WHO: Santi & Chelo (ft. Hasan & Selim) WHEN: October 30 WHERE: At the Party & Beyond SUMMARY: Santi and Chelo leave the party to locate ice cream and run into Dr. Ulusoy and his little brother...who looks like he could be the hot doctor's son. CW: N/A
Chelo casually tossed a golf ball half-painted red from hand to hand, watching people congregating on the balcony as the party wound down. Most had beer bottles in hand, which made him worried, especially when they leaned on the railing all casual and flirty. A beer bottle fallen from this height? Thinking about it made his palms feel sweaty. He wanted to tell people to put their drinks down if they were going to stand that close to the railing, but that seemed like a fussy thing to do, and he wasnât anyoneâs mom.
He turned from the minglers and walked back into the penthouse, contemplating whether a beer of his own might take the edge off. But if he had a beer, he might get sleepy, which meant going home and studying would be off the table. So then, would a few extra hours of studying on a Saturday night make a difference? Med school had a way of making his brain a little soupy. He decided to ask Santi what he thought. Despite being tall and dressed like some kind of hot anime character, Santi had a way of disappearing in crowds. Chelo frowned to himself and began to move through the remaining party goers, gently parting the drunk and squeezing around the sober to make his way to the next room.
âPaging Doctor Luna⊠Are you in here?â
Santiago hated loud crowds, of course, but he made the occasional exception to please his dads. He was an adult now, he was supposed to do adult things, but honestly he hated all of them--and thatâs exactly why he found a quiet corner in the depths of the penthouse to play a video game on his phone, especifically Pokemon White on an Emulator. He even brought his headphones!
It helped the office chair he commandeered was incredibly comfy, and he even propped up his legs on an empty table.
Unfortunately for Chelo, Santi didnât hear his callâŠ
This place was a maze. How could a single apartment be a maze? He guessed that was the beauty of a penthouse. It really was like a whole house on a single floor. One of the baths was occupied. He waited, just in case it was Santi, but it was some girl heâd never seen. He moved onto the next room, which was locked. Then to another, but heâd only found the kitchen. He stopped. It was sleek, like some kind of fancy restaurant or something, and it was possibly larger than his bedroom. He shook his head and stepped back out. Heâd gotten turned around somewhere, though, because he wound up back in that main room with all the snacks. He stopped to take one of those cheesy bacon things. It was cold now and had a bit of a congealed texture. It was still really good.
He looked around, considering, and then picked a door he didnât think heâd gone through yet. And there was Santi, playing video games. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. How long had Santi been in here, hanging out by himself?
Though it might have been obvious, he was still holding a golf ball, and throwing it would hurt. He tucked it into the pocket of his vest and walked over, pulling the sticker that was on his chest (now a little fuzzy on the back) and leaning over to put it on Santiâs cheekâa cute little cat witch in a cauldron.
âEarth to Santi⊠Why are you alone in the dark?â
Santi was, well, focused, he almost caught a shiny Axew! But then suddenly there was a Chelo, and he almost jumped on his seat; thankfully he didnât, nor did he drop his phone. âChelo! Uh, youâre here,â he said, switching his wireless earbuds to receive outside noise while turning down the volume of the game. âOh, you know, having some nostalgia fun!â He offered a warm smile before looking back at his screen again.
âSantiâŠâ Chelo kept the groan out of his voice, but he couldnât quite keep it out of his expression. He already knew Santi would only go to a gathering like this because his dads had âsuggestedâ he should, but...it really didnât seem like he was getting much out of it. Heâd always been shy. Probably because heâd always been much younger than anyone else in the room. And smarter, too. And then heâd grown into himself and become handsome, too; he was the kind of guy who could turn heads now. And he didnât even want to be. Maybe some blessings were curses in disguise? Chelo sat on the edge of the desk, looking around at the room. It didnât quite look like a 20-something had decorated it. It looked like a room that should belong to someone much older...so in a way, Santi fit in pretty well there.
