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Gavin awakened first, and realized they had both dozed off in front of the television. He looked for a clock, and suffering disorientation from just waking up, it took him a moment. At first he couldn't see the clock and looked about, still in a haze, until he found it. Then, he focused on it, he realized it was nearing six. "Alex, wake up." He gently nudged Alex who stirred, and awakened slowly.

"Man," he said, yawning and stretching his arms out, "I think I was a lot more tired than I realized."

"Both of us, dude. Anyway, it's time for a dinner and then off to Temple Market."

"Where are we going to eat? Do you have an idea?" Alex forced himself to sit up, and threw his legs over the side of the bed so both feet were on the floor.

"Yeah, I thought a traditional Chinese meal might be good. One without all the trappings, though. Just the food, not the ceremony – I don't think either of us wants fancy."

"Um, if that's what you want," said Alex cautiously.

"You don't sound enthused. You want something else?"

"I'm not a big fan of Chinese food, and besides, the Bay Area is lousy with them."

"Yes, but most of those restaurants aren't real Chinese. At least not most of them."

"We'll do whatever you want. But if there's fish-eye soup, I'll kill you. Or maybe worse"

"That almost sounds like a challenge. And maybe I want to find out what 'worse' is...."

"It wasn't. It was a threat: a deadly threat that will result in a slow, painful demise. Just remember, Gavin, you have to sleep eventually. And that is when the master assassin will strike."

"Chinese it is. But no fish-eye soup for you."

"No fish-eye soup for either one of us. Remember what I said when I first saw it?" reminded Alex, reluctantly caving in to the idea of Chinese food.

"OH! Right. Definitely no fish-eye soup then."

"Inveterate pervert."

"You bet your ass."

They both got ready, and were soon out on the streets of Hong Kong walking up Nathan Road. Alex was again engaged by both the sights and accosted by the purveyors of counterfeit Rolexes. "Don't they ever stop?"

"No. Never. Just ignore them."

They were near the Jordan MTR stop when Gavin led them down a side street. There was a restaurant which, Alex thought, looked very dark and dingy. They went inside and were greeted by a staircase going up and nothing more. At the top of the staircase was the restaurant, and it was surprisingly large and very crowded.

The maître'd soon had them seated at a large table with a number of other people. Gavin knew this was the customary communal Chinese restaurant practice, but it surprised Alex slightly. Carts with food plied the cramped spaces between the tables. Alex observed this with rapt interest, and soon a cart came their way and Gavin pointed at something after realizing the person pushing the cart spoke no English. It was served to him. Alex looked and pointed at something that didn't look too bad, at least not to his mind. The cart teetered off slowly so others could select food, often doing so in a loud voice.

"Gavin, all the fish and chickens still have their heads attached. That's gross," Alex whispered, afraid of offending the other people at their table.

"That's how it is in a real Chinese restaurant. You know your food is fresh that way, at least with the seafood. I never did learn why they leave the heads on chickens, ducks, and other things."

The food was better than Alex expected. His pork dish was succulent and he could taste lots of unique spices at work, most of which he was unable to identify. Gavin had a fish dish that was diced into a stew of some sort. It smelled better than it looked.

Every now and then another cart would come by and they were able to select another dish, if they wanted. Gavin, being far more adventurous, tried some other items. Alex played it safe and, other than some easily identifiable spare ribs, didn't eat much else.

He looked around and noticed some larger round tables. A large lazy-Susan sat in the center of each table, and the various food dishes were on the edge of it. People would just spin the lazy Susan until the item they wanted was in front of them, and take some food. It was constantly turning.

"Why didn't we sit at one of those tables?"

"Those are family tables. That thing in the middle I fondly call 'the lazy-Susan of death' because there is way too much food. Everyone at those tables is in one party. The host of the group orders a bunch of entrees, and then they all dig in. You eat and eat and eat. If you watch they'll probably be drinking, too. That's a very traditional Chinese night out: way too much food, lots of alcohol, and a three hour experience on the short side."

"Wow, I'm glad we're not doing that. So just how'd you find this place?"

"Dad brought me here on our first trip to Hong Kong together. Someone at the embassy had mentioned it, I suppose. You certainly wouldn't find it by looking."

"How many times have you been to Hong Kong?"

"Just twice, with dad. Both times I was here for over a week and had lots of free time to explore."

