A Minor Key

Hello dear readers! I hope you’re all safe and well. Here’s a small diversion for you. Takes place shortly after Midnight Kisses. 😊

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Quint

For the first time in his life, Quint was considering faking illness to get out of work.

But no, that wouldn’t be right. Not on New Year’s Day, when the hospital was already short-staffed. The fact that he’d volunteered to cover the holiday before he’d known Theo was finally going to coax, charm, and sing his way into his heart the night before didn’t mean he could shirk his responsibilities.

Was the morning sunshine coming through his living room window brighter than normal, or was that just in his mind? Amazing, Quint thought, how the light brings out that fire in Theo’s hair. He hadn’t been able to stop marvelling at the color since waking up to find it brushing his chin. Except when Theo’s smile stole his attention instead. It was captivating, full of mischief and joy. It widened as Theo picked up the mug of coffee he’d just poured milk into. “Aren’t you going to burn the eggs?”

“Hmm?” With difficulty, Quint tore himself away from wondering at the beauty of the world with Theo in it, and glanced down. The omelette was beginning to curl at the edges. He slid his spatula underneath it and flipped one half over the other. The bottom was definitely more brown than it should be. “I’ll eat this one and make another for you,” he said.

“Now I see why you got Chinese takeout last night,” Theo teased.

“I’m a better cook, usually. You’re just very… distracting.”

Theo grinned, clearly pleased with himself, and sauntered around the kitchen peninsula to sit on a barstool. “There. Does it help if I stay over here?”

Quint shook his head at the cheekiness, but answered (a bit sheepishly), “Yes.”

He finished the second omelette with more skill and carried both plates, along with his own coffee, to the dining table. Theo moved from the barstool to the same chair he’d used for dinner, diagonal from Quint’s. He cut a corner off the omelette with his fork and took a bite.

“Mmm. Okay, I believe you now. This is good.”

“Thank you,” Quint said, forgetting to eat his as he watched all the subtle expressions of enjoyment play over Theo’s features. What a miracle that he was here, that Quint was allowed to take care of him in this way. He wanted to soak up every minute they were together.

“I should make it my resolution this year to learn to cook better,” Theo said, looking at his plate as he cut another piece. “All I can make is spaghetti with jarred sauce.” He popped the forkful of egg into his mouth and closed his eyes, with a sigh of pleasure, as he chewed. Opening them again, he said, almost to himself, “Why does food always taste twice as good after sex?”

Quint coughed to cover a surprised laugh.

“Sorry,” Theo said, apparently taking Quint’s reaction for offense. “So what’s your New Year’s resolution?”

“I’ve never made one,” Quint said. “If I want to improve myself, I don’t see the point of waiting until the first of January to start. But I can understand the appeal of having a special day to mark a new beginning.”

How appropriate that today is the first of January, he thought, when my entire life is beginning anew. He reached across the table and touched Theo’s arm, and Theo smiled as if he knew exactly what he was thinking.

*

He was loading the dishwasher when Theo caught him around the waist from behind, rose onto his toes, and began nibbling the side of Quint’s neck. “I know we already used the condoms,” he said against Quint’s skin, “but there’s other things we could do, right?”

Quint growled and pulled him around to be pinned between his hips and the counter so he could capture his mouth in a proper kiss. Then he drew back with a sigh, letting his head drop to rest gently on Theo’s, his eyes closed. “You have no idea how tempting that offer is, angel,” he said. “Unfortunately, I do need to leave for work very soon.”

He felt Theo’s shoulders sag. “Oh,” he said. “Well… that’s okay. We can see each other when you’re done, right?”

“It’s a fourteen-hour shift,” Quint explained, hating that he had to crush the forced positivity in Theo’s voice. “I won’t be home until after midnight.” He met Theo’s eyes and stroked his thumb over his bottom lip in a silent apology.

Theo smiled ruefully. “Guess I’ll have to get used to this now that I’m dating a doctor, huh?”

“I promise it’s not typically this bad. Not since my residency, at least, which was before there were strictly-enforced limits on duty hours.” He kissed Theo again, softer. “If I make my shower fast, I’ll have enough time to walk you home.”

He was surprised at how wrong it felt, to refer to Theo’s home as being anywhere but with him. How was he going to sleep tonight, alone again in his bed? How would he ever sleep like that in the future? His breath caught as he pictured it.

“Okay,” Theo said. Then he frowned at him. “You alright?”

“Yes,” said Quint. Pushing the old fear sharply aside, he stepped back from Theo’s embrace. “Feel free to watch TV if you’d like. I’ll be out soon.”

He took a deep breath to calm down once he was in the safety of the bathroom. A night without him is not going to kill you, he told himself as he turned on the shower. Still, wouldn’t it be nice if Theo was always there to greet him, perhaps with a kiss, when he came home?

A moment later, he realized what he was considering and shook his head. Stepping under the hot spray, he rubbed a hand over his face. Get ahold of yourself, Hanniford. You officially started dating nine hours ago. You cannot ask him to move in this soon!

Three months. He would wait at least three more months. Even if that seemed like an eternity away.

