WHO: Santi & Chelo WHEN: February 12 WHERE: The Party Yacht SUMMARY: A boiling point. CW: You might THINK there is going to be spice...
āAre you following that advice yourself?ā Santi retreated again, just in case.
āI'm considering itā¦ā Chelo put his hands on the side of the pull and thrust himself up in a great slosh of water to perch on the edge. Goosebumps immediately rushed down his skin. āOkay, not that,ā he said and slipped right back into the nice, warm water. āDon't worry. I won't pull you in, though it's warmer in here than out thereā¦ā
He only put his head and shoulders out of the water, leaning his chin on his forearms and looking up in Santi. āThatāsā¦a nice jacket.ā
Santi eyed Chelo warily, but he inched a bit closer, his gaze laser-focused on him andācalm down brain, this wasnāt really his usual way of thinking, but his experience as Karim had opened his eyes in ways that would make it impossible to return to what it was like before.
He patted over the jacket. āIsnāt it? Dad bought it for me last Christmas.ā He beamed proudly.
Cheloās smile softened, his expression warming, as he leaned his head to rest his cheek against the slope of his arm instead. āMy mom was a fashion designer. I wonder what sheād think if she had ever met you and your dads. You all make everything look good, butā¦ā He sat up a little, looking at the jacket again. āThe jacket really suits you.ā He looked away, clearing his throat, trying not to overthink about that jacket or Santiās arms and shoulders underneath it. Santi laughed his usual awkward and flustered laugh, rubbing the nape of his neck.
His mental image was a little too clear. Chelo pushed away from the side. āIād get out, but itās really cold. Do you see a towel?ā
Jolted back to the reality that didnāt involve imagining Cheloās naked body, Santi immediately looked around. Still, he didnāt spot anything, so he opened up something that looked like a closet and finally found what he needed. āHere!ā He said proudly, smiling as he approached the edge of the pool with the item in question.
For just a second, Cheloās big brother instincts almost took over. The urge to pull Santi in despite promises not to was temporarily powerful, but he resisted it. He didnāt want to ruin that leather jacket. He wanted to see it beautifully crumpled on the floor ofā He rubbed his forehead. Get ahold of yourself. Because it was Santi, and he didnāt want to be just another someone being weird around him. That would mess things up faster thanā¦than anything, really. He ducked his head back, wetting his hair and floating for a second, watching Santi look for the towel. Why did he have to be so graceful? This guy, with his flustered laughter and awkward neck rubsā¦ He had that same terribly dear mix of sleekness and silliness as Karim. He was, in so many ways, perfect because of it, and Chelo really wanted to get over that, butā¦
He climbed out of the water, less messily this time, letting Santi put the towel over his shoulders. āHow are things going with Teo?ā he asked, by way of trying to think about something other than how handsome Santi was in the low light. He nodded towards the area heād earlier been directed to, for showering and changing and other swimming-related necessities, and began to walk in that direction, because it was a chilly outside of the pool, which was good for his hyperactive imagination, but also just a little too unpleasant to be tolerated for long.
āThey seem to be doing well, butā¦ā Santi trailed off absently, walking next to his friend, and keeping his gaze straight ahead.
āPrince Titāā Chelo had since learned it was āAlejo,ā But āAlejoā had told him āTitusā was just fine, and also somehow he was again falling back on using those princes as an icebreaker even in this life. He shook his head, āFunny how easy it is to pick up habits fromā¦then.ā
Santi glanced over at Chelo. āRightā¦ habits,ā he laughed awkwardly as he thought back to Karimās favorite hobby since the ball. āI wish I was as skilled a tinkerer as he was, but the best I can do is to put together a PC, and maybe manage the houseās networkā¦ā And while he practiced martial arts, he couldnāt beat up a guy in armor with his bare hands as Karim did.
Chelo laughed, turning to Santi with a look of mild disbelief which was common between them, because Santi was always so good at so many things and always treated this fact as though he was somehow behind in life for not being able to do all of that and everything else. He shook his head, resisting the urge to nudge his friend and get his jacket wet.
