Stairway to Heaven: Act 1, Part 2
Stairway to Heaven by A. Ortiz
ACT 1
If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now
It's just a spring clean for the May Queen
And there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on
PART II.
Two months later...
Richard whistled as he cleared boxes out of his closet, rummaging in the corners for lint and old papers or trinkets. Picking up the nearest box and setting it down on his bed, he looked through the contents, picking up occasional useless trash and tossing it into the garbage bin nearby.
"Trash... trash... keeper," he'd mutter to himself as he sorted.
His apartment was beginning to lose sense of his presence as he cleaned it, getting rid of everything that was unnecessary and cumbersome. He'd be moving into a new house soon, one that he and Scarlet had already begun dealing for; one in California, to where Richard's company was moving. They felt confident they had finally found the right one after countless hours of searching.
Richard cleared the boxes as they came, putting the sorted ones aside, and trying to gather up his junk in each box so as to have the least number possible. Finally, he reached the last one, and opened it up.
An old photograph met his eyes, and he picked it up with a slight "murr". It was a picture of Todd and himself: He was sitting on a park bench by a fountain with Todd sprawled in his arms and lying across the unoccupied space on the bench. It was a rather sweet picture; they were both looking at each other with warm, dependant smiles. He put the picture down and looked through the rest of the box. He found more old photos, his college yearbooks--even more old photos--, books, magazines, sketches, floppy disks... and an old ring box.
Richard picked it up curiously and opened it. Inside was a plain gold band, shining faintly through dust. He picked it up and cleaned it with his shirt until it glowed dusky again, and he admired its glimmer in the setting sun filtering through his window.
Memories rushed back to him, unbidden. This was Todd's gift to him--perhaps it had been a goodbye gift, seeing as they both had known that Richard was leaving for New York. Todd had begged him to accept it, and Richard had had no choice--but he had refused putting it on his left ring finger, telling Todd it would "hurt them too much". He had worn the ring for a long time, before eventually drifting away from its significance, and putting it in a ring box for safekeeping until he forgot about its existence.
Richard sighed as he looked at the ring, and after a few minutes, he walked back to his bed and put it in the ring box. He couldn't keep it, now. He was getting married, and he had decided he had to break ties with Todd. He put all the old books and solid junk he had left in a box, and then added the ring box in at the end. Then he opened up the phone book and looked up a pawn shop in town.
The subway was dark, at night, and the only person in the car when he climbed in was an old cheetah. He wondered why it was so empty, and then sat down a seat away from the lady, so as to keep her company but not intimidate her.
He ruffled through the contents of the box he was taking to the pawn, and suddenly uncovered his old photograph of Todd and he on the park bench. He tsked, wondering how it had crept into the box.
"Why, that's a lovely photo," the old cheetah said, her muzzle breaking into a grin. She scrutinized it from her seat, squinting through her small bifocal spectacles. Richard smiled and handed it to her so she could see. She took it eagerly in her paws and looked it over, paying careful attention to every detail.
"Whoever took this picture is very skilled. This kind of moment rises most inopportune," she said. He chuckled at her choice of vocabulary. The old cheetah gave the photograph back, and smiled. "The two of you looked so happy."
"But it's only a photograph," Richard replied, putting it carefully back in the box.
"Yes, it's only a photograph. That's true," she remarked, looking down at her lap. She had been working on some knitting, which lay sprawled on her flowery dress. She took it up again, continuing, "Still, memories are precious things. And sometimes it helps to remember."
"Sometimes it helps to forget," Richard said, a little gloomily.
"What? No!" The cheetah remarked, looking up in shock ad dropping her knitting. A ball of yarn went astray down the car, and Richard put his box down and shuffled after it, trying not to fall over in the moving car. He handed it back to the old cheetah and sat down as she thanked him.
"What do you mean, no?" he asked curiously.
"I mean no, and just that!" the cheetah said brightly. "You should never forget a memory; memories are our treasures--they're our life as it is!" She laughed. "I'm an old gal already, and I can tell you--the thing that most comforts you near the end is the feeling that things happened in your existence."
Richard smiled.
"What about things that should have never happened?"
"They happened. If you enjoyed them, that's your business. But how do you expect to enjoy them when you can't remember them?"
Richard pondered this, looking out the window at the speeding wall.
"I don't think it would be a good idea to remember this."
"You don't think it would be a good idea? Phaw!" she clucked. "Men at your age don't think. They'll go around, dilly-dallying the day away, trying to lead out 'decent, moral lives' while missing out on the most important part of them. You, boy, are you married?"
