we were the only people at the community pool

Chapter 16: Tommy

I’d spent the morning singing Samir’s praises to the agency in excruciating detail, and I think I’d finally settled their concerns.

My grandmother would be back in his care next week.

Around five, I decided to walk to Hal’s place one more time, just in case.

I knocked and he answered.

His curls were loose, his skin a richer golden-brown than before, like he’d been out swimming all day. He wore just a baggy T-shirt and athletic shorts. He looked cozy.

“I was hoping it’d be you,” he said, to my surprise. “Come in?”

************

Hal wanted to apologize. So did I.

But first, I had a proposition.

Because today’s caregiver had started late, I had the evening free. Until ten, at least. I pulled the baggy of ecstasy tablets from my pocket and held it up in front of Hal.

“Wanna get high?”

I’d done ecstasy before in college. I fucking loved it. I could see how people got addicted. It made everything feel vivid and present. Like nothing existed except the here and now.

I remembered how it felt like my skin could breathe and everything it touched was pure static electricity.

But the best part was how clear my thoughts became. I could say exactly what I meant without stumbling or second-guessing myself. I’d never felt as articulate or as confident as I did when I was high like that.

It made me feel like I could handle anything. Like I wouldn’t get my feelings hurt.

And I’m always getting my feelings hurt.

If Hal was open to it, maybe this would help us strip down some of the walls between us.


************

“I don’t feel anything,” Hal said, an hour after we took the pills.

“Just wait.”

Ten minutes later, he turned toward the window. Sunlight streamed in, illuminating particles of dust in the air, like a constellation coming to life.

“Oh. Oh. Now that’s brilliant,” he said, and then threw his head back and let out a cackle.

He was feeling it now.

************

When the ecstasy hit me too, I found myself ready to ask about Katie. I wanted to see her, the girl Hal was going to marry.

He pulled up her Instagram and let me scroll.

She looked stunning and put-together and worldly. And she wrote genuinely funny IG captions.

“She’s the prettiest girl in the world,” I said and meant it.

“She’s the goddamn people’s princess.” Hal responded. Then, after a pause, “I miss her.”

“Do you think you’ll tell her about all of this? How you picked a fight with a fragile gay boy with a dying grandmother?” I said, teasing.

“I am sorry about that.”

“I’m just kidding.”

“I know. Still. You didn’t deserve it.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I did.”

Hal looked down for a second. “Thing is... I haven’t talked about August in years. I think about him every day, but I haven’t said his name in God knows how long.”

He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I didn’t think I’d get so... aggro, when I brought him up to you. I didn’t expect that. But I guess I didn’t know how I’d act. Once I said his name, it all just came rushing back. The good, the bad. All of it.”

“Does Katie know about him?”

“Sort of. It came up. When we talked about this trip. Why I wanted to go.”

“But not the full story?”

“Not the full story.”

“You haven’t given me the full story either.”

“No, I haven’t. It’s not a good story. Really. The thing about August is... it just feels unfinished. Like this question I’ll never have an answer for.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Please.”

“If you found out today that you only had one month left to live…”

“...Morbid. Go on...”

“So, you only one month left to live. You can only have so many conversations with so many people. Would August be one of the people you’d want to talk to before you die?”

“Of course.”

“What would you say to him?”

“I’d say… I’m sorry I made things weird. I miss you. I miss my best pal. I never would’ve done any of it if I knew it meant losing my best mate. But if I’m dying, I should also tell you: I think I was in love with you. I think you’re the first person I ever loved. I’ve been looking for you in every person I’ve met since. And I just thought you should know.”

I nodded. I wish I could have that exact conversation with Dylan, the first boy I ever loved. I couldn’t, of course. He was dead. But sometimes I imagined it. Summoning him from beyond the grave. Or going back in time. Just to let him know.

“I think you should tell August that.”

“I should, shouldn’t I?”

“Make a plan. Reach out.”

“And if he thinks I’m mad? Or tells me to fuck off?”

