Page 42 of Hansel and Gerhardt
That orb shone like the sun in Gerhardt’s eyes, turning him slack-jawed with desire.
Walking slowly back, Herr Candy twisted the ball around in long fingers, dazzling in Gerhardt’s eyes. “Have you ever eaten pure gold, Gerhardt?”
Gerhardt’s tongue wet his lips. “Never.”
“How do you know his name?” Hansel repeated more urgently, as if trying to strike the idea into Gerhardt.
Although Herr Candy kept his eyes on Gerhardt, he replied to Hansel, “You said it.”
“I didn’t,” said Hansel, racking his brain for a memory of it. “I’m sure I didn’t…”
But the words died with the touch of the man’s fingers to Gerhardt’s beautiful jaw.
Hansel expected him to slap that hand away, to show the defiant spark that had marked every day of their lives together.
But Gerhardt only turned his head this way and that under Herr Candy’s control as he scrutinised him, dragging eyes over the beloved cheekbones, moving muscles in the adored neck, raking eyes through the tangle of beautiful dark hair, finishing on the lips that Hansel had so recently learned he loved to kiss.
“Such a healthy young man,” Herr Candy finally declared. “What luck.” He released his jaw with a slow trail of fingertipsto the tip of his chin, which he lifted, before bringing the golden dessert to Gerhardt’s lips. “Eat, dearest.”
Hansel stared on in inexplicable horror as Gerhardt’s lovely mouth dropped open, as Herr Candy pressed the cake between his lips, as Gerhardt’s white teeth came down, and as the moan of pleasure broke from him…
He’d heard that sound on Gerhardt’s lips only once. The night before, on the rock.
“Stop! Stop it!” Hansel ran up the stairs, shoved Herr Candy back, and put his body between them, holding Gerhardt away with a protective hand across his chest.
Herr Candy reacted with no more than a smile and the lean of his head to look over Hansel’s shoulder at Gerhardt.
Gerhardt, like a cat who’d lost her kittens, searched around desperately, eyes scanning the hard-toffee floor, the powdered sugar of the walls, the jewel-like lollies all around. Then he locked eyes on the cake.
He shoved Hansel aside as if he were nothing and dashed past him. He took hold of Herr Candy’s forearm with both hands, and, gripping tight, he devoured the cake directly from his hand. Raspberry jam spilled over Herr Candy’s fingers, ran down his wrist, painted Gerhardt’s lips and cheeks bright red, while Gerhardt let out all manner of pleasured moans and groans.
Herr Candy brought his other hand to Gerhardt’s hair, stroked over it, down around his ear, and along his cheek. “Good boy. Swallow it all.”
“Gerhardt…” Hansel whispered, shocked at the display, watching Gerhardt’s pink tongue lapping the sauce from the man’s bare hand.
“Looks like he wants to stay.” Herr Candy slid amused eyes over to Hansel. “Won’t you come inside…” And with a malicious smirk that displayed two cruelly sharp canine teeth, he added, “Hansel?”
One Lump or Two?
Hansel sat by the coffee table, his foot tap, tap, tapping, hands balled into tight fists on his thighs, staring at Gerhardt, who sat opposite him.
“And that’s when our father chased us into the forest,” Gerhardt was rattling out, dainty fingers drawing circles on a lace armchair cover.
“Dear boy,” said Herr Candy, settling a pot of steaming tea on the table, “you must have been terrified.”
“We were used to it. More or less.” Gerhardt let the man see another of his beautiful blushes, another of his shy smiles, and Hansel’s fingernails dug deep into his palms.
“But… your father?” The man flashed his grin between them, so clearly malevolent Hansel couldn’t understand why Gerhardt didn’t seem to see it. “Don’t tell me you’re brothers?”
“We are,” Hansel said protectively.
“Stepbrothers,” Gerhardt quickly added. “We’re not really related.”
“No,” said Herr Candy. “I couldn’t see the smallest resemblance between the two of you.” He turned his cheek away from Hansel as he said it, sending a shock of shame through him. This man was handsome. Gerhardt was gorgeous. And the tone made Hansel feel rough, unrefined, on the outside of something they both shared.
“Tea, Gerhardt?” asked Herr Candy, leaning over his shoulder.
“Yes, please, Herr Candy,” Gerhardt replied sweetly.
