The Temple of Heaven

by Z. Allora

Jordon didn’t need much of a memory to recall the shit Andrew had put Zack through, even though the guy had tried to make up for the years of stupidity between them. Hell, he even collared Zack. But there was a part of Jordon that would always hate Andrew for the agony he’d caused his brother.

  Hugging him back, Jordon whispered, “You survived… and Tian Di is much less of an asshole than—”

  Out of some misplaced duty, Zack smacked Jordon in the back of the head.

  Jordon cuffed him back and ducked away. He was an adult, but some things learned early in life didn’t change with Adulting 101. Zack whacked him. Jordon hit back.

  Zack placed his hands on his hips. “I can’t help but feel this relationship is too quick.”

  Shrugging, Jordon repeated Robin’s words to him, “Love doesn’t go by any clock.”

  “But—”

  “In some ways, I’ve known him forever. We click. He understands me. I have to see where this goes. I don’t want any regrets.” If blunt honesty didn’t penetrate Zack’s overprotection, nothing would.

  Zack inhaled quick. Direct hit. Andrew had made decisions for Zack under the guise of not wanting him to regret committing too young, and they both wound up regretting the years they weren’t together.

  “He’s good to you?” Zack studied Jordon.

  “Very good. He loves me. I just want to spend time with him, and I miss him when we’re not together… like part of me is missing.”

  Zack sighed. “I guess I should get to know him better.”

  “You should. He’s a great—” What in the Mother of Monet was Zack thinking?

  Zack pulled out two strips of condoms from his back pockets. “Glow in the dark, ribbed and lubed—”

  Jordon was one part horrified, one part thrilled. This was Zack’s attempt at a blessing. Should he fill him in there wouldn’t be much fucking, if any? Which could be the end of things…. “Um, thank you… that’s a lot of condoms… how exactly do you intend on getting to know him?”

  Zack snorted. “Nice. But seriously, has he been tested?”

  “We haven’t—”

  Zack held up his hand. “Before you do, you need to.”

  Funny how everyone just assumed anal had to be part of the deal. Well, for most guys, it probably was.

  Chapter 14

  “WELL, THAT took longer than expected.” The gauntlet of Japanese customs had mentally drained Tian Di. Standing in line gave him a flashback of waiting outside his father’s office until he was buzzed in. Once when he was twelve, his father had forgotten all about him, and Tian Di had been left there for half a day.

  “Compared to my last commercial flight, this was easy. Let’s get SIM cards.” Jordon shepherded Tian Di to an airport shop. Even though Tian Di was there as a translator, he could tell Jordon had something to prove. With hand gestures and pointing, Jordon was able to purchase two SIM cards all on his own.

  A warm feeling bloomed in the center of his chest as Jordon took care of him. Tian Di happily handed his cell to his boyfriend.

  Jordon opened Tian Di’s phone, popped out the SIM card, and put in a Japanese one. He did the same to his own phone, then stowed their original SIM cards in a little baggie he had ready.

  Accepting his phone back, Tian Di gave a slight bow. “Arigatou gozaimasu.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jordon grinned and returned the bow. “Let me just text my brothers and Gwen to say we arrived.”

  “Sure.” Tian Di texted his band and his sister to let them know he’d landed.

  Since they only had carry-on, Tian Di started to head straight for the taxi queue, but Jordon pointed out a man with a “Mr. Davis” sign and the publishing house logo.

  “Welcome to Japan. I’ll take you to the Prince Hotel. The publishing dinner is at 8:00 p.m. tonight.” The driver took the luggage and directed them to an underground parking lot.

  Jordon grinned as he slid into the back of a town car. “Swanky, and all for us.”

  Tian Di pushed in close to Jordon. “You deserve it.”

  On the sly, Jordon slipped his hand into Tian Di’s and squeezed. “I doubt that, but this is uber cool nonetheless.”

  Leaning in, Tian Di whispered, “Being with you makes my face hurt from smiling so much.”

  Jordon grinned. “Me too.”

  Tian Di rubbed their palms together. The contact seemed to ease Jordon, allowing him to relax against the seat.

