Session Twelve:
Mequi walked into his office, later than he had intended. Because his earlier client had cancelled, he had permitted Greg and Danielle to take him to lunch. Though, he disapproved of giving Chance a chance to escape their therapy for the sake of Mequi’s mind, he had allowed them to do so only to satisfy their concerns for him. He hated that people worried about him, but he knew that the would no matter what he thought about it.
Setting down his briefcase, he glanced about the room. His heart sunk. He had expected that Chance would be here asking him a million questions about where Mequi had been and what Mequi had been up to.
“Am I a fool?” Mequi half-chuckled to himself after he had given that current idea a little rethinking. “He’s got someone. He doesn’t need to worry about me…he’s probably spending this time with that one person right now…”
Something caught Mequi’s eye and he turned to see a piece of paper on the coffee table. Surprised, he picked it up and slowly read the contents, his heart racing.
“Sorry,” It read in a sloppy cursive. “I stopped by to cancel, but you weren’t here. I’m meeting with someone…the time right now is…four o’ clock, our usual…”
Mequi glanced at the clock. It was only four o’ two. Quickly, he read the rest of the letter.
“I’ll see you next week, but only to pay. I don’t want to see you anymore. Signed, Chance Kelly.”
“No.” Mequi’s heart was pounding quickly as he ran out of the room, forgetting to lock the door or, even, to shut it.
Rushing, he almost made it to the front door when a hand latched onto his arm.
“Let go!” Mequi yelped, his voice frightened. “Let go of me!”
“Mequi!” Greg’s voice wafted into the air. “Don’t go!”
“I’ve got to!” Mequi wrenched out of Greg’s grip, but fell down onto the floor instead.
Greg did not waste anytime jumping onto Mequi and pinning him to the ground. Wrestling with all of his might, Mequi still could not escape the man’s clutches.
“Release me!” Mequi shouted, his voice enraged beyond anger. “I have to go! Did you…did you see Chance?”
“I saw him.” Greg stated, his voice bitter. “He left down Observatory Road.”
“I have to catch him!” Mequi tried to shove Greg off of him, but the other therapist was too strong and determined.
“No!” Greg slammed his fist into Mequi’s head and the man cringed, trying to reach for the wounded place. “I won’t let him ruin your life anymore than he already has!”
“You don’t understand!” Mequi roared, energy filling him as he finally was able to overpower the other man. Shoving him off, he found his feet and started out the front door, rushing down Observatory Road.
His eyes could instantly see the small form of Chance walking farther and farther into the distance.
“Chance!” Mequi screamed, his blood pumping through his body faster and faster. “Chance! Chance Kelly!”
Chance paused and cocked his head to the side as if he could hear something, but then he kept walking.
Mequi cursed as he ran faster, straining his body past any sort of exertion it had ever faced before. His legs burned and his lungs ached, but he kept running, knowing he had to reach Chance before it was too late. Out of breath, he could not even scream the young man’s name when he came into hearing distance.
Instead, he tackled him to the ground.
“What the…” Chance yelped as he was slammed into the ground. Trembling, he started to sit up and push Mequi off, but then froze upon recognizing him. “M-Mequi?”
“Chance…” Mequi wheezed, his throat in flames as he gripped his client’s shirt. “Please, don’t go! Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”
“Mequi…” Chance whispered, his eyes stunned.
“I love you!” Mequi blurted and then swallowed hard as he realized what he had just confessed.
Chance’s face was startled for a moment and then he was laughing.
“W-what’s so funny?” Mequi asked as his cheeks enflamed. “Hey! That’s not funny! I mean what I say!”
“I know! I know!” Chance chuckled, trying to control himself. “I was just waiting for you to finally admit that to me.”
“Huh?”
Chance grabbed Mequi’s head from behind and pressed their forehead’s together. “I always knew that you loved me. I just wanted to hear you say it, Mequi. I love you too.”
Mequi could feel his heart thrumming away inside his chest. “You…you do?”
“Yes.” Chance whispered, his voice tickling Mequi’s lips. “How can someone not have known you their whole life and not love that person?”
“Chance…” Mequi closed his eyes. “Please, tell me…tell me…the rest…”
“You don’t remember, do you?” Chance whispered, his voice heavy. “I was the person you tried to rescue that day…the trauma it caused to your brain was enough to send you over the edge. You…tried to rescue me…a person you had never known…a person that you had never met…a person that everyone else in the world considered a failure and that no one else in the world loved…you tried to save me from my own suicidal thoughts…instead, I wound up in the hospital and your mind dismissed the entire event when you heard that I had died…during those moments of death, I left this time and visited your past, flying through it like a dream. I called you when I awoke and recovered. Mequi…you saved me from suicide…and I believe my visit into your past was to keep you from the same fate…you…wanted to die…before you met me.”