He picked up a fountain pen and squinted at it. Who even owned fountain pens these days? He uncapped it, drawing a dot onto one of his fingers. Oops. He wiped it on his jeans, wondering if that was going to come out. Now there was ink on his clothes and smeared down his finger. He glanced back at Santi, whoâd gotten all dressed up just to sit by himself. âDid you have fun tonight?â
âYup,â Santi replied as he heard the satisfactory sound of a Pokemon caught. âGetting dressed up is always fun,â he said, still looking at his phone, but only waiting for it to save before putting it away on a hidden pocket in the cape he was wearing. âDoesnât it look so cool?â He was proud of it, especially because he put it together⊠sure, one of his dads helped him sew, but he was there through the whole process.
âWhat about you?â His attention was now back on his friend, looking over at the ink stain then back up at Chelo.
âYeah, there was some kind of game...uh, well, I basically lost right away, but it was fun to watch everyone else play.â
Admittedly, Santiâs costume looked good. Not like it was some cheap thing bought out of a costume store, and not like heâd just thrown it all together out of his closet. It did look like the kind of lovingly made costume those anime fans made. And Santi did seem happy to be wearing it out into the world, even if he was not really interacting with the world.
Santi winced, but he laughed sweetly at Cheloâs lack of knowledge, reaching over to pat his chest. âYouâre the main character from the anime-- me, well, Iâm Leon from Sword and Shield! Champion of the Galar Region and a really cool guy. With purple hair.â He chose to move his legs back down on the ground to stand up and stretch his arms over his head, groaning. âIâm sorry you lost⊠maybe I shouldâve helped you out,â a brief pause. âIs it time to go home now?â
âItâs fine. It was one of those games that⊠Well, the goal was a little unclear at first, so I was tagged out.â Thatâs why Chelo preferred sports to board games and, apparently, murder mystery games. The point of things was always clearer. Put the ball into the goal. Get points. Itâd been fun to participate, but there was something a little boring about losing so quickly. âI was some kind of politicianâs son,â he said, pulling out the little paper heâd been given at the start of the game. âExcept not. I think I was supposed to be the heir to some secret fortune, but, wellâŠâ he pointed to his cheek, in the place where he'd stuck the sticker on Santiâs.
âYeah, itâs about that time,â Chelo said. âUnless you want to stick around to help clean up? I think people are starting to head out. Is there...anyone you want to talk to before we go?â Santi immediately shook his head in response.
Hugo would have said Chelo was mothering, trying to ply Santi into socializing with someoneâworrying needlessly. But was it needless? He couldnât imagine that Santi didnât want to make new friends. He couldnât not worry that Santi was going to be lonely if he was just sitting by himself playing games on his phone. He clucked, and he knew that yes, he was doing that mom thing again, but he still hoped Santi would see that broadening his social horizons was a good and fun thingâŠ
âDid you see anyone you thought was cute or anything?â It was a futile question, but he asked it anyway.
âUuuhâŠâ Santi was about to scratch his head, but then he remembered his wig and stopped; Instead, he reached for the sticker, and pressed it over his shirt in hopes it would stay there. âI wasnât really paying attention to anyone. Was I supposed to? I did greet the birthday boy. Got him a plant Pokemon plushie and everything.â
Santi was observant, even if he didnât interact with people a lot. The plant toy was proof enough of that. But that only made Chelo think Santi must want to have a few more connections in his life.
He considered the question. It was such a Santi question. Not exactly the kind of question a child would ask, but still, somehow it revealed a certain cluelessness about the world.
He shook his head. âNo, you arenât supposed to do anything⊠But you might find it a little tricky to make new friends if you donât? Making new friends isnât bad. Itâs the people around us that shape us, you know? So...new friends can help you learn things about yourself you hadnât understood, or realized, beforeâŠâ
âIâm good with the friends I have! Are you bored of me or something?â Quite honestly⊠he could understand that even if it made him want to pout. It wasnât impossible to find like-minded people, but most of his friends were online and not irl. Somehow, people treated him⊠differently when they could see his face. âBut honestly, you have nothing to worry-- what about you, though? Made new friends?â
Chelo pushed away from the desk, shaking his head. His first instinct was to ruffle Santiâs hair, even though he was much too tall to be treated like a little kid, but he was wearing a wig, and Chelo didnât want to disturb it, so instead he went for another big brother classic and tired giving Santiâs nose a soft tweak. Santi made a very disappointed and almost childish face.
