Two Wayward Streets

It was his birthday — a day that he hadn't truly felt happy celebrating for some time, but decided that this time, he would make an effort. The Universe certainly had a sense of irony; the day was internationally recognised as important to the gay community, and there he was, a gay man, whose birthday coincided with that important day. He stood at the entrance to the room, gazing upon the neatly arranged chairs and the various figures that filled many of them: from the flamboyant to the subdued, himself a straddler of the two extremes, as he tried to decide where to sit. The MC, a renowned university professor and public figure stood at the microphone, entertaining everyone with her bons mots and effervescence, while the less than subtle chatter of some attendees made for an annoyingly distracting and uncomfortable backdrop to the symposium's main proceedings. The hotel that was hosting the event was upscale, in the heart of the commercial district, and had made decent efforts to provide a comfortable atmosphere for the third class citizens there assembled. He was one of them, and yet not; for the circumstances of his upbringing, his chosen profession and subsequent success and celebrity, lent a certain privilege that only slightly insulated him from the nightmare of being a complete social outcast in a society that would rather have seen him, and others like him, never exist in the first place. To be among others of his "community", however little he felt that word applied, was somewhat refreshing, yet somewhat daunting, as concerns regarding the safety of the event lay ever in the midground of his mind. He quickly scanned the room, then took a seat near the front of the room, from which he could readily absorb the panel discussion and other aspects of the presentation. The room was a bit chilly, but in his brown leather jacket, he was mostly protected from the creeping chill that may not only have been attributable to the quietly humming single A/C units that had been strategically placed at the top of each wall. He wrapped his scarf a bit more around his neck, and raptly attended to the afternoon's proceedings. A couple of hours later, after stepping out at the end of the event to catch up with a friend, he decided to return to the room, whereupon he saw a face that looked terribly familiar. As it turned out, while similar in stature and countenance to a college friend from a few years earlier, it was someone else entirely; a young man who, unbeknownst to him in that moment, would come to occupy a very important place in his life in the few years to come. He politely excused himself from his reminiscences with his old friend and, mustering every bit of courage he could, walked over to the young man who had caught his attention. He found him sitting quietly, seeming almost out of place, yet not, and with a slightly quizzical expression and disarming smile, spoke his first words of many to come. 'Excuse me. Did you attend Morgen College 12 years ago?' he asked tentatively. The young man smiled, clearly enjoying the unexpected attention of the newcomer. 'I'm sorry, but no, I didn't.' He replied, unhurried, and unperturbed. He flashed a kind smile, a Duchenne that planted the first seeds of hope in the birthday boy's quietly leaping heart. 'Oh.' He said, shrinking just a little inside. 'Apologies for disturbing you.' 'It's no problem.' The young man said, noting the hint of sadness in his eyes. As the newcomer prepared to turn and leave, he felt the distant call of fate, calling out, to his surprise, 'Wait! Would you like to join me?' The newcomer's eyebrows rose almost imperceptibly, but his face lightened as he replied, 'Um... sure. It would be my pleasure!' He took the seat next to him, their knees almost touching given the close proximity of the chairs and the angle at which they sat to each other. 'Hi. I am Jordan.' The young man said, his eyes brightening. He watched closely as the birthday boy made himself a little more comfortable before replying. 'Hello, Jordan. It is very nice to meet you. I am Santiago.' Jordan smiled back and leant in a little closer. 'So, what brings you here this afternoon, Santiago?' 'Well, it is my birthday and I have been looking forward to attending this symposium for some time now; and you?' 'Oh! Happy Birthday, then!' He said with a broad smile that melted Santiago's heart. 'Well, I came with a friend who asked me to join him here. I'm not gay, but I have been wanting to learn more about the community, and this event not only seemed interesting, but a pretty good place to start. So, here I am.' 'Ah, I see.' Santiago said, clearly deflating a little bit. 'However,' Jordan quickly chimed in, 'I am glad to meet and talk with you.' Something in his demeanour suggested that there was more to him than met the eye, and so Santiago settled in, glad of the opportunity to get to know his new acquaintance. They spoke for some time, and when his friend returned, Jordan introduced them and their company strolled out together, saying their farewells to the organisers as they made their way out into the courtyard. Eventually, it came time to part ways, but not before Santiago and Jordan exchanged information and wished each other a good evening. A week later saw Santiago driving to a part of the country to which he had never been before, to pick up Jordan for a get-together — heaven forfend he presume to call it a date, despite the fact that, for all intents and purposes, it was. He had invited Jordan out for a meal, and chose a Japanese restaurant. After settling in at the restaurant, Santiago and Jordan talked for a bit, after which Santiago ordered sushi and miso soup for them both. It was an expensive first date, to be sure, but for Santiago, it felt well worth it, especially