The next time Jimmy saw Robert was at a Tim Rose gig, the teen had urged him to come down and check out his drumming mate John 'Bonzo' Bonham.
They were fearsome chums since the age of fifteen, playing together for beer money, having an infamous reputation in their home town and by all accounts most people, as the mere sight of the pair would cross to the other side of the street.
It was an awkward meeting at first; a sudden shyness that Jimmy thought was utterly gone seemed to be once again emanating from Robert as he obviously contemplated their hasty coupling at Pangbourne.
But it wasn't so for Jimmy, the very sight of Robert, that gleaming mop of soft curls, cheeks all flushed and blue eyes racing, only seemed to perpetuate his desire for the singer. This time Jimmy knew he won't settle on such a short and rough climax- he wanted more.
But he was here on business; he couldn't just drag Robert somewhere and...preposterous! Leave it be for now, he said to himself.
Bonham was much like Robert, that easy going midland comfort of a person extremely down to earth.
But the second that Jimmy heard his crushing thunderous drumming, it was clear to him that Robert wasn't talking trash.
Jimmy had never heard drums being played like that before, must reasonably good drummers had a decent rhythm and kept timing, being heard somewhere in the background at best.
But Bonham was literally murdering the skins, hitting hard with a passion which made his presence known, a momentous and larger than life collision.
If Jimmy wasn't sure of the extent of the sound he was looking for, he was certain of it now.
He had found that heavy factor in the form of John Bonham.
The only real problem was that Bonzo had other offers, Tim Rose was keeping him in good stock, and the kind of secure living he'd never had before.
Bonham had a young wife and a baby, his fear to risk that income stability was quite understandable.
Unbeknownst to Jimmy and Robert, Joe Cocker was also interested in the drummer.
"Rob, you sly dog!" called out Bonzo when he spotted the singer backstage after the gig.
"Haven't heard of you in months, what's that you been up to?" asked the drummer, wiping at his brow and the two mates exchanged a brief hug and Robert received a punch on his shoulder.
"You know, a cat always lands on his feet...I've actually joined Jimmy Page's group."
"The Yardies?" asked Bonzo, "aren't they a bit done?"
"Yeah, it's a new line up and to be quite frank Bonzo, that's why I'm here."
"Ha!" exclaimed Bonzo "I knew you weren't just pinning to see me."
Robert grabbed the drummer by the lapels of his jacket, "Bonzo, you've just GOT to join the Yardbirds!"
"Well I'm happy where I am, aren't I?" answered the drummer as he carefully removed the singers hands and gave him another punch on the shoulder.
Hobbstweedle's keyboard player's father owned a pub in Wolverhampton and Robert settled in the spare room when Terry left for the Stones' tour.
"Is that exactly what he said?" asked Jimmy as the two entered the room now.
The singer turned the lights on, revealing his oh so very humble abode.
"It's a certified quote Jimmy" answered Robert, "but don't worry, I've known Bonzo for some time now and I'm sure he'll come around, all we need to do is to keep the pressure going. He won't fail me; he'll come to see what's right."
Robert concluded and sat down on the mattress he used as a bed, the only real piece of furniture in the room.
Beside it on the floor stood a red and cream Dansette Conquest Auto Major record player, a jumbled stack of Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield and Bo Diddley vinyls littered the floor.
"I should call Grant" said Jimmy.
"There's a phone down stairs" said Robert and the guitarist went out.
Peter Grant was sitting in his living room, enjoying a fine cigar after dinner time and thinking over the day's work he had accomplished and what still needed be done tomorrow.
The New Yardies were coming along nicely, three pieces of the puzzle were set in and all Jimmy needed now was a reasonable drummer to fill in the gap.
Peter knew he could count on Pagey and Jonesy to produce music of high standards, both were seasoned session players who knew their way round a note.
Though he was worried a bit about Robert, it was an unusual marriage of innocence and experience.
That the kid had talent was obvious, but could he hold his ground when faced with the rigors of creativity and the hardship of a band on the road? The Yardbirds disbanded on those same accounts.
Ah, but he believed in Jimmy, no matter what the gifted guitarist do, it'll be good and the best way to get results was to give Jimmy what he needed.
Above all else Peter believed in his gut instinct, it never failed him and the few times in which he did fail were those in which he went against it.
Peter's wife came in, "Jimmy's on the phone" she informed him.
"Sure, dear, I'll take it in the study."
