Chapter 64 - Sweet Offerings
Enter the Waif... please welcome Archie, and discover more about Nick's tardiness to the party.
Back to Chapter 63
You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
'Try a Little Kindness' Glen Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX7NNMKBPsw
Nick has been involved in a raid on a brothel with under-age boys. Returning from a trip to deliver some of the lads to a 'home' nearby, we take up the story from the perspective of one boy who is old enough to apparently look after himself, and won't be offered a place anywhere due to his mixed parentage.
Archie* sat huddled into himself at the back of the jail cell. The other men in with him looked menacing and he was scared that one of them would try something. One particularly nasty one kept leering at him, so he kept his head down, trying to stay alert, but he was so tired...
Mr. Henry's had been shut down. Not just raided, but actually shut down. Archie had no idea what he was going to do now. All the boys had been rounded up and most of them shunted off to receiving homes, but Archie had heard the desk clerk and one of the policemen talking about him at one stage and he knew exactly why he was the only one left in amongst the murderers and thieves.
Not only was he the only boy over eighteen, but he was the only one of mixed parentage. None of the European places would take him and the one place in town that dealt with Japanese issues didn't take whores. He had no idea what they had planned for him from here; presumably he'd end up charged with solicitation-not that he'd been doing any such thing when they raided the place. Ironically, he'd been doing one of his other jobs as the oldest boy there, shoveling coal for the fires. He was still filthy, as they hadn't even allowed him the chance to clean up properly; although he supposed he should be grateful, since he was sure his dirty state was part of the reason the lecher in the cell with him hadn't tried anything yet.
Archie's whole life had revolved around prostitution so far. His mother had been swept off her feet in the docks of Yokohama by a handsome sailor who just had to bring her home to America, only to abandon her as soon as he found out she was pregnant. Kiko had turned back to the trade she plied in Yokohama, as there was no other option available in a place like San Francisco for an obviously pregnant and unmarried Japanese woman. Luckily, Miss Lily Fontaine had seen the pretty Oriental's value, pregnant or no, and allowed her to stay in her house until the child was born, whereupon she immediately returned to work on her back.
Archie had lived in the brothel with her, along with several other children born to the whores at Miss Lily's, until he was twelve and old enough to work for Miss Lily's sometime 'friend' and business-partner, Mr. Henry. Kiko hadn't wanted her son to go into the same trade, but as she was getting older and had little saved with which to support them both, she felt she hardly had any choice, and Miss Lily was very good at reminding her of the kindness she'd shown in taking her in all those years previously when no-one else would have bothered.
Mr. Henry bought Archie for a reasonable price (paid to Miss Lily, of course; Kiko saw just a tiny portion of it) and transported him across town to one of his lesser-known places; one that catered for the sort of man who liked his boys young and innocent. Archie had been inducted into the pleasures of the flesh by learning to suck Mr. Henry and whoever else he chose for the boy, graduating to letting men use him as they would at the other end within three days of his arrival at the pleasure house.
At first, Archie had hated it, although he'd had some idea of what to expect-you didn't spend your childhood at a whorehouse and not learn a thing or two-but gradually, as he got used to the ways of some of the regulars, he realized it didn't have to be so bad.
Somewhere along the line, he discovered that not only could it be pleasant, but that he actually grew fond of one or two of the unfortunate men who were drawn to him. They weren't all sick and depraved as he had believed initially; some of them truly hated what they were and came here to relieve a desperate urge they didn't know how else to satisfy. One or two didn't even want sex; they just wanted someone to hold that wouldn't judge them.
Archie was popular too, especially once he got the measure of his own nature and realized he was just like these men, which not all the boys were. He even found himself admiring strangers in the street at times, wishing that at some point in his life a savior would come, see his potential, and take him away from his sorry life. He knew this dream was probably pointless, but some days it was only the fantasy that kept him going.
Mr. Henry wasn't the cruelest man Archie had met, but he had no tolerance for slackers, and any boy caught misbehaving got severely thrashed. He was a penny-pincher too, and the boys' rations were meager; barely enough some days to sustain the growing appetites of a bunch of adolescents. Their portion of what their bending over earned them was barely enough to cover clothing, essential supplies the whores needed to make things easier, any additional food they could find beyond what they were given, and the odd treat once or twice a year.
For Archie, all his extra cash, what little of it there was-and some he should have used for food-meant a cross-town trip to visit his mother every two weeks or so. She had gotten sick in the last few months, and probably wouldn't last out another winter, according to the doctor her wages paid for. Some kind of tumor, he believed, and certainly her swollen stomach indicated something of the sort. She still had a few faithful clients who'd pay for her despite the swelling, but Archie was so afraid for her, knowing the pain she was already in and how much she relied on the laudanum to get her through each day. The men's fees paid for the drugs and just enough food to keep her alive for a little longer.
Last week, when Archie had just managed to scrape up enough for an extra visit, she had looked even more fragile than ever, and Archie had wept openly on the journey home, sure he would never see her again. Now he was sitting in a jail cell, cold, dirty and alone, with no hope of earning anything at all in the foreseeable future. The chances that he would see Kiko again had been reduced to almost zero.
Archie felt his hope fade further with each hour that passed, and the whispers of the clerk beyond the cell door every time some constable asked about him just seemed to confirm that his fate would not be pleasant.
Nick wouldn't be able to explain, even to himself, why he felt compelled to return to the station house. He'd woken in his sweet Greg's arms and instead of sharing more cuddles, he nearly ran from Freeman's into the pre-dawn darkness. Stopping at his lodgings only for a quick wash-up and change of clothing, Nick mostly had himself convinced his intention was to ensure all the boys picked up in the raid were processed and placed in appropriate receiving homes.
Receiving home, Nick snorted lightly as he turned down the next block. What a euphemistic term for the local orphanages and boys' workhouses that was. Granted, some were better than others, but all were better than the hell-hole the boys were rescued from last night.
Nodding in greeting to two officers heading out for the early foot patrol, Nick ascended the steps to the station house and pushed his way in through the front doors. O'Reilly was dozing (as usual) behind the desk. The desk sergeant's feet hit the floor with a thud when Nick slapped the surface.
"The paperwork from last night's raid is completed? Where is it?" Nick barked when the portly Irishman snapped to attention in his chair.
O'Reilly handed over the sheaf of papers and squirmed in his seat. "One of them is a mixed-breed and neither the Nippon* nor Christian charities would take him..."
"Where is he?" Nick looked around the room, scowling when he saw it bare, "Tell me you did not put a poor abused child in the cells."
The huddled figure pulled at Nick's heartstrings as he waited for the clerk to finish signing over the boy to his care.
"You there, boy, come here," The clerk called out as the jailer opened the cell and pushed back one or two of the ruffians within.
Archie lifted his head, unsure who was being addressed. He frowned as the clerk gestured at him again impatiently. Stretching out his legs, he stood up slowly and pointed to himself. The clerk nodded exaggeratedly and lifted a lip in impatience as Archie carefully made his way to the front of the cell, heart thudding. Where were they taking him?
The jailer grabbed Archie's arm as he stepped close to the cell door, dragging him out and slamming the heavy thing behind him. Archie winced as the hand on his arm tightened and he was pushed forward. The firm grip was finally released and Archie looked up into the warm brown eyes of a solid-looking man. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, but this man surely didn't mean him any harm, did he?
Eyes moist, Nick swallowed around the lump in his throat, unable to speak. This was the boy whose eyes had haunted him since the raid. In the stronger lighting than had been available in the prostitution cribs, Nick could clearly distinguish this boy's mixed heritage. He knew he was going to have a tough row to hoe to convince one of the charities to take him in. In the mean time, this poor soul was not going to stay locked in a jail cell.
"Come on, let's get you to somewhere safe, get you cleaned up and fed." Nick tried to smile brightly, hoping at the least he appeared non-threatening. "Then we'll get you placed in a good workhouse that will prepare you for an apprenticeship in a decent trade," Nick ramblingly stretched the truth as he led the way out of the cells. It would take a lot of pressure, greased palms and calling in some markers to get the boy in any workhouse.
"I'm Inspector Stokes... Nick... by the way. What is your name? It wasn't listed on the forms from last night."
Archie didn't really understand where the inspector was taking him, but it couldn't be any worse than being left in the jail cell with the thugs who would just as likely rape him once the lights went out.
He shivered wretchedly as he stumbled after the man, and answered tremulously, "Archie. Archie Johnson." He didn't dare say anything that wasn't an answer to a question yet, for fear of what might happen. He had questions of his own, but wasn't sure he'd like the answers.
In the street, Archie stopped for a moment, considering making a run for it, but he was cold and hungry and had no idea where to go if he did run. Please God, he found himself praying, Don't let this man be cruel. All Archie could think was that wherever Nick Stokes was taking him, no matter what his words implied, he had a sexual purpose in mind for the next short while.
As long as he got fed and had somewhere warm to stay for even a short time, Archie honestly didn't care beyond not wishing to be hurt in the course of it. It wasn't like he'd have been doing anything different if he'd still been at Mr. Henry's right now.
The marine layer lent an ethereal quality to the streets as Nick led his young charge through the early dawn. He resisted putting a comforting arm around the youth, not wanting to scare Archie or give him the impression Nick expected anything like the whorehouse patrons. However, Nick would put out a guiding hand to help Archie avoid obstacles blocking their path.
A few blocks from his rooming house, Nick turned down an alley, the yeasty smells from the bakery he was headed to hastening his steps. "The dairyman should have made his delivery by the time we arrive," he said soothingly. "I'm not a cook by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I could manage to rustle up an egg dish to have with some fresh baked bread. That sound alright?"
As they pushed through the door, the baker's wife was filling one side of the display case with a selection of doughnuts. Smiling at the rumble that could only have come from Archie's stomach, Nick smiled fondly and nudged him forward. "Go ahead and pick out a few."
Archie couldn't believe it when the officer started talking about food, and then took him through the door of the most delicious-smelling place he thought he'd ever been.
Archie breathed in deeply, appreciating the wonderful odors, and before he knew it, he was being nudged forward and asked to choose something. The man had said he'd cook something too, Archie now realized, but it hadn't quite sunk in at the time, Archie's thoughts being elsewhere.
