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Alcryst woke on the morning of his date with a sense of impending doom.
It had been at the back of his mind all week, of course, and he had felt a flutter of anxiety whenever he remembered it. It had been ever-looming, creeping closing day by day. But, with a little distance, it had been manageable. He had thought, optimistically, that he was going to handle it. This time would be different. Sure, most of his previous attempts at socializing had ended in dismal failure, but he was determined this time!
Today, though, he mostly just felt sick to his stomach.
He was going on a date.
The first date of his life.
A date with Fogado.
Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if his very first date had been with someone random. It could have been polite, perfunctory. They could have gone through the motions—dinner, a movie, a walk to the door that didn’t end in a kiss—and then Alcryst could thank them and never see them again. Then he would at least have experience. He would have known what to do in a situation like this.
But here was the problem: he liked Fogado. Liked him a lot! Fogado was as warm as the sun. He seemed genuinely interested in whatever Alcryst had to say. When Alcryst stuttered or said something cringeworthy, Fogado didn’t bat an eye. Fogado carried on a conversation so naturally, one could almost believe that he enjoyed speaking with Alcryst. He was friendly, funny, charming.
And, of course, dazzlingly, unfairly handsome. When Alcryst walked into the first day of his Lythian Literature class, he had seen Fogado across the room and thought Wow, he must be a model or something. In a room full of tired-eyed college freshman, Fogado stood out. It was like a sunbeam shown only on him. Whenever Alcryst’s gaze wandered around the room, it would catch on Fogado, and he would admire how his hair curled up at the tips, how brightly his eyes seemed to shine.
On the second day of class, Alcryst discovered that Fogado was also kind. A girl shuffling to her seat fumbled her ice coffee and spilled it right onto Fogado’s shirt. She apologized profusely, tears in her eyes, but Fogado only laughed gently and told her not to worry about it.
On the third day of class, Alcryst discovered that Fogado was also a good student. When the professor asked about last night’s required reading, no one raised their hand. (Alcryst had read it, but the idea of giving an answer in front of the whole class was mortifying.) Finally, Fogado raised his hand, and gave an answer so insightful that even their grumpy professor smiled in approval.
So Alcryst had developed a bit of a crush. Perfectly understandable. Not like it mattered, anyway. He had already resigned himself: nothing would happen. He would never work up the courage to talk to Fogado, and eventually the semester would end and they would never see each other again. That was how it always went. Alcryst had had a few crushes in his life, but flirting? Asking someone out? Those were unattainable for someone like him. He would simply look and wait and pine to no avail, a withered flower hoping to be picked.
Then, much to his surprise, in the second week of class, someone had said "This seat taken?" and when Alcryst had turned his head it was Fogado.
Fogado had sat next to him that day. And the day after. And every day after that.
They had chatted every day. Fogado, for some reason, actually wanted to get to know him.
And then, a few months into the semester, Fogado had asked him out.
Alcryst still could hardly believe it. It was almost unfathomable. But somehow, here they were. They had scheduled a time for a date, and this evening at 6, Fogado would be picking him up and taking him out. It was real. It was happening.
It was terrifying.
Alcryst had already decided on what he was going to wear. The sky-blue sweater that he had worn to class a few weeks ago, the one that Fogado gave a once-over and said "Morning, Alcryst! Love the sweater. Really makes your eyes pop."
But was it too obvious to wear it again just because Fogado had complimented it once before? Would that come across as desperate to please?
Furthermore, was a sweater too dorky for a first date?? If people saw them together, Fogado radiant as ever and Alcryst in his oversized, frumpy sweater, would they look like they belonged together?
So, this Saturday morning, he went through his closet hoping desperately for something that said Yes, I belong here. I go on dates with beautiful boys.
His own fashion sense leaned towards oversized. Sweaters and jackets that he could hunch away in and disappear in. Button-ups. Always stilted and formal.
His father had gotten him a leather jacket once. "It’ll look good on you!" he had said, with a hearty pat on Alcryst’s shoulder. That had been absurdly optimistic on his father’s part. Alcryst had tried it on once and felt like a child playing dress-up. He had stuffed it away in his closet and hadn’t touched it since.
Trying hard not to catastrophize, he pulled out his phone and dialed Citrinne. She was always fashionable, and had a very active social life to boot. She’d know what to wear on a date.
"Good morning, Alcryst!" she said, sounding like she was stifling a yawn.
"Oh no, did I wake you? I’m so sorry—"
"No, no, I was already awake," she said brightly, probably lying. "So what’s going on? Excited for your date today?"
"That’s just it," he said, flopping facefirst back onto his bed. "I don’t know what to wear. I don’t have anything good."
"Well, where are you going?"
"Florra Port," he said, voice muffled by his pillow. "The boardwalk. There’s bars and restaurants and stuff. A lot of the other students go there on weekends."
