The shiny white limo pulled around the drive and parked in front of the ornately carved door of the beautiful estate house. The driver exited and moved to the rear door, holding it open wide for the elderly man to exit from. The man was not very tall, slender, and had a thick head of hair the color of spun silver. His handsome features were lined with age but couldn't disguise a man who had been beautiful in his youth. He still retained a certain youthfulness to his features when he smiled broadly as his eyes swept the courtyard and surrounding areas. He walked slowly over to the other side of the vehicle and waited for the driver to help his companion to exit. The other man, older looking and much taller although just as lean, got out and leaned on his beautifully carved wooden cane for support. He had snow white hair and a surprisingly unlined face for a man who appeared to be in his seventies. In fact he was already in his late eighties, but then he had never looked his age. The younger man who would turn eighty on his next birthday, made sure to lend his support as the two of them walked towards the front door.

Seconds later an elegant lady with the same shock of white hair piled neatly in a bun at the back of her head opened the door and moved quickly to greet her guests. She was trailed by a handsome young man somewhere in his late twenties. She pointed to the suitcases the driver was removing from the vehicle and said something quickly in French. The young man smiled sweetly at the elderly woman and hurried to the back of the limo. She met the older men half way and each one took his turn greeting her with kisses to each cheek. She spoke softly to them as she hooked her arms into the arm of each man and led them towards her home. They entered the house and she turned to the large parlor room. The threesome walked into the room and each sat in one of the ornate yet tasteful full backed chairs that faced each other in front of a large fireplace. They did not speak until she had picked up a silver bell on a side table and gave it a tinkle. A servant immediately rushed in and she requested that their tea be brought to her. Once the young girl had hurried off, she turned her attention back to her guests.

"Oh, my dear, dear friends," she started in thickly accented English, "I am so happy to see you again. It has been far too long since your last visit. That was...let us see, how long ago now?"

"The last visit was in 2000. We had decided to welcome the new century with a tour of Europe, and of course no trip to Europe would be complete without a visit to our dear friend, Madame Aimee," replied the taller man with that same charm he had used on the woman for sixty years now.

"You flatter me, Monsieur Brian, but I am not fooled you devil. I know why you visit here so often and it is not to enjoy the company of this old lady. You come here to relive your first glorious moments with our Monsieur Justin here. I am right, am I not...oui?"

Justin laughed and turned to take hold of Brian's hand. "I do believe she has your number Brian. You are so right. But I can assure you that your company is also a welcome pleasure Aimee."

Despite herself, Aimee blushed like a schoolgirl. Even after all these decades and the dozen or more visits she had received from the couple, she was still overwhelmed by their kindness to her and obvious devotion to each other. The years may have aged the men physically but they still looked at each other in a way that clearly revealed their deep love for one another. The sight of them together never failed to warm her heart. She could also see that the long journey by car had tired them out so she spoke up as the tea cart was wheeled next to her by her housemaid.

"My dear friends, we will have a cup of tea and then Bernadette will see you to your room...not that you don't know the way already," she laughed. "My grandson has already taken your things to your room. I thought you might like a chance to have a nap and unwind a little after your travels. We will have dinner at our usual hour. I am even preparing the meal myself in your honor, much to the chagrin of my cook I might add. If I remember correctly you always enjoyed my cooking. N'est-ce pas?"

"That is most definitely so. We look forward to it," came the response.

For the next hour, the three old friends sat sipping their tea and talking about all the memories of shared times and their families and the many joys and sorrows that the years had brought them. It was a lively discussion that seemed to wipe away all the years that were evident on their faces. Aimee was thrilled to hear that the couple had gone to Massachusetts the previous year in order to finally marry one another, but was frustrated to learn that their out of State marriage was considered null and void. She marveled that such a progressive country as America could treat its citizens, including war heroes like her friends, with such inequality. Most of the conversation, however, was of much happier events which included the birth of Aimee's first great-grandchild.

This, of course, led to Brian's whipping out photos of his first great-grandchild who was named after both he and Justin and was the result of his becoming a surrogate father for lesbian friends back in 1950. This, of course, was kept very hush hush at the time and most people thought that Brian and 'girlfriend' Lindsay had simply been unable to make their relationship work despite the child they had together. Lindsay raised their son, Gus, with the help of good 'friend and roommate' Melanie while Brian and his business partner and 'roommate' visited the child often.