"No, ma'am," he answered with a smile, "but I will be in a month."
"And do you love this boy?"
Richard blinked with surprise.
"Er... you're misunderstanding, ma'am. I'm not marrying my friend from the photograph. I'm marrying my fiancée... she's a lioness."
"I asked you a question. Do you love that boy?"
Richard stopped and stared at her.
"Yes..." he answered slowly. "I guess... I do... I did."
"I could tell," she answered with a smile. "Those pictures are rare, they are. You can tell everything about a person from the way they look in those pictures. It's like someone's life has been sealed into a photograph."
Richard sat dumbly, looking at her.
"But I see you're not in love with him anymore. At least, you think you're not."
Richard lifted his hands helplessly.
"I'm getting married next month. And we've moved on."
"Phaw," the cheetah scolded again. "Nobody ever moves on. You always hurt inside, but after a while, you get used to it." She looked sideways at him. "Sometimes, at night, you cry, and you don't know why you do. It's because you're still hurting, and you've never gotten over it. You never will. It's just a way of life. It's there when someone dies, or someone leaves."
Richard shook his head.
"It's just a memory now."
"I agree. Memories are in the past, and we can't go back to them. But there's always the possibility of moving forward."
"Forward?" Richard echoed.
"No matter where you left things, they won't be the same when you come back. But sometimes, people feel the same. Sometimes, starting over isn't as hard as it was before." She smiled. "My husband is sixty-five years old, and he looks as bad as hell. But I love him just the same; I have for forty years. And he still calls me 'his queen'. We may just be an old couple finding ways to live on with each other, but..." She looked out the window with a faraway look in her eyes. "As long as we feel the same, what does it matter what's happened? We can work around the difficulties. We can start over... every day."
Richard looked at her quietly. She seemed to have gone into meditation. They didn't say anything for the remainder of the trip, and when Richard's stop was coming up, he asked her where she was going.
"I'm going shopping downtown," she answered.
"By this time, all the big stores will be closed," Richard answered.
"Oh, I know where to get what I'm looking for," she replied with a smile.
Richard got off at his stop, and stood there with his box, thinking. Then, he went up the steps, crossed the street, and went back down. He went to the ticket booth, and bought a ride back home.
Richard packed a hasty suitcase. He didn't plan to leave too long, but if he had to, he could buy new clothes in California. He bought a ticket online for the cheapest price available, and rapidly made sure he had everything. He was halfway out the door when the phone rang.
He picked it up breathlessly. "Hello?" he asked.
"Yes? Is this Mr. Price?" asked a voice on the other end.
"Yes, this is he," he answered, rushed.
"We've just called to tell you that your invitations are finished. With your confirmation, we'll send them out. You've already double-checked your list, correct?"
"Invitations?" Richard echoed. "What invitations?"
"Your wedding invitations," came the reply, and Richard groaned internally. "So, would you like us to send them out?"
"No. In fact, I'm canceling."
"Canceling the invitations?" the fur on the other side asked incredulously.
"Yes. No. I mean--I don't know what I mean. Look, can't you just postpone sending them out for a while?" he asked, exasperated.
"We can, but we recommend they go out as planned, Mr. Price." There was a pause. "It says here the wedding is in June."
"Yes," Richard asserted.
"And we're in the middle of May," the voice continued, with a tone of I'm-leading-you-to-make-conclusions. Richard winced.
"I know," he answered.
"So you'd like to postpone?"
"Yes. I'm sorry; I just need a few days. I'll call you."
"Would you like us to call you instead?"
"No; I'm going out of town. I'll call; don't worry."
And with that, he hung up, and flew out the door.
The phone rang loud, and Todd sat up in bed with a jolt. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, and then blindly stretched across his bed and reached a paw into the darkness. His fingers stumbled through the darkness, irritated by the constant ringing. Finally, they closed around a receiver, and he pulled it up quickly, bringing it to his ear.
"Hello? Hello?" he mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Todd? Is that you?" came from the other end.
"It's me. What is it? Who is it?"
"It's me, Rich!"
"Rich?" he peered into the darkness at his digital clock. "Rich, it's three A.M. in the morning!" Suddenly, he jerked wide awake. "Wait... Rich?"
"I'm sorry to wake you, really, Todd," Richard said anxiously. "But I had to talk to you... I have to talk to you right now."
"Now?" Todd asked stupidly.
"Yeah... is there anywhere we could meet this late?"
"Well..." Todd's mind raced, looking for a spot. "We could always go down to the old café... wait, you're in San Francisco?!"