âOf course Iâm not bored of you.â Chelo stepped back, walking over to a window to (make sure no one had dropped anything from the balcony) admire the city skyline. He doubted Santi wanted to be lectured about the pros of having friends who lived close by, even if it was there, accumulating on the back of his tongue. âIâm notâŠâ He paused. âOkay, well, maybe a little worried.â He glanced back at Santi with an apologetic smile. âIâve made a few new friends...not tonight, but lately.â There was James, who...well, he wasnât sure yet how he felt about diving into dark waters that might have ghosts in them. And there was also...the âfriendâ known as Rahul, whoâd been at the party. They hadnât really talked, though, and...that seemed best. He wondered if you could really be friends with someone you didnât talk with.
Well, he guessed there were all kinds of people in the world, so there must be all kinds of friendships, too. And if Rahul did ever call him needing...he wasnât sure. A cup of sugar? Cab fare? Someone to just talk with in the middle of the night? He thought heâd be fine with that, so he could be a friend, too.
âSo heâs the hero of the...Galapagos Region?â he said, circling back around to the costume. âYou really do like heroes, donât you?â
âGalar, Chelo, Galar!â Santi laughed at the mistake, walking up to the window to look outside, too. âOf course, who doesnât want to be a hero?â It was⊠well, one of the reasons he was studying medicine.
Santi wanted to help and save people.
âGalarâŠ? Oh, I see.â Chelo scratched his head. Of course it wasnât âGalapagos.â Though he wasnât sure that âGalarâ really made more sense⊠He thought to himself he should try to remember that, since it seemed important to Santi. But he already knew it was going to disappear from his brain as soon as he started studying again.
He looked at Santiâs reflection in the glass, thinking to himself about the nature of heroes, because being a doctor was a little different from being Superman, and sometimes he was worried about how Santi would cope with a profession that involved that much face to face time with people every day. If only they could combine their strengths: his people skills, and Santiâs incredible brain. Perfect doctor!
âOne of my roommates is talking about moving out,â he said after a moment. âWeâre going to have to look for someone to take his room soon. How are things at your dadsâ house?â
âOoohâŠâ Roommates were always trouble from what everyone told him. âGreat! Why?â Santi folded his arms over his chest, glancing over at Chelo even if he didnât look back. âDid you want to move in with us?â
âAh, no, thanks.â Santi replied all too quickly, doing his best to try not to sound like he just heard the craziest thing in the world, but not doing the best of jobs.
Chelo had figured Santi would say no, but he still was a little bummed. Both because it felt like Santi might benefit from living away from his dads. It might give him space for some things that maybe were less possible when you were living at home. But, too, of course he was a little sorry, because he was sure he would like whoever ended up taking the fourth room, but he was unlikely to like them as much as Santi.
It didnât seem worth it to suggest that Santi could think on it, in case he changed his mind. That didnât seem very likely. And it would probably just make Santi embarrassed. Neither one of them really wanted Santi to turn Chelo down a second time. So he just nodded.
âThatâs cool. We probably shouldnât rush home, thoughâŠâ He had a thought, which was that probably Santiâs dads might be enjoying a night alone at home, and why rush them? They were good guys. They deserved to take their time. âDo you want to stop by a convenience store? There might be something open nearby, and I really want to eat ice cream for some reason.â
âIce cream? Yes!â Santi beamed at the idea, grinning as he started to consider what flavor he wanted this time. âI like spending time with you, anyway, and since I donât feel too sleepy tonight, it does sound like a great idea. Oh-- but I should text my dads, they might worry...â
Once again, he fished for his phone, firing off a text by rapid fire texting. âThere, Iâm sure theyâll read it whenever they can.â
Chelo waited for Santi to finish texting his dad. It wasnât cold, so he hadnât brought a jacket. All he needed was already on him, so he was ready to head out.
âRemember when we could get normal amounts of sleep,â he said with a dreamy smile. âIt feels like a really long time agoâŠâ Santi sighed dreamily as Chelo stepped away from the window, pushing the desk chair neatly into place. The thought of a good nightâs sleep really did feel like a guilty pleasure, and Chelo couldnât help but linger on the longing for a moment, a faintly glazed expression in his eyes, before he snapped himself out of it.
