02x03 - Here We Are: Identified

[bunniefuu]

- Was that weird?

- Was what weird?

- You know, the, the, the Papi.

- Oh, the Papi thing.

No, I don't mind.

- You sure?

- Yeah, it's fine.

- Okay, good.

Well, bye!

- Oh, wait, where are you going?

- Oh, I'm leaving before
you can kick me out.

- I wasn't going to...

- Yes?

- I was going to ask...

- Yes?

- Aaron, do you wanna go out sometime?

- Like a date?

- Yes.

- Like, like in public, right?

- Yes.

- Okay, good! I- I was getting
worried you thought I was

I don't know, ugly or stupid.

- I don't care about that.

- Wow.

- So...

is that a yes?

- Sure.

What- what- what changed?

- What do you mean?

- Like what made you take me seriously?

- What makes you think I take you serious?

- Okay. Come on.

- Well, this morning I woke up

and I saw you were next to me

and I thought of you making
breakfast and getting ready,

and I imagined myself just watching you,

and I thought doesn't seem too bad.

You've been there for a while now.

Just running laps in my head.

- You are very nice.

- So...

tomorrow night at 8:00 PM,

I'll pick you up.

We'll go on a real date.

But tonight you're still going home.

(City din)

- Oh, f*ck, yes!

(upbeat music)

♪ Windows wide the curtains fly ♪

♪ To catch the evening breeze ♪

- What about this?

- Very masc.

- You're right.

- Remember, no sex on the first date.

- But we've only had sex.

- Rules are rules.

- I don't know if that
applies in this situation.

- It applies in every situation.

- What are you doing tonight?

- Malcolm wants to go
out to dinner, I guess.

- What's the occasion?

- I'm not sure, he put his
last payment down on a suit.

So...

maybe that?

- Think we could double this

and offset them at the same time?

Is everything okay?

- Yeah. Sorry.

What?

- Yeah. I was saying that...

Could we double the sound
and offset at the same time?

- Hold on, hold on, hold on,
one sec, one sec, one sec.

- Yeah, sure.

- Hey.

Yeah, I'm scheduled to
be here 'til 6:00 PM.

Can you make the reservations
for 7:00 PM at least? Please.

Okay. Thank you.

Yeah. Love you.

Bye. Sorry.

- No, it's all good.

- Yeah.

- Yeah. I was saying
so if we take one track

and had it go from low to high

and while the other
one's going high to low,

I wanna know, I'm curious
what that would sound like

while both of those
notes are transitioning.

- Sounds like that.

(Lively brass music)

(Speaking Spanish)

- No.

- Okay.

(Water splashing)

(Upbeat guitar music)

(Phone chime)

- Hola!

- Buenas noches.

- Okay.

- Aaron.

- What?

- Where are you going?

- You said good night.

- Just get in the- get in the car.

Are you ready?

- What are we gonna do?

- Oh, you can't possibly
begin to understand how good

of a night that you're about to have.

- But what?

- Like the best date you've ever been on.

- What?

- The most fun you'll ever have.

- What?

- The greatest-

- Mhmm. Oh, okay.

Yeah. Thank you.

So...

the tow truck is on the way.

- That's fine. I wasn't
really even that hungry.

It is pretty cold out here.

- The car's warm.

- I mean, if you- if you
want to go in the car

we can go in the car.

- Let's go in the car.

- Malcolm?

Malcolm?

Malcolm?

Malcolm!

What's wrong?

- Nothing. Nothing, just a little tense.

- Why?

- It's our seven week
anniversary, it's special.

- Oh, that's the occasion.

- I got you something.

- Oh, what for?

- Just... for being you.

Go on, go on, open it.

- Oh!

Thank you... Malcolm...

- That's not all! Press the button.

- Just confident, it's not rocket science.

Oh, f*ck, is this recording?

(clears throat)

Cassie...

You are the most wonderful
person I've ever met,

and I just wanted to tell you this

in the most romantic way I could think of.

I love you,

and I wanted to ask you if you
wanted to be my girlfriend.

(Mechanical sounds)

(Restaurant chatter)

- So...?

- Yes.

- Oh, thank God, I
almost bought you a g*n.

- What?

- Sounds good, man. Sounds really good.

- Why are you surprised?

- You're right. I shouldn't
be, it means something to you.

It's not just taking up space.

- You're leaving? We're on a roll.

- Yeah, actually it's my
birthday and my girlfriend

got us reservations at this
cool little Peruvian joint, so.

- It's your birthday.

You didn't say anything, happy birthday.

- Just another day, thanks though.

You gonna stick around?