"Well, I imagine the dress code is fairly casual." Citrine mused. "Perhaps a well-fitted T-shirt?"
"I don’t have any…" He had a few T-shirts he’d brought from Brodia. Mostly to sleep in. Old, fraying, the logos faded. Certainly not cool enough for a date.
"Oh, I know!" said Citrinne. He could envision her clapping her hands together in delight. "How about that charming leather jacket your father got you?"
"Nooo," he moaned.
"Oh, don’t be like that! I really think you could pull it off!"
"I left it in Brodia," he said, which was true. When he was packing for college, he hadn’t even considered bringing it.
"Oh, what a shame. Alright, what else were you considering?"
"Well, I," he said, hesitating, because maybe his suggestion was terrible. "I was going to wear this sweater… he said it makes my eyes pop…"
"Ooh, well if he complimented it, it sounds like a winner to me! Honestly, Alcryst, I think you’re overthinking things. You should just wear whatever you feel comfortable and confident in. Fashion is sixty percent confidence, after all!"
"That’s the problem," said Alcryst, feeling a bit pathetic. "I don’t…" He trailed off, but the rest was obvious enough. I don’t feel confident in anything.
"Oh, Alcryst, darling," said Citrinne. "He asked you out! That’s got to mean something, doesn’t it?"
He was only half listening. "Maybe I should just tell him I’m sick," he said, thinking out loud. "I could just… cancel and try again later."
"No," said Citrinne sharply. "No, absolutely not. Alcryst, you are going to go on a date with that nice young man who likes you, and you are going to have a lovely time, and then tomorrow you’re going to call me and tell me all about it. Yes? Tell me yes, Alcryst."
Citrinne extracted a promise that he definitely wouldn’t cancel, assured him he would have a wonderful time, then, after a bit more chatting, had to leave for a private dance lesson.
Alcryst dropped his phone, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.
Okay. Deep breaths. He could do this.
When he was a child, whenever he skinned his knee or had a nightmare, he hadn’t gone to his parents. He had gone to Diamant. As early as he could remember, Diamant had always been there, sturdy and reliable. Diamant knew the answer to everything. Diamant had taught him how to ride a bike, helped him with his homework, assured him that there were no monsters under his bed.
Even now, some part of him wanted to go running to Diamant again, like he was still a tearful child, and cry for him to make it better.
But he knew very well what Diamant would say. Diamant would say, with complete bafflement, "I don’t think it matters, Alcryst. I’m sure he’s just excited to be spending time with you."
And the worst part was, Diamant would mean it.
Diamant and their father had always told him he was a wonderful young man who deserved the best. And for some reason, they believed it.
Alcryst sighed a frustrated breath.
Should he go to the mall? He had time.
No, he was overthinking things. The date hadn’t even started yet and here he was, stressing out about the details like he always did.
He inhaled slowly, the way his therapist had taught him. Inhale for four seconds. Hold for seven. Exhale for eight. He repeated that a few cycles, staring at the uneven paint on his dorm’s ceiling. There way a gray scruff mark. How in the world had someone managed to scuff the ceiling ?
Eventually he sat up, feeling marginally better.
Well, if Fogado ended up hating him, it really wouldn’t be any different than if he had just canceled. So he might as well go.
—
In the end, Alcryst decided on the sweater. Trust his gut instinct, right? He spent most of the day puttering around, working on a paper, cleaning his dorm, trying very hard not to think of anything else.
Then, a little before 6, he got a text.
Hey! I’m in the parking lot behind your dorm. Excited to see you :)
Oh, what did he say to that? Should he text back? Something flirty? No, he had never done flirty. He had all the allure of a used dishrag. But he didn’t want to come across as overly stuffy either. He started at his phone all the way down the elevator, then realized he was already halfway there, and wouldn’t it be worse to not respond at all?
On my way, he typed hurriedly, then, after a moment’s thought, added a smiley too.
There was a parking lot behind his dorm for the students with parking passes. Fogado was waiting in the loading zone, leaning effortlessly against a white car. Heavens above, he looked even more like a model today than usual. He was wearing what Citrinne suggested, a well-fitted T-shirt that looked like high fashion on him.
When he saw Alcryst a change came over his face. It was more than a smile—his eyes lit up and crinkled at the corners in genuine delight.
Alcryst wasn’t used to having that sort of attention directed at himself. It felt like Fogado was looking at the wrong person, like he’d been mistaken for someone else. Like the person Fogado should really be on a date with one of their classmates, the beautiful boy with long pink-blue hair that always fell in perfect silky spirals, or the blonde girl who was as elegant as she was whip-smart.
"Hey," said Fogado warmly. "You look great."
"Oh," said Alcryst, face heating. He had no idea how to respond to that. "I, um—you too. You also… look great…"
Goodness, they were off to a terrible start. But Fogado, bless him, didn’t appear phased at all. "Well," he said, patting the roof of his car, "Shall we hit the road?"