âI like spending time with you, too. Thereâsââ Well, there was one person he perhaps wanted to spend more time with than Santi, but it seemed cruel to say something like that, even if he was so terribly in love with Dr. Ulusoy. âThereâs no one I have more fun with,â he amended, which was true.
âSame, even if youâre lost about most of the things I like,â Santi stuck out his tongue playfully before reaching over to give Chelo a light poke to his side. âWell, letâs get going.â Nodding his head, Santi decided to lead the way out of the party-- it was the least he could do for Chelo. It seemed⊠well, fairly in control, at least, so pushing his way out wasnât the hell it couldâve been.
He smoothed out his outfit when they reached the elevator, looking at himself on the reflective surface. âI still think your costume is really cute, you should feel proud.â
âHmm,â Chelo replied, looking down at his vest and jeans. âI think it looks fine,â he agreed. âThough I think your character looks...cooler. Or maybe older?â Santi nodded his head and hummed in reply.
Chelo was thinking about how Rahul had looked, even in the simplest of costumesâthat hint of the Superman logo behind the white shirt. Simple, but impressive. He didnât really feel like that was his style, though. Funny or sily or cute felt more comfortable, and if he was going to a party, he wanted to be comfortable, so that he could enjoy hanging out.
So he felt that he was wearing a good costume. It had been easy to move around in, and it wasnât trying to be more than he wanted to be. âIâm glad you talked me into it,â he said, plucking at the vest. And then he caught Santi looking at himself and grinned. âI thought you didnât know you had a cute face, Santito.â
âIâm glad you listened,â Santi said, adjusting his wig and hat before he heard Chelo talk again, making his cheeks warm up, and also releasing a stuttering and shy laugh from deep within. He focused his gaze down on his shoes. âI, uh, wellâŠâ
âSorry,â Chelo laughed, feeling a little embarrassed for pointing it out. Santi never seemed to like any talk to do with his appearance, even if it was just between friends. He tsked, because heâd startedâyet againâto raise his hand to ruffle Santiâs hair, but he didnât want to displace the wig. He tucked his hands in his pockets. âItâs fine if you want to see how you look, Santi. Itâs a great costume. Your dads probably already took a million pictures, but it might be fun if we take a few more...after ice cream.â
âThey did-- but I want some with you,â Santi straightened up his posture again, looking over at Chelo and poking him on his arm a few times. âWorks for me. Do you want tĂł stay over tonight?â The doors opened up, and he stepped out. âBut⊠really, does it look good on meâŠ?â
Chelo considered. There were many pluses to crashing with Santi, not the least of which was that he might actually get some useful studying in. But the potential of a nice family brunch was pretty compelling, too. âSure,â he replied after a moment, and Santi beamed at his response. âAs long as it's fine with your dads?â He followed Santi out onto the street, craning his head up to try to see where theyâd just been. The city lights caught in the glass rippling up the side of the building. It was pretty, like modern art. He didnât really know a lot about modern art, but a lot of it was abstractedâit seemed to be about shape and form. So he thought the fancy building might count.
He turned back to Santi, tilting his head. âYeah, I meanâŠâ Everything looked good on Santi. He was Santi. He was like 6â2â with arms many a man might kill for and an angelâs face. Chelo never gave it much thought, because Santi didnât seem like he liked being noticed that way, but as Chelo was blessed with two eyes that could see...of course he realized what Santi looked like. âIt looks really good on you. Iâm surprised people werenât pestering you for selfies back at the party.â
Santii laughed sheepishly, looking down then immediately back at Chelo. âThank you, uh, I think someone was hitting on me? Thatâs part of why I fledâŠâ
It made him happy that Santi, who probably wouldnât have liked it if anyone had done that, wanted pictures with him. It was one of those weird little things that made a guy feel special, even if it was just because they were friends dressed like anime characters. But he thought that maybe in the best friendships, people did feel a little special, being treated a little differently from everyone else. He wondered if Santi also felt that way. If not, Chelo would have to do a better job of letting him know that he was that important to him.