  The car zoomed past the skyscrapers, shops, apartment complexes, and people. Tian Di had been to Japan a few times but always forgot how underdressed he felt with everyone in suits and ties. He was glad that, before they left Suzhou, Indigo had reminded the band to always pack their suits, just in case they needed them for any leg of the tour.

  The driver carried their bags to the bell desk.

  Jordon gave the woman at the front desk his passport.

  She stared at the name, checked the computer screen, and then called over someone else.

  The newcomer said, “Excuse, Mr. Davis, I’m sorry. But this reservation is for Zack Davis.”

  Tian Di stared at him.

  “Oh, right. I think the name my publisher had on some of my files is incorrect.” Jordon pulled out the invitation letter with all the information.

  The driver made a call and handed over the cell phone to one of the hotel staff. Within a minute of nodding, he returned the phone and turned to Jordon. “I’m terribly sorry. Here’s your room key, Mr. Davis.”

  Tian Di didn’t mention he’d be staying with Jordon, to avoid the hotel changing them to a room with two beds.

  Jordon palmed some bills and passed the tip when he shook the driver’s hand.

  The driver denied the money twice before accepting and departing.

  “Why did they have your brother’s name on the reservation?”

  Jordon shrugged and followed the bellhop pushing their luggage on a cart. “I was young when I submitted my work. When they accepted it, I panicked. I wanted to be taken seriously so sent a picture of Zack’s driver’s license and a blurry picture of my passport.”

  “So they would think you were older?”

  “Yeah, I never thought it would matter. I had a pseudonym. Dumb, though I thought the accountant who does the Japanese taxes for me had fixed the issue that first year, but I guess not everyone was made aware of the correction.”

  “I’m sure you’re not the first.” Tian Di followed Jordon and the bellhop into the hotel room.

  The room wasn’t much more than a bed, small desk with a chair in the corner, and a tiny white bathroom. Everything appeared clean. Showering might not be as much fun as it usually was, because the stall didn’t look like two people could fit.

  The bellhop unloaded the cart, setting their baggage on the well-used suitcase bench. He opened the nondescript yellow blackout drapes and explained in Japanese how the air system and lights worked only when the room keycard was inserted in the slot near the door. Then he demonstrated, and all the lights in the room came on.

  Tian Di went around the tiny room turning off the excess lights. The window let in enough to fill the area.

  Jordon trailed to the door with the bellhop and tipped him.

  As soon as the door shut, Jordon stepped into his embrace.

  Tian Di kissed him on the mouth. That was better. “Not touching you is hard.”

  “I know.” Jordon melted into him.

  “Do you want to check out Otome Road?” Tian Di suggested, although putting the bed to use was an appealing option as well.

  Jordon popped his shoulder off of Tian Di’s shoulder and stared at him. “The center of the yaoi universe. Hell to the yes!”

  “This hotel is right in the heart of the Ikebukuro district.” Tian Di opened Google Maps. “The Animate store is the start of the land of yaoi.”

  “Let’s go.” Jordon dragged Tian Di out of the room and into the elevator.

  People strode down the street with purpose.

  Jordon smiled at him. “No
w this is a pace I understand.”

  They jumped into the pedestrian parade and headed toward paradise. “Hong Kong moves more like this too. Quicker than Suzhou.”

  Jordon pointed to a café across the street. “What’s that?”

  “A Danso café. Women dress up as bishie boys.”

  “Interesting. I need to send this to Gwen.” Jordon snapped a picture, typed something, and sent the text to Gwen.

  Blip.

  She texted back, and Jordon held the phone out for Tian Di to read. I wonder how many of those servers are actually transmen?

  “What does she mean?” Tian Di’s question fell out of his mouth, but he was with Jordon, so questions were okay. It was liberating to have someone who didn’t see questions as problems.

  “Transman is short for someone who was assigned female at birth but whose gender identity is male.”

  “What do you mean assigned?”

  “Doctors can only try to identify body parts; they can’t know gender identity.” Jordon gestured below his waist and then pointed to his head.

  “Try to?”