“I think it’s about readjusting your expectations. You need to tell him how you feel so you can move on. But how he reacts is up to him. That’s out of your control. If you need closure, then define closure as telling the truth, not getting some particular outcome. Some perfect reaction from him. Outcome is not closure.”

“Managing expectations. I hate that. That’s all life is. Constantly managing expectations.”

“Yeah.”

He sat with it for a moment, then nodded.

“I think I’ll do it. I’ll reach out to him.”

************

There was a lull in conversation.

We were sitting on the ground in the living room now, which we had decided, for some reason, was the comfiest place to be.

Hal leaned back a little and caught my eyes.

“You’re staring,” he said, soft and amused.

I didn’t look away. “Yeah. I just like looking at you, I guess."

Hal looked down at his hands, then back at me. We sat in the glow of it for a minute. The lights from outside were shifting on the walls.

“You always get like this when you’re high?” he asked.

“Like what?”

“All soft and gooey.”

I shrugged. “I think it’s just how I am. But usually I try to hide it.”

Hal tilted his head, studying me. “Don’t.”

He said it like it wasn’t a big deal.

Then, casually, like he hadn’t just disarmed me completely, he nudged my foot with his.

I nudged back.

************

“I have to tell you something,” Hal said eagerly, pupils huge. His high was peaking. I could see it in his face. He must've felt like he was seeing me in high definition.

“Okay.”

“I went to Black’s Beach today.”

“Seriously? Damn, you’re rawdogging this whole gay panic, huh? No dinner first, no lube. Just straight to the cruising beach.”

“Settle down.”

“Sorry.”

“I went with this handsome chap, Samir…”

Samir.

How did they meet? It had to be my Samir, right? He wasn't mine, per se. He didn't belong to me, obviously. But still.

I wondered if the jealousy would hit harder once the high wore off. But for now, I just wanted the details.

“Did you… fuck him?”

“Have you any patience, Tommy boy?”

“No.”

“Right. ’Course not. No, I didn’t fuck him. I watched him fuck, though. It was… hot.”

“I can imagine.”

“I swear I saw right into his animal nature. Ditto the other lad he was shagging. It wasn’t just watching two bodies fucking. It was like watching their raw materials smash together to make something new. Something neither of them could’ve created on their own. Something that would only ever belong to them. It was intense."

“Yeah. It can be like that with guys. I mean, I’ve never been with a girl. Maybe it’s like that with them too.”

“Maybe. But it didn’t look like anything I’d ever experienced with a woman.”

I nodded. I remembered when I was more active on the scene. Some of the most honest sex I ever had was with men whose names I never learned, and who I'd likely never see again.

Hal leaned back, eyes closing as he settled into the memory. His legs were spread wide, the definition of manspreading. He let one hand drift across the stiffening bulge in his shorts, then let out a quiet whimper. His eyes flicked open, like he caught himself off guard by how good it felt.

Hal had never rolled before, so I leaned in, gently.

“Want me to show you something else that feels good?”

He nodded faintly.

I reached behind his head and scratched lightly at his scalp, drawing small circles into him with my nails. His body melted into the touch. He smiled and his eyes fluttered shut again.

Then I took his hands and guided them to his face.

“You should feel your stubble,” I said. “It probably feels amazing right now.”

He rubbed circles with his palms over his cheeks. He liked it so much he kept doing it, losing himself in the sensation. When he stopped, his face was flushed.

“Take off your shirt,” I said.

I was never that bossy sober.

But he obeyed, lifting it over his head and tossing it to the floor.

I leaned in, nuzzling into the curve of his neck, breathing warm air down his chest. I dragged my face along his skin, then raised his arms and pressed my slightly-open mouth into his armpits. He moaned, low and shaky.

Then I pulled back.

With just my fingertips, I traced slow, upward swirls on his stomach. I focused on the details. The way his muscles tightened. How each ab seemed to rise to meet my touch. I took my time.

Then I dragged my finger gently around his left nipple.

