Love In A Time of War

September, 1943, Milan, Italy

Ephraim Katz stood before the German. The Stein’s; his parents in the last letter he had received from them, now months ago; other Jewish people, and the political group, all said repeatedly, make yourself invisible, don’t speak, become obsequious, and still, if questioned or captured by the Gestapo. Yet, in spite of the terror building inside of him, Ephraim knew he had never seen a more beautiful man. He was taller than his own almost six feet, broad in his uniform, with hair the color of golden wheat, perfect skin, a cleft in his chin, and eyes that would out do the bluest sky ever.

“Ephraim Katz, 25,” he said again. Like before he was speaking Italian, which surprised Ephraim, as he was positive he was Gestapo. The first time he had uttered his name had been more of a command, this time however there seemed to be sadness and resignation in his voice.

Ephraim nodded again.

“Where is your Star of David?”

“It came off. You see, I’m a student at the Milan Conservatory and today we were at La Scala, when the news broke. I was knocked from my bicycle and my jacket torn off. My star was pinned to it.” Ephraim had been talking with his hands and realized they were shaking, so he put them down by his sides.

The German was holding his Identification Papers, he had asked for on entering the apartment. He looked very intensely at Ephraim. “We have to go.” He looked towards the open apartment door and stepped very close to Ephraim, who took a step back. The man pulled him close and whispered in his ear. “Have you a bag to pack and please to put in it any food?” It was clearly the Italian of someone who knew it as a second language, as did Ephraim. He did not release him, and Ephraim was totally confused. He found himself looking up at the man.

“I am Klaus Jager. I am 28. You must go do what I told you.” He took his hand and held his eyes for a moment and Ephraim although totally scared, also felt, strangely calm.

There was a loud commotion in the hallway of the building as Klaus stepped back, almost looking as though he were blushing. A torrent of German came from a loud voice and a second man in a Gestapo uniform entered the living room, roughly dragging a small crying boy.

Klaus uttered an oath, this time in German; the boy was released and came flying into Ephraim’s arms.

Ephraim scooped the boy up and buried his head in his neck. “I’m here, Adam.”

The two men exchanged words in German, and Ephraim knew that somehow Adam Stein had escaped capture. He knew, they probably already knew, that Ephraim was in the party in Milan against the Fascists and Germans. Fleeing in the streets earlier, he had seen the postings. All Jews were to report by nine that evening to Milano Centrale Rail Station, and he would no doubt be taken to Risiera di San Sabba, in Trieste, which was now a death camp for Jews. His mind went to the Stein’s and their daughter. Had they been caught and were en route to the station and to Risiera, as members of the same political party?

While the Germans were still speaking he took a few steps back with Adam in his arms and whispered to him: “Be very quiet. No talking.” The boy, who was eight and super intelligent, just continued crying.

The second German broke off and came towards Ephraim and Adam. He said something in German to Klaus.

Klaus looked at Ephraim and in Italian said: “He asks what you said to the boy?”

Ephraim summoned his courage and spoke to Klaus. “Sir, the boy has to use the toilet before we go. We talked about that.”

A flicker passed across those heavenly deep blue eyes. The second German stepped forward, but Klaus blocked his path, saying something searing in their own language that caused the other German to step back.

While they were arguing, Ephraim raced into the bathroom and locked the door. He sat Adam on the toilet seat. “Darling,” he whispered, “pretend to go to the bathroom. I have to think.” Ephraim yanked open the medicine cabinet. “Fuck”, he swore softly. The aspirin he was hoping that they could swallow wasn’t there. He remembered that he had taken the bottle into the small kitchen. The only pills were two cold tablets. Also, how could he convince an eight year old, albeit a very intelligent eight year old, that suicide would be a better option than what lay ahead?

Adam whimpered. “I’m so scared.”

Ephraim knelt. “I know. Can you tell me quickly what happened?”

“I was in my room coloring, when they came in. I remembered Mama’s words. We had rehearsed so hard.” Ephraim nodded his head. “I went to the closet and pulled back the hidden door and climbed in.”

Before he could continue, there was a loud scuffle in the next room; shouts; what sounded like furniture breaking, and then a gun shot. Ephraim pulled Adam close as the doorknob to the bathroom rattled back and forth.

“Open the door,” Klaus called.

