"No, Roger. I just really don't like the idea of you being there with them when they're so angry at you," Edilio murmured. "I worry about you, babe."

Roger was fighting with his parents again. They were bitterly opposed to the fact that their son was gay. As a result of that, Roger and Edilio had to sneak around everywhere. Edilio didn't mind going to the extra trouble of course. He'd do anything for Roger. But he wished it wasn't necessary.

Noticing his boyfriend's hesitation, Edilio hugged him close, pressing a kiss to his lips. "You know it isn't a problem. You can stay as long as you want. It would really make me feel better if you did."

Feeling Roger smile into the kiss, Edilio knew he had succeeded in convincing him. "Alright," the younger boy conceded. "But only because I know you'd come in through my window in the middle of the night if I didn't. It wouldn't be good for you to get caught, now especially."

Edilio nodded, blushing slightly. "I just can't stay away," he breathed playfully. "Besides, it's Friday night. You don't deserve to be trapped with your parents all weekend."

The pair set off walking toward Edilio's new house. He had been ecstatic when they moved in because not only was it a lot easier to smuggle Roger in a house than a trailer, he was now walking distance from his boyfriend. Lacing his fingers in between Roger's, the Honduran boy smiled to himself. How did he find someone who loved him so much? It was practically unbelievable.

"Well, thanks. It is nice being away from them," Roger murmured, squeezing Edilio's hand lightly. "And this way I don't need to worry about you getting in trouble for sneaking out at night. After you leave I'm always so nervous."

Pausing, Edilio frowned at the other boy. "No, don't worry about that. I won't get caught. I promise." As if to convince him, he pulled Roger closer for another kiss. "I love you."

Grinning like a child on Christmas, Roger blushed before replying. "Love you too, 'Dilio." Even before their awful experiences in the FAYZ, Roger had had a huge crush on the older boy. If they hadn't experienced what they did, chances are they never would have spoken.

Continuing to walk, they quickly reached Edilio's house. Seemingly unconcerned about who might be inside, Edilio stepped in the doorway, loudly announcing "Roger's here!"

Without waiting for a response, the elder hurried Roger up the stairs and into his bedroom. As soon as the door was closed behind them, Edilio wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, glad to finally be out of the public's prying eyes.

"I missed you, you know," he muttered, drawing Roger closer. Lips millimeters apart, he chuckled softly. "It's like no matter how much time I spend with you it isn't enough."

Heart beating a bit faster than normal, the younger knew how much Edilio loved him. It was in his eyes, the moment before they kissed. His eyes sparkled, like he was only truly happy in that moment. Like Roger was the best thing that could have happened to him. With Edilio's arms wrapped around him protectively, one hand tangling in his hair, he felt so much more at home than he did anywhere else.

This was so different than their first hesitant, stolen kiss. That had been awkward and filled with nervousness. Sweaty palms and clacking teeth were the most memorable aspects. But afterwards, when Roger had been positive he was so awful at kissing that Edilio would never lean in with that smirk again, that he would break up with him, Edilio just laughed.

"Guess we'll need to work on that," he had said teasingly. "Don't worry about it, babe."

Since then, they had worked on it quite a bit. On the houseboat, in Perdido Beach and then after the FAYZ wall came down. In the hospital, Roger discovered a new side to his boyfriend. The side that was terrified for Roger's safety. The side that rushed toward him, dropping everything he had been holding. His lips, burning hot and tasting of peppermint chewing gum, hungrily pressing against Roger's. That was the moment he had known, without a doubt, he was in love. A moment after, Edilio; out of breath and voice raspy, murmured "Oh God, Roger. I love you so much." And Roger could hear how much he meant it.

Now he could feel that intensity, back pressed against the door. "Someday it'll be better," Edilio breathed, pulling away for a moment. "We won't need to hide. I won't be with you all day and still miss you because we have to pretend we're just friends." Kissing him in between every few words, he angrily muttered "Fuck pretending. Who cares? We shouldn't have to be scared to do something simple like kiss or hold hands in public."

