"So what are you going to get him?"

I looked over at Fulton as we walked through the mall. "I have no idea. That's why I bought you with me."

Fulton snorted. "Do I look like a gay man who knows what another gay man wants?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Want the truth?"

He punched me in the arm and laughed as we walked.

"What is a one-month anniversary present?"

Fulton snorted again. "Why are you asking me? My longest relationship lasted 4 days short of a month."

I rolled my eyes as we passed a jewellery store. "How about a ring?"

He frowned. "Are you proposing? No, so don't go for a ring. Could be a potentially sticky situation."

I nodded as we forged on. A few steps into it, Fulton stopped me by hitting me in the chest.

"Hey," I wheezed. "What's the big deal?"

He grinned. "It's simple." He pointed to a shop behind me.

I turned around. "A scrap booking shop?"

He smiled again. "Work with me here…"

**

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"Ads!" Julie cried, running at me, her arms open wide.

I hugged her tightly. "Hey Jules."

She kissed my cheek hard.

"Hey! He's gay you know!"

I looked up at Charlie who walked into the front entryway, a smile on his face.

Julie let me go and poked her tongue out at Charlie, and then streamed past him.

Charlie moved forward into my arms, placing a kiss on my lips. "You get anything for me, baby?"

I smiled and opened one of my bags. "Here," I said, putting a key in his hand.

"The key to your heart?" Charlie gushed mockingly, putting a hand to his head ala damsel in distress.

"Ha ha," I quipped sarcastically. "It's your key for the house."

Charlie grinned. "I knew that. And the fact you bought me a coloured key is really touching," he said, holding up the pink key.

It was my turn to grin. "You really like it, sweetie?"

He rolled his eyes and kissed me once more, moving into the living room. I dumped my bags in the kitchen and watched as Portman dove into them, surfacing with a packet of Doritos.

Julie smacked him in the stomach and went about unpacking and putting away all the groceries, while Fulton collapsed on the couch, snatching up the remotes.

"What is on…" he muttered.

Charlie looked at his watch. "'The Price Is Right'!"

"Noooooo!" Portman cried. "Not after last night. You and Bob Barker have to work out your issues."

I laughed as I put away a bottle of juice and milk.

"When's your next doctor's appointment?" Julie asked from behind me.

"I had one three days ago, and he says it's doing good. I might be able to get the cast off as soon as 3 weeks, because we're on holidays." I smiled and accepted the yoghurt container she handed me, sliding it into the fridge.

"That's good," Julie said, stocking the pantry up. "Are you gonna try hockey again afterwards?"

I shrugged. "I want to. But it'll take a lot of physical therapy to get it back to how it was. My doctor gave me the number of a really good physical therapist in Washington."

"I hope you play again," Julie told me. "Because I want to be able to be able to put on ESPN in 10 years time and say, 'Oh look, that's Adam Banks, the captain for the New York Rangers, I used to play with him.' And feel really special."

I laughed. "Well, I'll see what I can do."

"Hey Banks! We need to vote on what video we wanna watch tonight," Fulton called from the couch where he and Portman shared the bag of Doritos liberally.

"Well, who are the candidates?" Julie asked, shutting the door of the pantry with her foot.

"We narrowed it down to 'Fight Club' or 'Armageddon'."

"I vote 'Armageddon'," Julie said, ripping into a bag of dried fruit.

"Me too," I said.

"Crap," Portman mumbled, shoving chips into his mouth.

"I have to go 'Armageddon' too," Charlie said, grinning.

"Well, looks like 'Armageddon' it is." Fulton grabbed his keys. "Who's coming to Blockbuster?"

Portman liked his fingers and stood up. "I will."

"Me too," Charlie said, pulling a hat onto his head.

I walked over and gave him a quick kiss. "Don't fall in love with anyone else."

He smiled. "So not even an issue."

The three of them left, leaving Julie and I in the kitchen.

"So…" she prompted.

"What?" I demanded, snatching the bag of fruit from her and helped myself.

"You and Charlie. How are things going?"

I smiled. "Astronomically fabulous."

She laughed. "That good, huh?"

I nodded as she hiked herself up onto the bench, retrieving her fruit from me.

"Can I ask you something?"

She nodded, chewing on an apricot. "'Course."

"Should I tell Charlie about freshmen year?"

She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. "If you feel comfortable enough, then yeah, tell him. But if you don't, you don't have to."

I smiled. "Thanks Jules."

She smiled back. "No problem." She paused. "So, have you slept together yet?"

I threw a sultana at her. "Perv!"

"Yeah right! I think it's sweet!"

I laughed. "No, we haven't. I'm sorta thinking our anniversary next week. Too soon?"

