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Early Monday morning, Cyrus floated into school, still dazed and dreamy from the weekend. Specifically, his brain was still replaying the incredible blind date he went on last Friday with T.J. Kippen. And it didn’t end there. All weekend, they had exchanged texts, back and forth, talking about the most random topics they could think of.
Cyrus had not stopped smiling like a fool as he practically skipped to his locker. Humming to himself, he checked the schedule tacked on to his locker door before gathering all the things he needed for the day.
“Hey, blind date.”
Cyrus jumped a hundred feet into the air as he turned around.
T.J. was leaning against the locker next to his, wearing a confident smile.
“Hi,” Cyrus managed, feelings his cheeks bloom with a blush.
T.J.’s smile widened even more. “You look like you’re in a good mood."
“Well, I had a pretty great weekend,” replied Cyrus, cheekily. “Great date and all.”
T.J. laughed as he nodded. “Me too. It was a great date.”
Those words sent Cyrus’ heart into overdrive and he was fairly sure his face was a tomato right at that moment. If T.J. noticed, he didn’t mention. Instead, he pushed himself off the locker he was leaning on.
The jock looked a little nervous as he said, “So, about that second date…”
“Y-Yes?”
He wasn’t going to cancel, right? Or say that it was a mistake? He said he had a great date! Or did he have another date after he went out with Cyrus and that date was great? What was going on?!
“They’re having a production of ‘Rent’ at the local theater this Saturday,” T.J. continued. “Do you want to go see it? We can grab something to eat after, too.”
Oh. He was asking Cyrus out again! On their second date! He meant what he said!
“Yeah… Yes! Definitely! I’d love to!” Cyrus burst out before closing his eyes, cringing at himself.
That was really loud. A few students turned their heads to look at them curiously as they passed.
“Sorry,” he said, softly.
But, T.J. just chuckled. “So cute,” he mumbled under his breath but Cyrus heard.
Now, he knew that he definitely looked like a tomato right then.
“Great,” T.J. said to him, looking like an excited puppy. “I’ll text you the details?”
Cyrus nodded, trying not to smile too much but was unsuccessful.
“I’ll see you around, then.” T.J. gave him a wink before walking away.
And Cyrus felt himself fall back against the locker, hand at his heart. It was beating way too fast and way too hard against his chest.
How was he supposed to survive the rest of this week if everytime T.J. looked at him, his heart would go out of control and he just couldn’t… stop… smiling?!?!
“Dude… stop smiling like that, it’s kinda creepy.”
But T.J. didn’t care. He continued watching Cyrus talk with his friends as they ate their lunch on the other side of the cafeteria.
“Leave him alone, man,” Justin said, with a mischievous smile. “He finally got a date with the guy of his dreams and it was all thanks to me.”
T.J. snorted. “Because you begged me and you would have broken his heart by not showing up.”
“Semantics.” His friend nudged him, suggestively. “So… are you taking him out again?”
“Mmhmm.”
The jock felt himself smile as across the room, Cyrus looked up and caught his eye. He cutely waved at T.J., who returned it along with a saucy smirk and a flirty wink. It brought him great joy to watch Cyrus turn red and shyly turn his head to talk to his pixie-haired friend.
He was so looking forward to Saturday!
“Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes… Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear…”
Cyrus was aware that his eyes were probably shining with glee, right at that moment. The setting. The beautiful voices floating around them. His handsome date sitting beside him. It was all perfect.
“Rent” was one of his favorite musicals. He watched the movie with his mom when he was younger and within a week, he knew every word to every song.
And it was the musical that inspired him to come out as gay to his mother. In turn, she gave him the strength and support needed to come out to his father, his step-parents, and his friends.
This show meant a lot to him and he was glad to share this moment of watching it onstage with T.J.