Mequi throat was too thick for him to speak.
“I’m sorry.” Chance sighed. “I shouldn’t have spoken at this time…I just…don’t want you to die…like everyone else…that was why you had rescued me…you did not want to see another person die…you did not want to see another person walk through that door of death…you didn’t want another life to end…oh, Mequi…everyone dies…can’t you…understand that?”
“Another…young face…” Mequi whispered. “Another young face in the newspaper with the word “Dead” beneath them. I couldn’t bare it anymore…I couldn’t see another young person dead.”
“I’m glad you saved me.” Chance licked his lips. “I’m glad you rescued me…and let me into your life…”
“Stay with me.” Mequi murmured as a tear ran down his cheek. “Stay with me…always…stay with me…and never leave me…never leave me…ever…”
“What about when I die?” Chance asked, his voice mocking.
“I’m older than you.” Mequi half-chuckled. “I think, I’m going to go before you.”
Chance blushed. “Mequi…I want to stay with you…forever…”
Mequi’s heart was rapid as he placed a hand on the back of Chance’s neck. “May I…take a chance…and kiss you?”
Chance’s cheeks reddened more. “Yes…”
Trembling, Mequi leaned closer and let his lips rest upon Chance’s. He could feel the warmth that the caress held and his eyes closed before he could gain control of himself. Pressing closer, he opened his mouth slightly, permitting his tongue to run along Chance’s bottom lip. Chance slowly parted his lips and their tongues met.
“Yuck!” A yelp escaped a young child’s voice. “Mommy! Those two guys are kissing!”
“Don’t look!” The mother gasped.
Quickly, Chance and Mequi pulled away.
“Maybe, we should have chosen a better place to do that…” Mequi coughed, his cheeks a bright red as he stood.
“Perhaps so…” Chance murmured, permitting Mequi to help him to his feet. “Shall we…go back to your office?”
“What about the person you were meeting up with?” Mequi asked and then he remembered something. “And what about the person you said you were in love with?”
“I’m in love with you.” Chance laughed. “I was talking about you! You know, for how smart you are, you’re slightly oblivious! I would have thought you would have got it at “sophisticated!” You can be so slow sometimes!”
“Well, excuse me!” Mequi threw his hands up into the air. “You were exceptionally vague and you were talking as if they were not in the same room! God! What’s with this attitude?”
“Also,” Chance continued, ignoring Mequi’s statement. “I made up the reason for leaving your office. I just didn’t want to hurt you anymore…and then I get tackled to the ground by this strange lunatic…it was kind of awkward and…thrilling…and all.”
“Strange lunatic!” Mequi hollered. “You lied? God! Chance!”
“Come on.” Chance grabbed Mequi’s hand and began to tug him back towards the building. “We should go back to the office and chat…do you have coffee there?”
“Yes.” Mequi sighed, giving Chance’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Would you like some? You look tired.”
“I could use a cup.”
Inside of the therapist’s office, Chance took a seat while Mequi started to brew a pot of coffee. When he was finished preparing it, Mequi sat down beside Chance while he waited for the coffee to brew. Taking Chance’s face in his hand, he planted a kiss upon the young man’s lips.
“I love you, Chance.” Mequi whispered, his lips tickling across the young man’s lips. “I love you so much!”
Chance could not even return the phrase as Mequi kissed him again, pushing him down onto the couch. Slowly, the therapist pushed Chance’s sleeveless tee up and began to feel the young man’s muscular body. Chance moaned, jerking underneath Mequi’s touch. Mequi pulled from the kiss as he pulled Chance’s shirt off and then he was kissing the young man again.
“Mequi…” Chance murmured when the man gave him an opening. “I…love you…”
“I love you too…” Mequi brushed Chance’s face out of his hair before letting his lips press upon the young man’s throat. “Please, let me…let me love you…”
Chance placed his hands upon Mequi’s head and neck, pulling him closer to him. “Love me…Mequi…”
Mequi sat up long enough to pull off his suit coat and loosen his tie. Chance unbuttoned Mequi’s shirt then let his hands run along Mequi’s smooth muscles. It was surprising to see that Mequi had such a well-worked body beneath his professional suit. Smiling, Chance kissed Mequi’s abdomen.
“You’re so warm…Mequi…”
Mequi blushed before kissing Chance’s throat again. Slowly, he let his mouth move farther and farther down Chance’s body until he reached the young man’s pants.
“You know,” Chance snickered. “For being a virgin, you act like a specialist.”
“Hey!” Mequi yelped, his heart thrumming quickly. “How’d you know…wait…”
Chance began to laugh before he could stop himself.
“That’s not that funny…” Mequi muttered before undoing Chance’s pants and slipping them off.