Theo

There was a different guy behind the front desk in the lobby of Quint’s building. He looked up as they stepped off the elevator and said, “Good morning, Dr. Hanniford.”

Quint gave him a polite smile and nod, while Theo wondered what the guy was assuming about his presence. Could he deduce Theo had spent the night, and why? He hoped so. He wanted to brag. Look, he loves me.

But Quint was crossing the lobby in strides of his long legs, reaching the door to the street ahead of Theo and holding it open for him. Theo hurried to catch up. “Thanks,” he said, careful to maneuver the guitar case strapped to his back so it didn’t knock into Quint or the doorframe.

It was a bright and biting morning. The leather fingerless gloves Quint had given him for Christmas only did so much to protect against the wind. Rather than put his hands into his pockets, though, he slid his fingers between Quint’s. Quint looked over, smiled, and didn’t let go until they reached Zeggy’s.

*

“Wanna come in and say hi to the babies?” Theo asked him at the top of the stoop.

Quint glanced at his watch. “I wish I could, angel.”

That pet name put a warm glow all through Theo’s insides every time he heard it. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around Quint’s waist. “No worries. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” And just because he finally could, he went on his tiptoes and pressed their lips together, and Quint tightened his hold and kissed back like he’d forgotten all about not being late for work.

Then Ike opened the door.

Theo made a noise in protest as Quint jerked away from him, leaving him cold and bereft all down his front. Ike simply blinked at them, extracted his newspaper from the mailbox attached  to the wall, and closed the door again.

Theo grinned. “That takes care of telling them where I was last night.” Moving towards Quint again, he tried to resume the kiss.

But Quint backed down a step and turned his head away. “I have to go. I’ll call you if I get a break.”

“Okay,” Theo said, even though the look on Quint’s face was making him feel like he’d lost his balance somehow. “Have a good day. I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Quint said, without hesitation. He touched Theo’s hand again. Only a little stroke of his fingers on Theo’s palm, but it was enough to reassure him. While Quint turned to go down the steps, Theo went inside.

As if she’d been waiting just out of sight, Zeggy rushed from the hallway and around the couch to grab his shoulders in excitement. “Oh my God, tell me everything.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Everything?”

She shook him. “You know what I mean. Not that.”

“Well,” Theo said, and paused, wondering where to start. There were definitely things he would not tell Zeggy about the night before. Quint’s history with that jackass professor who broke his heart, for one. That wasn’t important, anyway. The most important thing was… “He loves me.”

Then he laughed as she screamed and yanked him into a hug.

*

Gah! Stop it, stop it, stop it!

His hand skittered over his night stand, sending guitar picks and his bottle of Adderall flying to the floor before he finally found the source of the shrill noise that had interrupted what had been a very peaceful sleep. His muddled brain was confused for a moment when slapping the damn thing didn’t silence it. Then he realized it wasn’t his alarm clock, but the cell phone Zeggy gave him for Christmas. Jesus, who calls this early? He flipped it open and grunted in its general direction.

“Theo? Are you there?”

That was unmistakably Quint’s voice, even tinny and at low volume. Theo quickly brought the phone to his ear so he could hear better. “Uh, yeah.”

“Am I waking you? It’s ten o’clock.”

Rubbing his eyes with his free hand, Theo grumbled, “You say that like it’s supposed to be significant.”

“I’m here to pick you up, remember?” Quint asked, sounding confused.

“Oh, shit.” He shot upright as the memory of their conversation yesterday finally came back. Quint had called on his break, as promised, to share the good news that he’d gotten today off. They were planning to spend it together. And yeah, Quint had said he’d be around to pick him up at ten. “Okay, hang on. I’ll be down in…” He looked wildly around his room and spotted a pile of clean clothes on the chair. “Two minutes. Give me two minutes. Don’t ring the bell. It’s naptime.”

“Yes, you said that yesterday,” Quint said.

“Right,” Theo agreed. “I did.” He pushed his blankets off and swung his feet to the floor. “Two minutes. Bye.”

*

Five minutes later, he flung the front door open while hopping on one foot, trying to shove his heel into his uncooperative shoe. Quint was standing with his hands in his jacket pockets and his blue argyle scarf drawn up to cover the lower half of his face. Theo winced guiltily, even as he couldn’t help but notice how the color of the scarf highlighted Quint’s eyes.

“Hi. Sorry I made you wait in the cold.”

“It’s okay,” Quint said as Theo finally got the shoe on and stepped outside. “Alarm clock didn’t go off?”

“Um, no, it probably did. I have a habit of silencing it and going back to sleep,” Theo admitted. “I don’t remember, but that’s not unusual.”

Quint blinked like he wasn’t quite sure what to make of that statement. “…Well,” he said after a moment, “I need to pick up some groceries. I thought if you came along, we could decide on what to make for dinner together, and I can help you start that resolution.”

“Resolution?” Theo asked. Then he recalled his offhand comment about learning to cook better. “Oh, right.” He’d never actually kept a New Year’s resolution in his life. So maybe now’s the time to start. Cooking with Quint sounded… kinda sensual, once he thought about it. Definitely romantic. He smiled. “Sure, let’s do it.”