“I think they meant it when they said you can't buy love… Now I know you can rent it… A new lease you are, my love… On life… All my life…”
As Collins and Angel danced across the stage, looking so happy and in love with each other, Cyrus felt a hand slip into his own. He turned to see T.J. smiling at him and he couldn’t help but return it.
“I’ve longed to discover… Something as true as this is…”
……..
“So with a thousand sweet kisses… I'll cover you…”
“Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes…”
“If you’re cold and you're lonely…”
T.J. heard a soft sniffle beside him and turned to see a tear slide down Cyrus’ cheek.
“With a thousand sweet kisses… I’ll cover you…”
“Five hundred, twenty-five thousand moments so dear…”
“You’ve got one nickel only…”
His date’s hands shook as one of them tightly gripped T.J.’s hand in his. The couldn’t seem to stop spilling and T.J. hated seeing him like that.
“With a thousand sweet kisses… I’ll cover you…”
“Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes…”
“When you’re worn out and tired…”
As Cyrus sniffled, trying to compose himself, T.J. pulled him to his side, wrapping an arm around him.
“With a thousand sweet kisses… I’ll cover you…”
“Five hundred, twenty-five thousand…”
“When your heart has expired….”
He wanted to pull Cyrus closer and bury his face against his shoulder, but Cyrus’ gaze was heavily concentrated on the heartbreaking scene on stage.
And T.J. had to admit, his own heart was breaking with each word sung out by the cast.
“I’ve got you,” T.J. whispered into his ear. “It’s okay.”
Finally, Cyrus laid his head on his shoulders, seeking his comfort. And T.J. did his best to comfort him with as few words as possible.
……
“There's only now… There's only here… Give in to love… Or live in fear…”
Cyrus felt his lips tilt up into a smile, even as another tear slid down his cheek.
“No other path… No other way… No day but today… No day but today… No day but today… No day but today… No day but today…”
Before he knew it, he was on his feet, clapping loud and cheering. His face was wet and his heart ached but there was also the sense of satisfaction and joy he felt every single time he finished watching this musical.
The cast came out, gave their final bows, and waved goodbye at the audience before the curtain closed, officially signaling the end of the show.
While everyone else in the audience began making their way out of the theater, Cyrus sank back into his seat, just letting it all wash over him.
“You okay?”
Smiling, he turned to T.J. “I’m fine. Sorry.” He wiped at the tears on his face. “I always cry at this.”
Chuckling, T.J. reached over to help wipe the tears away. “I can’t believe I made you cry at our second date. Should I have taken you to something else?”
But, Cyrus shook his head. “No, no, this was perfect,” he insisted, widening his smile to reassure the other boy. “I love this musical. It’s one of my favorites. Thank you for taking me, T.J.”
“Are you sure?”
Cyrus nodded, appreciatively. “Positive.”
T.J. smiled at him before standing up and offering a hand. “Shall we go then?”
Nodding again, Cyrus slipped his hand into his and allowed the other to pull him up.
Hand-in-hand, they made their way out of the theater.
They ended up at The Spoon. Tucking themselves into a corner booth, they ordered milkshakes and a giant basket of baby taters to share.
In between bites, Cyrus enthusiastically talked about the show, naming his favorite character (Collins), his favorite scene (Collins and Angel dancing together), and his favorite song (“Seasons of Love”, of course!)
T.J. watched and listened, fascinated by the way the other boy’s eyes sparkled and intrigued by the passion and excitement in his tone. He was really cute and something about his aura just brought T.J. a sense of calm and joy. Kind of like sunshine on a cold day.
“…it was because of it that I was finally able to acknowledge the fact that I’m… well… gay,” Cyrus finished, blushing a little. “It really means a lot to me.”
“I’m glad I took you then,” T.J. replied, spinning his straw around his milkshake glass. “I’ve never seen the movie or heard the songs, so it was a new experience for me. I really liked it.”
Cyrus raised a suspicious eyebrow. “You’re not just saying that to try and impress me, are you?”
