It's been a week since their encounter at Roy's house. They both used to exchange a couple of texts everyday, nothing heavy, just the mundane things. Both of them were busy at their jobs and they knew they both needed time off to think where this is headed.
Tomas felt suffocated in the prison he made for himself. Of fame, family, pride and other things he couldn't describe. He wanted to share this to someone, but he was scared of the reaction.
On a Friday evening, he asked to meet Luna. Judging by the tone of his voice, Luna could figure this was some something serious. She also had noticed Tomas's variable mood in the past couple of months and how he had been acting distant and depressed even though she decided not to pry much. She thought it must have been something with Angel as she had been seeing in the news.
Upon reaching his house, she saw Tomas comfortably sitting in his pyjamas. He looked relaxed and calm sipping on a glass of vine listening to somber music. This scared Luna a little as he used to do this every time he had to do something rebellious. The last time she saw him do this was even he decided to become an actor. It was a few disastrous months that followed with uncomfortable family meetings, Tomas living on his own at some shabby apartments as he had been kicked out, him moving to his father's house in France before grandfather decided to call him back and let him act.
Seeing her, Tomas slowly walked up and hugged her, retreating to the open kitchen and bringing a wine glass from one of the shelves. He also brought out a cheese platter and placed it on the coffee table beside the bean bag he collapsed in to.
She slowly made her seat beside him, in a comfortable arm chair and sipped on the vine he served.
She slowly looked at him, he didn't seem to notice.
"What's up baby bro? You seem pensive!"
"Who da baby? You are not older than me", he scrunched his nose replying to her.
"Okay, okay", she raised both her hands in defence chuckling to herself and reminding him she is a few months older than him.
"So, tell me, same age bro, what's up?"
"Hmm.. nothing.. I think.. I just wanted to meet you. Can't I ask to see my same age sis"? He replied smirking while edging closer to her.
"How is the guy meeting thing going on?", Tomas enquired.
"Haven't I told you I met this guy? I am seeing him now. I mean we are not technically dating or anything as such. But we are hanging out as friends. He is also in a similar situation like mine. So we both decided to "sorta" date in front of our parent's eyes and be friends."
"That's a good strategy." Uhm.. he paused for a while contemplating whether he should ask or not.
Sensing Tomas fidgeting, Luna said calmly,
"Max already moved abroad. We text sometimes. They both know about each other. I think Max could settle abroad in an year, if I still cannot bear to be without him, I could "break up" with Rohan and join Max in Australia. Rohan is super cool with it, by the way. So I don't have to feel guilty. He also needed sometime after his break up with his ex, I am the perfect diversion from his parents."
"Rohan seems cool. May be we could all hang out someday. That obviously would be a plus in Papi's eyes."
"Oh yes, definitely. I am sure you will like him."
"How about tomorrow?", Tomas didn't know why he was in such a hurry to meet Rohan. He was free in the weekends and wanted to keep himself occupied. He was scared of himself ending up at Roy's house when he wasn't so sure how to figure things out as he had promised Roy.
"Cool, I just asked Rohan. Do you wanna meet for dinner?"
"How about a movie?", Tomas responded.
"What are we? Kids?", Luna smirked at him trying to be funny.
Tomas rolled his eyes before responding, "come on! Let's just go for a movie. Dinners are boring and old people like. We can go for movies and may be bowling or something like that. I am tired of doing the adult shit", Tomas looked at her with the puppy face.
"Okay, okay, deal. Now who is the baby?"
Tomas rolled his eyes at her and poured another glass of wine for the both of them.
"Rohan says cool. It had been long since he went to the movies apparently. He is asking if he can bring along a friend."
"Yes, cool. Why not?"
Luna got up and sat comfortably beside her brother. She slowly placed her head on his chest silently, sipping the wine in between. Tomas made space for his sister and wrapped his free hand around her shoulders, keeping her closer.
"So, what chaos are you planning to create this time?", Luna asked, now on her third glass of wine.
Tomas probably on his 5th or 6th. He had slightly started getting high, Luna could figure. That meant he was sorta brewing up courage to speak to her by getting drunk. He used to do this whenever he had to deliver uncomfortable news.
"Uhmm. I will tell you. Promise you won't judge me or scold me before I begin, okay?"
She rolled her eyes while extending her pinky to Tomas's pinky and swore "Pinky promise" chuckling.
"Do you want to hear from the beginning?"
"Should I bring popcorn?", she asked raising one of her eyebrows staring up at Tomas.
"Dude, no! Be serious".
"Okay, I am serious now, start", Luna crossed her arms taking a sip from the wine glass.
"It started some months back. You remember my last movie with Angel?"
" Yes, Is this about Angel?" Luna asked rolling her eyes.
"No, it's not. Listen, will you?"
"Okay, listening!", Luna said pursing her lips and pouring another glass for the both of them.
"I met this person. I mean they were one of the Assistant writers of the movie. In the beginning, I never really paid attention to them. I would see them around, they were shy and wouldn't talk to me or anything. They were clumsy, so I would just see them running around destroying things. Their antics always used to make me laugh, but we never talked. On the end of the shoot, while we were out celebrating, I met them again, this time we talked. Even though we talked for 5-10 minutes, I felt really close to them."
Tomas took a break sipping the wine, Luna didn't want to stop the flow of the story, so she just drew circles on his hand urging him to continue the story while trying to soothe him a little bit.
"I met them again at a few other occasions. All of these exchanges lasting only a few minutes. Then.. you remember my friend's cafe I usually go to?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I met them again at his cafe and this time they were with their partner. I don't know why, I felt angry a little bit, and I decided to make friends with them." He took a brief pause to sip on some wine.