—
"This is a nice car," said Alcryst, not knowing what else to say. He didn’t know much about cars. It was about a fifteen minute drive to the port, which meant he had fifteen minutes of silence to fill.
"Yeah? She and I have seen a lot together. Drove her here from Solm."
"Really?" said Alcryst, a bit taken aback. From Solm to Firene had to be about what… a week of driving?
"Yeah, I figured why not do a road trip, my last week of freedom before school started? It was great! Got to see the sights, enjoy the open road. Camped out in the Solm desert once, because I was in the middle of nowhere. Stayed at a hostel, met some cool people. It was great."
"Wow," breathed Alcryst. How…adventurous. "I don’t think I would have the courage to go on a road trip alone."
Fogado huffed a laugh. "If you think that’s impressive, you should see my sister! She’s always off camping or backpacking or climbing a mountain or something. I’m pretty sure she’s snorkeling on the Azure Coast right now."
"Wow," said Alcryst again.
"Yeah, she took a gap year, said she wanted to spend some time traveling before going to college, and then she somehow became this travel influencer? It’s so funny. She’s all internet famous now, and I’m like, that’s the girl who broke her arm trying to sled down a hill in the summer. Oh man, the stories we have."
"Wow," said Alcryst, not knowing what else to say. It seemed the rest of Fogado’s family was as exceptional as he was.
The rest of the drive, Fogado talked about his childhood. His parents were both equally outdoorsy, so he had grown up all sorts of adventures. He knew how to pitch a tent, but preferred to sleep under the stars. He could ride both horseback and wolfback. He had once explored some old ruins with his friends ("Uh, don’t tell my parents that") and found a cache of old jewelry that they hadn’t brought back because they decided it was totally cursed.
As he talked, Alcryst’s heart sank lower and lower, until it was a knot in his stomach. Fogado was even more incredible than he realized. How could someone so bold, so brave and bright, be interested in someone like him?
Maybe he had tricked Fogado, somehow, into thinking he was more interesting than he was. Surely by the end of the night Fogado would have realized the truth.
Alcryst didn’t speak much, so Fogado carried the conversation. Alcryst slouched in his seat, fiddling anxiously with his seatbelt.
—
Florra Port was a common hangout spot for the local college kids. There was a string of bars down the main stretch, and on a Saturday night like this, it was full of other young people drinking and laughing and going on dates.
Alcryst had never been. No one had invited him. And anyway, he had never really been the bar hopping type.
So, when Fogado told him this was where they’d be going, some corner of his mind had said oh no. But Alcryst hadn’t wanted to disappoint him, so he had forced a smile onto his face and said it sounded fun.
It was fine. They would go in, have a drink. Alcryst would smile and nod and let Fogado lead the conversation. If he was truly overwhelmed, he would say he felt sick or something. He could do this. It was only an hour or two.
Fogado managed to find a metered parking spot, and they got out of the car. A group of girls was coming down the sidewalk, dressed like they were ready to party. Alcryst, who had just stepped onto the sidewalk, stepped back off to let them pass.
The girls were talking animatedly as they walked past. One girl said "No way, no way, you didn’t!" and "I diiiiid!" and they both burst into raucous laughter.
This was the kind of person who belonged here. Confident, fun, funny. Nothing like him.
"Well, here we are," said Fogado. "You ever been?"
"No," said Alcryst. "So you can… lead the way?"
Fogado flashed him a sideways grin. "You know it! Alright, follow me. I have a surprise for you."
—
They walked down the main stretch. Most of the bars had their doors open to the balmy night air, and all of them looked packed. The restaurants seemed equally full. The two of them walked past open patios with fire pits, full of friends and families chatting animatedly. One bar was playing music, and a live band was playing at another, and all the noise began to blend together.
Alcryst felt a bit dizzy. He wondered which of these they would be entering.
As it turned out, none of them. They reached the end of the street, where it hit the boardwalk, and then turned right and continued to walk along the boards. To their left was a pale strip of beach, and then the ocean.
There were still some stores and restaurants this way, but it seemed like they were heading away from the action. All the ambient noise of the crowd, the shouts and laughter, and music, began to fade away.
Fogado led him to a nondescript little restaurant that, from the outside, didn’t look open.
They stepped inside, and Alcryst breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t crowded. It wasn’t fancy either. It reminded him of the pubs back home: cardboard coasters, a TV on over the bar, a pool table in the corner.
He wouldn’t have pegged this for Fogado’s type of place, but that wasn’t a bad thing.
They were seated at a booth in the back. Alcryst picked up the menu, not knowing what to expect. Honestly, he wasn’t picky—he could find something plain to eat most places he went, and never liked to make a fuss about being catered to.
But looking at the menu, he did a double take. Dish after dish was…
"Wait," he said, "this is Brodian food."