As they were talking, Justin's eyes wandered to the beautiful painting over the fireplace mantel. It was a rustic scene of the French countryside that was filled with vivid colors and drama. It was so breathtakingly real that one could almost feel the Autumn breeze as it stirred the trees overlooking the country road that led to a large estate house which looked remarkably like the very home they were in right now. One could see a large barn off to the side with cows grazing in a nearby field. Brian noticed where Justin was looking. So did Aimee.

"I still get comments on your painting whenever I have a visitor, mon ami. Most people cannot believe how perfectly you captured the feel of this place. They often say that they see such love in it. I tell them that there is a lot of love in it...more than they will ever know. I am so grateful to you for giving it to me."

"You know that Brian and I will always have the deepest affection for this place and for you mon amie, because it is your kindness and understanding that allowed us the chance to discover each other and you provided us the means to help our love grow. You could have destroyed our lives with one word, but you did not and we will be forever in your debt for that."

"You owe me nothing. But it is getting late." Aimee picked up her silver bell and rang again. Young Bernadette appeared as if she had been waiting for just this moment and waited for instructions. "Please take our guests to their room, my dear, and see if there is anything they need. We will let you know when dinner is ready. Remember that my home is yours so feel free to explore." She said that last part with a twinkle in her eye. Knowing her guests she knew exactly what they would do.

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Brian was the first to enter the familiar bedroom. There were certainly differences from the first time he had shared this room with Justin, but enough of the old days were still visible to bring back the vivid memories that tugged at Brian's heart. He walked over to the king-sized four poster bed that now stood where there had once been two small twin sized beds and settled onto the comfortable mattress. Aimee had removed the twin beds just before their first visit which had been in 1953....once Brian's advertising business had begun to take off and he could finally safely take some time away. Justin had finished his schooling a few years earlier and had joined Brian as an artistic director for his company until some of his paintings had finally caught the eye of an art dealer who was willing to give the young man a show of his own. They used the money from his first big sale, combined with a bonus Brian had received from a satisfied client in order to pay a long awaited visit to Europe, concentrating on their memories in England and then culminating with their first visit to the Beaulieu Estate since '44 where they were welcomed as heroes.

The visit had been so satisfying that they had continued their trips on down through the years whenever both men could get away at the same time. Aimee had even paid a visit to Pittsburgh when she finally settled on the man of her dreams in 1954 and married him. Brian and Justin enjoyed teasing her that her firstborn was made at their home since it was almost nine months to the day after her visit that Pierre was born. She always struck back with the fact that with all the loving that was going on in that house...how could she not get pregnant. She wasn't sure who was having the most sex...the couple who had been together almost ten years already or the newlyweds.

Justin walked over to the door leading to the bathroom. The old claw-footed tub still stood in its place of honor but a modern glass encased shower had been installed beside it a decade earlier. Personally Justin still preferred the tub when his mind flashed back to that first night that he had imagined his Sergeant laying in the tub naked and the subsequent events when he had fallen in this very bathroom, which was the catalyst to giving Brian the best blow job of his life right there next to the tub. It had broken the ice between the two and every night after that they had spent gloriously discovering every nook and cranny of each other's bodies. By the time they had left the estate they knew each other as intimately as any two people ever could. Justin turned back to the bed and saw Brian smiling at him. He knew that his love was remembering too.

It was in this very room that Justin gave Brian every part of himself for the first time. It had taken four days of constant nighttime loving before Brian had gathered enough courage to approach Justin about going all the way with him. Justin had been nervous, but he knew there wasn't anything he wouldn't give to Brian. Even that early on, he knew that this was the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Sixty years later he could still remember the feel of Brian invading his deepest self and how it had hurt for a brief time and then become this unbelievable joy that spread throughout every fiber of his being. He knew that no other man would ever be given that right, and no man was. He and Brian had been totally monogamous for a while but decided to experiment with others in the '60's and 70's, yet Justin never allowed another man to fuck him...blow jobs and hand jobs were pretty much it. Surprisingly, they were both relieved after nearly a decade when they decided that monogamy was not such a bad thing after all, especially when AIDS reared its ugly head in the 80's. They had been tested at the time, but never had to worry about it again once they were given a clean bill of health.