"Then we met again as I asked them to meet me at the cafe, I don't know, I asked for no reason, then, they got angry at something I said. Even though we talked normally afterwards, I felt something was off."
"Are you worried about that? I think you like her. May be that's why you felt bad."
"No. I mean, there is more."
"Then I haven't met them for a while. They didn't respond to my messages and later I came to know they went on a backpacking trip of some sort for a few months. In those months, it had stopped bothering me too much, so I thought it were okay. I couldn't visit the cafe anymore, as I felt bringing a heaviness to my heart, which I didn't want to pay attention to."
Tomas took a brief pause sipping on his wine.
"A month or so back, I visited the cafe again and the waitress I knew told me they left their sunglasses at the cafe last time when we visited, so I suddenly felt like visiting them to drop off the sunglasses. When I met them again, they looked even more nice, I meant, I sorta realised I had feelings for them then."
Luna looked up trying to see his expressions, but he still seemed composed.
" Then, they took me on this trip somewhere around, it was random, but I have never felt this happy before. When I spent time with them, I felt I was a child again, with dad and mom, when we were living together. I can't describe how I felt. It was like I was back at being a child, back at being carefree."
"Tomas, it's okay for you to like someone, you know that right? I mean, I know papi would create issues if she is poor and all, but you can stand up to them. I couldn't with Max. But you are more brave and stuff. You are also a man. Even though, I do not like it, the rules are different for the men and women of our family."
Luna spoke slowly, now staring at Tomas, holding her head on her elbows, lying down on the carpet beside him.
"Yes, I know that. After that day, I had to go meet them again. We were just hanging around at their house and I don't know, what came over me, I kissed them."
"Woah! That was fast. Did they reject you or something?"
"No, they didn't. They kissed me back too."
"Then what's wrong? Had you been moping around the past months because of this?"
"Wait.. you knew I was worried?"
"Of course, silly! You grew distant from us, we knew something was bothering you. Now, it's not that a big deal.", she paused smiling and nudging on his forehead.
"So you like someone. They like you apparently. Why don't you ask her out? I mean what's the big fuss. Is she poor?"
"No. They are not poor. I mean.. they are pretty rich. May not be as much as Papi. But still, rich."
Luna looked at him again, scrunching her nose.
"Dude, what the fuck? What's the issue? Is she married or something. Oh, yes, I remember, their partner was introduced."
"No, no they are not married.", that's when Tomas realised Roy still might have a girlfriend. They haven't talked about Jasmine yet. Tomas felt that sudden pain in his heart again.
"I mean, no, I think, they are not together, I think.", Tomas said still unsure of himself.
"Okay, I don't understand what the big fuss is. I can't believe I was worried all this while for your stupid thing."
"Luna, please listen completely."
"Okay, there is more? I wonder what the next big issue is, she has three eyes?.", Luna said annoyed at her brother, getting up from the seat and sitting back down at the couch.
Tomas didn't know what to say anymore.
"Luna, she is a boy."
"What????", she couldn't believe her ears. She spilled some of her wine, putting the wineglass back on the coffee table.
She didn't know what to say anymore. She held her head in her hands and she felt all the alcohol in her system vanishing.
When she looked up at Tomas, he was sitting there, with tears rolling down his cheeks. It was the first time he was explaining all this to someone and hearing himself say it all out loud, made all of this more real for him. He kept remembering Roy's face and their scary future together.
The siblings didn't speak another word to each other for a long time. Luna just stared at him and he looked down, tears rolling down from his eyes.
After Luna came into terms with the facts, she stood up and walked towards Tomas, embracing him and bringing him to her chest.
"It's okay, baby. Shh.. it's okay", she cooed in his ears trying to calm him down. He held on to her even more strongly, now the silent tears turning into slow whimpers.
Still holding him, Luna asked;
"Does this mean you are gay?"
"I don't know. I have never felt this way about anyone before. Girl or boy. I really don't know", Tomas muttered in between his whimpers.
"Hmm.. It's okay. We will figure out. Stop crying. You suddenly became gay does not mean you can be all whiny and emotional."
"That's sexist.", Tomas answered hiding the laughter it invoked.
"Okay, Mr. sudden Feminist, teach me.", Luna joined in on the laughter raising her hands.
"Now, if you can be a sweet heart and move from my chest, your head is too heavy for my humble bosom", Tomas laughed again knowing his sister's attempts to make him cheer.
"What are you planning to do, bro?"
"I don't know, I hoped you could help me."
"Baby, I don't know. We both know how it would affect Papi. It's just not about Papi, it would affect your career as well."
"I know. But I can't give up on him, Luna. He makes me feel alive. I feel I am the happiest when I am with him."
"Then, you have the answer. Go, be with him. He might be as confused as you are."
"I haven't really talked to him much after our kiss. I think I should meet him and discuss with him. I want to be with him. I will ask him to fight for us. Do you think he will be okay with it?"
"I don't know baby. I hope he will be. You don't have to be very public about it, you know how to handle press well."
"How about Papi?"
"We will cross that bridge when it's time."
"Hmm. Does that mean I might get two bros now?", "Yaay! Yaay! Luna exclaimed trying to sober the mood throwing her hands in the air.
"May be. I will talk to him later. I mean, I need a little more time to think."
"How long do you need?", Luna asked rolling her eyes at Tomas the umpteenth time today.
"In a week. I want to be really sure before I involve him in my mess."
"Cool boo", Luna replied giving him a kiss on the cheeks laying back on the comfort of his chest again.