Ephraim pressed his head into Adam’s hair. “We must be strong.” He stood and flushed the toilet, taking Adam’s hand. “We have each other. We’ll be together, I promise.” He stuffed the two cold tablets in his pant pocket and opened the door.

Klaus towered in the doorway. “I killed him. We must hurry.” He took his hand. “Get the food and some clothes quickly.” He picked Adam up and Adam struggled. “I am not going to hurt you, I promise. Don’t look. He was going to kill you both, right here,” he told them as they entered the bedroom. “We are going to go across the hall quickly and get some of your things to take with us”, he told Adam. He pushed Ephraim towards the small kitchen. “Go. The building may be emptied, being Lombardia and the Jewish quarters, but we can’t be sure, that either the Fascists or”, he shook his head, “we won’t be back.”

Ephraim noticed that holding Adam, had scrunched his coat up and the pistol was in a holster, right above his very prominent bulge. To be Jewish and a homosexual was doubly lethal. Trying to put that image and the dead German aside, he grabbed a pillow case from the closet and went into the kitchen.

Klaus went across the hall with Adam. The apartment was in chaos as valuables had been taken, and disarray was everywhere. “What should you take with you? We are going to be running, I hope for awhile, so some more clothes; a blanket, and such.”

He carried Adam into his bedroom and sat him on the bed. Advancing to the closet to get some clothes, he noticed the ingeniously hidden door. “I see, that’s where you were.” He turned, with some clothes in his hands and a pair of shoes. Adam was clutching a large white bear in his arms.

Klaus left the bedroom; raided a linen closet, went into the kitchen, and returned a few minutes later, to sit on the bed beside Adam.

With huge wanting eyes, he looked up at Klaus. “He’s my friend.”

Klaus grinned. “Of course. Do we need to pack a bag for him?”

Adam gave a small grin and started to cry.

“And what is your friend’s name?”

“Kringle.”

“Ah, there are good German names and good Germans, too.”

Klaus lifted boy and bear with ease. “I am sorry. I cannot bring them back, not yet, but I will not hurt you. I have a question for you?” He stooped, picked up the full bag, and whispered in Adam’s ear, “does Ephraim have a girlfriend?”

They followed Klaus’s directions, saying nothing, going downstairs, intent on leaving the building together. Klaus had held each by the hand, having already taken bear and bags to the car. Before that had occurred, he had with chagrin, locked them in a storage closet, by the back exit to the building, to keep them safe, while he saw to a few quick things.

While in there Ephraim had quickly taken one of the cold tablets out of his pants and given it to Adam. “Take this. I hope it will help you sleep. Maybe when we get in the car we can have some milk and something to eat. I have no idea where we are going or what is going to happen, but he did save us, for now. I don’t know why.”

Adam nodded his head and swallowed the small pill. “He is big and strong. He asked me if you had a girlfriend.”

“What?” Even in the dark of the closet, Ephraim felt himself blushing. Pushing this aside, for it confounded him, he asked: “What happened after you went into the hiding place?”

“Father came quickly to my bedroom door and motioned for me to get to the closet. I thought they would come, but they took them and made all this noise, then it stopped, so I crawled out. I wanted to find you. I thought we could find them. That other man was there, though.”

He pulled him close. “I had left La Scala and it was crazy. People screaming, and running, the streets packed with people carrying everything they had to escape. I got knocked off my bike, the violin and its case were smashed, and my coat and Star of David ripped off.”

“Will we find mommy, daddy, and Sarah?”

“I don’t know.” He heard Klaus approaching and he found himself very much hoping it was Klaus. He looked at the boy and thought here he was no parents or sister Sarah. All alone; the two of them. Ephraim’s parents, God knows where, as the Germans had already taken Poland, no word from them for months, and here they were waiting in a closet at the mercy of a beautiful German, who kept saying he wouldn’t hurt them. Even if he would not, others would. There was no safety in the world.

Klaus opened the door and came in. “When we leave the building and I will walk behind you, holding the gun at you, just to look like I am capturing you.” He turned those royal blue eyes on Ephraim and said in his sexy Italian accent, “It is you who have captured me.” He ran his hand down Ephraim’s cheek, tousled Adam’s hair, and sighed. “God help us. Here we go.”

They were all sitting in the front. Ephraim next to Klaus, Adam next to him, and Kringle by his side. Klaus’s leg was pressed against Ephraim, who felt guilt at being hard with all the horror around him, as they sat, for all intents and purposes, snuggled up in this big, warm car.

