David sat on the bed, one leg folded under him, the other hanging to the floor. There was movement behind him, then Jason came into view and took a seat in front of him. The only light was the bedside lamp, casting a dim yellow glow and leaving much in shadow. Jason handed him a glass of water, and he took it and drank.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked, resting a hand on his knee.

David nodded. "Yeah," he said. "I was just...surprised."

"You didn't see it coming?"

"No," David said. "Not even a little." Dark eyes looked up to meet him. "Tell me again," he said. "Just to be sure. Everything you said before. Please."

Jason took a breath, let it out audibly. Then he smiled. "I love you, David," he said. "And I want you to decide what's best for you. If you decide to live with your brother, I won't stop you. He's family and he's looking for a way to connect with you—I certainly can't blame him for that." Reaching up, Jason smiled as he cupped the slender cheek. "And if you want to end things with me, I also won't stop you."

"And if I don't want to end things with you?" David asked softly, reaching up to lay his hand over the other man's.

"Then," Jason said slowly, "I'll move with you."

David looked up at him in something close to wonder and disbelief. "Why would you go that far...for me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" came the immediate response. "If you'll let me," added Jason.

"Why wouldn't I?" asked David.

Jason hesitated. Withdrawing his hand, he sat back. "Maybe your brother is right," he said. "Maybe I am holding you back. Maybe I'm not thinking about what's best for you. Maybe I should let you go off on your own."

"I was already on my own." A pause. "I didn't care for it."

Reaching out, as he always did when David spoke this way, Jason took David's hand and held it on the bed between them. Rubbing his fingers over the back of David's hand, he said, "I meant what I said, David; if you decide to live with your brother, that wouldn't change our relationship."

David was silent. "Did he change it by showing up?" Looking up, he met Jason's confused frown and added, "If my brother hadn't shown up, if he hadn't given himself as an option, tell me, honestly, what would you have done? Would that have been it for us? Would we have gone our separate ways? Would we have been long distance? Would we—"

"No, David," Jason said. Squeezing the hand in his hand, he smiled. "Nothing would have changed. Wherever you go, I would follow."

**

When Drew walked into the weight room silence fell. The sound of the weights clanking and hydraulics of the machines working continued, it was just the dozen or so football players that suddenly sent mute. They had heard about his summer job as assistant coach, and they were not happy about it. That incident with Kramer and conversation with Andrew had made the rounds quickly, and it had been a freeze out ever since. If Drew was honest, he didn't much mind. But he wondered about practice: they wouldn't talk to him, but would they take direction from him? Not likely.

With a deep sigh he headed for the free weights to begin his warmup, and by the time he finished his routine at the rowing machine, one hour had passed and not a single word between anyone. Taking his towel and draping it over his shoulder, Drew walked out with his water bottle. Across the threshold from behind, voices rose in talk and laughter. At least, he mused, they were disciplined.

Turning left towards the locker room for a shower, he sighed again. Summer was going to be interesting, at least, but fun apparently wasn't going to be a part of it.

**

It was their last chance. Today was the last day of school, and they had heard he was leaving town right away. There would not be another chance. That was what the groups of girls standing outside the Army recruitment office thought as they waited anxiously for him to come out. Fixing hair and makeup and hiking up skirts, they had all agreed to give it a shot. He had to agree to go out with one of them, right?

Finally, at three-thirty, the door opened, he stepped out—and was immediately accosted by a cacophony of voices.

"Girls, girls," Jason said, holding his hands up and laughing. "I can't understand a thing you're saying. One at a time."

But they couldn't agree on who that one should be, and all wanted to be first. While they argued among themselves, and Jason waited, slightly bemused, he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind. Turning, he looked down at the most popular girl in school, Beverly Stone. Cheer captain, debate team captain, homecoming, and prom queen, she was tall and thin and always perfectly tan, even in deep winter, with long strawberry blond hair in a perfect mane around her perfectly made up face.

Tucking hair behind her ear, and setting her earring to jingle quietly, she smiled. "I think what the girls are trying to do, Major," she said, "is ask you on a date."

"Oh," Jason said, slightly surprised. He had honestly never imaged that. Turning to them, he asked, "Really?"

The ensuing giggles and blushes confirmed, yes, really.