"Y-you want me to ch-choose?" Archie stuttered, his mouth watering and eyes widening at the delectable sight in front of him. He glanced nervously up at the officer's face, wondering for a moment when the slap around the ear would come. "I don't know," he said eventually, when the man's kind smile had turned into an encouraging nod. "I've never eaten... uh... I don't know what's good. That one?" Archie pointed randomly, having no idea what he was even looking at, despite how wonderful it smelt.
"Aww," a soft spot within Nick grew, then he blushed when the baker's wife met his eyes, "Ah... why dontcha make it two of those, and box up a selection to make a half dozen," he told the woman. Leaving Archie to closely observe every move of pastry to box, Nick moved off to select a loaf of bread and to pay for his purchases.
Nick couldn't help his smiles when he and Archie left the shop. The youth carried the twine-wrapped box as if it were as fragile as spun glass. The pair was soon at Nick's rooming house, and after a brief stop to take the dairyman's delivery into the kitchen and helping himself to a crock of butter and a few eggs, Nick led the way up to his rooms.
"The bathroom's down the hall, but why don't we get at least one of those doughnuts in you while I fix some eggs and toast?" Nick offered as he fussed with the tiny coal stove in the corner.
The place Archie had been taken to looked like the man's rooms-where he actually lived-and Archie was so unused to being anywhere so nice that his eyes widened as he took in the plain but clean surroundings. The brothel his mother worked in was pleasant enough and not really dirty, but neither that nor the place he'd been living for the last six years was anywhere as nice as this, although it didn't seem all that fancy.
A bathroom 'down the hall', rather than outdoors, the stove in the man's room, and being offered the amazing-looking food in the box he'd carried here... it was stunning.
Archie didn't know what to say, but the offer of food was too good to refuse. He nodded uneasily and waited while Inspector Stokes unwrapped the twine from the box Archie still held.
Once it was opened, the officer took the box and held it under Archie's nose, smiling more encouragement that he should take one. Gingerly, Archie reached in, carefully lifting the soft dessert from where it was nestled in between the others. His saliva seemed to be filling his mouth, he was so hungry.
One more worried look cast in the policeman's direction, and then Archie forgot all about his presence as he bit into the delectable treat. Oh! It was almost the most delicious thing Archie had ever tasted, and although he was incredibly hungry, he knew he had to savor it-who knew when he'd be allowed anything so wonderful again?
"Thank you," he murmured shyly after taking and swallowing a small mouthful, then closed his eyes to better appreciate the taste as he nibbled it slowly.
"You're welcome," Nick reached for a doughnut and took a large bite, "Go ahead and finish it, and maybe one more. Can't have you spoiling your appetite for anything more substantial, right?" While he spoke, Nick licked the sugary coating from his fingers and started on the eggs.
"The rest of the doughnuts are yours, this one will do me," Nick yattered on after catching the look of almost orgasmic enjoyment on Archie's face.
The poor child, he thought, color blooming on his cheeks. Probably had never had the luxury of such simple pleasures Nick took for granted. He did hope Archie would attribute his blush to heat from the hot plate. Internally Nick cursed his body's initial reaction; behaving like one of the perverted lechers who frequented the establishment Nick had rescued the boy from.
Archie couldn't believe the man's generosity, and he merely stared at his back for a few minutes after he finished the first 'doughnut'. Trying to decide whether he would willingly do anything the officer wanted in exchange for the food, he finally couldn't resist picking up another one, and ate it a bit faster. If Inspector-Stokes, was it?-was going to let him eat the rest of the box and give him eggs too, why not? What was a little bit of sex in return for a full belly? And it wasn't like he was unattractive.
With a clatter of crockery, Nick dished up the eggs and slathered a couple of thickly cut slices of bread with butter. "I've not much in the way of dining facilities, but that trunk should do you as a table." Nick handed a plate to Archie and pulled a chair up to the trunk. He set a glass of water alongside with an apologetic murmur that he forgot to borrow milk from his landlady as well.
"Don't be shy; dig in," Nick encouraged, balancing his own plate on his knee after sitting carefully on the side of the bed.
Wiping his hands roughly on his dirty shirt, Archie smiled encouragingly, then took the mouth-watering plate offered.
Sitting down gingerly, he murmured, "It's okay; water's fine."
Giving another brief smile towards the man on the bed, Archie picked up the cutlery and began to eat. He didn't think he'd ever tasted anything so delicious-apart from the doughnuts-in his whole life. It was amazing what being hungry did for your taste buds, not that Archie had known much other than permanent hunger for the past six years.
It didn't take long before Archie had finished everything on his plate and the water. Eyeing the remaining doughnuts, he kept still, in case the officer didn't mean he was allowed them right now. Perhaps he'd be asked to clean up before they did anything, which Archie wouldn't mind. He was very dirty and he doubted this man would want dirty marks all over him or his clothes.
"Are you done? Good!" Nick said brightly. He knew Archie was probably still hungry, poor starved boy. Giving him more now would do more harm than good. Small meals for now, and then hopefully by the time Nick had him placed in a workhouse or apprenticeship, Archie would be close to normal.
"Let's get you cleaned up then," Nick bounced off the bed, taking and stacking their plates near the stove. He rummaged in a cupboard, coming up with a new bar of soap, a large towel and an old shirt of his that the boy could sleep in. "Come on, come on," he urged as he led the way to the bathroom down the hall. He quickly demonstrated the taps for the tub and left Archie to bathe, telling the boy he was setting the lock so he wouldn't be disturbed by another resident.
"Take your time and I'll return for you in a little bit," Nick said, before closing the door behind him. Once back in his room, Nick tidied up and then took some extra bedding and pillows to make a bed for Archie on the floor.
He would have to find more than his shirt for Archie to wear; the rags he had on would go straight to the incinerator. They were not worth any effort of trying to clean, Nick thought as he stretched out on his bed. He'd give the boy a few more minutes to revel in the tub. Nick's landlady was generous with her boarders, and the water heaters for the bathrooms were quite large.
A yawn split Nick's face and he smiled to himself about part of the cause. As long and as dismal as part of the night had been, spending the few hours in his Greggo's arms had done wonders to dispel some of the horrors of the conditions Archie and his fellow whores had been in. Nick sighed-all the boys were out of that now-and he let his mind wander to more pleasant things, such as his sweet Greg. Lordy, he wished he could provide a home for his boy. Cuddling that short while had been so special, Nick thought as his eyes began drifting closed.
Archie couldn't believe the bathroom-it was wonderful! The tubs the boys bathed in at Mr. Henry's were the kind you had to fill by hand after heating the water on the wood stove, so they didn't do the full bath thing that often. Luckily, as the eldest, Archie usually had the water first and hottest though.
He savored the tub for quite some time, washing himself thoroughly, including his hair, which was heavenly. He lay back in the water for a while afterwards, closing his eyes and dozing in the warmth for some minutes before rousing himself and getting out again. The water was pretty dirty afterwards, so he let it go and carefully cleaned the tub as best he could with the edge of the towel before pulling the long shirt over his head.
The policeman had promised to come back and get him, but by now half an hour had passed and he was nowhere to be seen, and Archie was a little worried that someone else would want to use the room, so he collected the wet towel and the soap and tiptoed back along the hallway.
Opening the door to the room they'd been in, Archie peered nervously around it, in case he'd got things wrong. Inspector Stokes was stretched out on the bed though, looking very close to sleep, if not already there.
Archie swallowed and carefully closed the door, walking across the room and hanging the damp towel on a rack near the stove and placing the soap carefully on a dish that seemed designed for it after some consideration on whether it was in fact its home.
He turned towards the bed and watched the man for a few moments, his heart beating a little fast. Obviously, the man would want some kind of payment for his trouble, and Archie knew what it would be. He just wasn't sure if he should disturb him when he looked so happy, dozing as he was. But... if he expected the sex now, would it be wrong for Archie to simply curl up and try to sleep? He was tired... but...
Warring with himself for some minutes, Archie finally decided that few men got upset at being disturbed if it meant they got some kind of pleasure from the interruption; in his experience, anyway. He moved slowly onto the bed and, biting at his lip, removed the shirt once more and kneeled next to the slumbering form as he slowly began undoing the man's belt. He managed to get the trousers open, and began to unbutton the union suit underneath.
Lost in his thoughts about his sweet Greg, Nick hummed softly. His hips shifted, assisting his dream Greg in accessing his growing need. He thought he reached out a hand to caress Greg's spiky hair, but it only twitched on the coverlet as he slept on.
"Ahh, lordy swee..." Nick muttered thickly as his dream Greg uncovered his firming flesh. So special, his boy was. Always seeming to know exactly what Nick needed. After their incredible lovemaking, this time spent cuddling in each other's arms had done wonders to dispel the events earlier.
A small frown furrowed Nick's brow; something wasn't quite right. They had snuggled flesh to flesh, right? That thought and more scattered as hot breath puffed over his even hotter flesh. "Yesss... please..." he mumbled encouragingly.
The words certainly indicated agreement to what Archie was thinking to do, and the officer's cock was definitely hard, so Archie assumed he was doing the right thing.
Sliding sideways to sit more comfortably beside the man on the bed and still allow access to his own half-hard cock should Inspector Stokes be interested, Archie circled his tongue delicately around the swollen cock-head he held in one hand. He supported himself across the broad thighs with the other arm, and as the touches so far evidently pleased his savior, Archie slowly allowed his soft lips to encircle the first inch of the hot flesh.
Nick hummed again as Greg's lips slid over his length. Only... it wasn't right. The way Greg's lips, tongue and bit of teeth felt so wrong. Nick's eyes finally opened and it took a full moment before what he was seeing registered.
"Who...? What are you...? No!" Nick's voice rose high in his shock as he scrambled backwards toward the headboard. "No! You shouldn't... you don't need to...!" Blushing furiously Nick stammered, the pitch of his voice still high. Oh Lordy! How had he given this poor child the impression he expected some sort of sexual favor? He'd been so tired; the few hours in Greg's arms too short. Oh Sweet Lord, it was all his fault, allowing himself to doze off thinking of his Greggo.
Archie sat up where he was, wide-eyed in surprise at the officer's reaction. He dropped his eyes at the man's obvious embarrassment, and wondered if he'd somehow got it all wrong. But perhaps he was just one of those men who wasn't really sure...?
