Ari and Dante were walking along the beach, hand in hand. The sun was about to start setting, and there were only a few other people on the beach, but they were too far away to distinguish, minding their own business. Now one cared about the two boys holding hands, and that made Ari happy.
It had been quite a number of years since Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana had met and started dating. After two years of knowing each other, they went to college together (El Paso community college) for three years, and they had been living together after college for the past year. Six years of happy summers and memorable moments together.
As they walked on the beach, Dante stopped and pulled back Ari, making him twirl and land in his arms. He kissed him softly, like he was a delicate bird who needed to be taken care of, even though Dante knew that inside, he was a fierce dragon with a heart of gold. He loved that about Ari, the way he could be two completely different things at the same time. Like the ocean, and the calm before the storm, Ari could be both.
He smiled against Dante's lips. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that all about?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm just happy to be with you, that's all." He smiled and kissed him again, this time more passionately.
In that moment, Dante thought anything was possible, as long as he had Ari by his side, and he never, ever, wanted to lose him. He wanted to make him his forever.
"Ari, I need to tell you something." He said, serious all of a sudden.
"Is everything okay...? You sound serious. What's wrong, Dante?" Ari suddenly looked worried, like he might have done something wrong.
"No, no, nothing's wrong." He smiled at Ari, and the love in his eyes made him believe that what he was saying was true. "I'm just nervous about what I'm going to say, that's it."
"Okay, if you're sure nothing's wrong..." Ari didn't know how to take that comment, or what to make of it. Now he was the one starting to get nervous.
"I'm sure." He took a deep breath in and exhaled. He put his hands on Ari's shoulders and stared straight into his eyes. "Aristotle Mendoza. You are my best friend, my lover, my entire universe. Ever since the first day I met you at the swimming pool and offered to teach you how to swim, I knew I loved you and wouldn't be able to live my life without you."
"Dante..." Ari started blushing, which seemed to happen quite often when he was around Dante. His eyes had also started watering, but they were happy tears.
Dante took his hands. "When we kissed that first time in your room, it felt like my lips had kissed yours a thousand times before, in another life, and it felt so good to come back to them. And when you told me you didn't feel the same way about me, well, that just about broke me, because I couldn't believe the one guy I really liked wasn't into me." He stopped there, giving Ari a not-so-little smirk.
"And then, that night in the desert out in your truck, when you admitted you liked me too and we kissed, that was the happiest day of my life, because I had finally managed to convince myself that I couldn't have you, that I never would, and then there you were, confessing your feelings for me." Ari smiled, remembering that night. It had been the best day of his life too.
"And so," Dante continued, "What I'm here to say right now, is that I love you, Ari Mendoza, with all of my heart." He let go of his hands and reached into his pocket for something. He got down on one knee and opened a small box with a ring inside. It was a small golden band with the words Ari and Dante forever engraved on the inside.
"So, Ángel Aristoteles Mendoza," he said with his full Mexican accent. "Would you do me the honor of marring me and making me the happiest man in the universe...?" His eyes twinkled like the stars as he said those last words. Ari was speechless, the tears now fully running down his face.
He was nodding ceaselessly. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes, a thousand time yes, Dante." He couldn't contain the laughter, he was so happy. "Yes, Dante Quintana, I'll marry you." He got down on his knees so Dante could put the ring on his finger. It fit perfectly; of course it would, if Dante was the one who organized everything. Of course everything was perfect. He hugged Dante and they both fell backwards on the sand, Ari on top of Dante.
They were both laughing now. Two boys laughing in the sand. Ari kissed Dante. "I love you so much, Dante." He said in-between kisses.
Dante smiled against his lips. "I know. I love you too, Ari, with everything inside me."
They stayed there on the sand for a long time after, watching the sunset and hearing the waves of the ocean.
After a while, Dante fell asleep, his head on Ari's chest. Ari started stroking his hair softly, removing the little bits of sand that had gotten caught at his roots.
Ari didn't think he had ever been happier than in this moment. He wondered, once again, the same question he had wondered so many years ago. How could I have ever been ashamed of loving Dante Quintana?