Chapter 6:

Angel was stressed out again, and even though he wouldn't say why, Roger, April, and Mimi all knew the reason. Late at night, Angel and Mimi would have extended conversations in Spanish about Angel's depression. Roger, April, and Mimi were all out on the fire escape talking, and despite their please, Angel remained inside. He pulled his pickle tub out of his closet, and began to play. Angel was so into his music that he didn't hear Mimi come back inside to get a sweater. He also didn't hear someone walk down the hall, and stand in the doorway.

Collins stood in the doorway watching Angel play the pickle tub. He wanted so desperately to throw his arms around his lover, but for some reason, his feet were glued to the floor. Angel seemed so calm, so at peace with himself, with what was going on around him; just like the day he had died. Collins quickly pushed the memory of Angel's death out of his mind; it didn't matter anymore. They were about to be united again for an eternity.

Mimi tied the string on her blue beat-up sweater (the one from La Vie Bohemé) as she came out of her and Roger's room. The sound of Angel's drumming continued. Poor thing. When Mimi looked up, she saw someone standing in the doorway to Angel's room; someone who shouldn't be here.

"Collins?" she asked.

Angel immediately stopped playing at the sound of Mimi's voice. Slowly, he turned around, and his face lit up. In a flash, he had crossed the room, and thrown his arms around Collins' neck.

Collins buried his face into Angel's neck, and murmured over and over again, "Oh my God, Angel." It was a dream come true for both of them. Slowly, Mimi back away, giving the couple their space.

"How long were you standing there?" Angel asked Collins as his lover kissed him on the top of the head.

"Only about a minute. You seemed so calm; I didn't want to disturb you." Collins took Angel's face in his hands, and stroked his cheek with his thumb. Suddenly, their lips came together in a kiss that held seven years of lost passion and love.

Mimi went out onto the fire escape with a huge smile plastered across her face. April and Roger both looked at her suspiciously.

"What did you do?" Roger asked. Mimi sat down between his legs, and he wrapped his arms around her small waist. She couldn't keep the fact that Collins was inside a secret anymore.

"It's not just the four of us here anymore," she blurted out. Roger and April looked at her.

"What do you mean?" asked April.

"Collins is inside."

"You're serious?" Roger exclaimed. "Collins is inside? Does Angel know?"

"Yeah, give them some time alone. After all, they haven't seem each other in about seven years."

Roger, Mimi, and April were outside talking for about fifteen minutes when the window leading into the loft opened, and two figures climbed out.

"Thomas!" Roger exclaimed.

"Hello bitches!" Collins gave Mimi and Roger each a massive hug. He turned around, and saw April leaning up against the fence around the fire escape. "Well, well, well, if it isn't little miss April. How are you?" April stood up, and gave Collins a warm hug.

"I've been pretty good, how 'bout you?" April sat back down. Collins sat down next to her with Angel resting comfortably between his legs. It was highly evident to the four other Bohemians that he was more than thrilled to be back with Collins again.

"So heaven for us is the East Village?" Collins asked as everyone got up to go inside after talking well into the night…again. Angel entwined his fingers with Collins' and nodded. "Seems more like hell to me." Everyone laughed.

"I think we're here, because it's a common place for all of us," replied April. Collins shrugged. It wasn't what he had expected, that's all.

"Come on, you're staying with me," Angel said, and he pulled Collins into his room. Roger, Mimi, and April then heard the distinct sound of the door locking from inside.

"I don't remember Collins ever acting like that before," April said.

"Angel told me, before he, umm, ended up here, that he was sure that Collins was the one when they first met," Mimi explained.

"That's so sweet. We should probably leave them alone." Mimi and Roger went to their room, and April went to her room; giving Angel and Collins their space.

A/N: If you haven't checked out Off-Camera yet, please do. I'm very proud of it, and very disappointed that fan fiction won't let me post it here. So, check it out, the link's on my profile.