“Aaahhh, I think I just died,” Nelson laughed. “I’m totally dead.”
“I’ll avenge you!” Tito smashed the buttons aggressively on the controller.
“Oh! Oh noooo Tito don’t – ahh you dude what was that move? That was sick! You got him, finish him, finish him! Ahaha bro you’re my hero.”
“I have avenged you, but now I am a lonely victor. Cause yeah you died.”
Nelson snickered. “I am not good at this.”
“You did pretty well for someone who hasn’t done this before.”
“Yeah, I’m not that invested – it’s not like I can win this game in one day. Besides like, winning isn’t the point, just fun to hang out.”
“Yeah. I wish we could like…do this more often. Instead of just once a year,” Tito grumbles.

There was a solid pause. “We may be able to hang out more.”
Tito craned his head up. “What do you mean?”
“My cousin’s going off to college right? My uncle said the room is free; he said I could rent it if I want to.”
“You’re – you’re thinking of moving back here?”
“Maybe. I’m not getting anywhere with community college in Maryland, going to university doesn’t feel right, and living with my mom and her new husband is super weird. There’s a new HVAC program at the career center here that’s really affordable, and they pay for the apprenticeship. No debt, and I get job skills. Um, so I’m looking into it.”
“Are you serious? Is that why you came here suddenly? I thought you just came for your cousin’s graduation.”
“That, and to see you,” Nelson said.
“Did you apply for that program or are you just thinking about it?”
“I applied. I was waiting to hear back if I’m accepted for fall. I haven’t heard yet, but like, I just can’t keep a secret. So I don’t want to get your hopes up, but ya know… I kind of like the hope.”
Tito put down the controller. He turned around so he could climb onto Nelson’s lap like a koala, legs tucked on the sides, but holding on as tight as he could. “I want you to move back,” he whispered.
Nelson wrapped him in a hug and nuzzled his cheek. “I want to be with you too, but it doesn’t matter where to me.”
Their lips met with a soft touch. The CRT TV hummed in the background, the game on hold. Tito’s hands pushed up Nelson’s shirt; Nelson snaked his hands around back to squeeze Tito’s ass. Nelson could feel the hardness in Tito’s shorts against his stomach, and was pretty sure Tito could feel the same thing. The urge to touch him was suddenly over-whelming.

“So if it doesn’t matter where, it doesn’t matter if we’re in my bedroom instead of on this floor?” Tito asked.
“Nope. Actually I’d prefer to be there.”
“Yeah me too. Why don’t we move here?”
“That’s a phenomenal idea. I need to reward you for avenging my death though,” Nelson reminded him. “And I think your bedroom is a better spot for that.”
“You want me to carry you like how Cloud carries Aerith’s body in Final Fantasy?”
Nelson snickered. “I think for that scene to work, we need to fill up the bathtub.”
“Ohhh no I’ve watched enough porn to know sex in the bathtub is a bad bad idea.”
“Even with a sexy corpse?”
“Especially with a sexy corpse.”
“Well, carry me like a sexy corpse. It’ll be very dramatic.”
Tito puffed out his cheeks. “I will try.”

15 minutes later, Tito’s roommate came home and noticed there was a foot sized hole in the wall of the hallway, plaster on the carpet, and a trail of clothes leading to the bedroom at the end. Oh no, what were those noises? He decided to go get In n Out for dinner.

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Captions are fictional.