  Jordon continued, “Yes. Did you know about one out of two thousand babies are born with genitals that aren’t typical? Surgery used to happen sometimes without even telling the parents. Now, many parents choose not to have the surgery performed on their babies.”

  Tian Di had heard of a word to describe this. “Inter… the word is trapped between languages.”

  “Intersex,” Jordon supplied.

  Nodding, Tian Di continued, “Yes. Intersex. That’s the word…. In Hong Kong, we have a pink season, which is supposed to celebrate and promote understanding of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. It’s an uphill battle because many people, like my mother, refuse to admit we exist.”

  Jordon leaned into Tian Di for a few steps. “I’m sorry. I know how shitty that feels.”

  Tian Di no longer felt isolated. “Yeah. I will say, as much as Indigo bugs me, living with him and the rest of the guys has been good for me. And now I have you, and well….”

  “You totally do.” Jordon sighed. “But it’s still painful that I can’t hold your hand right now without causing a stir. I guess, from what I understand, Japan is starting to have a better understanding of gay and lesbian people. Gwen said they did pass a law that allows people to have their gender changed on their family registry, but it’s called the gender identity disorder law.”

  Why was that bad? “Oh, and the word disorder is negative?”

  Jordon nodded. “It can be. Though I think folks need a diagnosis for any kind of treatment here.”

  “True, and in Hong Kong you need to have surgery before your gender can be changed on legal documents.”

  “What? Not every transgender person wants affirmation surgery. Not everyone needs or can have surgery.” Jordon sighed.

  “I didn’t know that.” Tian Di never had anyone talk to him about these issues. The closest he got was listening to Indigo throw sexual innuendos around.

  Jordon continued to walk. “Change is slow, and progress is rarely a straight line. But I have to say, sometimes I think the focus on harmony can limit the ways people can express themselves.”

  “Hmm, I do know it’s hard to be different.” Tian Di touched his own clothing. He wasn’t transgender. He didn’t identify as a girl, but sometimes he didn’t feel all that male.

  Jordon nudged into him. “I love everything about you. I love you for you.”

  Tian Di had gotten a lot of censure for wearing his hair long and for clothing that wasn’t considered manly enough, though he’d learned people were less vocal if his look inclined toward cool and aloof. Thankfully, the androgynous look had come back into style.

  As they walked, Jordon stuck his hands into his pockets. “I’m always surprised at how much fan mail I get from people thanking me for giving them characters they can identify with… some fans I’ve communicated with for years, and several have come out as transgender to me. They say yaoi gave them a safe space to explore themselves and who they are.”

  “I guess I’m not the only one taking solace in the pages of your manga.” Tian Di followed signs to Sunshine City and pointed to the large building. “Animate.”

  Jordon squealed and sped up. “Fourth floor, here we come.”

  He laughed because Jordon’s enthusiasm lifted Tian Di’s spirits. “Fourth floor?”

  Jordon held the door for him. “That’s where the yaoi lives.”

  The directory showed the fourth floor was dedicated to girls’ comics, including BL.

  Jordon stood in the lobby area and gazed at the advertisements covering the walls. “Now, is it true no one knows the word yaoi?”

  “It’s BL or Boy’s Love here.”

  Jordon seemed to ponder this and finally said, “A lot of folks in the West get confused by calling the genre ‘Boy’s Love,’ because they think the comics are for pedophiles. Add scenes where characters act immature and are drawn—”

  “Oh, you mean when the characters appear as children because they are acting like children?”

  “Right. Though most Americans would freak if they knew the age of consent in Japan is thirteen. Granted the age might be higher based on prefectures, but still.”

  “Consent?” Tian Di wracked his brain to figure out the concept he missed. Indigo had mentioned consent, but he’d forgotten to look up the word.

  “Being able to legally say yes to sex.”

  “Oh, okay. It’s fourteen in China and sixteen in Hong Kong.” Tian Di lowered his voice to fill Jordon in. “For a woman to receive anal sex it’s twenty-one.”

  Jordon squeaked, and then forced, nervous laughter followed. “Umm…. So I guess in Hong Kong if I was a girl I couldn’t legally have intercourse yet.”

