Kyle was even more restless than his usual energy level—somewhere around a charged lightning storm. It had started right when Nic offered his loft as a place to stay, and Kyle had taken the whole morning to decide before saying yes.

By now, Nic was getting a feeling for him. He suspected Kyle was out of his depth and maybe totally unfamiliar with relationships. Plus, it was an unfamiliar place, so when he wandered around, looking like a lost puppy, Nic tried not to look at him and give him enough space to process whatever he was going through.

After all, he couldn’t imagine how hard he’d take it, had his workplace been targeted by a hate crime. And Kyle’s passion was wrapped up with his job. It felt like a personal attack to Nic, and he was barely involved.

“I’ll need your address again,” Nic told him. “I wasn’t really paying attention when I, uh, called the taxi.”

Kyle cast him a quick sideways glance and smile, no doubt remembering that first night between them again, too. He rattled off the street number and name, and Nic punched it into his maps app on his phone.

“Is that the GPS that got you lost on your first day with us?” Kyle teased.

“God,” Nic laughed. “It is.”

“I’m not sure I trust it.”

“Me neither.” Nic buckled up. “But it’s the quickest way to learn a new city.”

“By getting lost? Huh. I like your travel philosophy,” Kyle told him.

“Thanks.” Nic chatted about nothing in particular—places they both wanted to visit—while they drove to Kyle’s house, hoping to put him at ease.

Waiting for him to collect his personal belongings was exactly as awkward as he’d expected, but Nic was starting to get used to awkwardly waiting for Kyle. With their difference in personality, he had a feeling it would be a theme if he was around him much.

The apartment didn’t really have a good place to wait except by the door, and Kyle hadn’t ushered him through to the living room, so Nic didn’t want to intrude. Instead, he just leaned on the wall by the front door and played with his phone, opening and closing apps.

So far, Kyle had rushed past him several times on the way to get clothes, shampoo, and his laptop from different rooms.

“Sorry,” Kyle told him breathlessly as he hurried past to the bathroom once more. He was cute when he was in a rush. “Just remembered one more thing. Do you have a blowdryer?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Nic didn’t use it much, but he was sure he’d brought one in the move.

“With any accessories?”

Nic tilted his head.

“I’ll take that as a no.” Kyle waved what looked like a plastic funnel at him and threw it into his bag. “Honestly. A little volume never hurt anyone. Okay, that should be it.”

Nic smiled. “You sure? I don’t mind waiting.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sure this is the last place you wanna be,” Kyle chuckled. “I’m good to go.”

Nic wasn’t really sure why he wouldn’t want to be here, but he nodded and led Kyle back out to his car.

“Sorry. Not really what you’re used to, but, you know. We don’t get a lot of overtime,” Kyle smiled crookedly as he swung his gym bag into Nic’s trunk.

Oh. Shit. There it was. It was about money again, and Nic had learned last time to tread very carefully.

“Right, no. We’re lucky to,” Nic chose to answer. He wasn’t igniting any fuses while they were stuck in a car together. Once they were on the road and headed back to his place, he glanced over. “You should be paid for everything you do. I guess with charities there’s funding issues?”

“Yep,” Kyle sighed. “I apply every year, but they usually turn us down. And the volunteers are great, but they can’t do everything.”

“You do a lot of work for free,” Nic surmised. “And then something like this happens…”

Kyle’s expression tightened for a moment and he looked out the window.

Nic reached out to squeeze his knee. “Sorry, I’ll change the subject.”

“No, no. It’s fine. I just…” Kyle trailed off. “Sorry. I’d better answer these emails.”

Nic let him type on his phone for the rest of the drive, his mind still turning over those comments. By the time he got back to the apartment, he’d put two and two together: maybe Kyle was uncomfortable here because it was so nice.

Not that he was the kind of asshole who’d call Kyle’s place shabby. It was beautifully decorated inside, even if the exterior wasn’t in the best shape, and Kyle clearly looked after it.

But it also wasn’t a condo loft overlooking the city.

Yeah, Nic could see the problem now.

As Kyle entered, he glanced around again. “I can see why you chose this place. The windows are great. And the view.”