âItâs too bad we donât have more chances to dress up. It was fun.â
âYeah, thereâs not a lot of conventions and stuff around here,â It made Santi sigh wistfully, staring off into the distance before he started to walk in the direction of their destination. âI guess we can always dress for fun and ourselves? We could post them online if you wanted to?â Well, maybe not that, but maybe Chelo wanted that and he would definitely make an exception for him.
Chelo nodded, because he did, at least, know what a convention wasâif only because sometimes there were scientific and medical conventions at UML. And also he had the internet. He could easily imagine Santi becoming one of those people who were famous at anime conventions for their costumes...though he could also imagine Santi being chased around by wild hordes of fans whoâas he also knew because of the internetâwere probably going to be really inappropriate towards him. He didnât like that at all. âMaybe for the better,â he said out loud to himself. Santi tipped his head in curiosity and blinked in confusion.
âNah, you might end up with a bunch of weirdo stalkers if you go public,â he said after a moment. âI mean...just look at your dadsâ Instagrams.â He shook his head, making that Mom Face again. âWe can just take them for us.â
âAh⊠yeah. Who wouldâve have thought so many people would send them those types of messages? I wonder if itâs because of the cover band?â Santi scratched his beard and hummed in thought. âThatâs good with me. Maybe we can do superheroes next time?â
Chelo laughed, scratching his cheek, because the cover band was its own thing, but he thought that it probably did contribute. Heâd never say it to Santi, but watching his dad playing guitar did sort of do things to him too. He cleared his throat.
âSpiderman! Iâm calling it now,â he cheered, happy to change the topic. âWho do you wanna be?â He tucked his hands back in his pockets, admiring the stars beyond the city lights. âItâd be nice, having what your dads have. When med school is only a distant memory.â
âOh, Spiderman is perfect for you and your body type!â Santi beamed, his eyes practically glowing as he looked over at Chelo. âSomeone to watch your back and a trusty companion? Yeah⊠that would be nice, I think.â But probably not for someone like him.
âAnyway, Iâm not sure what hero I want to be. Iâll have to check and see who fits me.â
âI only know the big names,â Chelo admitted. âThough with those guns, you could easily do Superman.â The buffest of them all, as far as he knew. âTo watch your back and who you can lean on,â he agreed, drifting back and forth between thoughts. Because Santiâs dads had dressed up as superheroes, he couldnât help but consider that too. They looked really good in those costumes. Like, Hollywood actors or somethingâif not actual superheroes. He wondered if they had raw egg at breakfast. Heâd heard that was good for developing muscle. He wondered if he should incorporate that into his diet, or if it was a recipe for salmonellaâŠ
âBut also,â he said, trying to get his thoughts back on track, âsomeone just to share your experiences with. I think maybe that more than anything is the plus side of a relationship...having someone who was there with you when this or this or that happened. Someone whose presence makes this and that just...a lot more memorable for you.â
âThey arenât that big, are they?â Santi was holding back a little grin as he flexed one of his biceps, poking it a few times before holding it out towards Chelo, glancing over at him. âI would have to shave though, and I really donât wannaâŠâ He worked hard on his beard! It almost looked as good as his dadâs now, and Santi felt very proud, just like he felt proud of his fitness.
âI guess thatâs true, but not everyone is meant for them, right? Some people are better off with just friends. Thaaaaaaaaaat said, you do want a relationship, right? Right?â
âTheyâre pretty big, Santi,â Chelo laughed. âThough you have good shoulders, too, which is importantâespecially for Superman.â He reached over, patting the slope of muscle and shaking his head, because Santi is blessed. â...what are you lifting now?â he asked. âDo you all eat raw eggs for breakfast? Is that something thatâs normal to do? Should I do that?â he asked, wondering if he should risk salmonella. If it meant arms that hard, well⊠Was it even a real concern? No, salmonella was always a serious concern.