Chance stopped laughing as he shuddered with Mequi’s fingers sliding down his thighs then calves. “M-Mequi…”
Mequi kissed Chance’s hip bone and the young man jerked, his body still quivering. Carefully, Mequi pressed his hands against Chance’s penis and began to message the area. Chance flinched, hoisting himself up and resting back on his forearms.
“M-Mequi…” Chance groaned. “Not there…don’t touch me…there…I’ll…I can’t…stop…myself…”
Mequi smiled at Chance’s innocent features. “Don’t stop yourself.”
The therapist kissed the young man’s cheek.
“Don’t stop yourself.” He repeated. “Don’t stop.”
Chance’s hand went to the back of Mequi’s neck and gripped the man there. “I…I want you…Mequi…”
The therapist stopped messaging Chance and removed his own pants before pressing his hips against Chance’s. The young man flinched, his eyes widening.
“You’re…you’re hard!” Chance gasped, his other hand clasping onto Mequi’s shoulder.
“Seeing your face…” Mequi moaned. “I can’t…stop myself either…”
Chance blushed at Mequi’s words. “You…mean that?”
“I mean what I say.” Mequi stated. “I mean it when I say that. Please, don’t stop yourself…”
Chance hesitated, his features bashful. “Then…let’s get closer…remove…your underwear too…and mine…”
Mequi timidly obeyed, his face embarrassed, at first. Gingerly, he pressed his exposed penis against Chance’s and then he pulled away upon feeling a tender sensation.
“No…” Chance whispered, his voice frail in the growing heat of the room. “No…please…come back…”
Mequi swallowed his fears and again pressed himself against Chance. His body was shot full of thrills that danced through him in an erotic way. With his breath growing heavier, the therapist buried his face into the nook between the young man’s neck and shoulder.
“Is…something wrong?” Chance asked, his hand still holding onto Mequi’s shoulders.
“I…I don’t know what to do…” Mequi groaned, his voice uncertain. “It feels so good, but I don’t know what to do…I’m so…naïve…”
“Me too.” Chance nearly laughed, but it came out unsteady. “I’ve never been with a man before.”
“But you’ve been with a woman…haven’t you…” Mequi murmured.
“I’m not a virgin…” Chance sighed. “But this isn’t the time or place to talk about…n…that…”
Mequi pulled up just enough to peer into Chance’s dazed face. The young man managed a weak smile and then his hand ran down Mequi’s side and to Mequi’s penis. Slowly, he began to message the man, watching as Mequi’s face contorted with restrained pleasure.
“Don’t fight it…” Chance whispered. “Don’t…you won’t win…”
“You little devil…” Mequi moaned, his body beginning to glisten with sweat. “We barely even are doing anything at all and we’re both hard and…and…and…Chance…”
Chance felt Mequi’s hand touch his penis and he jerked at the feeling.
“You’re really touchy…” Mequi snickered, his face sly. “What? Do my hands excite you?”
“Don’t say crap…” Chance gave a slight squeeze and Mequi jumped. “I’ve got your treasure in my hand.”
“You’re at a disadvantage too.” Mequi leaned closer to Chance as his own grip tightened slightly. “Remember?”
Chance’s cheeks brightened. “Damn…”
“Let’s make love.” Mequi cooed, his body quivering as he moved closer to Chance. “Let’s make love until we can’t move…”
“You’re so corny.” Chance kissed Mequi’s lips. “But I like that…let’s make love…”
The evening passed in a haze as the sky darkened with the setting of the sun and as the room grew hotter and hotter with the breath of the two lovers, their bodies entwined and their sweat flowing together. Their hands felt each other and their eyes hardly left each other the whole time. Time passed like a vanishing dream, a fog that covered a vacant ocean. They never drank their coffee nor did they leave the room until early the following day.
Forever and forever, they never left each others sides, though they were consistently opposed for their love for each other. They visited Tohru in Japan and Sam in Mequi’s hometown. They even had a chance to make a family visit to Tammy’s parents’ home, which turned out to be a good thing. They bought a house on the outskirts of San Francisco and lived their lives there, Chance working as a firefighter for the city and Mequi continued his work as a therapist for homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgender there in the city. They both retired within two years of each other and settled down perfectly fine in their cozy home.
Mequi died at the age of eighty-nine, but Chance lived on another twenty years, dying at the age ninety-nine. Even then, they were never apart since Chance always carried Mequi’s ashes with him those remaining twenty years of his life. They were buried underneath a dogwood tree facing the Pacific Ocean, but only to point them towards Japan and the family that they had there. They never left each other’s side during all seventy-three years that they had known each other.
In the end, it was merely a love story that no one else in the world would ever have excepted, but a love story of the truest and purest kind nevertheless.
They were truly in love.