Part 2: Chapter 52

                                    

                                          





Chapter 52: Brothers-In-Law


At eight o'clock at night, the plaza was lit up. Neon signs bathed Chris in blue, purple, and pink lights as he stepped out of his car. It was dark out but, like the numerous others he saw bustling down the street, Chris's night was just getting started. It took him a bit of time to navigate through the vibrant storefronts but the sight of a tall young man with curly hair tied back in a ponytail let him know that he was at the right place.
"Santiago, hey."
The younger Hispanic man looked up from his phone, lips stretching out into a smile as he reached out his right hand. The handshake was a bit formal but they knew both too much and not enough about the person standing in front of them. Chris had seen him around over the months, usually less than five feet away from Clark, but never had the chance to speak to him one-on-one.
"You and Clark have been together for a while, I'm assuming," Chris said after a few minutes of pleasantries. "Ethan and the Tylers seem pretty comfortable with you."
"That's nice to think about," Santiago chuckled, looking down at his hands shyly at the thought. "Yeah, it has been a while, well over a year. But I could say the same about you."
Chris was momentarily surprised by the turn of conversation, before realizing how their relationship must have looked to someone like Santiago.
"Yeah, I guess so. But that's because we all went to high school together," Chris explained with a nostalgic smile. "We were like you, Clark, the twins, and Mason back in the day."
"I guess our relationships worked out similarly too." Santiago agreed. "A lot of gay all in one family."
That got Chris cracking up and Santiago wore a self-satisfied smile. He tried not to let Clark know but he was nervous about meeting Chris. The guy was sort of a legend among their mutual friends. Everyone adored him and Santi's biggest fear was pissing off the guy that seemed to hold so much influence. But one-on-one, Chris seemed just as kind and down to earth as everyone said.
"You know, even though they're not related, Ethan and Clark are like family," Chris began, watching as Santiago nodded in agreement. "So that makes us brothers-in-law."
"Brothers-in-law, huh?" Santiago chuckled, covering his mouth to try to hide his smile. "That sounds alright. Very hetero."
"In a good way, though," Chris tagged on, smiling widely.
"In a good way."
Coming to the entrance of the karaoke place, Ethan was surprised to see Chris and Santiago seeming so cozy. Santiago had his phone pulled up and the two huddled together to watch the screen, laughing at whatever they saw there. Santiago noticed them first, his eyes lighting up as he handed the phone to Chris before jogging to snag Clark into a hug.
"Gosh, this is quite the welcome," Clark laughed, his words muffled by the fabric of Santiago's jacket. 
"Sorry. Chris and I were just talking and- never mind," He said, shaking his head softly. "It's good to see you."
Before Ethan had to watch any more of their PDA, he walked over to his own boyfriend. Chris smiled softly at the sight of him and brought his head down to give Ethan a small peck. 
"Hi."
"Hi."
Ethan took Chris's hand and turned to face the younger couple. 
"Alright guys, let's go inside."
Stepping inside the karaoke bar was like entering a luxe hotel. Marble-tiled floors, gold-rimmed counters, and shiny black walls made Chris feel sorely underdressed. Two TVs hung in the far corners of the room played some music videos, lyrics coming across the screen as if it were karaoke. Karaoke never used to be like this when Chris was young. Maybe he really was getting old.