He gasped. His fists curled and he placed them under his thighs. Sitting on them as if to hold himself back from whatever he might do next. Then he started slowly rocking his hips forward, small gyrations that seemed out of his control.

His breathing grew short.

He grabbed my hand, stopping me as he looked at me with a wicked smile.

We'd both been caught up in a spell and needed to come back down to earth for a moment.

“Have you ever had sex on ecstasy?” Hal asked me.

“They say you’re not supposed to. That nothing ever lives up to it again.”

“Right... Y'know I haven’t cum in a month? And all of this…” He glanced down at his hard-on straining against his shorts. “This is torture.”

“That’s a long time to go without busting.”

“Yeah. It is.” He rubbed his crotch again and I watched intently. I must've looked embarrassingly eager. Desperate, even. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he might taste in my mouth. What he might feel like inside me.

“Can I help you with that?” I asked, nodding toward his erection.

Hal laughed under his breath. “Have you been tested recently?”

“Honestly? No. I haven’t hooked up in forever, but I don’t technically know my status right now.”

“Okay.”

He stopped touching himself.

Sober me would’ve panicked and blamed myself for killing the moment. But right now, it didn’t feel like rejection. Whatever happened next would be the right thing, as long as were together.

“Want some water?” I asked, remembering how dehydrating ecstasy could be.

I started to stand. But he caught my arm and pulled me back down.

“Get tested this week.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, eager to obey. I'd do anything he asked.

“We can still have some fun right now,” he said, more softly.

He got to his knees and lowered his shorts, exposing himself to me. For the first time, I had a clear, head-on view of his cock.

His pink tip was just starting to push through his foreskin and dark blue veins protruded noticeably along the shaft, like his bloodstream was working overtime to keep up with the arousal.

“Can I see yours?”

I pulled down my pants. My cock pressed against my briefs.

He couldn't wait. He hooked his fingers into my waistband and pulled them down below my ass. My cock flung free with a bounce and slapped against my belly button on the way up.

“That’s a pretty cock,” he said.

“So’s yours.”

He grabbed his and started stroking. I followed suit.

“Want some lube?” he asked, nodding toward the bedroom.

I shook my head. “I’ll cum too fast with lube.”

Facing each other, we continued jerking ourselves off.

We had different techniques.

Hal had a consistent rhythm. He'd slip a finger beneath his foreskin, circling the head. Then he pulled the skin up, covering the tip, before wrapping his fingers at the base and stroking slowly, with his thumb dragging along the underside on each downstroke. He used his other hand to work pressure into the space under his balls, his thumb pressing upward and working his prostate from the outside.

I twisted my wrist and kept my palm focused on the sensitive head of my cock. Every now and then I'd make my way down the full length of my shaft but for the most part I only worked the top. I never touched my balls. I didn’t care for ball play at all, really. Instead, I slid my fingers up my my body and started to shiver. I loved light touches on my body. Even from myself.

I let my fingers drift up my chest, like how you’d guide a pointer along a Ouija board: slow and gentle, fingertips barely guiding it, steering a path toward an answer you already knew but instead chose to believe was the will of some unseen phantom. For a moment, I let myself believe it wasn’t just me touching myself. That maybe something supernatural was happening here.

“I’m getting close,” Hal said. “Will you hold my hand?”

I reached for him and our free hands interlocked.

Somehow holding his hand felt more intimate than any sexual act I'd ever been asked to perform.

“Oh fuck. Here it comes,” he gasped.

My eyes were glued to his cock. I wanted to watch him bust.

Back when I was dating, I never swallowed a guy the first time we hooked up. I always wanted to see what kind of load he'd blow. I wanted to appreciate the show. See how much cum he made. If he was a shooter or if it dripped out. I was always so curious.

But Hal interrupted me with a little tsk of his tongue.

“Look me in the eyes,” he said. “I want you to look me in the eyes while I cum.”

So I did.