"The old café? Is that still around?"
Todd paused, trying to think of why Richard wouldn't answer his question. "Yeah... it's still alive and kicking. And it's open till morning, too. They get a night shift."
"So I'll meet you there?" Richard asked, a bit shyly.
"Rich, what are you doing in California?"
"I'll talk to you at the café, okay? I'm taking a cab."
"Where are you?"
"The airport. I'll meet you there, okay?"
Todd gave the matter a little thought, but he hastily had to give in.
"Okay. I'll see you there."
Todd dressed quickly and drove to the café, sleep still pursuing his body. His mind, however, was alert and confused. What was going on? Still, he had a hard time clearing his head, and decided that the exact thing he needed was a good cup of coffee. Good thing he had chosen the old café to meet.
It was a pretty shabby looking building, to be honest, but it had been around as long as Todd could remember being in San Francisco. When he pulled up into a parking space, he could see Richard sitting inside, looking travel-worn and just as tired as Todd felt. Nevertheless, he grinned broadly when Todd stepped inside, and quickly walked over to his friend, arms outstretched.
Todd felt a little odd, hugging Richard, after being so sure the lion wanted nothing to do with him the last time they had met. Still, he hugged back gratefully, cheerful that they were back on intimate terms.
As they sat down, Richard spotted Todd's car through the window. He looked back at the wolf with a smile. "Is that an old Mustang?" he asked. Todd just smiled and blushed.
"I don't have a car," Richard admitted.
The guy over the counter called if they wanted anything, and Todd--thanking God in heaven above--ordered an extra-large mocha cappuccino. Then the talk turned back to Todd's car.
"Yeah... I had the money, so I decided to get a car. I hate the public transportation here," Todd said. He made a face.
"I can't believe you got a car!"
"I didn't have anybody to spend money on. I had to get something. And I've always wanted a Mustang."
"You must have a hefty paycheck. A house and a car."
"I rose quickly, and I've been saving for a long time. Seven years, almost."
Richard paused. Seven years was about the time he had moved away.
"So," Todd said, leaving forward on the table. He chose his words carefully, speaking slowly. "The other day I get a mysterious phone call in the middle of the night, bidding me to go to meet someone in a café at some unfortunate hour in the morning. What do you think of that, Rich?"
"Oh, I think it's believable enough," Richard said with an embarrassed smile.
"But what would someone want from me at such a late hour?" Todd asked, speculating. Richard decided to be direct. He took a deep breath before answering.
"I wanted to talk to you..." he began. "I realize now that I made a mistake, treating you the way I did. I never really appreciated your loyalty... and I'm the one who's been doing everything wrong. I moved away... I decided we should break it off... I looked for someone--to replace you," he said with a swallow, "...I did so many things, Todd... and I never made it about you. And... I guess I wanted to say I was sorry."
"You flew across the country and woke me up in the middle of the night to sit in some dingy old café with me at an hour nobody else could be awake at and tell me that?" Todd asked with some surprise. His mouth was slightly open... but then he was grinning softly. He appreciated the apology.
"Come on... it's not a dingy old café... we had a lot of good memories in here," Richard said with a smile.
"Yeah..." Todd said, eyes fading back to yesteryear. He giggled. "Remember when we...ar, er..."
"Had sex on the upstairs couch?" Richard finished for him, and they both laughed. "Of course I remember." His eyes widened in disbelief. "I can't believe we didn't get caught!"
"We locked the door," Todd reminded him.
"Yeah, but anybody who tried it and found it locked would have found it bizarre, and would have gone to get someone to open it. We lucked out--that was a pretty foolish idea."
"But it was great, wasn't it?" Todd asked warmly, and Richard beamed. "Yeah," the lion said with a throaty chuckle, and for a moment, Todd's heart was kindled with hope and joy. But then, his smile faded.
"No," Todd said. "I can't let you do this, Rich. You worked hard to break us off. You're getting married... next month!" he realized with a shock. Richard grimaced.
"I also had to talk to you about that... Todd..." Richard began, but he was interrupted by the guy from the café setting a large cup before Todd. They both jumped, and then giggled nervously at their own silliness. Todd thanked him, and then quietly suggested to Richard they move to a more private table.
They took one in the back and sat down quietly, neither speaking until Todd had taken a few careful sips of coffee. Then he set the cup down and asked, "Well?"
Richard sighed and closed his eyes.
"I'm... not sure I really love Scarlet."
"How do you mean?" Todd asked, taken aback.