"And they just turned you loose?"

"Yeah. This is a remarkably safe city, especially for tourists. There aren't many places a tourist has to worry." Gavin signalled for the bill and paid it.

Once again, Alex felt very self-conscious about the money. But with not much time left in Hong Kong, he knew there wasn't much point in finding local money now. He'd just pay Gavin in pounds when they got to England. He was already too embarrassed by this to bring it up again, and even moreso that it didn't seem to bother Gavin in the slightest.

They made their way back outside and returned to Nathan Lane, and in a few blocks they had arrived at the world-famous Temple Market, a Chinese night market. Gavin explained that these sorts of markets operate only at night and they are places where people who worked during the day could do their shopping. This market, while a night market, was not a traditional night market because there was no actual traditional shopping – food and other household items – and instead was geared towards tourists with mostly schlocky items, trinkets, counterfeit goods, and the like. However, it was expected that everyone should witness, if not participate in, a traditional haggling session.

Alex looked around and was stunned by the density of the market. There were a myriad of stalls crammed into narrow, tight rows. It was packed full of shoppers of every nationality. Alex noticed many DVDs for sale, which were obviously counterfeit because many were for movies that hadn't even been in theatres for more than a few days – though he was intrigued by the prices, which, by his calculations, were about three US dollars.

As they walked, he saw stalls with tables full of old, silver Chinese coins, which Gavin informed him were likely mass-produced replicas and thus having no value other than metal content. There were tons of clothes with designer labels, again at really low prices. He didn't see much that interested him enough to actually buy it, though the many traditional Chinese artifacts were unique. He thought maybe he should buy something for his mother, but decided against it, assuming she just wouldn't care one way or another since she didn't like knick-knacks.

There was pretty much every product you could think of: electronics, toys, clothes, jewellery, antiquities. Everything was of dubious origin but there was a brisk trade going on. There were many stores open along the road as well. They peeked in a few, but in the end Gavin had purchased nothing and Alex only an enamelled ballpoint pen emblazoned with a Chinese dragon for what equated to about one US dollar.

It took a few hours and the boys were getting worn out because their day had been so busy and long. Alex gave in first, "Gavin, I think I've turned into the walking dead. Can I go back to the hotel and you can keep sightseeing? I'm sure I can find my way back one stop on the MTR."

"It's cool. I'll go back with you. I've seen all this, so we can both go."

"I don't want to ruin your day though," said Alex sincerely. "You don't have to rush back too."

"Trust me, nothing will ruin this day. It will go down as the best day of my life, even if ended right now."

"Really?" asked Alex genuinely shocked.

"Absolutely! I nearly lost my virginity to a guy I'm falling in love with and then I spent the whole day with him. Is there a better day than that?"

Alex didn't answer, but his initial reaction was shock when Gavin said this, and then he blushed a deep red. Gavin watched this, transfixed, and then got a silly grin on his face. They walked towards the Jordan MTR station and were there in a matter of moments during which both were silent, both thinking about what had just been said. Soon thereafter, they were entering the lobby of the Sheraton, and on their way up to the room. They entered and flopped down on the bed, breathing sighs of relief as they kicked off their shoes.

"It certainly has been a very busy day, and I have to tell you, this is an amazing city. But you know what was more amazing?"

"What?" asked Gavin.

"What we did this morning," began Alex causing Gavin to smile. Alex was really feeling the intimacy of the moment. This was all new to him. He'd never been in this sort of situation before, but the very strangeness of the city and the growing closeness he was feeling with Gavin, coupled with the complete freedom they both had and the sexual tension they'd experienced during the day, had reduced his inhibitions to a level previously unknown to him. He hesitated briefly, knowing he was about to throw away years of hard-earned reserve and risk a soul-shattering rejection. But for once, he was going to let his emotions rule him.

"Gavin?" he said, his voice shaky but his resolve firm. Alex hesitated one last time, then took the plunge. He meekly said, "If you don't mind, I'd like to do that again before I jump in the shower."

Before Alex had even thought about his next sentence, Gavin shouted, "Hell yeah!" and began removing his clothes quickly. Alex followed suit, still feeling a bit embarrassed, but also eager to repeat the experience. An almost instantly naked Gavin, continued, "I'd like to do that. Whenever you want., whatever you want. I'll do anything for you that you want. You don't have to reciprocate. I'm falling in love with you, Alex."

