The Galley – Part 2: Landfall
Gay Stories·EN·2 min read·Published 2026-11-07, updated 2026-11-07·Part 2 of 2
They reached Corsica at dawn.
The mountains rose out of the sea, rose-grey and enormous, their peaks edged with light. Gulls circled the ship. The first fishing boats headed out of Bastia harbour, small and bright.
Luc stood at the galley porthole, watching. He had slept two hours. Behind him, the door clicked.
"I made coffee," said Antoine.
He carried two cups to the steel table. He had taken off his jacket, and his shirt sleeves were rolled to the elbows. In the pink light he looked younger, and tired in a good way.
"And something else," he added.
On a small plate lay two eggs, soft and golden, with a scatter of chives and a heel of fresh bread. Luc stared.
"You cooked."
"My mother's recipe. It is the only thing I remember how to make."
"It's perfect."
"You have not tasted it."
"I don't have to."
They ate together at the narrow table, side by side, while the ship slid into the harbour. Antoine was quiet, but not shut. When he laughed, once, at something Luc said about a seagull, it startled them both.
"Can I ask you something?" said Antoine.
"Yes."
"You are staying through the autumn?"
"If the ship will have me."
"The ship will have you." He paused. "I would like to have you."
Luc's heart turned over. "May I kiss you?" he said.
"Yes," said Antoine. "And if you say stop, you must teach me to cook again."
"That would take years."
"I have years."
Luc kissed him, gently, over the small plate, a hand rising to his clean-shaven jaw. Antoine kissed him back, tentative and then sure, tasting of coffee and chives. The ferry bumped softly against the quay. The harbour woke around them in a clatter of gulls and bells.
When they parted, both of them were smiling.
"Green?" asked Antoine.
"Green," said Luc. "Very green."
On the galley wall now hangs a laminated card: Soup of the day. Cooked by two.
More gay romance stories: Morning Run · Night Telescope · The Tailor's Apprentice
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