Fogado beamed. "Yeah, I know you said you miss it, so I thought hey, maybe you could have a little taste of home. I read all the reviews online. This place is supposed to be pretty authentic. But I guess you’ll be the final judge of that tonight."
It was true, Alcryst had mentioned missing his homeland’s food… once, off-hand. He hadn’t really realized Fogado was listening, let alone that he had committed it to memory.
He stared back at the menu, heart pounding. He was… touched. That Fogado had noticed. That Fogado had cared.
"I don’t really know what’s good here," Fogado continued. "So I’ll order whatever you recommend. What kind of food do you like?"
"Oh, um," Alcryst said, scanning the menu with newfound intensity. He was hardly a foodie. He liked his food simple. Meat, vegetables. Something hearty. "I-I… maybe the cod boil? Or the braised beef?"
His own palate was one thing, but he didn’t want to disappoint Fogado by ordering something not to his taste.
"Cool," said Fogado. He hadn’t even looked at the menu. He was still looking at Alcryst. Alcryst felt, absurdly, like a bacterium on a slide. Fogado was looking at him with such interest, such intensity, that it made him tremble. Under the table, he started tearing his napkin into little shreds.
The waiter came by. Alcryst ordered the cod boil. Fogado did too. Alcryst found himself desperately hoping it wasn’t terrible.
Alcryst wondered, for one slightly hysterical moment, if he should order something alcoholic. Drinking age in Firene was eighteen; he could do it. Perhaps it would ease the nerves that were thrumming like power lines. But perhaps drinking would also mean he ended up rambling like a fool. No, he shouldn’t risk it.
"So," said Fogado once their waiter left, resting his chin on his palm. "I want to know all about you."
"What?" said Alcryst, with mild alarm.
Fogado laughed. "Why are you surprised? It’s a date! Learning about each other is kind of the point, isn’t it?"
"Right," said Alcryst, "Of course. Um, it’s just that I’m not… very interesting."
Fogado’s gaze softened.
"I’m sure that’s not true," he said, nudging Alcryst’s boot with his own.
Under a gaze like that, what could Alcryst do? "Well," he said. Where should he begin? Childhood? "As you know, I was born in Brodia. My parents own a fishing supply company. My dad and brother have always loved fishing. Um, I do too. Growing up, we would all go out fishing together. Sometimes my mom would come too. I always… really enjoyed those times."
It couldn’t hold a candle to Fogado’s talk of solo road trips and exploring old ruins, but it was something. A hobby. Maybe Fogado would find it interesting.
"Okay, so don’t hate me," said Fogado, "but I could never get into fishing. Tried it once or twice. Just didn’t get it, I guess."
"Oh, that’s okay," said Alcryst, doing his best to smile while feeling like he had failed somehow. Of course Fogado wouldn’t be interested in something boring like fishing! Why would he even think he would?! "I would never hate you for something like that. It’s not for everyone. Honestly, I… I think the reason I always loved it was because we were all together. We would bring food and drinks and just… spend time together. Even if we didn’t catch anything, it was time with my family."
"Okay," said Fogado, "I’m starting to get it now. It’s more of a hangout, and the fishing itself is secondary."
"I guess. For me, anyway," said Alcryst. "I never really expected to catch much. My father and brother were always really good at it, though."
"Your brother… you’ve mentioned him before."
"Yes. Diamant. He’s eight years older than me. He’s… extraordinary, at everything he does. He was valedictorian, you know. I had a lot of the same teachers as him, and they all remembered him. They all expected great things of me, but I’m afraid I must have been a terrible disappointment."
Alcryst had been staring at the table, but he chanced a look up. Fogado was starting to frown. Oh no. Oh no. They had only been here ten minutes, and he had already turned into this conversation into a pityfest and made Fogado look at him like that. Great work, Alcryst! Really excellent date!
"Hey, you’re smart too," said Fogado. "You got into Firene U, after all! And don’t say that’s not impressive, or you’re gonna hurt my feelings."
"Oh, no, I didn’t mean—" stammered Alcryst.
"Relax. I’m joking." Fogado nudged his foot again. He was still looking at Alcryst with concern, but warmth too. It was a powerful combo. Alcryst found it hard to meet that gaze, so he looked back down at the table. "But seriously, you have to be a good student to get in here. And I’ve read your papers! They’re great. You’re more capable than you give yourself credit for."
"Right," said Alcryst. "No, I… I’ve worked hard. And I’ve done well for myself, I think. But… if you met Diamant, you’d understand. He’s better than me at just about everything. It’s not that he’s a natural, either. If I work hard, he works that much harder."
"Must be rough," said Fogado, stirring his drink. "Me and Timerra were always best buds growing up."