His body tensed then he exploded, nutting all over me. It was huge. I'd never gotten so wet from another guy's load. This is what one month without busting did to Hal. It was incredible. I felt it land on my stomach, my cock, my thighs. But I never broke eye contact with him.

He moaned, then swore. I could see it was taking everything in him not to close his eyes. But he squinted at me through the burst of pleasure, never losing my gaze.

This brought me to the edge immediately.

“Can I cum for you?” I asked, practically begging.

He nodded.

I started jerking myself off faster than before.

My whole body shook and I nearly lost my balance. He let go of my hand and grabbed me under the arm to keep me upright. I gripped his shoulder, steadying myself.

I came hard. It was a big one. My cock convulsed and I could feel five hot ropes escaping me.

Hal laughed and I knew I must've hit him with my cum. Still, we kept looking right at each other.

After a moment lost in each other's eyes, we finally looked down.

“We’ve made a proper mess, haven't we?” Hal asked, still catching his breath.

We laid down next to each other on the floor and wrapped up in each other’s arms.

We let the cum dry on our bellies. Nothing could pull us apart right now.

************

At 9:45, I went back to Grandma’s. I was slowly starting to come down from the high.

And unlike the night before, I was certain I’d see Hal again tomorrow.
 
your writing just made me realize only jerking off with someone can be incredibly romantic. And so effing hot!
I always thought it was one of the most intimate things two people could do together :)
 
The way the story was told gave me wounds I never thought I had, the sadness from longing I’ve accepted and how a simple interlocking of hands gave healing.

You wrote well.
I know that feeling well. Thank you so much for your words, All my love to you!
 
Chapter 17: Tommy

I woke up feeling like someone had scraped out the inside of my skull with a spoon.

My mouth was dry. My skin had no elasticity.

Right.

I'd done ecstasy last night.

It was an amazing night. This may be the drugs speaking, but I think it was the best night of my life. Or at least, it was a night I'd never forget.

What I had forgotten about, though, was my Lexapro.

Mixing Lexapro and ecstasy wasn’t smart.

Today I felt flat. Stripped of whatever scraps of serotonin were still kicking around up in my head. It was like my brain had gone offline and was rebooting in slow motion.

I checked my phone. No notifications, just a “low battery” warning that felt a little too relevant to my current state of being.

I pushed myself upright. The room was spinning slightly, but I knew the drill. Water, coffee, carbs. Keep moving.

I padded down the hall to check on Grandma. Today's caregiver was due any minute, and I didn’t want her thinking I was strung out, even though I clearly was.

Grandma was still asleep. I adjusted her blanket and smoothed her hair a bit.

When the nurse arrived, I let her in without a word. We nodded at each other like two people in a shared custody arrangement. Then I grabbed my bag and left.

I was supposed to meet Hal this morning. He’d offered to come with me to the clinic to get tested.

It wasn’t a big deal. I didn't need the company for a quick blood draw.

But something about the way he said “I’ll go with you” was utterly undeniable.

************

I hadn’t been back to this clinic in years.

It looked exactly the same.

Same busted parking lot full of weeds. Same sun-bleached sign that said COMMUNITY WELLNESS in faded block letters. Same buzzing light over the door.

I used to come here every few months, back when I was more sexually active.

I first came here years ago after a drunken sexual encounter with a man, who I allowed to fuck me without a condom. It was the first time I'd ever had sex, actually. I was young and stupid and hadn't gotten on PrEP yet. The clinic saw me without judgement, without asking for a credit card, and got me set up on PEP to assuage my worst fears.

These days I'm more scared of getting herpes than HIV, which is a thought I keep to myself. I know the horrors our community faced, the generation that was nearly wiped out by AIDS. I couldn't help but think how grateful I was to be a sexually active gay man in 2025.

The clinic here also acts as a needle exchange, so there's no shortage of colorful characters coming in through the doors, all who are met with the same attentive care I was given all those years ago.

As we walked in the front door, Hal looked around like he was doing recon. Probably cataloguing the furniture, the flyers, the sad potted plant by the door that had been fake for as long as I could remember.

