What the future holds for us

What the future holds for us
By the time we got to the restaurant, the soft golden glow spilling through the glass windows immediately wrapped around us. It was one of those places that felt warm and intimate without trying too hard. Low music humming in the background, the gentle clinking of cutlery, murmured conversations blending into a comfortable rhythm.

We were led to our table, tucked slightly to the side, private enough without being hidden.

As soon as we sat down, Aiden exhaled softly, leaning back in his chair.

“God,” he murmured, smiling. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”

I chuckled as I picked up the menu. “That’s what happens when you spend the entire day emotionally unloading on people and pretending you’re not exhausted.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Hey, I’m super great at multitasking.”

We flipped through the menus, occasionally commenting on what caught our attention.

“Okay, this sounds illegal,” Aiden said, pointing. “How is one dish allowed to have that much cheese?”

“I think the real crime would be not ordering it,” I replied.

Just as we were mid-debate, voices broke through the air around us.

“Oh my gosh… Aiden Vale!”

We both looked up and two women stood beside our table, clearly nervous but buzzing with excitement. One of them clasped her hands together like she was trying to contain herself.

“I’m so sorry to disturb you,” the second woman said quickly, glancing between us. “I promise we didn’t mean to intrude, but my girlfriend is a huge fan of yours. She practically dragged me here the moment we saw you walk in.”

Aiden smiled instantly, warm, polite, practiced but still genuine. “That’s okay,” he said kindly. “It’s nice to meet you. What can I do for you?”

The first woman took a breath, visibly steadying herself. “Oh it’s nothing serious. I just wanted to tell you that I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time,” she said softly. “Especially after you cleared the air about your sexuality.”

Aiden’s expression softened.

“I know that couldn’t have been easy,” she continued. “Especially as a public figure, I know it takes an insane amount of courage. And honestly? Seeing you do that gives us the strength to finally be honest about who we are, to stop hiding and be true to ourselves without the fear of being judged.”

She reached for her girlfriend’s arm, squeezing it gently.

Aiden swallowed, clearly moved. “Thank you for telling me that,” he said sincerely. “That really means a lot.”

The second woman turned to me, smiling shyly. “I’m also a big fan of yours, Jamie,” she said. “Thank you for showing us that we can finally choose ourselves.”

My eyes widened.

“Oh—uh,” I stammered, instinctively glancing at Aiden.

He chuckled under his breath, nudging me lightly with his knee.

“Do you mind if I take a picture with you?” she asked carefully.

I hesitated, my nerves fluttering in my chest. “I—yeah. I guess so.”

I stood up, still feeling slightly unreal, and leaned in as she took the picture. When I sat back down, my heart was racing.

The first woman turned back to Aiden, practically vibrating with excitement. “Do you mind if I take a picture with you too?” she asked. “It would mean the world to me.”

“Of course,” Aiden said easily, standing up.

She squealed quietly as she took the picture, then both women thanked us profusely before walking away, whispering excitedly to each other.

The moment they were out of earshot, I groaned, leaning back.

“Oh my god,” I laughed. “That was intense. Honestly, I don’t know how you do that every time.”

Aiden laughed too. “Come on, it wasn’t that bad. It was just one picture.”

“It absolutely was,” I argued. “I felt like I wanted to literally disappear.”

He smirked. “You looked adorable, actually.”

I rolled my eyes just as the restaurant door opened again and Leona walked in. The second her eyes met mine, they lit up instantly. She barely hesitated before making a beeline for our table.

“Jamie!” she squealed.

Then she noticed Aide, and her mouth dropped open.

“Oh my god! Aiden?”

“Surprise,” Aiden said, standing up.

She let out a delighted scream and jumped straight into his arms, hugging him tightly like she was afraid he’d vanish.

“How are you here?” she demanded, pulling back just enough to stare at him. “Jamie, you too? Was this why you asked me out to dinner? You are unbelievable!”

She hugged me next, squeezing me hard. “I’ve missed you so much,” she said.

She slid into the seat beside Aiden, her eyes sparkling. “Okay,” she said, leaning forward. “Start talking. How is this possible? The last time we spoke, you had no idea where he was.” She pointed between us. “And now you’re sitting here together? How did that happen?”

Aiden smirked. “Well…It wasn’t easy either. I knew where he was, just not exactly where.” Aiden admitted. “So after our last conversation, I got cast in a small town movie in Florida, which I accepted and was excited for, but a part of me was also terrified. I guess, I thought of the possibility of bumping into him while I was there and that freaked me out.”

Her eyes widened. “No way.” She stared at me, then back at Aiden. 

“Oh yes way,” he continued. “We met a couple of months later, and although he didn’t want to talk to me at first I didn’t give up. I knew I had to find a way—anyway to make sure I talk to him, so I kept trying.”

I chuckled, as I smiled faintly.

“And well,” he concluded, sipping his water, “The rest is history.”

Leona clasped her hands dramatically. “Oh wow! I feel like I just watched a full blown romance movie unfold right in front of my eyes.”

Then she reached out, taking both our hands. “I’m so happy for you both finally got to be together again, especially after all the difficulties you both encountered.”

“I’m so happy that my two favorite people in the world are also happy.” Her voice cracked slightly. “I feel like crying right now.”

“Hey come on,” I said gently. “None of this would’ve been made possible without you, Leona.”

She blinked. “Me?”