"Oh, it’s not that we’re not close," said Alcryst. "I have nothing but admiration for him. It’s just…" He had never told this to anyone, and surely a date wasn’t a place to be complaining like this, but Fogado was looking at him so sympathetically, he plowed on ahead. "He went to business school, you know. So he could take over the family business. And I always thought I would end up joining it too, but lately I’ve been wondering if he even needs me at all. He and Father seem to have everything handled just fine. And if they don’t need me, I don’t even know… what to do with myself."
"That’s not a bad thing, is it?" asked Fogado.
Alcryst blinked. "Huh?"
"I mean, did you even want to join the family business, or did you just feel like you should? Maybe this is your chance to pursue your own dreams instead."
Alcryst was still trying to process that. "My own dreams…?" he mused. "I’ve… never really thought about it. If I’m being honest… I don’t have the faintest clue what my own dream would be."
Fogado grinned. "Hey, that’s what college is for, isn’t it? Most of us have no idea what we’re gonna do with our lives. That’s what we’re here to figure out."
Warmth flooded Alcryst. There was something sitting in his heart that he hadn’t felt in a long time: a tiny spark of hope.
He still didn’t know what he wanted to do. And maybe he wouldn’t find it. Maybe it wouldn’t work out. But… what if it did?
"What… about you?" Alcryst asked, chancing a glance up. "What’s your dream?"
"Oh, man, I have no idea! So we’re in this together." Fogado was grinning at him, an infectious grin. "The world is our oyster, Alcryst!"
So they talked, and little by little Alcryst shed his nervousness. Fogado was so easy to talk to, after all. They talked about the classes they’d been taking and the ones they might take next semester. They talked about their dorms and roommates and friends back home, childhood pets and TV shows, the Firene weather and what off-campus restaurants were best.
Their meals came, and Alcryst was pleased to find the cod boil was hot and flaky and wonderful. Fogado seemed to enjoy his too, since he ended up cleaning his plate.
At some point, the conversation circled back around to dreams. More specifically, what they’d wanted to be as kids. Alcryst said he wanted to be a writer; Fogado had wanted to be an EMT, before he got a bit older and realized he had an unfortunate aversion to blood.
"I thought it seemed like the coolest thing in the world, riding around all day saving people," Fogado said, stirring the straw in his water glass. "I still kinda think I might go into medicine. Is that crazy? There’s gotta be something I can do on the back end without having to see the bloody bits."
"Not at all," said Alcryst sincerely. "You’re an incredible person, Fogado. You’re always thinking about how you can help others."
Fogado blinked. Alcryst realized, in that moment, that while he had been praising Fogado in his head nonstop since the evening began, he hadn’t really… said it out loud.
"Thanks, Alcryst," he said, hand going to the nape of his neck. "That’s kind of you to say."
Somehow Alcryst had managed to fluster him. "I mean it," said Alcryst, because this was all incredibly obvious to him, and if Fogado was surprised to hear it, then clearly he hadn’t heard it enough. "Not just the big things, like saving lives. You’re so kind and warm to everyone you meet. You make even someone like me, who’s… painfully awkward at this type of things… feel comfortable."
"Aw, geez. I just try to treat people like I’d want to be treated."
"And you’d be surprised how… rare that is. I mean it. You’re really a wonderful person."
Fogado laughed a little, still messing with his hair at the nape of his neck. "Wow. You’re gonna make me blush."
Somehow the dynamic had flipped, and just for this moment, Alcryst was the one who was sure-footed.
It felt like as good a moment as any to ask. If he didn’t work up the courage now, he probably never would. "Fogado, can I ask you something?"
Fogado seemed a little relieved by the change of topic. "Sure, go ahead."
"That second week of classes… why did you sit next to me ? I was just some… quiet kid. You could have sat next to anyone." Alcryst hadn’t quite said what he really wanted to say, which was why did you ask me out ? But he had wondered this too. The first day he had thought was a fluke, maybe. That Fogado had selected a random chair, and being the friendly person he was, started chatting with the person next to him. But he’d kept coming back. Day after day, week after week.
"You don’t remember?" said Fogado.
"Huh?"
"That first week, they had us all go around and introduce ourselves. You said you were from Brodia and I was like awesome, another international student. I knew right then wanted to talk to you. It was such a weird adjustment period. I figured you’d… get it."
"I see," said Alcryst, not sure if he was relieved or not. Because they were both international students. That made sense. And in hindsight, they had chatted a fair amount about their experience.
It had been a hard adjustment. So much about Firenese culture was different. He missed the food, the climate, the streets where they drove on the other side of the road. He missed his family. He missed his friends. And unlike other students, who could see their parents over the weekend, it was all very far away.
Fogado hadn’t really complained, but maybe that was him. Always positive. He had reminisced, mostly, and now thinking back, Alcryst thought he must have been a bit melancholy too.
Somewhere in his mind, a gear was turning. Perhaps Fogado wasn’t always as happy-go-lucky as he appeared.