Looking up again carefully, Archie shifted forward, cautiously placing a hand on the man's knee as he kneeled next to him.
"You brought me here for a reason, didn't you? You've been so kind... I should repay you. It's okay, I like it. I was never forced into it, don't worry." He smiled hopefully, unsure what else he could do to relax the officer.
"No! No!" Nick protested, clearing his throat a couple times in an attempt to modulate his voice back to a normal range. "No, it's not okay. You don't owe... I don't expect..." he stammered, his thigh flexing under Archie's palm as he sat up further against the headboard.
Cheeks already pink in embarrassment, Nick felt his face, neck and more flame when he noticed his still firm member was exposed to the boy. He cupped a hand over his groin, ducking his head until he could master some control over himself.
"Archie, you are free from that life now." Nick turned kindly eyes back up to the boy. "Never again do you have to perform those sex acts." He made as if to emphasize his point with a caring touch to Archie's shoulder, but quickly tucked his hand back to his lap.
"I... please forgive me..." covering himself best he could, Nick nearly leapt from the bed. "Bathroom. I'll be right back," he stammered from the doorway.
"Your, your bed... there. You must be exhausted; sleep." Nick fumbled a few buttons closed and escaped out the door, cursing himself for still being hard.
Not 'perform those sex acts'? Archie furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment, then the meaning dawned on him. He wouldn't have to sell his body any more for a living. But what would he do? What else was there for someone who'd been doing this since he was twelve? And who would take on an ex-whore-a male one at that-at his age?
Letting the man escape from the room in his surprise, Archie shook his head, unable to even deduce what Officer Stokes had in mind for him. He grabbed the shirt he'd discarded and pulled it back over his head, smiling vaguely to himself.
No matter what the man said, he was still excited by what Archie had done or his cock would have softened long before he left the room. Archie's own prick was still tingly, but he wouldn't touch himself now in case the policeman returned and caught him. Somehow, he didn't think that was the way to pay the man back for his hospitality; he was obviously unused to anything too blatant, although Archie was sure he'd eventually realize his 'guest' certainly wasn't against the idea of sex with him.
The officer was cleaner than a lot of the men he'd serviced, and attractive enough. There was no other way Archie could pay him back for the kindness he'd shown in any case, so unless he was thinking Archie should clean the room for him-not that it needed it-he knew he'd be offering sex again. Officer Stokes would see soon enough that it was clear to Archie he was interested in boys, and that Archie didn't mind.
Once locking the bathroom door behind him, Nick cursed himself for being all manner of pervert. Archie was just a boy, and here he was still hard and throbbing. He swore as he filled the basin with cold water. Cupping up handfuls to cool his heated face did not help.
Nick fumbled open the front of his trousers and took himself in hand. Greg's face swam before his image in the small mirror over the basin. Panting noiselessly, he grasped at his sweet boy's smile, shoving away visions of Archie's joy when first biting into the sugary doughnut. It didn't take long until he was jerking in release, heart thumping in exertion and still a small measure of embarrassment.
Sated, if not completely calmer, Nick re-entered his room a short while later. Hair still damp from bathing in the sink, his clothing once again in order, Nick smiled shyly at Archie.
"Will that be enough?" Nick indicated the fluffy pile of bedding and pillow. "Oh, here, have another doughnut if you'd like." His smile softened when he spied the pastry box. "They are all for you... but not all at once or you'll risk a bellyache."
Archie had waited quietly, sitting cross-legged on the pile of bedding that the officer had indicated as he ran out of the room. Not answering the man vocally, Archie nodded, and then allowed a smile to light up his face as Inspector Stokes offered him another doughnut.
"Thank you," he said quietly as he stood up and moved across the room to stand near Stokes as he offered the box to Archie.
Carefully, Archie took another sweet treat from the box, his mouth beginning to water before the smell even reached his nose. He didn't move away from the other man yet, peeking up from under his lashes as he bit into the delectable doughnut to carefully watch the man's reaction.
The soft spot in Nick's heart lurched, knowing this simple pleasure of a tasty sweet, as well as being clean and having a warm place to rest, had to be so unusual for the poor boy. Nick had to be misinterpreting the coy glances. Surely they were caused by his randy thoughts and actions alone in the bathroom.
"You are welcome," he smiled at last, not quite meeting Archie's eyes in fear of flushing again.
"Go ahead and curl up and try to sleep," Nick put the box away and moved to douse the gas lamps. "It was a long night for both of us." A blush did steal over Nick's cheeks at how most of his was spent. "A long nap will be refreshing, I'm sure." Removing his boots only, Nick then flicked back the coverlet on his bed and stretched out with a sigh.
"Later... or even tomorrow, depending on how long we sleep," Nick's smile gleamed in the low light, "we'll begin to figure out our next steps."
Another sigh escaped Nick as he turned to face the wall. Lordy, for Archie's sake, he needed to find a place for the boy... and soon.
Next steps?
Archie wasn't sure what that meant, but he hoped it meant he'd be able to stay here. He wasn't sure what the man had planned for him beyond taking him out of the jail cell, and if it wasn't sex he wanted, then why he'd even do that was hard to fathom. Perhaps he was just being cautious? The sex would come later, he supposed; the man pretending he didn't want it and then suddenly demanding it in return for all he'd done.
Well, it wouldn't be a hardship, and Archie would keep offering it until he felt comfortable enough to go ahead with it. There was little else he could offer, anyway, and the officer would find out soon enough that there was no-one who would take Archie in beyond another Mr. Henry.
Curling up as bid, Archie savored the warmth of the room and the freedom to stretch out alone in the make-shift bed; no bony angles against his body, and harsh snoring in his ears. The floor wasn't the softest place, but this bed was no worse than the pallet he'd shared with three others for the last three years.
It didn't take long before he felt himself drifting off, the comforting sounds of the low fire crackling and the other man's deep breathing lulling him to sleep.
Archie wasn't sure what woke him; perhaps it was just close to the usual hour when he began work. He didn't have a timepiece of his own, but the gentle tick-tock of the beautiful clock on a shelf on the other side of the room drew Archie's eye, and he nodded at the realization that he was right. It was already after 6pm.
Sitting up and stretching, Archie sneaked a peek at the large figure still snoring lightly on the bed. The man was obviously kind, going by all he'd done for Archie so far, but he wasn't sure how long the officer would want Archie about, unless he intended to keep him locked in here to keep the place clean, and perhaps to indulge in sex when he wanted it. What about his landlady? Wouldn't she wonder?
Carefully, Archie climbed out of the makeshift bed and began to wander about the simple room, looking at the few items on display. The clock was by far the most opulent thing and Archie wondered at it. Perhaps the man's family had money, or else he had saved hard to buy it.
Archie moved to a couple of tin-type pictures in simple frames nearby. Photography was still new to Archie, and he marveled over the likenesses of the people in the pictures. One was of the officer himself in a police uniform*, and Archie studied it intently before turning back to compare it to the man in the bed. The other seemed to be of a middle-aged couple dressed in their Sunday best; perhaps Inspector Stokes' parents, at a guess. Archie could see a certain likeness in the man's jaw.
A movement in the bed made Archie afraid that he could be accused of snooping, and Inspector Stokes may not like it. Suddenly realizing how untidily he'd left his bed, Archie trotted back across the floor to pull together the bedding. The last thing he needed to do was to make the policeman angry at him, or he might end up out on the street.
Archie's stomach rumbled at the thought of being denied more food and he glanced longingly at the pastry box on the shelf as he smoothed the bedcover and sat down to wait for Inspector Stokes' bidding.
"C'mere son," Nick drawled softly, somewhat refreshed after his nap. Upon waking, his first sight from under his lashes was Archie's small figure across the room. Only his head peeked out of the too large shirt the way the waif had his limbs folded and chin resting on his knees. The sight of the forlorn boy hugging his legs close, tugged at Nick's heartstrings.
The bleakness of the poor child's life to date must still dwell on him. Nick let out a sympathetic sigh. That hell hole had probably been all he knew, and he must feel so alone in the world.
Rolling to fully face the boy, Nick held out a hand. "It's okay," he encouraged, offering simple human comfort that most people took for granted.
Archie stared at the officer for a few beats, unsure, as he invited him nearer, then he gave a small smile as Stokes held out his hand and spoke again. He must want his payment now, then, and that was all right, really. Archie wasn't worried about it. It was no different to what he'd done at Mr. Henry's for all these years.
Carefully unfolding himself from his bed, Archie moved across the room to take the outstretched hand and sit on the edge of the bed. The man definitely seemed shy; it wouldn't pay to act too knowing.
"Shall I take off my clothes now?" he asked shyly.
His soft smile wobbling a little for all the poor child had been through, Nick enfolded Archie in a hug. His jaw tightened at the softly spoken question, but Nick was determined not to react negatively. Archie didn’t know better, he kept telling himself. The abused child would eventually come to realize he never again had to offer sex.
"Shh, don't even think about that, shug," Nick cradled Archie's thin frame, rocking slowly. "I told you, you don't have to do that ever again, you know, offer... have sex with... men..." Nick wound down his speech barely above a whisper as his face flamed.
The large frame cradling him made Archie feel very small, but a warmth went through him that he didn't quite recognize; something he was a little unsure of, and although he gave in to the strong hug for a moment, he had to pull away again fairly quickly. Disquieted by the man's embarrassment, he was confused by the words.
"I really don't?" he asked, frowning in worry. "What else do you want me for?"
"No, you don't." Nick had to work at keeping his smile from wobbling. He let Archie move to the edge of the bed, but put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You aren't required to do anything for me. But," Nick finally got his emotions in control and his lips quirked teasingly, "what I want... is for you to accompany me to dinner. Does that sound okay?" The corners of Nick's eyes crinkled as his smile grew.
Nothing? This man didn't want anything? That seemed too hard to believe. Dinner? Archie couldn't help the way his eyes opened in surprise and delight at the idea of another hot meal.
Then something clicked into place as he remembered one of the boys talking about a client who had taken him out to eat. Some men had this need to wine and dine (although nowhere very smart, it had to be said, since a man could hardly be seen to be having that kind of relationship with a teenage boy in polite company) a potential bedmate before they had sex with them, as if it made any kind of difference.