*

They went to the Whole Foods around the corner from Quint’s building, and Theo wanted to tease him about being the epitome of a stereotypical Whole Foods shopper… except that he’d gone there himself with Zeggy just a few weeks ago. It was new and she’d wanted to comparison-shop with her usual place.

If he moved in with Quint, would this be their usual place? He pictured them walking down the spacious aisles, hand in hand, picking out dinner while they chatted about their day. Then he shook his head and laughed under his breath at the little daydream. Jeez, when did I become such a sap?

Quint broke through his thoughts. “What would you like to make?” he asked as he took a cart from the line by the door.

“Um… something easy,” Theo said. “Like, really, really easy. Like hard-boiled-eggs easy.”

Quint chuckled. “I think we can go a step above that. What about marinara sauce? Then you’ll be able to make spaghetti without the jar.”

“And that’s easy?” Theo asked, doubtfully. “Doesn’t marinara sauce require, like, an Italian grandmother to learn properly?”

“It only requires her recipe, not the grandmother herself,” Quint said.

“Okay,” Theo said. “Let’s do it.”

So Quint pushed the cart into the produce section, and Theo walked alongside, expecting him to stop at the tomatoes, or maybe onions. He almost stubbed a toe on the cart wheel when Quint paused instead by a wall of leafy greens, all glistening from overhead misters keeping them fresh.

“Um… I know I’m not the expert here,” said Theo as Quint studied the greens closely, “but… lettuce? In marinara sauce?”

“No, it’s for the salad,” Quint said. He selected a small head of purple leaves and turned it over to look at the base.

“Salad?” Theo asked, his distaste evident in his voice.

Quint gave him a puzzled frown. “You need some vegetables to go with pasta.”

“I thought that’s what the sauce was for.”

“I wouldn’t consider marinara sauce to be a well-rounded source of vegetables,” Quint said. Then he smiled and touched Theo’s elbow with the hand not holding lettuce. “Don’t look so revolted. Salad won’t kill you.”

“What about those salmonella outbreaks you always hear about?” Theo asked. “Seems like it’d be safer to avoid it.”

“That’s E. coli, it’s usually in romaine lettuce, which this is not, and we’ll wash it very thoroughly,” Quint said. He went on, teasingly, “Or I can do what I advise the parents of my patients to do sometimes: Hide pulverized veggies in the sauce?”

Theo rolled his eyes. “No, that’s okay. And by the way, that never actually fools kids. Or it didn’t me, anyway.”

Still smiling, Quint put the first bunch of lettuce back and picked out another. It looked identical to Theo, but apparently this one was better, because Quint wrapped it and set it in the cart before moving on to cucumbers. No fewer than three of those were examined and rejected as Theo stared in bemusement.

Two minutes later, they were finally at carrots. A curl of Quint’s hair had fallen over his forehead, his glasses were sliding down his nose, and his eyes were studious. It added up to a strangely hot picture, if not for the fact that he was selecting produce like the fate of the world rested on each vegetable being immaculate. It made Theo want to sneak a couple of rogue tomatoes into the cart just to see what would happen. So he did.

He wasn’t disappointed. When Quint caught sight of them, he reacted as if the tomatoes were attempting a coup. “Oh, no,” he said, swooping down on the offending bag. “These aren’t right at all.” Then he must’ve realized that sounded a bit harsh, because he gave Theo an apologetic smile and said, “My fault. I should have let you know we need canned tomatoes for the sauce.”

“No problem,” Theo said. “I’ll go get some!”

Except the first can he came back with wasn’t correct, either. They needed San Marzano tomatoes, and whole, not diced, Quint explained. “It’s worth it for the taste, I promise.”

Theo went off once more, wondering how pickiness could be so endearing.

“These ones?” he asked when he returned.

“Perfect,” said Quint, and went to take the can from him.

Quickly, Theo moved it behind his back. “Delivery fee is one kiss,” he said, smiling.

Quint’s mouth opened, then closed again. He glanced around like he wanted to make sure no one was watching. Then he kissed Theo’s forehead—barely more than a brush of his lips, really—stole the can from between his fingers, and turned back to the cart.

Theo tried to find that endearing, too.

*

The reluctance to be close vanished when they got to Quint’s apartment. He kissed Theo properly, unprompted, midway through unpacking the groceries. So it’s just in public? Theo thought. He tried to find an explanation for that that didn’t mean Quint was ashamed to be with him. Maybe he’s afraid of homophobes. Granted, a Manhattan Whole Foods was probably the least-likely place to run into any, but Quint was older than him. He’d grown up in a time when gay men had to hide themselves to a much greater degree. Theo could understand that. All he had to do was show Quint it was safe.

With his mind set at ease, he gradually forgot about it as they cooked. Quint was a patient teacher. And he put his hands over Theo’s, his whole body pressed to Theo’s back, and sank their fingers into the bowl of tomatoes together to show him how to crush them. Forget sensual. This was downright indecent.

“Mmm, feels nice,” Theo murmured.

“Yes,” Quint agreed. “Don’t overdo it, though. You’re not trying to make a purée.”

Theo shot him a look over his shoulder. “I wasn’t talking about the tomatoes.”