"Thanks for that, but if we're going to do stuff, it has to be a two way street," insisted Alex ignoring the last statement because it caused him anxiety even to think about that.

"Fair enough" said Gavin, playfully tackling Alex in a big leap and knocking him onto the bed. He leaned in for a kiss, which was returned, and in time, they had repeated the morning's activities twice more with an exuberant gusto, though at a slower pace than their previous encounter. When they were finished, Alex was smiling, and after a little bit of intimate cuddling, went into the shower. When he came out, he noticed the lights were out and Gavin was already in bed, asleep. Alex decided it was time to do something else brave. He climbed into bed without putting anything on. After he got in, he was pleased to find out that Gavin had the same idea. He wanted to have a third go at it, but thought that taking advantage of a sleeping partner would be inappropriate.

When Alex awakened, Gavin was not in bed and he heard the shower running. He thought about a stealth attack on Gavin in the shower, but then he thought of Nicky. Suddenly the guilt began to sink in. He started rationalizing his encounters with Gavin to himself. He knew they hadn't actually had sex yet, but they'd come pretty close. Gavin was growing on Alex and this was causing him a sudden attack of guilt. Alex grew angry with himself – he didn't want to lead Gavin on. He wanted to be happy but it seemed he'd never let himself be happy. There was always something on his mind and then he began to overanalyze it.

This situation was so complicated. He loved Nicky, more than anything really. He couldn't bring himself to cheat on Nicky, but these feelings for Gavin were confusing everything. And Gavin was so different from Nicky. It was all too much for his brain to handle. He knew he had to figure it out - they were going to be in London soon, after all - and he hoped he'd soon find Nicky. But then what? He had to figure out how he felt about Gavin, but not right now.

Alex got ready while Gavin was showering, all the while trying to keep from thinking about anything important. He was only partially successful. Gavin came out of the shower soon thereafter, and Alex couldn't help but admire the totally nude body that appeared, glistening with a few glistening, leftover drops of water. Gavin didn't work out, his body wasn't like one you'd find in a catalogue, but it was, all the same, appealing to Alex. Gavin was definitely just an average teen from a looks standpoint, but that was part of his charm, decided Alex.

"You're up and ready. Cool," said Gavin as he towelled off while Alex stared, unable to control his gaze.

"Yeah, I gotta go brush my teeth and then I'll be ready," said Alex, getting up.

"I just have to get dressed and then we can go eat," said Gavin noticing Alex's eyes hadn't left him. Gavin started putting on his clothes before Alex finally broke the stare and answered.

"Food! Yum! I can always eat," said Alex shuffling off to the bathroom. When he came out Gavin was dressed.

Both boys put on their shoes and left the room and headed towards the elevator. They rode down and were in the lobby a few moments later. They went to the café and had the same breakfast buffet, guzzling coffee, and soon were done.

Alex had been looking at Gavin the whole time, hoping he'd say something about what had happened. Gavin hadn't, but had kept glancing over at Alex, and then smiling. Alex would have preferred words, but knew what that smile meant, and was satisfied with it. "What's today's plan?"

"A walk along Victoria Harbour. They have a Walk of Fame thing like they do in Hollywood with the gold stars and everything, but there are hardly any names we'd recognize. But it's mostly for the view. You'll have fun."

They walked out of the hotel and walked towards the Victoria Harbour embankment, passing the Peninsula Hotel on the way. Alex looked at the doormen with their white gloves and the Rolls Royces parked out front and directed a questioning look at Gavin.

"The Peninsula is one of the top two hotels in the world. I've never stayed there but Dad has. Your room comes with butler service, your morning paper is delivered to you with a pair of white gloves so your hands don't get dirty and it's even ironed."

"They iron the paper?"

"Yep. Iron the paper. The money is washed too. The coins, I mean."

"No!"

"Yeah. It's as posh as they get. It's really just like Claridge's in London, which is older and widely regarded as the best. Some people like the Peninsula better though. Having stayed at neither, I can't say. Either one is probably too nice for the likes of us," said Gavin wistfully. "I'd suggest walking through the lobby but that would be really awkward since we're not guests and since we're not dressed properly, they'd probably notice and intercept us."

Alex noticed the way people were dressed who were entering and exiting the hotel. Though Alex wasn't one to stand on class distinctions, it would be obvious to even a dolt that everyone here was part of the uppermost tier of the upper class of society.

