Blame It On ‘The Jungle Book’

Co-written by: Myst and LJ


Kadyn stood bouncing on the balls of his feet and slowly perusing the books on the shelf in front of him. He jumped when someone suddenly tapped him on the shoulder.


Spinning around, he pulled out his earphones and glared at the person who had startled him. “Why the hell don’t you just shoot a person, as an alternative to merely scaring him to death!” he belligerently demanded.

Quirking an eyebrow at the unexpected response he’d received, Vincent smiled at the young man and said, “Hi, I’m Vincent and I was going to ask if I could help you find anything. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Hearing the bell above the door ding, he said, “I’ll leave you to the books. If you decide you need any help, I’ll be around.” With that he turned and went to the front counter to help a woman who had just entered the bookstore and was looking about, apparently in need of assistance.

Kadyn’s eyes followed the man as the shopkeeper moved to greet his other customer. ‘Hmmm, not bad looking,’ he grinned to himself as he cautiously watched the older man’s every move. ‘And he’s got a nice sounding voice.’ The young man filed these thoughts away in his mind as he turned back to what he had been doing. He waited anxiously for the woman to make her purchase and leave.

As he showed his new customer the nutrition and health section, Vincent could sense the good-looking young man was keeping track of his movements. Smiling to himself, he made his way towards the front counter. A few minutes later, he rang up two books for the woman. “Thank you for coming to the Book Market,” he said as he handed her a bag. “Please come again,” he added, with a smile.

Kadyn hurriedly turned back to what he had been doing when he saw Vincent walking his way. There were only the two of them in the store now and for some unknown reason, Kadyn felt out of his depth with the physical reaction he was experiencing. The closer Vincent came, the faster Kadyn’s heart beat. ‘This guy is getting better looking by the minute,’ he thought, his eyes opening wider as he felt himself hardening. ‘Shit, I gotta get outta here.’ He made a beeline for the door but never reached it.

After seeing his customer out, Vincent decided to see if he could help the young man. He was shocked to see him try to rush out the door as he approached him. ‘Something’s wrong,’ he thought and quickly intercepted him.

“Hey, is there a problem?” he asked with some concern apparent in his voice. “I was just coming over to see if I could help you find something of interest.”

‘Oh, I found something interesting all right,’ Kadyn quietly groaned. He’d die of embarrassment if this man were to discover the cause of his discomfort. Besides, for all Kadyn knew the big guy could even be homophobic. Not that the young man had a lot of experience in dealing with that kind of thing but he didn’t think now was the time to press his luck.

“Ah…yes…well…I-I need to purchase several copies of The Jungle Book…..Kipling’s version…..not someone else’s revision….” Realising he was babbling, Kadyn drew in a deep breath and pulled himself together. “My name is Kadyn Hart. I’m an assistant Cub Leader….that’s why I need the books.”

Vincent smiled at him, somewhat amused by the man’s nervousness. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Hart. I’m Vincent La Maur. So you’re a Cub leader. Well, volunteering to work with young boys is great and must be very rewarding. Kipling’s The Jungle Book; hmm, let me think.”

He went to the front desk and quickly checked the store’s inventory system. “I’m very sorry, but I don’t have any copies of that in stock. I can order some for you, however.” Glancing at the screen, he added, “It will take two… no, make it three days for the books to get here if I order today. How many would you like?”

As he waited for a response, he wondered what had caused Kadyn to try and rush out at his approach but decided not to pursue the matter. He felt an attraction to him and there was no way he wanted Kadyn to feel self-conscious around him.

“Just Kadyn is fine ‘cause Mr. Hart is my father.” The young man shyly returned the smile and began to relax. “Half a dozen copies will do if they aren’t too expensive.” He stood patiently watching Vincent’s fingers flying over the keyboard. “And two or three days is fine. Our next meeting isn’t until next Monday evening, so there is plenty of time.”

Kadyn rhymed off his phone number and with a ‘be seein’ya’, headed out the door.

************

Three days later, Vincent opened his latest delivery of books and saw the ones for Kadyn had arrived. Finding the order form with Kadyn’s phone number, he called hoping it was a good time to catch him. He was disappointed when all he got was voice mail asking him to leave a message. He’d really wanted to talk to Kadyn!

Shaking his head at himself, Vincent acknowledged his impatience to talk again to the intriguing young man. “Hello, Kadyn. This is Vincent La Maur from The Book Market. Your ‘Jungle Book’ order has arrived. It’s 4:30 right now and I’ll be here until six if you’d like to stop by and pick up the books today.”

Putting down the phone, he went back to unpacking the new arrivals and checking the invoices, but he really was not into it. He kept looking up as people walked by the store, hoping it would be Kadyn. Thankfully a few customers did come in, which made the time go by a bit better but he still kept an eye out for Kadyn.

