Open

Darren and Daniel walked into the

YMCA together, at 8 o’clock AM, right on the dot. Just like every Saturday that had come before. Darren waved to the woman at the desk, and she winked back at him.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Daniel just shyly looked down at the flos hs he put his card through the reader. The door opened, and he walked through. With a final wave to the woman at the desk, Darren soon followed suit.

“Why do you always do that?” Daniel asked him, a pained look on his hand fac face.

“Because I love the feeling that I get when I can still get women to bat their eyes at me,” Darren replied, flicking his longish dirty-blonde hair away from covering his eyes, “not knowing my little secret,” he finished.

“Don’t you mean our little secret?” Daniel retorted, annoyed.

“Well, you don’t even try to hide it anymore. I could swear that you almost want to tell your parents.” His hair fell back into his eyes, and he swatted it away again. “I mean, you prance around all the time and act like a fairy.”

Anger glinted in Daniel’s beautiful green eyes. Darren stopped speaking at the sight. He finally found the words to speak. “Oh my god!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> You didn’t tell them, did you?!” he accused.

“No!” Daniel spat back.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “At least, not yet,” he said, quieter.

“What do you mean ‘not yetclass=GramE>?’ I thought weagreagreed that the both of us were not going to say a peep!styleso-sso-spacerun:yes'> You know that your parents would cut you out of their will if they found out!”

“No, you decided.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> For me.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Not ‘we.’  But I can’t stand lying to them anymore.  I have to tell them the truth sooner or later.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> And I’d prefer the sooner.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I feel like I’m going to burst.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I never was dishonest with them until you came along!”

Darren looked hurt and dejected. After a moment, he noticed that a few people lingering in the hallway had begun to stare.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Gazing at the floor, he softly said, “You might want to bring your voice down a little.  You’re starting to cause a scene.”

“Maybe I want to cause a scene!” Daniel retorted. “Have you ever thought of that? Maybe I want everyone and their mother to know how I feel about you!  I want the world to know that I, Daniel Jones love you, Darren Hayes!style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Is that so wrong?”

Darren had opened his mouth speaspeak, but once Daniel finished, his jaw hung slack, his mouth agape, mimicking the guises of the innocent bystanders standing in the hallway, caught up in the spat. Darren finally found the courage teak.eak. “But I know how you feel about me, isn’t that enough?”

Tears filled up in Daniel’s eyes. “It used to be.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> But then I realized that by lying to everyone I was lying to myself. And it hurts me. I don’t want to be the only person to realize how wonderful of a friend and lover you are to me.”

Darren stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “I don’t like lying either.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> But I’m scared.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Scared of what everyone will thinspanspan style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He stood staring at the floor, not wanting to meet Daniel’s gaze. He finally looked up, understanding shining in his brilliant green eyes, as if he finally knew what Daniel was talking about. He, too, was tired of hiding, tired of sneaking around, tired of lying.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Lying to himself,ing ing to everyone who ultimately should have known the truth.

Daniel started to reach out for Darren, but Darren surprised him by pulling him forcibly in for a kiss.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> In front of the security cameras. In front of the people in the hallway.  In front of everyo/spa/span>style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Out in the open.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Darren finally realized that he wouldn’t have minded if they were in front of the whole world.

He finally broke the kiss, and took Daniel’s hand in his. Inside he was finally smiling, laughing at the people standing around him wer were so astounded that they were perfecting impersonations of trout.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> He squeezed Daniel’s hand and led him back out the door, passing the woman at the desk without a wave or a wink, leaving her sitting at her post, also open-mouthed.  They walked through another set of doors and went outside.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Out into the Saturday morning sunshine. class=GramE>Out into their new life together, out in the open.