"You know what I mean," Richard said, opening his eyes. "You know. I told you. What most attracted me to her was that she reminded me of you."
"Richard... you can't go thinking like that. You're getting married. You can't go rendezvous with the past like that whenever you feel like it. What's done is done." He looked hurt as he said it, as if it pained him more than he thought it would pain Richard. But Richard's face was one of complete and utter despair.
"Please..." he begged. "Please, just listen." Todd saw the look in his eyes, and nodded.
"I met an old woman... and she made me see my life. Just for an instant; but I knew in that moment that I was doing something wrong. I don't love Scarlet--I probably don't. Maybe you could help me with that, if you wanted to... but Todd, I love you."
That phrase was met with silence, and a quiet, perplexed look on Todd's part.
"I know I can't depend on you to feel the same way anymore. Not after what I did," Richard continued, growing more helpless by the minute, "but I just need you to know. And I want you to know that the decision is yours. You can do what you like... I'm just asking you--help me, take me, love me; do whatever you want, and I won't leave you. Not again. I don't care what Scarlet says. I don't care if Scarlet decides not to marry me. I don't even know if I can bring myself to say 'I do.'"
Richard put his head in his paws. The bare image of disconsolation sat before Todd.
"What do I do, Todd?" he whispered.
Todd took a long time to answer. His mind reflected over what had happened: his life, and the past two months of chaos. He thought about what he wanted, and what was best for everyone. He thought, especially, about Richard's children. The children he knew he could never give Richard...
Finally, he spoke.
"If you truly don't love Scarlet," he began softly. Richard looked up. "Then, you can't marry her. Not if you want to provide a family with what it needs." His eyes looked into Richard's with concern. "I would love to see your children; I've always hoped you would carry on your legacy if you wouldn't be with me, so that the world could have more of you..." He grinned. "...but wouldn't want to see your children torn because their father did not love their mother. I would like that least of all, Richard." He was smiling, but his face was grave.
"I don't know if I love her," Richard said, shaking his head full of sorrow.
"Tonight's not the night," Todd whispered. He took another sip of his coffee, which was very cool now. "We should get some rest. Do you have a place to stay?"
Richard looked abashed.
"No. I didn't bother to reserve anything, or look for a room anywhere..."
"Then stay with me," Todd offered, and stood up. "I don't want to take no for an answer, Richard. Let me take care of you for now. I want to do this."
Richard looked up at his friend, who was wearing an indescribable look on his face. He breathed deep and nodded.
"All right," he whispered.
Todd opened a door and showed Richard in. "It's the guest room," he said with a simple smile, and Richard gave him a grateful hug. He set his suitcase down in a corner and turned around, looking the room over. Todd leaned in the doorway with his legs and arms crossed, watching.
"Why did you buy a house, Todd?" Richard asked. Todd smiled warmly. "It keeps me busy; to clean, to repair. And besides, I like the idea of having a home to return to. An apartment hardly feels like a home."
He looked up at the ceiling. It was decorated with a rather dizzying blur of purple hazes. "I got a very good deal for it, too."
"Did your negotiating skills have anything to do with it?" Richard asked with a grin. Todd laughed. "It might have," he responded slyly.
Then he gave Richard a soft smile.
"Good night, Richard," he whispered, and closed the door behind him.
Richard watched the closed door for half a minute, waiting. When Todd did not knock or walk back in, he sighed and flopped down on the bed. He had been hoping... but that was a vain fantasy, formulated by idle thinking and his own passions and hopes. He was desperate, in a way; desperate for contact with someone else--but of course, it was foolish, and while he prayed that Todd would come back through that door, just as willing to be with him as he was willing to be with Todd, he knew it wasn't going to happen any time soon. After all, he had hurt Todd--twice, now--and it was about time Todd made his own decisions and decided when to break the ice. He knew it wasn't up to him anymore; he had undervalued what he had had, and had left Todd. Then, when the wolf had shown affection, he had immediately pushed him away yet again. He didn't deserve to be considered... and yet, here he was, in Todd's guest room, staring at the ceiling and feeling sorry for himself.
He decided the only thing he could do was to try to work the situation out. He'd try his best to win back Todd's heart, and this time, he wouldn't make more mistakes. And he'd have to sort out the problem with Scarlet, too.
He took off his shirt and shoes and climbed into the sheets. He stared out the window for a while, thinking, until his eyelids grew heavy, and eventually he faded into an uneasy sleep.
At five in the morning, Todd crept into the room and watched the sleeping lion from the doorway. Then he sighed, left, and shut the door.