"And also," continued Fogado, "I thought you were cute."
Alcryst, mid-sip, swallowed his water down the wrong pipe. "H-huh?" he managed to stammer, doing his best not to start choking and coughing.
"Yeah," said Fogado, looking him right in the eye. "I saw you across the room and was like, wow, he’s gorgeous, I’ve gotta talk to him. Not gonna lie, I kind of figured you’d tell me you were taken. I thought there was no way someone like you was single."
"What," Alcryst squeaked, voice cracking.
This had to be a joke.
But Fogado wasn’t like that. He wouldn’t joke so cruelly. If he was saying it, he meant it.
"So," Fogado said, giving him a bold grin, "I kinda hit the jackpot, huh?"
—
On their way out of the restaurant, Alcryst grabbed a couple mints and popped one in his mouth. Just to make sure his breath smelled good. Just in case Fogado was going to kiss him tonight.
Maybe he wouldn’t. But just in case.
—
After dinner, they walked along the boardwalk. Some of the shops were closed—souvenir shops meant for tourists, with windows full of sunglasses and T-shirts. A few were open. This side of the boardwalk was quieter than the main street.
As they walked, Alcryst began to hear a series of ringing bells and electronic beeps. He soon discovered they were coming from an arcade, open to the air. Even from here he could tell how old and shabby some of the machines were, which somehow made it all the more nostalgic. He remembered going to the arcade as a child.
Fogado saw where he was looking. "What do you say, wanna stop in and play a few games?"
"Oh, that’s okay," said Alcryst. It seemed a bit… immature, he thought. The other students their age were out at bars. "We can move on, I just…"
"Come on, just one game?"
The interior of the arcade had an array of machines, but on the boardwalk itself were a few carnival-style booths. Some were closed for the night, but Fogado waved him over to one that was open. There was a young woman sitting there, slouched in a chair with her legs up on the countertop, but once she saw them she hopped to her feet.
"Welcome to my booth!" she said brightly. "Good evening and salutations! Please come play a game, I am bored! out! of! my! mind!"
It was a ring toss booth. There were maybe fifty bottles: mostly clear, a smattering of yellow, and handful of blue, and one red bottle right in the center.
"So what’s the story?" asked the woman, leaning up against the counter. She had a star tattoo under her eye and a surprisingly calculating gaze. "Friends? Boyfriends? Coworkers?"
"First date," said Fogado shamelessly.
"Ooh, well in that case you know what you should do? Win him a prize! Super romantic, right?"
Fogado was already pulling it out his wallet. "Okay, how much?"
"Two gold a throw! Or toss me a twenty and you can pick whichever prize you want! My boss won’t know and they don’t pay me enough to care!"
"Nah, it’s not the same if I don’t win it myself," said Fogado, completely unphased by that. He slapped down a ten-gold coin. "Alright, give me five throws." He gave Alcryst a wink. "I’m gonna win you something good."
You don’t have to, Alcryst wanted to say, but instead he froze. He really didn’t want any of these cheap-looking toys, if he was being honest. But the idea of Fogado winning something for him felt… nice. Like he was being provided for, in some weird caveman way. That was definitely something he didn’t need to think any deeper about.
Fogado’s first throw went long, skittering over the top of the bottles and falling off the other side of the table. The second somehow landed sideways, wedging itself between two bottles. The third and fourth managed to hook themselves on bottles, but they were both clear—the color without a prize. Fogado tried to toss the fifth underhand, a quick up-and-down instead of like a frisbee, and it plummeted straight to the ground without making it to the table.
"Dang," said Fogado. "Sorry. I kinda suck at this."
"Oh, it’s fine," said Alcryst. "Please don’t worry about it."
"Aw, you were really close that time!" said the girl with the star on her cheek. "Come on, one or two more?"
"Um, I’d like to try too, if that’s okay," said Alcryst.
He usually brought his card and didn’t carry much cash. He’d already checked his wallet and found two gold. Enough for one throw.
His hopes weren’t exactly high, but he wanted to at least try. He didn’t want Fogado to be doing all the work. Fogado had planned the date, after all, and drove him here, and even paid for dinner despite Alcryst’s numerous protests that they could split it.
So he wanted to do something too.
The girl slapped a ring on the table and Alcryst picked it up.
Alcryst had always been good at stuff like this. He had no idea why, but it was a random quirk of fate. He might not always catch the biggest fish, but he could cast a lure exactly where he wanted it to go. Whether it was darts or minigolf, he’d always been good at aiming. It was like a very specific type of hand-eye coordination. He’d tried archery once, at summer camp, and even the instructor was surprised at how quickly he was hitting the target.
Still, those were those things, and this was ring toss. They were fundamentally different activities. So he wasn’t expecting much when he threw the ring. But all three of them watched as it flew from his hand in a perfect arc, and landed itself right around the center red bottle.