“Yes. You. It was all you. You were there with us every step of the way,” I said. “Your kind words and support mattered a lot more than you know, and even though we never told you, we are grateful. Thank you Leona.”

She wiped her eyes, smiling as she released our hands. Just then the food arrived, and we dug in. Halfway through the meal, she spoke again.

“So… what’s next? What’s the plan now? I assume the movie shoot has come to an end now.”

Aiden paused, staring at her. “Uh yeah it has. Actually, the shoot ended less than a week ago. But if I’m being honest, I don’t have anything planned out yet.”

“No plans whatsoever?”

He shook his head. “None whatsoever. For now, I just want to be with Jamie. Wherever he is, wherever life takes us, I just want to be with him, spend time with him and make up for those times we lost back then.” Aiden concluded, as his cheeks flushed pink.

“Awwww! This is the sweetest thing I’ve heard in a long time. Leona squealed. “Now you’re making me want to fall in love. Well I support you Aiden, whatever it is you want to do, you finally deserve to be able to share this time with the person who your heart wants.”

Then she turned to me. “What about you Jamie? Anything new with you?”

I took a sip of the wine and cleared my throat. “Well I paint now,” I said. “And I mentor young queer artists too.”

Her face softened.

“I actually love it because it gives me the opportunity to support them. And they get to finally be able to be themselves. I’m so invested in it because I never had that kind of support growing up,” I continued. “So I want to be that person for them, so they don’t have to go through the same thing.”

“And I’m with Aiden though,wherever he goes,” I added, “that’s where I want to be. He could literally be anywhere in the world and I wouldn’t mind, as long as he’s with me. That’s how badly I’ve always wanted to be with him, without the fear of hiding from anyone.” I concluded and Aiden smiled at me like I was his entire world. 

“So what about you, Leona? Has anything or anyone interesting been happening with you lately? I teased, as she laughed. 

“Oh well. I think that would be the new found fame Aiden gave to me a couple of months back, which literally blew up my socials, therefore getting me a lot of sympathy and attention from people. I have been so busy non stop, and to think I even got an assistant because I couldn’t handle them all myself anymore. Am I grateful? Yes I am, but I would kill for a break right now, who knows maybe I’ll tag along with you guys.” She joked and we all laughed. “But aside from that, nothing else. Nothing special. As for a special person, I don’t think I’m in the right place for that yet. For now, I just want to focus on myself.” 

“That’s good Leona.” Aiden spoke up. “I’m glad what happened to me didn’t just contribute negatively towards you. I was actually really concerned about that, but I’m happy to hear now something good came out from it, and that’s what matters. Congratulations Leona. And I’m really sorry once again for putting you through all that.” Aiden said smiling. 

“Nahh. Come on, it’s fine. It wasn’t really your fault, and seeing as it’s all in the past, it doesn’t matter.” She teased, as she playfully ruffled his hair. 

We talked some more about random things, about her job, her assistant, we joked about the time we used to be together, about the first time she just came into Aiden’s life and so on. 

“Thank you for doing this for me guys. I just wished we could have spent more time together before you leave. Anyways, you know where I live, so whenever you’re in the city, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m always available.” Leona said smiling, as she leaned in and hugged us both one after the other. 

“No problem, Leona. Take good care of yourself too.” Aiden responded as he hugged her back. She waved us goodbye and got into her car, and drove off. 

After Leona left, I slipped my hand into Aiden’s. “Why don’t we take a walk?” I suggested it to Aiden.

“Yeah. That’s a good idea,” he said. “I think I ate a bit too much.” Aiden replied laughing, as he held my hand and rested his head on my shoulder as we walked. 

“Did you really mean everything you said back there, poodle?” I asked softly.

He stopped, and turned to me chuckling. “Do you think I was kidding? No baby I wasn’t. I meant every word I said. I meant it when I said I want to be with you, I meant it when I said my home is wherever you are, I meant it when I said all I want is to be with you, doing things I never did with you back then, making you happy. I meant every word I said, not because I’m just saying them, but because that’s what my heart wants,” he said.

We sat on a bench in the park which was already preoccupied with people too. “I never thought you were kidding, nor were you joking. I guess, it just kind of feels surreal to me. I mean a couple of months back, I was literally begging to be seen with you in public, but now, you’re willing to do all that yourself without me saying  anything. You’re like a lover who just found out what true love really means. I’m not complaining though, since you already knew where I stand, and this was what I’ve always wanted.”

“I’m just so happy you decided to be with me, to be with us, to pursue our happiness and that’s all that matters to me. I love you Aiden Vale.” I said as I cupped his face, stared at those charming blue eyes, and kissed him slowly, passionately, and unapologetically. He moaned against my mouth, his breath hitching, as his fingers instinctively went to my hair, tugging at them gently. He kissed me back with that same passion and hunger that fueled us in times like this. 

When he pulled back, his lips were red and plum, he chuckled. “I love you too, Jamie Cross. More than life itself.” His head went back on my shoulder. “You don’t know how badly I’ve been wanting to do this, to kiss you like this in public, without the fear of being watched or monitored. So what next? What do we do now?” He said lifting his head to stare at me. 

“Well,” I said, pointing to the stars. “I guess we just follow them and see where they lead us.” His gaze went to the sky, as his head went back to my shoulder, wrapping his hand around my arm. 

He smiled. “Yes, poodle. I guess we do. Fingers crossed.”

And as we sat there, for the first time in a long time, the future didn’t scare me anymore.