“Oh,” Quint said, and his cheeks went slightly pink. But instead of pulling away, he kissed the side of Theo’s neck, and when Theo responded by moaning softly, he was rewarded even more, with a nip of Quint’s teeth.

Theo sighed as his eyes fell shut in pleasure. “I’m starting to think you have an oral fixation.”

Quint made a noise that could have been a laugh or a cough. “And I’m beginning to think you’re purposefully trying to distract me when I’m cooking, so you can get out of your resolution.” He squeezed Theo’s hands around the tomatoes once more before removing his own from the bowl and reaching for a paper towel to wipe them clean. “Those are fine now. Let me demonstrate how to chop the garlic.”

Marinara sauce was incredibly simple, it turned out. Choosing quality ingredients, Quint said, was the most important part. Theo supposed that explained why he shopped the way he did.

Not that Quint wasn’t fastidious in other areas of his life, too. After each step of the recipe, he took a few moments to put tools away or wipe down the counter. “You’ll find it’s easier if you clean up as you go along,” he said.

Theo raised his eyebrows. “Uh… sure. I mean, maybe you will.” Then he had to dodge, laughing, as Quint flicked a dish towel at his butt.

Quint

For someone who had spent years sleeping alone, Quint found it exceedingly easy to adjust to another body in his bed every night. He loved it, in fact. The only issue was getting up in the morning—and not just because he wanted to spend all his free seconds with Theo, even when the other man was unconscious.

The problem was, Theo did not so much cuddle as drape himself over Quint as if he were turning his body into an extra throw blanket. He seemed to prefer Quint’s chest to a pillow, and he could, Quint was discovering, be more clingy than plastic wrap.

Trying not to wake him, Quint gently lifted the arm Theo had wrapped around his waist and attempted to slide away. But Theo responded by entangling their legs even more.

“Whehyuhgo?” he mumbled. 

“Running, angel.”

“Uggggh,” went Theo. He squinted up at Quint suspiciously. “You run e’ery mornin’?”

Quint couldn’t resist pushing his fingers through that bedhead. “Yes. I told you so yesterday.”

“Didn’t believe you,” Theo said, his eyes closing again and his head tilting into Quint’s palm like a dog getting its ear scratched. “Anyway, you didn’t run the first morning I was here.”

“That was a special circumstance.”

“So why isn’t this?” Theo asked, sounding put out.

Smiling, Quint answered, “Because if I made every morning you’re here a special circumstance, I’d never run again.”

“Sounds good to me,” Theo said. He pushed himself up on one elbow and adopted a face to put a puppy to shame. “Stay?”

Quint laughed. Privately, he had to admit it almost worked. “Angel, I’ll be back in half an hour.”

“Fine. You’re making it up to me, though.” With that pronouncement, Theo flopped onto his other side, pulled the covers halfway over his head, and fell straight back asleep. Quint tried not to disturb him any further while he got dressed.

*

“I figured out how you can make it up to me, leaving me in a cold bed this morning.”

They were cuddled on the couch, watching a movie after dinner. 

“I thought I already had?” Quint asked, feeling an echo of heat in the bottom of his stomach as he remembered. He’d returned to the apartment, sweaty and blood pumping, to find Theo doing something entirely indecent while aiming a sultry look through the bedroom doorway. He said he’d gotten bored after waking up again. Quint’s post-run shower had been severely delayed.

“Huh?” Theo asked. Then he realized what Quint meant and laughed. “Oh, no, you’re not getting off by getting off.”

“So how?” asked Quint, choosing to ignore the frankly terrible wordplay.

“You’re going to come to my show tomorrow night.”

He said it as if it were a penalty, which took a moment for Quint to move past. Who had given this sweet, talented man the idea that watching him perform would be anything but a joy? With as much sincerity as he could pack into his voice, he replied, “I’d be delighted.”

*

Theo gave him the name of the venue and told him when to be there. He himself would be coming directly from practice at his bandmate Mitch’s house. But when Quint walked into the tavern sandwiched between a laundromat and a Chinese takeout, he thought he’d gotten the place wrong somehow. It was the size of a standard New York City drinking establishment, which was to say, tiny. Barely enough room to squeeze behind the stools lined up at the polished bar. There was no sign of Theo or any kind of stage. The handful of other patrons ignored him dithering in the doorway, but after a few moments, the barman called over, “Can I get you something?”

“A Manhattan,” Quint said, by reflex. Then he took a step closer and asked, “There’s not a band playing here tonight, is there?”

The barman grabbed a bottle of rye whiskey with one hand and, with the other, pointed to a doorway at the very back of the room. A curtain covered the view through it. Quint had subconsciously assumed it only led to restrooms and given it no further thought. But the barman said, “Right through there. You’re early still. You’ll have your choice of seats. These guys bring in a crowd. The Upstart Crows, ever seen them?”

“No,” Quint said, truthfully. He’d yet to even meet any of Theo’s bandmates.

“They’re good.” The barman finished making the Manhattan and passed it over. “Enjoy.”

