Milo & Judah

Chapter 25 - Warm

Even though Milo had never been so consistently cold in his life, he really enjoyed his time with Judah and the Sofers. Milo and Judah didn't go out much because Milo just about died every time they did, but Judah made the most of spending time in the house. Milo even enjoyed the day he and Judah babysat Naomi's kids when both of Judah's parents had to go to work.

After the kids left, Milo and Judah stayed up half the night in the fort Judah built on his bed, using a few dining room chairs, a couple broomsticks, and some extra sheets. They talked for hours about nothing in particular, just to enjoy the sound of each other's voices.

Two days after Milo arrived, Judah finally convinced him to get out of the house for a while.

They stopped for lunch at Judah's favorite Mexican restaurant in town. "It was great, right?" Judah asked as they left.

"It was really good, but I've had better. I wish we could've gone to that place I told you about back home."

Judah slipped his hand into Milo's, interlocking their fingers. "Next time."

Milo nodded. He loved how confident Judah was in their relationship. "Next time."

Judah took Milo on a tour of his hometown, though Judah was gracious enough to do it from the comfort of the heated car. He showed Milo his favorite park and his old high school. When they drove past his elementary school, Judah pointed out the spot where he had his first kiss. The last stop on the tour was a parking lot overlooking Lake Michigan.

Milo raised a brow and glared at Judah. "You acted like you'd never seen a beach before. This is practically the same as ours."

"It's really not. You have like real waves and also the Pacific Ocean. This is just a lake."

"A very, very big lake."

"It's just not the same." Judah shrugged. "I can't explain why, it just isn't."

"I'll take your word for it."

Judah didn't seem too concerned with the view, his gaze trained on Milo.

Milo pressed his lips together, trying not to smile. He expected Judah to say something, but he never did, so Milo finally asked, "What are you staring at?"

"My adorable boyfriend."

Milo turned to Judah and laid his head against the headrest. "Why?"

"I had a thought. And it's possibly as crazy as anything we've done this past two weeks."

"Do you want to elope or something?" Milo joked.

"Nothing quite that drastic."

"I'm on the edge of my seat."

Judah stared down at their clasped hands, looking a bit nervous. "What would you think if I decided to transfer to Berkeley next fall?"

"Like my Berkeley?" Milo pointed at himself. "Like to go to school with me?"

Judah finally looked up and met his eyes. He nodded. "Yeah."

"Don't you like your school?" Milo asked, mostly confused.

Judah made an incredulous face. "I guess. But it's just a school. I only went there because it was the closest place to home that offered me a scholarship."

"Well, you wouldn't have that scholarship if you transferred."

Judah laughed. "Baby, I have an almost perfect GPA. I'm also one of the top ten ranked university swimmers in the country with a pretty decent shot at qualifying for the next Olympics. I think I could swing a scholarship."