They took a slow, leisurely walk past the hotel so they could stare. They continued down towards the embankment, where they strolled along taking in the sights of Central from the embankment. Throughout their stroll, Gavin kept allowing the back of his hand to graze the back of Alex's. Alex didn't say anything, but noticed the contact. He didn't move either his body or hand away.

They admired some of the skyscrapers and stared at the ships, of which there were all sizes and designs dotting the harbour. They also watched some of the hydrofoils that plied the route back and forth to Macau. They even saw what appeared to be an authentic Chinese junk gliding slowly through the harbour. Sometimes Alex asked Gavin a question about a building or a ship, and Gavin seemed to be an unending font of information about Hong Kong.

They continued walking and came to the Walk of Fame, though it didn't do much to interest them since they only names they really recognized were Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, and Chow Yun Fat. Eventually they grew tired, and they decided to go back to the hotel.

Back in the room Gavin said, "I really want to take a shower before we go to the airport. We don't have that much time, though, or we'll be cutting it close. I didn't realize how late it was. I'll make it as quick as I can so I'll still have time to pack."

"But I was going to take a shower. What about my shower? I wanted one too," Alex whined.

"Well, there is the obvious solution," said Gavin a salacious grin on his face.

"Okay, but it's just a shower. Nothing else. I mean it. You have to promise."

"Okay. I promise, Alex. I won't do anything except shower and wash my hair. I wish you'd tell me why though."

"I'm not in the mood. I'm still thinking about it, trying to deal with it. It's complicated for me. You must know that now."

"Yeah, I know, Alex."

Soon both teens were naked and in the shower. True to his word, Gavin didn't initiate anything, though both boys had the expected reaction caused by being together in the shower. Neither boy acted on their visible desires.

"Want to wash my back, Gavin?" asked Alex unable to resist having some contact.

"Hell yeah!" he replied, and began washing Alex's back. When Gavin was done, Alex returned the favour without even asking.

Soon both boys were clean and out of the shower. They packed hurriedly, their hair still damp because they had no time to use the blow dryer.

"What about dinner, Gavin?"

"We'll eat at the airport. We have to check in before 9pm for our flight even though it's not until almost midnight."

"Oh, man, with that long at the airport, we'll need to eat there."

"We can grab a snack before we hop on the MTR just to tide us over, if you want," said Gavin. He then used the hotel's video checkout feature, so they could go straight to the MTR station, bypassing the reception desk.

They went down the elevators and through the lobby, stopping to grab some chips and drinks at a shop. Soon they were on Nathan Road walking towards the MTR station, Alex's head turned back and forth trying to etch the images and experiences of Hong Kong into his memory, knowing he'd probably never be able to return.

Moments later, they were going down the escalator into the MTR station. The train was there within seconds, and happily it wasn't crowded so they were able to sit. They exited at Central and switched over to the Airport Express line. A little over twenty minutes later, they were at the airport. They exited the train and Gavin looked at the signs trying to determine which way to go. He figured it out in short order, and they were soon walking to the correct area of the terminal. They went to the British Airways counter and got in line.

"Why weren't we escorted in Hong Kong like we were in the US?" asked Alex.

"A good question. I really don't know. Maybe it's because I don't have the diplomatic pouch this time. They didn't say anything and I wasn't going to ask. I find it awkward anyway, so why press it? Besides, I'm sure you like it better without all the fuss."

"Of course I do. I hate that pretentious show. I secretly suspect you do too."

"Yeah, mostly I do hate it, though it can be useful at time."

"Next, please!" shouted an agent, waving her hand.

Realizing it was their turn, the boys went forward.

"Documents please," she stated.

Alex and Gavin were both prepared this time, and they handed the agent their passports. She typed rapidly, and said "Have you any bags?" Gavin just gestured at the scale where they had put their two bags. She printed luggage tags and affixed them along with the special Hong Kong luggage RFID tag.

"I've printed your boarding passes. I have you in adjoining seats. Do you know where the First Class Lounge is?"

"Yes, I do," replied Gavin.

The agent handed the boys their documents and boarding passes. They thanked her and walked off to get in the security queue.