A few minutes before six, he gave up and decided he’d better begin to shut things down. Just as he was about to close down the cash register, the door banged open and the young man he’d been waiting for rushed into the shop.

Kadyn skidded to a stop in front of the counter with a wide grin lighting up his young face. “I just got your message….the books are in!” he breathlessly exclaimed. He stood bouncing from one foot to the other. “Didn’t take any time at all, did it? Sometimes when people promise a delivery date, they’re usually way off.” He knew he was babbling yet again but couldn’t stop himself. It was a bad habit when he was anxious about something. His excitement over seeing this handsome man again far outweighed getting the books.

Vincent grinned at the other man’s obvious enthusiasm. He was glad Kadyn had come by before he’d closed the shop. He would have hated waiting another day to see him again.

Getting his mind back to the matter on hand, he spoke with a smile in his voice. “Well, I’m glad they got here so quickly as well. Do you want to pay for the books by cheque, credit card or cash? I take all three. The total is $44.55 and I’ll give you an itemized receipt. That way you can have it for reimbursement purposes.”

“I have a blank cheque from our group’s account,” Kadyn replied, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. “I’ve got identification right here, too.” He filled in the appropriate places while Vincent glanced over his driver’s licence.

“Great,” Vincent exclaimed as he quickly checked Kadyn’s birth date and smiled to himself. ‘Yes, I can ask him out. He is already eighteen.’

Vincent quickly completed the transaction, put the books and bill into a bag, and handed them to Kadyn. “Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me at the Grille? I’ve had a long day and a cup of coffee with some company sounds good right now.”

Kadyn’s eyes lit up. He could hardly contain his excitement. ‘Man, is he asking me out…..like maybe a date or something? How great it this?’ He had dreamed of being with this handsome man for days now. Vigorously nodding his head, he enthusiastically replied, “Sure thing. I can kinda do with a cup myself.”

Brightly sparkling blue eyes gazed up into gently smiling blue ones; neither man visualizing where this everyday-type of invitation was leading.

************

Kadyn was in seventh heaven. He and Vincent had been dating for several weeks now. The young man still had to pinch himself now and again to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He kept wondering when the bubble would burst. His parents had tried warning him that it could not last forever. Their list of concerns included the age difference and Kadyn’s free-spirited outlook on life versus Vincent more serious one, not to mention Kadyn’s habit to leap before he looked.

Mr. and Mrs. Hart considered Mr. LaMaur to be an upstanding member of society and while secretly hoping the business man would want their son as a life-partner, they doubted his ability to properly handle all that loving and living with Kadyn would entail. Their son was a firecracker. He would follow just about anyone if he thought a good time was to be had, but unfortunately he rarely stopped to think things over first. On the up-side, Kadyn was definitely a ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ kind of guy and extremely popular.

“I may have to have a long talk with Vincent,” Mr. Hart muttered to his wife as they watched their son head out on another date with Vincent. “I mean, the man deserves some warning.”

But Vincent was content. Kadyn and he were at the Maple Grille having a nice dinner. It was the anniversary of their second month of dating.

Kadyn sat gazing around the large restaurant while they waited for their meal to arrive. He had been here a few times with Vincent over the last two months and really liked the place. He spied another couple several tables over, arguing with each other. For reasons totally unknown to him, this struck him as funny and he began to mimic them.

“Kadyn, what are you doing?” Vincent asked, confused by the younger man’s actions.

“Just watching them,” he answered, pointing at the situation he found so amusing. “Man, are they ever getting in each other’s faces.”

“Well, there is no need to interest yourself in them. Let’s just have a nice dinner. After all, it is our anniversary; two months now,” Vincent reminded him with a smile.

“Yes, it is,” Kadyn agreed absently as he watched the head waiter rushed over to separate the couple. Their voices had been rising steadily and were not only attracting unnecessary attention, but also disturbing other patrons. Grinning impishly at the man beside him, he commented. “You’d think people their age would behave better, but I’m glad they’re not. It’s rather entertaining, isn’t it?”

“Yes, they should know better. But really, what they do isn’t your concern. And I don’t find it entertaining, I think it’s sad,” Vincent replied somewhat sternly. He didn’t understand Kadyn’s sense of humour at times and this was one of them.

“Maybe it’s their way of showing they love each other. Instead of saying ‘how’s about a little kiss, hon?’ it’s ‘how’s about a smack in the mouth?” Kadyn burst out laughing at the mere thought of it. “Maybe they give each other boxing gloves as gifts?” he suggested, still finding the whole idea hilarious.

“That’s enough!” Vincent said with a touch of irritation in his voice. “Please ignore them so we can enjoy our dinner. After all, tonight is about us, not them.”

