We pulled into the city, closely observing the declared speed limits to avoid police detection. As I wasn’t especially familiar with the city, I decided we should locate the venue before finding a place to park the car. This took a surprisingly long time as our inebriated minds kept confusing the address. Once we had determined the location, we drove around until we found a secluded, vacant parking lot in a sketchy area where we figured no one would notice two people sleeping in their car.

After paying the extremely cheap cost of overnight parking and taking a much-needed piss behind a dumpster, I returned to find that Elio had cut us each two very long lines of coke, which I eagerly snorted up both my nostrils. We passed a bowl between us while I filled our empty coffee cups with a large amount of whisky and pop. We then each lit a cigarette and set out to explore the city.

We quickly made our way downtown, where we admired the city’s architecture, which both resembled and differed from that of our own respective hometowns. As we made our way below an overpassing train bridge, Elio’s phone began to ring. He picked it up and began speaking what I knew to be French. From the garbled conversation that caught my ears, I could tell he was speaking to one of his parents, most likely his mother. Their discussion carried on for several minutes, during which time I became increasingly aroused as I listened to Elio become more and more fluent in what I was always led to believe was the “language of love.”

I wanted so badly to take Elio in my arms and consume him with kisses. Defying this temptation, I reached out my arm and struggled until my hand was locked with his. From the periphery of my vision, I could see Elio’s head twist down to look at our hands, then quickly tilt upwards to look me in the eye. I intentionally avoided his gaze and continued to stare straight ahead. For his part, Elio turned his head forward and tightened his grip on my hand.

After two hours of exploring and taking photographs in front of various unique landmarks, we decided to return to the car. We passed the remaining time by smoking speed, chain-smoking cigarettes, and rehydrating with a combination of water and energy drinks. With the beginning of the show’s opening act fast approaching, we snorted two quick lines, poured a drink for us to share, and set out for the venue.

We each washed down two pills of Ecstasy with the drink I poured. The combination of drugs and alcohol we spent the entire day consuming had filled us with an insane amount of energy that we were desperately itching to release. So, when the first act of the night hit the stage, Elio and I raced to the dance floor and allowed our pent-up energy to explode as a series of spastic movements. Our enthusiasm proved contagious, and before we knew it, we were surrounded by an overwhelming crowd of fellow music fans. For the entirety of the show, people patted our backs, shouting, “You guys rock!” while handing us free drinks and insisting on doing shots with us. Even between the performances, while we were outside having a cigarette, people crowded around us to share joints and drunkenly ramble on about how cool and inspiring we were and how our presence made the show feel more alive. This was followed by the purchase of more drinks and shots upon our return to the bar. I was so fucked up I was barely able to process what was going on during the headlining band’s performance.

I remember the hypnotic flash of lights, and Elio belting out the lyrics to every song the band played, before he grabbed my arm, pulled me against him, and passionately kissed me right in the middle of the mosh pit. The crowd went wild, clapping and hollering approval in response to this public declaration of our love. Even the band acknowledged us by dedicating their last song to, “The two gay dudes who gave this show the life and energy it deserved!”

Once the show ended, we slipped into a bathroom stall and snorted a couple lines to clear our heads. Then it was back out to the bar where we were once again surrounded by a throng of people eager to bask in our presence and willing to buy us drinks in order to do so. The band members even came up to meet us and pile on their praise for making this one of the best shows they ever played. Elio and I were both swimming with elation from the approval of a bar full of strangers.

At some point, we managed to sneak away from the show’s unofficial afterparty and drunkenly made our way through the city. We slid into an empty back alley and began making out. With my back pressed against a brick wall and my hands viciously groping at Elio’s head, I became instantly aroused. Obviously feeling my hardness, Elio reached down and undid my pants. He pulled his lips away from mine, looked at me with a euphoric smile, and bent down to cover my genitals with his mouth. I was overwhelmed by the immediate warmth and wetness that enveloped my sexual organ. I threw my head back, nearly slamming it against the wall, as I let out a strangled gasp of air. I reveled in the pleasure of Elio’s swirling tongue as his mouth thrust along my erection. I gripped the back of his head with my right hand while using my left to muffle the ecstatic cry that exploded from my mouth just as my sexual fluids exploded into his receptive throat.

We stumbled back to the car, each leaning against the other in a passionate and necessary manner. After fumbling for several minutes to unlock the doors, we climbed into our respective seats. We tilted our chairs as far back as they could go and turned to look longingly into each other's eyes. We entwined our hands and fell into an almost comatose state of sleep.

Elio woke me early the next morning through a series of increasingly forceful shakes. I angrily told him I was going to take a piss and there had better be drugs waiting for me when I returned. To my surprise, Elio had already packed a bowl full of speed while presenting me with a previously rolled joint.

After smoking the last of the meth, and snorting a few lines of coke, we were fast on our way out of the city and back towards the place we both currently called home. The return journey had the same somber feeling as its beginning, for the sky was still filled with the same dark gray clouds that punctuated the entirety of our trip. We stopped only once at the highway’s single public restroom. We each twice used the facilities and finished the last of the coke before embarking on the end of our adventure.

I came falling into our apartment and tumbled haphazardly onto our bed. Elio slinked beneath the covers and snuggled up beside me. “Let’s stay together,” he said, “forever and for always.”

I curled my fingers into his and repeated the word “Always” until it became a garbled, incoherent mess of half-pronounced syllables. Finally, the darkness of the clouds broke, and a gentle rain began pattering across our apartment’s windows. In that moment, my vision blurred, and I took one final look at the many sunflowers that now populated the apartment before reluctantly allowing myself to be engulfed by the all-consuming power of sleep.