"Admit it. You could totally live here."

Chad laughed at Ryan's pronouncement. They'd just left the theatre and were headed back to Ryan's place after seeing American Idiot.

"Well, I guess if we were seeing that kind of musical all the time, and then staying up late at your place, messing around and watching the History Channel, and being unemployed but still keeping afloat, then yeah, I could totally live here," said Chad. "But, such as it is..."

"I know, I know," Ryan said. "Two more years in Albuquerque, then you'll make a decision."

"You understand, right?" Chad sounded concerned, which Ryan found cute, which made him want to get to the subway substantially faster. He quickened his pace as Chad continued, "I mean, I want to be with you, but it doesn't necessarily have to be in New York, right?"

"Depends, I guess." Ryan practically ran down the stairs to catch the car that was about to leave the station.

"What's your rush, man?" Chad asked.

"You. You're really cute. And I'd kind of like to ... yeah, not going to go on with that."

"I haven't the faintest what you're talking about," Chad said innocently. "Anyway, what does it depend on?"

"Well, if I get a more permanent job here, then I'd want to stay," said Ryan. "And if I don't, then I'd want to move to another big city. They're the right place for me, you know?'

"What about Chicago?" Chad suggested.

Ryan wrinkled his nose. "Too dirty."

"Detroit?"

"Too poor."

"L.A.?"

"Too smoggy."

"Boston?"

"Too many accents."

"Philadelphia?"

"Too ghetto."

Chad sighed. "New York?"

Ryan grinned. "Now, that sounds perfect."

"So, we could talk about something that isn't the nebulous future," said Chad.

"'Nebulous?' When did your vocabulary develop?"

"College, I guess," Chad said with a shrug. "Anyway. So, what part are you playing next?"

"Oh, an off-off-Broadway company's doing Dog Sees God and I'm playing Van. Linus. It's a black comedy about Charlie Brown," Ryan explained, seeing Chad's confused expression. "I think you'd like it."

"You're not kissing any girls again, are you?" Chad said, teasing.

"Not that I know of. I'll let you know if that changes, though. And how many times. So we can keep count again."

Chad grinned. "Now I know what you meant when we got on. How long till we get off?" He smacked his forehead when he realized what he'd said.

"By my estimation..." Ryan looked at his watch and smiled slyly at Chad. "About half an hour. When we're getting to my place? Right here."

"Half an hour, huh? You really think it'll take that long?"

"We'll just have to see, now, won't we?"

Ryan loved performing, and choreographing, and singing, and getting all the answers right in the obscure cultural studies categories on Jeopardy. But there was nothing he loved more than being held by Chad in the aftermath of whatever had transpired in the same bed however many minutes before. He laid against the boy's—man's, maybe?—chest and felt is steady rise and fall. That heart under there? It was his. And he still didn't understand how it had happened.

Well, he did. He'd fallen for Chad when he was 12, and Chad had eventually reciprocated when he was nearly 18. Six years of standing idly by, trying to flirt, hoping he'd notice. And finally, one day, OK, maybe spread carefully out over the course of four days, he did. And there was much rejoicing in the form of kissing in his parents' Jacuzzi.

"What are you thinking about?" Chad asked. "Usually you can't shut up afterward."

"You. Us. Waiting six years for you to realize you totally wanted me."

Chad laughed. "It did take a while, didn't it?" You must've been bored."

"I was," said Ryan. "Nothing was interesting. The world was monochromatic. I couldn't smell flowers or hear birds or sing show tunes—"

"OK, asshole, you've made your point," Chad said, laughing. "So, what did you do without a boyfriend? You know about me already. I just filled all that time I could've been making out with some faceless cheerleader with sports instead."

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Ryan. "Theatre. Performing. It was all I did, all I tried to think about. I hardly had time to pine away for you when I started trying out for community stuff rather than East High shows."

"But you still had time," Chad pointed out.

"Always. Still do, most of the year." Ryan kissed Chad on the chest. "Why do you have to go back to Albuquerque? Remind me."

"I'm not leaving for two days, and class. School. Getting a job someday."

Ryan nodded. "Right. In New York."

"Whatever you say, Ry." Ryan could practically hear Chad rolling his eyes.

"Give me a couple years," said Ryan as they drifted off to sleep. "Give me a couple years, and you'll be living here and loving it."