If it made things easier for the officer, Archie wouldn't make a fuss. Besides, he'd get a meal out of it, at least, even if tomorrow he ended up on the street.
Archie nodded. "Now? But I don't have anything else to wear."
After gently shooing Archie off the bed, Nick stood to once again rummage in his wardrobe. "Have another pastry while I look for some trousers we can modify for you," Nick offered over his shoulder. "That won't spoil the appetite of a growing boy like you, yeah? Here, these should work," Nick tossed a pair of trousers that had seen better days onto the bed.
"Hmm, what to belt them with," Nick mused as he turned his attention to the bureau. He made sure not to glance around to give Archie as much privacy as possible. "Shoes we'll have to do with out for now," he rattled on, "But we're only going downstairs. My landlady sets an informal dinner, plus she'll probably know where we can find you clothes that fit. Umm, she's a good Christian woman, and would have no understanding of what kind of place you came from. If y'all just let her make any assumptions she may, that you were a street urchin or the like, that'll save all of us needless embarrassment, yanno?" Nick still felt his cheeks heat after his pronouncement.
Archie was still confused by the whole thing, but he nodded happily when the officer suggested he have another doughnut, and he immediately made small work of it while the other man found something for him to wear.
The trousers hung off him and he held them up loosely while he waited, the long shirt tucked deeply inside. He listened intently to the instructions, sure the landlady would easily guess what he was, but he wouldn't say that to this innocent man.
Instead he simply nodded again, dropping his eyes carefully as Inspector Stokes turned to him with something in his hand, so the man didn't have to be any more embarrassed.
Only at the last moment was Nick able to hold back the 'awww' on his lips when he turned. Swallowed by the too large clothes, Archie looked the angelic waif that tugged on Nick's heartstrings. He held out the long necktie in his hands and moved forward slowly so he wouldn't frighten the boy.
"Let's belt this around your waist, and once we roll up the trouser legs, that should be sufficient." Despite blushing as his fingers skated across Archie's warm skin through the thin shirt, it didn't take long to knot the length of fabric around the boy's waist.
Once the pair entered the dining room, Nick was pleased to see only a couple of the other tenants were there. A middle aged school teacher who rarely spoke to anyone, preferring to keep her nose in a book or pouring over papers, and a shy seamstress-clerk who popped her eyes up as he and Archie entered, blushed demurely and quickly lowered her gaze back to the table.
Archie carefully kept his eyes down as they entered the dining room; sure that the respectable ladies there wouldn't understand why a man would have a half-breed boy in his care.
The landlady concerned him more, as he was sure women like this saw and understood more than most, since they were in a position to see all sorts of comings and goings. On the odd occasions he'd accompanied some man to his boarding house, he'd seen the disdainful looks from such women, and knew that his type were not welcome for the most part. Part of it was his mixed parentage, but he was fairly certain a lot more was due to his occupation.
Seating himself gingerly at Officer Stokes's gentle insistence, Archie adjusted his too-large trousers and waited nervously for something to happen.
"Inspector Stokes, how good of you to join us this evening!" From the dining room doorway, the slim form of Nick's landlady stood with arms akimbo as she gushed fawningly. "Mercy me, I feel safer already. Wouldn't you agree ladies?" Mrs. Porter gave pointed looks to her other two boarders.
Before either woman could respond, Mrs. Porter spied Archie trying to shrink into his chair. "And what do we have here?" Motioning her serving girl forward to set the soup tureen on the table, Mrs. Porter came over to take Archie's chin in her bony hand.
"Not much to him. Sit up boy, slouching does not become you."
Blushing from the earlier excessive praise, Nick tried to protest, "Have a care ma'am, he's just a street urchin I'll be placing..."
"Poor motherless child!" Mrs. Porter exclaimed, still turning Archie's chin back and forth. "Mixed-breed too," she tsked. "At least it's not one of those girls you tried to have me house for a day or two," she finished in a stage whisper.
"Ma'am please," Nick sent Archie an apologetic look and ignored a snigger from the school teacher. He sat at the place beside Archie, not at the head of the table where Mrs. Porter tried to place him whenever he was in residence for a meal. "He's been through a lot of trauma, and won't be a problem..."
"I've seen his type. Keep your doors locked ladies, and I'll be counting the silver, boy, so keep your sticky fingers to yourself." Finally she released Archie and marched back to the kitchen to oversee the progress of dinner.
"She's not the one who should be worrying about sticky fingers," the school teacher snorted, not bothering to look up from her papers.
Frowning into his plate after the woman finally let him go, Archie straightened up in his seat a little, sniffing cautiously at the delicious smell of the soup wafting through the room. Already his mouth was watering, although he wished he and the officer could eat away from the horrible woman and her rude comments. He might be a whore, but he'd never been a thief, and he was certainly not motherless, but he wasn't about to tell her about Kiko.
He wasn't quite sure what the other woman meant by her words that the landlady wasn't the one who should be worried. He screwed up his face, puzzling at the meaning, but other than the idea he might steal from the man who was offering him such kindness, he couldn't fathom what she could be implying. She couldn't have worked out anything about him, or at least he hoped not.
He offered Inspector Stokes a smile that he hoped the man would read as confirmation that Archie would never steal from him, but said nothing, knowing it was pointless for him to attempt to sway these white people into believing anything different from what their narrow minds had already set on.
Face red in anger now, Nick returned Archie's smile with one of his own. He bided his time until Mrs. Porter rejoined them (frowning in disapproval at where Nick was sat). She took her seat at the foot of the table, and they all bowed their heads while she said a thankfully brief grace. Nick waited until after the soup was served as well as thick slices of sourdough bread, and Archie began tucking into the steaming bowl before him.
"Madam," Nick resisted the urge to clear the lump of bile in his throat as he set down his spoon, "I must protest your treatment of this poor child. He has done you no harm, nor will he. The place where he was sleeping burned down last night," well, was razed as a deterrent to the pimps getting back in business quickly, but that was not anything he'd share, "I assumed you would have felt as I did that a cold jail cell was not the place for a poor innocent waif down on his luck."
Nick held up a hand when Mrs. Porter opened her mouth to interrupt. "You run a clean boarding house and always have been generous with the fare you provide your tenants, requesting only that we pay our rent on time, and respect you and your staff. I ask for some respect in return. I would never bring anyone here who could potentially jeopardize the welfare or safety of you or any of my fellow tenants. That you would assume otherwise gravely disappoints me." Stealing a glance at Archie, Nick nudged him beneath the table to keep eating.
"Well I never..." Mrs. Porter spluttered when Stokes paused.
"Nor I, madam. I never assumed Christian charity and respect did not extend to all of God's creatures. The boy will be here, under my care until I can find him a good home. If that is a problem for you, I will gladly find lodgings elsewhere."
Archie couldn't believe it when Nick started speaking. He swallowed the lump of bread in his mouth jerkily, and stopped spooning soup into his mouth. He sat there, his mouth slightly ajar as he looked between his savior and the landlady.
At the officer's nudge, he realized how shocked he must look, and shut his mouth with an almost audible clack of his teeth before quickly beginning to eat again.
A warm glow had started deep inside Archie at Inspector Stokes's championing of his cause. He wished he could reach out and touch the man right here and now, but he knew it wasn't appropriate. Later on though, he'd show the policeman exactly how much he appreciated the fact that Stokes had spoken up for him like he had-no matter how the man protested.
Archie carried on eating, keeping his eyes and face lowered.
After some disgruntled grumblings from Mrs. Porter (and a tiny smile from the bashful seamstress), the remainder of the meal was consumed mostly in silence. As Nick hoped, Mrs. Porter backed down, not wanting to lose what she deemed the feather in her cap of having an important city official under her roof. Plus, the generous rent Inspector Stokes paid had to be a deciding factor.
Nick breathed a sigh of relief, glad he didn't have to pull Archie away from a decent meal. He would have gone through on his threat to leave, even if looking for lodgings at the same time as placing the boy somewhere would have put Nick in quite a pickle.
Declining to stay and dawdle over coffee, Nick delivered their thanks for the meal and good evenings to Mrs. Porter and their dining companions. After he pulled out Archie's chair and the boy stood, Nick surreptitiously rucked up the back of the sagging too-large britches as the pair escaped the dining room.
Mumbling his own thank you to the horrible woman, Archie gratefully and gracefully-well, as gracefully as a small youth in over-large trousers could manage, anyway-left the room with Inspector Stokes.
Once back in the room, Archie fingered the too-big pants and gave the policeman a small smile, looking up from under long lashes.
"Thank you..." Archie trailed off after the simple words.
He didn't quite know how to put what he was thanking Officer Stokes for without being rude about his landlady, or gushing over what the man had said about looking after him until he found a 'good home', whatever that meant. Moving a step closer, Archie was sure that if he did this right, the man wouldn't object to what he was offering in the end.
"Nothing to thank me for. I apologize to you for her narrow-minded opinions." Nick hugged Archie to his side, and ruffled his hair. "We'll just stay up here and take our meals elsewhere for the time being, okay?"
As the policeman ruffled his hair and gave him a half-hug, Archie smiled wryly to himself. It was hard to think of doing anything sexual when someone was treating you like a child or an animal that needed comforting.
Oh well.
Archie decided that he'd be around for a while, from what Inspector Stokes had said, so there would be plenty of time to pay him back for his kindness. In the meantime, he'd bide his time and try to be as useful as possible, so that maybe the man wouldn't want him to leave. He could certainly do that; he was used to serving and running around after people. Mr. Henry had certainly found him useful, or so he'd said many times-usually when Archie had the man's cock in his mouth, it had to be said-and he did manage a lot more chores than some of the other boys.
Archie smiled up at his kindly savior, and went to fold down the man's bed.
Word Count: ~8876
*(clickity click for full size)*
Archie Johnson
As played by Archie Kao (CSI)
Police Inspector Nick Stokes
As played by George Eads (CSI)
manip by hickorynut
Glossary of Period terms:
*Nippon: Nippon is the native Japanese name (no longer used) for Japan. Nipponese therefore correlates to Japanese (a person from Japan).