Klaus who wanted Ephraim by his side, had arranged the seating, and wiped his eyes. “They are being taken to the station and Italians are fleeing Milan. All because one man, one fanatic wants to rid the world of the Jewish race and make the world Aryan and control it all.”

People were clinging to the car and trying to get in, through the locked doors, in spite of it being an Official German car, and even the two German flags were ripped off. Klaus reached over to squeeze both their hands. “Stay calm. Up ahead there will be a check point and I will explain that I am taking you to Risiera di San Sabba in Trieste, but I am not.”

Adam who was holding Kringle in front of him, like a shield, asked the obvious: “where are we going?”

Klaus placed his hand on Ephraim’s thigh and squeezed it. “First to a hiding place by Lake Garda, then up into the Dolomites. I have an Italian cousin there, who is a Freedom Fighter and can help us plan. I may have to find some gas along the way or tomorrow .” His voice cracked. “One of our few advantages.”

Ephraim turned to look at him and grinned. Reaching under the blanket Klaus had insisted be over him and Adam, he took his hand, which was shaking. “You are taking a tremendous risk. Why?”

Klaus was now in a line of cars at the edge of Milan. In the darkened car, he brought their hands to his lips and kissed Ephraim’s hand. “How else could I find out if you had a girlfriend?”

“The Dolomites! Klaus did you know they reach almost 11,000 feet and are called the Southern Limestone Alps? If we go to the top I can tell mommy, daddy, and Sarah when we find them!”

Klaus beamed. “Smart boy.” As they were stopped, he placed his arm around both of them and ruffled Adam’s hair.

Ephraim kissed the top of Adam’s head as both he and Klaus knew that most likely they would never find them or see them again.

Adam gave out a yawn. While they were in the deadlock of cars, they had eaten ham, cheese, bread, some chocolate, and had milk from the jar, which Adam told them mommy never allowed.

Klaus inched the car forward and touched Ephraim again, this time closer to his crotch. “We are the next car. We must hope all goes well.”

The men at the checkpoint looked fierce with their rifles, and under the blanket Ephraim and Adam held hands tightly and looked straight ahead as Klaus had instructed, Kringle tucked safely on the floor.

The men spoke to Klaus at length, looked at their Identity Papers and cards. Ephraim recognized the name Risiera di San Sabba said several times. Ephraim realized he was holding his breath and for a fleeting moment wondered if he could believe this stunning, beautiful man was actually going to help them. Klaus pressed his leg against Ephraim’s, put the car in gear and drove on their way out of Milan.

It was very slow going with people along the road, which made Ephraim sick to think it could have been them. Sensing what he was feeling, Klaus turned quickly and kissed his cheek. Fortunately, Adam was nodding off, using Kringle as a pillow. “I can’t help them and I hate it, but we are already in so much danger.

“I know.”

“We must look as if we are headed to Trieste to Risiera, then head towards the South Tyrol, on the shores of Lake Garda, and a hiding place for us and the car. Early in the morning I must scavenge for gas, but you will be safe. It’s slow going, do you think you can get him in the back to stretch out and covered, without my stopping?”

Ephraim managed to rouse Adam and first Kringle was placed in the back of the huge black car and Ephraim started to lift Adam over, when he surprised them both by kissing Klaus on the cheek.

Klaus blushed and took one hand from the wheel, to brush his cheek. “Goodnight, schnucki!”

Ephraim leaned over, took the blanket, covered him up, took a shirt from the bag and made a pillow. “Go to sleep, my love, we are both right here.”

“Now you can sit closer.”

“If I sat any closer I would be on your lap.” Ephraim smiled in the dark.

Klaus inhaled a deep breath, that sounded like a huff. “Don’t lose that thought. You know what would make me less nervous? If you would unbutton my pants, and masturbate me.”

“Are you sure?”

Klaus leaned back and Ephraim first lowered his head to smell an intoxicating drug of beginning wetness; man scent of cum, and a huge member struggling against the buttons. With nervous hands he started to undo the buttons and reached in to feel a massive, hard dick, soft as silk. He rued not truly being able to see it, but pulled it out, till it stood tall against his gun belt. Ephraim leaned down for a quick taste, licking at the pool of precum in the hood. Having a hood himself, he knew the joy of the pool that could collect there. Gently he stuck his fingers in the gorgeous envelope shielding his mammoth tool, and started using it as lube. He couldn’t really reach his silky, hair covered testicles, but was astonished that he he was with this dreamboat, having evaded Nazi capture, bringing this stud to a climax, as he was breathing hard, yet still able to drive and they could block out the world, with a fervent prayer that tomorrow would never come.

