For Thane and Jorgi, life calms now that the demonic attacks are over. On Halloween, they celebrate the ancient Celtic harvest holiday Samhain. In the process of honoring their ancestors, they also turn their attention toward the present: their relationship. Thane struggles to open up and share as much of his life with his boyfriend as Jorgi has shared with him. Meanwhile, Jorgi wrestles with his sexuality, concerned about how his trans identity will impact his experiences in the bedroom.
However, after casting a spell together for a harmonious future, Thane and Jorgi consider a second and unrelated romantic celebration for the night. Can they face their issues and deepen their intimacy?
Jorgi poured himself a glass of mulled wine, and Thane filled his plate with two slices of rye bread. Taking a peek at him, Jorgi smiled at how handsome his boyfriend was. “Samhain isn’t about fertility,” he murmured, keeping his voice low so no one else would hear him. Eleven other people filled the yard, chatting as they drank and ate. “But Wicca has made me feel so much more relaxed about sexual stuff that I might want an extra ‘celebration’ when we return home.”
Thane smiled at Jorgi in return. “I’m up for whatever you’re up for.”
“Excellent.” A flush heated Jorgi’s cheeks. He stepped over to the patio table, grabbing a plate and setting down his glass so he could serve himself apple slices, gluten-free bread, and a small slice of pie. He had only been dating Thane officially for about three weeks, but they’d been bonding for three months. Jorgi felt he knew Thane well enough to move beyond kissing, but he had a problem. And as he picked up his glass and turned, the problem hit him squarely. He saw two of their friends from Japan, Goki and Odate, sitting on a blanket holding hands. As men who had born with the word male written on their birth certificate, dating was straightforward for them, but Jorgi’s birth certificate said female.
With tense, stiff shoulders, Jorgi picked out a blanket and settled. Two blankets away sat Pizzazz with Kimberly, the lesbian couple in their circle. They sipped mulled wine and laughed together. Why can’t it be as straightforward for me as it is for them?
Thane followed Jorgi and settled on the blanket next to his boyfriend. Then he set his plate aside and took Jorgi’s hand. “Hey.” He leaned in a little closer, compensating for Jorgi’s level of hearing. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. We don’t have anything to prove. But if you ready to do something, I’m ready, too. Don’t feel pressured, though, like you agreed to something and then couldn’t take it back if you changed your mind. Consent changes in the moment all the time, and only an asshole would push it. Or take it personally.”
Jorgi squeezed Thane’s hand. “Thanks.” His childhood had been filled with sexual violence, and Thane’s reassurances eased the tension from his shoulders. “It’s not that. It’s just ...” He glanced down at his body. Like Thane, he wore jeans and a black T-shirt with a black hoodie. His chest binder made his chest admirably flat, and he was “packing,” so there was a bulge in the right place in his pants. But when he took off his clothes, all he had was the same body that had caused him twenty-three years of utter misery and horrified him as it sexually developed. He still remembered trying, and failing, to get his parents to accept he was a boy. The instant I tried something sexual with my ex-boyfriend, everything went wrong. I don’t want that to happen again. Thane’s the best guy I’ve ever met. “Honestly, I don’t know if I can be touched. My body’s always made me feel so awkward.” He glanced up. “This may be one-sided at first. But I’d love to touch you.”
A blush reddened Thane’s face, and he scooted closer, slipping his arm around Jorgi. “Whatever you need. You get to decide if I touch you. And, hey, I get to decide if you touch me, and I am up for it.” He gave Jorgi a quick smile. “There’s the negotiation: Someone has to want to be touched, but the person doing the touching has to be able to decide how they do that, yeah? I trust you. You get to touch me on your own terms. You always will.”
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