āYouāre still good with your handsāI mean, youāre really good at all those different games, and you have to have good coordination for that. Plus, I mean, med school and being a doctor and everythingā¦requires a delicate touchāOr at least computers do, because they seem to break easily? They break really easily, yeah.ā Proverbial steam now poured from his ears. He hugged his towel tighter and tried to get it together, exhaling slowly and evenly.
āAnyway.ā He cursed himself for having to think of something to follow āanyway.ā āFantasy battles have nothing on med school.ā
Looking from his hands to his friend, Santi blinked a few times. āI guess not, butā¦ā There wasnāt really anything he could say to argue because there was no way or need to argue. Still, Santi felt like he was missing a lot of skills Karim had. Includingā¦
He laughed awkwardly, suddenly, rubbing the nape of his neck. āSo, uhā¦ā
They reached their destination, so he turned to Chelo. āMaybe Iāll buy swimming trunks next time.ā
āYou donāt own a pair?ā Chelo asked, a little surprised when Santi shook his head.
He stopped as Santi stopped. It hadnāt been very far to go, but it was a boat, not a whole city, so even if it was bigā¦ He plucked at the fabric sticking to his thighs. It was not cold, but he was shivering just a little.
He wondered what he was supposed to do. If it had been anyone else, he would have offered an inviting look, and he would have had an extra pair of hands to help him with getting out of his wet clothes. But it felt weird to do that with Santi. If Santi even read the moment rightā¦
Then what? Make Santi stand here and then go back to observing how Mateo was doing with the Bravos? Keep pretending like his heart wasnāt singing in his ears? What did he want out of Santi? He wasnāt sure. Part of him very clearly wanted nothing but Santi; the restā¦remained indecisive, fearful of losing his closest friend. It was possible there wasnāt a good answerāa happy resolutionāto these feelings. He rubbed his forehead and laughed.
āIām being weird. I am, right?ā he asked, not meeting Santiās face.
Santi laughed sheepishly. āYeahā¦ whatās happening?ā True, the way that Chelo was displaying himself was incredibly appealing, but it wasnāt the Chelo he knew, and he wondered why he was doing it? Or was he just moreā¦ perceptive now because of Karim?
āCan I do anything for you?ā He just wanted Chelo to be comfortable and happy.
Chelo stepped inside the changing area, because at least it was mostly walled off and not open air. He pulled the towel over his hair, ducking his head and vigorously rubbingādid he want only to dry his hair, or was he somehow hoping to knock all the confusing thoughts out of it? He wished he could do the latter. He wished he could jumble up his memories and forget everything that wasnāt as he had known it before: easy days of going to the gym, watching Santi play video games, memorizing all the bones in the human body, going on late-night ice cream breaks, listening to Santi explain his thoughts on the next Marvel movieā
He froze, something new and alarming dawning on him: half of these things were not his hobbies. Chelo liked lying on the floor of his bedroom, listening to old rockānāroll records, heād played a video game himself maybe twice in his life, and he preferred cheesy rom coms to superheroes and anime.
Heād decided on med school because of Professor Hasan, or maybe because of some latent pull towards a Prince long-dead now, but not because Santi wanted to be a doctor. Yet if he hadnāt entered med school, he would be back in Argentina. He wouldnāt be at Santiās side now.
Heād told himself that he just missed his family, and so heād been happy to be wrapped up in Santiās. Thatās why it felt like they were such a part of his day-to-day world.
That was all just friendship, though. But as he cycled through his other friends, he found that he hadnāt changed his interests or patterns to suit theirs. But he hadā¦for crushes, for ex-boyfriends.