"So," Beverly said, standing beside him and crossing her arms over her chest. "Which one will it be, Major? This one is cute," she pointed to a girl whose mousey brown hair was cut into a bob, "but she's awfully chatty."

"I am not!" the girl objected shrilly. "Tell her I'm not," she said, turning to a girl beside her. "Tell her! I mean, I might come across that way if you don't know me. But once you do, you'll realize I'm actually very quiet and don't like to talk about myself, except if you—"

"Nancy!" the girl beside her said loudly. "Shut. Up."

Jason coughed into his hand to hide a laugh. Beverly didn't bother to hide hers, and Nancy fell into red-faced silence behind the group.

Another girl stepped to the front to try her luck. A multitude of necklaces jingling around her neck above a low cut tank top, she shot Beverly an icy glare, before looking up at him from below thick dark lashes with a red-lipped smile. "As you know, Jason," she said, her voice a little too breathy. She stepped closer, running a finger over his chest as her smile widened to a grin. "We're no longer high school students from today. So, there's really no reason to hold back."

"Ah..." Jason pulled back a step and caught her hand lightly in his. "As...flattering as that is," he said, deciding that was the politest way to put it. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass." Giving her hand back, he surreptitiously wiped his own on his jeans.

"Why?" she asked, rather aggressively, her smile gone. "Is there someone else?" Just then, her eyes went to his wrist, and she grabbed it. "Is that a new bracelet? Who gave that to you?"

"It was a gift," Jason said, startled. He glanced at Beverly, as if for help.

"We promised no gifts, you guys!" said a girl from the group. "Who broke the pact?"

"It wasn't from any of us," said the first girl. She looked up at him with narrowed eyes as she let go of his wrist. "Who's that from, Major?"

Jason smiled. "Hmm, who can say?"

"Is that why you've been avoiding us?" said another girl, pouting. "You got a girlfriend or something, Major?"

"Or something," he said, grinning from ear to ear.

There was instant uproar as each girl began to accuse the other of seeing him behind the group's back, breaking their pact. Motioning with her hand, Beverly led him a few feet from the group.

"This could take a while," she said. "You should probably go."

"Don't mind if I do," Jason said, with some relief. He bent to lift a box at his feet.

"Say hi to David for me," she said. When green eyes looked at her, she added, "Oh, everyone knows. Well," she glanced back at the girls, still arguing, some in tears, "those who care to know."

Standing up, box in hand, Jason looked at her, seemingly in thought. "How did you know?" he finally asked.

She smiled. "When two people show up with matching heart charms, even if one of them is in an earring, you know."

"You pay very close attention to him."

"I like David. We used to be friends in kindergarten. He used to share his crayons with me."

"You don't like him now?"

"Just because you like someone doesn't mean your presence is good for them. Look what happened when he was with Drew." With something like a sad smile, she added, "What would he have gone through if he was seen with me?"

Jason looked at her, again with that thoughtful expression. There were still people in this town who surprised him, and he had a fleeting moment of regret that he had not been able to know Beverly a little better. Adjusting the box to one side, he held out a hand to her. She smiled and shook it. Then Jason turned and walked towards the exit, and she walked back, deeper into the school. She had cheer practice, and someone had to stand at the top of the pyramid.

**

He made the long walk alone. Beside him on either side, on the shoulder of the long, curving road, tall oaks and pine rustled in the light wind, blowing the scent of earth and pine needles into his face. Heat radiated up from the asphalt but was quickly swept away by the wind and the occasional passing car or truck. It was a walk he was more than familiar with; there was a time when he made it every day. Already up ahead he could see the tall wrought iron gates covered in vines and rust.

His footsteps tapped lightly on the asphalt, until he passed through the small entrance to the side of the gates, and then they were cushioned by the lush green grass of the cemetery. The graves were shaded by swaying trees, and it was cool in the dappled sunlight as he made his way to the area where more recent graves were. At a large, white marble marker, topped with carved cherubs and flowers, he stopped in the thin shadow of a sapling in its first bloom.

"Hey, Mary," David said quietly, his voice little more than a whisper on the wind. "I came to say goodbye."

**

Just outside the tall iron gates, Jason leaned on the hood of his car. Inside, in the back seat and the trunk, was everything he and David owned. Even between them, it was not much. He tilted his head up and closed his eyes to enjoy the warm breeze, his ears full of the rustling of leaves and chirping of birds, his nose filled with the scent of greenery. Summer was just beginning.

