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sonnysolis · 3 days ago

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Sonny watches him with that unreadable expression she’s perfected over the years—like she was still trying to memorize every twitch of his jaw, every crack in his voice. Like she was cataloguing him in the way she does when she knows a war’s about to start and she’s still trying to decide which side they'll both end up on. At the same time, this is Mateo. Her brother. Her blood. She tells herself she can trust him. That when push comes to shove, he'll be in her corner, watching her six. The same way he always has.

Upon pressing her lips together, she nods once slowly, albeit barely. Like a twitch. Like a reflex. Her fingers curling slightly around the edges of the table—not for show, but to ground herself. To keep from shaking all over the place.

“I figured me showing up would start something,” she murmurs, eyes downcast before flicking back up to the half-empty coffee cup right in front of her. “I just didn’t think the fire would catch so fast.” There’s a tired kind of humor to her voice, but it doesn’t stick or reach her eyes. There's frankly nothing funny about watching the fuse you lit burn faster than you can run.

When he talks about Elio watching him, her chest tightens at the news. “I hate that you’re still in it,” she says, meaning every word. “Still under him. Still trying to keep the peace in a place where no peace exists. Nothing we do will ever be enough for him, Mateo.” She looks up at him then, and has to fight the urge to shake him with both hands. “We’ve been nothing but leverage to him since the day we were born. Weapons. Weak spots. Bargaining chips. He doesn’t love us. He uses us like we're just another tool in his arsenal. Then he casts us aside when we're no longer of any use to him.”

There's a beat followed by Sonny letting the words settle, letting them breathe—his I’ve got your back, and if it’s the last thing I do—hits her in a place she doesn’t let many people near. Not because she doesn’t want to. But because closeness, for her, has always come with an expiration date. One way or another, people leave. Or worse: they stay, and they break your ribs from the inside out.

So when Mateo says it—that he’s with her, no matter what—her first instinct is to flinch. Her second is to believe him.

She exhales slow and steady, eyes locked on his, the tension in her body softening by degrees. Not gone, never gone, but lessened. Manageable. “You know,” she murmurs softer now, a small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, “for a guy who once shaved my eyebrows off because I took his Game Boy," or was that Dom? "you’ve really grown into a top-tier brother. Who knew.”

But then her expression shifts, something more serious threading through. She leans forward, forearms braced on her knees, mug forgotten on the table beside her. “I know how hard that was for you to say. To even think. The club—Dad—it’s in your blood more than mine. He shaped you. Made sure of it. So I get that this is complicated. Messy.” Her voice dips, softens. “But I also know you’ve got a moral compass buried under all that swagger and loyalty. It’s what always made you different from the others.”

She hesitates for a beat, then reaches over and taps a knuckle gently against his. “You don’t have to decide everything today. Just… stay close, okay? Trust what your gut tells you, not what his voice drilled into you growing up. Because I promise you, Mateo—he’s not just testing people anymore. He’s circling. Choosing who goes down first. So, please don't let it be one of us.”

She straightens then, biting the inside of her cheek for a moment. When she speaks again, her voice is steadier. Not hard, just… grounded. “As for Shane…” A dry laugh escapes, quick and humorless. “It’s a mess. Always has been with us. I left him without any answers, without warning, without the chance to fight for us or for anything. And now I’m back, and I see the way he looks at me, like he wants to both strangle me and hold on tighter, scared that if he lets go I might just slip through his fingers again.”

Her jaw tightens. She rubs at her temples like she’s trying to physically push the emotions back. “We keep dancing around it. Saying the bare minimum. Playing it safe. But he’s hurting. He's been drinking a lot, I think. And I don’t know how to make it better. I don’t even know if I should. What if showing up again just makes things worse for him? For Elijah?”

She finally looks at Mateo again, brows drawn, voice rough. “You ever love something so much it makes you cruel?” A pause. “Because I did. I loved that little boy so much, and Shane ... more than I knew how to carry. And it broke me in all the ways it shouldn’t have to. I want to fix it. God, I want to fix it all. But I think I burned that bridge so badly, I can still smell the smoke from it.”

She leans back then, wiping at her eyes once like it's a reflex, not a weakness. “But if there’s still a way forward—any way—I’m taking it. And I’m not letting Dad be the one to write the final chapter of this story. My story.”