Remi was still here, working the front desk.

I didn’t expect that.

She was still dolled up in heavy makeup and a blue wig that fell around those same tired eyes that always found a way to look kind. She clocked me instantly and gave me a look, not judgmental, not surprised, but familiar. Like: Oh. You again.

“You know the drill, baby,” she said, sliding the clipboard over.

“Yeah,” I said, taking it. “So you're still here, huh?”

“Still here. You too, huh?” she smiled.

Hal and I sat in the waiting room.

Out of nowhere, a strung out sitting across from us stood up and started dancing. There was no music playing in the lobby but they danced anyway. They were obviously high as hell, barely upright, swaying in slow motion like ghosts underwater.

Hal stared at them, out of pure curiosity.

“Don’t stare,” I whispered. “They’re probably not in their right minds.”

“I’m not judging,” he said. “They look like they really love each other.”

I snorted. “Okay, Mr. Romantic.”

Then Hal stood up and offered me his hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Dance with me.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

I shook my head, but he didn’t drop his hand. And after a second, God help me, I took it.

And I hated it. At first. My whole body was stiff, trying not to draw attention. But Hal pulled me into him. His hand on the small of my back.

We danced, slowly, next to the twitchy couple like we were all part of some strange, silent disco.

Hal pulled me in closer, rested his chin on my shoulder.

I let myself lean in. Just for a moment.

A nurse called my name before I was ready to let go of him.

************

The nurse led me through a set of double doors and into a small exam room.

It was the standard clinic room: paper-covered cot, wheeled tray of supplies, industrial soap smell, the terrible overhead fluorescent lights.

She closed the door behind us and smiled, clipboard in hand. She had daisies on her scrubs and soft, lined eyes. And when she spoke, she took her time, like there was no rush, like I was her only priority.

“You can sit up or lie down, whatever’s more comfortable,” she said, patting the cot.

I sat, legs dangling off the front.

“I just need to ask a few questions before we start the tests,” she said. “Okay?”

I nodded.

“Do you currently have access to food, water, and shelter?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel safe where you live?”

“Yes.”

“Any drug use in the last week?”

I hesitated. “Yeah. A little.”

She just nodded and checked a box.

“Are you in a relationship right now?”

I hesitated. “Sort of.”

She looked up at me, gently. “Do you feel safe in your current relationship or relationships?”

My mouth opened, then closed. I thought of Hal.

“I do,” I said. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” she said, finishing up her notes on my chart.

Then, she pulled on a pair of gloves. “We’ll start with your bloodwork, then move on to the other samples. I'll need a urine sample and a rectal swab, okay, hon?”

“Cool,” I said.

She tied the band around my arm.

“You’ve done this before?”

“Yeah.”

Many times.

She found the vein easily and swabbed it down with alcohol.

“Take a deep breath for me and make a fist with your hand.”

I did.

Then the needle went in with a pinch.

Within a few moments the walls started tilting and my vision began to blur. My hearing thinned out like I'd just left a loud concert.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” I lied.

“You’re looking a bit pale. Let’s lie you down.”

“I’m fine,” I said, just before everything stopped.

I felt myself sway. The last thing I heard was her voice, kind and steady: “It’s okay, Tommy. I’ve got you.”

Then, black.

************

When I came to, I was lying flat on the cot. My shirt was unbuttoned and stuck to my back with sweat. The world felt sideways.

Hal was sitting beside me, his hand in my hair.

“You alright?” he asked softly.

I squinted up at him. His face looked almost angelic under the fluorescent lights.

“Did I faint?”

“You collapsed rather gracefully, I'm told,” he said.

I laughed and put a hand over my face.

“Here,” he added, and reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little bag of mini Chips Ahoy cookies. “I got you some biscuits.”

I took a bite and chewed slowly, feeling myself slowly come back to life.

The nurse popped her head through the doorway. “Still with us, sweetheart?”

“Barely.”