Santi had to admit he liked attention and praise when he worked hard, and this was one of such cases, so he was smiling to himself. âWe have protein shakes, and well-- papi handles most of my nutrition, but itâs a lot of chicken breasts?â
âChicken breast? They do say lean protein keeps you energized longer⊠But how do you put on muscle with a lean diet? I ate too much bread lately, and now my butt isâŠâ He made a face. âSo I need to work on that and maybe eat less carbs. I wish it had gone to my arms instead.â
He spotted the lights of a convenience washing over the corner up ahead, but didnât pick up his pace. âI do like the beard. I tried to grow one over the summer, but it looked kinda weird. Still not there, I guess. One day, though. One day⊠But umâŠâ He rubbed his hairless chin and considered the question for a moment. âMeant for them⊠I donât know if itâs a âmeantâ or ânot meantâ thing. I guess itâs just personal preference. If someone is happier single, thereâs no reason to force...a relationship to happen to prove something to society or...anything like that, I guess. But I think probably thereâs someone for everyone out there, if that is what they want. But for me...yeah, I mean, eventually, sure. Things are fine right now, just you know, keeping it casual. But one day, sure.â
What did he prefer? Santi didnât know, but he wanted things to stay as they were right now, so maybe that meant he liked being single. âIt just looks like youâre thinking of someone all the time, but maybe youâre just sleepy?â Or maybe he was clueless, which was the most likely one.
Cheloâs face immediately went red. He had never been so grateful for the beauty of twilight. He cleared his throat. âUm...I do think about someone a lot, though I donât...I mean, if that happened? That would be amazing, but I donât think it could happen...because he would probably get in a lot of trouble? And also I donât think he would anyway, because of the age difference, though Iâm not sure how old he is exactly, but⊠I donât know if he is even⊠And uh, basically itâs more like a daydream?â
Santi hummed curiously, squinting and moving in closer to inspect Cheloâs features as he spoke. âTrouble? Age difference?â He squinted at his friend before his eyes widened, staring hard. âNo way! Dr. Ulussoy?! The scary one??â
Chelo stopped in his tracks, mouth falling open. âWait, you knew?â he asked. âIs it obvious? Does he know?â He looked around, as though fearing that Dr. Ulusoy might suddenly jump out of the shadows to laugh at his childish crush. He put his cheeks in his hands, shaking his head, but no one appeared to mock him, so he dropped his hands and sighed. âSince the first time I saw him⊠Thatâs partly why I wanted to go into the program. I didnât realize how hard it would be to actually pay attention in his classesâŠâ His no nonsense way of talking about anatomy and diseases. The way his eyes fall on Chelo with that cool flicker of judgement. He smiled to himself. Dr. Ulusoy was so perfect. âHe has a husky. They have the same color eyes. Maybe I should get a husky.â
âI mean what you said was so obviousâŠâ Santi laughed sheepishly, almost reaching for his ear, but remembering the wig again. âI canât believe thatâs how it happened⊠but youâre right about it being trouble.â He paused for a moment, thinking. âUntil you graduate, I mean. It should be fine after, right?â His friend was so cute he just had to reach over to pinch his cheeks.
Chelo had to wonder: was he staring at their instructor too obviously? How many other people had figured it out? But he wasnât the only one, he was certain. He had always suspected that at least a few of their classmates had made the self-same decision he had for the same exact reasons. He thought as much, because while he wasnât a particularly jealous person, he had found himself annoyed from time to time when certain students always ran up at the end of the class to pepper Dr. Ulusoy with questionsâhalf of them really obvious, too! Which also meant that he had no real way to distinguish himself except to try to excel in the doctorâs classes.
He began walking again. âI donât...really know, becauseâŠâ As much as he liked imagining it, it was hard to realistically envision a future where Dr. Ulusoy married a student. Especially a him student. âWe basically donât know anything about him. He might already be married?â
âThatâs trueâŠâ Santi sighed, wishing he could be more positive for his friend, but he didnât want to rally behind a false hope. âHe could have a wife and kids. A whole secret life we know nothing about. Does he wear a ring?â They were now at the convenience store, but he stopped to take a better look at Chelo under the lights.
