Disclaimer and warning.

I do not own Gentlemen, but it is awesome. And now for the warning. If you haven't read the book go out right now and read it before reading this story. The second paragraph is a big SPOILER for the book ending. And the beginning too really. Reading this story before the book ruins the whole thing. And if you've read the book. Write fanfiction, please! And now for the show.. story.

The Last Gentlemen.

Mom filled the air with small talk on the drive home. She talked about everything that had happened in the last six months well I was away like she hadn't mentioned everything already on her visits. Small talk was better than an awkward silence at least.

As usual it was mostly about Tommy. How he was doing in school. If he was in trouble again. When he sprained his wrist. A new job or helping out Mr. Haberman.

The trip wasn't too long but it was getting dark by the time we got home. I didn't expect much if any homecoming so seeing Tommy sitting on the front step was a pleasant surprise.

It brought me back to when he came back. He still had the earring and the hair cut. The relief I felt knowing he wasn't dead and had just run off to come out of the closet. The dread, knowing that we'd put an innocent guy in a coma and that the police would find us sooner or later.

"You grew." He smiled as if I'd just been away on vacation. So normal, it was strange. Tommy grasped my hand and we followed my mom into the house.

"Surprise!"

Sitting on the kitchen table was a cake. In wobbly letters it said, 'Welcome home!' Next to it a couple of presents. It was weird, they were acting like it was my birthday.

"This one is from Mr. Haberman." I knew it would be a book, he always sends books. I had quite the collection now.

Mom picked up a bag. "This is from me." A new pair of jeans and t-shirt. Just what I'd needed. Tommy hadn't been just making small talk, I had grown. The pants I was wearing were an inch too short and my shirt too tight.

Tommy's came next. Registration paperwork. "Mr. Haberman, a few of the other teachers and I finally convinced them to let you re-enroll at the high school. If you want. You can do something else if you want, but I was hoping that..."

I hadn't really believed I'd ever get accepted into any school again. Mostly I figured I'd end up working dead-end jobs and live with my mother for the rest of my life. It made me realize why Mr. Haberman had kept encouraging me to take those classes well in juvie. They'd been trying to get me back into regular school.

"Thank you. Hey mom think you can take me on Monday?"

She and Tommy looked so relieved. "Of course."

We spent the rest of the evening talking and eating the welcome home cake. Tommy pulled out his homework and started showing me where they all were. I was a bit behind everyone else but he promised to help me study.

It was getting late and we started yawning when my mom asked if Tommy wanted to stay the night. He seemed pretty happy about the invite and I had to go dig out a sleeping bag for him.

Tomorrow was Saturday so we could spend the day doing whatever we wanted. I rolled out the bag next to my bed and day dreamed about everything we could do together. Playing video games, going for a bike ride, maybe watching a movie.

I flopped back on my bed and stared up at the wall. Being back in this room, in this house, was the greatest feeling of joy.

Tommy dragged his backpack in and started pulling out pjs and a toothbrush. That was the first indication that this sleep-over might have been pre-planned by my mother and him. Tommy just grinned sheepishly at me when I laughed.

"Your mom lets me stay here sometimes when things get back at home. Some people don't understand why I want to be friends with a 'criminal.' Then there's the being gay thing." It wasn't quite as funny anymore. Not when I knew people were giving Tommy a hard time.

"Has anyone at school tried anything?"

"They did at the start. But when Mr. Haberman was just out of the hospital and back at school. He walked by well some asshole was giving me a hard time about being gay. He didn't even have to really do anything. He stood there and sipped his coffee, all black and blue and still looking like hell chewed him up and spit him back out and said, 'You know they only thought I'd killed that young man. Wonder what they'd do to someone who really did harm him?' And walked away. No one has bothered me since."

Times sure do change. A year ago everyone's least favourite teacher would have lectured everyone about being better people and handed out detentions.

I spent more time in the bathroom then I should have but I couldn't help enjoying the simple pleasure of a nice hot shower and brushing my teeth without anyone around to harass or hurry me.

Tommy was already in his sleeping bag with his eyes closed by the time I came back. At first I was a little wary about just being in my boxers. But Tommy was my friend, my only friend now. And I didn't have a problem with him being gay. All those months, the trial everything we'd done. I wasn't going to toss out a friendship after all that because he was gay. I had too much time in juvie to think about it and if we stopped being friends it would be because we drifted apart not because he was into guys.

I dropped my towel on a chair and slipped in between the covers. I learned to listen for movement well I was away. So when Tommy sat up I noticed.

"Micheal?"

"Yeah?" I rolled over to face him. The only light being from the street it was a little hard to see him.

"Can, can I do something?"

I couldn't help the frown. It was confusing, but I agreed anyways. Tommy stood up and pulled back my covers. I moved over as he climbed in. He put his arms around me and laid his head on my bare chest.