“When you're up for it, you can head to the bathroom for the rest of your tests."

“Thanks,” I said, quietly

Hal stood. “I’ll go with him.”

I looked at him, surprised. “You sure? It's kinda gross.”

He nodded. “I want to be there. Even for this. Especially for this.”

************

The bathroom was exactly how I remembered it. Yellow tiles, flickering light, and the mirror slightly cracked in the corner.

I stood near the sink, holding the little plastic sample cup. Hal was beside me.

I glanced at him. “You can turn around, if you want. You don't have to watch.”

He shook his head once. “Actually, I was wondering... can I help you do it?”

I didn’t say anything. Just a silent nod.

Hal washed his hands and then put on a pair of gloves from the bathroom's small glove dispenser.

I stood in front of the toilet, and pulled the lid off the sample cup.

Hal came up behind me. He leaned his chin on my shoulder again then reached around me, unzipped my fly and pulled my cock out of my shorts.

He positioned me right into the cup.

It took a second... the nerves, embarrassment, and pee shyness had rushed to the surface of my emotions.

But then I heard the stream hit plastic.

Hal kissed my neck but I could sense his eyes watching every drop that came out of me.

After I was finished I put the cap on and handed it to him as he zipped it up in the biohazard bag.

Then came the part I’d been dreading.

I set the swab kit on the sink and unwrapped it slowly. I’d done it before, just never like this. Never with someone watching. Someone helping.

Hal stepped behind me.

“Do you want me to do it?” he asked. His voice was quiet and measured.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

“Yeah,” I said.

I bent forward slightly, hands gripping the edge of the sink.

I could feel the way his body moved behind me, tentative, but deliberate. The care in his touch. He didn’t rush. He didn’t make it weird. He just... did it.

He took the swab and inserted it into my ass.

I gasped.

"All good, Tommy boy?"

"Mhm."

He rotated the swab in small circles inside of me.

The act itself was clinical. The feeling wasn’t.

He was so gentle. But I was breathing harder from the quiet intensity of being touched without judgment. Of being cared for, literally, from the inside out.

When I turned to face him again, his eyes met mine. And they didn’t look away.

“I told you,” he said softly, “I’m in it. Even for the gross bits.”

I nodded.

The gross bits felt normal with him.
 
s
Chapter 17: Tommy

I woke up feeling like someone had scraped out the inside of my skull with a spoon.

My mouth was dry. My skin had no elasticity.

Right.

I'd done ecstasy last night.

It was an amazing night. This may be the drugs speaking, but I think it was the best night of my life. Or at least, it was a night I'd never forget.

What I had forgotten about, though, was my Lexapro.

Mixing Lexapro and ecstasy wasn’t smart.

Today I felt flat. Stripped of whatever scraps of serotonin were still kicking around up in my head. It was like my brain had gone offline and was rebooting in slow motion.

I checked my phone. No notifications, just a “low battery” warning that felt a little too relevant to my current state of being.

I pushed myself upright. The room was spinning slightly, but I knew the drill. Water, coffee, carbs. Keep moving.

I padded down the hall to check on Grandma. Today's caregiver was due any minute, and I didn’t want her thinking I was strung out, even though I clearly was.

Grandma was still asleep. I adjusted her blanket and smoothed her hair a bit.

When the nurse arrived, I let her in without a word. We nodded at each other like two people in a shared custody arrangement. Then I grabbed my bag and left.

I was supposed to meet Hal this morning. He’d offered to come with me to the clinic to get tested.

It wasn’t a big deal. I didn't need the company for a quick blood draw.

But something about the way he said “I’ll go with you” was utterly undeniable.

************

I hadn’t been back to this clinic in years.

It looked exactly the same.

Same busted parking lot full of weeds. Same sun-bleached sign that said COMMUNITY WELLNESS in faded block letters. Same buzzing light over the door.

I used to come here every few months, back when I was more sexually active.

