The Love Portfolio: Javier Perez + Victor Borbolla

Photography by Roger Erickson. Javier Perez (left) and Victor Borbolla.

Javier Perez, Artist
We met in an all-boys Jesuit high school in Miami. Being gay was so new, but when I found out he was gay, too, I started thinking he was adorable. He was the only one who wore long sleeves with his uniform -- everyone else wore short sleeves. Our first official date was on Election Day in 2008. Obama. We had sushi. Afterwards, in a car in the school parking lot, I kissed him, and it was just...bliss.

I've always loved Victor's confidence. Even back then, he would blast Ashlee Simpson from his pickup truck. I think the moment I fell in love with him was after our breakup during college -- I wanted to have a single life and go out and be promiscuous. It was Christmas, he'd gotten into a small car accident, and he was so frazzled. Consoling him made me realize, I wanna do this for the rest of my life. I've been so immature. I have what everybody's looking for right in my arms.

We got married last October on a rooftop, and of course it rained. But our wedding coordinator got someone to buy about 150 umbrellas, and everyone just huddled around us with them while we read our nuptials. It felt so intimate. Over eight years, we became best friends, then lovers, then boyfriends, then husbands.

Victor Borbolla, Actor
We sat at the same lunch table, but we'd only see each other at a few social events. When we started to hang out more, we knew we had a mutual attraction without explicitly telling each other, which I guess is representative of our relationship today. We used each other for support without needing to actually say anything. Our first date was probably the first time we acknowledged we were not hanging out as friends. And it was effortless. At that point, I think we really shared what we'd been holding back for so long.

For college, I moved to Florida State, in Tallahassee, and we broke up for a month. It was the worst month of my life. We weren't in contact. I think he needed that month to realize he made a big mistake.

At different points in our relationship, like when we first moved to New York together, we've had anxiety, like we were missing out on the lifestyle of a single gay man. But then I remember we have something many people strive for. Everything I know about sex and chemistry, I learned and developed with Javi, and I think that's awesome.

The wedding ceremony reminded me of Javi's proposal -- he had such a tough time getting his words out. There's a photo of me grabbing his arm, which is exactly the moment when I was telling him, "It's gonna be fine -- I'm still marrying you." I love that he loves me no matter what. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll always be there for me, and that's sexy.

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