Justin walked over to stand in front of Brian between his long outstretched legs. Brian pulled him in and buried his snow covered head in Justin's stomach, taking a deep breath. He still thought that no man smelled as good as his Justin. He could still remember all the nights they had lain in this room and he had breathed deeply of Justin's scent as he explored the young Private's privates. He could feel his cock slowly beginning to rise as he continued to fill his senses with the memories of the past and the feel of his lover at this very moment. Justin could still make him horny, even if it did take a bit longer to get there nowadays. Justin felt the hardening between Brian's legs and grinned. He raised Brian's head up and leaned down for a sweet kiss.

"I thought you were too tired for any horseplay,lover."

"Never too tired for a little playtime with you, Sunshine. If that ever happens they may as well just go ahead and bury me cause I'll be dead then."

Justin shuddered at the thought. He knew it might be selfish to want decades more with Brian, but the thought of life without him was not to be borne. He joined Brian on the large bed and the two stretched out together. Justin reached for Brian's slacks and pulled the zipper down. Brian moved so that Justin could remove his pants and underwear. He unbuttoned his shirt and removed it too. The clothes went to the side of the bed. Next, it was Justin's turn to disrobe. Neither man had the taut skin of their youth but that was not what they saw when they looked adoringly at each other. They only saw the beauty of firm young flesh that they had been admiring for decades as if for the first time every time. Their eyes saw the freshness that was forever branded in their hearts.

Justin slid down and gathered Brian's now hardened cock into his mouth. He sucked greedily, savoring all the familiar flavors that Brian offered him. Justin lay down next to Brian with his legs stretched to Brian's head. Brian turned on his side and gathered Justin's cock into his mouth too. Together they slowly but surely brought each other the pleasure that never failed to bring them to the edge of heaven every time. It might have taken much longer now for them to hit that plateau but it was always worth the wait. Once they were both satisfied, Justin scooted back to the head of the bed and laid next to his lover. They fell asleep with their arms around each other like thousands and thousands of times before.

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It was an absolutely perfect Spring evening outside when dinner was finally ready. The air was warm, but not too much so, and the air was perfumed with the many budding flowers in the lovely garden that spread from the rear entry of the home for what seemed miles. There were fountains with crystal clear waters pouring from the vases of mermaids and cherubs throughout the garden. A small pond was filled with colorful fish that swam lazily just below the surface and peeked out on occasion in hopes of a treat. There were benches placed throughout so one could relax and drink in the serenity of their surroundings. Aimee had the garden fully restored and created this haven of peace as soon as it was possible after life finally got back to order once the war was over. Her beloved grandfather and husband were buried in a small plot at the back of the garden.

Brian and Justin often enjoyed spending time in her garden during their visits. It reminded them of all the beautiful gardens they had visited during the Spring of '45 in the English countryside...a time that would always be dear to them as they considered it their honeymoon period. When they thought of that period of their lives they sometimes would allow themselves to recall the frightening few months that they had been in a forced separation. Justin had arrived back in the States safely aboard his ship but had then been transferred almost immediately to a new Unit when found to be physically fit. He was hundreds of miles away when Brian and his old Unit returned to the States on another ship. It didn't take long for the determined Sergeant to locate his missing Private and then they were forced to survive on phone calls for months before the final discharge papers for both were processed.

Brian could still remember the sight of Justin disembarking from the Greyhound bus in Pittsburgh on that cold Autumn day. He had been released much earlier than Justin because of his accumulated time in the service of his Country. He had waited impatiently for Justin to arrive after his discharge. He allowed himself to hug the beautiful blond in front of everyone standing nearby but it took all of his will not to plant the hottest kiss possible on those full smiling lips. He controlled himself admirably until they got to the apartment Brian had rented and there, with the rest of the world locked out, Brian took back possession of his beloved. It was the last time they were ever separated. Even when Brian developed testicular cancer at the age of sixty, which was discovered very early on and successfully treated, they were still not separated. Justin spent every minute of the time that Brian was hospitalized with him and nursed him with tender loving care until the day he felt his old self again.

Brian supported Justin as he attended art school and then Justin returned the favor while Brian worked to start his own ad agency. Together, they were unstoppable. For several decades they let the outside world think of them as simply best friends who had survived a war together and enjoyed each other's company enough to become two old bachelors sharing a home. When things began to change after the Stonewall riots and gay pride became the calling for many gay men throughout the Country, Brian and Justin were among those who came out and proudly declared their true status. There was no question that many folks already knew, or at least suspected, the true relationship between Brian and his 'roommate' but it had never become an issue. Once the couple outed themselves, neither lost a single client as a result.