  There it was. Tian Di hadn’t been imagining things. Jordon became twitchy and pale anytime certain kinds of sex were mentioned, and he went to great lengths to avoid the subject. Tian Di had always assumed the reaction was inexperience, but maybe this reaction was something else.

  He pulled Jordon over to the side of the hallway to let a group of schoolkids pass. “What’s wrong?”

  Shaking his head, Jordon wouldn’t make eye contact and backed away. “Nothing. Nothing. Umm… it’s just weird; I mean odd. Dammit! I can’t help but to get tangled in my Western filter.”

  “What?” Tian Di was positive that wasn’t the issue, though he’d let the subject go for now.

  “Everyone makes judgments through their own experiences, background, values, how they were raised—you know, all that. I call this a filter, like a lens you view the world through. And when I label something that is outside my experience weird and odd, that’s me judging something based on my American way of thinking. Something I try not to do, at least not since I’ve met Gwen.”

  Tian Di tilted his head. “Why?”

  “Because she’d kick my ass if I didn’t acknowledge it.” Jordon chuckled.

  “Thank you for explaining it to me.” He wasn’t sure he completely understood, but he got Jordon’s general meaning. However, that still didn’t explain the nervousness. He added, “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

  Jordon’s head hit the wall behind him. He opened his mouth but then snapped it shut. Nodding, he grabbed Tian Di’s arm and pushed him toward the steps. “Come on, boys in love await.”

  Tian Di studied Jordon. Maybe he imagined Jordon’s discomfort, or it could just be worry about the event tonight, unless, well, maybe Jordon—

  Jordon took that moment to turn and smile at him. No, Jordon really did love him, of that he had no doubts.

  Fighting to stay in the present, Tian Di turned his attention to their current adventure and followed Jordon.

  He hiked the yellow steps of Animate with his boyfriend, who happened to be the artist of his favorite BL of all time. And they were in the flagship Animate store. Life was incredible.

  Oh, and he was lead singer in the opening act for the Dar
k Angels.

  He stumbled on a step.

  Jordon was right there to catch him. “You okay?”

  Tian Di nodded. His priorities had really reordered themselves.

  They trudged past hentai posters of ample-chested women with big eyes and parted lips. Tian Di found the ones tangled in tentacles a bit disturbing.

  Jordon stepped onto the fourth-floor landing and gasped. “Heaven.”

  BL manga, yaoi merchandise, DVDs, and accessories filled in every possible place along with doujinshi and cases of character figurines. All in one place. As a teen, Tian Di would have passed out with the overwhelming joy, and being here would have given him an instant erection.

  Grabbing Tian Di’s hand, Jordon exclaimed, “I’m surrounded by love. This is incredible.”

  His boyfriend didn’t appear aware of the women and schoolgirls herded into groups, all staring at the abnormality of having two guys enter their domain. The younger ones giggled behind their hands, but most stared until the yaoi claimed their attention yet again.

  Jordon pressed a quick kiss to Tian Di’s cheek and rushed headfirst into an aisle. Moaning, he ran his fingers over the plastic-covered books and slid one off the shelf to study the cover.

  Three hours later….

  TIAN DI decided as much fun as it was digging through massive amounts of BL, watching Jordon captivated him completely. His “ohs” and “ahs” did things to Tian Di’s heart and delicious things below the waist.

  Jordon carried a tower of manga, along with a basket filled with figurines and limited-edition items.

  He hated to yank Jordon away, but the time on Tian Di’s cell said they didn’t have a choice. “Unfortunately, even though we’re not even halfway through this floor, I think we need to head back to the hotel soon.”

  “What? Oh yeah, right.” Jordon’s voice was husky as he added one more book to his pile.

  Tian Di leaned in and read some of his choices. “Target in the Viewfinder, Yellow, Super Lovers, Ouran High School Host Club, Love Stage, Gravitation, Crimson Spell, Loveless, Junjo Romantica, and a Yuri on Ice DVD. Why are you buying them here?”

  Jordon shrugged. “I guess I’ve always wanted to get my favorites in Japanese from the Animate store.”