Milk and Chiao returned home after a great day with their friends, tired, tipsy (Milk), slightly sunburnt (Chiao), but happy.

After their kiss under the tree, they hadn't done anything to imply in front of the others that there was something more than friendship occurring. They did discuss it on their walk home though. Chiao seemed completely fine with anyone discovering their secret. Milk was more reticent. She was sure they'd be teased or ostracized. Chiao's logic was 'We're gay - we sleep with women. We're already marginalized; do we want to be put into yet another box and hide who we are?'

She was right, of course, but some things were easier said than done.


Chiao tripped while putting on her slippers. Milk caught her by the arm and the mere skin contact reminded them both of the kiss. They looked at each other, unsure of what was appropriate to say or do. Tipsy Milk bailed first, "Well, good night," and turned towards her bedroom. But Chiao clung to her wrist. Milk asked "Are you giving me puppy-dog eyes or am I imagining it?"

Chiao, completely confident in her next move, said "Oh yes. Your imagination," and pushed Milk against the narrow wall that stood between their two bedrooms. Milk enjoyed the sudden rush of endorphins, adrenaline, or...she wasn't sure which chemicals were coursing through her veins, as Chiao pressed herself against her body.

"Chiao..." was all Milk's slightly-impaired brain could think of to say. Chiao kissed Milk's nose and said "Your nose is sunburnt."

Milk said, "Thanks Sunburn Queen. Have you taken a look at your shoulders?"

Chiao looked but said "Nah, I'm cool."

Milk stuck one strong finger into the flesh in her roommate's right shoulder. Chiao recoiled, "Hey! Stop that," she chuckled. Milk smiled and turned to get something from the bathroom. She re-emerged with a bottle of Aloe skin lotion, which she handed to her friend.

Chiao opened the bottle, squeezing a dollop onto her finger. She slopped the cream onto Milk's red nose,
"Rudolph," she smiled. Milk laughed, "That's for YOU, dummy." She scraped the excess from her nose and wiped it on Chiao's arm. Chiao squirmed but shoved the aloe bottle into Milk's hand and asked "Can you fix me?"

Without waiting for a response, she ran into her bedroom, flicked on the light switch and flung herself onto her bed. She lay flat on her stomach with her chin propped up on her forearms (which had only been sun-kissed, not broiled).

Milk traipsed into Chiao's room, half-hoping to find her friend , but knew if that's what had greeted her, she may have passed out from shock. She was therefore relieved Chiao was still wearing her party clothes: tank top and bermudas.

She sat down next to her friend, aloe already in palm. Chiao smiled back at her like this was the funnest thing in the world. Sometimes she acted like a kid, but it matched her cherubic little face.

Milk's tipsiness was making her drowsy, and it was late, so she attempted to do a rushed job of slathering the skin cream across Chiao's toned shoulders. Chiao winced at Milk's haste.

"I AM sunburnt you know - can you be a little gentler maybe?" she complained.

"Sorry," Milk apologized and smoothed the remainder of the ointment more carefully. Chiao's eyes were closed and she was smiling a toothless grin with her head on one forearm. She was adorable and Milk wasn't certain she could remain a gentleman. She reminded herself she already had been for three years. What would one more night change?

Chiao brought her out of her reverie by removing the bottle of lotion and replacing it with her own hand. Milk's long fingers closed over Chiao's as the cherubic blonde sat up. She took Milk's face in her hands and murmured, "Good night". Milk s her arm around Chiao's middle and acquiesced, "Night night". The friends hugged but lingered longer than they ever did before Milk's confession.