She glances at Mateo again, more emotion in her expression now than she usually lets anyone see. “So yeah. I’ll take Enzo’s help. I’ll take yours. Hell, I’ll take a goddamn miracle at this point. But I’m not walking away again. Not from Elijah. Not from Shane. Not from you. Not from any of this. I'm staying and I'm fighting until my last dying breath.”

She stands, pushes away from the table, then turns back, voice quiet but firm: “Whatever comes next, I need you solid. Not just as my big brother. But as someone who remembers who the hell we used to be—before he made us forget.”

Mateo's jaw clenched, but no sound came out.. like he was chewing on words that didn't want to settle. His fingers tapped once, then twice, against the side of the cup, not out of impatience.. but nerves. He took his sister in — the edge in her voice, the slump of her shoulders, the cracks starting to show in places she usually kept locked up tight. And he felt an immense amount of worry. Because though she was undoubtedly one of the strongest people he'd ever known, he knew how much was riding on her being here. How much the choices she'd made would have an impact. How far their father was willing to go. And that was reason enough to feel stressed about the outcome of all of this.

Sonny had always had that fire, that don't fuck with me attitude she wore like armour, but that morning she looked tired and worn down, like she'd been holding her breath for far too long and was only now beginning to exhale. His heart swelled as he thought about his sister finally seeing Elijah in person after all this time, wondering how it might've felt.. the tears in her eyes spoke volumes, and he couldn't help but feel deep concern. He exhaled through his nose slowly, tired. God he was tired of all of this. "Yeah," he muttered. "I feel it too. It feels like walking through a minefield in this town. You can feel him tightening his grip, watching everyone. Testing them. Me." His voice almost went quieter at mention of himself.

"Your showing up again didn't just light a fuse, Son. It tossed the whole damn matchbook." His eyes said more than his words ever could, but he knew that she knew how he felt. Something in his eyes that showed.. not fear exactly, but something like it. Something caught between the version of himself he'd learned to be under their father's thumb, and the version who remembered rebelling and sneaking her snacks under the table. Who held her hand when the house was too loud, too much. "What's going on with Shane?"

He knew what all of this was riding on, and if he were honest, he didn't know how the hell to break loyalty to their father when it was all he'd ever known. The club, their people.. this was their life. The way his stomach twisted when he thought of turning on Elio. The way loyalty didn’t just snap clean — not when it was bred into your bones. Not when it raised you. "You're my sister," he said simply, knowing that he couldn't exactly give her a real answer. "There's no version of this where I don't have your back." There was more there, stuff he wasn't saying.. stuff he couldn't. But in the end it didn't matter, because if it really came down to her and Elijah or their father, well. He knew in his heart the choice he'd be making. Even if his entire world would blow up, even if his brain couldn't yet comprehend it. "I'll make sure nothing touches you, if it's the last thing I do."

#⥼ 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 ﹐ interaction #⥼ 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 ﹐ mateo sales #queued: on hiatus #THIS IS SO LONG WTF LOL!!! srry bb don't match!!! i just have so many sibling feelings

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

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18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month

Pride Month is officially here and that can only mean one thing: time to load up your reading list with stellar queer stories.

Of course, you should be mixing gay books into your to-be-read pile no matter what time of year, but this month, as you celebrate Pride, queer books can be the perfect way to explore the breadth and diversity of the LGBTQ community.

SEE ALSO: 9 meaningful ways to become part of Pride this year

Fortunately for anybody looking for a great gay read, the book world is filled with a bevy of queer stories of all genres.

Whether you're looking for a meditative poetry collection about queer identity and mental health, a deep dive into the New York City's ballroom culture in the '80s and '90s, a comic about a group scouts who find themselves plagued by supernatural creatures at camp, or a coming-of-age story about a shapeshifter who is navigating life and dating, there is a queer book out there for you.

Here are 18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month.

Image: Rescue Press

Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl

Andrea Lawlor

You've never read a coming-of-age story like this. Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl details the adventures of Paul Polydoris, a student in Iowa City who studies queer theory. Oh, and did we mention that Paul is a shapeshifter who can change from Paul to Polly at will. On the surface, it's an absurd sci-fi premise, but Lawlor uses it to deftly explore gender, identity, and the way we form relationships with other people as well as with ourselves.

Image: Harper Collins

The House of Impossible Beauties

Joseph Cassara

Joseph Cassara's The House of Impossible Beauties takes a deep dive into New York City's ballroom culture in the '80s and '90s by following a group of characters, each who enter the scene for a different reason. But what stands out about the book isn't just the novel's vivid portrait of the past, but also Cassara's breathtaking and unforgettable characters who are all trying to find their way.

