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"Hey, isn’t that your professor Crowley, J.?"
It was noon, and since the weather was beautiful, the four friends had decided to buy some snacks and eat outside in the campus park instead of eating in the cafeteria.
Muriel and Eric were finishing their sandwiches while lying side by side on their stomachs, and Adam was enjoying his with his head resting on his boyfriend's lap. His boyfriend had set aside his sandwich because he was engrossed in an astronomy book.
Jesus looked up from his book and glanced in the direction Muriel was discreetly pointing. "That’s not my Professor Crowley. You know it’s him; ou guys came with us to the astronomy club."
Adam also turned his head in the same direction and exclaimed, "Oh, but he’s with someone! Do you think it’s his boyfriend or fiancé?"
Adam and Muriel finished the sentence together: "His husband!"
"I think, no, actually, I’m sure, they’re together."
Eric was the one who spoke up. They didn’t talk much, but they observed a lot.
"This isn't the first time I've seen them. I saw the blond guy waiting for Professor Crowley outside his classroom at noon.”
Muriel pressed a kiss to Eric's cheek.
"Aw, my beloved spy."
Eric laughed softly and shook their head. "The advantage of trying to blend in is that people ignore you, so you see a lot when they don’t notice you."
Muriel gently stroked their lover's cheek and said, "But you know you don't have to blend in with us, right?"
Eric rested their cheek in Muriel's hand and replied, "Yes, I know, but old habits die hard. When you're not with me, I tend to fall back into my old ways."
“So, you said you were sure they were together.”
Eric nodded.
"You know, when you’re not here, my favorite spot is the bench under the weeping willow."
All three of them nodded.
"Well, that was the case last week. Actually, they were...how should I put it...um...kissing."
"Shh! They're going to walk right past us!"
The four friends fell silent and watched discreetly as the two men walked by, not far from them.
Muriel gasped.
“I remember! I know the blond guy!”
Their three friends looked at them, their eyes wide.
"He works at the old Derek's bookshop. He used to come by from time to time, but now I think he works there all the time. He wouldn't remember me, of course, but I remember him. I was ten when I fell off my bike in front of the bookdhop, and he tended to my knee, gave me a piece of candy, and took me home."
"Small world!" Adam exclaimed.
Suddenly, Eric startled them. "I knew Professor Crowley looked familiar! Now that I see him with that man, I remember them. You’ve seen them before, too!”
The other three looked at Eric as if they had gone mad.
“I swear it's true!”
Eric nodded knowingly.
"It was a few months ago. The night Muriel and I decided to take charge of your love lives. You know, after we’d had enough of you two pining for each other for years without doing anything about it.”
Eric smirked and pointed at Adam and Jesus.
Muriel replied, "No wonder I don't remember it. I only had eyes for you, sweetie."
Now it was Adam and Jesus’s turn to snicker while Eric looked a little flustered.
Eric grumbled, "Still, Professor Crowley and the blond guy were both there, having dinner in the back of the pub. It looked like a first date.”
Muriel murmured dreamily, "They sure do look cute together."
The other three hummed in agreement as they watched the two men disappear behind the low branches of the weeping willow.
Adam said softly, "You know, it might sound silly, but when I see or know that people their age are together like that, it’s reassuring. It’s not always easy to be who we are. The four of us know that well. We’ve struggled at school and elsewhere.”
His three friends nodded in understanding.
Adam continued, "So knowing that..."
He couldn’t continue talking because his throat had tightened. Jesus leaned down and kissed his lover’s forehead, saying softly, “Yes, it feels good. It makes us feel brave and proud. To be who we are.”
The four of them understood each other better than anyone else because they had all sometimes had to stand up for who they were, whether at school, with friends, or with their families.
Their friendship had been forged by this adversity, which made it unbreakable. After sharing a knowing glance, they continued chatting quietly until the lunch break ended.
**********
Not far from there, under the weeping willow, Anthony and Asa were sitting on what had become their bench, sharing the meal Asa had brought, as had become their habit twice a week since that first time.
“Did you see the group of four students sitting on the ground that we passed earlier?”
Asa nodded, swallowed his last bite, and replied, "Yes, in fact, that's the same group that was walking in front of me the first time I came here."
Anthony took a big gulp of coffee.
"I have the two guys, Adam and Jesus, in my class. Since the Astronomy Club is open to everyone, they come with their two friends, Muriel and Eric, who are actually a couple. I really like them. All four of them.”
After putting away the leftovers from their meal and setting the bag on the ground, Asa took his lover’s hand and intertwined their fingers. He asked gently, “Is there a particular reason you have this special affection for them? I sense some emotion in your voice.”
Anthony nodded.
"The astronomy club has about 15 members. On the first night, I asked everyone to introduce themselves briefly. Adam and Jesus introduced themselves and didn’t hide the fact that they were together. Muriel and Eric, their friend, were the last ones to introduce themselves. They both said their first names and that their pronouns were they/them. Two other students who hadn’t dared to do so added that to their introductions as well.”
Asa nodded and said in a tone of wonder, "Isn't that brave?"
"Yes, so much so." Anthony couldn't hide how amazed he was and continued, "You know that's my philosophy, don't you? To live without censure or apology. Seeing them so proud of who they are made me realize that even though there's still a long way to go, there's hope. Things are changing."
Asa smiled tenderly at his lover, leaned forward, and pressed a light kiss on his lips. Then he said gently, "That's true. You’re also here to help future generations live without censure or apology. Just as you’ve helped me.”
"I didn't do anything special," Anthony protested, shaking his head.
"You accept anyone who comes to you without judgment," Asa replied softly. "You don't think it's special, but to the person who benefits from it, it's huge."
He pressed another kiss to Anthony’s lips, but when he tried to pull away, Anthony wrapped his arm around his neck to deepen the kiss.
When they parted to catch their breath, Anthony glanced at his watch and said disappointedly, "I'm sorry, it's almost time for class to start again."
Asa gently stroked his cheek with his fingertips and said softly, "Don't be disappointed. We'll see each other again tonight."
They grabbed their bags and stepped out from under the weeping willow tree.
They were about to go their separate ways as usual when Anthony changed his mind. He grabbed Asa by the sleeve and asked, "Would you mind walking with me to my classroom?"
Saying this, he held out his hand to Asa.
Asa immediately understood his lover’s intentions. Smiling knowingly, he placed his hand in Anthony’s. They intertwined their fingers and began walking hand in hand toward the building where Anthony’s classroom was located.
They passed by the group of four friends again as they were getting up. Anthony looked at them, winked, and kept walking.
"Wow!"
"Yeah, did you see that?"
"So cool!"
Asa squeezed Anthony’s hand tighter, brought it to his lips, brushed his knuckles with a kiss, and said softly, "Without censure or apology."
Anthony nodded and repeated, "without censure or apology."