âI donât think so?â Chelo replied, coming up to a stop behind Santi. âIâve never noticed one, but not everyone does? Iâve also never seen him out with kids or anythingâŠâ So if he was a dadâŠ
But Chelo didnât like that line of thought. It tarnished his overall view of Dr. Hasan Ulusoy as the perfect man. He couldnât imagine settling down with a guy who didnât take excellent care of his children, and maybe it was because his own father had not had a great deal of time for him and Hugo, but that would beâwithout any uncertaintyâa deal breaker.
âAnyway, more importantly, we donât even know if he is bi or gay or anything. Even if heâs single, he might be straight. Or he might be aceâŠâ And that would also be a tough one for Chelo to live with.
He thought of Rahul in his Superman outfit.
Yeah, he definitely wouldnât be able to do that either. âSo like I said, itâs more like...itâs just kind of a silly fantasy. I do really look up to him, though.â
âWell⊠weâll have to find you a more real boyfriend with just as scary eyes, then!â Santi decided to be positive, reaching over to pat Cheloâs cheek before turning around and stepping into the building fully. âBecause I think you do want one, and I want you to be very happy.â
For now, Santi wanted to find the ice cream for some immediate happiness.
âLet me get through med school first,â Chelo replied, laughing out loud. The sound carried for a moment, and he wondered if heâd been too loud about it, back to scratching his cheek. âAnd then boyfriend hunting. For now though, everything is fine the way it is.â He stepped closer, throwing his arm around Santiâs shoulders. âThough...it could be just a teeny bit better. We could be eating ice cream.â He nodded to the door. âShall we?â
Santi moved his arm around Cheloâs waist, giving it a light squeeze. âOkay, weâre going to do great then get you your dreamboat.â Santi chuckled, steering them both in the direction of ice cream.
âAbi, abi, abi! Look, look! Itâs Leon and Ash!â A very tall child dashed towards them, followed shortly after by--
âSelim--wait, donât bother people.â Hassan sighed in resignation, shaking his head a few times. âIâm sorry, he had too much sugar tonight,â he said, apologetically before looking over at the pair in costumes in front of him.
Chelo, presently wrapped up in a warm embrace of friendship, was happily strolling towards the ice cream, wondering if he felt more like coconut or mango, when the child appeared. A child who, for half a second, looked oddly familiar...and oh, that was why. Chelo blinked, a smile half-formed and now frozen on his face as Dr. Ulusoy approached.
For the first time that night, he had regrets about his costume.
He looked between the kid and the doctor, his brain filling in gaps at lightning speed. Fast, thoughâtoo fast for the feeling behind the realization to keep up. âOh, Dr. UlusoyâŠâ How old was Dr. Ulusoy? Was he old enough for a kid this age? It was impossible to tell. Heâd clearly already gone through a decade of medical training, so he couldnât be in his 20s, but...how old was this boy? His mental calculator was doing something funny, resulting in an ERROR screen. It was hard enough to think straightâto talk like he even had a brain at allâwhen Dr. Ulusoy was around.
He reminded himself not to read into it. There were a lot of explanations. He also reminded himself that he had just told Santi that it was more a daydream than a real hope. But still⊠Well, he clearly had to say something, as the most extroverted adult in this gathering, so he took his arm from Santi and retrieved his golfball. âUh...gotta catch âem all?â Was that Ashâs catchphrase, or just the motto of the franchise? He could not say.
Santi just stared between Chelo and Dr Ulusoy before striking a pose for the kid, beaming. âWow, youâre a big fan too, huh?â Then Santi began to talk with Selim about Pokemon, and they both got lost in a little world of their own. Sorry, Chelo.
âCostume party?â Hasan asked with an arched eyebrow and folded arms, looking at both of his students. âIf Selim likes them, you must have done a good job.â He nodded, before patting the kid on his shoulder. âCome, we have to pay and head home. Itâs getting too late.â Selim sighed and pouted in protest before retreating to the tall manâs side. âHave a good night you two.â
He had never thought Santi could betray him, and yet as his friend became engrossed in a conversation about...it was another language. He couldnât make heads or tails of it. Words likeâŠâCharizardâ and âEeveeâ were being exchanged, and he did not know what that was code for. He looked back at Hasan, his face growing hot. He had dressed like a child. A little kid. Somehow, he thought it might have been better if he had gone as a lobster. At least that would just be funny.