She shook her head. "With the way the two of you love each other? Your first date wouldn't have been too soon. I just wish I'd waited."

I raised an eyebrow. "Who? What? When? Where?"

She laughed. "Dalton Baxter. The figure skater. Sophomore year, our third date, and in his dorm room. It was the most horrible experience ever."

"Well, have you given it a chance again?" I asked her.

She shrugged and smiled.

"Spill," I demanded, leaning up against the bench next to her.

"With Scooter, last year."

I wolf-whistled.

She blushed. "Come on, you spill now. First?"

"With Bradi, freshmen year. In my car."

Julie laughed. "How romantic…"

I threw another piece of fruit at her. "Shut up…"

"Well, did you try it again?"

"I haven't seen anyone else since Bradi."

"Wow, Banks. You haven't got much experience…" Julie teased.

"Leave me alone," I told her, putting a piece of apple in my mouth.

She pat my head. "I think it's sweet. What about Charlie, anyway?"

"I'm not sure when he last did it…"

She kissed my hair. "You are gonna be perfect, ok?"

I looked at her. "I really don't want to talk about this right now!" I laughed, pushing myself off the bench and headed towards the stairs. "Call me when we're ready for dinner, ok?"

**

~|~ Saturday, 5:19pm

Julie is the greatest person ever. She's such an amazing friend. I'm gonna miss her when she goes off to Yale next year. Did I mention that? That she was Yale-bound? I'm so proud of her. She's has an amazing brain.

My mom called today. She wanted to actually come over and check out the house. I told her not to, because of course, it wouldn't be up to her standards. I get so sick and tired of my mother's snobby attitude. Oh well, not long before I'm in Washington.

God, there I go again, talking about college. NO MORE COLLEGE TALK!

I can hear 'The Price Is Right' playing downstairs, Charlie must've wrestled the remote away from someone. I can hear him yelling at Bob Barker, calling him, and I quote, a 'nasty ho'. That's my boyfriend, eloquent and completely refined. Ha ha, I love him anyway.

Julie's calling me for dinner, I think we're having steak. Yum.

Adam D. Banks ~|~

**

'Armageddon' is a pretty good movie.

"Pass the popcorn," Charlie hissed, and Portman handed him the bucket.

After a nice dinner, we all clamoured into the living room to watch 'Armageddon', me on the couch, next to Julie who's next to Portman, Charlie on the floor between my legs, and Fulton stretched out on the other couch. No one sits next to Fulton. He farts.

"Tissue," Julie demanded and I passed her the box that was by my elbow, snagging one for myself.

Harry Stamper is talking to his daughter Grace on the video phone thing and telling her he won't be home. I can feel the tears building up behind my eyes, but I'm not going to cry. But Liv Tyler's crying, and so is Ben Affleck. Damn, this is a sad movie.

A lone tear fell from my eye and someone instantly brushed it away. I looked down at Charlie, wondering how long he'd been staring at me, waiting for the tear to fall.

I smiled at him and he smiled back, squeezing my thigh.

I knew what that squeeze meant. I knew all too well. He wanted to make out.

"That was the saddest movie ever," Julie exclaimed as the credits began to roll, and Fulton shut off the VCR.

"Drama queen," Fulton muttered, putting the tape in the case, receiving a pillow to the head from Julie.

"Ben Affleck is hot," Portman commented slyly.

Charlie looked at his watch. "It's late." He pretended to yawn. "Tuck me in?" he asked me, and I laughed.

"Ok," I answered, letting him pull me up off the couch.

"'Night you two," Julie called, a lilting tone in her voice as we climbed the stairs together.

As we reached Charlie's room, he pushed the door open and pulled me inside, closing the door and putting a chair up under the handle. After checking the bathroom door was locked, he flew at me, his lips connecting with mine in a mad struggle.

I walked him backwards, laying him gently down on the bed, my body covering his.

"Adam…" he whimpered, his hands grazing my hot skin beneath my t-shirt.

"Charlie…" I whispered, my lips dancing across his jaw line, placing tantalising kisses wherever I went.

"I want to be with you…"

I smiled. "You are with me," I told him. "Or are you imagining someone else?"

Charlie stopped rubbing my back and looked up at me. "I want to be with you, Adam. Sexually."

"Oh."

I sat up, straddling his body.

"Unless you don't want to…"

I swallowed. "No, I do, I really do, but I want it to be special…"

He placed his hands on my hips, sitting up to look me in the eye.

"Ok. We'll make it special. Any idea when that is?"

I laughed. "Our anniversary."

Charlie smiled. "Waiting will be tough, but you're worth it."