I first came here years ago after a drunken sexual encounter with a man, who I allowed to fuck me without a condom. It was the first time I'd ever had sex, actually. I was young and stupid and hadn't gotten on PrEP yet. The clinic saw me without judgement, without asking for a credit card, and got me set up on PEP to assuage my worst fears.

These days I'm more scared of getting herpes than HIV, which is a thought I keep to myself. I know the horrors our community faced, the generation that was nearly wiped out by AIDS. I couldn't help but think how grateful I was to be a sexually active gay man in 2025.

The clinic here also acts as a needle exchange, so there's no shortage of colorful characters coming in through the doors, all who are met with the same attentive care I was given all those years ago.

As we walked in the front door, Hal looked around like he was doing recon. Probably cataloguing the furniture, the flyers, the sad potted plant by the door that had been fake for as long as I could remember.

Remi was still here, working the front desk.

I didn’t expect that.

She was still dolled up in heavy makeup and a blue wig that fell around those same tired eyes that always found a way to look kind. She clocked me instantly and gave me a look, not judgmental, not surprised, but familiar. Like: Oh. You again.

“You know the drill, baby,” she said, sliding the clipboard over.

“Yeah,” I said, taking it. “So you're still here, huh?”

“Still here. You too, huh?” she smiled.

Hal and I sat in the waiting room.

Out of nowhere, a strung out sitting across from us stood up and started dancing. There was no music playing in the lobby but they danced anyway. They were obviously high as hell, barely upright, swaying in slow motion like ghosts underwater.

Hal stared at them, out of pure curiosity.

“Don’t stare,” I whispered. “They’re probably not in their right minds.”

“I’m not judging,” he said. “They look like they really love each other.”

I snorted. “Okay, Mr. Romantic.”

Then Hal stood up and offered me his hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Dance with me.”

“Now?”

“Yes.”

I shook my head, but he didn’t drop his hand. And after a second, God help me, I took it.

And I hated it. At first. My whole body was stiff, trying not to draw attention. But Hal pulled me into him. His hand on the small of my back.

We danced, slowly, next to the twitchy couple like we were all part of some strange, silent disco.

Hal pulled me in closer, rested his chin on my shoulder.

I let myself lean in. Just for a moment.

A nurse called my name before I was ready to let go of him.

************

The nurse led me through a set of double doors and into a small exam room.

It was the standard clinic room: paper-covered cot, wheeled tray of supplies, industrial soap smell, the terrible overhead fluorescent lights.

She closed the door behind us and smiled, clipboard in hand. She had daisies on her scrubs and soft, lined eyes. And when she spoke, she took her time, like there was no rush, like I was her only priority.

“You can sit up or lie down, whatever’s more comfortable,” she said, patting the cot.

I sat, legs dangling off the front.

“I just need to ask a few questions before we start the tests,” she said. “Okay?”

I nodded.

“Do you currently have access to food, water, and shelter?”

“Yes.”

“Do you feel safe where you live?”

“Yes.”

“Any drug use in the last week?”

I hesitated. “Yeah. A little.”

She just nodded and checked a box.

“Are you in a relationship right now?”

I hesitated. “Sort of.”

She looked up at me, gently. “Do you feel safe in your current relationship or relationships?”

My mouth opened, then closed. I thought of Hal.

“I do,” I said. “Yeah.”

“Okay,” she said, finishing up her notes on my chart.

Then, she pulled on a pair of gloves. “We’ll start with your bloodwork, then move on to the other samples. I'll need a urine sample and a rectal swab, okay, hon?”

“Cool,” I said.

She tied the band around my arm.

“You’ve done this before?”

“Yeah.”

Many times.

She found the vein easily and swabbed it down with alcohol.

“Take a deep breath for me and make a fist with your hand.”

I did.

Then the needle went in with a pinch.

Within a few moments the walls started tilting and my vision began to blur. My hearing thinned out like I'd just left a loud concert.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Uh-huh,” I lied.

“You’re looking a bit pale. Let’s lie you down.”

“I’m fine,” I said, just before everything stopped.