His attempt to reassure himself and feel unconcerned about everything had just gone horribly awry. The towel dropped to the floor, and he stood there, blinking at Santi in his leather jacket. He already understood that heād lied to Santi at least once aboutā¦how he felt about all this. But there was no way to rectify that without admitting what the lie had been. He reached over to pick up the towel. He had a desire to put himself in Santiās arms (like Santi could hold him together if he justā¦); he could easily remember what that would feel like, and it was frustratingā¦to know Santi as Karim, to want him as Karim, while at the same time loving him as Santi.
āI donāt know,ā he finally admitted, smiling and pained. āIām trying so hard not to beā¦ Everything I told you before all this, itās supposed to be true, so whyā¦?ā He took a breath that was a little shaky but shook his head, schooling his expression. He let out a ragged breath. āWhy is it so hard to apply it to you?ā
It was hard not to notice Chelo was anguished, but Santi didnāt know what to do or if there was anything he could do to help, so he reached over the enclosure to pat his cheek a few times. āIām not sure what you mean, b-butā¦ā He drew in a deep breath, a soft smile spreading across his lips. āI just wish you didnāt have to worry so youād be back to the gentle smiles and that you felt comfortable around me like you did before. I miss that, but more importantly, I donāt like seeing you like thisā¦ā
It wasnāt going to be easy, he knew that even he felt different, but Santi didnāt want things to change. At least not in a bad way: He still wanted to be spoiled by Chelo, he still wanted to help him out almost every day, and more importantly, he still wanted to be his best friend in ways no one else was. But Karimā¦ it complicated everything, didnāt it?
āIām trying,ā Chelo repeated softly, turning away from the touch, though subtlyāstill gentle even in that. He found the basket he had put his clothes in and pulled on his shirt, feeling at least a little better armored with that on, even if he hadnāt dried off quite enough, and the fabric was now plastering to him, dampened by the remaining pool water he hadnāt toweled away. āI keep trying and trying, andā¦somehow that only seems to make everything worse. I donāt likeā¦lying to you or pretending, but how can I give you what you want from meā¦if I donāt?ā
Because Santi wanted the Chelo who was so very careful not to notice him too much, the Chelo who was always very simple and warm because he neatly categorized Santi as a kid brother to take care of and didnāt even think of him as a peerā¦ It had been easy not to think anything of it, infantilizing the boy genius. At least, it had been much easier not to notice the things he had seen, the things he had done, cloaking it all in that arrogance. He would have rathered it was jealousy somehow, that made him belittle Santi like this in his mind. But he had only ever been proud of Santiās achievements, his intelligence, and capability. Santi wasnāt a child or a dog, so looking at him like thatā¦Chelo knew it was him, without a question, who was the problem.
Pretending that he didnāt understand all these things, that he didnāt feel this way, was not making things better. It was putting everything even further away from āreturning to normal.ā But then what? He sighed, towel knotted around his waist, he stripped out of the swim trunks and pulled on the rest of his clothesāan easy motion, picked up from hundreds of days at the beachāneatly folding the wet trunks and placing them temporarily on a nearby sink.
āIf I tell you the truth, things will never go back to how they were. If I lie to you, itās like some kind of fun house mirror version of how things were. I donāt know if I can fix things to beā¦just how they used to be.ā
Santi looked down at the floor, his gaze getting lost in its patterns because it was better to do that than look at Chelo when he was speaking. Both of his arms fell limp at his sides, and his shoulders shrunk in that way when Santi wished he was as short as he used to be as a kid so itād be easier to hide. āOkay,ā he let out a soft breath as he nodded his head.
Now what? Chelo was right that things would never be the same, but he hated the thought of losing him. āDoes itā¦ bother you, the things Karim did? Iām sorry, I respect you, Chelo. I had no idea that Iāthat heāā Why was it so easy to accept they were one and the same? Maybe because Karim, despite his easy confidence and exuberant sexuality was a lot like him at his core. Insecure and hesitant to really know people. To be seen for more than what they presented themselves as. It was terrifying to be seen, and Chelo saw himāthe person he was before and now, so Santi was scared.