He tightened his grip and alternated between slow, teasing, languid strokes, then skiing up and down the whole colossus, squeezing right below the head, causing Klaus to hiss and whisper: “close!”

Suddenly his penis erupted and Ephraim lowered his head to lap as much of his juice as possible, drinking in his own, pungent smell. It seemed that garden hoses produced less.

“Fuck”, Klaus said. His breathing had been labored, and now was quieting. Ephraim’s breath was still pounding away. “Do you have a hood?”

Ephraim nodded his head. “Wow. You are just perfect!”

“When we get to where we’re going we have to explore more.”

Ephraim was quiet.

Klaus took his hand, still sticky with seed. Klaus groaned and dropped his hand to rub Ephraim’s package and his voice was husky. “Looks like we’re twins.”

“I’m scared,” Ephraim admitted. “It is never a good time to be homosexual and now in our time....” he trailed off.

“Can I ask you a question? Do you believe in love at first sight?”

He knew Klaus could not see him blush. They were moving along better now, and Ephraim felt his heart was accelerating like the speed of the car.

“You knew at the apartment?”

Klaus nodded his head. It seemed amazing that he could drive this route, rub his ever hard dick, and talk about love at first sight.

“Look we have pull over in a bit, for us to take a leak or other, then I have to think about the next check point. We are going in the wrong direction now, not towards Trieste, so I have to lie.” He shook his head and Ephraim felt the hand that was assuredly bringing him off, through his pants, shaking. He reached down and wrapped his own hand around Klaus’s. “Finish me off, I can help, we just need to be mindful of Adam, but yes I do love you, whatever may happen.”

It only took a few strokes and he and their hands were drenched in fragrant semen, which he took to his mouth. “There’s a cloth in the dashboard, not really intended for this, but you can use it for cleanup. One of the areas I was trained on in Hitler’s Youth was map reading. One of the few fucking things about it, that and learning to shoot, that may pay off; I’m sure there’s a turn off up here,” he chuckled, “after our turn on, and let’s hope we can pull in safely for a bit. Maybe you can help me...”

“For as long as forever, I will help you,” Ephraim interjected.

Klaus kissed his still sticky hand. “Should be about two miles up on the left. After that the checkpoint about another ten miles down the road, then maybe another ninety minutes to Lake Garda, and from there a short way to our hiding place. At least those fleeing Milan are not on this road yet, but it’s a risk.”

Ephraim leaned forward and they were silent till they saw the small break in trees and Klaus turned the big car in, to drive up a gravel path, until they were out of sight of the road. “Better not go too far. The last risk we can take would be a flat. Let me get out first.” It seemed totally dark and still, but Ephraim was terrified of what the night around them might hold.

Klaus took a deep breath and open the door and his boots sounded ominously loud on the gravel, in the still darkness. He walked around the car and Ephraim was astonished to realize what life would be like without him. He had been taught to hate the Germans, but everyone was not evil - all races had good and bad, and here was this gentle giant, risking everything to help them, and yes love him.

He opened Ephraim’s door and whispered: “we must be careful and act as though I am still in charge, but God do I want to hold you.”

Ephraim stepped out into the cool night. Klaus opened the back door and climbed in, bending over Adam. “Amore mio, we have stopped. Come, you must have a pee or go to the bathroom.” He scooped him up. “Does Kringle need to use the bathroom? There are lots of trees around.”

Adam laughed a little, said “No” and burrowed into Klaus’s neck. Ephraim loved him more than he could say for calling Adam, my love.

Klaus put Adam down, who seemed confused. “Mommy, Daddy, and Sarah are gone? Are we traveling to them?”

Klaus knelt down. “No, but we can try to find them. We have to have hope. Now good boy, pee, or go to the bathroom so we can go on.”

The three stood in line, small, big, and bigger. Ephraim listened to the pee, from Klaus it sounded like a waterfall, and then together by the car they did their other business. Ephraim had snatched up a bar of soap and with some water from one of the bottles, they washed their hands and all returned silently to the front seat of the car, including Kringle.

Adam was crying softly again, until Klaus handed him some cheese and grapes. “Not for you, silly, for Kringle.”