I felt myself sway. The last thing I heard was her voice, kind and steady: “It’s okay, Tommy. I’ve got you.”

Then, black.

************

When I came to, I was lying flat on the cot. My shirt was unbuttoned and stuck to my back with sweat. The world felt sideways.

Hal was sitting beside me, his hand in my hair.

“You alright?” he asked softly.

I squinted up at him. His face looked almost angelic under the fluorescent lights.

“Did I faint?”

“You collapsed rather gracefully, I'm told,” he said.

I laughed and put a hand over my face.

“Here,” he added, and reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little bag of mini Chips Ahoy cookies. “I got you some biscuits.”

I took a bite and chewed slowly, feeling myself slowly come back to life.

The nurse popped her head through the doorway. “Still with us, sweetheart?”

“Barely.”

“When you're up for it, you can head to the bathroom for the rest of your tests."

“Thanks,” I said, quietly

Hal stood. “I’ll go with him.”

I looked at him, surprised. “You sure? It's kinda gross.”

He nodded. “I want to be there. Even for this. Especially for this.”

************

The bathroom was exactly how I remembered it. Yellow tiles, flickering light, and the mirror slightly cracked in the corner.

I stood near the sink, holding the little plastic sample cup. Hal was beside me.

I glanced at him. “You can turn around, if you want. You don't have to watch.”

He shook his head once. “Actually, I was wondering... can I help you do it?”

I didn’t say anything. Just a silent nod.

Hal washed his hands and then put on a pair of gloves from the bathroom's small glove dispenser.

I stood in front of the toilet, and pulled the lid off the sample cup.

Hal came up behind me. He leaned his chin on my shoulder again then reached around me, unzipped my fly and pulled my cock out of my shorts.

He positioned me right into the cup.

It took a second... the nerves, embarrassment, and pee shyness had rushed to the surface of my emotions.

But then I heard the stream hit plastic.

Hal kissed my neck but I could sense his eyes watching every drop that came out of me.

After I was finished I put the cap on and handed it to him as he zipped it up in the biohazard bag.

Then came the part I’d been dreading.

I set the swab kit on the sink and unwrapped it slowly. I’d done it before, just never like this. Never with someone watching. Someone helping.

Hal stepped behind me.

“Do you want me to do it?” he asked. His voice was quiet and measured.

I looked at myself in the mirror.

“Yeah,” I said.

I bent forward slightly, hands gripping the edge of the sink.

I could feel the way his body moved behind me, tentative, but deliberate. The care in his touch. He didn’t rush. He didn’t make it weird. He just... did it.

He took the swab and inserted it into my ass.

I gasped.

"All good, Tommy boy?"

"Mhm."

He rotated the swab in small circles inside of me.

The act itself was clinical. The feeling wasn’t.

He was so gentle. But I was breathing harder from the quiet intensity of being touched without judgment. Of being cared for, literally, from the inside out.

When I turned to face him again, his eyes met mine. And they didn’t look away.

“I told you,” he said softly, “I’m in it. Even for the gross bits.”

I nodded.

The gross bits felt normal with him.
Typos will be the end of me, sorry, it should say:

Out of nowhere, a strung out couple, a man and woman, sitting across from us stood up and started dancing. There was no music playing in the lobby but they danced anyway. They were obviously high as hell, barely upright, swaying in slow motion like ghosts underwater.
 
s

Typos will be the end of me, sorry, it should say:

Out of nowhere, a strung out couple, a man and woman, sitting across from us stood up and started dancing. There was no music playing in the lobby but they danced anyway. They were obviously high as hell, barely upright, swaying in slow motion like ghosts underwater.
You are forgiven :) glad to see Hal back in the picture
 
Who knew a rectal swab and urine sample could be so intimate and romantic?

I hope we are watching these two men falling in love because I AM ALL HERE FOR IT.
This is very much a story about finding romance and intimacy in the least expected places <3 There's lots more in store for these two men together. Thank you so much for reading it!!