thegoodfellas/blogset-br huggingface dataset:
instead of going to the arcade withLouis. Johnny had stood out in some way and was selected, and then hewas taken into a back room and tattooed. Hed come out withtear-streaked cheeks and a fresh mark weeping beads of blood, andtheyd taken him home.Stableboys dont bring in a lot of money, Martin said with a shrug,so they dont get a big party. But the Houses give companions achance for some resolution so they can go to auction prepared to showtheir best faces.Whatdo you mean by resolution?Itsthe last opportunity to tell people how you feel about them, or tohave sex, or to pass on your treasuressince companions donttake anything away from the House, you have to do something with yourmementos and talismans, whether its burning them or giving themaway.Burning?Like the bonfire last night, that kind of thing?Yes,exactly, Henry. You take your old love letters and things like thatand you...let them go. Or you can give them away to another boy tokeep a little longer. I had a few notes like that, things that hadbeen passed down four or five times before they got to me. But whenit was my turn, I burned everything, even the things Id carriedfor other people. I needed to come away clean.Whatdid you have that you needed to burn?Martinhesitated a moment and looked down into his coffee cup. I had aletter from Richard, one that he wrote knowing Id burn itsomeday. He bit his lip, still staring into his coffee. We werevery special to one another.Henrysjealousy flared, roiling in his gut, and it took every bit of hisstrength not to say something horrible, something hed regret. Hedworried, of course, that Martin had had someone hed loved atGanymede, and hed imagined it was Charlie, but it was worsesomehow that it was Richard.Hehad all kinds of questions, but he wouldnt let himself ask any ofthem. What had the letter said? Would Martin rather be with Richardnow? Did Henry and Richard look alike? What kind of sex had Martinand Richard shared? Theyd been so young when Richard diedwas itpossible that they hadnt had sex? Henry wondered this for only ahopeful moment before dismissing it as ridiculous. He knew Martin,and Martin would have wanted to be intimate with any boy that hedcared for like hed obviously cared for this Richard.Martinwas looking at him, his eyes sad and serious. Please dont bejealous, Henry. I care for you so much that you have nothing to bejealous about.Henrylet out his breath in a long, quavery exhale. Ill try, Martin.All I can do is try.Ratherthan waiting to see how Henry might react, Martin decided to forgeahead with his story. The summer parties are very emotional, muchmore so than the party last night. Even though boys would be ashamedto admit it, theres a lot of crying.Whyso many tears?Wereall separated into our training groups, and we naturally grow closerwith the boys we share training with, but you dont forget thoseearlier friendships. I had a friend, Harry, that I shared a bed withfrom 6 to 12, and we had little in common anymore when we weresixteens, but for those six
years he was my home. I told him howgrateful I had been for his friendship my last night at Ganymede.Henrydesperately wanted to know if Martin had fucked this Harry, but heknew better than to ask when he was feeling so emotional. Itshouldnt matter, he told himself.Whathappened to Harry? Whats he being trained for?Hestraining to be a footman. Hell be at Ganymede until hes aneighteen at least.Youhad a lot of friends, Henry said. He knew this to be true, wasntasking a question.Yes,I did. Martin agreed. We all tried to get along, you know.Becauseof Hetaeria.Yes,because of that, Henry, but also because its good practice forgetting along with masters. Not all masters are as sweet as you.He put his hand atop Henrys, interlacing their fingers. Ivetold you that I thought right away that you would be kind, and itturned out to be true, but some of my friends masters gave firstimpressions that were deceiving.Likewho?Doyou know Howard? Mr. Foxs companion?RandallFox was one of Adam Pettibones few remaining friends, not someoneHenry had ever liked, so it was not surprising to Henry that Randywould be deceptive or unkind. Howard was a pale, ethereal boy, a sortof bedraggled angel with dirty-blond hair and big grey eyes, andHenry did find him more attractive than not, albeit