Chapter 4: Lenny, My Love
The chilling February winter air was finally beginning to affect Angel. His hands were becoming numb, and the tears he had cried had long since frozen to his long eyelashes. New York City was not a fun place to be when you're gay, homeless, and miserable. He knew it was only a few more blocks until he arrived at Lenny's luxurious apartment. He's been there multiple times before, and always felt welcome there.
"Of course I should feel welcome," Angel said aloud to himself, and smiled, "Lenny's the love of my life!"
Angel met Lenny at City Public High School. They both went there, and were involved in the arts program. The majority of their classes were in the art wing, so they saw a lot of each other. They'd become close friends when they were assigned to work to together in improv class.
Lenny was a jock, too. He wasn't just a theater dork, like Angel. He was seriously one of the most well-rounded people Angel knew. Not only did all of the theater people love him, all the athletes did, too. To top it all off, he was smart. And gay, which Angel found out when they had to write a script together, and did a bit more than write. He laughed to himself, remembering their first date, last Valentine's Day.
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"Shit, this food is SO good," Lenny mumbled between bites. He'd never eaten French food before. Leave it to Angel to find the most exotic place to eat, for the least amount of money.
"I told you so," his date replied, smiling. The two of them had been seeing a lot of each other lately, and had been getting a bit more than friendly. They kissed, occasionally, but Lenny was ready for something more. He really cared about Angel, in a different way then he did anyone else. Angel really was an angel. He was special and unique. Lenny knew he'd be hard pressed to find another guy who shared his love for rock musicals and Madonna so passionately. Taking his date's hand, Lenny reached across the table, and began to speak.
"I like you a lot," he said. "Oh great," he thought to himself, "Way to start a conversation!"
Angel squeezed his hand back, "I like you a lot, too. This is so much fun. I really like spending time with you, Lenny."
"And I you. Angel, do you want to make this. Official?" He could feel his hand begin to sweat with nervousness. It's funny; Angel had never made him nervous before this very moment.
"What do you mean 'official?' Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"
Lenny looked down and blushed, "Yes."
Firecrackers went off in his eyes as he got up from his seat, walked over to Lenny's side of the table, wrapped his skinny arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Absolutely."
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He was so busy daydreaming that he almost walked by Lenny's apartment. It was glowing from the golden lantern light outside the building.
"Lenny, my love," Angel whispered, "I only hope this brings us closer."
He picked up his heavy suitcases and walked inside, into the elevator up to his boyfriend's apartment.
He finally reached apartment B-12, and he knocked loudly on the door.
"Angel?" Lenny asked, and opened the door simultaneously. "Jesus, baby. They kicked you out?"
Although he had been happy only minutes ago, Angel suddenly found himself on the brink of tears. "Are your parents home?" he whimpered.
"No. Baby, come here," he pulled his boyfriend firmly into his arms, and held his shaking body.
"He told me 'No son of mine will be a faggot,' and he told me to go," Angel told him, between sobs.
Lenny nodded in understanding, and held him even closer. "My parents will let you stay here, I'm sure of it. Did he hit you at all?"
Angel began to shake once again, and meekly replied, "He pushed me into the wall. He didn't beat me this time though, I was lucky."
"We'll tell them your father was hitting you. What about your mother? What did she do?"
"She cried."
"Does she know you're staying here?" he asked.
"Yes, I told her in Spanish so Papi wouldn't know. She said she'd write me here. I heard her fighting with him when I left, but I couldn't hear what they were saying." His sobs had begun to subside, and was now fully enjoying the warm embrace of Lenny's strong arms.
"It'll be okay, baby, I promise. It'll all work out. My parents will let you stay here, and we'll just keep living normally. I'm gonna help you through this and it'll all be fine, Angel Baby, I swear it," he spoke softly into Angel's ear.
"I hope you're right. I love you Lenny."
"I love you too."
Lenny released Angel briefly to kiss him, and then they went back to their embrace.
