Rentboy

boyfriend.”
    Fox looked down at his palms and began to fiddle with one of several rings adorning his hands.
    “Yeah, I know, but I’m not really fit to be anyone’s boyfriend. Not the way I live, you know.”
    “I don’t care. You belong in Uni. You’re very intelligent. You could get grants to help you
    through. I’ll help you apply.”
    “I’ll think about it.”
    Edward stood and pulled Fox to his feet, encircling his waist with both arms. “In the meantime,
    will you be my boyfriend?” It sounded like pleading even to him, but he didn’t care. He was
    desperate. Fox had burrowed into his heart. Something he had not known was possible.
    “I s’pose.” Fox shrugged.
    “Really?” Edward kissed him on the lips. “Let’s go downstairs. I’m going to tell my parents I’m
    gay this weekend. I can’t put it off any longer. They’ll just have to deal with it.”
    At the door Fox said, “If you walk into the kitchen with your cock hanging out, they’ll figure it
    out all by themselves. You seem to be making a habit of exposing yourself.”
    Edward looked down. The sight of his red, moist willy, still slightly hard, threw him into a
    tailspin. He hadn’t even noticed. Putting himself away, he looked at Fox, who was laughing so hard
    that tears were beginning to make his mascara run.
    When they entered the kitchen, the twins sat side by side at the table holding hands, their bodies
    turned toward each other. Edward’s father had one of his many toys on the table in front of him. He’d
    been collecting odd little amusements since his retirement. This one was a moving sand picture in a
    flat glass case. Dr. Atherton pushed gently on the glass frame, which swung on a bracket, making the
    pink and blue sand swirl into desertlike landscapes. Their heads tilted together, the twins stared at it
    while Edward’s father explained how it worked.
    “Do they understand?” his mum asked.
    “Just because they don’t speak doesn’t mean they’re not intelligent,” Fox said.
    “I was a teacher for years. I’m used to talking with very little response.” Dr. Atherton smiled at
    Fox. That was the second time his father had done that. Would he still be smiling when he found out
    Fox was his boyfriend?
    “Sit down, boys,” Annika said.
    The table was spread with an opulent lunch, a large glistening ham, a big bowl of salad, cheeses
    galore, all sorts of breads, and bowls of assorted olives. A spinach quiche with toasted cheese on top
    was sliced up ready to serve, and a bottle of white wine stood waiting to be poured. “What will the
    twins eat?” Annika asked in a hushed voice. It hadn’t taken her long to work out that they were
    special-needs .
    “They’ll eat anything as long as it doesn’t touch anything else on their plates.” Fox surveyed the
    table. “And I’m a vegan.”
    Mrs. Atherton looked him up and down. “What’s that?”
    “I don’t eat anything with a face or anything that comes from anything with a face. No meat, eggs,
    dairy, or fish.”
    “But you wear it. Isn’t your skirt leather?”
    “It’s a kilt, and no. It’s faux. I buy my gear from the Third Estate. It’s a vegan clothing shop, and
    the boots are from the Sinister Soles vegan line. Don’t worry. I’ll manage with what’s here.”
    Fox put a slice of ham on the twins’ plates, a slice of dry bread, a slice of cheese, and some
    vegetables, all separated by at least half an inch. The care with which he placed each item while the
    twins watched intently made Edward’s heart fill with love. What a good, loving, protective brother
    Fox was. My boyfriend. He wanted to tell the whole world, or at least the village of Mitton, how
    lucky he was.
    “Eat up, aliens,” Fox said. The twins obeyed, eating with their fingers. They continued to hold
    hands, one eating right-handed and the other eating left-handed. Every now and then they fed each
    other as if it didn’t matter which mouth the food went into.
    “They have cutlery,” Annika pointed out.
    “They don’t like using it. Is it okay?” Fox asked politely.
    To Edward’s relief his mother smiled and nodded. “Of course it is.”
    “Where’s Nicoletta?” Edward piled ham and tomatoes on his plate and a large slice of quiche.
    He never had a decent meal in London unless he went to a restaurant.
    Dr. Atherton filled his mouth with ham and bread. “She’s out with Pamela Stanton. They were
    always thick as thieves at school. You remember