"Thanks. Sorry, I just needed. I needed to make sure this was really happening. That you were really here." He pulled his left arm out from under me but kept his right arm over my waist. I felt awkward but held him with one arm. "Mixer, I tried talking to him but he was so mad at you for telling them what happened. He told me to never visit again. I was to frightened to even try talking to Bones."

"You're not mad at me for being a rat, are you?"

"No, no, he's.. Something was wrong with him. At least he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"Except someone in prison."

Tommy sat up in shock, "Didn't anyone tell you?"

"Tell me what?" My side felt a little colder without him there.

"Bones died." I know I should have felt sadness over the loss of my childhood friend but all I felt was relief. "He got into an argument but before they could start swinging he died. The police said it was an aneurysm."

"That's good. Bones was a psychopath. That's why I testified against him. He needed professional help. I was pretty worried about what he might do to me if he got out."

Tommy settled back against me. "You worry about what Mixer will do if he gets out?"

"Nah. I mean my face is already messed up, what else can he do?"

He just snorted and reached up to touch my face. "It looks fine. No one can even tell." I still flinched when he ran his fingers over my drooping side. Tommy just smiled up at me.

We laid there in silence. I kept waiting for him to get enough and leave. I kept dreading that he would. It was nice knowing it was real. That I was really back and out of that nightmare even if I'd be dealing with the consequences for the rest of my life.

I pulled away and turned on my side to face him. Tommy's mostly closed eyes opened up with the movement. "Hmm, Micheal?"

It was an impulse. I wish I could say it was an accident, that I'd went to kiss his cheek and missed or something but I didn't. Tommy woke up a little more when I kissed his lips. I wasn't gay, I wasn't bi, and I didn't find guys attractive in any way. But I wanted to keep this bit of happiness for myself.

"Why?"

I pulled him flush against me, his arms wrapped around my neck as I looked him in the eyes.

"I'm not into guys." He looked so confused and a bit hurt. "Are you dating anyone?"

Tommy shook his head. So I kissed him again, and again, and again. I rolled us so I was on top and sucked on his neck till he moaned. It didn't take long, one of his hands griped my hair the other dug into my back as he arced against me.

"I'm not gay, but if you don't mind. If you don't have someone else in mind. I want.." What did I want? The friend underneath me? I wanted to be with Tommy, to protect him, until he found someone better or the end of our lives. "Marry me?" Another impulse.

"What? No." Tommy pushed me away. "Hang on. You're not attracted to guys. Why, why did you kiss me and do all that?"

I couldn't stop smiling. "Impulse."

Tommy wasn't smiling, he looked hurt by my answer.

"I just had to. I want to..."

"Want to what?"

"Kiss you, protect you, spend forever with you."

"And this just occurred to you?"

"The kissing part, yes. I like you as a friend. I can't speak for the others, but when you disappeared and no one could find a trace. And Mr. Haberman started to look more and more like your murderer. I was so freaked out. You were the last bit of glue keeping us together, you fit just so perfectly. With you gone. I thought it was all over, and now with a second chance..."

"I had a crush on you."

"Had?"

"Had. And have. I crushed on you for a while but I was in the closet so I just pushed it away. Then I heard about what you guys did. I'm going to hell for this, but I couldn't help thinking, 'Wow, they were willing to kill someone because of me. It's psychotic, but what friends.' And I've had a bit of a crush on you again since."

"I'm not into guys, but I think I'm into you."

"Just me huh?"

By then my eyes had adjusted to the dark. I looked over the young man sitting next to me. The street light glinted off his earring. I let the idea of what having a boyfriend would mean sink in. Let the idea of just who was sitting next to me and what they had under that t-shirt and boxers. I was still kinda hard from making out with him and the idea of more wasn't a turn off. "Yeah. I'm in agreement with myself on this. Maybe we should do some more testing."

"I'm not a one night stand. Or some just out of jail nookie."

"Never." Tommy put his hand on my chest and pushed. I laid back down and he climbed on top.

"I'm not going to let you get to home base. Not tonight anyways." I nodded and he pulled off his shirt. My throat felt like it closed and all my blood drained South. He sat back to toss the shirt off the bed and froze. "You weren't just teasing me huh?" I could only laugh and pull him close.

We spend another hour or so making out till we couldn't keep our eyes open any longer. In the morning light I felt silly for how I acted. I still wanted to peel off our boxers and spend the day making him moan and see if he'd screamed, but I knew I couldn't push this. Otherwise he'd think I was just in it for the nookie.

If I had anything to say about I'd be in for the long haul. It was new, weird and happened pretty fast, but I've spent a lot of time thinking about life. Guilt and fear ruled my life once before, I wasn't going to let it happen again by dwelling too much on the past or worrying about what bad might happen in the future.

I don't know when it happened and I'm not even sure why it happened, but at some point Tommy became an important part of my life. I'm not sure if I'm in love. All that I know is that I like him, and I want to be with him for as along as he'll have me. And right now, that's good enough for me.