After paying with a folded bill from his wallet, Quint took the cocktail and walked through the curtained doorway. It opened into a room twice the size or more of the actual bar. Black felt covered the walls, and there was a stage raised up just three inches off the floor in one corner. A couple of arcade games stood in another. The rest of the room was empty apart from a handful of stools and a very beat-up couch. On the stage, Theo was crouched next to an electric guitar amp, fiddling with the cables plugged into it. The other young people setting up equipment and instruments around him could only be his band.

One of them looked over and saw Quint. She kicked Theo’s behind, asking, “That your tall-dark-and-handsome?”

Theo looked up, grinned, and came to meet him as the rest of the band paused in what they were doing to watch. “You made it!” Theo said.

“It’s Astoria,” said Quint, a smile curling his own lips. It was the first time he’d seen the younger man since that morning. “Did you think I’d get lost crossing the river?”

Ignoring the question, Theo slid his arm around Quint’s waist and pulled him toward the stage. “Come meet everyone. Mitch, Ethan, Shannon, Kev, this is Quint.”

Shannon, the petite brunette who had kicked Theo, stepped forward first. “Hi,” she said, holding out a hand. “He will not shut up about you.”

“Shan!” Theo protested, laughing.

Slightly uncomfortable, Quint cleared his throat as he shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

The two that Theo had identified as Ethan and Kev were busy wrangling various parts of a drum set into place, but they both looked over and said hello. That left Mitch, Theo’s co-founder in the band. He had a patchy beard and a flannel shirt that gave off a ‘Brooklyn hipster’ air, though Quint knew he was from a middle-class neighborhood of Queens. He smiled as he said, “Hey, doc.”

“Quint, please,” Quint replied. “I’m happy to meet you all.”

Theo went onto his tip-toes and pecked Quint’s lips, then said, “We need to begin sound check. You can sit down, if you want. Many more people show up and this place’ll be standing-room-only. They never give enough chairs.”

So Quint moved one of the barstools closer to the stage and had a seat, taking a sip of his Manhattan, while Theo went back to the amp and cables. He and the other band members worked together to adjust the sound as, gradually, a chattering crowd filled the room. Quint paid no attention to it, preferring to watch Theo handle the sound check with such confidence and professionalism that Quint’s chest filled with pride. And he wasn’t even singing yet.

After about twenty minutes, Theo finally stepped to the mic to ask, “How you guys doing?”

The audience applauded and cheered, then quieted down.

“Thank you,” said Theo, putting on his guitar and adjusting the strap. “Thanks for coming out. We’re the Upstart Crows, and… tonight I think we’re going to start with a number dedicated to a special person in the room.” His eyes, bright and joyful, made contact with Quint’s for just a moment before they moved on, a smile quirking his lips. “I won’t point them out, ‘cause they don’t like being the center of attention, but they know who they are.”

He counted off the rhythm, and the band launched into a song Quint recognized immediately, with a skip of his heart. It was the one Theo had given him nearly a week ago on New Year’s Eve, only backed this time with a steady drumbeat and a violin, played by Shannon, that howled with feeling. The effect was powerful. Though it fell slightly short of the potency of Theo with just an acoustic guitar and his heart on his sleeve, Quint loved it in a different way.

He loved the rest of the show, too. It was far from the first time he had watched Theo perform, but never with such a large crowd and other musicians to play off. All of his charm punched up to eleven. Quint saw absolutely no sign of the self-conscious, insecure man who minimized his own accomplishments without thought. Theo was radiant. He centered the stage like a sun, and everyone else was captured in his orbit. And he delighted in it.

Theo

The few lingering patrons were headed back to the bar for last call as Theo put his guitar in its case. Apart from the band, only Quint remained, sitting on the same stool he’d occupied all night. Theo hopped off the stage and sauntered up to him. “Hi,” he said, slipping his arms around Quint’s waist, enjoying that they were of almost equal height for once. “Like the show?”

“It was wonderful,” Quint replied.

Smiling, Theo ran his hand down the line of buttons on the front of Quint’s oh-so-proper shirt and hooked a finger into the top of his fly. But almost as soon as he did, Quint took his wrist to pull him away. Then he stood up, putting even more distance between them. Okay, just a couple of inches more, but still. He added, “You were wonderful,” yet it only took some of the sting out of it.

Theo could feel his mouth settling into a pout. “Come sit down with me.”

“Don’t you need to be packing up?”

With a shake of his head, Theo tugged the older man towards the couch against one wall. “Kev and Ethan went to bring the van around to the alleyway. They’ll take forever. C’mon.”

Quint gave a dark spot on the couch a dubious look before sitting on the other cushion.

Perfect excuse, Theo thought. He made a show of eyeing the stain suspiciously as well, then plopped himself on Quint’s lap. Quint made a noise halfway between a grunt and clearing his throat. Before he could move to separate them again, though, Theo ran a line of kisses along his jaw, asking between them, “I ever tell you… performing… gets me hot?”

Quint pressed his thumb to Theo’s chin, cutting off the line just as it reached his mouth, and raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve seen you perform many times in the park without acting like this.”

“That’s different,” Theo said, rolling his eyes. “In the park, people hang around for a snippet of a song if you’re lucky. This is… a whole room and you’re the center of attention, all that energy focused on you, dim lighting, loud music….” He went in for another kiss.

