They continued to rendezvous for the rest of November and into December when Chad had a proposition for Ryan.

"Come to my family's New Year's Eve party."

That took Ryan by surprise.

"What?"

"We have a little party every year, just family and usually Troy. But this year Troy is going to some dumb ski lodge or something so-"

"You're asking me to go as Troy's understudy."

Chad paused, "What does understudy mean?"

"The person who performs in the place of the main actor if the actor is unable to perform."

"Then no. You're no one's understudy. I'm asking you to go as my boyfriend," Chad said.

Ryan blushed. They were newly official, having toyed around with their relationship for about a month before they both fully committed.

"Won't it be awkward? Being the only non-family there?"

"I'll never leave your side," Chad promised, "and besides, my family is really nice. They'll love you as much as I love you."

"But we're not going to tell them we're dating, right?" Ryan asked with an abundance of caution.

"Oh, yeah, no, of course not."

Ryan looked relieved. He wanted to take their relationship slowly and keep it private and Chad agreed.

"Are you sure your family would even want me there?"

"Why wouldn't they want to meet one of my closest friends?"

Chad was intoxicatingly close and he made a very convincing argument.

"Okay, deal. You, me, New Year's Eve."

Chad sealed the deal with a kiss. "Great."

Ryan held onto Chad's arm before he pulled away.

"What do you want to do for Christmas?"

"What do you mean?"

"I know we only started dating, but do you want to exchange small gifts?"

"Oh, sure. We can do gifts at New Year's, too, if that's okay with you."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Don't go overboard," Chad said seriously.

Ryan laughed, "What? I won't."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Chad said, already trying to figure out what to get a guy who has everything.

He decided something cheesy and sweet would do the trick. Something unexpected, since he generally wasn't the cheesy and sweet kind of guy. Spur of the moment, he decide he'd get Ryan something wholly his, like offering a piece of his heart.

Ryan was equally baffled as to what to get Chad, trying not to go overboard. Finally, he struck upon an idea that he thought would both be perfect and, "not overboard."

Then he just had to get up the nerve to show up at Chad's house at eight o'clock on New Year's Eve.

Chad lit up when he saw him.

"You came!"

"Of course I came, I wasn't going to leave you hanging. Happy New Year's."

"Happy New Year's! We can do presents in a bit but right now you've got to meet my family."

Ryan swallowed the lump in his throat and followed Chad inside, calling on all of his skills as a trained actor to appear brave.

The first people to greet Ryan happened to be Charlie and Yolanda Danforth, Chad's parents. Ryan's heart was beating out of his chest but he managed to keep up appearances and put on a charming smile.

Of course, Yolanda already recognized Ryan.

"It's you! The Music Man!"

Ryan beamed, "Yes! Thank you so much for coming to see us perform."

"It was our pleasure, Chad and I loved it. Chad, you didn't tell me you were friends with this talented young man."

"We kinda became friends after the play," Chad explained weakly.

Yolanda nodded.

"I wasn't able to see you perform, but maybe I'll have to join my wife and son for the next play if you're really as talented as they say," Charlie said, giving Ryan a firm handshake.

"He is," Chad said with a smitten expression that his parents may or may not have noticed.

"We'll introduce you to the rest of the family."

Soon Ryan was acquainted with Chad's aunts, uncles, and cousins, all crammed into Chad's smallish house, cozy and festive. Though it was eight when Ryan arrived at the house they weren't able to slip away to exchange gifts until a little after eleven.

"I like your room," Ryan complimented, spinning to take in all the basketball posters. There was even one on the ceiling.

"These guys are my closest confidants," Chad joked.

"Then I'll be sure to memorize every name," Ryan promised, stealing a quick kiss before pulling an envelope out of his pocket.

"It's not much, but I hope you'll like it."

Chad opened the envelope and gasped in surprise to find courtside tickets for the next UofA game.

"How'd you get such good tickets?"

"My dad has some pull at UofA. He's an alumnus, it's Sharpay and I's backup school if we don't get into Julliard."

Chad made a mental note of all of that.

"That's incredible, thank you. Are you going to come with me?"

Ryan blushed, "Oh, I thought you'd want to take Troy."

Chad laughed, "Like I said, you are not Troy's understudy. I'd love to go to a game with you."

"Then yeah, definitely."

Chad beamed, "It'll be great."

Ryan nodded shyly, realizing he was in his boyfriend's bedroom planning their next date.