“Hmm, just think, Vincent, we could be like that twenty years from now.” Kadyn noticed with a hint of disappointment that the couple was being escorted out of the building. He kept twisting around in his seat, not wanting to miss any of the action. Instead of ignoring the commotion as he’d been told, he was ignoring the man who was vying for his attention. Kadyn had been in a giddy mood most the day and was unable to recognize that he had pushed his companion to the end of his rope.

“Okay, I’ve had it. Come with me!” Vincent said as he stood up and pulled Kadyn to his feet. Ignoring the other people in the restaurant, he hustled Kadyn outside and towards his car.

“Hey, where are we going? This is supposed to be our night out,” Kadyn complained, dragging his feet and trying to turn the big man around.

Reaching the car, Vincent quickly looked around and took note of there being no one else in the parking lot. “When I say to stop something, I mean it,” he scolded as he bent Kadyn over the hood of the car and smacked him sharply on the rear half a dozen times. “Now, do you want to go back inside and finish dinner, or do you want to go home?”

Kadyn blinked in surprise, then glared up at Vincent as he rubbed the seat of his pants. “What did you do that for?”

“Why do you think? You were spoiling our anniversary dinner by making fun of others. I‘d asked you to stop more than once and you ignored me. You know me pretty well by now, and you know I won’t put up with acting out like that. Now, do you want to go back in or go home? I can do either.”

“I-I want to go back in,” Kadyn murmured. He glanced up to see if Vincent was angry. His eyes filled as he thought about how he had almost ruined their night. “I’m sorry, Vincent. I didn’t mean anything by it.” He shrugged his shoulders, slightly bewildered by his own behaviour. “It was just so darn funny, that’s all.”

“Okay, then let’s go back inside.” Vincent looked at the subdued younger man and impulsively reached out and gave him a hug. “We still have the rest of the night to enjoy.”

“So am I forgiven then?” Kadyn grinned optimistically, his customary sunny disposition re-enforcing itself.

“Of course you are! We’re fine,” Vincent assured him with a warm smile. “In fact, we’re great.”

“Yeah, I love you too.” Kadyn enthusiastically threw his arms around Vincent, pulled the taller man’s head down for a kiss and then announced, “I’m starving!”

“Okay, I’m starving too and there is a steak with my name on it at the table.” Vincent grinned, savouring the kiss he’d just received.

************

Vincent double-checked the table. He hoped it would impress Kadyn. They’d been dating for over three months now, and tonight he wanted to ask him to move in with him. He knew it was a big step and that the difference in their ages was more than some people would speak well of, but he was sure Kadyn was the one for him. Even Mr and Mrs Hart seemed to approve of him, which reassured him he was the right one for their youngest son.

As he inspected the lasagne and turned down the oven a bit, the doorbell rang. ‘At last,’ Vincent thought before he called out to his guest. “Come on in. I’m in the kitchen.”

Kadyn stood on the doorstep, looking around. He had been here many times before but this time he sensed something different in the air. “Hmm, probably just wishful thinking on my part,” he muttered to himself. He jumped at the holler from inside the house. “Serve’s me right for daydreaming.” He smiled as he opened the door and hurried down the hall to all but throw himself into Vincent’s open arms. “Hi, Darlin, I’m here!” he enthusiastically greeted his host.

Vincent bent down and gave Kaydn a deep kiss. “Hmmm, I like that greeting,” he said with a smile in his voice. “Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. Get yourself something to drink. I think I have everything you like,” he added with a wink.

Kadyn merrily pulled a couple of beer from the fridge, popped the caps and passed one to Vincent. He took a long cool swig and then launched into a tale about the latest events in his life. After all, he hadn’t seen Vincent since last night and his days were always full. “So…..Dad is thinking of working fewer hours and giving me more responsibility. What do you think of that?”

“That is good news, honey,” Vincent responded. “When will all of this be happening?” he asked as he took the salad out of the fridge and handed it to Kadyn to put it on the table.

“Well, I’ve been learning how to run the store on a kind of ‘as you go’ basis for the last couple of years, so it really only involves me working longer hours. But I’ll be taking over the inventory completely starting next week.” Ever hyper, Kadyn bounced on the balls of his feet the entire time he talked.

“Kadyn, calm down. This is really good news, but I don’t want you bouncing through the roof in the next five minutes,” Vincent teased. “The inventory is a lot of responsibility so I can see why you’re really excited!”

“Yeah, well Dad is also hoping if he keeps me busy, I’ll get in less trouble. Think it will work?” He grinned impishly up at the taller man.

Just then the timer went off and Vincent just smiled as he pulled the lasagne out of the oven. The smell was enticing and he couldn’t wait to see if Kadyn liked it. He’d never tried making something this complex for him before. “Would you put a trivet on the table? I forgot to put one on and we don’t want to burn the tablecloth,” he said slightly distracted. “And while keeping you busy may be good for you, you are never really in trouble nor are you troublesome!”