Image: Lee Boudreaux Book

Less

Andrew Greer

Andrew Greer's 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Less starts off with a character in crisis: our protagonist Arthur is a struggling novelist, feeling existential as he approaches his 50th birthday, and, to make matters worse, he's just received an invitation to his ex-boyfriend's wedding. Instead of despairing, Arthur says "NOPE" and instead embarks on a haphazard literary world tour. But what sells the book is Greer's resounding heart and humor, making this tale of romantic misadventures as funny as it is earnest.

Image: Harper Collins

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Jaye Robin Brown

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit follows Joanna "Jo" Gordon, an out teen who is suddenly pushed back into the closet when her evangelical father remarries, moves their family from Atlanta to Rome, Georgia, and asks Jo to hide her queer identity for her senior year. The only problem is Mary Carlson, the sister of Jo's new friend in Rome, who Jo is falling for. The result is a heartfelt novel about coming out and discovering young love. Also, shout out to the infinitely charming title of this book!

Image: Picador

Call Me By Your Name

André Aciman

You've probably seen Call Me By Your Name, the movie, but if you haven't read the book that it's based on, you're missing out. The novel tracks the love story of Oliver and Elio, but where the movie offers a third person look at both characters as they navigate their burgeoning romance, the novel places you solely in Elio's mind as his feelings develop from from mild crush to complete obsession. The details of the book are incredibly specific — it's a brief romance over one summer in Italy — and yet, and it's a testament to Aciman's beautiful prose that the love that Call Me By Your Name explores feels universal and extremely relatable.

Image: Mariner Books

Under the Udala Trees

Chinelo Okparanta

Under the Udala Trees is a book about star-crossed love. The novel follows the life of Ijeoma, a young girl who, at the start of the book, is sent away from her family in order to stay safe during the Nigerian civil war. While away, Ijeoma meets Amina, another girl also separated from her family. The two begin a brief relationship... only to find out that their love is forbidden. What follows is a beautiful novel about love and hardship as Ijeoma is sent home, forced into an unhappy marriage with a man, all the while grappling with her attraction to women.

Image: Penguin Books

madness

sam sax

Don't forget to add a bit of poetry to your reading list this Pride Month! If you're looking for a collection to start with, check out sam sax's collection madness. The poems in this collection cover everything from sexuality to mental health to culture and heritage, but what shines through and connects each of these threads is sax's incredibly thoughtful and evocative prose.

Image: Harper Collins

Release

Patrick Ness

If there is a hidden gem of queer lit, it's Release by Patrick Ness. The book is basically the gay YA version of Mrs. Dalloway (it even starts with "Adam would have to get the flowers himself," invoking Virginia Woolf's iconic opening line). In it we follow Adam Thorn, a 17-year-old student who finds himself having one of the most challenging days of his life. His boss at work is sexually harassing him, the ex he thought he was over suddenly makes a reappearance, and a big blowout is building between himself and his preacher father. (There's also a subplot about a ghost that's haunting the town.) But despite the impossible hurdles Adam faces, Release somehow feels nostalgic and charming as Patrick Ness outlines one teen's struggle to define himself.

Image: Square Fish

Last Seen Leaving

Caleb Roehrig

If the Babadook has taught us anything, it's that Pride is not complete without a little noir. To that end, if you are looking for a darker read this month, make sure you check out Caleb Roehrig's Last Seen Leaving. The book is a coming out story masked as a mystery thriller about Flynn, the primary suspect in an investigation when his girlfriend January disappears. Flynn's answers about his life with January don't quite add up... but maybe that has less to do about January and more about the secret that Flynn is keeping.

Image: Topside Press

Nevada

Imogen Binnie

Nevada follows Maria, a young trans woman living in New York City, trying to navigate the punk scene while also working in retail. When Maria's girlfriend breaks up with her by revealing that she's been cheating, Maria's world is turned upside down. On a quest to escape it all, Melanie embarks on a cross country road trip where she meets James, a stoner living in Nevada who is just as lost as Maria. As the book jumps between both James and Maria's perspectives, Nevada offers a thoughtful look at identity and the trans experience.