On to Chapter 65a
Back to Chapter 63
You got to try a little kindness
Yes show a little kindness
Just shine your light for everyone to see
And if you try a little kindness
Then you'll overlook the blindness
Of narrow-minded people on the narrow-minded streets
'Try a Little Kindness' Glen Campbell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JX7NNMKBPsw
Nick has been involved in a raid on a brothel with under-age boys. Returning from a trip to deliver some of the lads to a 'home' nearby, we take up the story from the perspective of one boy who is old enough to apparently look after himself, and won't be offered a place anywhere due to his mixed parentage.
Archie* sat huddled into himself at the back of the jail cell. The other men in with him looked menacing and he was scared that one of them would try something. One particularly nasty one kept leering at him, so he kept his head down, trying to stay alert, but he was so tired...
Mr. Henry's had been shut down. Not just raided, but actually shut down. Archie had no idea what he was going to do now. All the boys had been rounded up and most of them shunted off to receiving homes, but Archie had heard the desk clerk and one of the policemen talking about him at one stage and he knew exactly why he was the only one left in amongst the murderers and thieves.
Not only was he the only boy over eighteen, but he was the only one of mixed parentage. None of the European places would take him and the one place in town that dealt with Japanese issues didn't take whores. He had no idea what they had planned for him from here; presumably he'd end up charged with solicitation-not that he'd been doing any such thing when they raided the place. Ironically, he'd been doing one of his other jobs as the oldest boy there, shoveling coal for the fires. He was still filthy, as they hadn't even allowed him the chance to clean up properly; although he supposed he should be grateful, since he was sure his dirty state was part of the reason the lecher in the cell with him hadn't tried anything yet.
Archie's whole life had revolved around prostitution so far. His mother had been swept off her feet in the docks of Yokohama by a handsome sailor who just had to bring her home to America, only to abandon her as soon as he found out she was pregnant. Kiko had turned back to the trade she plied in Yokohama, as there was no other option available in a place like San Francisco for an obviously pregnant and unmarried Japanese woman. Luckily, Miss Lily Fontaine had seen the pretty Oriental's value, pregnant or no, and allowed her to stay in her house until the child was born, whereupon she immediately returned to work on her back.
Archie had lived in the brothel with her, along with several other children born to the whores at Miss Lily's, until he was twelve and old enough to work for Miss Lily's sometime 'friend' and business-partner, Mr. Henry. Kiko hadn't wanted her son to go into the same trade, but as she was getting older and had little saved with which to support them both, she felt she hardly had any choice, and Miss Lily was very good at reminding her of the kindness she'd shown in taking her in all those years previously when no-one else would have bothered.
Mr. Henry bought Archie for a reasonable price (paid to Miss Lily, of course; Kiko saw just a tiny portion of it) and transported him across town to one of his lesser-known places; one that catered for the sort of man who liked his boys young and innocent. Archie had been inducted into the pleasures of the flesh by learning to suck Mr. Henry and whoever else he chose for the boy, graduating to letting men use him as they would at the other end within three days of his arrival at the pleasure house.
At first, Archie had hated it, although he'd had some idea of what to expect-you didn't spend your childhood at a whorehouse and not learn a thing or two-but gradually, as he got used to the ways of some of the regulars, he realized it didn't have to be so bad.
Somewhere along the line, he discovered that not only could it be pleasant, but that he actually grew fond of one or two of the unfortunate men who were drawn to him. They weren't all sick and depraved as he had believed initially; some of them truly hated what they were and came here to relieve a desperate urge they didn't know how else to satisfy. One or two didn't even want sex; they just wanted someone to hold that wouldn't judge them.
Archie was popular too, especially once he got the measure of his own nature and realized he was just like these men, which not all the boys were. He even found himself admiring strangers in the street at times, wishing that at some point in his life a savior would come, see his potential, and take him away from his sorry life. He knew this dream was probably pointless, but some days it was only the fantasy that kept him going.
Mr. Henry wasn't the cruelest man Archie had met, but he had no tolerance for slackers, and any boy caught misbehaving got severely thrashed. He was a penny-pincher too, and the boys' rations were meager; barely enough some days to sustain the growing appetites of a bunch of adolescents. Their portion of what their bending over earned them was barely enough to cover clothing, essential supplies the whores needed to make things easier, any additional food they could find beyond what they were given, and the odd treat once or twice a year.
For Archie, all his extra cash, what little of it there was-and some he should have used for food-meant a cross-town trip to visit his mother every two weeks or so. She had gotten sick in the last few months, and probably wouldn't last out another winter, according to the doctor her wages paid for. Some kind of tumor, he believed, and certainly her swollen stomach indicated something of the sort. She still had a few faithful clients who'd pay for her despite the swelling, but Archie was so afraid for her, knowing the pain she was already in and how much she relied on the laudanum to get her through each day. The men's fees paid for the drugs and just enough food to keep her alive for a little longer.
Last week, when Archie had just managed to scrape up enough for an extra visit, she had looked even more fragile than ever, and Archie had wept openly on the journey home, sure he would never see her again. Now he was sitting in a jail cell, cold, dirty and alone, with no hope of earning anything at all in the foreseeable future. The chances that he would see Kiko again had been reduced to almost zero.
Archie felt his hope fade further with each hour that passed, and the whispers of the clerk beyond the cell door every time some constable asked about him just seemed to confirm that his fate would not be pleasant.
Nick wouldn't be able to explain, even to himself, why he felt compelled to return to the station house. He'd woken in his sweet Greg's arms and instead of sharing more cuddles, he nearly ran from Freeman's into the pre-dawn darkness. Stopping at his lodgings only for a quick wash-up and change of clothing, Nick mostly had himself convinced his intention was to ensure all the boys picked up in the raid were processed and placed in appropriate receiving homes.
Receiving home, Nick snorted lightly as he turned down the next block. What a euphemistic term for the local orphanages and boys' workhouses that was. Granted, some were better than others, but all were better than the hell-hole the boys were rescued from last night.
Nodding in greeting to two officers heading out for the early foot patrol, Nick ascended the steps to the station house and pushed his way in through the front doors. O'Reilly was dozing (as usual) behind the desk. The desk sergeant's feet hit the floor with a thud when Nick slapped the surface.
"The paperwork from last night's raid is completed? Where is it?" Nick barked when the portly Irishman snapped to attention in his chair.
O'Reilly handed over the sheaf of papers and squirmed in his seat. "One of them is a mixed-breed and neither the Nippon* nor Christian charities would take him..."
"Where is he?" Nick looked around the room, scowling when he saw it bare, "Tell me you did not put a poor abused child in the cells."
The huddled figure pulled at Nick's heartstrings as he waited for the clerk to finish signing over the boy to his care.
"You there, boy, come here," The clerk called out as the jailer opened the cell and pushed back one or two of the ruffians within.
Archie lifted his head, unsure who was being addressed. He frowned as the clerk gestured at him again impatiently. Stretching out his legs, he stood up slowly and pointed to himself. The clerk nodded exaggeratedly and lifted a lip in impatience as Archie carefully made his way to the front of the cell, heart thudding. Where were they taking him?
The jailer grabbed Archie's arm as he stepped close to the cell door, dragging him out and slamming the heavy thing behind him. Archie winced as the hand on his arm tightened and he was pushed forward. The firm grip was finally released and Archie looked up into the warm brown eyes of a solid-looking man. His heart thudded painfully in his chest, but this man surely didn't mean him any harm, did he?
Eyes moist, Nick swallowed around the lump in his throat, unable to speak. This was the boy whose eyes had haunted him since the raid. In the stronger lighting than had been available in the prostitution cribs, Nick could clearly distinguish this boy's mixed heritage. He knew he was going to have a tough row to hoe to convince one of the charities to take him in. In the mean time, this poor soul was not going to stay locked in a jail cell.
"Come on, let's get you to somewhere safe, get you cleaned up and fed." Nick tried to smile brightly, hoping at the least he appeared non-threatening. "Then we'll get you placed in a good workhouse that will prepare you for an apprenticeship in a decent trade," Nick ramblingly stretched the truth as he led the way out of the cells. It would take a lot of pressure, greased palms and calling in some markers to get the boy in any workhouse.
"I'm Inspector Stokes... Nick... by the way. What is your name? It wasn't listed on the forms from last night."
Archie didn't really understand where the inspector was taking him, but it couldn't be any worse than being left in the jail cell with the thugs who would just as likely rape him once the lights went out.
He shivered wretchedly as he stumbled after the man, and answered tremulously, "Archie. Archie Johnson." He didn't dare say anything that wasn't an answer to a question yet, for fear of what might happen. He had questions of his own, but wasn't sure he'd like the answers.
In the street, Archie stopped for a moment, considering making a run for it, but he was cold and hungry and had no idea where to go if he did run. Please God, he found himself praying, Don't let this man be cruel. All Archie could think was that wherever Nick Stokes was taking him, no matter what his words implied, he had a sexual purpose in mind for the next short while.
As long as he got fed and had somewhere warm to stay for even a short time, Archie honestly didn't care beyond not wishing to be hurt in the course of it. It wasn't like he'd have been doing anything different if he'd still been at Mr. Henry's right now.
The marine layer lent an ethereal quality to the streets as Nick led his young charge through the early dawn. He resisted putting a comforting arm around the youth, not wanting to scare Archie or give him the impression Nick expected anything like the whorehouse patrons. However, Nick would put out a guiding hand to help Archie avoid obstacles blocking their path.
A few blocks from his rooming house, Nick turned down an alley, the yeasty smells from the bakery he was headed to hastening his steps. "The dairyman should have made his delivery by the time we arrive," he said soothingly. "I'm not a cook by any stretch of the imagination, but I think I could manage to rustle up an egg dish to have with some fresh baked bread. That sound alright?"
As they pushed through the door, the baker's wife was filling one side of the display case with a selection of doughnuts. Smiling at the rumble that could only have come from Archie's stomach, Nick smiled fondly and nudged him forward. "Go ahead and pick out a few."
Archie couldn't believe it when the officer started talking about food, and then took him through the door of the most delicious-smelling place he thought he'd ever been.
Archie breathed in deeply, appreciating the wonderful odors, and before he knew it, he was being nudged forward and asked to choose something. The man had said he'd cook something too, Archie now realized, but it hadn't quite sunk in at the time, Archie's thoughts being elsewhere.