“Theo,” Quint sighed against his lips.

“Hm?”

Quint angled his head towards the stage, where Mitch and Shannon were disassembling the drum kit. “We aren’t alone.”

Theo barely glanced over. “They’re not paying attention.”

“Because they’re packing. We should help, while we wait for the van,” Quint said. And he actually physically lifted Theo off his lap so he could stand up. It might have been a little hot, in other circumstances. Theo scowled at his back as he walked over to Shannon and asked where he could lend a hand.

Ten minutes later, they had almost finished loading the instruments and equipment into the van in the alley. Mitch used a bungee cord to secure the heavier items while Ethan went to check they hadn’t left anything. Theo rubbed his hands up and down his biceps, trying to generate some friction to stave off the freezing January night.

“We’re good,” Ethan called from the bar. Mitch jumped out and, together, he and Theo shut the rear doors. Then Theo took a step back and turned to nearly knock into Quint.

“Oh, sorry, angel,” Quint said, steadying him. “Are you warm enough?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Good.” He moved away once more.

Theo puffed out a breath that hung, visible, in the air between them. “It’s late and I gotta ride back to Mitch’s and help unload again, so I think I’ll just crash there tonight.”

Quint blinked. “…If you’re sure,” he said, making it sound like a question.

“Yeah,” said Theo. He looked over his shoulder at the band, then back to Quint, muttering, “They’re not homophobic, you know.”

The look of confusion on Quint’s face only grew stronger. “I know.”

Well then I don’t know what the hell your problem is, Theo thought. But he didn’t say anything. A part of him feared he did know. He didn’t want confirmation.

“See you tomorrow, then?” Quint asked, hesitantly.

“Mm-hm.”

“Good,” said Quint. He did, at least, tell Theo he loved him before going to call a cab.

*

“So.” Zeggy planted the mug of coffee she had just brewed decisively down next to Theo’s breakfast plate. “Why are you here?”

“I… live here?” Theo said.

She reached over and flicked her fingernail against his forehead.

“Ow!” He clapped his hand to the spot and scowled at her. “What was that, a new therapy technique?”

She simply rolled her eyes. “You knew what I meant.”

“No,” Theo said, setting his chin. “I don’t.”

“Okay, fine.” Pulling out the chair next to him, she sat down. “You just decided you’d rather come here after your show than accompany Quint back to his place, where you’ve been staying for almost a week, to work off your post-performance horniness. Makes sense.”

He cringed. “Don’t say ‘horniness.’”

Zeggy took a sip from her own mug of coffee while raising an eyebrow at him over the rim.

He held out for three more seconds before he caved. “It wasn’t my choice.”

Now both her eyebrows went up, in surprise. “Quint told you to leave?”

“Yes. Not in so many words, but–”

“Whoa, whoa, in what words, exactly?”

Theo rolled his fork between his fingers and thumb. “He didn’t need to say anything. His actions spoke pretty loudly, and they said he didn’t want me anywhere near him. Not in public, anyway. And if he doesn’t want to be seen with me in public, I’m not wasting time on him in private.” His voice sounded good, steady and full of conviction. Too bad that his eyes were welling up.

Zeggy slowly pulled one knee up to her chest and hugged it as she regarded him. “Okay. Tell me what he’s done.”

So Theo did. He told her about all the times over the past week when Quint would pull away whenever he got close around other people, like he was putting up an invisible wall. Tears ran down his face by the time he finished speaking.

“Oh, sweetie,” Zeggy said, wiping a thumb over his cheek. “Have you asked him why he’s acting that way?”

“I know why. He’s ashamed of our relationship.”

She shook her head, though. “Theo, that makes no sense. The band already knew you two were together. He didn’t object to you telling them. You have to ask him what’s going on instead of jumping to conclusions. It’s only fair.”

“Maybe.”

“Not maybe. When he gets back from work today, you’re going to go talk to him.” She pointed at him as he opened his mouth to object. “Don’t make me flick you again.”

Quint

The weather suited Quint’s mood, at least. He felt buffeted by the frigid wind in the same way Theo’s attitude the night before had pushed their nascent relationship off course. What had gotten into him? Quint had half a mind to march over to Zeggy and Ike’s townhouse and demand to be seen by the young man… if he was even there. Perhaps he’d spent the day at Mitch’s.

He checked his phone once more. There was still no answer to the voicemail he’d left Theo this morning, or the text he’d sent at lunch. With a heavy sigh that turned the air in front of him into a cloud of steam, swiftly whisked away by the wind, he slid the phone back into his pocket, bowed his head, and continued on.

His gaze was on the grey concrete of the sidewalk almost until he reached his building’s front door. In fact, he was less than six feet away when he finally spotted Theo.

Theo didn’t catch sight of him at the same time. His head was down too, his back against the wall next to the service entrance and his arms crossed over his chest, which was protected only by a jacket Quint knew was little more than a windbreaker. He didn’t even have a scarf on.

“Theo!”

He jolted away from the building, immediately uncrossing his arms. “Oh, hey,” he said, as if they were casual acquaintances bumping into each other in a supermarket.