somewhatgrudgingly. But all he said was, I know which one Howard is.Mr.Fox was very...seductive at the auction. He said things to Howardthat made him want Mr. Fox to take him, that made him think Mr. Foxwould care for him and be very tender. He was fully prepared to bedevoted to his master, but Mr. Fox hasnt made it easy for him.Howards feelings are easily hurt, and Mr. Fox treats him verycarelessly.Whatabout my friends? Which of them dont get along with their slaves?Well,weve talked about it before, but I dont think Mr. Lovejoy andJulian will ever have a good relationship, though I believe thatsmore Julians fault than his masters. Mr. Townsend and Dickarent the best match, either. Martin shrugged, as he said,They disagree on most things and poor Dick feels very stifled.Henryremembered what Martin had told him about Charles being a real loverto Simon. What about Charles and Simon? Do they still get alongall right?Martinlaughed. Simon remains very devoted to Mr. Ross, and I assume withgood reason! He nudged Henry with his shoulder.Butout of all of you, its just you and Simon whose masters are...areextra-kind?Imnot certain, but I think Mr. Hollingsworth and Allen might beparticularly close.Danieland Allen made an odd couple to Henrys eye. Daniel was short andslight, blond and cute, and Allen was tall and lanky with long auburnhair and piercing dark eyes. It was difficult for Henry to imaginediminutive Daniel on top of Allenbut, then again, it was difficultfor him to picture little Louis bending Peter over. Actually, it wasprobably better to not imagine any of his friends having sex; therewasnt one of them he wanted to see naked, not even handsomeCharles.Danielseems all right, was all Henry said.Didyou want to know more about the party? I dont want to bore you, ofcourse.Yes,tell me more. What kind of party is it? Theres a band,
so I guesstheres dancing, right?Well,its summertime, so theres a barbecue picnic, and someone alwaysspikes the lemonadeits a teacher, to be certain, but theypretend otherwise so we think were getting away with something,you see. Martin shifted in his seat. Can I get morecomfortable, Henry? I want to lean back, if you dont mind.Sure,of course.Henrybent and yanked at his bootlaces while Martin removed his own boots,then got down on his knees to finish what Henry had started. Theymoved to sit at the head of the bed, side-by-side, with their backsto the headboard. Martin wedged a pillow behind his hip and angledhimself toward Henry.Areyou comfortable, Henry?Imfine. Keep talking.Martinpicked up Henrys hand and played with his fingers. As you said,we had dancing, and it was a lot like last nights dancing, in thatpeople would be very affectionate. From our vantage point, playing atthe head of the room we saw everything that went on, all the kissingand groping and fondling, and most of us found it very titillating.You have to understand that the majority of slaves really are verycomfortable having their needs met by friends of their same sex, evenif their preference is for an opposite-sex partner.Youmust have been happy growing up, Henry said, chuckling.Martingave him a short, assessing glance to ascertain whether he was jokingor about to become blameful. Yes, he agreed a littlehesitantly. Boys like me make happier slaves.Youretelling me a lot of general things about these parties, Henrypointed out, but Im interested in yourparty, the party this last August. Who did you have to say goodbyeto? Who do you miss the most?Oh.Well, I said goodbye to my Harry, who I was so close to when I waslittleHowdid you say goodbye to him?Imsorry?Didyou hug him? Did you have sex? What did you do?Wehugged and kissed a little, and I talked to him a long time about howmuch it had meant to me to have his affectionate heart to come hometo when we were boys. We didnt have sex because we didnt havethat sort of relationship. We were friends.Butyou would have had sex with him if hed wanted.Martinsighed. Henry, why do you ask me these things? They make us bothso unhappy.Imnot angry, Martin, see? Henry paused so Martin could look at him,could see how even-keeled he was. I just want to understand, allright? So tell me, who else did you say goodbye to?Well,David was a childhood friend whod thought he would be a companion,but hed been chosen to be a butler instead and he was stilldisappointed over that. We said goodbye and I encouraged him to workhard. Noah was probably the closest to Richard besides me, and wenever got along because there were jealousies, but we came togetherto remember RichardWhichmeans what?Wetalked, Martin said. We only talked.Youdidnt have sex with him?Martinwrinkled his nose in distaste. We really didnt get along. Wejust talked.AboutRichard.Yes.We both cared so much for Richard.Henrydidnt much like the reminder that another had had a claim onMartins heart, but he let it pass without remark. All right.Who else?Isaid goodbye to my friends Leo and Sandy, as well. Leo was a Superiorboy, like me, but Sandy
