The Other Side of the Door | ✔️

Six

Six
Dating

Aris didn't know how the small, talkative man had wormed his way into his life, but he had. Elio had fastly become a key point in Aris' day. What started out with the long-haired man showing up to help Elio cook one day had quickly turned into a deal, of sorts, or maybe a promise. Aris would make dinner while Elio pretended to pay attention, and afterward they would watch a movie while Elio explained the plot and Aris pretended to care. The smaller man had been shocked when he found out that Aris hadn't seen what he called 'key movie to every gay man's development'. The Devil Wears Prada, Mulan (the animated version), and Rise of the Guardians were a few he named. Therefore, after Aris had rescued Elio's lunch that one day, they had watched Legally Blonde (which Aris also hadn't seen). It became a weekly tradition, of sorts. Elio got off early on Thursdays, so every Thursday the pair — i.e. Aris — would make dinner and then watch one of these so-called 'key movies'.

Somehow, those weekly dinners developed into Aris sending Elio with containers of leftovers to bring to work for lunch, because lord knew the man couldn't feed himself. And then it turned into Elio popping up randomly to steal some of Aris' food, and then Elio showing up just to talk. Aris quickly forgot why he'd ever disliked the man. Elio seemed to have a talent for worming his way into peoples' lives until he was so intertwined that they couldn't live without him. Elio was also a very cuddly person, Aris noted. He was always finding ways to touch the other man, by brushing against him in the kitchen or leaning on his shoulder while watching a movie. One time, he even kissed Aris' cheek before he left.

But it didn't mean anything, nothing at all.

⟡♡⟡

One Saturday evening, after Aris made alfredo and Elio sat at the counter drawing — much resembling a toddler that needed distracting, Aris thought — the pair sat down on Aris' couch and watched a show that the other man said was gay and therefore a must watch. It was a mini series about a queer friend group on YouTube called Hetero. Aris didn't get what was so funny about the title, but he also didn't get a lot of things. Either way, the show consisted of five or six 30-minute episodes about the simple lives of a couple of gay teenagers.

Aris didn't really see what was so special. Elio said that it was one of the only pieces of queer media where the plot wasn't focused on coming out and homophobia.

"Oh," Aris said. "I don't really pay attention to media in general, so I guess I didn't know that."

"What do you do for fun, then?" Elio paused the first episode to say.

Aris didn't really know how to answer that; his life was work and home, only now with the added excitement of one Elio Ortiz.  "Fun? I guess... I don't."

"Damn, we need to get you a hobby," the shorter man said after a moment of looking disproportionately heartbroken considering the situation.

"I guess," Aris replied, fiddling with his plain black sweatshirt.

Elio saw this. "And a sense of style, man. You need some pizazz."

For some reason, Elio calling Aris 'man' stung, right in his chest. Aris ignored it. When he didn't say anything in response, Elio resumed the show. He raved about why certain scenes were so important, and why asexual, aromantic, and non-binary representation was needed.

"Wait, wait. Pause. What are any of those things?" Aris asked in the middle of one of Elio's drawn-out explanations.

"Oh, honey, you are so in the dark," Elio began. "There's way more than just gay and straight."

"There... is?"

"Yes! There's people who like both men and women — bisexuals — girls who like girls and guys who like guys — gay or lesbian — and all sorts. Asexual is when you feel romantic attraction but not sexual. And aromantic is the opposite, sexual attraction but no romantic feelings," Elio rambled eagerly, sounding like he was just getting started.