“Why are you out here?” Quint demanded. A touch to Theo’s forearm confirmed he was barely repressing shivers. “You’re freezing!”

Theo glanced through the pane of glass next to them, into Quint’s lobby. “Your, uh, doorman is one I haven’t met, and he said I need to be on the guest registry to wait inside.”

Quint frowned. “Come with me.” Taking his hand, he pulled him through the door and directly to the front desk.

The doorman, whom Quint had only first seen that morning, looked somewhat alarmed. “Yes, Dr. Hanniford?”

“Good evening,” said Quint, with utmost politeness. “This is my partner, Theo Calhoun. I’m giving him my spare key. I’d hate for there to be any misunderstanding, so what do I need to do to ensure he has access to the building?”

The doorman and Theo both stared at him. The doorman recovered first. “Um… I, uh, need to see his ID, and there’s a form– I think they’re in here….” He bent down to look in a drawer.

“Angel, you have your ID?” Quint asked.

Theo blinked, swallowed, and fumbled a wallet from his pocket. His teeth were beginning to chatter. Impatiently, Quint took the wallet from him and set it on the desk with one hand, while the fingers of his other were busy unbuttoning his double-breasted overcoat. He stepped behind Theo and tugged the younger man into it. Sharing body heat was the most efficient way to warm him up.

The doorman worked quickly. Once he’d copied the information from Theo’s ID to the form, he passed it over, along with a pen. Quint allowed Theo to extract his hand from the coat to sign it, and it was done. Quint pressed a kiss to Theo’s temple as the doorman filed the form away.

With a polite-but-chilly, “Thank you for your assistance,” he steered Theo ahead of him and into the elevator. They had to separate from the coat or risk tripping over each others’ feet, but that was easily rectified once Quint had pressed the button for the correct floor. He pulled Theo back against him and within the warm wool once more.

“I’m okay,” Theo mumbled.

“You’re shivering,” Quint replied. “I can feel it, so don’t tell me you’re okay.”

Theo fell silent then, until they reached the apartment. Quint spent the same period trying to reason with the deep, icy burn of outrage inside him. The doorman had only been doing his job. He couldn’t have known Theo was stubborn enough to wait on the street without proper outerwear. Filing a complaint with the building would do nothing.

In any case, it wouldn’t happen again.

Stepping into his kitchen, he reached for the spare key that had hung by the door since the day he moved in. “Here.”

Theo stilled in the middle of taking off his coat. One sleeve dangled freely behind him. “Y-you’re… uh, I mean, um… wow. You’re actually giving me a key to your place? No guy’s ever done that before. With me.”

For a moment, Quint frowned. Then his lips parted on a sharp inhale. Of course, that was what he was doing, wasn’t it? He’d considered it only in terms of practicality, making sure Theo could always wait for him in warmth and comfort. The fact that giving someone a key to your home was generally considered a meaningful step in a relationship hadn’t crossed his mind. Perhaps because he’d never truly felt it to be his home, alone. Unpacking all his earthly possessions had done far less to make him comfortable here than seeing Theo walk through the door. 

“Angel, I’m sorry,” he said. “I should’ve given more effort to properly presenting it. I’m afraid I’ve never had much experience in romantic gestures.” He removed Theo’s coat the rest of the way and hung it up, then pulled the younger man into a kiss.

When they broke apart, Theo was no longer shivering. He did, however, look slightly disoriented. “So,” he said, slowly, as if he was working out his words as he spoke, “you really didn’t mind him knowing?”

Quint frowned again. “Mind who knowing what?”

“The guy. Downstairs. That we’re together.”

Quint stared, then blinked a few times and shook his head. “I seem to have missed some vital information here. Why on earth would I mind?’

“I thought… I mean, whenever I try to be affectionate with you around anyone else, you pull away, like…”

Rather a lot of events lined neatly up in Quint’s mind then. He felt the last one move into place with a drop of something heavy at the bottom of his stomach. “Angel. Is that why you went to Zeggy’s last night?”

Theo’s gaze slid sideways and his right shoulder jerked in an approximation of a shrug. “Well, it’s annoying.”

That was, Quint suspected, a lie. Theo hadn’t been annoyed, he’d been hurt. By his actions. The heaviness in his stomach twisted and formed a knot. He had to fix this. Putting an arm around Theo’s lower back, he guided him towards the couch. “Come sit down. We need to have a discussion.”

Theo

He settled on the edge of the cushion, eyeing Quint next to him. The older man had the key still in his hand and an extremely serious expression on his face.

“Angel, I don’t mind if the whole world knows about us. I’m just not comfortable with public displays of affection because….” He sighed and shook his head. “Well, I never have been.”

“Why not?” Theo asked. He wanted to understand, to stop feeling like the other shoe was about to drop on his head. “Where’s that come from?”

“It’s nothing to do with you,” Quint said. His empty hand squeezed Theo’s knee as he earnestly met his gaze. “I love you. But I didn’t have the most…” He paused, searching for the right word. “The most demonstrative role models. I don’t think I ever saw my parents so much as peck each other on the cheek. They certainly didn’t express affection verbally within the range of my hearing, to me or to each other.” With a heavy swallow, he added, “Looking back on how that made me feel, I can understand why it would cause you to doubt my commitment.”

