"It just seems like a lot of-- drugs and selling yourself and orgies and promiscuity and men in dresses and people beating each other up while wearing leather and pagan rituals to Dionysus and that all sounds kind of terrifying."

"I don't think we have to do — those parts — even for empiricism." 

"I want to kiss you and hold your hand and give you presents and celebrate Valentine's Day and go out on long walks and read all your favorite books. And I don't want to do anything that involves drugs or pagan rituals or wearing a dress. And I guess if I decide to be gay and all the other gay people are wearing dresses and taking drugs we can just. Be gay by ourselves."

He nuzzles Lev's face. "I'd like that too." 

Lev kisses him. For empiricism.

Marlo kisses him back. 

For empiricism. 

Kissing Marlo makes him feel safe and warm and loved.

And Marlo wants nothing more than for that to keep being true. 

At some point night's going to start falling and they should go back.

They should. 

Marlo stops himself from glowing too obviously, where other people can see. 

They play football the next day, and Marlo keeps him safe and shows him how to throw the ball, and Lev loves him.

They eat lunch, and Lev's leg brushes against Marlo's leg, and Marlo smiles when Lev makes a joke, and Lev loves him.

They do group, and Lev is about to answer Christine's question in a monosyllable, and then he looks over and sees Marlo and smiles at him and says that he thinks his root is that he was very lonely as a kid and his parents had... expectations... and it's not like it's an unreasonable expectation that Lev qualify for USAMO but maybe it would be a good thing if his parents being proud of him was not completely dependent on it. And Lev loves him.

They play football, and Marlo keeps Lev from getting tackled and shows him again how to throw the ball, and Lev smiles, and Marlo loves him. 

They eat lunch and their legs brush together and Lev makes jokes and Marlo loves him. 

They do group and Lev shares and Marlo is so proud of him, is so proud to have given him that confidence, and Lev smiles and Marlo loves him, loves him, loves him. 

Marlo and Lev are nowhere near as good at hiding their feelings for each other as they think they are. 

Christine writes a note and considers how she wants to handle this. 

"Marlo and Lev are cute," Asher says to Raine in the bathroom at 1am.

"They really are. 

They are not, however, very subtle." 

"Do you know if they'll be-- safe-- if they get kicked out?"

"I don't know. I would guess no, for Lev, just from the way his face gets when he talks about his family, but I don't know." 

"I guess my closet in New York City can fit three... Although I don't know if it's illegal to house runaway sixteen-year-olds."

"I don't know either but it seems like it would be." 

"...I'm going to take care of you."

"I love you." She moves into Asher's lap and puts her head on his shoulder. 

"That's exactly what I was about to say."

Mm. Raine knows why she can't fall asleep here on Asher's shoulder, but it would be very nice. 

Asher picks her up. "Someday I'm going to carry you to bed whenever you're sleepy."

"Someday I'm going to let you."