I'm thinking of ending this in a few chapters. Now before you start going "oh no!" let me just say- yes, there will be a sequel. So I don't know how much longer this story will be, but probably not much longer. Thanks to all of you who've been reading and reviewing, and thanks to Miranda and Ducky who have kept me (almost) sane and forced me to write.

Disclaimer: I don't own RENT.

--Be Mine--

-Collins' POV-

I never understood the point of Valentine's Day until a few years ago, when I spent the day with my first boyfriend. Despite it being massively over-commercialized, it's a fun holiday. The point, I learned, is to have a day where you can be silly and romantic for no reason whatsoever, just that you feel like it. And no one questions it!

Today is Valentine's Day, and I am going to use it to the fullest! Even though we have school… Dammit, why does school always have to ruin what could be a perfect day?

"Collins honey, are you awake? You've been staring at your cereal for ten minutes." Angel's voice startles me out of my thoughts, and I look up to find her smiling at me.

"Yeah. I'm awake. Just thinking." I take a spoonful of cereal and swallow it. "Bleh! It's soggy!"

"It wouldn't be soggy if you'd eaten it ten minutes ago! Happy Valentine's Day, by the way." She adds, kissing me on the cheek. "I'm gonna go get ready for school."

We walk to school hand-in-hand and as we get closer to our usual hangout she starts running towards Mark, Josh, Roger, April, and Maureen. She flops down onto the ground beside Maureen, and they start chattering about something or other. April sits in Roger's lap, kissing him. Mark and Josh are involved in similar activities. I sit down and greet them.

"So you and Angel got anything planned for today?" Roger asks when April gives him a moment to breathe. "April and I are going to a movie later."

"Marky and I are going to hang out at my house for a while after school." Josh says, hugging Mark. They do that a lot- hug. Angel shrugs and scoots closer to me, entwining her fingers with mine.

"I think we're just going to spend the evening at home too…" she says after a moment. "I have something special for you anyways." She winks and I swear I must be blushing because everyone starts laughing.

"Sounds like fun." Josh remarks, twisting his fingers through the tassels of Mark's scarf. "Anyone wanna skip last period?"

"Sure. I'm in." Roger and April say. Maureen nods, and Angel and I share a look before agreeing.

As it does sometimes, the day goes by quickly. Classes seem to last no longer than five minutes, and it feels like barely any time has gone by before we're all sitting under the bleachers together, ditching whatever class we have last. We talk for a while, and Roger starts smoking. Mark yells at him that smoking is bad for him, Josh points out that if teachers see the smoke they'll catch us, and I steal his pack of cigarettes.

"You gonna get rid of those?" Angel asks as I stuff them in my pocket.

"Maybe." I answer, getting a smack to the back of the head. Maureen and April giggle, and we all start laughing. Roger shrugs it off and goes back to talking with Maureen. The final bell rings a few minutes later and we say our goodbyes and head our separate ways.

"You aren't really going to keep those, right?" Angel asks suddenly as we're walking away from our lockers, sounding genuinely worried.

"Nah. I'll toss them later, okay?"

"'Kay. I just worry about your health."

"Aw, that's sweet."

We walk in silence mostly, our hands clasped together.

"Hey Tom?" She asks when we get home, walking upstairs to my room.

"Yeah Ang?"

"Do you think we'll be together forever?" She lies down on my bed and I sit next to her, smiling.

"I think we will. I mean… being with you feels so right to me, you know?"

"Yeah. I get it… I feel it too." She pauses for a minute. "Oh- that's right! I almost forgot. I have a present for you!"

"Okay…" I start to say, but she runs out of the room. I sit and wait, and she comes back quickly with a small box.

"Here. Open it!" She thrusts it into my hands and sits next to me, watching as I open the box carefully.

"Ang… It's so pretty…" I laugh, holding up the contents of the box. It's a silver chain, a necklace, with a small key-shaped charm on it. It shines in the sunlight coming through the window. "It's shiny…"

"Do you know what it's the key to?" she whispers, leaning against me. She pulls a matching necklace out of her pocket, except hers has a heart-shaped charm on it. The heart has a little keyhole in it. "It's the key to my heart." We both start laughing at how silly and corny it is, and I pull her into a hug.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"Ang, I don't think that's possible." She looks at me questioningly. "Because I love you so much, words can't even describe how much I love you. You know, I think this is the best Valentine's Day I've ever had."

"Really? Better than last year with Josh?" She asks, rolling her eyes.

"Much better." We kiss and cuddle for a while before my mom gets home.

"Tom! Your father and I are going out for dinner. You and Angel be good, don't burn the house down or juggle knives. We trust you guys, and we'll be back before ten."

Angel and I share a look. Home alone all evening? Without parents?

YES!

-giggle- Wow. That was possibly the most difficult, most smarmy thing I have ever written! Halfway through (about) I had a brilliant idea for the next chapter and started writing that so I got distracted and had to come back to this. Well, hope you're all okay if I add some -gasp- plot in the next chapter… -evil laughter-