“You ready for the dance party tomorrow?” he asks.
“All decorations, advertisements, and other images are squared away. Are you ready to appear in public with me?”
It will be our first time out together as a couple. These days, Hank rarely gets noticed, although I’ve become a minor celebrity of my own. There will be a stir when everyone learns we’re a couple, of course, but for the most part, the world has already moved on from our moment of viral infamy.
“It will be a relief to stop hiding. And I’m proud of you, Elliot. I’ll be glad for the world to know that you’re my man.”
I squeeze his hand. “I feel the same way.”
The sound of gushing water fills the air, and we pick up our pace as we come to the waterfall. Shaped like a horseshoe, ittumbles down the rocks and plunges into a deep pool, crystal clear. The sun shines through the clearing, and deer go crashing through the shrubs, disappearing into the forest as we arrive.
Hank’s mom walks straight to the swimming hole, and his dad wanders down the stream, talking with Angie. I spread out a blanket in the sunshine, and Hank and I get seated, the creek by our side.
He picks a leaf out of my hair. “It’s nice to be in nature together, but without fearing for our lives.”
I laugh. “And no part of my body is throbbing in pain.”
Hank leans back on his hand. “If people ask tomorrow, what do we call each other? Boyfriends?”
I smile, liking that we’re putting a name on it. “Boyfriends is good for now.”
After a relaxing picnic lunch and an afternoon in nature, we return to the city. Although I’m usually at the condo these days, Hank drops me at my house so I can help Taylor and Marko with the last preparations.
The next morning, we head straight to the park for the dance party. At an accessible location right off the bus line, the sober, all-ages event is meant to bring the best of nightlife to people who might not be able to make a midnight dance party at the club. Taylor and Marko turn their attention to setting the tech up, and I quickly unload the decorations I’ve built from our rented van.
First come the colorful cutouts of dancing bees, flowers, and birds, made on recycled cardboard. They dot the edge of the dance floor, better defining the space. Next, I hang the sparkly banners around the DJ booth,Dancing Is for Everyone! andParty All Day, Sleep All Night!
As I’m hanging theFree Dance Partysign on a tree, Hank arrives with Angie and his parents.
I throw my arms around him and greet them all. Dressed in blue shorts that go halfway down his thighs, sneakers, and a T-shirt for his hiking club, Hank is ready to dance, and he looks sexy as fuck.
Angie pumps her fist. “I am so ready to dance my butt off today. The D&D campaign that dances together, stays together.”
I laugh. Taylor and Marko wanted to get into the game, and she’s agreed to serve as DM and teach them the ropes for their first campaign.
“The half-orc warlock and gnome thief are behind the DJ booth, if you’re looking for them.”
As she takes off, Hank and I join hands. A few people arriving to the dance party seem to notice us, but it takes a while for someone to approach. A younger woman with blue hair and a septum ring comes up to us, smiling tentatively.
“Excuse me?” she asks. “You’re the guys who disappeared, right? Are you two together?”
Hank and I exchange a look before turning back to her.
“We are,” Hank says simply, and warmth fills me.
She lights up. “That’s so cool,” she says, and I grin as the music starts.
Hank squeezes my hand. “Shall we?” he asks.
We step out into the crowd as the music picks up. Under the sunlight, my illustrations surrounding us, Hank and I dance with his family and my friends. We bounce our hips, he pulls me close, and I feel every bit as free and safe and held as I do when we’re home together, just the two of us.
“I love you, Elliot,” he says, and I lean against my man.
“I love you, too, Hank.”