"I got you something too, of course," Chad said. "Sorry, I didn't wrap it. But it is clean."

Chad pulled out a basketball jersey he'd been hiding underneath a pillow. His basketball jersey.

"I'd really like it if you'd wear my number, Ryan."

Ryan's eyes were sparkling.

"Really? You're sure?"

"Of course. I have other jerseys, it'd mean a lot to me if you had something of mine."

Ryan was maybe a little too eager about this prospect.

"I'm gonna put it on right now, underneath my sweater."

Chad looked a little flustered as Ryan stripped off his sweater, but he didn't try to stop him, instead just admiring Ryan's dancer body.

And then the door swung open and Yolanda Danforth got a good look at her son and her son's half-naked friend.

"This isn't what it looks like," Chad said quickly.

Yolanda stepped into the room and clicked the door shut behind her as Ryan wasted no time putting his shirt back on. Her hands were on her hips.

"Do you want to tell me what it is, then?"

"Ryan was just trying on the shirt I got him for Christmas." The truth would set you free, right?

Yolanda gave him a skeptical look.

"Chad Elisha Danforth, I was not born yesterday! Now you will tell me the whole truth or I may have to consider grounding you until February."

Chad winced.

"Please don't get mad at me…"

"Depends on what the next words out of your mouth are, young man."

"Ryan really was just trying on a shirt. A shirt I got him because he's my boyfriend."

All the air seemed to escape Yolanda's lungs at once.

"Your what?" She finally managed.

Ryan took Chad's hand and spoke for him, "Boyfriend, ma'am. The nicest one I've ever had. You raised him right."

"Well." Yolanda tentatively smiled. "I did raise him right. Chad, no messing around with your boyfriend, we have family present. After everyone leaves, I expect the four of us will have a long conversation and you can explain why you hid your relationship from your father and I."

Ryan realized then that he was included in the phrase "the four of us." And also that he wasn't currently being thrown out of the house by his boyfriend's mother.

Chad sank down onto his bed, looking suddenly exhausted.

"You can also come join the family in a minute," Yolanda said. "You know I don't like you hiding in your room when your cousins are here."

"Mom," Chad said before she could leave.

"Yes, dear?"

"You won't tell anyone?"

"Not my place."

"Thank you. We'll be out in a minute."

Ryan sat next to Chad and put a hand on Chad's back in comforting silence.

"You've had other boyfriends?" Chad asked after a minute.

Ryan laughed, "One. It was for like a week and he wasn't half as incredible as you. Your middle name is Elisha?"

Chad groaned, "Yeah."

"Mine's Gilbert."

"No way."

"Way."

"Ryan Gilbert Evans. Wow. That's so nerdy."

"Hey!"

"My boyfriend, the nerd."

"If I'm a nerd then you're a geek," Ryan said.

"How'd you come to that conclusion?" Chad said, close enough he could almost taste Ryan's lips.

"All these posters in your room? You're a total basketball geek."

"That's fair," Chad said, before springing an impromptu kiss on Ryan and then standing before Ryan had the chance to react or kiss back.

"Come on, my mom's just gonna come in here again if we don't go out there. And I think the conversation later is going to be a lot easier if she's not already mad at me for hiding in my room."

Ryan nodded, "Sorry I got us busted."

"I'm sorry no one in this family ever knocks," Chad said with an awkward laugh. "At least it wasn't my cousins. My parents are chill, I think? I always wanted to tell them, I just wanted a bit more time. And I guess since we don't get more time we'll just have to make do."

Ryan nodded and squeezed Chad's hand.

"Come on, geek. Let's go ring in the New Year with your family."

So that's what they did, and when it was the New Year and Chad's extended family had left, Ryan and Chad were faced with the first hurdle of the year.

"Charlie," Yolanda said, "your son has something he needs to tell you."

"Alright, but shouldn't we let his little friend go home? Unless you're staying the night, Ryan."

Ryan very much wanted to stay the night but he wasn't going to push his luck.

"Actually, the something I have to tell you is about Ryan," Chad said, working up the courage to come out a second time that night.

"Oh." Charlie was baffled, to say the least.

"Ryan is my boyfriend. I'm bisexual. I like girls and guys and right now I like, like really like, Ryan. So we're dating." The words came spilling out, and Chad wished he could have said them better, said them smoother, but this was better than nothing.

Charlie continued to look baffled for a moment longer, glancing at Yolanda who nodded at him, prodding him to say something.

"Well okay then."

