Nap Time

by

BebeGrande

Nap 1.

She saw them on the beach.

They were on the beach asleep or so it appeared. Rick Simon's ever present hat was over his eyes and he wore his usual beach attire: Levi cutoffs and a black athletic top. They were laying together on a plaid edged blanket that his younger brother A.J. was told was the tartan of the Clan McRaney, the original family name. The royal blue Speedo swim trunks the blond haired detective wore under the open large khaki military shirt made up his entire outift. It was Rick's shirt and it was worn, no doubt, at the elder Simon's insistence. It was some peculiar and irregular fetish of Rick's that at certain times, and only whenever they were in public, he wanted A.J. to wear something of his, preferably something with his name on it. For years A.J. thought that maybe Rick did it because he had hoped that A.J. would be mistaken for him by people who did not know them. Only later he realized it was for some other reason altogether. Something else indeed.

As she watched them laying there stretched out in the sun, it never failed to amaze her.

Their body language spoke out loud and clear even when they weren't aware of it. They were lying top to toe with Rick on his back facing away from the water. Maybe it was because they were outside and,if one thought in those terms, in a pretty vulnerable position, but Rick was still being "big brother" even in his slumber. His left arm was draped across A.J.'s chest in a protective (or maybe the word was possessive?) manner. His left arm, not his right. Which was his gun hand. It was a subconscious gesture which was completely innocent on the face of it but one that was actually frought with deeper meaning.

It was not the first time she had thought about this as she went about her business. It had been this way from very early in their lives she realized.

A fairly casual observation would reveal that there was something wonderful but confusing about the boys' relationship. It was as if they lived and judged eveything by how it affected them. The world was divided along those lines: The Simons and everybody else. Even knowing this about them still made it sometimes diffifcult to follow them in converstation. They also had the kind of shorthand thoughts and language that brothers have that was sometimes unintelligible to the outside world.

She remembered something she had overheard once.

A conversation about a current case or scheduling took a decidedly odd turn at an unexpected moment. In the midst of the conversation, Rick suddenly asked his brother,

"Is the Princess sailing this afternoon?"

A.J. looked at him with a kind a of half smile on his face and said,

"She might be. Is the Captain looking forward to her arrival?"

"I have it on good authority that he has been thinking of almost nothing else for days."

They stared at each other a few more seconds and went back to their discussion of the case.

However well she thought she had known them was just shattered into a million pieces at that point. She realized that she had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

She had gotten what she had come for. She locked the door to the office and and walked slowly back to her car.

Nap 2

It started during the Liz Era, which was a strange time to be sure. It was the happiest and the most miserable time of their lives.

It started the same way almost every time and this time was no different. They had just wrapped up a particularly stressful case and were sitting in the living room having each his own particular libation. A.J. stood up from the armchair he was sitting in and stretched his muscular body. He walked over to the couch where Rick was sitting and plucked his hat from his head and put it on his own. Rick looked at him for few seconds and then stood up too.

He did not make any move to retrieve his hat but he raised his hands and slowly loosened and removed the silk tie from around A.J.'s neck and carefully folded it and put it in his pocket. Next he slid the jacket from his shoulders and laid it neatly on the back of the couch. A.J. , all the time staring into Rick's eyes, unsnapped and took off the shoulder holster holding Rick's .357 Magnum and laid it on the coffee table. He then removed Rick's bush jacket and draped it next to his own on the back of the couch. After this was done A.J., without saying a word, turned away from him and went up the stairs to the bathroom.

Rick went outside through the patio doors only to return 20 minutes later. He came back and found A.J. on the couch twirling Rick's hat slowly between his fingers. Rick approached him silently and extended his hand. A.J. laid the hat on the table next to the gun, and took his brother's hand in his as he rose from the couch. Rick then led his brother out of the patio doors toward his boat docked in the backyard. A.J. preceded him up the ladder to the boat's deck and then to the inner cabin.