"Y-you want me to ch-choose?" Archie stuttered, his mouth watering and eyes widening at the delectable sight in front of him. He glanced nervously up at the officer's face, wondering for a moment when the slap around the ear would come. "I don't know," he said eventually, when the man's kind smile had turned into an encouraging nod. "I've never eaten... uh... I don't know what's good. That one?" Archie pointed randomly, having no idea what he was even looking at, despite how wonderful it smelt.
"Aww," a soft spot within Nick grew, then he blushed when the baker's wife met his eyes, "Ah... why dontcha make it two of those, and box up a selection to make a half dozen," he told the woman. Leaving Archie to closely observe every move of pastry to box, Nick moved off to select a loaf of bread and to pay for his purchases.
Nick couldn't help his smiles when he and Archie left the shop. The youth carried the twine-wrapped box as if it were as fragile as spun glass. The pair was soon at Nick's rooming house, and after a brief stop to take the dairyman's delivery into the kitchen and helping himself to a crock of butter and a few eggs, Nick led the way up to his rooms.
"The bathroom's down the hall, but why don't we get at least one of those doughnuts in you while I fix some eggs and toast?" Nick offered as he fussed with the tiny coal stove in the corner.
The place Archie had been taken to looked like the man's rooms-where he actually lived-and Archie was so unused to being anywhere so nice that his eyes widened as he took in the plain but clean surroundings. The brothel his mother worked in was pleasant enough and not really dirty, but neither that nor the place he'd been living for the last six years was anywhere as nice as this, although it didn't seem all that fancy.
A bathroom 'down the hall', rather than outdoors, the stove in the man's room, and being offered the amazing-looking food in the box he'd carried here... it was stunning.
Archie didn't know what to say, but the offer of food was too good to refuse. He nodded uneasily and waited while Inspector Stokes unwrapped the twine from the box Archie still held.
Once it was opened, the officer took the box and held it under Archie's nose, smiling more encouragement that he should take one. Gingerly, Archie reached in, carefully lifting the soft dessert from where it was nestled in between the others. His saliva seemed to be filling his mouth, he was so hungry.
One more worried look cast in the policeman's direction, and then Archie forgot all about his presence as he bit into the delectable treat. Oh! It was almost the most delicious thing Archie had ever tasted, and although he was incredibly hungry, he knew he had to savor it-who knew when he'd be allowed anything so wonderful again?
"Thank you," he murmured shyly after taking and swallowing a small mouthful, then closed his eyes to better appreciate the taste as he nibbled it slowly.
"You're welcome," Nick reached for a doughnut and took a large bite, "Go ahead and finish it, and maybe one more. Can't have you spoiling your appetite for anything more substantial, right?" While he spoke, Nick licked the sugary coating from his fingers and started on the eggs.
"The rest of the doughnuts are yours, this one will do me," Nick yattered on after catching the look of almost orgasmic enjoyment on Archie's face.
The poor child, he thought, color blooming on his cheeks. Probably had never had the luxury of such simple pleasures Nick took for granted. He did hope Archie would attribute his blush to heat from the hot plate. Internally Nick cursed his body's initial reaction; behaving like one of the perverted lechers who frequented the establishment Nick had rescued the boy from.
Archie couldn't believe the man's generosity, and he merely stared at his back for a few minutes after he finished the first 'doughnut'. Trying to decide whether he would willingly do anything the officer wanted in exchange for the food, he finally couldn't resist picking up another one, and ate it a bit faster. If Inspector-Stokes, was it?-was going to let him eat the rest of the box and give him eggs too, why not? What was a little bit of sex in return for a full belly? And it wasn't like he was unattractive.
With a clatter of crockery, Nick dished up the eggs and slathered a couple of thickly cut slices of bread with butter. "I've not much in the way of dining facilities, but that trunk should do you as a table." Nick handed a plate to Archie and pulled a chair up to the trunk. He set a glass of water alongside with an apologetic murmur that he forgot to borrow milk from his landlady as well.
"Don't be shy; dig in," Nick encouraged, balancing his own plate on his knee after sitting carefully on the side of the bed.
Wiping his hands roughly on his dirty shirt, Archie smiled encouragingly, then took the mouth-watering plate offered.
Sitting down gingerly, he murmured, "It's okay; water's fine."
Giving another brief smile towards the man on the bed, Archie picked up the cutlery and began to eat. He didn't think he'd ever tasted anything so delicious-apart from the doughnuts-in his whole life. It was amazing what being hungry did for your taste buds, not that Archie had known much other than permanent hunger for the past six years.
It didn't take long before Archie had finished everything on his plate and the water. Eyeing the remaining doughnuts, he kept still, in case the officer didn't mean he was allowed them right now. Perhaps he'd be asked to clean up before they did anything, which Archie wouldn't mind. He was very dirty and he doubted this man would want dirty marks all over him or his clothes.
"Are you done? Good!" Nick said brightly. He knew Archie was probably still hungry, poor starved boy. Giving him more now would do more harm than good. Small meals for now, and then hopefully by the time Nick had him placed in a workhouse or apprenticeship, Archie would be close to normal.
"Let's get you cleaned up then," Nick bounced off the bed, taking and stacking their plates near the stove. He rummaged in a cupboard, coming up with a new bar of soap, a large towel and an old shirt of his that the boy could sleep in. "Come on, come on," he urged as he led the way to the bathroom down the hall. He quickly demonstrated the taps for the tub and left Archie to bathe, telling the boy he was setting the lock so he wouldn't be disturbed by another resident.
"Take your time and I'll return for you in a little bit," Nick said, before closing the door behind him. Once back in his room, Nick tidied up and then took some extra bedding and pillows to make a bed for Archie on the floor.
He would have to find more than his shirt for Archie to wear; the rags he had on would go straight to the incinerator. They were not worth any effort of trying to clean, Nick thought as he stretched out on his bed. He'd give the boy a few more minutes to revel in the tub. Nick's landlady was generous with her boarders, and the water heaters for the bathrooms were quite large.
A yawn split Nick's face and he smiled to himself about part of the cause. As long and as dismal as part of the night had been, spending the few hours in his Greggo's arms had done wonders to dispel some of the horrors of the conditions Archie and his fellow whores had been in. Nick sighed-all the boys were out of that now-and he let his mind wander to more pleasant things, such as his sweet Greg. Lordy, he wished he could provide a home for his boy. Cuddling that short while had been so special, Nick thought as his eyes began drifting closed.
Archie couldn't believe the bathroom-it was wonderful! The tubs the boys bathed in at Mr. Henry's were the kind you had to fill by hand after heating the water on the wood stove, so they didn't do the full bath thing that often. Luckily, as the eldest, Archie usually had the water first and hottest though.
He savored the tub for quite some time, washing himself thoroughly, including his hair, which was heavenly. He lay back in the water for a while afterwards, closing his eyes and dozing in the warmth for some minutes before rousing himself and getting out again. The water was pretty dirty afterwards, so he let it go and carefully cleaned the tub as best he could with the edge of the towel before pulling the long shirt over his head.
The policeman had promised to come back and get him, but by now half an hour had passed and he was nowhere to be seen, and Archie was a little worried that someone else would want to use the room, so he collected the wet towel and the soap and tiptoed back along the hallway.
Opening the door to the room they'd been in, Archie peered nervously around it, in case he'd got things wrong. Inspector Stokes was stretched out on the bed though, looking very close to sleep, if not already there.
Archie swallowed and carefully closed the door, walking across the room and hanging the damp towel on a rack near the stove and placing the soap carefully on a dish that seemed designed for it after some consideration on whether it was in fact its home.
He turned towards the bed and watched the man for a few moments, his heart beating a little fast. Obviously, the man would want some kind of payment for his trouble, and Archie knew what it would be. He just wasn't sure if he should disturb him when he looked so happy, dozing as he was. But... if he expected the sex now, would it be wrong for Archie to simply curl up and try to sleep? He was tired... but...
Warring with himself for some minutes, Archie finally decided that few men got upset at being disturbed if it meant they got some kind of pleasure from the interruption; in his experience, anyway. He moved slowly onto the bed and, biting at his lip, removed the shirt once more and kneeled next to the slumbering form as he slowly began undoing the man's belt. He managed to get the trousers open, and began to unbutton the union suit underneath.
Lost in his thoughts about his sweet Greg, Nick hummed softly. His hips shifted, assisting his dream Greg in accessing his growing need. He thought he reached out a hand to caress Greg's spiky hair, but it only twitched on the coverlet as he slept on.
"Ahh, lordy swee..." Nick muttered thickly as his dream Greg uncovered his firming flesh. So special, his boy was. Always seeming to know exactly what Nick needed. After their incredible lovemaking, this time spent cuddling in each other's arms had done wonders to dispel the events earlier.
A small frown furrowed Nick's brow; something wasn't quite right. They had snuggled flesh to flesh, right? That thought and more scattered as hot breath puffed over his even hotter flesh. "Yesss... please..." he mumbled encouragingly.
The words certainly indicated agreement to what Archie was thinking to do, and the officer's cock was definitely hard, so Archie assumed he was doing the right thing.
Sliding sideways to sit more comfortably beside the man on the bed and still allow access to his own half-hard cock should Inspector Stokes be interested, Archie circled his tongue delicately around the swollen cock-head he held in one hand. He supported himself across the broad thighs with the other arm, and as the touches so far evidently pleased his savior, Archie slowly allowed his soft lips to encircle the first inch of the hot flesh.
Nick hummed again as Greg's lips slid over his length. Only... it wasn't right. The way Greg's lips, tongue and bit of teeth felt so wrong. Nick's eyes finally opened and it took a full moment before what he was seeing registered.
"Who...? What are you...? No!" Nick's voice rose high in his shock as he scrambled backwards toward the headboard. "No! You shouldn't... you don't need to...!" Blushing furiously Nick stammered, the pitch of his voice still high. Oh Lordy! How had he given this poor child the impression he expected some sort of sexual favor? He'd been so tired; the few hours in Greg's arms too short. Oh Sweet Lord, it was all his fault, allowing himself to doze off thinking of his Greggo.