He heard the squeak of rusted hinges and soft footfalls. Opening his eyes, he watched David pass through the single entrance gate, dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt with the graphic image of a bleeding heart whose blood changed to black as it dripped onto the nails of a hand. It had been a graduation present from Jason to David, given last night.

"Were you waiting long?" David asked, as he came to a stop beside Jason.

"Just got here," Jason said. His gaze took in the pale face and lowered eyes. "Are you okay?"

David nodded. Reaching out, Jason drew him into his arms, and David let him. They stayed that way for a few moments, before letting go.

"I've almost left so many times before," David said, passing a hand over his cheek. "But I never said a proper goodbye. I'm glad I did this time."

"Me, too," Jason said, brushing bleached hair back behind his ear. He had offered to drive David, but the young man had wanted to make the trip alone. One last pilgrimage, as it were. "How did it go with Bailey and Davis?"

"About what I expected," David said, moving to lean on the hood of the car beside Jason. "They asked me not to go with you. Not to stay, but just don't leave with you."

"I didn't leave a very good impression on them, did I?" Jason said, with a sigh.

"You did on me," David said. Taking Jason's hand between them, he intertwined their fingers. "You're the reason I'm here."

"Nah," Jason said, smiling, his green eyes twinkling in the sunlight. "You were the one who did all the work."

David smiled at him, dark eyes shining. "Call it a team effort."

Jason chuckled, rose their clasped hands to kiss the back of David's. "Speaking of team," he said. "Drew came to see me at the school. He left a box for you."

"For me?" David turned to look with stunned curiosity as Jason moved to open the back door and take out a box. Setting it on the hood of the car, he took off the top. Inside was half full of what looked like drawings. David paused at the sight of them, and then with almost reverence reached in to delicately pick up a page. "These are..."

"He said one morning he went outside and saw papers blowing along the street. When he picked one up, it was Mary's drawings. He followed the trail to the garage put out in front of your house and saw the box and took it. He also said that for the longest time he thought you were the one who threw them away, but then he realized you weren't even home that day." Jason paused, watching the expression on David's face. "Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye to him, too?"

David set the paper back in the box and carefully put the top on. It took a moment for him to collect himself; he never thought he would see these drawings again and having them come back so unexpectantly shook him. He took a deep breath. "Drew and I already said our goodbyes," he said. "There wasn't anything more to say."

And Jason knew that was the end of it. After taking the box and putting it back in the back seat—David watching anxiously until he strapped it in with the seatbelt—Jason opened the passenger door for him. "Oh," he said, as he slid behind the wheel. "I almost forgot. When I was collecting the box, Drew saw my bracelet." He put his wrist on top of the wheel, letting the item in question catch the light. "From the look he gave me afterward, it seemed like he recognized it."

"Probably," David said, buckling up his seatbelt. "He was there when I bought it. I used him to size it."

"I hope you're strictly referring to wrists."

David gave a breathy chuckle then a shrug that made Jason reach out and squeeze his neck, which made him laugh.

"If you bought it with Drew," Jason said, turning the keys and bringing the engine to life with a rumble. "Then that was over a month ago. Why wait so long to give it to me?"

"Because I wanted it to be a thank you," David said. Dark eyes looked up and met green. "For everything."

"You don't have to thank me," Jason said, reaching out to cup the pale face. "You just have to keep being you."

"I'll give it a try."

Jason tapped him under the chin, which made him giggle, and then put the car into drive. "Alright," he said. "After blowing into town and corrupting it's youth, I have to leave in disgrace, and you're coming with me."

"Try and stop me."

Something in the voice made Jason look up. He caught the dark gaze directed at him and felt his insides flutter at the look in them. He had to take a breath before putting the car in reverse, pulling away from the cemetery and out onto the highway. At a certain point the road made a semi spiral up a low hill, and as it crested, a gap through the trees allowed a sweeping view of the town, from the football fields in the east to the warehouses in the north. David kept his gaze straight ahead the whole way, looking out at the road beyond. But just before they passed completely out of sight, he turned, and cast one last look at the town where he was born, where he lost home and family, where he made a friend, and where he found love.

Jason, watching him, reached out and silently took his hand. David gripped him tightly, his palm warm and dry, as he said a silent farewell to the town to which he would never return.