Chapter Two: Before You Know

Although Colin's and Nathan's first date didn't end up with kiss, they had so much fun together. Colin's idea was to hike around a castle Farwall which was surrounded by lake and hills from where was such a beautiful view. A bit of a challenge for both because they were sweating like prostitutes in church and—of course—the wanted to impress each other. Nathan's cologne gave up after the first hill. Sun was brightly shining, and the temperature did rise a bit higher than expected. Colin's once heard on a gay podcast that if a guy doesn't like your smell, then what are you doing with him?

"Nathan Nr. 5 Smell," Colin joked as Nathan apologized but he didn't mind. On the contrary, he was kind of turned on. Just jump in the lake and make love on the warming stones, he lost himself in his head for a second. Nathan wasn't like any other guy. For Colin, he was someone whom he never got to know. The type of a guy who does not talk highly about himself, who is not afraid to talk about his experience—mostly calling his past relationships a lessons and experiences and not mistakes. That would be a bit of a red flag because it means he is in a victim mode. No. Nothing like this happened.

Nathan admitted that he was always the one who cared much than he needed to. As his relationships progressed, he was losing himself more and more each day and, in the end, he was lost. Got into a hermit mode—party, alcohol and endless sex with strangers until he realized that he marked himself as a victim. It took him nearly a year to get out of this state. Colin—surprisingly—was the same. He was in a victim mode as well for a while before he moved in the city. They both have had a very hard lessons in the past, but it was all behind. Far away from the present.

It took only a one hike to know that he is "The One". Only a few minutes and they could marry each other. Nathan was surprised because he never dated a guy with dark hair and beard. He always loved green eyes, but Colin's blue ones were enchanting. He never got tired of looking into them and see his soul. It was a miracle that they didn't kiss each other. The chemistry was damn high.

"No," Colin said to himself because he would throw himself at him. He was kind of shy because on his blue t-shirt was a map of sweat and he smelled a bit too. Nathan loved it. It was so natural all day long, like they were best friends from childhood. They made a selfie standing next to each other. Nathan put his arm around Colin and made a "V" gesture with his fingers.

Time was running fast. The whole day felt like an hour and in the evening, they hugged each other's sweat bodies and went home. Nathan was talking to his roommate, Jeff, about Colin.

"Bro, don't overthink it. You're talking about him like he is an…"

"Angel, you think?" said Nathan pouring a glass of evening protein shake.

"No! Like you wanted to marry him the very next day."

"I never felt this way about a guy. It is a very strange feeling. So calm, you know. Like…Like…" he lost himself in trying to describe his feelings. He was not even able to focus on Jeff's talking about his challenging day at Five Runners—a camp by the lake Mollin where Nathan met his ex-boyfriend during the competition which took place each year on last weekend in September.

Colin's parents were worried about him because his mother sensed some strange feelings from him. The Beyond showed her in her dreams last night and she took a limo the next day to visit her son.

"No way, mother," said Colin when he spotted her in the hallway when he got home from work.

"I didn't even say anything, and you immediately get angry with me, Colin!"

"Because I already know what you wanna say to me." Colin unlocked the loft and let her in first. "Colin, make your home look more like home. Colin, please, leave this horrible city and come back to Mansion. Colin—"

"Okay, I get it."

"No, you don't, mom." He sounded desperate. "Every time you guys visit. It is all the same again… And I am tired of that."

"That's not why I am here today," she put her leather jacket off and threw it on a dark blue sofa. "I had a dream from The Beyond."

"Oh," Colin was surprised to hear that. She didn't talk too much about The Beyond with him. "So, what did it showed you?"

"A strange feeling. Very strange feeling of something I can't even describe. It scares me because it was about you. You felt that way lately…"

Colin knew exactly what she was talking about. His feeling about Nathan. He was confused she didn't recognize these feelings. He thought she must have felt this way about his dad but eventually she hasn't. He did not want to ask her now because she was upset.

"You're right. I have felt this way lately." He admitted. "I met someone. A guy. Really incredible guy. His name is Nathan."

"Really?"

"Yeah." He smiled.

"I've heard that before, you know?" she seemed more upset now. "Remember your last boyfriend who was 'The One' and was also 'Incredible'?"

"Yeah, mom. I remember Matt."

"So…?"

"So what?"

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" she was concerned about not letting him break his soul again. "Those days—"

"—are gone now. Mom, I really feel good about him. It was something I never experienced before; you know? My heart was not racing in his presence. I felt calm all the time. I also asked myself if I even feel something and I really felt that, but it was not intense like before. It was like meeting a best friend I never have."