if it led to a deeper bond. Santiago could sense Jordan's apprehension, as the eyes of the employees glanced in their direction from time to time, underscoring the unusualness of seeing two men dating so openly and casually in a public space. Santiago, determined to appear as unbothered as possible, focused on the handsome man sitting across from him, practically daring anyone to say anything. Fortunately, no one did, and their first date went off without a hitch. By the end of the meal, Santiago observed that Jordan was more visibly relaxed, as the conversation flowed easier and their mutual interest became clearer. If Santiago could see his own face just then, he would have noticed that the smouldering heat that gently radiated from Jordan, was being mirrored by him, also. A few errant stares notwithstanding, their date went off without a hitch, as Santiago paid the exorbitant bill, and they exited the restaurant quietly, walking close beside each other to Santiago's car, which was parked on the other side of the premises. The bright, warm afternoon sunlight mingled with their growing heat as they walked, and talked, enraptured by each other. Santiago would have liked to open the passenger door for Jordan, but thought better of it, imagining that his companion would likely not take kindly to the gesture. So, instead, he opened the driver's side door, sank into the seat and closed the door, before buckling his seat belt. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief realising, for the first time that afternoon, that they had gone unmolested by any strangers. Such incidents were not uncommon, after all; knowing full well how ignorant and homophobic their country was, despite being in the capital city where the rhythms of gay life ran like hemiolas within the hegemony. He looked over to check that Jordan was settled, before starting the ignition and heading out of the small complex of fancy restaurants and unnamed offices. His thoughts drifted to the unimaginable pleasures he would have liked to lay on his companion, but he quietened his thoughts and arranged his features into the best model of amiable restraint that he could manage. He put the radio on a music channel, quietly humming to himself as familiar songs came and went as he drove in relative silence, punctuated by short bursts of conversation between them. He was rock hard for most of the drive back, but kept his eyes firmly fixed on the road, hoping that his engorgement would go unnoticed by his companion which, ostensibly, it did. After battling through the late afternoon traffic to get to their destination, he finally stopped the vehicle and smiled as he looked over at Jordan, and saw him looking right back at him. 'Well, this was lovely.' Santiago said casually, taking in the beautiful physique and handsome features of the man seated next to him, even as he quietly reflected on the success of their first public appearance. 'Yes, it was. I had a really good time.' Jordan responded. 'Thank you.' He then hesitated a little. 'You could— call me a little later if you like.' He finished, looking somewhat bashful, as he waited to see how Santiago would respond. 'I would like that very much.' Santiago replied, trying hard not to smile too much.  Oh, how he would have liked to kiss him!  He thought; instead, however, he just flashed a brilliant smile, before waving gently and heading for home. What a wonderful time he just had!  Who would have thought—!?  Well, at any rate, perhaps he could come to be more than just a friend one day.  The thought warmed him, as his arousal slowly faded and he turned up the radio, singing along with nary a care in the world. Over the next few weeks, things gradually heated up, as they continued to talk on the phone and on messaging apps. Despite Jordan's initial pronouncements regarding his s****l identity, it was clear that he was interested in being far more than friends. This prompted Santiago to invite Jordan to the beach. It was a weekday afternoon, when they arrived at the beach after Santiago had driven, once again, to the remote town where Jordan was staying for the moment; picked him up, and drove for about an hour and a half to get to the beach, which was just as far as Jordan's pickup point, but in the opposite direction. Santiago didn't complain, however, happy to be able to spend even more time with Jordan at the somewhat remote beach, where they could explore their growing relationship with relative privacy. Although the weather app had promised fair conditions, the wind whipped the sea into a frenzy, making swimming safely all but impossible. Still, they made the attempt; for what point was there in going all the way to the beach if they couldn't take a dip! They laughed and swayed as the wind and waves assaulted them, tossing them this way and that, and they clung to each other for stability, for whatever good it did. After capitulating to the relentless onslaught, they collapsed onto the sand, where they held each other in the pelting heat of the afternoon sun, sand burrowing into their trunks and other hard to reach places. Then, the moment came: Jordan stared into Santiago's eyes, and puppet that he was, leant into their embrace and tasted Santiago's lips and tongue for the very first time. Jordan gasped as he felt both his and Santiago's hardened responses, before abruptly pulling away.  God!  What was happening to him?!  He was a good, Christian boy, who had never done anything like this before!  Yet, he knew, deep down, in the reaches of his soul, that this connection was more real and powerful than anything he shared with any of the girls he had dated up to that point.  Wait!  What?!  