Adam laughed. “KLAUS, he eats fish!”

Klaus reached across Ephraim, deliberating grazing his penis, to tickle Adam and he adopted a shocked voice. “Fish? No one told me! Did you know that?” He blew in Ephraim’s ear.

He started the car. “All right, boys, here we go. Let’s talk this through as we get to the next checkpoint. I was supposed to take you to Risiera, but we are going in the wrong direction now. I was tasked with rounding up Jewish people in this large car to take to Risiera over the next few days, as opposed to taking them to the train station.” He took one hand from the wheel, to run it through his thick golden hair.

“Dearest, could you say the detour is to pick up some Jewish political activists by Lake Garda?”

“If they check my orders; they say I am assigned to Milan.

“These monsters, why do they think you’re bad?”

Adam was holding Kringle tight. “Why do they think Klaus is bad?”

Ephraim sighed. “Because many of them are bad, but not Klaus.”

“Right. I love you both.”

Adam nodded his head. “I love you, too.”

“Does Kringle love me more than fish?”

Adam really laughed this time. “KLAUS, no.”

They met with another stroke of luck at the checkpoint. The guards here looked insolent and bored and Ephraim was proud of Klaus’s acting skills as he talked about word that there was a small group of Jewish anti-Fascists and anti-Nazis he was on his way to capture and that then they all would go to Risiera. Suddenly, one of the Nazi guards opened the back door and Klaus lowered his voice. They must have asked to look in the trunk, because he heard Klaus say softly in Italian: “Fuck, the Renoir.”

The one guard brought the rolled up Renoir, the prize of the Stein’s collection, to the front of the car. Ephraim grabbed Adam and he heard Klaus adopt a jovial tone and say the Fuhrer. He reached out, took the painting, put the car in gear, the gate was lifted and they went on.

They drove for some distance in silence, and Klaus stopped the car. “Roll it back up, Eph. It is your insurance, Adam, for the future. I got it while you were both in the closet.”

It was nearing eleven, when the water of Lake Garda glinted on their left. Adam was asleep again against Ephraim. Klaus, turned the car down a small side road, then stopped the car; got out and rustled in the pocket of his coat for a keyring. Using it he opened a gate, drove through; got out, re-locked the gate, and drove down the road to stop before a small house.

Ephraim, figuring they must both be running on adrenaline, turned to Klaus. He said: “We are home for now. Come, we must park in the shed, and lock it up, then go in. I will explain.” He sighed again. “There might be gas here. We’ll look in the morning.”

He maneuvered the car in the shed and they got out. He came around picked up boy and bear, kissing them both on the head and Ephraim gathered the bags and Renoir, and Klaus added a small valise under his arm.

He leaned in, reached under the seat in the front and pulled out a bottle of wine. “Chateau la fete Rothschild, 1940.” He grinned. “Forgive me. From their stock.”

Ephraim took the bottle, added it to the bag, and said quietly. “Where they are now, they won’t be needing it.”

Once they were inside, he carried Adam into a bedroom, and from the valise, took a flashlight. He handed it to Ephraim, who turned it on and they placed him in the bed and covered Adam and Kringle up.

“No one should be coming here, but still we must always be wary, so no lights, except by flashlight.” He pulled Ephraim into the hall and kissed him vigorously, with his tongue invading his, and his mouth, as they threw their arms around each other, hardening groins dueling, too.

He pulled him back with a gasp. “If we die tomorrow, I will regret not having had you, and loving you, but how do you feel? There is so much to explain. Are you too tired?”

“I feel, like I will love you forever, whatever comes. Take me and make me yours.”

Klaus beamed and led him across the hall. “Our bedroom. We will leave the door open for us to hear Adam. I wish we could roar to the heavens as we couple, but hopefully another time. This is my grandmother’s summer cabin. I am part Italian, which is how I know Italian. She is in New York now, with her second husband. She would help us I know. My parents,” he stopped and wiped his eyes, his voice breaking, “I think they suspect that I secretly went into all of this, although with Hitler’s Youth, there is no choice, to help not to kill. We put others in danger, including you.”

Ephraim leaned up and kissed his eyes. “To live in this time is to court danger, but to love is forever. Let’s shut out the danger, even for tonight, and love.” He took off Klaus’s coat and shook his head. “How gorgeous you are, even without a lot of light. He then started to take off his shirt. “I have to turn on the flashlight quickly.”