At that, T.J. laughed. “No, I’m serious! I mean, if I did impress you, it’s a bonus. But, really, I liked it. And my favorite is probably the song that Roger sang at the beginning.”
“One Song Glory?”
It sounded right so T.J. nodded. “And the song at the end that Roger and Mark sang.”
“What You Own.” Cyrus smiled. “For some reason, I’m not surprised you like those two.”
Both had a very rock-y vibe, which T.J. enjoyed.
“So… can I ask you kind of a personal question?” Cyrus asked.
“Sure. What’s up?”
Cyrus pursed his lips. “Well… I’m kind of curious since I wasn’t even aware that you… liked guys… when did you know?”
T.J. hummed. “Probably… middle school? I had a crush on a guy. It was… kind of rough, actually. There was a lot going on that time. I… found out I also had dyscalculia,” he revealed.
It wasn’t something he was fond of telling people, but he had made his peace with it. He felt like Cyrus wouldn’t think him weird or different.
And just as he hoped, Cyrus simply nodded.
“Anyway, I told my mom who helped with my dad and… they’re still kind of weird about it. Dad still thinks it’s just a phase and that I’d grow out of it but mom is pretty chill with it now. She likes to ask me if I think any male celebs are hot.” He chuckled. “The team knows but I didn’t really make a big deal of telling the rest of the school about it. It’s my business, not theirs.”
“I can understand that,” Cyrus agreed. “So… is it okay if we’re seen together?”
Slowly, T.J. reached out across the table to place his hand over his. “Of course. I’m not ashamed of who I am. Besides, I think I really lucked out when I got to go on that blind date with you.”
Across from him, Cyrus turned a cute shade of pink.
Heart hammering against his chest, T.J. figured that it was safe to tell him the truth now.
“Cyrus… I-.”
“Hi, how are things going here? Do you need a refill on anything?”
T.J. felt a burst of irritation at the waitress’ interruption but Cyrus politely smiled up at her and shook his head.
“I’m alright. T.J.?”
“I’m fine, too,” he gritted out.
“Then, just the check, please.”
“Right away.”
As the waitress sauntered off, T.J. reluctantly released Cyrus’ hand to reach into his pocket for his wallet.
“No, no! Let me!” the other insisted. “You paid for the show tickets. Let me have this.”
T.J. raised an amused brow. “You know, most people would love for their date to pay for the entire thing.”
Chuckling, Cyrus pulled out a few bills. “What makes you think I’m like most people? Besides, if you really want to pay for the whole date, then I’ll let you have the next one.”
At that, the jock perked up. “You’d go on another date with me?”
The other boy blushed. “Well… if you want to… I mean, you don’t have to but-.”
“I do,” T.J. interrupted, gently. “I really do.”
For a moment, Cyrus looked at him with wonder before breaking into a soft smile. “Me too.”
T.J.’s heart fluttered.
Sooner than he would have liked, the date ended.
T.J. offered him a ride home and Cyrus couldn’t find it in himself to say “no”. Besides, he wanted to spend more time with the jock.
Two weeks ago, he was only watching T.J. laughing with his basketball friends across the hallway. Now, Cyrus was in his car, being driven home. He still felt like he was dreaming.
“Thank you for bringing me home,” he said, as the car pulled up to the sidewalk in front of his house.
“Anytime,” T.J. grinned.
Cyrus continued to smile but made no move to get out of the vehicle. Nervously fiddling with his fingers on his lap, he was trying to find the right words to say because simply saying “bye” didn’t feel enough.
“I had a great time,” he started.
“Me too. I promise that the next one will be even more fun.”
Cyrus’ heart felt like soaring. T.J. still wanted to go out with him. They had already gone on two dates and both ended amazingly. But did T.J. like him? Or was he simply passing the time until someone else came along?
“Cyrus? You okay?”
He broke out of his reverie and realized that he hadn’t said a single word. T.J. was looking at him, nervously.