Once inside, Rick pulled aside the coverlet and blankets revealing the soft feather bed on the queen size bunk and helped A.J. into it, after first removing his only piece of clothing, the floor length midnight blue cashmere robe he wore. After making sure he was comfortable, Rick peeled off the a-shirt he was wearing. Next he removed his boots and socks and then started undoing his jeans. He would do this slowly and deliberately never breaking eye contact with A. J. the entire time. When he finished removing the jeans he was standing fully naked as he never wore underwear. He walked over to the small stereo unit and pushed the button to play a tape of one of the many movie soundtrack scores they owned.

Rick slowly walked over to the bed and said,
"I trust you find everything satisfactory?"

"Most satisfactory."

"By your leave, Your Grace?"

"You are most welcome, Good Sire."

With the invitation formally made, Rick slid into the bed and pulled the blankets over them both. He took his brother gently into his arms and caressed his body tenderly for a few minutes and he turned them both slowly until A.J. was lying prone beneath him.

The soundtrack tape evoked the sounds of the wind and sea with the waves lapping at the bow of a large sailing vessel.

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They had been docked off the shores of Wales. Captain Richard Lawrence Simon or "Randy Rick" as he was known among the shady characters he spent his time with, had only recently been pressed into service to return to the bosom of her family the 3-years hostelled Princess Anne so she could assume her duties to her country.

Her mother Queen Cecilia had sent her away at 17 to France ostensibly to study the Arts but her real purpose was to keep her from being betrothed to the Evil Lord Lizardi who was only after her for the family fortune. The Lord had gotten wind of the plans to sneak her back into the country and had sent henchmen to kidnap her.

Randy Rick had been enjoying a riotous evening of drinking and story-telling at his favorite pub, The Fortunate Mallard, when he observed the frightened Princess and her man servant, the eunuch Marlowe, as they ran in trying to get away from the thugs. He saw as the men unfairly attacked the servant who was valiantly trying to protect his young charge and had gotten the worst of the fight for his trouble. The Captain was generally not one to interfere in the troubles of another but he knew the young maiden had not a chance of winning against the fierce gang of ruffians. He was impressed with her resolve to try to defend herself against such bleak odds with only a small dagger.

Before he realized what he doing Rick found himself between the Princess and the gang with his sword brandished. He took out 2 of them handily and the other 3 turned tail and ran. He turned to the heiress and saw her up close for the first time. The hooded cape she wore had slipped down to reveal the spun gold thread that was her hair. Her face was of that clear and fair complexion that bespoke her royal blood. She was possessed of the most beautiful cornflower blue eyes it had ever been his pleasure to view. The worldly seaman would have sworn he was looking upon the countenance of an angel. The Princess, not being used to kind of dangerous cirmcumstances she found herself, uttered her sincere thanks and promptly fainted into the Captain's arms.

He gallantly scooped her up, yelled for his men to take hold of the injured servant and led his party to his vessel, the freighter Gerald McJames. That had been 6 days ago, during which time he had gotten the backstory from the recovering eunuch which was confirmed by a visit from the parish priest that had serviced the teaching convent in which she had been placed. He had brought the Princess' clothes and other possessions and paid the Captain a good sum of money to escort the beautiful maiden safely back to her country. As the days passed he found himself growing ever more fond of his royal charge. Finally he could not deny his feelings any longer and on an after dinner walk around the deck, he confessed his love for her. She said that she felt the same way and could not bear the thought that she would have to part from him. As hard as it was for him he told her that he would honor the pact he made with the priest and not touch her and allow no others to do so either.

In 4 more days the landed on the shores of her homeland and he presented her to her mother. With tear filled eyes Princess Anne bid the Captain farewell and he left to prepare his ship for another journey to parts unknown. Being the astute woman that she was, Queen Cecilia could tell what the true feeling was between her daughter and the handsome sailor. That evening she spoke to the Princess who readily admitted that her mother was right. Like her daughter, Queen Cecilia had found the tall captain charming and and attractive. However, she did feel that he may not necessarily be the best mate for her and that she would surely know heartache as well as happiness if she were to marry him. As the princess would not turn 21 for another 6 months, she still had some say and encouraged her daughter to please think it through carefully. Her Grace Anne did just so and and after some serious soul seraching she knew what she wanted.

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to be continued.....