āWhat should we do? I donāt want to lose you.ā
āNo, itāsā¦thatās not it really,ā Chelo said without hesitation. That much was true: he didnāt feel bothered really by what Karim and Pius had done. āItās just thatā¦ā He tried to think of how to explain it without giving too much away and hurting Santiā¦and maybe, too, hurting himself.
āIn this lifeā¦Iām probably more like Karim than you areā¦?ā He laughed nervously and Santi turned a bit red. āI donāt believe in ghosting anyone, or blocking them just because. I donāt mind hanging out with someone Iāve hooked up with, but I guess I doā¦compartmentalize. We donāt have to be standoffish or cold, because Iāve already made it clearā¦that if we go out for pizza afterward, itās a friendly thing. I guessā¦you could say Iāve had a lot of friends with benefits. It hasnāt really been a problem or anything. Most guys justā¦get it. Thatās all they want too?ā
He was rambling. Santi didnāt want to know this, he was sure of it. He scrubbed both hands through his hair.
Santi was mostly hiding behind his hand in embarrassment and a hint of deep-seated jealousy that he didnāt know how to workaround.
āNever mind. Never mind that. Umā¦ā How could Chelo explain it better? āItās likeā¦weāre having two relationships at the same time. Itās notā¦not something that I normally do, becauseā¦I donāt want to fail out of med school? No, thatās not it eitherā¦ā He bit his lip, trying to find the answer somewhere in all of this useless explaining.
āIāve āhung out with Karimā more than even the friends whoā¦I have on my phone for umā¦casually hanging out from time to time. I try not toā¦you know, hang out too much with any one person, becauseā¦I know what I am like, andā¦ But Pius reallyā¦ likes hanging out. With Karim. Exclusively. And I didnāt realize these memories would feel soā¦close. So it feels like Iāveā¦been hanging out with you, like that, a lot. And Iām notā¦really against that. Just that I also hang out with you like thisā¦ Andā¦and I am like this, you knowāI mean, I know what Iām like, and I am like this. And I have tried to keep these two pieces from coming together, becauseā¦because I know what itās like when I do, andā¦ Is any of this making sense?ā
Scratching his head and then rubbing the nape of his neck, Santi looked completely lost and flustered, unsure of what to say. He figured āhanging outā meant wellāyou know. So Chelo was imagining it was him and not Karim, then? Not that it was easy to separate them because it was obvious he was Karimās reincarnation butā¦ What now??
āYou are likeā¦ what?ā He was very confused, his brow furrowed in that way it did whenever he was trying to process a complex subject in class.
āI amā¦ā Chelo looked around the room like there was anything in this fancy changing room that could somehow demonstrate or better illustrate the workings of his heart. It was mostly nice paneling and mirrors though.
āPeopleā¦make you nervous,ā he finally said. āEspecially people who treat youālook at youāas an adult. If Iā¦ā He pursed his lips, his brow furrowing. āI know that you wonātā¦ā He shook his head. āI almostā¦ran away from you, because I was treating you too much like a little kid. But Iām afraid if Iā¦treat you likeā¦likeā¦a man, youāll run away from me. Iām not someone who can stand idly by and go, āoh, at least I can be near this personā¦ā I guessā¦maybe Pius could, but Iām not that patient, or selfless. Iām probably clingy andā¦I donāt know. I donāt know how to explain all of this, or I do, but if I do, youāll probably jump over the railing and swim back to Mar Luna.ā
Santi laughed, visibly shrinking more as if he were about to melt like butter. āIām not that athletic,ā he said with an awkward chuckle, answering to the only easy part of everything Chelo was saying. He let out a soft sigh, his lips pulling into an uneasy smile. āBut Iām a man, soā¦ I need to act like one even if...ā It was unfair to Chelo to enjoy his care like a little brother because he was not one, even if he was a bit younger. He squared his shoulders, steeling his nerves as he tried to shift his posture into something more confident, his gaze meeting Cheloās. āSo Iāll be a man for you. Tell me. Donāt beat around the bush or soften it for my sake.ā His voice dropped down to Karimās octave, and his gaze reflected his past self, too.