Image: BOOM! Box

Lumberjanes

Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen

If you're looking for some comics to check out this Pride month, be sure to check out Lumberjanes. The series documents the adventures of a group of scouts — Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley— as they spend a summer together. The only thing is, their camp is plagued by supernatural creatures including yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons. In addition to featuring stunning art, the book is also incredibly inclusive as the story delves into each diverse character, making Lumberjanes the perfect Pride Month read.

Image: Mariner Books

Fun Home

Alison Bechdel

Fun Home is a graphic memoir about coming out and finding love, centered around two people. The book documents Alison Bechdel (who also came up with the Bechdel test), her experience exploring her attraction to women, and the way that her father resisted her identity. But, after Alison's father is hit by a car and killed, she reflects on his past and realizes that he may have had his own struggles with his sexual identity.

Image: Mariner Books

How To Write An Autobiographical Novel

Alexander Chee

To read Alexander Chee's essay collection How To Write An Autobiographical Novel is to stand in a hall of mirrors, watching as a single person, and all of the identites that compose them, is reflected from all angles. The essay collection is a deep dive into Chee's past as he documents his expereinces as a gay rights and HIV/AIDS activist, a rose gardener, a writer, and more. But at the core, the book explores how we use writing to shape who we are and how who we are shapes our writing.

Image: Harper Collins

They Both Die At The End

Adam Silvera

As the title probably suggests, They Both Die At The End is not what we could a "happy" book. The novel follows a day in the life of two boys, Mateo and Rufus, who get early morning calls from Death-Cast telling them that today is the day that they're going to die. Though initially strangers, Mateo and Rufus are soon brought together through the Last Friend app, a social network that connects people on their last day alive. But as Mateo and Rufus embark on a quest to check items off their bucket list while they still have time, their friendship grows into something more, ultimately exploring what happens when we fall in love with someone we know we only will have a very limited time with.

Image: St. Martin's Press

You Know Me Well

David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Sometimes all you need is a good friend. And that's where You Know Me Well comes in. The book is about Mark and Kate, two students who have remained total strangers even though they've sat next to each other in class for an entire year. When the they run into each other unexpectedly at a bar in San Francisco, each dealing with a small crisis (Kate has just run away from love while Mark is dealing with the fact that the boy he loves is interested in someone else), they become fast friends. Documenting Mark and Kate's adventures with love, relationships, and growing up, You Know Me Well reveals how our friends can become our greatest lifeline.

Image: graywolf press

The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson

The Argonauts defies categorization in the best way. The book is a poetic memoir about Maggie Nelson's relationship with Harry, a gender-fluid artist with whom Nelson falls in love and begins a family. But in addition to the incredible story, The Argonauts radiates with stunning observations about being queer and in love, making the memoir feel less like a book and more like the perfect rendering of a person's heart on a page.

Image: graywolf

Don't Call Us Dead

Danez Smith

Fair warning up front: Don't Call Us Dead is a devastating poetry collection. But this book is as beautiful as it is painfully raw. Throughout the collection, Smith writes about race, queer identity, and AIDS, with an electrifying amount of passion and care, making this book a must-read for Pride Month.

Image: Harper Collins

Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli

You may know Becky Albertalli for her novel Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (which was turned into a fantastic movie Love, Simon). But now Albertalli is back with a new book: Leah on the Offbeat. Where Sapiens outlines Simon's adventures in coming out, Leah on the Offbeat reveals that Leah is struggling with her identity too: she's bisexual and working to muster the courage to come out to her friends. But as Leah navigates her senior year of high school, she realizes that she may love one her friends more than anyone else might expect.

WATCH: The history of Pride

#_author:MJ Franklin #_uuid:5463376a-0d9e-315b-b8fe-ccc9c83bd348 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_revsp:news.mashable

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news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

Text

18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month

Pride Month is officially here and that can only mean one thing: time to load up your reading list with stellar queer stories.

SEE ALSO: 9 meaningful ways to become part of Pride this year

Fortunately for anybody looking for a great gay read, the book world is filled with a bevy of queer stories of all genres.

Here are 18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month.