Richard put on a clean undershirt and shuffled down the stairs in his socks. A pleasant aroma wafted from the kitchen, and he tracked his nose to the source of the scent: Todd was making scrambled eggs.
"Your cooking was fantastic, if I remember correctly," Richard said from the doorway as he leaned against it. Todd jumped a little and spun around, startled, but quickly smiled when he saw him. "You're up!" he said, cheerfully. Richard smiled and nodded.
Todd, ever the host, quickly ushered Rich to a seat and brought him breakfast. Richard felt guilty about receiving hospitality from someone he had so heartlessly shunned, but he smiled and accepted everything with an endless string of "thank you"s.
They were both eating at the small kitchen table when Richard voiced, with some uncomfortable degree, "I really want to make this up to you sometime, Todd. I've shamelessly taken everything you have to give."
"Of course not," Todd chided, serving him more eggs. "I'm giving it to you."
"But I still feel lousy," Richard said, distressed. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of you. I don't want to take advantage of you."
Todd looked up, and with a sad gaze in his eyes, replied simply, "Maybe it's about time you felt bad for a while."
Richard stopped eating slowly, and thought hard about that. Todd was right. Did he expect for Todd to forgive him just like that, and live happily ever after? You didn't get the things you wanted without sacrifice. He knew that. That's why he had left Todd in the first place!
"Point taken," he answered quietly. Then he looked up and smiled. "I guess I should be put in my place more often. Pass the bacon?"
Todd laughed, but they both felt awful inside. He passed the bacon with a smile, and they continued eating, internally suffering for the suffering they were causing each other.
Todd needed to go shopping, so Richard agreed to go along, feeling it his duty now to follow at the heels of his companion until they could get over the instability in their relationship. They hit the local mall in Todd's Mustang, and walked from store to store, deciding what looked good on Todd and what didn't. Richard insisted on paying for at least 50% of what Todd bought. "I owe you, big time," he claimed. He had a sneaking suspicion Todd hid articles of clothing from him so he wouldn't pay so much money.
They ate at Luby's Cafeteria. Richard always complained about Luby's because he always ate too much when they went there. Todd just smiled quietly when he didn't say anything.
They sat down with their plates and ate in utter silence for ten minutes, until Richard sighed and put his utensils down.
"I'm feeling like we're growing apart with each passing hour," he said with some difficulty.
"Maybe that's the way I want it," Todd said quietly, and Richard noticed a steely look in his eyes. Richard's heart sank.
"Is it the way you want it, Todd?" he murmured, pleading. "Don't tell me you just gave up on it. If you can't forgive me, I understand... but please don't tell me you just quit. The Todd I love wouldn't do that."
Todd shifted visibly, and Richard could tell the 'Todd I love' had hit him slightly. "There's too many levels to this. I don't want to be a part of it," Todd said quietly.
"But you did," Richard answered.
"That's true."
"And now you don't?"
"I want a lot of things, Richard, but being tangled up in this triangle isn't a part of it."
"Tri--? What triangle?"
"You, me, Scarlet," Todd said, a little angrily, looking away.
"Scarlet?" Richard echoed. "Why Scarlet? Todd, I'm not sure how I can even stand Scarlet. What makes you think I've thought about her at all since I got here?"
Todd blinked and looked back.
"You... what?"
"I... I had kind of forgotten about her, for a while," Richard admitted, with a lack of enthusiasm. "I'm not sure how I'm going to break it to her. I haven't given it any thought at all."
"Didn't you call her last night?"
"No," Richard said, looking straight forward in surprise. "Was I supposed to?"
"Oh, shit," Todd said, and they got up quickly, paid for their unfinished food at the counter, and left the mall.
"Where on earth have you been?!" Scarlet screamed over the phone. Richard had to hold it at arm's length away. "I get a call from the invitation company--you just left, got up and disappeared--like I didn't exist--no respect for me whatsoever--"
"Honey, p--please," Richard gulped into the handset, but the screams continued. They eventually became unintelligible gibberish, just a woman screaming like a raving lunatic, and Richard looked at Todd with wide eyes. They stood at a pay phone on the street, listening in shock, and passerby began to stop and stare, as Scarlet's voice could be heard for yards in either direction.
"What possessed you to go back to California when--never, in three years of knowing you--"
"She knew you for three years?" Todd murmured to Richard, and he nodded, struck dumb.