“Kyle…” Nic trailed off, closing the door behind them and kicking off his shoes.

He couldn’t just let Kyle think he’d always been this privileged, or that he didn’t understand what Kyle was feeling. Not when it was such a wedge between them.

“Sorry, it’s not your fault, I just… issues. Like I said.” Kyle held up his hands in apology, then dropped his gym bag by the bedroom door while Nic approached him slowly.

Okay, do this like it’s a relationship. Nic still felt weird about being too familiar with Kyle. He reminded himself that Kyle touched him all the time in little ways—brushed him when they passed each other or to make a point, rested his chin on his shoulder when napping, sidled up to him when teasing him… Be brave.

Nic went for it. He slid his arms around Kyle’s waist. “Can I talk to you about the money thing? It’s, um, pretty personal. We should sit down.”

Kyle looked worried, but curious now. He nodded at Nic, then the couch. “There?”

“Sounds good.”

Once they were settled, Nic was even more nervous, even though he had no good reason to be. He kept his arm around Kyle’s waist, leaning into him. “Um, I didn’t always have money.”

Kyle looked sideways at him, then turned to face him a little more fully, their knees brushing. His expression had softened already. “Yeah?”

He wasn’t used to telling people this. Nic’s chest ached with tension, and he searched for the quickest way to get it out there. “I grew up with my grandma and my uncle. Parents left when I was really little—God knows where they are. Never tried to find them.”

Nic had Kyle’s full attention now, and it was almost painful. Once again, Kyle was looking at him like the most interesting person in the world, the only one he wanted to see.

Now, Nic couldn’t meet Kyle’s gaze. He gazed down at their laps instead, and when Kyle took his hand, he fidgeted with Kyle’s fingers. “So, um, we didn’t have a lot of money, on her pension and my uncle’s unsteady work and all. And then I was kind of homeless. They were pissed off that I turned out… you know… trans, and gay, after everything. I always knew. They were okay with me being a tomboy at first, but they wanted me to be ladylike, you know… stereotypes, blah blah. We fought a lot.”

Shit, he hadn’t meant to get into that, but he didn’t know how to tell only part of the story.

Kyle’s other arm had slid around his shoulder now, pulling him against his chest.

Nic rested his head on his shoulder and drew a breath. “I was pretty quiet, aside from the fights. I hid it for a long time. I knew they wouldn’t like it. When I was sixteen, I snapped and told them, and they…” He trailed off, his throat tight.

He hated telling people this. Sometimes it felt like once he did, it was all they’d see: the usual narrative. Like that was all he was.

But somehow, it felt like Kyle would get it.

“Well, they didn’t take it well. Hung on another year, until I graduated. Then they pushed me out the door the day after I graduated.” He laughed, but he couldn’t quite keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Shit.” Kyle pressed his cheek into Nic’s hair.

Nic’s eyes stung and he blinked a few times, glad to be hiding his face in Kyle’s shoulder. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to talk about that, just…”

“No, thank you for telling me.” Kyle’s voice was a soft, warm lull, and Nic’s hand was on his chest. He breathed along with Kyle, slow and steady, until his eyes stopped stinging.

“I got kicked out, too,” Kyle murmured. “I get it.”

Nic’s breath caught in his chest and he looked up sharply. “No.”

“Yeah.” Kyle gave him a crooked smile. “I have this… gaydar, but for kids like us. Homeless, early fledglings, whatever you wanna call it. I find myself befriending them without even knowing it. Like we have to stick together.”

“Right,” Nic murmured softly, studying Kyle’s expression. It wasn’t pity—it was understanding.

God, that was a relief. He could breathe again. It sounded horrible to say, like he was glad Kyle had gone through the same pain, but… he got it. He didn’t feel sorry or give a lecture about how things were getting better for kids these days or praise him on how the shitty things made him stronger.

“So, uh,” Nic cleared his throat and swallowed. “I learned to make shitty websites as a kid, and better ones in high school… so when I was alone, I’d be able to make it work. Lived in a Super 8 for a while, off the highway. Once I had enough saved, picked up computer programming, got some freelance jobs, finally got my first apartment, learned about half a dozen languages in as many years while I bounced from contract to contract…” Nic trailed off. “Programming languages, that is. And that got me here. So. Yeah. I get it.”