Peter chuckled to himself as he went to his study, Jimmy was actually spending money and calling him, something serious must have happened.
"Pagey, what's this all about? Is everything in order?" asked Peter, getting himself a little too worked up.
"I just saw the most amazing drummer, he's so humbling, we just got to get him" said an anxious Jimmy over the line.
Well, it seemed like Jimmy had just found the missing piece, thought Peter as he relaxed.
"Great news Jimmy, who's the bloke? Do I know him?"
"John Bonham, a black country chap. He's Robert's mate, touring with Tim Rose."
"Another one eh?" seems bloody West Bromwich is teaming with talent now a days. Well give all the details and I'll start working on it, wooing the old maid so to speak" said Peter, quickly scribbling on a pad note everything Jimmy had told him.
"You know what the best thing about living above a pub is?" asked Robert as Jimmy came back.
"The noise?" shrugged Jimmy, smiling at the singer.
"No, that's the second best thing... the first is that it's amazingly easy to procure liquor" said Robert and with that he took out two Newcastle Brown's and handed one over to Jimmy.
"Well, you certainly are a man of means Plant" said Jimmy, raising his bottle to Robert's before taking a quick swig.
Two hours later and about two bottles each, Jimmy lay on the mattress next to Robert smoking a cigarette.
They were listening to Elvis' "Big Hunk O' Love", Robert's all time favorite from the king.
"You know...about that day..." Robert suddenly blurted out, his speech drowsy and slurred from the alcohol.
"Yeah, I been thinking 'bout that too, but I'm still drawing a blank" answered Jimmy, letting the smoke out in perfectly shaped rings.
"I'm not; you know...Maureen and me we're..."
"You're hammered Plant, so don't go any further." Said Jimmy and turned on his side, looking intently at Robert.
God, what was it about Robert that made jimmy trod such uncertain grounds? But all he really wanted was to have him now, he was tiered of over thinking everything, it was time for pure action.
Jimmy cupped Robert's chin and pulled him into a kiss, surprisingly founding that though both were quite drunk the kiss wasn't slurry or sloppy at all. It seemed to retain the same heat and urgency a sin the last time their lips met.
Jimmy kept waiting for some sort of struggle on Robert's side, but the youth was plaintive, letting Jimmy have his fill of his lips.
Even more so, Robert had turned the tables now, taking lead instead of being lead as he straddled Jimmy, their fingers interlocked and Robert's erection grinding into Jimmy's.
Suddenly Robert stopped his kissing and withdrew completely. Jimmy was laying there with eyes closed, lips still tingling from passion as he feared the worst- that Robert had changed his mind.
When he finally dared to open his eyes he found Robert standing at the foot of the bed, naked. It was one of the most erotic visions in Jimmy's life for Robert had a well proportioned body, lithe and slender limbs, and upper arms quite muscular from hard work.
The sight sent a sexual throbbing through the guitarist's loins; he was aching for the teen so much.
But Robert hadn't moved, just staring at him while Jimmy removed his own garments.
Once naked himself, jimmy sat up, beckoning Robert to come to him.
The singer approached timidly, Jimmy took hold of his forearm and gently pulled him over.
The singer clasped his hands around Jimmy's nape as the older man placed his hands on Robert's buttocks thus pulling him to a closer embrace.
Robert's uncertainty diminished as Jimmy's clever tongue was making its way slowly down his belly, outlining a faint trail down to his nether as it found the shaft itself.
Jimmy sucked at the tip, sliding his tongue over the tender slit where he could taste Robert's pre cum collect.
Robert steadied himself by placing one hand on Jimmy's shoulder while the other went, as if on its own accord to curl the guitarist's flowing black hair.
While Jimmy took Robert's considerable length in, he slowly forced a digit into the singers opening.
"What are you doing?" asked Robert, a faint panic in his voice.
"It'll feel good, I promise" said the guitarist, "Do you trust me?"
Robert nodded and Jimmy went back to suckling him, forcing yet another digit.
Robert was panting and almost mauling at Jimmy's hair, it was becoming harder to stand up, and he felt as though his knees might buckle from the rapture at any given moment.
Jimmy sensed that and maneuvered Robert to lay down underneath him.
Once newly positioned Jimmy resumed working his clever tongue and Robert spread his legs and lifted himself up a bit to once again receive Jimmy's long fingers inside him.
When jimmy hit Robert's prostate once again, the singer couldn't hold it any longer and he came in violent spasms and raspy grunts.