- Yeah, for a bit.

- Cool.

Night, Jordan.

- Night, Brady.

(Melancholy strumming)

- I know you asked for a bloody Mary,

but I thought hot chocolate
would be a cozier option.

- That works too.

- Did you choose something?

- Not yet.

You try.

(Lilting guitar music)

- What's wrong?

Is there something in my face?

- No, nothing. Just staring.

It's weird how normal this feels.

- What does?

- Being with you.

I just never thought I'd end up

with a white, cisgendered straight man.

- I'm sorry.

- It's okay.

This feels right.

- You're the nicest person
I've ever met, Cassie.

f*cking sh*t, they don't have
any of my favorite movies.

- What are your favorite movies?

- Robocop, Short Circuit, and Chappie.

Ooh. Do you wanna watch Ghost Hunters?

- Sure.

- You know, my apartment's haunted.

- I'm really sorry about this.

- Oh, to be honest, it's kind of a relief,

I was pretty stressed out about this.

- This, the date?

- Yeah.

- Why?

- I don't know.

I want you to like me.

- You barely know me.

- But I- but I wanna know you.

- Okay. Well you got...

30 minutes

until the tow truck gets here.

Get to know me.

- Okay.

Well, I don't even know your last name.

- Castillo.

Julio Luis Castillo.

- Castillo. It's a nice ring.

- What else?

- Where did you grow up?

- I was born in Mexico city

moved to Boyle Heights when I was 16,

and I've been here ever since.

- Have you ever gone back?

- Okay. Ooh, important question.

What is your favorite horror movie?

- Interview with a vampire?

Anything g*y, really.

How... how was your last relationship?

- Oh!

Well, I think it was...

depressing.

I just really thought
it was gonna work out.

- Yeah, they all feel
like that at some point.

- What about yours?

- My last relationship?

It was, yeah, it was nice.

After a while, my idea of who I should be

and his idea of who I should be became

more and more different.

- How so?

- Well, I still remember the night that

it really clicked for me.

He fixed my hair.

I put on this little sweater vest

and we went to buy this bottle of wine,

and then we went to his
friend's house and we were

the only g*y couple, but that's okay.

That wasn't the weird thing.

The weird thing was the way it all felt...

scripted,

you know, offering someone
a refill of wine and

the hand on chest response
of "I couldn't possibly."

Everyone talking about finance and

about walking their mountainous
dogs in West Hollywood

or Echo Park...

and I remember I just
looked around and thought

I can't do this.

I can't be at this table,

and pretend that everyone's
politics are neutral,

and I can't pretend that the most

important conversation

that this table of people
can be having is about how

great the Tuscan kale salad is

at the new bistro on
f*cking Fairfax, it's...

- So you, you thought the expectations

of you were too high?

- No, the expectations of me were too low.

I wanna be around people with opinions,

who aren't afraid of disagreeing.

I saw myself assimilating to
this world that I thought was

Well... boring.

- So you broke up with him.

- I did.

- Was he sad?

- Yeah, but you know, it was for the best.

Still, he blocked me on everything

and I got drunk one night and

checked his Instagram

through my friend's phone.

- Oh yeah, as one does.

- And he seemed good.

I think he's dating someone new,

and I should have been jealous.

I should have, but I wasn't.

I wasn't...

Because...

he seemed...

really genuinely happy.

- You're a good person.

- I'm a toxic m*therf*cker.

- I don't mind.

- I'll gaslight you.

- Mm.

- I'll ignore your needs.

- Mm!

- I'll emotionally manipulate you.

- Ooh, stop, stop. That's...

that's enough. I get it.

You're the... the perfect man.

- You got anything else for me?

- Okay. Favorite writer?

- Capote.

- Which book?

- Probably The Grass Harp.

There's a quote that
I've always remembered.

A person to whom everything can be said,

am I an idiot to want such a thing?

But ah, the energy we spend hiding

from one another, afraid as
we are of being identified.

But here we are: identified.

- It's uh... It's really cold in here.

- Having fun?

- I've had worse dates.

- Oh yeah? Still considering this a date?

- It's not...

not.

- You're so warm.

- How do you say partner in Spanish?

- Pareja.

- What about boyfriend?

- Novio.

- Lover?

- Amante.

- Amante.

(Rising guitar music)

♪ Let me off the hook ♪

♪ I wanna run wild ♪

♪ Get single in the sheets ♪

♪ With a lover that isn't you. ♪

♪ 'Cause I was on my own ♪

♪ When you were by my side ♪

♪ So there's no difference now ♪

♪ Except there's nothing to hide. ♪