Road to Anywhere (boyxboy)

Chapter 7: Littlebury

"Is that real?"

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"Littlebury, please drive carefully." Morton reads the sign out loud. They cross the boundary and are soon surrounded by quaint little cottages painted in white with thatched roofs either side of the winding road. They drive over a small stone built bridge, with a babbling brook flowing reasonably fast underneath.

"This looks nice." Oliver says, though his tone didn't sound too convincing. He likened the place to one of those villages where people still owned pitchforks and used them, not just for gathering hay.

"Places like this usually have a pub, right?" Morton says, his brief moment of countryside hatred now being replaced with his next agenda on the now growing bucket list.

"I guess so, why? Do you want to check it out?" Oliver finds himself squirm a little in his seat at the thought. He would rather drive straight through the picturesque village of Littlebury. Maybe it was the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. That feeling of narrow mindedness, that of being judged, which he had not seen since school and why he had stayed in the closet for the longest time. But for reasons unbeknown to him, Oliver was a sucker for Morton's demands of late.

"Just for one drink. Or a local pie or something." Morton carries on, unaware of his friend's evident discomfort as he looks the opposite way, soon seeing the vague resemblance of a public house in the distance. "No! You're fucking kidding me!" Morton looks ahead, mouth agape as he emits a small giggle. There in view, was the pub sign.

"The Cock Inn"

"Is that real?" Oliver furrows his brow, seeing the sign with a healthy looking rooster painted on it.

"We have to go in, just for the name." Morton replies, still smirking. "With that name, what do you think our chances are that we will receive cock?"

"Probably very small Morton." Oliver says as he pulls alongside the building. The campervan comes to a halt and the engine is switched off.

Morton wastes no time in undoing his seatbelt and pulls the handle on the door to open it, but stops in his tracks when Oliver puts a hand on his arm. "Wait... Just wait a minute."

"What is it?" Morton says, looking at Oliver a little concerned.

"Do I look gay?"

Morton scrunches up his face, a little perplexed by the question. "Why are you asking me that? You are gay Oliver."

"I know I am gay Morton, but do I look gay? Do you think people can tell?"

Morton again looks at Oliver, but this time with a more serious gaze. He takes in what his friend is wearing, a pair of blue slim fit jeans. A dark green hoodie with a tiny sports logo embroidered to the left hand side of the front. His hair now rather windswept from the last few moments of chase, the light brown highlights flopping a little over his green eyes. Oliver's lips were a plush pink, his skin unblemished with his petite nose finishing off his aesthetic. "If I saw you in a bar, would I think you were gay?" Morton tilts his head to one side. "I would think you are hot and I would hope you are gay." He beams a smile. "You are attractive Oliver."

Oliver swallows down hard as he takes in Morton's words. He was not expecting such a response from his friend and it did something strange to his heart. "Do you think I'm good looking Morton?" He asks cautiously.

Morton instantly looks away and straight ahead out of the front window. "I... I was being....being observant. That's what you asked of me right?" He dares to look back, letting out a nervous laugh. "You look like a man. What else do you want me to say?" He shrugs as it now irritated by the question. "Why do you ask?"

"I guess I feel a bit anxious about going in there." He gestures towards the van's window at the pub. "I just don't want any hassle."

"Look, I know this place looks like it's set in the 1950s, but I'm sure it will be fine. People don't give a shit about stuff like that these days and if they do, we will just leave."

"You've been brought up by Soho." Oliver snorts. "I grew up in a stepford town. My parents divorce was a blessing. If I had stayed with my dad, I would have probably been married with a kid right now."

"That would be a damn shame." Morton shakes his head. He looks once again at Oliver, placing a hand upon Oliver's knee. "Do you want me to go in first?"

Oliver glances down at the hand on his jeans, before looking back up at Morton, who was looking at him. He suddenly pulls his leg away, laughing nervously before clearing his throat. "No, not after the drama you caused in the field. We will go in together."

"Ok, come on then." Morton turns to get out of the confines of the van, which for some reason was getting intense. They now stood next to each other, staring up at the quaint building. "The Cock Inn." Morton chuckles to himself. "Wouldn't it be funny if it actually was a gay bar?"

"This would be a unique village if it was." Oliver says with a grin. "I guess it is time to find out how friendly the locals actually are..."