Summer, 1983 (I'll call you by mine)

Back to Summer

During one of the early summer nights, Armie and Timmy lay still next to each other. The night air lightly touching their naked skin.

"Are you comfortable or should I move my arm?" Armie smiled as he asked Timmy.

"I'm fine, just a little cold." Timmy took in a deep breath, Armie was so close to him. Timmy could feel Armies breath on his shoulder, he wrinkled his nose.

"What's wrong?" Armie asked.

"Nothing."

Armie lifts his head a little.

"Yes, there is, you wrinkled your nose."

Timmy rolled his eyes and smiled.

"I can tell you've smoked."

"Do you want me to eat a mint?" Armie chuckled.

"Only if you want."

"If you don't like it, I can eat another handful of mints."

"Armie you're fine, it's just different."

Armie groaned as sat up, reaching under the pillow and pulled out a small tin of mints. He quickly popped two into his mouth as they began to melt in his mouth Armie blew the minty freshness into Timmy's face.

"There is that better?" Armie laughed as he flopped back on the bed.

"You are such an ass." Timmy laughed and smacked him with the pillow.

"Come on boys, we have to get this shot before it gets too dark. Now lay down and be still you two." Luca playful scolds them.

Later that morning as the sun rose they sat on the balcony of Armies apartment. The piazza was quiet, not even the bakers were awake yet. Timmy shifted in his chair taking Oliver's book and turned it over so it draped over his leg. He had been referring to the novel more and more as time went on. He caught Armie doing the same. They asked more questions now then they had in the beginning. Timmy was sure that both Oliver and Elio were getting sick of them. But they never showed any irritation when they had a question for them.

"There's one line in the book that always gets me." Timmy says to Armie whose just lit a joint.

"What's that?"

"When Oliver says he doesn't want them to pay for what they've done but he knows he will have to pay for it someday. Do you think he meant his marriage? Sometimes I get the impression that Oliver saw his marriage as a punishment. But not his sons."

"Have you ever asked Oliver about his ex-wife?" Armie asked taking a hit from his joint and passing it to Timmy.

"No, I've been too afraid to ask you know?"

"I did, I wanted to know for the simple fact that during this entire trip I've not heard them speak of her once. I've never even heard Chris or Jona talk about her or the kids for that matter." Armie picked at an imaginary piece of lint on his shorts. "Oliver said she was his shield, he felt like he was always being watched by his father. Like he knew what Oliver had done that summer, so Oliver went on survival mode. He called his ex-wife, the only woman he'd ever been with and asked her on a date. She was his shield from the world, from Elio. Oliver is loyal and he knew if he was engaged to her, he would refrain from being intimate with Elio during that visit during Christmas. But as soon as he asked her to marry him, he felt like he was cheating on Elio. He said he felt like he had to do it."

Timmy took a deep breath. "Fuck, it's so fucked up. To know that things like this happened less than thirty years ago. The fact that love is just now being accepted, all love for that matter is just so fucked up."

"That's not even the fucked up part, the year after they divorced. She up and left, no warning or anything. The boys were like 15,16 something like that. The family has only made amends with her in the last couple of years. And by the way, it still boggles my mind that you've never been in love." Armie smiles sheepishly, Timmy can tell he's stoned.

"You are not the only one to say that. But I dunno I just keep my heart very guarded, I feel like when it does happen I'm going to be that guy."

"You mean like them? Like Oliver and Elio?" Armie asked cocking his head to one side.

"It terrifies me man."

"I can promise you, it's terrifying but also the best feeling in the world."

"I've fallen in love in a way with some people. Like I can't get enough of them but I think that's the wrong kind of love, ya know?"

Armie shakes his head, he doesn't get Timmy's meaning.

"Ok like Elio said that this place does something to you, that even if I don't fall romantically in love, I will fall in love. I think I've fallen for you, Elizabeth, Luca and just the rest of everyone. I almost hate to go back to my life. I don't know what to do with that, I almost don't want to think about it. You going back to your movie star life. Then me going back to getting yelled at by crazy people on the subway."

Armie gets up off the chair he's been occupying for the better part of the night, he opens his arms. Timmy just stares at him.

"Come on, I'm trying to get a hug out of you here, kid."

Timmy laughed and gets up, he's enveloped by this man who has quickly become his brother.

"I really ramble when I'm stoned." Timmy laughs whipping away a tear.

"Mother fucker you ramble all the damn time. Ramble when you're stoned my ass." Armies laugh booms. They hear a chime of the baker's door opening, looking at his phone Armie saw it was 6 in the morning. His stomach was protesting its emptiness and his body was screaming it needed food, he looked at Timmy devilishly smiling.

"You have the munchies don't you?" Timmy asked rubbing his own stomach.

"Fuck yeah I do. Fuck I can smell the whole fucking bakery." Armie moaned.

"Do you think they will be able to tell that we are stoned?" Timmy questioned trying to look serious. All it did was make Armie laugh.

"No, they won't know a thing. At least I don't think they will. Fuck it I'm too hungry to care. Come on let us get some fucking food."

When they reach the bakery Timmy is hit with anxiety.

"What if no one sees the film?"

"People will see the movie, Timmy. Oliver has a dedicated following. His book means a lot to many people." Armie watches as every emotion on Timmy's face plays out like a movie. "Hey kid, don't worry. I think people will see that the love is true. Oliver has seen all the dailys and I've not heard him say a negative word about what you and I are doing. If we were doing something wrong Luca would be the first to tell us."

"I know that in a few weeks it's not going to be the end, we still have to come back in December. But I really don't want it to end."

"Neither do I, neither do I."

It was one of many conversations they would have over the course of their friendship Armie says Timmy is the only scene partner that he's ever had that he fell in love with. They work together several times over the course of their friendship and careers. And to this day when one wins an award, they always thank each other, never forgetting to thank the person who challenged them. They had been through everything together, neither of them ever experienced a friendship like theirs with anyone else.