"Okay?" Chad asked in shock. Just okay?

"What else am I supposed to say? You're bisexual. You have a boyfriend. Does your boyfriend need a ride home?"

"Uh…" Ryan said.

"When did this happen?" Yolanda cut in.

"A week or two after the play. But I knew I liked him because of the play."

Yolanda laughed then, "I told you that The Music Man was special."

"Thank you, mom," Chad said for the second time that night.

"Now, son," Charlie said, though it was clear this use of son was directed at Ryan, "Do you need a ride home?"

"Oh, no need, I have my scooter."

"Absolutely not. It is too late and dark and cold for you to be scooting home."

"I can drive him," Chad offered.

"You can stay here and help your mother clean up."

"Yes sir," Chad said. He knew better than to argue.

Still, Charlie saw the fear in Ryan and Chad's eyes.

"You're not in trouble, either of you. I don't bite."

Chad gave Ryan a reassuring nod. Then, not caring that his parents were watching, he took Ryan's face in his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to Ryan's cheek.

"I'll see you at school."

Ryan nodded, swallowing hard, and followed Charlie Danforth to his car.

Charlie helped him get his scooter in the car and for the first minute of the drive, they sat in silence, except for Ryan telling him his address.

"Son," Charlie finally said. There that word was again, directed at Ryan. Which meant he meant it, not just when Chad was around to hear.

"Yes sir?" Ryan asked.

"I am going to need your help."

That surprised Ryan.

"Whatever you need, sir."

"I'm afraid I'm out of my element. My son is bisexual. I've never heard of that before. I thought you were gay or you were straight. I don't know much about any of that and so I don't know how best to support him. To support both of you. So I'm going to need your help."

Ryan made a choked little sound in surprise, a sound that turned rather quickly into a sob.

Charlie was equally surprised.

"What's wrong, Ryan?"

"Sir…" Ryan didn't know how to say it, but soon Charlie's hand was firmly, comfortingly on his shoulder and Ryan found a bit of strength.

"I can't tell my own father about Chad because he wants- no, he needs me to be his obedient, straight son. He knows I'm not, but that doesn't matter to him. That's why I'm such a good actor."

It was something Ryan had never said to anyone, not even his sister. Not even Chad. And yet here he was spilling his guts to his boyfriend's dad just because Mr. Danforth had shown him a modicum of kindness.

But Charlie had more than a modicum to give. He squeezed Ryan's shoulder more firmly now.

"I'm sorry you don't have support from your father."

Ryan faltered, "I'm used to it."

"You shouldn't be. Like I said, I'm still learning, but I can see that my son loves you, and I love my son. So at my house, you have support. At my house, you're part of the family. You're welcome there anytime. So long as you and Chad don't get up to anything."

Ryan laughed a little, more grateful than words could express.

"Thank you, sir. You don't know how much that means to me."

"You met a good chunk of my family tonight. We're a tight-knit bunch, we take care of each other. Now you're one of us, so we'll take care of you too."

Ryan leaned back in the seat, beaming, knowing for sure this was going to be a good year.

While Ryan and Charlie had a heart-to-heart, Chad and Yolanda did the same.

"You never said why you didn't tell us," Yolanda reminded, handing Chad dishes to dry.

Chad focused on the dish for a while, contemplating his answer.

"I wasn't sure, at first. I wanted to tell you I was in love the second we were in the car, after the show. I needed to be sure, though. I needed to know what it meant. So I waited."

Yolanda nodded and silently urged him to continue.

"And then I got a chance to talk to Ryan, and eventually, to tell him how I felt. He was skeptical at first, scared. I didn't realize how scary it could be, mom, but when I talked to him and saw him assume it was all a trick I saw the world from his eyes. I was always going to tell you, but we wanted to wait. To be sure. I'm sure, now. I know he's sure too. But we were afraid."

"Oh, honey," Yolanda said, pulling her son into a hug.

"You never have to be scared to be yourself in front of us. We love you and we will always support you. We will always have your back."

"Thank you, mom, for everything."

"And," Yolanda added before Chad could even think to bring it up, "if any of our family tries to give you grief they'll have to go through me."

"I'm not ready to tell the rest of the family," Chad said quickly.

"Of course, honey. You don't have to tell anyone else until you're ready. But we are 100% behind you."

"Thank you."

Chad had resolutions, of course. He wanted to come out of the closet, inch by inch. But he was proud of his start. This was going to be a great year.