#SamGabeHSAU --

Gabriel has been in school for most of his life, and he has never learned so much as he has in the past two weeks.

His vocabulary's grown exponentially. He knows where downstage and stage left are, he knows what marking your space is, he knows about vocal tone and the shape of your vowels and consonants. He knows how to breathe into his diaphragm and to use the muscles of his whole body to project a note. He knows about follow spots and scrims and how to talk to someone behind you without facing them. He feels like Keanu Reeves in a dusty, piano-jangling version of the Matrix's kung fu scene. He's soaking everything about theater up like a sponge.

He starts bugging his dad about going to shows. Dad hasn't expressed much of an opinion over anything for the past several years and that continues to be the case. His older brothers don't seem particularly enthused, and Luke is of course MIA, so he's pretty much without a support system. But that's OK. He feels like in Ms. Moseley and the music teachers and the rest of the cast he has a whole new family. He's understood, he's celebrated for exactly who he is, and he is treated like someone with unique talents to offer. He doesn't remember ever feeling like that in his life.

And then, against all that backdrop, Sam starts really making an effort to see him, brings him delicious meals, becomes friends with the cast as well. Gabriel doesn't think he's ever had anyone go through that much effort just to see him. He's disappointed every night when rehearsal's over and he has to go home. This is where he needs and wants to be. Every cell in his body is humming with happiness.

Until Sam shows up again with two sandwiches and kind of a grim look on his face.

Gabriel frowns. He asks for five minutes off (they're running down the Act I finale, which is pretty Conrad-centric, so he's kind of screwing everyone by asking) and runs down the aisle. "What is it?" he says. "Is... everyone OK? Is somebody hurt?"

Sam's surprised. "No, why? Do I look that upset?"

"You look upset enough." Gabriel shoves his hands in his pocket and rocks on the balls of his feet. "What is it?"

"I just-- I need to ask you something," Sam says. He looks kind of pale, but at the same time there's splotches of color on his neck, like he's just holding back a flush. "Can we, uh...?" He hooks his thumb backward toward the door in lieu of finishing his sentence.

In the hallway, Sam relaxes somewhat, leaning back against the cool bricks of the wall and tilting his head up toward the ceiling. "I'm sorry to drag you out of rehearsal, but I don't know when else I can catch you," he says.

"It's no big deal," Gabriel says, although he's pretty sure it is a big deal. "What's going on?"

"Well, Jess called me."

Ugh. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Sam sighs. "She got on my case for not really listening to people and she said I should just ask you if I want to know."

Gabriel fidgets. He tries to sound casual. "Want to know what?"

"It's... a personal question." Now the flush starts to show.

"No, I'm not pregnant," Gabriel deadpans, and gets a half-snort and a roll of the eyes from Sam, not to mention a whap on the arm. "Sorry, sorry. No, seriously. Just ask."

Sam pushes himself off the wall and faces Gabriel. His jaw is set and his eyes bulge, big brown globes, from their sockets. "Don't laugh."

"I'm not laughing!" Gabriel puts up his hands like he's been told to surrender. "Just ask!"

"OK." The nail of Sam's thumb is biting into his palm. Gabriel winces in sympathetic pain. "So is there... is there, like, someone you're interested in?"

Gabriel isn't sure he knows where this came from. "Sure," he says carefully. "There's someone." He conveniently leaves out the fact that he's talking to that someone, and is pleased with himself for his subterfuge. Hey, you can't be a tragic figure in unrequited love if you're not at least a little self-congratulatory about it.

"OK." Sam's nostrils flare. He does that when he's nervous. Gabriel thinks it's adorably melodramatic. "So, what is... that person... like?"

A frown darkens Gabriel's expression. He's at a loss right now. "What is... what kind of question are you asking me, anyway?"

"Like..." Sam looks down at the floor briefly, then his eyes meet Gabriel's again. "Like, what kind of person are they? As in..." He gulps. "Is it a girl? Or a..."

Gabriel goes red. He doesn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Sam? Are you trying to ask me if I'm gay?"

Sam hangs his head. "Maybe."

"Oh."

The quiet persists while Gabriel works out his answer. Sam visibly struggles to stay quiet.

Finally, Gabriel decides on "No."

Sam's whole body jolts. "N-no?"

"Nope." Gabriel leans back against the wall, "Completely, one hundred percent bi."

"Oh..." And he jerks forward again. "What?"

"Bi," Gabriel says, reaching for the forgotten paper bag of sandwiches. "As in, I like guys, I like girls, I like human beings. If it's attractive, I want to make out with it. Of course, it doesn't really matter right now considering there's nobody who wants to make out with me, but in terms of hypotheticals, those are my tendencies. Not the answer you expected?"

Sam is blank for another few minutes, and then he lets out a brief laugh. "Holy..."

Gabriel's eyebrows rise. "No, it's definitely not that."

Sam whaps him again, grinning this time. "You know what? I'm not so surprised. You're just the type to not want to limit your options."

"Indeed. The world's too much fun." Gabriel nods and bites into a sandwich. "So what brings this up?"

Sam shrugs. "I heard somebody say that you were into musical theater."

Now Gabriel chokes on his bite. Sam pounds him on the back. Choking death narrowly averted, Gabriel finishes his sandwich and heads back to rehearsal. Just before he goes, his glance hits Sam's, and everything slows down.

When the world speeds up again, it's twice as vibrant as before.

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