The security queue moved frustratingly slowly, and the boys stood in line somewhat impatiently. Eventually, they passed through without incident, and entered the main part of the airport. When they had arrived, there hadn't been much to see. For departing passengers, however, the airport was a wonder. The wide-open spaces kept the crowds thin, even when it was busy, but since it was off peak the place looked almost empty. There were absurdly high, vaulted ceilings with glass everywhere to let natural light help keep it comfortably bright. There were shops everywhere, making it appear to be a shopping mall separating the security area and the gate area. Over the shops were additional dining areas as well as lounges for the many airlines that served Hong Kong.

Gavin led them past the shops to a central area where there were lifts going to the second floor. They walked towards the British Airways lounge, passing an atrium. Alex was amazed at the view from the atrium area, and stopped to stare out for a few moments. "You know what, Gavin?"

"Hm?"

"I really wish I had brought my camera on this trip. I'm not one for pictures but this trip is something I wish I had a record of. My memory isn't so bad, but pictures would have been nice."

"It's not too late. You can get one of those disposable things."

"This was the unique part of the trip. I'm not sure how I'll even explain Hong Kong to anyone. I'd heard about Hong Kong before, but having seen it I realize there are no words to explain it. It's a city you have to feel, experience, and see. Without a picture I just don't think people can get it – maybe not even then. I think I'll skip the camera."

"You may be right, Alex," said Gavin. "Come on. Let's go to the first class lounge and get something to eat and drink and relax for a bit before our flight. Unless you want to eat in a restaurant."

"The lounge is fine, I'm sure. Lead on, Sir Gavin!"

They walked to the escalator passing even more shops, went up, and then walked by the various lounges until they found the one for British Airways.

They checked in at the front counter, a quick and pain-free process, and then were allowed to enter. There wasn't much to eat other than cookies and chips, but there were drinks of both British and Chinese varieties and even a freezer with some ice cream bars in it, a nice surprise for the boys.

They grabbed their stuff and collapsed into adjoining comfy leather chairs. They didn't talk much, instead just relaxing before their flight. They watched the television to occupy some time, as well. Finally, their flight was called and they began the long walk to the gate. The airport was relatively uncrowded. Alex admired some of the art that was scattered throughout the terminal area as they went down the moving sidewalk. They came to their gate, which was near the end of the concourse.

They got in the first class boarding queue which was moving slowly, as each passenger's passport and boarding pass was checked carefully including making sure the photo matched, and checking visa status where necessary.

Alex continued looking about while standing in line. "Gavin, why is there a second security checkpoint just past our gate?"

"It's for flights to America. They have their own rules about what can and can't travel to their country. The security line here is to cover the additional items. It's a post-9/11 addition. That's why it looks so temporary. It's also why those flights are shoved at the very end of the terminal."

"But you don't have that in the UK."

"Right, but our rules are stricter than the US, so our rules pass your tests. Most countries don't require secondary screening, but a few whose standards don't match those of the US have a secondary screening."

"That is so stupid," said Alex.

"It's all stupid. I think I said this before, but airline security isn't about actually being safe – it's just to make you think you're safe."

They reached the front of the line and their documents were checked. They boarded the plane and took their seats. Alex was gobsmacked, never having seen a full lie-flat seat before. "Wow. This is impressive."

"Isn't it, though?"

"I still don't like these long flights, but this will certainly make it more bearable. I'll actually be able to sleep and not feel like I've been beaten to a pulp."

"That part's true, but you'll still feel like shit. It still isn't a cure for jet-lag."

They didn't talk much as their fellow passengers slowly boarded the plane. They looked around, organized their belongings, and ordered soda when a flight attendant came by and asked if there was anything they wanted. They sipped their drinks as the passengers slowly boarded. Finally, the plane was finished loading.

The flight attendant's voice came over the loudspeaker, making the usual announcements. Some minutes later, the plane was pulled back from the gate and slowly began to lumber down the taxiway towards the runway. It was a seemingly long drive for the plane.

"What? Are we driving to London?" asked Alex.

"It seems that way, doesn't it? I guess our stand was far from the takeoff end of the runway. Relax."

"It's hard for me to relax. You know I'm apprehensive about this part of the trip because of Nicky," said Alex, the stress obvious in his voice.

"Yeah, because of Nicky," said Gavin darkly.

The plane began its takeoff roll, and soon was airborne. Alex had the aisle seat but leaned over Gavin for one last look at Hong Kong. Gavin smiled.