Edilio wasn't easily angered, but Roger could tell that he was fed up. "I know," he agreed. "I don't like it either."

After a few minutes, Edilio sank down onto his bed, having given up on ideas of solving this immensely frustrating problem. Seeing that the elder boy clearly expected Roger to sit down as well, he shyly sat down next to him, resting his head on Edilio's shoulder. It was strange, how he could still get so flustered over the silliest things.

Smiling gratefully, Edilio once again wrapped an arm around Roger. "Thank you. I'm glad I have you." A bit hesitantly, he tugged Roger a little closer, onto his lap.

Startled for a moment, Roger quickly relaxed, cuddling into Edilio's chest. "I'm glad I have you too. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Smiling softly, Edilio replied, "You'll never have to find out. I'll always be right here with you."

"Good," he said, satisfied with the answer. "Soon my parents won't be as much of an issue. Things will be so much easier then. We won't have to hide anything."

Nodding slowly, Edilio agreed. Seemingly deep in thought, he pressed a quick kiss to Roger's cheek. "Forever. We can be together without anyone judging us. You don't owe them anything, you know. Things are different now."

A grin creeping up on his face, Roger nudged the other. "I can tell you're thinking about something. What is it?"

Edilio hesitated before replying. "I was thinking about how this could be easier and...You could, you know, stay with me."

Roger looked up at Edilio, not sure if he had heard him correctly. "Right. Because your parents would agree to that."

"Actually," Edilio countered. "They have. I kinda...mentioned it to them the other day. They're totally fine with it. Unlike yours they aren't..."

"Assholes?" Roger suggested. The response was a sheepish, "Yeah," from the older boy. Roger wasn't offended by that interpretation. Maybe he would have been a couple of years ago, but things were much different then.

"So you're serious? I can stay here with you?" He was in shock, having never even considered this possibility. That Edilio would invite him to live with him.

"Of course I'm serious, babe. Why wouldn't I be? My parents set up a room for you and everything. But..." Here Edilio trailed off, blushing brightly. "I think my room is just fine for both of us. If that's what you want, that is."

Roger knew he was blushing just as much as Edilio. They had slept in the same bed before, of course. But on almost all of those occasions Roger was already asleep and his boyfriend was curling up next to him, trying not to wake him. Sometimes, Edilio would sneak in through Roger's window and keep him company throughout the evening. Then they would fall asleep cuddling on Roger's bed. But the idea of that every night was still enough to make him blush, ridiculously happy.

"I'd like that," he murmured. "Being all alone at night has been strange, I was so used to being with you."

"It's been weird for me too," Edilio agreed. "I've missed being with you every night. A few months has been torture, I can't imagine years." Chuckling softly, he added, "It's given me even more time than usual to think though. I'm positive that I'm hopelessly in love with you. I guess it won't be a surprise if I tell you now, but I was planning to...propose once you turned eighteen. Four years isn't long at all."

Roger couldn't do anything for a moment but stare incredulously at his boyfriend. But then the spell was broken and he leaned in, wrapping his arms around Edilio's neck. "If that was your way of proposing to me four years early, then the answer's yes," he breathed before kissing him shyly.

Softly returning the kiss, Edilio nodded. "I guess it was. I love you." Hugging him close, he took comfort from the fact that Roger would always be there. His rock. The one that anchored him when all he wanted to do was panic, back in Perdido Beach. Roger was right there, and he would be forever. Brushing his lips against Roger's again, he murmured the words he would never get sick of, that always felt so right when whispered in the dark, sometimes slurred by sleepiness but always promising to be said again.

"I love you, Roger. I love you, I love you, I love you."

And Roger, smiling brightly with a lock of blonde hair falling into his face, replying. "I love you too, 'Dilio. I love you, I love you, I love you."