Image: Rescue Press

Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl

Andrea Lawlor

Image: Harper Collins

The House of Impossible Beauties

Joseph Cassara

Image: Lee Boudreaux Book

Less

Andrew Greer

Image: Harper Collins

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Jaye Robin Brown

Image: Picador

Call Me By Your Name

André Aciman

Image: Mariner Books

Under the Udala Trees

Chinelo Okparanta

Image: Penguin Books

madness

sam sax

Image: Harper Collins

Release

Patrick Ness

Image: Square Fish

Last Seen Leaving

Caleb Roehrig

Image: Topside Press

Nevada

Imogen Binnie

Image: BOOM! Box

Lumberjanes

Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen

Image: Mariner Books

Fun Home

Alison Bechdel

Image: Mariner Books

How To Write An Autobiographical Novel

Alexander Chee

Image: Harper Collins

They Both Die At The End

Adam Silvera

Image: St. Martin's Press

You Know Me Well

David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Image: graywolf press

The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson

Image: graywolf

Don't Call Us Dead

Danez Smith

Image: Harper Collins

Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli

WATCH: The history of Pride

#_author:MJ Franklin #_uuid:5463376a-0d9e-315b-b8fe-ccc9c83bd348 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_revsp:news.mashable

0 notes

news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

Text

18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month

Pride Month is officially here and that can only mean one thing: time to load up your reading list with stellar queer stories.

SEE ALSO: 9 meaningful ways to become part of Pride this year

Fortunately for anybody looking for a great gay read, the book world is filled with a bevy of queer stories of all genres.

Here are 18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month.

Image: Rescue Press

Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl

Andrea Lawlor

Image: Harper Collins

The House of Impossible Beauties

Joseph Cassara

Image: Lee Boudreaux Book

Less

Andrew Greer

Image: Harper Collins

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Jaye Robin Brown

Image: Picador

Call Me By Your Name

André Aciman

Image: Mariner Books

Under the Udala Trees

Chinelo Okparanta

Image: Penguin Books

madness

sam sax

Image: Harper Collins

Release

Patrick Ness

Image: Square Fish

Last Seen Leaving

Caleb Roehrig

Image: Topside Press

Nevada

Imogen Binnie

Image: BOOM! Box

Lumberjanes

Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen

Image: Mariner Books

Fun Home

Alison Bechdel

Image: Mariner Books

How To Write An Autobiographical Novel

Alexander Chee

Image: Harper Collins

They Both Die At The End

Adam Silvera

Image: St. Martin's Press

You Know Me Well

David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Image: graywolf press

The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson

Image: graywolf

Don't Call Us Dead

Danez Smith

Image: Harper Collins

Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli

WATCH: The history of Pride

#_author:MJ Franklin #_uuid:5463376a-0d9e-315b-b8fe-ccc9c83bd348 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_revsp:news.mashable

0 notes

news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog · 7 years ago

Text

18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month

Pride Month is officially here and that can only mean one thing: time to load up your reading list with stellar queer stories.

SEE ALSO: 9 meaningful ways to become part of Pride this year

Fortunately for anybody looking for a great gay read, the book world is filled with a bevy of queer stories of all genres.

Here are 18 very gay and very good books you should read this Pride Month.

Image: Rescue Press

Paul Takes The Form of a Mortal Girl

Andrea Lawlor

Image: Harper Collins

The House of Impossible Beauties

Joseph Cassara

Image: Lee Boudreaux Book

Less

Andrew Greer

Image: Harper Collins

Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit

Jaye Robin Brown

Image: Picador

Call Me By Your Name

André Aciman

Image: Mariner Books

Under the Udala Trees

Chinelo Okparanta

Image: Penguin Books

madness

sam sax

Image: Harper Collins

Release

Patrick Ness

Image: Square Fish

Last Seen Leaving

Caleb Roehrig

Image: Topside Press

Nevada

Imogen Binnie

Image: BOOM! Box

Lumberjanes

Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, and Brooke A. Allen

Image: Mariner Books

Fun Home

Alison Bechdel

Image: Mariner Books

How To Write An Autobiographical Novel

Alexander Chee

Image: Harper Collins

They Both Die At The End

Adam Silvera

Image: St. Martin's Press

You Know Me Well

David Levithan and Nina LaCour

Image: graywolf press

The Argonauts

Maggie Nelson

Image: graywolf

Don't Call Us Dead

Danez Smith

Image: Harper Collins

Leah on the Offbeat

Becky Albertalli

WATCH: The history of Pride

#_author:MJ Franklin #_uuid:5463376a-0d9e-315b-b8fe-ccc9c83bd348 #_lmsid:a0Vd000000DTrEpEAL #_revsp:news.mashable

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faiirytaleskies · 19 days ago

Text

Mat shrugged, "I mean, this friend does this a lot. I should've expected it, but still." He should probably reconsider friends like Jake in his life, but his curse was that he easily forgave people. He laughed a bit, "I mean, first time for everything. You're a rebel today, Elio. Also, if that's what you got in your closet, I really dig your style. That is a sick leather jacket." Mat was a firm believer that people were meant to come into your life for one reason or another. It wasn't often he found people with that he simply clicked with, but Elio seemed to be one of those rare exceptions.