Did this mean that he was... GAY?! He quickly got up, his shaft threatening to burst from its ever-tightening prison; cleared his throat and said, 'Um... maybe it's time we head back. It's starting to get a little late.' It was, in fact, getting late, and soon, peak hour traffic would be upon the roads, further delaying their return. He could tell that Santiago was disappointed, but noted, with some incredulity, just how aroused he was. A part of him wanted nothing more than to surrender himself totally to him, lavish him with more pleasure than he could handle, but he needed time to figure out some things. Silence enveloped them on the walk back to the car and for a good portion of their ride back, each lost in his own thoughts. Eventually though, Jordan, without looking over at Santiago, finally broke it. 'I want to keep hanging out with you, but this is all very new to me. I never expected—' His voice trailed off, as he once again surrendered to unspoken thoughts and feelings. He could still feel the occasional, and hardly subtle twinge of arousal, but the moment was lost, for now, at least. Some time later, they made it to Santiago's house, where they cleaned up and Santiago prepared something for them to eat. Jordan wasn't too shy about changing in Santiago's presence, but there was still an air of awkwardness to the proceedings. They ate, in companionable and relative silence, stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking, but neither being particularly successful, either. When they finished eating, Jordan washed up, while Santiago sat before his laptop and busied himself with emails and video streaming. A little while later, Jordan returned, a glint in his eye, as he strode over to Santiago and commenced to playfully tease him until he was doubled over in laughter. They began to play-fight, until an unfortunate mishap broke a strap on one of Santiago's sandals. 'Ugh... Jordan! Look what you caused, man!' Santiago groaned in annoyance. 'I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—' Jordan began, but Santiago cut him off suddenly. 'It's my fault for taking your bait in the first place.' He replied, sighing, as he prepared to remove his sandals and look for a different pair to wear. Jordan caught Santiago's hand, leading him over to the bed where he insisted he sit. He knelt before him and took off the offending item, then the other, before looking around for another pair. His fingers worked deftly, and they both tingled as Jordan's fingers gently grazed Santiago's delicate skin. He looked up at him from his kneeling position, slight shame clearly etched in his face, as he looked Santiago in his eyes earnestly, and apologised once again. ''I really am so sorry, Santiago.  Please, let me pay for the repair.'  He offered kindly. 'No, Jordan. Thank you, sweetie, but that's not necessary.' Santiago's mouth dropped open, as the realisation of the unplanned, but rather loaded word that just flew from his lips, hit home. He dared not look away from Jordan, who seemed just as surprised. 'Um... I—' 'Santiago, it's okay. I think we both know that there is something happening here between us.' He looked away briefly before continuing. 'It's fine. Honestly. I just—' He paused. 'Do you mind if we take things slowly?' He finished, with a gentle smile. 'Um... oh. Oh! Um... not at all?' His response sounded more like a question than he had intended, the reality of Jordan's meaning lingering in his mind. He searched Jordan's face, hoping for any clarification, scarcely daring to hope, but Jordan had already returned to the task at hand; and before long, he was done. Santiago's undamaged pair of sandals secured to his feet, Jordan's eyes briefly flickered over the semi-hard bulge that lay before him, before standing himself up, and lightly clearing his throat. 'Um... this has been fun, but we really should get going.' 'Oh, yes. Of course!' Santiago replied, as he closed his laptop and headed out to the verandah, where he awaited Jordan. He didn't have to wait long before he heard the soft footfalls of his friend-becoming-something-else, purposefully approaching. He unlocked the grille, pushing open one side to allow Jordan passage, before following him out and locking it behind him. Jordan had already gone and opened the front gates as Santiago started the vehicle and backed out of the driveway. Jordan closed the gates, stepped into the passenger seat, bucked up and settled in, as Santiago accelerated towards Jordan's drop-off point, and their shared, unknown future. They arrived at the corporate area's central transportation hub: a busy, somewhat smelly, and insufferably loud centre, where taxi drivers and minibus conductors obnoxiously called out their various destinations, hoping to solicit customers from the many individuals on their way to and from work, and other appointments.  To say that Santiago found this area incredibly distasteful would be a vast understatement; having spent more than his fair share of time during his secondary and tertiary school years, waiting for the far-too-often abominably late, and overladen buses and taxis to arrive.  How glad he was to no longer be subject to this infernal torment!  He thought to himself, as he found a safe enough spot to stop the vehicle, as he and Jordan said their goodbyes. Jordan seemed sad to go, and Santiago, certainly, was sad to see him go; but they said those goodbyes as they secretly shared a final moment of affection in that hostile place. 'Let me know when you've reached home safe?' Santiago said, hopefully, Jordan's hand upon the latch as he prepared to exit the vehicle. 'Of course.' Jordan replied, smiling, as he pulled the latch and stepped outside into the hot sunlight and the bustling travellers, closed the door behind him as he gave Santiago one last look, before heading over to the main centre, whence he would take his bus that would take him home.