"Does he make you happy?" she asked, almost giving up on convincing him not to date a "big city man". Colin was in his thirties, but his mother never saw him that way. He was still her little boy who conjured a snowfall in the summer made trees grow in the autumn and could melt a snowman with his mind.

"I was happy without him and now I get to share those feelings with him. That's what's beautiful." He answered with confidence.

Her heart skipped all the sudden. The person in front of her wasn't her little boy, he was a man. The city really changed him. It evolved him into a grown man, but she could not shake the feeling of Nathan's rejection when he discovers Colin's abilities—if he discovers them.

"Just trust me, mother. Like I trust myself."

She was amazed. Her brown eyes were filling with tears of joy. She has not felt it in a while. Last time she cried over Colin was when she found him drunk as fuck lying in a dark alley in downtown near the Mansion. It happened a few days after his breakup with Matt.

"When I saw you in the dark alley back then—"

"That is an ancient history, mom. I am better now. Far better," his smile widened as he poured a glass of protein shake.

"How can you drink that in the evening," she smirked. She never understood this gym lifestyle. She was more like a potion witch. Colin was not.

"I love it. Vanilla flavor. You should try it."

"No, thanks. But there is another thing you should consider, babe." She changed subject back to his dating.

"Magic. I know, mom."

"You know that people don't understand this matter. He might resent you."

"Maybe…. Maybe not."

"You'll be heartbroken again."

"Or happier than ever when he accepts it."

"You don't know that."

"Right, I don't, because when haven't got a chance to get to know each other more, yet. That's why I am not trying to overthink it."

Colin's phone beeped. A message from Nathan.

Hey, handsome. How was your day? Got some news here. A few months ago, I purchased two tickets to another Post Malone concert. I wanted to take my roommate with me, but lately I met this beautiful stranger, and I was wondering if he was interested in a second date…?

"Oh God. You fell for him." Colin's mother rolled her eyes when she spotted her son's "in love" expression on his face. Without a hesitation he showed her the message. She's got soften a bit reading between the lines that Nathan's intention were pure and clear. He didn't play any games and was not going to but still… Like Colin, his mother was also traumatized by his past relationships. Seeing him while his heart is broken was something she never wanted for any of her children.

"This might be beautiful and sweet but you know how it usually ends…"

"I know, mom. But if I don't risk it all, how can I find out if he is The One?"

She was very concerned now. Hearing these risky words coming from his mouths gives her chills all over her spine. "I can't conjure spirits to make you do things that I want—"

"Yeah, and thanks to The Beyond for that."

"Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt again." Her last words before she hugged him a left the Loft. Colin lied on the couch and started typing.

Colin: Love to say handsome day but the end of it was with my mother concerned and tryin' to make me see that city life and dating here is the bad news for me.

Nathan: Like really? No kiddin'? How do u feel bout that? Did she mean datin in general or dating me?"

Colin: Sadly both. But she has to get used to it. Got her almost a year to get over me moving in here. My life, my choices.

Nathan: Sorry to hear that. My mom was thrilled when I said I wanna move here. My dad, on the other hand, was not. He was also concerned and worried. Not that I get hurt or somethin' but that I live too far from them.

Colin: Yeah. Dad is on the same page as mom. But that's not my problem. I love it here. And about the concert…

Nathan: You mean "second date"? 😊

Colin: Yeah! Lokin' forward to that. I love Post Malone.

Nathan: I know. Still remember from the hike. 😊

Colin: Soo… Imma grab some food. How was your day?

Nathan: Bumped my knee while I was not sure whether you'd like to go on a second date with me and now it hurts ☹

Colin: Oh… Now you know that overthinking and hesitating beats you in the chest. In your case, in the knee.

Nathan: Got the lesson. Although my day was sweaty and challengin', it was also good. Tell you more before on Friday. Imma also grab some food and jump into bed.

Colin: Cant wait to hear more bout tht. 😊

Nathan: Good Night, handsome! 😊

Colin: Good Night, stranger! 😊

So that was that. Their first 'Good Night' which was followed by 'Good Morning' the very next day. For a moment Nathan forgot what day was and where he works. Didn't know how that happened. Maybe his hungover body from last night gym. Concert was in two days and that meant for Nathan to rest his body and mind. Mostly not trying to freak out about the second date like it happened in the past relationship. He thought about it and he never like to compare but this time he did it.

