Noah looked at him, “So, you would wear pink to Thanksgiving dinner?”
The taller boy thought about it for a second, “A pink button-down? Sure. An entirely pink outfit? No. I would look absolutely ridiculous. You go for it, though. I support you!” as he started to laugh.
Things like this would sometimes get to Noah. Timothy seemed very standoffish about anything considered counterculture, which for whatever reason, included the different colors. It wasn’t like he was going to ask him to wear heels, but even so, it wasn’t that big a deal. Which again, Noah wasn’t asking, and he himself had no desire himself, but if either boy randomly decided to, then Noah wouldn’t blink an eye. Timothy would, though… “I’ll get the purple one for you then,” Noah said.
“I’m not going to be the one using it, though,” Timothy reminded him.
“Yes, but as you pointed out, it is just a color,” Noah explained.
Timothy smiled, “You are adorable.”
He hoped he was, “You are too.” He really was. His smile was infectious. Noah wished it wasn’t, but it totally was. Noah was slowly falling in love with this boy for real. He would find something new to be in love with every single day, and it was the greatest thrill of his life. “So, then Collin and Phillip are your two best friends, right?” Noah asked.
“And Tara. Yeah, we were the four musketeers back home, really,” Timothy explained with a smile.
“Right and Tara… So, then Phillip is the cuter one, and Collin is the funnier one, right?” Noah was trying to make sure that he would be able to fit in with this new group. If they were important to Timothy, then it was his new mission to make sure that Timothy’s friends and extended family all liked him.
His boyfriend sighed, “I suppose that Phillip is the cuter one. I consider him a brother, so I never really thought about it. Collin is just a bunch of bad dad jokes, but I suppose. You seem to think the things he says are funny. He and Tara have been dating for a while now.”
Noah smiled, “Cool. So, am I going to get to see where you went to high school as well?”
“If you really feel the need to see it, sure,” Timothy explained.
As the two continued to awkwardly talk about Connecticut. Cheryl walked over, “Oh, the purple one? I would have pegged you for the blue one.”
“He’s trying to impress me for no reason again, Cheryl.” Timothy put his hands on his hips as he said it. Noah was getting a little concerned with how much his mother and boyfriend seemed to get along. Yes, in a perfect world, he always wanted that to be a case but even so. It was just downright weird.
“I’m just trying to fit in on the East Coast. I’ve never been before.” Noah had to admit that he imagined a universe where the East Coast was where he ended up in the Fall. He wanted to follow Timothy and knew that was where he would go. Noah wasn’t stupid; Timothy wasn’t going out West. Sure, it was a completely different idea than he originally had, but there was New York and Philadelphia. Plus, Noah had to admit that he enjoyed having seasons, which Timothy insisted Kansas had only three, and he was missing out on the fourth.
Cheryl patted her son’s back, “Oh, just be yourself.”
Timothy nodded, “That’s what I keep telling him. He just won’t listen.”
It was easier said than done, which was something that he wished Timothy would acknowledge sometimes.
Timothy’s parents were probably the only people in town who had no idea he was gay. He often wondered if they did know. He really didn’t do much to hide it. The real question was if they knew their son was too. Noah had no issue with Timothy still being in the closet. He just didn’t understand what was taking so long to come out. His parents didn’t really seem to be homophobic. Noah did have to admit that Timothy’s religion, which he was active in, was very confusing on all matters of just about everything. He knew they had similar views on homosexuality, yet his parents did not give off the same vibe that maybe a Christian-based household would about anything.
His mother did mention him finding a nice Jewish girl. That was something that Noah couldn’t really give her on either front. Yet, Noah was interested in learning more about it. He was almost certain that their week in Connecticut would be filled with many cultural differences in that regard.
“Fine. I will go with the blue bag,” Noah said.
“Great. I’ll bring it up front and have it ready for you when you are both done window shopping. The girls on cash know to use my discount. Love you.” His mother kissed him on the forehead like she always did. She walked away, shaking her head and laughing.
The two boys continued to venture down the aisles. Noah knew that Timothy wanted to look at the books. “I’m working on a new story right now,” Noah said.
Timothy looked at him as they walked, “Wonderful. Am I going to be able to read this one?”
Noah sighed, “I just want to make sure it is perfect.”
“Well then, can I read the last one that you were working on? I’m sure it is perfect by now,” Timothy said as he gave Noah a smart-ass look. Noah smacked him on the shoulder.
“It’s not perfect yet either,” Noah explained. He just wasn’t comfortable having anyone read his stuff yet. Noah wrote for himself, and while he didn’t mind criticism or suggestions in theory, he didn’t want to share stories that were so personal with the world. His books were not meant for the shipping communities or fangirl slash boy fandoms. They were meant for his own personal taste in mind. It was also weird because he wrote stories for straight people, which people never understood, especially when he spoke with people online. They couldn’t possibly understand why a queer guy would ever want to write about straight people. It was simple…., until recently, he had been living vicariously through the cautious lens of straight couples. In contrast, gay guys were a different world entirely, one he only really knew about on the surface. “You just have to give me time,” Noah said.
The taller boy stopped in the middle of the aisle. “Noah, I don’t care if it is the worst story ever. I’m obviously not going to be a jerk about it if it is. I just want you to be the best you can be. If this is what you want to do for a living, then eventually someone will have to read your stories.”
He knew. Lord, did he ever know. “Ok. I’ll let you read one of my stories during the break. I don’t want you to tell me anything positive or negative about it until we get back, though,” Noah said.
The boyfriend smiled, “Perfect. You are going to be nagging me the entire week. Sounds like a plan.” Noah once again smacked him, “Don’t act like it won’t happen.”
* * *
Later on, that evening, after he dropped off Timothy, he sat in his bedroom and sighed. He had legit already picked out all his outfits three times over. One of the reasons he didn’t want to use his backpack was that he knew damn well; he needed options. Everyone could say what they wanted, but he was going to be an outsider in a group of people with pre-established relationships. Noah wanted to get to know these people, but he was just a quiet person until you got to know him.