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When he picked up Josh from Hamilton, he was able to confirm another forty-two attendees for the lock-in and a snarky “halftime” video from a trio of Steelers who owed him a solid.

Tonight they cooked together again, this time Tyler chopping olives while Josh sautéed chicken and lemon in a sizzling pan. Lots of laughter and a bottle of cheap pinot. Their mouths met between tastes, savoring every second. After dinner, they lay entwined on the couch pretending to watch a superhero flick, but mostly enjoying being close and quiet.

They fooled around, had another shower, and eventually drifted to bed… not tired but knowing they needed to be up early. They moved slowly around Josh’s bedroom, talking and chuckling as they tried to make the time stretch.

Tick-tock.

As he brushed his teeth, Tyler described the sit-down he’d had with the school up in Ocotillo Heights. Same deal: a couple of pissy locals were trying to get books banned if they showed a kiss or took the Lord’s name in vain, etcetera. Tense, ugly, and stupid attacks on the library. The principal up there had been painfully grateful for Tyler’s visit.

Not long after, Josh climbed into bed. “Well, your day was way more productive than mine. Co-captain drama. Oh, and Elaine Chavez is pregnant. But the big news is the library. After you dropped me off this morning, two weirdos showed up in the parking lot holding a wide ‘Save Kids from Porn’ banner with a picture of Obama, for some reason. No idea.”

Tyler made a face. “That’s the problem with staying out here in the sticks. Book bans and bigots. But I don’t want to give them a win by walking away. Jesus.”

“Didn’t go well for them.” Josh just shrugged. “The wrestlers spent lunch shouting Bible verses and pretending to jerk off till the weirdos left. So naturally Myra effing Waxman came out to make a speech about propriety that only made it worse. And sometime in sixth period, the kids started a TikTok protest.”

“You couldn’t pay me to go back to high school. It’s so different now.”

Josh shook his head. “Not as much as you think. I mean, technology is different. Apps and all. Being out and all. But mostly they do all the same stuff anybody ever did. You’d be surprised. What really changes is us. The kids are just the same.”

“Probably.” Almost absently, Tyler stroked and kneaded Josh’s powerful muscles. “Hard evidence. You’re stronger than I am now.”

Josh’s voice was muffled against his chest. “Your fault.”

“How’s that?”

“If it wasn’t for you, I’d still be a thirty-something beanpole who biked past your house twice a day.” Josh chuckled and tipped his head up to peer at him. “You realize you’re the reason I ever worked out.”

“In high school?”

“Oh no!” Josh laughed at that. “Hell no. Up until you graduated I spent two years pining and mooning after you… and then you went off to conquer the world and I spent that summer in a hole. Inconsolable. Full emo. By then, Nadia knew because… obviously.”

“Knew what? Hold up.” A spike of childish annoyance went through him. “My sister knew you had a crush on me and didn’t say anything for fifteen years? That little—”

“Angel. Saint. She was patient and wonderful. Plus I swore her to secrecy. Dude, I had a crush on her brother and she was a rock. For what it’s worth, she kept your secrets too.”

Tyler nodded. Josh didn’t have any idea what that meant. How could he? Nadia had always kept family business close to the vest. She’d been so young when it all went down.

“Then at the end of that summer, I realized… you’d gone, but one day you’d have to come back. One year, five years… I wanted to be ready just in case. To be visible, worthy. Ugh. That sounds awful. But you really were my hero.”

Tyler squeezed his hand. He knew what Josh was trying to do by spilling the beans like this. “And so you went to the high school gym.”

“Off and on. Or, I tried. The coaches back then were pretty dismissive. The other guys were awful. No, it really happened at college. Freshmen year, I met a cute guy in my anthropology class and joined the swim team.”

“No way! Wet Speedos? Hubba-hubba.” Tyler squeezed his butt with a leer.

“Terrifying. But I just kept thinking, one day I’ll run into Tyler and he’ll really see me.”

“Oh… I saw you. But back then, I was on a mission.”

“Which I didn’t know. I thought I was invisible. The guys at Cal State showed me how to lift, how to stretch. And accidentally I discovered that without much effort I could pack on muscle fast. I got shredded by the time spring break rolled around. Shocked the hell out of everyone.”

Tyler kneaded his arm, his shoulder. “I bet.”

“Then I wasn’t just this skinny nerd because I kept getting bigger. Then I won some meets, fooled around some with my buddies. I went on a couple so-so dates. Apparently muscle doesn’t solve everything. I started to come out of my shell. Came out to my parents, actually. By junior year, the swim team asked me to be in the calendar, practically naked, I should add.”

“I better be getting copies, man.”

“You don’t need copies. You got the real deal.” Josh kissed him. “In the end, I did a whole bunch of calendars. A little physique modeling even. But that was all you too, in a way. Body. Confidence. Calm. I used the idea of you as an anchor and just reimagined myself, my body, my friends, my time… so I’d be ready for you when we finally met properly.”