. "Yes, there was a time when we shared everything." His eyes looked directly at Antonio. "He's great in bed, isn't he?" And then he turned his gaze to David and his smile broadened as he said, "At least, I always thought so."