"Whoa!" said Star-girl. "Grand prize!"
Grand prize was apparently a massive teddy bear, maybe three feet tall, its head sagging under its own weight. Its fur was a bright turquoise blue, and it had, for some reason, green spots up and down its arms. It really was very ugly.
Alcryst looked at it, slightly horrified. "You don’t have to keep that if you don’t want to. Um, actually, could we maybe get something else—"
"No way," said Fogado, wrapping both arms around the bear. "You won this for me, which means it’s mine forever." He flashed Alcryst a sideways grin, looking genuinely delighted.
"Oh." Alcryst could feel his face reddening. "Good. I’m… glad you like it."
Fogado tucked the bear under one arm. He could carry it that way, but it certainly looked unwieldy. Still, he looked please as punch.
—
They kept walking, and came to a point where the boardwalk ended, and then there was just a stretch of beach. It was illuminated enough, between the moon and the lights spilling out from the boardwalk. There were a few people out—a girl doing cartwheels while her partners watched, an older couple walking along the waterline—but this time of night, it was fairly empty.
Fogado gestured toward the beach in invitation with a tilt of his head. "What do you say—wanna walk on a sand a little?"
"Oh," said Alcryst. "Um. Sure!"
Fogado slipped his sandals off and stepped barefoot onto the sand. Alcryst, who was wearing boots, waffled for a moment before deciding it would take too long and hurried after Fogado, boots and all.
They walked along the sand, listening to the rhythm of the waves hitting the shore. It was like a great engine, a heartbeat. Something about it soothed Alcryst immediately.
He remembered going to the beach once with his family as a child. It had been loud, and crowded, and he’d ended up with a headache and a painful sunburn and hadn’t been keen on going back. He didn’t think he had ever been to the beach at night before. It was… nice.
"It reminds me of Solm," said Fogado, after a moment’s silence. "The sand. It’s a different texture, but still."
"I’ve never been to Solm," said Alcryst. He was thinking about what Fogado said before, about how’d first wanted to talk to Alcryst because he was another international student. He thought about the homesickness that Fogado had skimmed over, had minimized, had alluded to here and there with a smile and laugh, but that must be sitting heavy in his heart as sure as it was in Alcryst’s own. "I’ve heard it’s beautiful."
"Yeah, it is," said Fogado. "Hot as all get-out in the summer. That’s one thing I don’t miss. But man, how quiet the desert gets at night, how bright the stars are… there’s nothing else like it."
"I’d… like to see that someday," offered Alcryst.
Fogado looked up, pleased. "You should! And I can show you the sights! Oh man, I know it’s kind of a tourist cliche, but you’ve really gotta see the historic palace if you’re in the capital. And if you’re into hiking, you can visit the oasis, but you definitely wouldn’t want to do that in the summer cuz it’s like, a hundred and ten degrees—"
Fogado continued on, listing some of the things Alcryst had to see, but Alcryst was too distracted. What did that mean, Fogado would show him the sights? Show him the sights like, they’d be visiting together, somewhere in the future?? What did that mean???
They walked a bit more, and the back of Fogado’s hand brushed against Alcryst’s. Alcryst held his breath, wondering if Fogado was going to take his hand, but he didn’t. Normally Alcryst would have taken this as a sign that he was walking too close, and hastily gotten out of the other person’s space, but tonight he didn’t. Walking so close, their hands brushed a few more times, but Fogado never took his. Alcryst didn’t know what to do to signal that he wanted Fogado to take it.
They came to the end of the beach, where a pier prevented them from going any further.
"Well, guess we better turn back," said Fogado. "Unless you want to hang out here."
"I wouldn’t mind," said Alcryst, a little too quickly. Fogado, the moon above, the ocean to their side… it was like a dream he didn’t want to end. He wasn’t ready to head back yet, to the bright bustling thoroughfare.
"Cool," said Fogado, "Um, wanna sit?" He seemed a bit off, almost like he didn’t know what to say. But Alcryst must have been imagining things, because that didn’t make sense.
They sat down in the sand, Fogado placing his bear down carefully so it sat upright. Alcryst couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps this was the moment. The two of them, mostly alone on the beach, looking at the moon’s glimmer on the water.
It was… romantic. Far more romantic than Alcryst could have dreamed up. Fogado was so close, and everything had been going shockingly well. So maybe this was it; maybe Fogado would kiss him. Alcryst worried for a second if his breath was still fresh, then that worry floated away like a butterfly. Right now, giddy with young love, he couldn’t bring himself to care at all.
For a moment Alcryst just listened to the waves. He thought, in that moment, that he could stay here forever.
"So," said Fogado, still with that strange tone in his voice. "Did you have fun tonight?"
"Yes," said Alcryst immediately, sincerely. He was relieved that Fogado probably couldn’t see him blush in the dim gloom of night. "It was wonderful. Thank you so much. I really… um, thank you."
