Page 70 of Untouchable

Harp is reminded so much of his brother when Gil first came out—the emotional unburdening, the need to be close, to be held. All Gil needed to hear that day was the truth, repeated over and over in plain words. There's nothing wrong with you. You're perfect the way you are. You're doing great in life. Being gay doesn't change that.

It had been a profound realization that day, that sometimes soothing someone is as simple as repeating the truths they hold just outside of their awareness.

Parker begins to stiffen and Harp decides he isn't done yet. Maybe it's the booze and maybe it's the stupid ice cream or maybe it's just that he cannot bring himself to believe that Parker has ever suffered over his talents and personality when he's so uniquely valuable.

"You deserve people to be nice to you. You deserve proud parents and proud big sisters," Harp says. He pulls Parker close again, squeezing him with one arm and palming the back of his head with the other. "You're a great, smart, funny man."

* * *

Parker had beenabout to pull away, so sure he’d been a huge imposition on Harp, but before he can, Harp pulls him close once more.

And Parker lets himself be held.

He lets himself be cared for.

And, most of all, he lets himself believe the things that Harp is softly murmuring to him. That he is kind. That he is caring. That he is worth something.

He shifts again, looping his arms around Harp’s neck and relaxing more of his weight onto the other man. He is still drunk, he is still high, and above all, he’s exhausted.

And, without quite meaning to, he drifts to sleep as Harp continues to pet him, to console him, to praise him.

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