Klaus nodded. Ephraim whistled at the fur he was seeing and feeling his flat pecs, like a shelf, the gorgeous taut nipples and the points extended; running his fingers and palms, tweaking his little nubs, lifting his arms, to luxuriate in the hair, and to sniff his acrid man smell and sweat. “What a tongue bath I will give you, once I burn you in my mind forever.” Klaus pulled him in and smashed his face against Ephraim’s practically breaking his nose, to get into his mouth, tongues wrapping around each other, spit intertwining, Klaus running his one hand through his hair.

“God, your curls. They are amazing,” Klaus moaned in his ear. “Your green eyes, like emeralds.”

Ephraim reached for his belt holding his gun. He laughed. “What a big poliziotto you are with your major blunder-bus sticking out.” He undid the belt carefully laying it on the floor. He reached out and felt the huge penis flexing and straining to be free. He knelt and rubbed his face against the button fly and could still smell his former release. He looked up. “If I died right now I’d be happier than ever.” He opened the fly, button by button, exposing hair, shaft, and full balls. He yanked them first gently, then when Klaus growled, he pulled harder.

“My boy plays rough. I like it.”

While tugging on his balls, Ephraim aimed the flashlight at his prize. Golden fuzz covered him and grew around his shaft and on his balls. A rope of pre cum was already leaking from the covered faucet. He leaned in and swallowed the length down, causing Klaus to gasp and shove his head against his flat abdomen. His toes flexed and the suctioning became tighter, while the free hand ran under his balls to his opening, teasing and circling. Ephraim drew his mouth away, gathered some of his seepage and lathered his index finger with it, all the while his big, hulking beauty panted and arched his feet. Ephraim inserted the finger in the warm opening and began moving it in and out, all the while torturing his balls and running up and down his huge member, taking him all the way, twisting his head side to side, coating his cock, with a mix of his own saliva and Klaus’s pre.

Suddenly Klaus yanked him up and covered his mouth again for a long, invasive, semen kiss. He broke off and snarled. “Enough. Strip.”

Klaus sat on the bed and removed his boots, pants, drawers, and socks.

He turned the flashlight beam on Ephraim. “How I have dreamed of this, since I first laid eyes on you. We are not fucking. We are lovers, making love. You are more beautiful than I could have imagined. We have to turn off the light now, but you are just as I knew you would be.”

“How?”

“I told, you, Eph, it was love at first sight, but enough, but now let us explore then we will do each other.” He pulled him down on the bed, on top of him. Naked form on naked form. Ephraim was hairy, big, fit, and uncut, so they were almost twins.

“Let’s lie face to face, so we can kiss, rub, stroke each other, than swallow each other, so we are doing the same. Give me your pinky finger.” Ephraim did so and Klaus looped them together. “We are one now.”

They began by moving their hands in sync. Hair, face, neck, chest, nipples, the choreography of ecstasy, twisting nipples, twirling chest hair, kneeling, pulling their foreskin together into one long tube of dick, spewing seed in the closure, kissing, pulling on balls, sawing into tight holes, till Klaus, the born leader, announced the would suck each other off.

Exhaustion and the world fell away. There were not refugees from a world of hate, war, violence, race, and fear, but two men joining their seed, souls, love, and lives together.

Back and forth they went, swimmers in pre cum and spit, pinching balls, nipples and holes, racing to fill each other and be one. Ephraim fired first, a copious load and tears filled his eyes. Klaus followed murmuring “my love, my life, my everything.”

They lay intertwined for a bit, their sperm cocktail deep inside, when Klaus sat up. “We are so worn out, but let’s have a little wine and go to sleep.”

He wrapped a sheet around his hirsute, muscular build and returned a few minutes later, with a tray, and on it, the bottle, one of his Grandmother’s bottle openers, two glasses, a wet, soaped towel to clean their hands, and a can of nuts in a bowl. “From the pantry. I checked on the boys; they are fast asleep.” He gave out a great yawn, put some nuts in the bowl and opened the wine, that was superb.

Ephraim curled into him. “These nuts are almost as good as yours and salty, too.”

Klaus kissed him, more salt and perfect wine in their mouths. Looking up at the ceiling, he whispered: “God keep us safe and always together, for I love him more than I can say.”

“And I love you more.” They crawled into the bed, under the duvet, wrapped up together and fell instantly asleep.