Cyrus nodded. “I’m fine. It’s just… I… kind of can’t believe that you want to go on another date with me.”
“Well, why not? You’re fun to hang out with and… I…” T.J. trailed off, suddenly hesitant.
Cyrus cocked his head to the side, curiously. “You…?” he prodded.
To his surprise, the jock blushed and he looked back down at the steering wheel in front of him. “I…really like you.”
Warmth exploded and spread throughout Cyrus’ body, his heart beating a million times a minute as butterflies swarmed inside his stomach.
T.J. liked him? As in… really liked him?
“Y-You do?” he couldn’t help but squeak out.
T.J. chuckled and looked back at him.
“I don’t go to the school plays just for the heck of it, you know. I go because you’re in them. I like you, Cyrus. For a while now. But, I didn’t think you knew me and I…wasn’t really that confident in approaching you. I figured I’d always just watch you from afar, you know. But, then, Justin told me about that blind date and when you showed up, I was really happy. I don’t know if it coincidence or the universe or whatever… but I felt like it was finally my chance.” The jock swallowed, suddenly looking unsure. “And if you give me the chance, I’d really like to continue getting to know you and maybe… you’ll come to like me too.”
“That’s impossible,” Cyrus blurted out.
T.J.’s face fell. “Oh."
Realizing what his words implied, Cyrus backtracked. “Because I already like you!"
T.J.’s mouth fell open. “You do?”
“Y-Yeah… kinda… I mean… I don’t go to basketball games just to watch Marty, you know.”
At that, T.J. started to laugh, a heart-fluttering and addicting sound that made Cyrus join in.
“Wow… we’re really hopeless cases, huh?” the jock said in between chuckles.
“Yeah… we are,” Cyrus agreed.
As the laughter died down, they settled into a much more comfortable silence.
Cyrus was a mix of emotions: joy, affection, and a little bit of doubt and fear.
Now that they had both shared their feelings, where would they go from there? Were they a couple? Or did T.J. want to continue casually going on dates before making it official? And what did Cyrus want? He really didn’t know.
“I’m serious about getting to know you,” T.J. said, softly smiling at him. “And I’ll be honest in saying that I’m hoping whatever this is between us would go somewhere.”
Cyrus blushed. “You… don’t waste time, do you?”
T.J. chuckled. “Well… in the words of ‘Rent’… no day but today, right?”
Cyrus groaned. “No fair. You can’t use my favorite musical ever to make me feel like this.”
“Like what?”
“Like my heart is going to jump out of my chest and run away with you.”
“I’d keep it safe, if that’s the case.”
Now, Cyrus’ heart was definitely about to leave his body and really run to T.J.
“So… is it okay?” T.J. continued.
Shyly, Cyrus nodded. “I’d like that.” He fiddled with his fingers, again. He didn’t want to leave but he knew that if he stayed, he would lose all coherent thoughts. “Um… I should… probably head in now.” He tilted his head towards his house.
“Oh, yeah. So, I’ll text you? Or call? Whichever is more convenient for you.”
T.J. sounded so eager that it made Cyrus smile. “All of that sounds great.”
Feeling a spark of bravery, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to T.J.’s cheek before saying a quick, “Bye” and leaving the car. As he rushed to his front door, he could feel the blood rushing to his face again.
He couldn’t believe that he kissed T.J. Kippen! Sure, it was on the cheek, but still! He never would have made a bold move like that on anyone in the past, no matter how much he liked them. But, there was just something about T.J. that gave him confidence.
Before entering his house, Cyrus paused and turned around to look back.
T.J. was still there, watching him with a smile, hand on the cheek Cyrus had kissed.
Darn, he was so cute.
With one last wave, Cyrus opened his front door and went in. Pressing his back to the wood, he clutched his heart that simply refused to calm down.
His feelings for T.J. had been a simple crush. Now, he wasn’t so sure anymore.
But, one thing was certain: he was ready for any more surprises the Universe had in store for him.