Oh, shit. Kyle’s eyes were watery, but when Nic opened his mouth to apologize, Kyle pressed a finger to his lips. “I’m sorry I made you say that. I didn’t want to… to make you feel bad,” Kyle murmured.

Nic shook his head. “No. You didn’t make me. I wanted to tell you. It… feels good,” he admitted.

“Doesn’t it? First time I told River about my parents throwing me out, I cried like a baby,” Kyle admitted with a shaky laugh.

Nic managed a grin. “So I’m not doing too badly.”

“Nope,” Kyle agreed.

It was then Nic realized Kyle had been rocking him softly against him, and it felt… incredible.

“You’re really…” Nic trailed off, then cleared his throat. “Thank you. For getting it.”

Kyle chuckled. “Given the choice, I’d rather not understand from personal experience, but I get it.”

“Yeah. Sorry. I… Can we just punch each other’s family? I mean, assuming yours was shitty. They had to have been, right?”

“Deal,” Kyle laughed, a little louder. “Yeah. Mine… Mom was okay, but she’s gone now.”

Nic rubbed his cheek against Kyle’s shoulder. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Kyle shook his head, but his voice was raw. “And Dad… I don’t talk to him. My brother, if he ever calls, I do.”

Nic wasn’t going to push that sore spot. “That what made you… all… the way you are?”

Kyle nodded. He seemed to want to say something, but he was hesitating, his gaze flickering between Nic’s eyes. Finally, he managed a crooked smile. “Promised Mom before I left.”

Oh. It clicked into place, and Nic nodded slowly, then leaned in to brush his lips against Kyle’s. “I’m sure she’d be proud.”

Oops. Now Kyle was crying. What had he said? That might have been too sappy. Shit. Watching Kyle cry made him tear up, too.

“Sorry. Fuck. God, I’m bad at comforting people.” Nic pulled away and flailed for the tissue box. He shoved it at Kyle, nearly hit him in the nose, and swore again. “Sorry.”

Kyle was laughing as he wiped his eyes and grabbed a tissue. “I gotta say, this is a lot of firsts.”

“Yeah?”

“Crying on guy’s shoulders is not my style.” Kyle grinned. “And I’m guessing it’s not yours.”

“It really isn’t,” Nic laughed. “But it’s been a weird couple days, hasn’t it?”

Kyle pocketed the tissue and drew him in again, loosely this time. “It sure has. Is it bedtime yet?”

“It can be,” Nic offered. “We were up late last night.” And he was tired, maybe from all this talking, or maybe from the late night.

Kyle nodded. “Let’s sleep.”

“Deal.”

Before they pulled away to head for the bedroom, Kyle cupped his cheek and turned his chin to face his, then leaned in for one slow kiss.

Then he pulled back and smiled. “Last in bed’s a rotten egg.”

Startled, Nic laughed as Kyle bolted to the bedroom, pushing himself off the couch to scramble after him. “Who said you could have my bed?” he dramatically sighed, so Kyle would know he was joking.

“I think you did when you wrapped yourself around me like a fucking octopus last night.”

“Not an octopus!” Nic was blushing as he grabbed his pajama bottoms from the dresser.

“Something with a lot of limbs. More than four. Definitely five.”

“You dirty bastard. You were counting?”

Kyle winked at him. “You know it.”

Still, the mood between them wasn’t sexually charged like before as they pulled back the covers to climb into bed.

Kyle scooted closer, so Nic let Kyle spoon him. His eyes hurt now, and closing them in the darkness of the room felt good.

As they found comfortable spots, Kyle’s arm over his side and his palm against Nic’s chest, Kyle pressed his lips into the back of his neck. “Thank you for letting me stay. And for talking to me.”

“Thank you… for everything,” Nic whispered back.

Even if this was all it was—a few days, a fling—something had happened back there, in the living room, or maybe in the bathroom this morning when Kyle told him to be himself, or maybe the very first time Kyle had beamed at him.

Nic was a better man for Kyle being in his life, however long he stayed.