“Bet my Dad would beg to differ on that.” Kadyn chuckled and did as he was asked. Then he collected up the two empty beer bottles and put them in the box on the back porch.

Vincent just laughed at that remark. He quickly got the salad dressing and a bottle of rose wine out of the refrigerator. As they sat down and began filling their plates, their companionable conversation continued.

“Hmmm, this is really good, Vincent,” Kadyn acknowledged appreciatively around a mouthful of pasta and meat.

“Thanks! Have some wine; this rose is excellent, not too strong.”

Kadyn blinked. “We’re having wine? So, like what’s up? You only bring out wine on special occasions.”

“Well, this might be a special occasion,” Vincent commented. Deciding there probably wouldn’t be a better time; he smiled at Kadyn and said, “You know I love you. I’d like you to think about moving in with me permanently.”

Kadyn’s beautiful smile widened at the thought. “You mean it? We can live together? Be a real couple?” He jumped up from the table and scurried around to straddle Vincent’s lap. “I love you, Vincent,” he murmured as he lovingly kissed the other man’s lips.

“Of course I mean it,” Vincent replied, kissing him back. “There is no other man I would consider spending my life with, only you!”

“You know, that means I won’t have to get up and go home after we make love,” Kadyn laughed and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “If and when we ever do that is,” he mildly griped. He had never understood or accepted the older man’s insistence they wait for the right time. To him, just about any time was the right one.

“Trust me; when we make love, you will not be going anywhere. You are going to stay here with me, where you belong.”

The younger man snuggled into Vincent’s arms and sighed contentedly. He had been hoping for weeks now that this would happen.

“Kadyn, I want you to realize something about this relationship. I am the one in charge. It is not that your ideas and opinions aren’t important because they most certainly are. But when it comes down to the final decision on any given issue, that decision is mine.”

Kadyn got to his feet and stood looking down at Vincent with his hands on his hips. “In other words, you think you’re going to be the boss and you think I’ll just go along with that?” With eyes sparkling, Kadyn leaned in closer and quietly informed the other man. “I really shouldn’t be telling you this, but it is probably for the best if you were kinda in charge of things.” He moved back to his own chair and sat down.

“I’m glad you see it that way.” Vincent chuckled. “You do realise, I am not going to tell you what to do every second of the day. But as you’ve figured out by now, I will put a stop to anything I think out of line. I love you and want to be your partner, not run your life.”

“So I still get to have most my own choices in things that concern just me, right?” Kadyn asked with a cheeky grin.

“You can make your own choices but you’ll find most things concern both of us. For instance, if you wanted to get a nose ring; I can tell you right now that you can get it but you’ll never wear the jewellery. That is a choice that does affect both of us; even though you might think otherwise.”

“And what would happen if I insisted on wearing the nose ring?” Kadyn had to be sure.

“You’d find yourself going to bed with a sore backside.”

About to put a forkful of food in his mouth, Kadyn paused and stared across the table in disbelief. He must have misunderstood....he had better have misunderstood. “Could you clarify that please?”

“Part of being in charge is enforcing my decisions. If you defied me like that, I would spank you. I think you’ll soon find that my decisions are worth paying attention to. I’m not going to run every detail of your life; just those that would be detrimental to either your welfare or to our relationship. Rest assured, I will also be stepping in when you do anything life or health threatening. Understand?”

“How will I know for sure what is or isn’t acceptable, Vincent?” Kadyn was finally picking up on the seriousness in the older man’s demeanour and he began acting accordingly.

“Well, it stands to reason that anything you think might be ‘iffy’ would be something we should discuss. I will never take your concerns or opinions lightly, I promise you. After all,” Vincent softly assured the younger man, “all I want to do is make you safe and happy.”

“Okay then, just to make sure we’re both on the same page here; if I want to do something but have doubts it will meet your approval, I’m to check with you first to make sure.” Kadyn still seemed to have a few reservations about it all, but he was willing to give it a try. He loved and trusted Vincent to see that they both enjoyed a long and healthy life together.

“Yes, and it won’t be that hard, I promise.”

“Then, we'll do it!” Kadyn came to a decision and slowly nodded his agreement before looking up with an animatedly expression on his face. “Can I move in tomorrow?” he asked impatiently.

Vincent laughed out loud, partly at the young man’s enthusiasm and partly out of relief. He was extremely pleased that the discussion had gone so well. He knew Kadyn was going to be a handful due to being so impulsive and he was worried that one of these days his new partner’s behaviour would end up getting him in serious trouble.

And at least now, Kadyn knew Vincent was willing to help him make the right decisions and that Vincent would always be there for him.

The End