Archie sat up where he was, wide-eyed in surprise at the officer's reaction. He dropped his eyes at the man's obvious embarrassment, and wondered if he'd somehow got it all wrong. But perhaps he was just one of those men who wasn't really sure...?
Looking up again carefully, Archie shifted forward, cautiously placing a hand on the man's knee as he kneeled next to him.
"You brought me here for a reason, didn't you? You've been so kind... I should repay you. It's okay, I like it. I was never forced into it, don't worry." He smiled hopefully, unsure what else he could do to relax the officer.
"No! No!" Nick protested, clearing his throat a couple times in an attempt to modulate his voice back to a normal range. "No, it's not okay. You don't owe... I don't expect..." he stammered, his thigh flexing under Archie's palm as he sat up further against the headboard.
Cheeks already pink in embarrassment, Nick felt his face, neck and more flame when he noticed his still firm member was exposed to the boy. He cupped a hand over his groin, ducking his head until he could master some control over himself.
"Archie, you are free from that life now." Nick turned kindly eyes back up to the boy. "Never again do you have to perform those sex acts." He made as if to emphasize his point with a caring touch to Archie's shoulder, but quickly tucked his hand back to his lap.
"I... please forgive me..." covering himself best he could, Nick nearly leapt from the bed. "Bathroom. I'll be right back," he stammered from the doorway.
"Your, your bed... there. You must be exhausted; sleep." Nick fumbled a few buttons closed and escaped out the door, cursing himself for still being hard.
Not 'perform those sex acts'? Archie furrowed his brow in confusion for a moment, then the meaning dawned on him. He wouldn't have to sell his body any more for a living. But what would he do? What else was there for someone who'd been doing this since he was twelve? And who would take on an ex-whore-a male one at that-at his age?
Letting the man escape from the room in his surprise, Archie shook his head, unable to even deduce what Officer Stokes had in mind for him. He grabbed the shirt he'd discarded and pulled it back over his head, smiling vaguely to himself.
No matter what the man said, he was still excited by what Archie had done or his cock would have softened long before he left the room. Archie's own prick was still tingly, but he wouldn't touch himself now in case the policeman returned and caught him. Somehow, he didn't think that was the way to pay the man back for his hospitality; he was obviously unused to anything too blatant, although Archie was sure he'd eventually realize his 'guest' certainly wasn't against the idea of sex with him.
The officer was cleaner than a lot of the men he'd serviced, and attractive enough. There was no other way Archie could pay him back for the kindness he'd shown in any case, so unless he was thinking Archie should clean the room for him-not that it needed it-he knew he'd be offering sex again. Officer Stokes would see soon enough that it was clear to Archie he was interested in boys, and that Archie didn't mind.
Once locking the bathroom door behind him, Nick cursed himself for being all manner of pervert. Archie was just a boy, and here he was still hard and throbbing. He swore as he filled the basin with cold water. Cupping up handfuls to cool his heated face did not help.
Nick fumbled open the front of his trousers and took himself in hand. Greg's face swam before his image in the small mirror over the basin. Panting noiselessly, he grasped at his sweet boy's smile, shoving away visions of Archie's joy when first biting into the sugary doughnut. It didn't take long until he was jerking in release, heart thumping in exertion and still a small measure of embarrassment.
Sated, if not completely calmer, Nick re-entered his room a short while later. Hair still damp from bathing in the sink, his clothing once again in order, Nick smiled shyly at Archie.
"Will that be enough?" Nick indicated the fluffy pile of bedding and pillow. "Oh, here, have another doughnut if you'd like." His smile softened when he spied the pastry box. "They are all for you... but not all at once or you'll risk a bellyache."
Archie had waited quietly, sitting cross-legged on the pile of bedding that the officer had indicated as he ran out of the room. Not answering the man vocally, Archie nodded, and then allowed a smile to light up his face as Inspector Stokes offered him another doughnut.
"Thank you," he said quietly as he stood up and moved across the room to stand near Stokes as he offered the box to Archie.
Carefully, Archie took another sweet treat from the box, his mouth beginning to water before the smell even reached his nose. He didn't move away from the other man yet, peeking up from under his lashes as he bit into the delectable doughnut to carefully watch the man's reaction.
The soft spot in Nick's heart lurched, knowing this simple pleasure of a tasty sweet, as well as being clean and having a warm place to rest, had to be so unusual for the poor boy. Nick had to be misinterpreting the coy glances. Surely they were caused by his randy thoughts and actions alone in the bathroom.
"You are welcome," he smiled at last, not quite meeting Archie's eyes in fear of flushing again.
"Go ahead and curl up and try to sleep," Nick put the box away and moved to douse the gas lamps. "It was a long night for both of us." A blush did steal over Nick's cheeks at how most of his was spent. "A long nap will be refreshing, I'm sure." Removing his boots only, Nick then flicked back the coverlet on his bed and stretched out with a sigh.
"Later... or even tomorrow, depending on how long we sleep," Nick's smile gleamed in the low light, "we'll begin to figure out our next steps."
Another sigh escaped Nick as he turned to face the wall. Lordy, for Archie's sake, he needed to find a place for the boy... and soon.
Next steps?
Archie wasn't sure what that meant, but he hoped it meant he'd be able to stay here. He wasn't sure what the man had planned for him beyond taking him out of the jail cell, and if it wasn't sex he wanted, then why he'd even do that was hard to fathom. Perhaps he was just being cautious? The sex would come later, he supposed; the man pretending he didn't want it and then suddenly demanding it in return for all he'd done.
Well, it wouldn't be a hardship, and Archie would keep offering it until he felt comfortable enough to go ahead with it. There was little else he could offer, anyway, and the officer would find out soon enough that there was no-one who would take Archie in beyond another Mr. Henry.
Curling up as bid, Archie savored the warmth of the room and the freedom to stretch out alone in the make-shift bed; no bony angles against his body, and harsh snoring in his ears. The floor wasn't the softest place, but this bed was no worse than the pallet he'd shared with three others for the last three years.
It didn't take long before he felt himself drifting off, the comforting sounds of the low fire crackling and the other man's deep breathing lulling him to sleep.
Archie wasn't sure what woke him; perhaps it was just close to the usual hour when he began work. He didn't have a timepiece of his own, but the gentle tick-tock of the beautiful clock on a shelf on the other side of the room drew Archie's eye, and he nodded at the realization that he was right. It was already after 6pm.
Sitting up and stretching, Archie sneaked a peek at the large figure still snoring lightly on the bed. The man was obviously kind, going by all he'd done for Archie so far, but he wasn't sure how long the officer would want Archie about, unless he intended to keep him locked in here to keep the place clean, and perhaps to indulge in sex when he wanted it. What about his landlady? Wouldn't she wonder?
Carefully, Archie climbed out of the makeshift bed and began to wander about the simple room, looking at the few items on display. The clock was by far the most opulent thing and Archie wondered at it. Perhaps the man's family had money, or else he had saved hard to buy it.
Archie moved to a couple of tin-type pictures in simple frames nearby. Photography was still new to Archie, and he marveled over the likenesses of the people in the pictures. One was of the officer himself in a police uniform*, and Archie studied it intently before turning back to compare it to the man in the bed. The other seemed to be of a middle-aged couple dressed in their Sunday best; perhaps Inspector Stokes' parents, at a guess. Archie could see a certain likeness in the man's jaw.
A movement in the bed made Archie afraid that he could be accused of snooping, and Inspector Stokes may not like it. Suddenly realizing how untidily he'd left his bed, Archie trotted back across the floor to pull together the bedding. The last thing he needed to do was to make the policeman angry at him, or he might end up out on the street.
Archie's stomach rumbled at the thought of being denied more food and he glanced longingly at the pastry box on the shelf as he smoothed the bedcover and sat down to wait for Inspector Stokes' bidding.
"C'mere son," Nick drawled softly, somewhat refreshed after his nap. Upon waking, his first sight from under his lashes was Archie's small figure across the room. Only his head peeked out of the too large shirt the way the waif had his limbs folded and chin resting on his knees. The sight of the forlorn boy hugging his legs close, tugged at Nick's heartstrings.
The bleakness of the poor child's life to date must still dwell on him. Nick let out a sympathetic sigh. That hell hole had probably been all he knew, and he must feel so alone in the world.
Rolling to fully face the boy, Nick held out a hand. "It's okay," he encouraged, offering simple human comfort that most people took for granted.
Archie stared at the officer for a few beats, unsure, as he invited him nearer, then he gave a small smile as Stokes held out his hand and spoke again. He must want his payment now, then, and that was all right, really. Archie wasn't worried about it. It was no different to what he'd done at Mr. Henry's for all these years.
Carefully unfolding himself from his bed, Archie moved across the room to take the outstretched hand and sit on the edge of the bed. The man definitely seemed shy; it wouldn't pay to act too knowing.
"Shall I take off my clothes now?" he asked shyly.
His soft smile wobbling a little for all the poor child had been through, Nick enfolded Archie in a hug. His jaw tightened at the softly spoken question, but Nick was determined not to react negatively. Archie didn’t know better, he kept telling himself. The abused child would eventually come to realize he never again had to offer sex.
"Shh, don't even think about that, shug," Nick cradled Archie's thin frame, rocking slowly. "I told you, you don't have to do that ever again, you know, offer... have sex with... men..." Nick wound down his speech barely above a whisper as his face flamed.
The large frame cradling him made Archie feel very small, but a warmth went through him that he didn't quite recognize; something he was a little unsure of, and although he gave in to the strong hug for a moment, he had to pull away again fairly quickly. Disquieted by the man's embarrassment, he was confused by the words.
"I really don't?" he asked, frowning in worry. "What else do you want me for?"
"No, you don't." Nick had to work at keeping his smile from wobbling. He let Archie move to the edge of the bed, but put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You aren't required to do anything for me. But," Nick finally got his emotions in control and his lips quirked teasingly, "what I want... is for you to accompany me to dinner. Does that sound okay?" The corners of Nick's eyes crinkled as his smile grew.
Nothing? This man didn't want anything? That seemed too hard to believe. Dinner? Archie couldn't help the way his eyes opened in surprise and delight at the idea of another hot meal.
Then something clicked into place as he remembered one of the boys talking about a client who had taken him out to eat. Some men had this need to wine and dine (although nowhere very smart, it had to be said, since a man could hardly be seen to be having that kind of relationship with a teenage boy in polite company) a potential bedmate before they had sex with them, as if it made any kind of difference.