Jimmy smiled, he found Robert incredibly attractive while over come with passion, but the teen was absolutely beautiful as he come undone. Robert was a beautiful crystal vase, shattered into a million glittering pieces.
Jimmy caressed Robert's inner thigh, finding the skin there silky smooth.
He could feel Robert's fingers curling round the base of his length, slowly massaging his balls while they kissed lazily.
"I want you to..." whispered Robert between kisses, but could not complete his sentence as Jimmy plunged his tongue to silence him.
Jimmy figured that the next stage of their love making was just like with a woman, a virgin for that matter and he'd have to be patient and slow.
He wanted Robert to enjoy it, he certainly didn't want to hurt him.
For lack of anything else, one of Maureen jasmine scented body lotions would have to suffice as a lubricant.
Robert poured a handful and began to smooth the lotion over Jimmy's cock, making the guitarist even harder if it was possible.
Jimmy coated two fingers and breached the tight hole, making sure there was more than enough so that pain would be reduced to a minimum.
He kissed Robert again as he slowly eased himself in, finding the opening so tight and hot it was maddening him, nothing like what he had experienced with women ever before.
It was so hard to control oneself from pushing further and thrusting harder in as Robert moaned in pain, clenching around Jimmy.
Jimmy coxed Robert with further kisses, placing the singer's legs on his shoulders for better excess as he began to slowly move in and out, building a rhythm of sorts that drove whimpers from Robert's lips.
Jimmy sped up, coming out entirely before plunging again and when he hit his prostate it was obvious that Robert was beyond pain now, pushing himself to meet Jimmy's thrusts, almost impaling himself on his length.
Further more, Robert was hard yet again, the head bobbing between their sweat soaked bodies.
Blissfully drunk and in ecstasy, with each thrust Robert could feel a heat wave spread through his body. In blinding colors behind closed eye lids, he had lost all shape in his mind. He was climaxing once again, only this time harder, deeper and somehow longer, a powerful surge erupting with screams and Jimmy's name on his lips.
Robert's cries turned out to be Jimmy's own undoing as he relished himself deep inside the singer.
The sun poured into the room, forcing Jimmy to squint as he awoke.
Robert lay sound asleep beside him, face tucked into Jimmy's shoulder and one arm carelessly slung over the guitarist's midriff, a thin blanket failed to cover his nakedness.
Jimmy tried to move carefully and as slowly as possible as to not wake Robert. What ever serenity the youth was possessing was not the case with Jimmy as he felt vaguely unnerved.
The guitarist got up and proceeded to rummage through his own pant's pockets in order to find his pack of Marlborough smokes.
Once finding it he lit one up, puffing away as he pot his jeans back up.
He sat down on the bed, his back to the sleeping form in it.
Jimmy believed in following one's heart's desire, a firm believer in Crowley's 'Do what thou wilt' credo.
He certainly followed suit in his music and in sex, for the two had an unbroken link in his mind.
Topping creative heights and achieving per flexing sounds on his guitar were equal, if not at times, superior to a full blown sexual climax.
He didn't censor himself with women; he wasn't a monogamist in the conventional sense of the word, perhaps quite far from it.
But had he made a mistake? Let his desire get the better of him one time too many?
He knew in his mind that he and Robert shared a bond now and he could not discard it on account of emotional disasters such as this hasty surrender to carnal lust, but he couldn't possibly face a life altering decision for he was still the same person when it came right down to it. The fact that his lover of last night was of the same sex was quite simply trivial.
He could hear Robert steer behind him, suddenly feel the singer's fingers sliding down his back, "good morning" Robert said as he yawned.
"Morning" replayed Jimmy, still deep in thoughts.
"Jimmy?" asked Robert, tugging gently on Jimmy's arm, obviously sensing that something was wrong.
"Yes?" Jimmy answered and turned to face the singer.
"You know, you don't have to complicate everything with deep contemplations. Just let us be what we are at our own pace and whatever happens will be dealt with."
As Robert spoke softly Jimmy could find age old wisdom in the younger man's face.
"But that's the very thing, I don't want things to be complicated at all...I only wish to simplify it all for myself and for you, of course."
"So you DO realize that this shouldn't be a life changing event? I mean it's just sex, Jimmy...it is our music that should be life altering."
A rush of fear coursed through Jimmy's body as it downed on him that, perhaps, he was on the verge of something much bigger than himself.
It soon faded as Robert captured his lips, obliterating all memory as another heated coupling ensued.