Once upon a time there was a young boy named Billy Gunn. One day, on his 8th birthday, Billy's parents decided to take him to a carnival to celebrate. Billy got to go on tons of fun rides and try his hand at all the games he wanted, and by the end of the day, he was absolutely exhausted. However, on their way out of the carnival, they passed by a fortune teller's tent.
Billy had never been to see a fortune teller before, and he begged his parents to let him see her, swearing that he wasn't too tired for this one last activity. His parent agreed, paying the man at the door and promising to wait right outside for Billy.
Young Billy stepped into the tent, eyes wide as he took in the dark, exotic surroundings. He saw an incredibly tall robed figure standing to one side of the tent facing away from him, and politely cleared his throat to get the fortune teller's attention. The fortune teller turned, and Billy blinked in surprise and fear when he saw that instead of the friendly old woman he had expected, this was a tall, dark, and frightening man.
The boy swallowed hard as the man's dark eyes ran over him. "Can I help you, child?" hissed the man, his long black hair falling around his face like a dark frame.
"I – I want my fortune told," Billy whispered. "See, it's my birthday."
"Ah yes, you're a full 8 years old now." The man chuckled at Billy's gasp of shock. "I'm a fortune teller, boy, your age is the least of what I know. Your name is Billy Gunn?"
Billy stared at the man in shock. "Y-yes," he stuttered.
The dark man gave him a chilling smile. "I'm Calloway. Don't look so frightened, boy, I won't do harm to a child such as yourself. Now come sit with me." He strode swiftly to the table set up in the middle of the tent, his robe swishing impressively behind him. He waited for Billy to sit, then, flashing the boy a dark grin, yanked the black satin cloth off a hidden object on his side of the table, revealing a large, ancient looking crystal ball. "Now, child," Calloway purred. "Tell me, what do you wish to know?"
"I don't know." Billy swallowed. "Am I gonna be pretty when I grow up?"
Calloway chuckled. "Very pretty, child. You'll be stunning."
Billy bit his lip, glancing up embarrassedly at the huge man. "Am I gonna have a lot of boyfriends?" he asked timidly.
Calloway raised a dark eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want girlfriends, child?"
"Oh, yes!" Billy exclaimed. "I only want boyfriends, but I want a lot of them! I wanna be like the guys on tv who have dozens of boyfriends!"
The fortune teller chuckled again, raising his ring-adorned fingers and waving them over the ball. "Let me have a peak into your future love life," he murmured, gazing deeply into the ball, which to Billy seemed to contain nothing but air. "Ah," Calloway murmured. "You will have many loves, child. Two of them shall be great loves."
"Tell me about them?" Billy asked eagerly, his eyes glowing with excitement.
"You first great love shall be named Jesse," Calloway told him.
Billy wrinkled his nose. "Eww, a girl?"
"No child, this shall be a man," Calloway replied, "although, in many way, he shall still be a boy at heart, and this shall lead to your separation."
"And then?" Billy pressed.
"Ah, child, then, you shall find your true love," Calloway told him in a deep, mystical tone. "A love with another creature as lovely as you yourself shall be. A strong, powerful creature, to protect you, but to be gentle and sweet with you as well. It is this man that will take your heart, and whom you shall spend your life with. A see a fashionable guide leading you into your future happiness together."
"Wow," Billy breathed. "You can really see that?"
Calloway nodded his dark head. "I can."
"What's his name gonna be? So I'll know him when I meet him?" Billy questioned.
"Oh, you'll know him anyway," Calloway assured him, "but his name shall be Chuck."
"Chuck?" Little Billy frowned. "Like up-chuck? That's not a very good name."
"Believe me, child, you won't mind when you meet him," Calloway told the boy.
"I guess." Billy hopped off the chair he had been occupying, smiling at the soothsayer. "This was cool. Thanks a lot!"
"Anytime, child. Anytime," Calloway murmured, chuckling as he returned little Billy's goodbye wave.
Billy left the fortune teller's tent bubbling with excitement for his future, wondering when he would meet his future loves and what they would be like. However, the mind of an 8 year old is easily distracted, and Billy soon forgot the soothsayer's prophesy all-together.
As Billy grew older, he grew more and more beautiful, and all the girls and boys wanted to be with him. He had a string of short-term boyfriends, at first seeking out only shallow relationships for fun and companionship. Eventually, he met a boy called Jesse, and for the first time in his life knew real love. Their romance was sweet and wonderful, but eventually, their worlds tore them apart, leading to a heartbreaking farewell between the two.
For a long time after parting from Jesse, Billy shied away from any real relationship, and the next time he would feel love, he was no longer a boy, but a man. And this time, that love would never leave him.