He never felt so calm in a presence of a guy he was very attracted to. Usually, his heart raced or he got shivers but this time—with Colin—he didn't feel anything of that. Sometimes he got confused whether Colin is the right person to date when he does not feel any intense emotions.

Colin felt the same. Nathan was very hot and smart. He was being himself with him—without magic—and really happy. Doesn't matter what the Internet said or dating couches on Youtube recommended, they were a hundred percent IN from the start.

Post Malone concert was in Pop Arena in Fortune Avenue. The two men met at the Diner near the subway—greeting each other with a warm hug, no kiss—chatted for a bit about their day and tried a big pork steak which was on the menu that day called 'The Friday challenge dinner'. With their hunger needs met they got to the subway. Nathan first idea was to take an uber but after the steak it would be great to move a bit to ease the feeling in their stomach.

The subway was a very good idea because the traffic in the city got to a point where there was no movement at all. Uber choice would be bad in the end. It was warm night and the long queue to the concert gave them time to discover more things about each other. With chatting and laughing the queue moved quickly. The got to know one couple where a woman called Kitty and her fiancé Matthew asked them how long they are together and they were shocked when the answer was: "This is our second date."

Kitty was a bit drunk and Matthew was getting there as well. They all had fun and exchanged contacts because these two loved hiking too. The idea of double date flew around but Colin and Nathan wanted to spent the concert with only the two of them. They were absolutely excited about that. Colin would name the date "Melodic Tension".

The air inside the concert venue was electric, pulsating with the bass notes of Post Malone's hit song, "Enough is Enough". Colin and Nathan stood side by side, their bodies swaying to the rhythm, caught in the collective euphoria of the crowd. The stage lights painted their faces in hues of indigo and crimson, casting shadows that danced across their features.

Colin's heart smiled as he stole glances at Nathan. The way Nathan's eyes sparkled in the dimness, the curve of his lips when he sang along—it all felt like a symphony building to a crescendo. Nathan hand brushed against Colin's. He wondered if Nathan could feel the smile in his heart.

As the chorus of "Enough Is Enough" began, Nathan turned toward Colin. Their gazes locked, and time seemed to stretch. The lyrics echoed on the air, a plea for something more, something beyond the ordinary. Colin's breath hitched, and he leaned in, drawn by the gravitational pull of desire.

Nathan's lips were soft, warm, and tasted of anticipation. The music swirled around them, cocooning them in its magic. Colin's fingers threaded through Nathan's blonde hair, pulling him closer. The crowd faded into the background, leaving only the two of them—a universe of longing and possibility.

Their kiss was a collision of pent-up emotions, a release of everything unsaid. It was the promise of late-night conversations and stolen glances, of tangled limbs and whispered secrets, of endless hikes and mountains adventures. Colin's heart soared as Nathan's mouth moved against his, each touch imprinting itself on his soul. The taste of these kisses was something neither of them ever experienced. It was so right and warm. Both of them met guys who weren't good at kissing. This time it was enchanting.

And then, as the final notes of the song hung in the air, they broke apart, smiling. Nathan's eyes held a question, a vulnerability that mirrored Colin's own. The world outside ceased to exist; there was only this moment, this shared heartbeat. Colin tasted the sweetness of a song on Nathan's lips—a melody that would forever bind them. The crowd erupted in applause, but they heard none of it.

They only knew that they had found something extraordinary amidst the pulsing bass and flashing lights—a love that defied the ordinary, a kiss that resonated with the rhythm of their souls.

They very much enjoyed the rest of the concert and took a late-night walk, spending a great amount of the night together. Mostly kissing on the corner of each street. Where was the idea of taking things slow now? Still in the air. They both knew that this was something special than in the past. That's why they wanted to take it slow. But one thing was still hanging onto their future. Colin's magical control of four natural elements. They separated ways at 4am and each of them headed home.

They texted each other after they got home and went to sleep. The next day they were pretty physically tired but neither of them minded. After this weekend Colin got worried about Nathan's reaction to his magic. He didn't want to lie to him—especially after their first kiss which deepened their interest in each other. An overthinking pattern took over him and he wanted to discuss it with his older brother but he wasn't around since last autumn.

Despite liking Nathan more and more, he had to take the risk and reveal it about himself to see whether Nathan is 'The One'. He never took advice from a Youtube video but this time he heard someone saying: "If they are 'The One', they'll come back." But Colin didn't want to lose him in the first place, but also didn't want to hide his true self. The day was Tuesday when—on another date—Colin said with a sad expression on his face: "I need to tell you something."