If it made things easier for the officer, Archie wouldn't make a fuss. Besides, he'd get a meal out of it, at least, even if tomorrow he ended up on the street.
Archie nodded. "Now? But I don't have anything else to wear."
After gently shooing Archie off the bed, Nick stood to once again rummage in his wardrobe. "Have another pastry while I look for some trousers we can modify for you," Nick offered over his shoulder. "That won't spoil the appetite of a growing boy like you, yeah? Here, these should work," Nick tossed a pair of trousers that had seen better days onto the bed.
"Hmm, what to belt them with," Nick mused as he turned his attention to the bureau. He made sure not to glance around to give Archie as much privacy as possible. "Shoes we'll have to do with out for now," he rattled on, "But we're only going downstairs. My landlady sets an informal dinner, plus she'll probably know where we can find you clothes that fit. Umm, she's a good Christian woman, and would have no understanding of what kind of place you came from. If y'all just let her make any assumptions she may, that you were a street urchin or the like, that'll save all of us needless embarrassment, yanno?" Nick still felt his cheeks heat after his pronouncement.
Archie was still confused by the whole thing, but he nodded happily when the officer suggested he have another doughnut, and he immediately made small work of it while the other man found something for him to wear.
The trousers hung off him and he held them up loosely while he waited, the long shirt tucked deeply inside. He listened intently to the instructions, sure the landlady would easily guess what he was, but he wouldn't say that to this innocent man.
Instead he simply nodded again, dropping his eyes carefully as Inspector Stokes turned to him with something in his hand, so the man didn't have to be any more embarrassed.
Only at the last moment was Nick able to hold back the 'awww' on his lips when he turned. Swallowed by the too large clothes, Archie looked the angelic waif that tugged on Nick's heartstrings. He held out the long necktie in his hands and moved forward slowly so he wouldn't frighten the boy.
"Let's belt this around your waist, and once we roll up the trouser legs, that should be sufficient." Despite blushing as his fingers skated across Archie's warm skin through the thin shirt, it didn't take long to knot the length of fabric around the boy's waist.
Once the pair entered the dining room, Nick was pleased to see only a couple of the other tenants were there. A middle aged school teacher who rarely spoke to anyone, preferring to keep her nose in a book or pouring over papers, and a shy seamstress-clerk who popped her eyes up as he and Archie entered, blushed demurely and quickly lowered her gaze back to the table.
Archie carefully kept his eyes down as they entered the dining room; sure that the respectable ladies there wouldn't understand why a man would have a half-breed boy in his care.
The landlady concerned him more, as he was sure women like this saw and understood more than most, since they were in a position to see all sorts of comings and goings. On the odd occasions he'd accompanied some man to his boarding house, he'd seen the disdainful looks from such women, and knew that his type were not welcome for the most part. Part of it was his mixed parentage, but he was fairly certain a lot more was due to his occupation.
Seating himself gingerly at Officer Stokes's gentle insistence, Archie adjusted his too-large trousers and waited nervously for something to happen.
"Inspector Stokes, how good of you to join us this evening!" From the dining room doorway, the slim form of Nick's landlady stood with arms akimbo as she gushed fawningly. "Mercy me, I feel safer already. Wouldn't you agree ladies?" Mrs. Porter gave pointed looks to her other two boarders.
Before either woman could respond, Mrs. Porter spied Archie trying to shrink into his chair. "And what do we have here?" Motioning her serving girl forward to set the soup tureen on the table, Mrs. Porter came over to take Archie's chin in her bony hand.
"Not much to him. Sit up boy, slouching does not become you."
Blushing from the earlier excessive praise, Nick tried to protest, "Have a care ma'am, he's just a street urchin I'll be placing..."
"Poor motherless child!" Mrs. Porter exclaimed, still turning Archie's chin back and forth. "Mixed-breed too," she tsked. "At least it's not one of those girls you tried to have me house for a day or two," she finished in a stage whisper.
"Ma'am please," Nick sent Archie an apologetic look and ignored a snigger from the school teacher. He sat at the place beside Archie, not at the head of the table where Mrs. Porter tried to place him whenever he was in residence for a meal. "He's been through a lot of trauma, and won't be a problem..."
"I've seen his type. Keep your doors locked ladies, and I'll be counting the silver, boy, so keep your sticky fingers to yourself." Finally she released Archie and marched back to the kitchen to oversee the progress of dinner.
"She's not the one who should be worrying about sticky fingers," the school teacher snorted, not bothering to look up from her papers.
Frowning into his plate after the woman finally let him go, Archie straightened up in his seat a little, sniffing cautiously at the delicious smell of the soup wafting through the room. Already his mouth was watering, although he wished he and the officer could eat away from the horrible woman and her rude comments. He might be a whore, but he'd never been a thief, and he was certainly not motherless, but he wasn't about to tell her about Kiko.
He wasn't quite sure what the other woman meant by her words that the landlady wasn't the one who should be worried. He screwed up his face, puzzling at the meaning, but other than the idea he might steal from the man who was offering him such kindness, he couldn't fathom what she could be implying. She couldn't have worked out anything about him, or at least he hoped not.
He offered Inspector Stokes a smile that he hoped the man would read as confirmation that Archie would never steal from him, but said nothing, knowing it was pointless for him to attempt to sway these white people into believing anything different from what their narrow minds had already set on.
Face red in anger now, Nick returned Archie's smile with one of his own. He bided his time until Mrs. Porter rejoined them (frowning in disapproval at where Nick was sat). She took her seat at the foot of the table, and they all bowed their heads while she said a thankfully brief grace. Nick waited until after the soup was served as well as thick slices of sourdough bread, and Archie began tucking into the steaming bowl before him.
"Madam," Nick resisted the urge to clear the lump of bile in his throat as he set down his spoon, "I must protest your treatment of this poor child. He has done you no harm, nor will he. The place where he was sleeping burned down last night," well, was razed as a deterrent to the pimps getting back in business quickly, but that was not anything he'd share, "I assumed you would have felt as I did that a cold jail cell was not the place for a poor innocent waif down on his luck."
Nick held up a hand when Mrs. Porter opened her mouth to interrupt. "You run a clean boarding house and always have been generous with the fare you provide your tenants, requesting only that we pay our rent on time, and respect you and your staff. I ask for some respect in return. I would never bring anyone here who could potentially jeopardize the welfare or safety of you or any of my fellow tenants. That you would assume otherwise gravely disappoints me." Stealing a glance at Archie, Nick nudged him beneath the table to keep eating.
"Well I never..." Mrs. Porter spluttered when Stokes paused.
"Nor I, madam. I never assumed Christian charity and respect did not extend to all of God's creatures. The boy will be here, under my care until I can find him a good home. If that is a problem for you, I will gladly find lodgings elsewhere."
Archie couldn't believe it when Nick started speaking. He swallowed the lump of bread in his mouth jerkily, and stopped spooning soup into his mouth. He sat there, his mouth slightly ajar as he looked between his savior and the landlady.
At the officer's nudge, he realized how shocked he must look, and shut his mouth with an almost audible clack of his teeth before quickly beginning to eat again.
A warm glow had started deep inside Archie at Inspector Stokes's championing of his cause. He wished he could reach out and touch the man right here and now, but he knew it wasn't appropriate. Later on though, he'd show the policeman exactly how much he appreciated the fact that Stokes had spoken up for him like he had-no matter how the man protested.
Archie carried on eating, keeping his eyes and face lowered.
After some disgruntled grumblings from Mrs. Porter (and a tiny smile from the bashful seamstress), the remainder of the meal was consumed mostly in silence. As Nick hoped, Mrs. Porter backed down, not wanting to lose what she deemed the feather in her cap of having an important city official under her roof. Plus, the generous rent Inspector Stokes paid had to be a deciding factor.
Nick breathed a sigh of relief, glad he didn't have to pull Archie away from a decent meal. He would have gone through on his threat to leave, even if looking for lodgings at the same time as placing the boy somewhere would have put Nick in quite a pickle.
Declining to stay and dawdle over coffee, Nick delivered their thanks for the meal and good evenings to Mrs. Porter and their dining companions. After he pulled out Archie's chair and the boy stood, Nick surreptitiously rucked up the back of the sagging too-large britches as the pair escaped the dining room.
Mumbling his own thank you to the horrible woman, Archie gratefully and gracefully-well, as gracefully as a small youth in over-large trousers could manage, anyway-left the room with Inspector Stokes.
Once back in the room, Archie fingered the too-big pants and gave the policeman a small smile, looking up from under long lashes.
"Thank you..." Archie trailed off after the simple words.
He didn't quite know how to put what he was thanking Officer Stokes for without being rude about his landlady, or gushing over what the man had said about looking after him until he found a 'good home', whatever that meant. Moving a step closer, Archie was sure that if he did this right, the man wouldn't object to what he was offering in the end.
"Nothing to thank me for. I apologize to you for her narrow-minded opinions." Nick hugged Archie to his side, and ruffled his hair. "We'll just stay up here and take our meals elsewhere for the time being, okay?"
As the policeman ruffled his hair and gave him a half-hug, Archie smiled wryly to himself. It was hard to think of doing anything sexual when someone was treating you like a child or an animal that needed comforting.
Oh well.
Archie decided that he'd be around for a while, from what Inspector Stokes had said, so there would be plenty of time to pay him back for his kindness. In the meantime, he'd bide his time and try to be as useful as possible, so that maybe the man wouldn't want him to leave. He could certainly do that; he was used to serving and running around after people. Mr. Henry had certainly found him useful, or so he'd said many times-usually when Archie had the man's cock in his mouth, it had to be said-and he did manage a lot more chores than some of the other boys.
Archie smiled up at his kindly savior, and went to fold down the man's bed.
Word Count: ~8876
*(clickity click for full size)*
Archie Johnson
As played by Archie Kao (CSI)
Police Inspector Nick Stokes
As played by George Eads (CSI)
manip by hickorynut
Glossary of Period terms:
*Nippon: Nippon is the native Japanese name (no longer used) for Japan. Nipponese therefore correlates to Japanese (a person from Japan).
On to Chapter 65a