Blushes that bin,
The burnish of no sin,
Nor flames of aught too hot within.
It was morning and the elders were sitting around breakfast, waiting for Elder McKinley to return with the post.
Connor nearly banged the door off its hinges as he entered, slamming it behind him. He practically threw everyone their letters, almost spilling the milk.
"You ok?" His companion Elder Thomas asked with concern, catching his own package of poptarts before it hit him in the face.
"Yeah fine! Absolutely fine! Why wouldn't I be?"
"You just seem a bit..."
"A bit what, Elder?"
"Nothing." Elder Thomas bowed his head. Elder McKinley dumped the last letter on the table and stormed out towards his bedroom. Kevin rose immediately.
"I'll get it."
He pushed Connor's door open carefully, to see Connor's back to him, his body wracked with sobs.
"What happened?" He said alarmed, rushing to Connor's side and holding his shaking shoulders. Connor wordlessly reached into his pocket and tossed a crumpled letter onto the bed beside him.
Kevin unfolded the paper and read the slightly smudged words. "Dismissed", "unacceptable behaviour", "homosexuality", all jumped off the page at him.
"Come on," Kevin said weakly, "We're not even a proper district anyway."
Connor looked up at him through tear stained eyes, his voice was raw.
"I've failed."
"No," Kevin said firmly, "They tried to shut us down, but look who stayed on to lead us anyway. You."
"I've failed myself then."
"How?"
"I've tried to hold us all together here, kept us going, but it doesn't matter. Inside I'm still the same. The same failure."
"Well if you think this," He gestured to the paper, "Makes you a failure, then I think a lot of us here, are failures."
He smiled and leaned in closer to Connor. "Including me."
Connor looked up at him and raised his eyebrows slightly. His red rimmed eyes made Kevin wince. How could they even think about putting Connor through so much pain?
He looked so innocent and pure and before he knew it, he'd pressed their lips together and Connor was kissing back. They tasted salty with tears, but they were soft and responsive. He pulled apart and whispered "Especially me."