"Ow!"
Billy cringed as he saw the boomarang he was attempting to throw smack a tall blonde man right in the skull. "I knew this was a bad idea," he muttered. "I've never been able to use those things, it's not gonna work now!" He rushed over to help his victim, freezing when he caught sight of the tall, beautiful man who was lying on the ground, holding the side of his head where the boomarang has struck him. His skin was tan and deliciously smooth, his hair short and a bright blonde, his clothes tight, accentuating his buff, incredible body.
"Hi," Billy breathed, feeling a bit breathless. "I – I'm really sorry about that."
"It's ok." The man took the hand Billy offered and pulling himself to his feet, groaning a little and touching the bump on the side of his head. "You've got quite an arm there."
"Well, um, it wasn't doing what it's supposed to, so I figured maybe I just needed to give it a bit more power. I'm really, really sorry. Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." The man smiled, offering his hand. "I'm Chuck."
"Billy," Billy told him, shaking the proffered hand. "You know, I feel really bad about hitting you like that…can I maybe say I'm sorry by buying you dinner?"
Chuck grinned. "Are you asking me out?"
"Uh, yeah, I guess." Billy smiled timidly. "So?"
Chuck's grin widened. "In that case, yes!"
From that day on, they were always together, sharing all the things about life that they loved. Their relationship was sweet, caring, fun, and always exciting, and they seemed to grow closer by the day. On day, when they were out in the very same park where they met, they came across a much shorter man with short brown hair and long sideburns, standing beside a hotdog stand.
"I mean, really!" the brunette huffed. "These colors, in this setting? What ARE you thinking? Why I would be ashamed if I was you! You need my services, and you need them now!" He pulled a card out of his wallet, handing it to the indignant hotdog vender before spinning around on his heel, coming face to face with Billy and Chuck.
"Well, finally!" the shorter man exclaimed, looking delighted as he looked over the two men. "You two are absolutely beautiful! I'm glad there's someone in this city who knows how to dress decently. Not that this couldn't be improved, but I don't expect everyone – anyone, really – to be on my level of fashion expertise.
Billy and Chuck exchanged glances, both smiling as Billy turned to the man and held out his hand. "Billy Gunn."
"I'm very pleased to meet you. I'm Rico, stylist extraordinaire," the brunette told them, shaking Billy's hand, then Chuck, who also introduced himself. "You know, you really should come to my studio sometime," Rico told them, nodding as he sized up their measurement. "Oh, I could do wonders with you two!"
"Well, ok," Billy agreed, accepting Rico's card from him, he and Chuck watching with amusement as Rico quickly excused himself to inform a woman with a baby carriage that her choice for the conveyance for her child was ‘positively atrocious'.
Billy and Chuck went to see Rico many times over the next few months, and the three became fast friends. They got together often and discuss fashion, Rico's all time favorite subject, and anything else that Billy and Chuck might bring up. One day, as Billy arrived home at the house he and Chuck shared, he found Rico and Chuck waiting eagerly for him in the living room.
"You're here at last!" Rico exclaimed, looking so excited he was nearly bouncing in place. "Chuck, it's time." The small brunette turned to Billy, announcing proudly, "Billy, Chuck has something to say to you. No no, Chuck has something to ask you!" He turned to Chuck, giving him a speaking glance. "Chuck, before you ask him, take out the love!" Chuck grinned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a little gray velvet box. Billy's eyes widened, his heart beginning to beat quickly as Rico urged Chuck to drop down onto one knee. "Go ahead Chuck. Ask him!" Rico urged, his face flushed with excitement.
Chuck locked eyes with Billy, flipping open the velvet case and showing Billy the golden ring inside. "Billy, I know we've been together for a long time now," Chuck proclaimed, "and uh, I was just wondering…I want you to be my partner for life."
Billy gaped at his boyfriend, feeling weak with shock and utter happiness. "Billy?" Rico pressed, looking at him anxiously. "What do you say?"
Billy licked his lips, glancing at Rico, then at Chuck. "Yes!" he exclaimed.
"He said yes!!!" Rico squealed, bouncing up and down in joy. "Oh, he said yes, he said yes!!!"
Chuck's face broke out into an ecstatic grin. He took the ring out of its nest and slipped it over Billy's finger, pulling Billy into a joyful hug. Rico nestled into the hug, hugging both his friends tightly. They drew apart for a moment, Rico backing off, and Billy and Chuck shared a long, love- filled kiss, the first of many in their long, happy marriage.
A little while later, Rico met and fell in love with a young man named Matt who was a sewing expert. After Matt personally and perfectly sewed one of Rico's original designs, it was instant love.
And they all lived happily ever after!
THE END