Though...did it really matter? Hasan was here with his kid. He had a kid, which made perfect sense, and in the scheme of things, was good. More beautiful Ulusoys in the world was not a bad thing. But he still felt bummed, because thereâd been a part of him that had enjoyed nursing that secret crush. It felt as though heâd jinxed himself, because the day he admitted to the crush was now the day it died.
Santi and Selim were once again engaged in a discussion about the upcoming games, so Selim wasnât exactly in a rush to leave just yet. âDialga is the cooler one,â Santi said, but Selim insisted otherwise.
âSelim, please.â Hasan sighed softly, but his lips curled into a smile despite that. âI figured, Santiago seems more the type.â Those two were acting like they were the same age, too, but finally Selim paid attention to Hasan once again.
âAbi, can I get a picture?â After Selimâs question, Hasan looked at his students pleadingly. âWould you mind if I took one?â Selim was a studious and well behaved boy, mostly, so Hasan had a hard time saying no to his little brother.
âUm, itâs fine with me,â Chelo answered, glancing at Santi to see how he felt. It seemed like he had already bonded with Selim, which...that was fast. Santi didnât take to people that quickly most of the time in Chelosâ estimation, but maybe it was his dadsâ influence. Good with kids. It would be too bad if Santi did decide he never wanted a relationship or to start a family. Heâd be good at it. âWhere should we standâŠ?â And also now Dr. Ulusoy was going to have a photo of him. Except it was a photo of him dressed like a little kid with his kid, so that was not exactly as hoped while still better than expected. âSanti?â
âWell, thereâs not exactly a good spot here, buuut, we can pretend itâs a Pokemart, right?â Selim nodded in agreement, so Santi shuffled them over to a place where the lightning would make them look better-- he had that drilled in his head by his dad Santiago. âHere⊠okay, everyone strike a pose!â
Hasan couldnât believe he got in these shenanigans, but at the same time, this always happened when he took Selim out. He had his phone at the ready, waiting for everyone to be in position.
Chelo was always a little surprised when Santi took charge in situations like these. In a way, it made sense, because Santi just knew things...so why wouldnât he be aware of how the lighting might affect the image? But on the other hand, that he would consider the best lighting for a photoâwhen he was so very shy most of the timeâstill caught Chelo off-guard. He moved to stand on the other side of Selim, trying to recall if he knew Ash Ketchumâs trademark pose. Should he pretend like he was throwing something, or just make a peace sign.
He looked at Hasan.
He decided a peace sign would be less dorky; of course Chelo recognized that trying not to be dorky was in a way more awkward, but he still didnât really want Hasan to have a photo of him looking like a hyperactive 10-year-old. He was, he knew, too self-conscious, and it wasnât endearing. But it did make him feel less embarrassed, so he held up V fingers and tilted his head, smiling.
Santi struck a pose with his Pokeball prop, and he kept still until the Dr let them know he was done with the pictures. He gave Selim a high five, and the boy, finally, retreated back to Dr Ulusoyâs side.
âThank you,â the boy said, waving at them. âIâll actually see you later now,â Hasan added, and his lips curled in what looked like a smile, but Santi had to wonder if he was hallucinating.
âHuhâŠâ Santi said, blinking as he watched the pair leave the store. âThat was unexpected.â
âThat wasâŠâ Chelo waved at Selim, watching the two for a moment before turning to Santi. â...weird.â He ran a hand through his hair, breathing out. âWell. I guess itâll be a little easier to pay attention in classâŠâ
âYou think that was his kid?â There was, well, no certain way of knowing, right? Santi scratched his cheek then looked over at Chelo. âOh well, ice cream.â
Chelo shrugged. There was no way to know. Maybe he could dig something up if he did some social media stalking, but⊠well, it felt invasive. In reality, Dr. Ulusoy was their professor, and getting all Single White Female on him was the last thing Chelo was interested in. He sighed, casting one last glance in the direction the doctor and Selim had gone and then he nodded. âIce cream,â he agreed. âMaybe two.â
âI want chocolate!â Santi decided, moving an arm to wrap around Chelo to lead him back towards sweetness, goodness and happiness.