Of course, their closest friends already knew all about the ad man and his partner. Only a blind man could have missed the way they looked at each other all the time. Even on those occasions when they did have a difference of opinion, one could still sense the love they shared. Justin's mom saw it the minute she visited Pittsburgh less than a year after Justin moved there. His father had been told he was living with a man and refused to visit. Justin mourned the loss for a few minutes and then placed his father in the past where he stayed until his dying day over twenty years later. His mom was another story. She begged her son to be certain that this was the life he really wanted...always having to keep his feelings bottled up in public...but by the time she and Molly returned home she no longer had any doubts as to whether Justin knew what he wanted. She visited often after that and the couple returned those visits for the rest of Jennifer's life. Molly even made both men Godparents to her only child, a son named after his two grandfathers.

Yes, life had been good for the couple and they thought about all those memories as they sat at the table that had been set up for their dinner in the garden. A beautiful antique white lace tablecloth covered the table and golden wicker chairs waited for them. The table had a copper bowl filled with fresh cut flowers in the center and tall candles in silver candelabras placed on each side. Crystal goblets stood next to bone china place settings and silver pieces were set out next to the china. The wine lay in its wicker basket waiting to be poured out. The table was laden with a beautiful Steak Au Poivre circled by roasted potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and fresh asparagus. There was a basket loaded with hot loaves of bread with fresh homemade butter to the side. The three old friends sat and enjoyed their meal together, once again reliving the many memories that crowded their thoughts. They were too full for dessert by the time they settled back in their chairs and relaxed. Justin joked that a good walk would probably work up their appetites for the delicious dessert of caramelized apples, pears, and berries that Aimee had prepared and after she begged off joining them, the two men took each other's arm and walked off through the garden.

Aimee turned around when she reached the back door and saw where they were headed. She smiled to herself remembering the day she discovered their secret passion for each other. It had shocked her at first, and admittedly made her a bit jealous, but she could clearly see the depth of their feelings for one another. She could also see the fear in the Sergeant's eyes. She had hurried to reassure him. The memory of her lost friend because of whom he had fallen in love with was still seared in her brain at that time and there was no way she would risk such a fate for the man she felt had saved her home and family. After that she had been a co-conspirator in giving the couple a chance to be together for the short time they had left in her home. She had never regretted her decision to keep their affair a secret.

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

Brian and Justin walked slowly into the old barn. It had, of course, been modernized over the years but the stalls were in the same places as they had been so long ago. They walked to the back and sat on a haystack. They held hands and remembered the first time they had been so sure their lives would be over when they realized they'd been caught by Aimee. Justin had returned to the house scared out of his mind, but the look on Brian's face when he entered the kitchen soon after reassured the young man. Later that night, Brian told him what Aimee had passed on to him. That night they had made love as if there was no tomorrow. Justin knew he was in love and Brian felt it too but they were both still unsure of each other. It took for Justin to be almost killed right after the war ended to make them both realize that their love for each other was real.

They shuddered when they realized how close they came to losing what had become the most important thing in their existence. They sat on the hay for some time traveling back in time and bringing to life the countless memories of their lives together...memories that each knew would sustain them when one inevitably left the other behind someday in the not too distant future. But for now, they still had each other to hold onto. They turned and kissed each other with their hearts in their touch. When the farm hand began herding the few head of cattle that Aimee still kept on the estate into the barn, the couple rose up and walked arm in arm back out again. They returned to the house and joined their hostess for dessert and coffee. More memories were shared and then everyone excused themselves for the evening. Brian and Justin returned to their old room. They undressed and climbed into the big old four poster bed. Brian spooned behind Justin, laying his arm tenderly over his long-time lover. He placed a gentle kiss on Justin's soft neck.

"Good night Sunshine," Brian said softly in Justin's ear.

"Good night Sarge," Justin answered, drawing Brian's hand closer to his heart.

The couple slowly drifted to sleep. In their dreams they were both still young and beautiful and filling each other up with all the passion they felt for each other as they came together again firmly and forever attached to one another. The orgasms of their dreams were just as explosive and life fulfilling as they had been all those years ago...starting on a battlefield in a Country far from home. The war had done irreparable and devastating damage to countless human beings, but for two lonely soldiers it had been the catalyst to a life that they could never regret having. They would always be sorry they hadn't met in some other way...but they would never regret meeting at last.

The End