Okay, this chapter's for Xixie. Thank you.

Chapter Thirteen

            Sunlight streamed into the room through a tiny window, disturbing at least one occupant of the cast iron bed. Tommy lay there, completely unwilling to move. The belt buckle of his jeans was digging into his flesh. Sweaters were not comfortable things to sleep in. And he really had to use the bathroom. And Merton was sleeping, spooned up against him, dreaming dreams, and smiling. And moving meant a) waking him up or b) abandoning him in the bed. Neither was good.

            Merton solved the issue, by waking up abruptly, with a twitch. "Tommy?"

            "You thought I was going somewhere." Tommy told himself that he didn't sound hurt.

            "No – yes – I dunno – why?" Merton stammered. "What does this mean?" He asked plaintively.

            Tommy almost laughed. That was the Merton he knew, searching for the absolute meaning in everything, analysing everything. "That I love you?" Tommy quirked an eyebrow.

            "No, I mean, I know, but what's going to happen?" Merton knew that somehow, this was weird, and he surprisingly couldn't bring himself to care. Tommy loved him. Really, truly, loved him. And promised to always love him. And Merton was starting to see just how much Tommy meant to him.

            Tommy smiled. "We're going to skip school today, seeing how we're probably very late anyway. And we're going to keep going, I'm going to eat lunch with you at school, and walk you to your classes, and take you to the factory after school, and go with you to the new vampire movie that's coming out in two weeks."

            "We're skipping school? I've never skipped school. Education is too valuable a thing to waste, except for that time the doctor said I was fine, but what do doctors know? I was obviously suffering from some kind of viral infection."

            This time Tommy did laugh. He got up, kissed Merton on the forehead. "Mind if I use the bathroom?"

            "Like you've ever had to ask." Merton sat up. "So really what you're telling me is that aside from the kissing thing, nothing's changed?" Merton asked at Tommy's retreating form.

            Merton stood up, looked at himself in the mirror and blushed. His hair was rumpled and kind of half-spiked on one side, and his pyjamas were even more blatant in the sunlight.

            "I think that's a good look for you." Tommy appeared in the mirror. "Did I ever tell you how absolutely cute you are?"

            "Puppies, are cute, kittens are cute. I am NOT cute." Merton attempted to sound serious but it was a little difficult with Tommy's hands on his hips, pulling him into a hug. Even harder when he knew he was wearing those pyjamas.

            "We look good together." Tommy studied the mirror, taking in the black head that graced his shoulder, and the curve of Merton's neck as he leaned up to look at him.

            Merton turned pinker, if that was possible.

            "Do you blush all over?"

            "Tommy!" Merton gasped.

            Tommy looked down in Merton's eyes, which were wide, with the slightest bit of fear only too evident.

            "We'll go slow, okay? We'll go as far as you want to and stop when you want to, and it'll be okay. I may not be Superman, but I can promise you that. Okay?"

            Nodding, Merton offered a half-smile.

            "So what do you want to do?"

            "Let's watch a movie. I ordered a DVD version of The Crow, and it claims that it's been digitally remastered, but I'm not quite sure what that means. . ."