Rentboy

got up and rested one knee on the bench to lean over and grab Eddie by the head.
    “Stop it,” Eddie said, attempting to fight him off. He grabbed Fox by the waist, catching his
    ticklish spot. Letting out a scream of laughter, Fox grabbed Eddie by both his ears and planted a
    slobbering wet kiss on his mouth.
    “Oh, that was disgusting,” Eddie said through his laughter.
    Neither of them heard the group of young males coming up on them.
    “What we got ’ere?”
    A sharp shove in the shoulder made Fox lose his balance and fall onto the bench beside Eddie
    until they sat side by side looking up into the sneering faces of three skinheads. The cockney accent of
    the one who had spoken was far heavier that Fox’s.
    “Couple of arse bandits?”
    “Look, I think you should leave,” Eddie said firmly. “We are minding our own business, and I
    suggest you do the same.”
    Fox looked sideways at him. Shut the fuck up, Eddie , was the only thought in his head. When
    approached by disenfranchised youth, the best response was run if you can, and if not, keep your
    mouth shut until they get bored and leave you alone. If you get a black eye, the guyliner will cover it
    up.
    A tall, heavily built young man with a tattoo of a swastika on his forehead leaned into Eddie’s
    face. “What did you say, queer boy? I didn’t hear you right.”
    In the short time he had known Edward Atherton, Fox knew he would not pick up on the deadly
    sarcasm in the skinhead’s tone. “I said we are minding our own business, and I suggest you do the
    same.”
    Yeah, that’s what Eddie would say.
    The fist came so fast and so hard that though it struck Eddie in the cheek, Fox swore he felt it
    too. Eddie’s head shot back so far that even if his cheekbone was still intact, he would have severe

whiplash. As the three yobbos stood back laughing, Eddie got slowly to his feet, wavering as he did
    so. “Eddie, sit down,” Fox whispered.
    “Is the anorak going to defend his Goth boyfriend?” The three laughed.
    “How dare you!” Eddie sounded quite convincing even as blood dripped from his cheekbone.
    The straight-fingered jab he delivered to the throat of the young man who had hit him caught the
    dude totally by surprise. The light from the street lamp shone on the skinhead’s face, outlining his
    bulging eyes. A strangled gasp issued from his open mouth as he clutched his throat. Eddie leaped
    into the air, and when he landed, he was posed like Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid , both arms
    extended, hands ready to deliver another blow. The youth to his right attempted to attack, but Eddie
    swung his hand sideways, delivering a chop with the outside of his hand that landed in the youth’s
    upper chest, severely winding him.
    “I’m getting the fuck outta here,” the third yob said. He ran, followed by the other. The man
    Eddie had struck first staggered after them.
    His adrenaline rush appearing to be over, Eddie stumbled back and sank down abruptly on the
    bench. From the other side of the fountain a round of applause sounded, and a couple of girls who
    looked about Fox’s age ran over to them. “Well done, dude,” they said. “You showed them.”
    “Wasn’t he great?” Stunned at Eddie’s prowess and bursting with pride, Fox said, “He’s my
    boyfriend.” He shouldn’t have said it. It wasn’t true, and it couldn’t be true, because then Eddie
    would find out Fox had set him up. But wow! What a fucking hero he was.
    Giggling, the girls hugged them both spontaneously before walking away talking loudly about
    how great it was when someone got a well-deserved arse-kicking.
    “Eddie.” Fox pulled up his T-shirt and used the edge to dab at the blood on Eddie’s face.
    “You’ve got hidden depths.” He couldn’t stop grinning at him.
    “Yes, well…” Eddie shrugged, letting his words trail off. “When you are built like a long drink
    of water, as my mother always describes me, you have to learn how to protect yourself. So I got into
    karate lessons for a number of years in my early teens. I did rather well. I’ve got a black belt. ”
    “A black belt?” Fox was well impressed. The blood finally stopped running from the split on
    Eddie’s cheekbone, but it was starting to swell. “You’re going to have a black eye to go with it.”
    “Oh God, Mum will have a fit,” Eddie groaned. “Fox.” He took Fox’s hands in both of his.
    “Come home with me for the weekend. Mum and Dad are doing my birthday dinner.