The chilling February winter air was finally beginning to affect Angel. His hands were becoming numb, and the tears he had cried had long since frozen to his long eyelashes. New York City was not a fun place to be when you're gay, homeless, and miserable. He knew it was only a few more blocks until he arrived at Lenny's luxurious apartment. He's been there multiple times before, and always felt welcome there.
"Of course I should feel welcome," Angel said aloud to himself, and smiled, "Lenny's the love of my life!"
Angel met Lenny at City Public High School. They both went there, and were involved in the arts program. The majority of their classes were in the art wing, so they saw a lot of each other. They'd become close friends when they were assigned to work to together in improv class.
Lenny was a jock, too. He wasn't just a theater dork, like Angel. He was seriously one of the most well-rounded people Angel knew. Not only did all of the theater people love him, all the athletes did, too. To top it all off, he was smart. And gay, which Angel found out when they had to write a script together, and did a bit more than write. He laughed to himself, remembering their first date, last Valentine's Day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Shit, this food is SO good," Lenny mumbled between bites. He'd never eaten French food before. Leave it to Angel to find the most exotic place to eat, for the least amount of money.
"I told you so," his date replied, smiling. The two of them had been seeing a lot of each other lately, and had been getting a bit more than friendly. They kissed, occasionally, but Lenny was ready for something more. He really cared about Angel, in a different way then he did anyone else. Angel really was an angel. He was special and unique. Lenny knew he'd be hard pressed to find another guy who shared his love for rock musicals and Madonna so passionately. Taking his date's hand, Lenny reached across the table, and began to speak.
"I like you a lot," he said. "Oh great," he thought to himself, "Way to start a conversation!"
Angel squeezed his hand back, "I like you a lot, too. This is so much fun. I really like spending time with you, Lenny."
"And I you. Angel, do you want to make this. Official?" He could feel his hand begin to sweat with nervousness. It's funny; Angel had never made him nervous before this very moment.
"What do you mean 'official?' Are you asking me to be your boyfriend?"
Lenny looked down and blushed, "Yes."
Firecrackers went off in his eyes as he got up from his seat, walked over to Lenny's side of the table, wrapped his skinny arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Absolutely."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He was so busy daydreaming that he almost walked by Lenny's apartment. It was glowing from the golden lantern light outside the building.
"Lenny, my love," Angel whispered, "I only hope this brings us closer."
He picked up his heavy suitcases and walked inside, into the elevator up to his boyfriend's apartment.
He finally reached apartment B-12, and he knocked loudly on the door.
"Angel?" Lenny asked, and opened the door simultaneously. "Jesus, baby. They kicked you out?"
Although he had been happy only minutes ago, Angel suddenly found himself on the brink of tears. "Are your parents home?" he whimpered.
"No. Baby, come here," he pulled his boyfriend firmly into his arms, and held his shaking body.
"He told me 'No son of mine will be a faggot,' and he told me to go," Angel told him, between sobs.
Lenny nodded in understanding, and held him even closer. "My parents will let you stay here, I'm sure of it. Did he hit you at all?"
Angel began to shake once again, and meekly replied, "He pushed me into the wall. He didn't beat me this time though, I was lucky."
"We'll tell them your father was hitting you. What about your mother? What did she do?"
"She cried."
"Does she know you're staying here?" he asked.
"Yes, I told her in Spanish so Papi wouldn't know. She said she'd write me here. I heard her fighting with him when I left, but I couldn't hear what they were saying." His sobs had begun to subside, and was now fully enjoying the warm embrace of Lenny's strong arms.
"It'll be okay, baby, I promise. It'll all work out. My parents will let you stay here, and we'll just keep living normally. I'm gonna help you through this and it'll all be fine, Angel Baby, I swear it," he spoke softly into Angel's ear.
"I hope you're right. I love you Lenny."
"I love you too."
Lenny released Angel briefly to kiss him, and then they went back to their embrace.