Theo rested his palm on Quint’s knee in turn. Christ, and he thought he had a crappy childhood. One functional human being for a parent was better than none. “I don’t mind if we’re in public public,” he allowed. “Like a grocery store or something. I can see why you might not want to hold hands if you’re not sure how strangers will react. But around people we know, our friends and stuff, I want to be able to kiss you or snuggle up to you or whatever.”

For a long moment, Quint didn’t speak. An internal battle flashed behind his eyes. Finally, he said, “I can’t guarantee I’ll be completely comfortable with that overnight, but I will try to get better. I promise. So long as you stay within appropriate boundaries.”

“Meaning?” Theo asked, raising an eyebrow.

Quint raised one right back. “Meaning, I will not be seduced while your bandmates pack up equipment in the same room.”

He cracked into a smile. “Okay, fair.” They could always move to another room.

“Can I ask something of you in return?”

“What?” Theo asked, his smile fading as quickly as it had come, because Quint looked even more deadly serious now.

“If I’m annoying you or worrying you, tell me. Don’t leave me in the dark. I would say that’s also fair, wouldn’t you?”

A squirmy feeling started at the base of Theo’s spine, went through his butt, and manifested as his leg jiggling all on its own. His gaze dropped. “Yeah. That’s what Zeggy said too, that leaving wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

Quint pressed on Theo’s knee again. “I’m sorry, as well. I’m glad you talked to her about it and came back.”

“So’m I,” Theo said, softly. He stole a quick glance upward, but he needn’t have feared. Quint was smiling. And for the second time that day, holding out a key.

“Will you take this now?”

“Yeah,” Theo said, in a tone that added, ‘of course, are you kidding?’ He accepted it and squeezed it tightly in his hand before uncurling his fingers to get a better look. It seemed to sparkle. With his insides sparkling too, he leaned over and caught Quint’s mouth in a long, deep kiss.

As they broke apart at last, he pushed the key safely into his pocket and offered a wicked smile while he caught his breath. “Hey, ever had make-up sex?”

Quint coughed. “Nnno, I can’t say that I have.”

“Me neither. Want to find out if it’s as good as they say?”

He nodded.

It was.

Quint

Later that night, Quint called his old roommate, George, to ask a favor. “Do you remember,” he said, once they had the pleasantries out of the way, “the night you gave me that wok and offered to find me a… a person to talk to?”

“Yee-es…” George replied. He did not point out that that night had been far from the first time he’d hinted at such help, or that the ‘person’ in question would be a therapist, though Quint knew he would be correct if he did either. “Are you taking me up on it?”

“I think I need to,” Quint replied, looking down at Theo as he gently stroked his hair. The younger man had fallen asleep midway through their post-dinner movie with his head pillowed in Quint’s lap. “If I’m not careful, I’m going to ruin this.”

“This? Does that mean you and Theo…?”

“Are in love? Yes,” he said simply.

“Congratulations,” George said, the smile audible. “I’ll send you the contact information for a few people I know with specialities in attachment issues.”

“Attachment issues. Is that the clinical term?”

“Yes, but don’t go reading articles before you start. Just let the work happen.” He paused, then continued in a softer tone. “I’m proud of you, Quint. You’ve made huge steps towards lasting happiness.”

“I hope so,” Quint said.

Quint – April 1st

He’d wanted to make it special, a true marking of a milestone in their relationship. When Zeggy and Ike invited him and Theo to dinner at their favorite restaurant, it seemed the perfect occasion to do what he had in mind and, at the same time, take a step outside his comfort zone, applying everything he’d been working on in therapy.

So as they waited for their entrees to arrive, he slid his hand over the tablecloth to hold Theo’s, heedless of anyone else that might be watching, and asked, “Angel, will you live with me?”

The younger man blinked a few times. “Uh, is this an April Fool’s joke?”

“Theo!” said Zeggy.

Quickly, Theo pulled Quint’s hand closer. “No, I don’t mean- it’s just I’m pretty sure I am? I don’t have anything left at their place,” he jerked his head to Zeggy and Ike, “except two shirts, and those are just in case the twins spit up on me. I’ve spent almost every night with you since the day you gave me your key. Haven’t you noticed?”

“I… hm,” said Quint. His brow furrowed. He knew Theo owned very few possessions. Just enough to fill the section of closet Quint had cleaned out for his use long ago, it seemed — plus his guitar, which rested on its stand next to the television when Theo wasn’t playing.

And now that he thought about it, that guitar stand was a dead giveaway. They were living together.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to ruin your moment,” Theo said with a smile, apparently reading the realization in Quint’s face. “I’m thrilled you’re making it official, I swear. What took you so long?”

Quint felt a bit foolish. “I told myself I needed to wait at least three months,” he admitted.

“Sooo, April to March, March to February, February to January,” Theo said, counting backwards on his fingers. He laughed. “Three months on the dot. Did you set a reminder in your Blackberry or something?”

“I didn’t need to. I’ve been thinking about it every day since New Year’s,” Quint said, and then he kissed him, while Zeggy clapped and aww’ed and generally made them into a spectacle. He was too happy to mind.