Page 117 of We Are Just Us

Rory softened, reaching for his shoulder, but Kieran shifted away. He didn’t want comfort, he just wanted to be anywhere else. “Don’t,” he whispered. “I’m fine.”

Rory didn’t pull back. Instead, he reached over and firmly took Kieran’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“I know.”

“This is a formality. We go in, they take some blood, we wait a few days for results, and then…I get to blow your back out without a wrapper.”

Kieran’s face flushed, the heat in his cheeks a sudden, welcome distraction from the cold dread in his gut. “You can’t say that in a Planned Parenthood parking lot!”

“Why not? That’s literally the only reason we’re here.”

“Still.”

Rory laughed—a low, grounded sound that cut right through the hum of the air conditioner—and gave his hand a final squeeze. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

They walked in together, and Kieran clocked every detail his anxiety could latch onto—the pastel waiting room chairs, the faint smell of hand sanitizer and something vaguely medicinal.

A young woman at the front desk looked up and smiled. “Hi! Do you have an appointment?”

“Yes,” Rory said. “Two appointments. Rory Kline and Kieran Doyle.”

She typed into her computer. “Great. I’ll need you both to fill out some intake forms. You can sit anywhere.”

She handed them each a clipboard with several pages of paperwork, and they found seats near the window.

Kieran stared at the form like it was written in a foreign language.

Name. Date of birth. Insurance information.

Reason for visit? STD screening.

He checked the box and moved on.

Sexual history.

His pen hovered over the page.

Number of sexual partners in the last 12 months: _____

He glanced at Rory, who was filling out his own form with the calm efficiency of someone who wasn’t having an internal crisis.

Kieran wrote: 1

Types of sexual activity (check all that apply): ☐ Vaginal ☐ Anal ☐ Oral

He checked the last two, heat rising in his face, despite the fact that literally no one was watching him.

Last time you were tested: _____

12 months ago

Results: Negative for all

He finished the rest of the form and handed it back to the receptionist, who smiled and told them someone would call them back shortly.

Kieran sat back down next to Rory and started bouncing his leg.

“You okay?” Rory asked.