Chelo sighed. It stung because Santi was so attractive like thisānot shrinking, but standing with his shoulders squared. Heād grown up, and they had pretended he hadnāt to keep the peace, but Cheloās heart was wilder than he let on. He had never been good at pretending, or hiding. When it spoke, its voice carriedārefused to be ignored. Heād considered justā¦drifting, to keep from upsetting Santi, but heād realized that was cruel and stupid and not taking what Santi wanted into consideration, butā¦now they were going to have to take what Chelo felt into consideration, and there was a possibility that was much more damning because it wasnāt what either of them was assuming. It was his reality.
He tilted his head, grasping a handful of hair. He glanced at himself in the mirror, lit softly by the overhead, studio lights. In any other situation, he would probably look good. His clothes were sticking to him. His skin still looked a little damp and sun-warmed. But he didnāt look sultry, he just looked resigned.
āI triedā¦ā he told his reflection, tugging at his hair. āI tried to do the right thing. I wanted to do the right thing and keep my relationship with you and Piusās relationship with Karim far apart. I loved you, like a friend and a brother, andā¦I never let myself think about if there was anything else there, becauseā¦you were so young when I met you? And I wasnāt exactly old, butā¦ But I knew you would hate it if I had feelings for you. I refused to acknowledge any thought that drifted that way. I was strict with myself about only acting the way I thought youād want because I wanted to be someone you could turn to. I wanted to protect you. But the thing that I never thought would happen happened, and every door I was keeping locked came open. Iām trying so hard to do the right thing and shut those doors, but I canāt unknow what was behind them. Iām sorry. I tried so hard not to fall for you, but I couldnāt change what had already happened inside me.ā
He finally released his hair, turning to Santi and shaking his head. āIām sorry. I love you.ā
āYou mean Karim, right?ā Santi asked all too quickly because why would Chelo love someone like him? He wasnāt sexy and attractive and confident in physical matters like Karim was andā¦ Chelo couldnāt mean that he had feelings for him before even the memories hit them, right? That was impossible.
He stood between the mirror and Chelo, casting a gaze over to the mirror. The reflection looked like Karim, but was the man inside still Karim at all? He doubted it, but he didnāt want to lose Chelo, so what was he supposed to do?
Chelo laughedāa quiet, strained chuckle. Santi was so quick to deflectā¦ Heād already thought it would be like that.
He watched Santi looking at himself in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair, the laugh ebbing into a sigh.
āIām sorry,ā he repeated. āI know Iāve put you in a difficult position. I donāt want to lose you, so I justā¦I just want you to know that itās fine to not feel that way. But I selfishly need some kind of closure, or I donāt think I can move on. If I didnāt say it, it would still be there, straining things between us untilā I donāt know.ā He shrugged. āIt doesnāt matter. I guess theyāre strained now anyway. Iām sorry. I know this kind of thing stresses you out. I guessā¦good thing you came with Teo?ā He didnāt laugh that time, he just smiled, shaking his head.
Santi frowned, but he managed to look at Chelo straight in the eye, grasping his shoulders firmly. āAnswer my question.ā His tone had a demanding turn to it that was never found in Santiās voice, but Chelo had deflected and not given him the information he wanted.
Chelo stopped smiling, his mouth drawing to the side. He didnāt look away, though he didnāt know why Santi wanted an answer so badā
It had been a deflection, hadnāt it?