"I might as well cancel the wedding for all you care--"
"That's exactly what I have to talk to you about!" Richard leapt at the opportunity, but suddenly he noticed Todd waving violently, shaking his head and mouthing the word "NO" in terror. He faltered, and then said, "No... never mind, honey. I'm sorry--you've got me in hysterics here--"
"I'D BETTER," she growled, and Richard jumped.
"I just wanted you to know I was all right," Richard said. Improvising, he came up with a story as he went along. "Some last minute stuff with the merger--I've been extremely busy, and I didn't tell anyone where I was going because it was details, but I'm fixing it up right now." Then he shut his eyes and added in a detail: "I also was checking the house out again, making sure it was fine while I was here."
He prayed silently, and thank God, when Scarlet spoke again, her voice was rather rough and overused, but she no longer sounded angry, but sullen.
"Fine," she grumbled. "Don't ever do that again."
"N--no, of course not."
"Goodbye, Richard."
"Er, goodbye, Sc--"
She hang up before he finished.
He looked at Todd and then waved his paws in the air. "What was that all about?!" he practically yelled.
Todd looked as though if he were about to answer, but suddenly he started to giggle, and soon he was snorting with high-pitched, wheezy laughter, as if trying to hold it in.
"What's so funny?" Richard demanded.
"Your face," Todd gasped, and continued to laugh like a hyena. Richard stared at him for a moment, but after a while he began to join in, until it was the two of them laughing like idiots again, tears streaming, holding on to each other for support, surrounded by strangers who were obviously fascinated with the phenomenon.
After a while they calmed down. "I'm sorry," Todd finished, grinning wide and breathing deeply. "I'm sorry--it's just, you always look so cute when you're scared, and then you got angry all of the sudden... it was adorable." He snorted suddenly at the memory, and leaned back, giggling.
"You're nuts," Richard answered back, but he was smiling too.
Todd began walking back to the mall, trying to control himself, and Richard fell into step beside him. After a while, Todd put his arm around Richard's shoulders.
"Well, buddy, what are we going to do about that Scarlet?" he asked with a broad grin. Richard laughed.
"I thought you didn't want to get involved between us," he said, wearing a smirk. Todd giggled.
"That was before I realized how helpless you were," he said. "Really... you haven't changed at all, Rich."
Richard beamed at him, and Todd smiled with his eyes. "But honestly," Todd said, "we've got to work out what you're going to say to Scarlet. If we don't plan it out ahead of time she might murder you."
"I know what you mean," Richard said with a slight groan. "And I don't want to hurt her, either... she's been very patient with me, and I foolishly went wherever she led. I should have figured I wasn't completely serious about her."
"But you were," Todd said quietly, and Richard looked at him in question. The wolf smiled at him. "You've always been serious about everything, Richard. I've never seen you make a hasty decision."
"What about coming here?"
"That was a hasty decision," Todd laughed. "Still... I'm curious as to what drew you away from her in the first place."
Richard smiled. "You know the answer to that."
"I do?"
"Of course."
"What is it, then?" Todd asked as they reached the car.
"I fell in love with you again," Richard answered as he climbed in.
They went to get food supplies before heading back to Todd's house. Todd picked up ingredients to make a pizza, and was well into the activity half an hour after arriving back home. Richard felt a little out of place in the kitchen, so he watched T.V. for a while in the living room, trying to find a program that didn't bore him to death.
Todd called Richard to dinner when the pizza was done at about half past six. They drank Cokes and made jokes as they ate at the kitchen table, avoiding the subject they both wanted to talk about until it was evident they had run out of things to say.
Todd began this time.
"Richard, I'd like to ask you something," he said quietly. Richard was a little surprised, but he nodded. "Go ahead... you can ask," he replied.
"You're moving to California in the summer, right?"
"Yes. Supposedly. If I want to keep my job, that is. The whole issue of Scarlet..." He winced.
"This isn't about Scarlet," he said. Richard's ears perked in interest. "I've been thinking... if we really start to take our relationship seriously, how will this affect our jobs? I mean, we work in the same company now--not officially, but I mean... You know what I mean," he finished, and Richard nodded.
"Someone could classify it as an affair," the lion mentioned. Todd grinned. "It's not an affair. Not yet, anyway. And we wouldn't have to have it that way..." He stopped, and coughed. He didn't want to talk about that yet.
"I'm willing to do anything for you, Todd," Richard offered. "I wouldn't let work get in the way. I've done it before; I've done it to Scarlet. But not you... you know I wouldn't." Todd looked at him. His face was pleading. The wolf smiled softly.
"I believe you," he said, and Richard smiled with relief.