andtouched his cheek, and Martin closed his eyes and leaned into Henrystouch. Henry kissed him and his mouth was wet and melting, his tongueslippery and tender as it twined with Henrys own.Theykissed a few minutes, separating only to struggle out of theirjackets and then falling back into one anothers arms. Henry feltso full up with emotion that he grew shy, hiding his face againstMartins neck while Martin touched his cock through his trousersand made him tremble, feeling so vulnerable and exposed.Martin?he whispered.Yes,Henry? Martin pulled back to look Henry in the eyes, hisexpression a little concerned. What is it?Ionly know you, Martin, you know this, and when I think of sex, Ithink of you,and what weve done together, but youve had a broaderexperienceHenry,pleaseNo,its okay, Martin. Im not mad, I promise. I just wonder...do youthink of the others when youre with me? Do you ever think ofRichard when were having sex?Martinwas quiet a long moment. Honestly? Sometimes I amreminded of Richard. He was like you: he was so tender with me, andhe wanted me to feel good above all. He would have been happy for me,ending up with you.Hewouldnt have been jealous?Notexactly. He wouldnt have begrudged you my body, but he would havemissed having my heart all to himself. Even so, I think he would havebeen happy for us. If hed been able to pick out a master for me, Ithink he would have picked you: someone Id be irresistibly drawnto, someone whod be kind, someone whod be loving beyond mywildest dreams. Sometimes I even think that it was Richard whobrought you to me.Henrydidnt know how he felt about this, the idea that the dead boy hadgenerously selected Henry to be his replacement.Theywere quiet a few moments, Martin stroking Henrys hair. I knowyoure wondering, Martin began, so Ill tell you. Hehesitated a moment longer, then said, I have better sex with you.Everything I did with Richard was special because we were doing itfor the first time, but its better with you, Henry. The way yourcock fits my body is just so perfect; it feels like you were made forme. Youre so handsome, exactly what I like in a man, and the tasteand smell of you gets me so excited. You know just how to touch me,Henry. I truly love having sex with you.Yourenot just saying that?Martinsnorted. No, Im not just saying it. Youve had sex with me somany times, after all. Cant you tell how much I like it?Really,when he thought about it, Henry had no idea how Martin might possiblyseem moreenthusiastic about their sex. Martin blatantly loved being fucked byHenry, groveling on hands and knees or spread wide on his back. Heindisputably loved having Henry suck his cock; he was helplessly inthrall to Henrys mouth on his ass. He was endlessly eager,endlessly arousable. He got hard when Henry kissed him, got hard whenHenry licked his ear, got hard when Henry told him he was beautiful,got hard when Henry told him to take off his clothes. He was alwayswilling, always giving and generous. At this stage of theirrelationship, it was unreasonable of Henry to
doubt him.I-Ithink so, Henry said. Its just...its just that Ivebeen very lucky, I guess, and I dont think I should depend onluck.Butyouve always been lucky, Martin said gently. You were borninto fantastic wealth, after all. Youre physically gifted,tooyoure tall and beautiful, and youre good at anything youchoose to do with your body, whether that be sports or sex. NowMartin touched Henrys face. Youre blessed with a kind heart,too, and youre loving and giving. You had all these advantagesbefore we met. He smoothed Henrys hair off his forehead andpressed a kiss between his eyebrows.Really,I was the lucky one. Chances were Id end up with a master whowasnt all that handsome, not