He opened his mouth, inhaling softly. It took him a moment to find the words. āHim tooā¦ But also, you.ā He lowered his eyes then, shrugging again. āBoth.ā
āEven the fumbling andā¦ everything else?ā Santi reached over to cup Cheloās chin to make him look at him. āYou love me?ā
Cheloās eyes were soft, moving over Santiās face. It was more assertive than he was used to with Santi, but he trusted Santi, and he lifted his eyes. āYouāve never seen yourself blush,ā he replied. āAnd you donāt know how cute you are when you are āfumblingā and āeverything else.ā Thatās the dangerous partā¦at least for me.ā
Santi felt his face warm up as Chelo continued talking, returning back to his usual self, reaching back with his hand to rub the nape of his neck. āBut I thought you neverā¦ā The truth was that he did have a small crush on Chelo earlier in their friendship, but he shoved those feelings away even as they became attached to the hip. It was easier than face rejection, and then he became aware of his friend liking other men, especially someone like their professor, and, wellā¦
It was just normal to pretend the feelings of jealousy werenāt there, not until Karimās feelings mixed with his own and they intensified beyond control. He was impulsive for once in his life, and he leaned in to press a shy and awkward peck to Cheloās lips before he retreated and looked away.
Chelo chuckled. āItās true: Iām at a way greater risk of failing med school if Iāā But he didnāt have a chance to finish the joke. Santiās lips were there and then they were gone, like a butterfly had floated briefly between them, brushed against Chelo, and disappeared. Santi looked embarrassed, and Cheloās hand was still extended, reaching for his hip bone. He drew it back, and his fingertips felt warm against his leg.
He looked down at his fingers, curling them against his leg, and then he looked up again. āI have avoided having a boyfriend, butā¦you are my exception. The only exception.ā
It sounded nice, the word boyfriend, but Santi wanted to jump into the sea out of embarrassment. The one exception. Chelo was his one exception to many things, so why not one more. āDoes that meanāare weā¦?ā He tried to contain his excitement, but he wanted to hug Chelo, so he did. Well, after lightly bumping against him, long arms like noodles until they found their way around the other man.
Chelo laughed, a little unsure at first what Santi was trying to do, butā¦well, charmed, and this time, allowing himself to really feel that as much as he had often wanted to. He bit his lip and as Santiās arms settled around him, he slipped his around Santi in return. He thought that was probably a āyesā; he was about 95% sure it was. At least Santi would never let him fail out of school, so it didnāt seem as daunting to consider it a real, serious, monogamous relationship.
The first real, serious, monogamous relationship of his actual adult life.
āI think that it does, yeah,ā he replied. āAnd youāre happy? With me being a part of your we?ā
The hug was pretty much the answer, but he thought it wouldnāt be so bad to hear it, too.
Santi enthusiastically nodded his head as he rubbed over Cheloās back with both hands. āYes,ā he replied a moment after because he figured his friendāboyfriend wanted to hear it clearly without ambiguity just like he had. āKarim likes Pius a lot,ā he added in a nervous ramble as he rested his chin on Cheloās shoulder.
Again, Chelo laughed a littleāwondering if āKarim likes Piusā meant āI like you,ā or if this was just a staggered follow-up to one of their text conversations. Although, he realizedā¦he was now going to have to face Santiago Sr. as Santiago Jr.ās boyfriend. That was going to be a little scary. But probably Santiās dads wouldnāt give himā¦a terrible time. Just a really hard time. Well, heād worry about that later.
Right now, he just wanted to enjoy the smell of Santiās Christmas coat and the weight of his chin. Because this really was the dangerous part. Or had been, for him. Heād known a lot of men who had the swagger and confidenceāthe sophisticationāthat Karim was so good at presenting, but they didnāt have the softness and the silliness and the vulnerability that Santi had (and that, too, Karim had). He had wanted such cool and confident men on many occasions, but it was this that made his heart melt.
He hugged Santi tightly, clutching the leather for a moment, and sighed. āThat was kind of scary. Iām glad you are also my best friend. I really am. I didnāt want to lose that.ā
āYou being my best friend first is what made this less scary.ā And more, too, like Chelo had said, but his feelings wouldnāt align the way they did had they not been close as friends first. āYouāre kinda damp,ā he chuckled, sniffing the traces of pool water on Cheloās hair behind his ear. Santiago enjoyed holding the other man, though, even if he was barely taller than he was, he wanted to protect him, too, as Chelo did for him during so many years.
