Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 2

arm around his waist, feeling his own heart break at the look of loss on Cory's face.
    TJ kept his arms wrapped around Cory as Kat took the stage and began to speak in a thin and shaky tone so different from her usual speaking voice. It was obvious she was barely holding it together. TJ started to rub soothing circles on Cory's back as Kat shared memories of Ben and Pierre.
    Cory began to sob quietly when Kat said, "Outside we planted two beautiful Hawthorn trees in memory of the two men who gave to this community unconditionally. It's a lot to take in, a lot to get used to— Ben and Pierre gone. But we've all gained so much from them. We watched two men live and live and live and live at full intensity— take important risks and follow their dreams— and then suddenly leave us. It's so easy to get caught up in the tragedy part of it, without seeing the gifts of living life. We were part of the lives of two men who lived so intensely, so fully, and so engaged— and that's what I want us to remember."
    TJ was glad he'd come. Cory sagged against his side, burying his face in TJ's neck. It was obvious he couldn't have handled this alone. Cory's grief was palpable. TJ felt he could understand it even better now, looking at the beautiful images on the screen and taking in the hundreds of grieving people around the room. As Kat wound her poignant words to a close, he found himself wanting to weep, too, and he'd never met these men.
    A young couple took the stage, and played the first strains of Elton John's "Your Song." The girl had a crystal, clear voice that blended seamlessly with the boy's. All around them voices began to join in. TJ felt his own sadness swell and then float away with the sound. He began to rock Cory gently to the music. It seemed to calm him. TJ joined his voice with the others singing in Cory's ear about the sweetest eyes he'd ever seen. Cory looked up at him through his tears and gently smiled. TJ felt his heart expand in his chest as Cory put his head back on TJ's shoulder and joined the singing.
    When the song ended, everyone broke into applause. Then, they began cheering as if giving Ben and Pierre a standing ovation. TJ couldn't help but laugh. It was like a giddy wave was bursting the bubble of sadness. If the stories told today were correct, these two men would appreciate this moment so much more than the weeping. As the thought crossed his mind, "We Are Family" by Sister Sledge pumped out of the speakers. It was some sort of trance mix the young DJ on the stage had chosen. The lights dimmed, and rainbow lanterns suddenly glowed around the room. The images on the screen switched to show Pierre and Ben laughing and dancing with their friends. A disco ball turned on and colored lights began to spiral around them. The crowd let out another cheer and everyone started to dance. It was an amazing wave, a strange and fantastic change from grief to unbridled joy within seconds. TJ stood astounded, taking it in. Everyone around him, no matter what age, or race, allowed themselves to be carried away.
    Cory grabbed a fist full of his shirt and pulled him into a salty, hot kiss. Then he pressed his full body against TJ's and ground his hips once. TJ laughed, feeling the bubble of joy he couldn't explain expand around him. He didn't have a choice. He let the music carry him, too.
    ****
    Blissfully sweaty, Cory felt happier than he could remember being in weeks. Somewhere in the hazy fog of adrenaline, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Ben was here, helping him move through the grief and find the joy in living. It was uncanny how much he felt his friend's presence as he moved his body to the beat.
    He looked at TJ, who had taken his glasses off and put them into his shirt pocket. His hair was plastered to his scalp and his eyes were closed. His full, luscious mouth was parted. They'd been dancing for hours. The crowd had thinned out to mostly the older kids and adults, now, but there was still a large group of dancers around them. TJ was happily grinding his pelvis against Cory's in time to the throbbing beat. Cory ran his hands into the back pockets of TJ's damp khakis and gave his ass a squeeze. TJ opened his eyes, giving him a smoldering look from under long, dark lashes.
    Cory reached up and pulled his head down. Into his ear, he said, "Take me to bed, Dr. Delicious, or lose me forever."
    TJ laughed and took him by the hand, practically dragging him off the dance floor. He didn't stop to put