Todd picked up their plates and took them to the kitchen, and left them in the sink. Richard cleared the table, and together they cleaned it. Then they sat on the couch and watched some television.
"Tomorrow's Sunday," Todd mentioned as he flipped past a local news channel. Richard grunted in reply; it made Todd giggle.
"Sundays are awful," Richard groaned. Todd shrugged. "If you only had Sundays off, you wouldn't complain," he said. Richard murmured something and curled up on the couch.
"What do you usually do on Saturdays?" Todd asked, and Richard said something about going out to dinners with Scarlet and visiting her family. Then Todd felt a paw slide around his waist. He blinked and turned around abruptly to find Richard pulling him towards him. Todd dropped the remote, leaned in, and they kissed.
For a moment, it seemed like the world had halted; all their fear and anxiety and repression so long held in was suddenly expelled from their bodies, and in that sweet moment of spiritual ecstasy they celebrated together, lips locked in their own kind of embrace as their bodies pulled up close to each other, pressing gently.
After a moment, Todd broke the kiss. Richard was lying on his back, and Todd was on him somehow. It had seemed an instant that they had been together, and at the same time, an eternity. Todd giggled, and slid off Richard.
"Wait! Where--"Richard spluttered, but Todd put a finger to his lips with a smile, and shook his head.
"Not yet, Rich," he said quietly. "We're not ready."
Richard watched him go upstairs, paw raised as if to call him back. When Todd was out of sight, he lowered it. Then he sighed.
Sunday morning. Richard splashed water into his face with fervor, trying to get the snooze out of his eyes. He tended to wake late on Sundays, and this one was not supposed to be an exception, but seeing as he had fallen asleep on the couch and Todd had tiptoed downstairs to get breakfast going, he had somehow ended up being woken by a yelp as Todd tripped over some useless item left on the floor and had been sent sprawling. Todd had tried to apologize, and Richard had assured him it didn't matter. Now he was trying to wake up properly before going out to give Todd a morning face.
Soap was washed down the drain by cascades of water until Richard deemed himself clean; then he reached up to grab a towel from the side hanger. Typical Todd, to decorate accordingly, with towels. He scrubbed his face vigorously, trying to dry out his fur. It took a few minutes; lion manes are thick and fluffy.
He put the towel back when he was done, and stared into the mirror. He looked no worse for the wear, but he was in need of a morning shower, and no matter how many times he washed his face, his eyes simply looked tired. He jammed his paws into his pants pockets and tried to give a nonchalant pose. It was something he often did which he was embarrassed about--he posed before the mirror in order to practice his faces, gestures and movements. People told him it was very vain, but he had an odd fascination for it.
As he put his paws in his pants, however, his right paw met with metal. He pulled the object out, and found to his surprise that it was Todd's ring.
He stared at it for a few minutes, trying to remember how it had gotten in his pocket. He vaguely remembered turning it over and over in his paws late last night, thinking about it. He must have forgotten to put it back in its ring box, and away.
After a few moment's deliberation, he put the ring on his left forefinger. He wondered how Todd would react when he saw it. He probably wouldn't remember. Either way... he felt he owed it to Todd, at least. He missed him, and wanted to patch things up. How, though, was the real question.
"Give me a line. Any line will do."
Richard sat before Todd, and they looked down at the paper Todd was contemplating as he tapped his pencil eraser rhythmically on the table. The lion had spoken, trying to urge Todd to begin writing. The wolf shook his head.
"We can't just put in any corny line. We have to be original." Todd frowned and looked up at Richard. "You have to be original. What's all this we business? Remind me why I'm sitting here, helping you."
"Because you love me?" Richard asked with an apologetic grin. Todd laughed and looked back down at the paper. "Honestly... sometimes..." the wolf muttered, but smiling.
"Well, most of this will simply be impromptu. We'll just be pointing out the things you need to talk about. I don't want to give you lines. This isn't a script," Todd continued.
"You were good at writing scripts."
"But this isn't about me. It's about you. I'm helping you, not writing something for my own benefit."
"It is your own benefit," Richard answered defensively, and Todd looked up with a grin.
"How is this my own benefit?"
"Well... you get to win me back?" Richard asked, a little uncomfortably. Todd laughed and shook his head.
"Now you're supposing things. Just because I want to help you doesn't mean I'm ready to get back together. It'll take a little more on your part for that."
Richard's ears twitched, and his face fell. Todd's smile curled.
"I never told you about what I did after you left, did I?" Todd answered. Richard's ears perked in interest and confusion. Todd set the pencil down. "Well, I was actually something famous for a while... I went out to clubs, and people seemed to take a... well, an interest in me." He smiled as Richard's eyes widened.