āI probably smell like chlorine,ā Chelo agreed. And he was damp in various places, which he would have probably liked more if it was the middle of the day and sunny and easy to dry off. āI hope your jacket isnāt getting damp, too.ā He started to pull back, to make sure that he wasnāt ruining Santiās Christmas present, or getting Santi wet too. āYouāre going to end up catching coldā¦ā
Santi chuckled, shaking his head as he leaned back, his cheeks lightly tinged in red as he looked at Chelo in his eyes. āDonāt worry, it has a hydrophobic treatment.ā It only made sense what with where they lived, so his dad was very careful about picking the right jackets. āIām sure youāll keep me warm,ā he said, with a hint of something very different from the usual Santi. āAnyway, donāt you want to find somewhere to shower? Itās a long partyā¦ā
āI think there is a shower around hereā¦ā Somewhere. Heād already gotten his clothes damp in his haste to get dressed again, but he would rather not smell like pool water. Until he got back in (because he definitely wanted to get back in laterāit was a heated pool on a fancy boat, so how could he not?). āDo you want toā¦?ā he stopped, not sure if he should suggest it this suddenly. āOr maybe you want to check on Mateo instead.ā He laughed, unusually self-conscious about being forward. āIf you do, I can just find you later.ā
Santi tilted his head curiously, blinking. āWant to whatā¦?ā He figured Mateo didnāt want him hovering around 24/7, so he had been giving him some space.
Chelo shook his head, āJump in with me, I was going to say, but then I thoughtā¦ā He cleared his throat. āI thoughtā¦probably too soon.ā He rubbed the back of his neck. āSo probably you would rather see what your cousin is up toā¦?ā
At those words, he looked behind himself to see the pool. āI didnāt bring swimwearā¦?ā Santi looked over at Chelo again, blinking in confusion. āNo, Mateo is alright, I talked to him before coming here.ā
This time, he laughed, rubbing his eyes. āThe shower. I wasā¦It was an invitation toā¦showerā¦ā He straightened, shaking his head. āWe can ease into that kind of thing, if you want to. Probably it isnāt that romantic, trapped on a boat with a hundred people.ā
Santi laughed shyly, cheeks bright red. āBold, but umā¦ Iām not veryānot like Karim, soā¦ but Iā¦ uh, I wouldnāt mind showering with you sometime.ā His heart was racing a mile a second.
āI know,ā Chelo replied, touching his arm reassuringly. āWe can save it for another timeāwhen you feel more comfortable.ā He thought it would be fun to be a little frisky on the fancy boat, butā¦it made sense that the risk would be uncomfortable for someone as shy as Santi, and nothing was going to be fun if Santi felt too worried or nervous to relax and enjoy it. āThough not your dadsā house, becauseā¦ā He didnāt want to come out of the shower to Santi Sr.ās glare. He cleared his throat, feeling a chill at the mere thought. āWeāll figure it out, when the time is right.ā
The idea made Santi laugh, throwing his head back and closing his eyes for a brief moment. Instead of answer, he cupped Cheloās cheek to give him a quick peck again before he reluctantly stepped away. āMaybe not showering, butā¦ letās spend time together after youāre done, okay?ā
Chelo smiled, catching Santiās hand before he could fully pull away, and kissing his palm softly before releasing him. āIāve heard that sometimes thereās putt-putt or basketball courts on boats like these. We should see if this one has anything like that. Or we can just sit and watch everyone get very drunk. Okay, Iām going to jump in the shower, and Iāll find you after. Donāt go too far.ā
The kiss made him laugh, so Santi jerked his hands away since it tickled. Still, he smiled at his friend turned boyfriend. āI would never stray too far away from you. Iāll find a nice spot for us while you do that, okay?ā He leaned in for another all too quick peck before bouncing back and away, giving Chelo a little wave.
He really had to tell Mateo! He had a boyfriend now!