terribly concerned with my feelings,and not particularly sexually adept. Thats what most of my friendshave to contend with, you know, Henry; their masters are just regularboys.Henrycould see that this was true, that Martin wouldnt have been happywith a less-passionate master, a more traditional master, someone whowas a stickler for the rules and steered clear of the forbidden.Doyou wish I was smarter? Henry felt so ashamed asking, but he oftenwondered. Martin was smart, and hed grown up surrounded by smart,handsome, talented boys, and surely he couldnt help but want anintellectual equal, too, and Henry knew he wasnt that.Somepeople dont do well in a classroom settingImnot smart, Martin. Its okay; I know it.Youmight not be terribly good at some subjects, Henry, but youre notstupid by any means. Youre very good at math, after all, and youhave a vivid imagination.Henrydidnt point out that most of his imaginings had to do with Theoand George, as he liked the idea that he was imaginative.Ithink that you could do something creative if you wanted. You couldwrite your own stories, or we could do it together.Wecould?Ifyou wanted to. Im good at grammar and spelling and you could thinkup the actual story.Henrywondered what his father would think of that, of Henry writingfiction. Would he scoff at it? Forbid it? Think it entirely beneathhis notice? It would probably be the latter. That might be fun,he allowed.Wecould enter a magazine story contest, if you wanted, Martinsuggested. Palsor one of the other magazines.Theonly stories that Henry really wanted to tell were the sex scenesmissing from DrakesProgress,however, and he didnt imagine Palswould be eager to publish anything like that. Ill think aboutit, Henry decided. It would be fun to do it with Martin, even ifno one ever read it but the two of them.Martinpulled his watch out of his waistcoat pocket. Weve talked along time. Its nearly time for lunch. Kiss me just a little longerand then well go down.Martinpushed Henry down on his back and climbed on top of him, his kneespressing into Henrys sides. He held Henrys face between hishands and kissed him tenderly, lavishly, just the way a boy wouldkiss his beloved. Henry felt a pain in his chest, a sweet ache thatwas his longing for Martin, and it seemed he could never get Martinclose enough to make the pain go away.Martinsat up, taking Henrys hand with him, and he pressed Henrys palmto his chest over his heart. Henry felt the
rapid thudding ofMartins heartbeat under his fingertips and Martins voiceresonating in his chest as he said, I feel so much for you, Henry.Cant you tell?Henryswallowed hard. I can tell, he said. I think were thesame.Martinpressed his own hand over Henrys heart and smiled. I thinkyoure right. He climbed off of Henry and then down from the bedand held his hand out for Henry to take. Come on, Henry. Letseat.Henryobediently followed Martin downstairs and sat together with him inthe breakfast room, eating pea soup and cheese sandwiches and wedgesof vanilla cake with chocolate icing. All the while, he felt asthough they were somehow separate from the world, enclosed in agolden bubble of warmth and tenderness, and every time he caughtMartins eye, it seemed evident that Martin felt as he did. Martinslid his foot across the carpet so that their boots touched, thoughhe did so without looking at Henry at all, as if this would keepRandolph or the footmen from noticing if they came into the room.Inbetween bites of cake, Martin leaned close and in a low voice said,Sir? Im happy I was able to talk to you about Richard a little.Thank you for being a good listener.Whathe meant, Henry suspected, was Thankyou for not having a jealous, childish fit and making me feel badabout my dead friend,but Henry would accept good listener.Iwant us to be able to talk about anything, Henry told him, whichwas very true. He meant a lot to you. You should be able to talkabout him.Martinbeamed at him. He would have liked you, Sir.Henrydidnt know how he felt about this, but he knew it was meant to becomplimentary. And, really, there was no reason to be jealous ofRichard. First and foremost, Richard was dead.Besides, Martin was never Richards to begin with. Martin wasalways destined for life with some rich young man, a free man; inHenrys most fanciful imaginings, Martin might have been destinedfor Henry and