He was happy when the other excepted his invitation to skate, easily falling in step with the other as they walked. "I'm glad you feel brave enough to step on out to the rink now. I swear, I won't let you embarrass yourself." He meant it. "Horses, huh? I wish I worked with horses. I'm actually jealous." And then he chuckled at the question, "I think you can do it. If not, we can always take little pauses here and there to get a couple of words in. Or we are just both going to fall on our asses in front of all these people. Whatever lets us keep talking."

After they get situated and finally make it to the rink Mat steps on it first and looks to Elio with a gentle smile resting on his lips. He holds a hand out for the other, hoping to help steady him, "I'll keep you from falling, just in case you get too sidetracked talking to me." He winked, playfully. "I'd like to hear more about these horses you mentioned. Do you own your ranch?"

"Mat. Nice to meet you. I can't believe anyone stood you up. Must've been something really important." Elio was immediately charmed by the other man. He was warm, funny, reassuring. Elio tried to be those things. He really did his best not to be the snob his parents had tried to raise him to be. He seemed to walk the line between being scared of upsetting people and being completely removed from reality, raised with not just a silver spoon in his life but the whole silver cutlery set.

"I don't know that anyone has ever called me a rebel before," Elio said with a laugh. "I think it's more so that I didn't know what to wear, so I just wore whatever was in my closet." His outfit was simple. White t-shirt, grey jeans, chain, leather jacket. He could've passed as Y2K if the jeans were baggier and the tshirt had a big, silly logo on it. Close enough.

"I was biding my time before I got brave enough to go out into the rink. Now I know how other people feel when I try to convince them to get on a horse for the first time," Elio laughed. "But naw, I've skated before. It's just been a while, so some company would be nice. Let's go." He gave a smile, pushing himself off the wall, keeping his balance as he got some momentum. "So far, so good. You think I can talk and skate at the same time, or am I asking for trouble?"

#threads: mateo & elio #mateo threads.

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faiirytaleskies · 22 days ago

Text

well, that's the thing about strangers. they're only strangers 'til we meet 'em. it was in that moment mateo knew they were going to get along. "pleasure to meet you, elio. i'm mateo, but most everyone just calls me mat." he grinned. his gaze travels out to the people around them, curiously watching them move about. couples holding hands, friends laughing as one person struggles to find their balance, and some people simply having a good time doing whatever tricks came to mind. from learners to more advanced skaters, everyone seemed to be out enjoying the event.

mat chuckled at the question, returning his attention to elio. "weren't the two-thousands an era of self-expression and individualism? i'd say by you not conforming to what they were trying to get you to wear you totally hit the bullseye with the assignment! better than most everyone else here, i'd say." he gave elio an encouraging smile and playful wink. mat himself was wearing a graphic tee but in his defense he typically always did when he was off work.

"so, elio, mister rebel, not sure how long you plan on sticking around, but i'll be here at least an hour. after this i was going to go grab some nachos at the concessions stand. i 'm a sucker for some fuckin' fake nacho cheese with jalapenos on top." he chuckled, "anyway, do you want to hang out? skate a bit?"

Waiting for friends or a date, the stranger had asked, and Elio did his best not to allow his cheeks to blush as he admitted he was alone. "Nope, just me." Elio's 'date', if you could call it that, wasn't until tomorrow night, but he had wanted to come and check the place out beforehand. Maybe he should have brought some friends. Maybe it was a good idea to try and make some, to socialize with someone other than the people who worked on his property and the customers that visited.

"Well, that's the thing about strangers. They're only strangers 'til we meet 'em." Elio stepped off the wall at the edge of the rink where he'd been leaning from the outside, watching people skate and have fun. "Name's Elio. What about you?"

He looked around again, watching the couples, the groups of friends, and a few folks who had dared to come alone like Elio had skating around. "I was supposed to wear a costume, huh? Or something appropriately two-thousand themed? Long sleeved t-shirt under a graphic tee, baggy jeans? Cute little beanie, pucca shell necklace?"

#threads: mateo & elio #mateo threads.

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