"Good, good," said Fogado. Some tautness in him seemed to relax a little, and he leaned back, bracing himself on his hands in the sand. "I’ve gotta admit, I was a bit nervous about tonight."
"You were nervous?" Alcryst said incredulously. No, that… that couldn’t be right. Alcryst had been nervous, because Alcryst was always nervous. But Fogado wasn’t like him. Fogado was confident. Fogado knew what he was doing. Fogado was good at stuff like this.
"Yeah," said Fogado, smile a bit pinched. "I mean, I wanted you to have a good time. I was brainstorming all the fun nearby places to go for a date, and there are bars and clubs and stuff, but I kiiinda thought you wouldn’t enjoy any of that."
"Oh… you’d be right."
"Right, so I was thinking of somewhere more private, and I was like hey, we could go camping or something, but then I also thought that was way too much for a first date. Like, alone in the woods? That seems kind of serial killery."
Possibly, but if Fogado had asked him on a camping date, Alcryst probably would have said yes anyway. He realized, as his finger traced patterns in the sand, that he was so far gone for this boy.
"And there are museums and stuff," Fogado continued. "Movie theaters. But none of it felt right. And then I found this restaurant, and I remembered what you said about missing Brodian food, so I thought that would be a nice surprise, but I know it was kind of a dingy place for a first date."
"It was perfect," Alcryst said.
"Oh," said Fogado. He looked taken aback, like he had when Alcryst had said he was an incredible person. Was he really surprised by that? Did he not realize what a perfect evening this had been?
"Well," Fogado said, "I’m glad. I just… wanted this to be a nice night for you."
In that moment, Alcryst realized that Fogado wasn’t going to kiss him tonight.
Because Fogado was too damn considerate.
Every step of the way, Fogado had thought about his feelings. He knew Alcryst was anxious. He knew Alcryst was inexperienced. He wouldn’t push boundaries or risk making Alcryst uncomfortable.
He would be a perfect gentleman, and at the end of the night he would walk Alcryst back to his dorm and say "Well, seeya," and then maybe they would look at each other for a moment and then Fogado would turn and walk away.
He was looking at Fogado in a new light. Perhaps it had been selfish of him, to assume he was the one who who ever worried. Of course Fogado worried too. They were both human.
Somehow, seeing the layers stripped back, knowing that Fogado had silly worries too, didn’t disillusion Alcryst at all. It only made him like Fogado even more.
"So anyway," said Fogado, "I just wanted to say that I had a great time too, and I—"
Alcryst surged forward and kissed him.
It wasn’t a good kiss. The angle was all wrong. Fogado had been mid-sentence. Their noses smashed together, and Alcryst tried to realign his face, but Fogado was tilting his head in the same direction, and that just made it worse.
Alcryst pulled back, mortified.
"I’m sorry, I’m so sorry," he said. "I should have asked first."
Fogado cut off his apologies. "Hey," he said, his hand on Alcryst’s cheek. "Here. Like this."
He leaned in, slowly, guiding Alcryst’s jaw up to meet him, and pressed his lips to Alcryst’s.
Their second kiss probably wasn’t very good either. Every muscle in Alcryst’s body was tense. His lips were pressed together like they were made of stone.
But Fogado wasn’t demanding. Fogado was gentle. His hand went to Alcryst’s shoulder, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into it. It was lip against lip, until Alcryst opened his mouth enough to sigh a little, and Fogado did the same. Fogado's breath was minty. Maybe he had snuck one of those after-dinner mints too, spurred by the same thought as Alcryst: what if?
It probably wasn’t a good kiss, objectively speaking. But to Alcryst, it was perfect.
Eventually they pulled apart.
"I’m sorry if this is too soon," said Fogado, quietly, as if to keep it a secret from even the moon. "But I really like you."
"I do too," said Alcryst.
Someone must be looking out for him, because everything was going his way tonight. Every chance he’d taken had been rewarded. He’d asked why Fogado had started talking to him, and Fogado had called him gorgeous. He’d played that silly game and won Fogado a prize, a prize he said he’d treasure. He’d kissed Fogado, and Fogado had kissed back. Even the date itself was a risk he’d taken, wasn’t it? Just this morning he’d been thinking of canceling.
So maybe the bubble would eventually burst, but right now Alcryst was buoyed with uncharacteristic, unexpected confidence.
"I liked the Brodian food," he said, before he could think any more about it. "Next date, you should take me to a Solmic restaurant."
Normally Alcryst would have immediately regretted it. Too bold, too flirty, too cringey. But right now, he didn’t think any of those things. He just waited for the answer.
"Wow," said Fogado, laughing a little incredulously. But not in a bad way. In a way that sounded almost admiring. "You just keep surprising me." He put his hand on Alcryst’s, and Alcryst thrilled at the touch. "Yeah, okay. Next date."