Henry alone from the moment of his birth.Paulcame to the dining room doorway and Martin quickly withdrew his foot.Sir?Mr. Briggs is on the telephone. Shall I tell him youll return hiscall?Illtalk to him now, Henry decided. Were done, arent we,Martin?Imfinished, Sir, Martin said agreeably.Martinfollowed Henry down the hall to the telephone alcove and lounged inthe doorway while Henry talked.Howwas the slave party? Louis asked.Wild,Henry told him. I saw a lot of things...Really?What kinds of things?Lotsof people having sex, Henry said in a loud whisper.Tellme more!Notover the phone, Henry said, blushing at the idea of an operatorlistening in.Allright then. Did you see Peter? I let him go for a little bit and hemet up with his girl.No,I didnt see him. I was mostly just watching the band play.Thatsright. Martin was playing. Did he do a good job?Hedid great. Everyone did.Afterthis, all the slaves are going to want to have parties at their homesfrom now on, you know. No more downtown dance halls.Myfamily keeps messing things up, Henry said cheerfully.Itsunderstandable that you and your father dont know how to doanything properly, Louis said affectionately, But your mothershould know better.Ithink she might enjoy seeing the havoc my father
I guess, and she was gasping, and shed pulled herskirt up so her friend could get at her cunt, but shed sort offorgotten to hold it up, so it covered the girls head andshoulders. She seemed very caught up in what was being done to her.He looked at Louis, who seemed pleased. Was that better?Yes,much so, Louis said happily. What else did you see?Awoman lying on the floor being fucked with another man stretched outbeside her kissing her, with his cock in his hand.Okay,what else?Therewere a lot of men together. Really, mostly men together. Thiswasnt strictly true, but it waswhat Henry remembered. Do you want to hear about that, or justthings with women.Louiswrinkled his nose. I get enough of men together at the swaps,he said. Just stick to ladies, please.Eventhough he hadnt actually seen it, Henry transposed his fantasyabout Martin and little redheaded Jimmy into something Louis wouldlike. There was a woman on her hands and knees, her skirt bunchedup around her waist, who was taking on two men at once: one fuckingher cunt and the other fucking her mouth. She made these great littlegreedy noises around the mans cock, and they were both justslamming into her, and she seemed to love it.Didyou see her come?Henryblushed. I-I dont know. She wasmaking a lot of noise.Thatwas probably what was happening, Louis said from a position ofmoderate knowledge, post-Bridget OMalley. So this was allhappening out in the open?Well,in the back bedroomsthere are these unused bedrooms down there,just in case we get more kitchen slavesYourfamily has way too many slaves as it is! Louis protested.Anyway,there are unused bedrooms down past the kitchen, and people wereusing them with no concern for privacy at all. People were wanderingin and out of the rooms the whole time. No one seemed to care thatthey were being watched.Isthat true? Louis asked Peter. Do you slaves not care if anyonesees you fucking? I dont mean at swaps, of course, but when itspersonal sex.Peterblushed. Icare, Sir. Franny cares. But some people, if theyre drunk...maybethey dont care so much.Youknow, Henry, you probably could have gotten some pretty slave girl tosuck you off, Louis pointed out.Henryfrowned, finding the idea very distasteful. But he said, Iwouldnt want it to get around that Id done that. There wouldhave been so many witnesses. And the girl could have been in so muchtrouble.Theywere all drunk, Louis countered. You could have gotten awaywith it, Im sure.Well,I didnt even try, Henry said with a shrug. Do you want toplay cards or something?Sure,but would you get Martin to play some of the music from the party?Peter was really impressed and Id like to hear.Henryturned to Martin. Would you mind?Martinbeamed at him, clearly delighted to have the opportunity to play.Id be happy to, Sir.Martinducked into his room to get his violin. Henry got the cards and histea tin off the mantel and dumped out the money on the bed so thatthey could each count out fifty pennies. Louis laughed at Henryswads of bills and called him a barbarian, but he shut up and listenedwhen Martin began to play.Theysat on the floor with