disclaimer: Jonathan Larson is the RENTverse god. I'm just borrowing.

Snow drifted to the ground, taunting. The pileup of precipitation that had yet to occur was a certain thing, though businessmen prayed that their engines would turn over and Mark cast dubious glances at the sky, worried about Roger's health and the cold night ahead. Please, please, they prayed as one, not too much snow; only a pleasant snow, a few inches on the ground, no more. Please let this remain a romantic winter of the Los Angeles storybooks. Mercy.

"Maybe I shouldn't go."

Mark begged, "Oy Gotenyu," as he grabbed Roger's sleeve for the seventh time since leaving the building. "Come on, Rog, I promised Angel--"

Chewing his lip nervously, Roger interrupted, "I know, I know… maybe you should go. I'll go home."

"Roger, no, come on--" But Roger shook his head fervently. Mark sighed. "Is this about your thing with Mimi last week?"

"Yes!" Roger burst, glad Mark had finally cottoned on. "Mimi is Angel's friend. She'll be there. And I always say the wrong thing at parties, you know that if I talk to anyone I fuck everything up."

"Collins is your friend," Mark observed. "And I think everyone is prepared for what comes out of your mouth."

"It'll be awkward. I don't want to do that to everyone, make things awkward."

Mark couldn't help but laugh at this. "You know Maureen and Joanne are going to be there, too?" he asked. "I'm going to a party at which my ex-girlfriend and her lesbian lover will be in attendance. It's going to be awkward if either of us shows. It'll be fun. Come on."

Reluctant, Roger began biting the edge of his thumbnail. "Maybe you could tell them I'm not feeling well," he muttered.

Mark rolled his eyes. "Yes, that'll make it better--sorry, my HIV-positive best friend is ill, so I thought I'd leave him alone in our crummy, freezing loft and celebrate with you lot. Would you do this for me?"

"You won't need me at a party," Roger said.

"Sure I will," Mark replied. "Come on, Rog. You're my friend. I like being around you. So… because it would be a nice thing to do?" When Roger continued to chew his lip, though he inched towards his friend, Mark delivered an ultimatum: "Roger, you're coming even if I have to schlep you there piggyback style."

For a moment Roger held Mark's gaze angrily. I'm not going, he thought. Mark can't make me. It's not fair. Mark knew he was winning when Roger's cheeks spasmed like a fish's gills, inflating, then deflating as Roger swallowed his laughter. At last he lost control and giggled at the thought of Mark carrying him, piggyback style, to Collins and Angel's apartment. "All right," he said, "I'll try."

"Just be yourself, and everything will be fine," Mark soothed.

"Thanks, Mom."

TO BE CONTINUED!

Oy Gotenyu-- essentially, "God help us." It's more an expression for a hopeless but harmless situation than anything else

Schlep-- okay, this can either mean working, as in running errands ("… and I was schlepping around all over the valley, with the old car with the broken a/c…") or it can mean carry ("Mom made me schlep all the groceries in from the car.")