"I never went for any of them--don't worry," Todd laughed. "But I have a lot of numbers--none of them ever called--and guys were dying to get mine. I stopped going out when I realized how everyone was making it a personal goal to get with me every night."
Richard's jaw was slightly unhinged.
"I could have started a new relationship any time."
The lion looked down, abashed, but Todd laughed and ruffled his mane.
"Don't be so glum. I wouldn't be helping you if you weren't a step up, right?" Todd asked, and Richard looked back at him with a sad smile.
"I guess I shouldn't think so well of myself."
"You're overconfident sometimes," Todd answered with a smile. "And sometimes... you're hopeless. But that's what's so sweet about you."
Richard moaned and covered his face with his paws.
"Well... at least you admitted it," he said, peeking through his fingers. Todd laughed.
"We're not getting anywhere," the wolf said, focusing on the paper once more.
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Richard asked. Todd smiled at him. "We have to brainstorm exactly what you have to say, and in what order you have to say--" He suddenly stopped, staring at Richard.
The lion blinked. "What's wrong?" he asked.
"No--nothing..." Todd whispered. "It's just... you're wearing..."
Richard blinked through his fingers and pulled his hands away to look at himself. He was wearing a pair of slacks and a tee-shirt; there seemed nothing wrong with this. Then he realized what Todd must be talking about, and looked at his paw. Glittering on his left forefinger was the gold ring.
"I can't believe you still have it," Todd cried as he took Richard's paw and gazed at the ring.
"I can't believe you still remember."
"I can't believe you kept it," Todd said fiercely, looking up at Richard. The lion was shocked to see tears in the wolf's eyes. He blinked, and tried to find the words that never came. What should he say?
Apparently, nothing was just as eloquent an answer as any. Todd simply stood, crossed past the table, and then knelt to take Richard's face in his paws. He leaned in and gave the lion a kiss--a deep, loving kiss, full of the tenderness Richard remembered. When he pulled back, his cheeks were wet, but he was smiling.
"I... I don't know what to say now, Rich... but thank you," Todd said. Richard spread his paws, trying to assume humility. "I didn't really do anything..."
"What you did was enough," Todd replied, smiling. He embraced Richard, pulling his arms tight around the lion's shoulders. "Just seeing that ring again makes everything worth it. I'm sorry, Richard... I'm sorry I've been cold, and that I've been making you suffer."
"I'm sorry, too. It's my fault! You shouldn't be apologizing..." Richard answered, holding the wolf close.
"Yes, I should. I was reluctant to give you another chance. What kind of fur am I?" Todd seemed to be crying again. Richard pulled him away so he could look into his tear-stained face.
"The very best kind," Richard answered with a soft smile. "I don't blame you for being skeptical."
"I shouldn't have been. But I was afraid of being hurt again."
"You had every right to. And I'm sorry for hurting you; I've said it so many times."
"I forgive you now. Jesus... I'm sorry it took me so long... but I had no idea you still had the ring."
"I couldn't sell it. I was going to, but I couldn't."
"Oh, just thank you," Todd answered with a laugh, and dove back into Richard's embrace.
"For keeping a ring?"
"For not forgetting," Todd said, speaking into Richard's ear. "That's all I wished, all the time--I hope he never forgets me. And you didn't. I thought at first, when I saw you in that café, that you just saw something you wanted, which you had before, and you liked. That you had forgotten about me, when you met Scarlet."
"I never forgot you! How could you think that?"
"I know... I didn't believe. I was wrong--I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
They lay there, holding each other, in the haze of an early Sunday morning.
"So, do you really want to be with me again?" Richard asked.
"I miss you. Yes. If you're serious about it."
"I am. I really am."
"Then it's settled. We have to break you up from your fiancée."
"And then... we can start over."
Todd pulled back a little in order to smile into Richard's face. "It won't be hard."
All characters © A. Ortiz AKA VahnFox
Stairway to Heaven was inspired by a song by Led Zeppelin called "Stairway to Heaven". The quote at the beginning of the story is from that song, © Led Zeppelin. Thank you tremendously for the inspiration.
Questions? Comments for the author? Please email me at [email protected]
If you'd like to read more of the works of the many-aliased A. Ortiz, please also send an email and request, as I have yet to put together a firm archive of my works. With enough requests, I'll be pushed to start a FurNation page or such to start uploading my stories. Thank you for reading!
Keep a look out for Stairway to Heaven: Act 2, Part 1!