1Please don't ask what goes through my head... I don't even know. I have a tendency to wander into daydream and invent these stories... BUT I'M GOING TO SEE THE MUSICAL SOON!

Disclaimer: I do not own RENT. It is owned by the one and only Jonathan Larson's estate. Thanks, man. You rock. Or Sesame Street. Err... yeah. Or Oprah.

Note: Angel is referred to as masculine for the story. It makes sense in the end.

Sesame Street

By Donna, 1/11/06

It was October twenty-fifth. Tom Collins took a half day from his professor stint out of concern for his young lover, Angel Dumott Schunard. The poor man was sick with what he thought was a cold, magnified to the size of an atomic bomb for the AIDS patient.

Collins had a bad feeling it was worse than "just a cold." He wanted to get Angel to a hospital, but Angel didn't feel like having medical bills to mess with. It could go away, after all. If they were lucky.

Collins heard a terrible cough as he unlocked the door of the apartment he and Angel shared. He shuddered. Of course... it had to be only worse for him. He swung the door open and saw a rather corpse-like boy sitting on a ripped-up couch. Not a man. A boy, much too young for the short life he got into. Collins felt a lump in his throat. "O-oh..."

"What're you doing here?" Angel wheezed.

Collins removed his jacket. "I took a halfday."

"Why?" Angel asked. He pulled the material, needle, and thread he had on the side of the couch unoccupied. Collins sighed. Angel hadn't been in drag for a few days now... but he still worked diligently on his outfits. It wasn't so much that he was a different person, but something about him wearing the outfits and standing in those thick heels made Angel become more... glowing and comfortable to be around. Like there was no real worries. Sometimes, when the people were blind enough, they thought Angel was a girl and they could get away with those deep kisses on the bench.

Collins' thoughts were cut by a loud cough from Angel. Collins ran over and held him. Angel never sounded so bad. Collins tried to kiss him, trying to take the pain away. Angel turned away. Collins looked up at the TV Angel was watching. He squinted. "...Sesame Street?"

Angel laughed nervously, taking a tissue from the coffee table. "Y-yeah. The news was too depressing and Oprah's not on yet. It's... happy!"

Collins watched the fuzzy puppets dance. "Are you sure you're okay?" He tested Angel's forehead with the back of his hand.

"Yeah," Angel said, blowing his nose. "It's not sad. It makes me feel a little better."

Collins pulled the drumsticks stuck between the couch and put them on the table. "Okay then..."

Elmo popped on the screen and said in his high, squeaky voice, "Elmo learned a new word today!"

The other one, Big Bird, Collins assumed, asked, "What is it, Elmo?"

"Love!" Elmo exclaimed, "It's really nice!"

"How do you spell it?" the yellow monstrosity asked.

"Love! L-O-V-E!" Elmo squealed, "C'mon, everyone! Let's spell it together!"

"L!"

Angel croaked, "...L!"

"O!"

Angel looked at Collins. "O!"

"V!"

Collins sighed. "V."

"E!"

They screamed in time, "E!"

"Love!"

"...Love," Angel whispered.

"Love," Collins said in a loud voice.

They looked at each other for a moment and back to the screen.

"What is love?" Big Bird asked.

"What you give to those close to you! Those you like so much!" Elmo yelled.

How simple, Collins thought.

"Elmo wants i everyone /I to hug the people you love right now!"

Angel looked at Collins. He felt tears form in his eyes. He hugged Collins tight for dear life. He mushed his forehead again Collins' chest and took in a sharp breath. He raised his head and kissed Collins deeply. The kiss got very wet . They were both crying.

Angel pulled away from Collins and coughed until he was bright red. Tears fell more and more. Collins held him tight. "Angel... you can't stay cooped up here. We gotta get you to a hospital."

"Okay, okay... fine," Angel croaked, "We'll... we'll get ready t-to go."

Angel slowly pulled from Collins' vice grip. He grabbed the purse he left on the table. He tried to get up, shaking. "Oh... shit."

"I'll get your stuff," Collins said.

Angel threw him his skirt.

Collins got a bag and threw the uncompleted skirt into the bag. He sighed. It was a candy corn pattern. "Aren't you too old to wear a costume?"

"Err... I was watching Sesame Street. I'll never grow up!" Angel exclaimed. He blushed.

Collins sighed and thought, No... you won't... He threw some amenities into the bag and picked Angel up. He nuzzled him and smiled bravely, hoping that he'd get to wear that damn skirt on Halloween and turn back into his number one girl.

Say it with me, everyone.

G-I-R-L.

END

So... This is very not-angsty for me. Quite a shock. But I guess after crying my eyeballs during this movie... I can't bear to.

Hope you enjoyed it!

-Donna