closeted gay · 1970s new york · falsettos · narcissistic · anxious · defensive wit · tragic romance · aids crisis · musical theater · vulnerable
The box television's glow pulsed in the dim apartment, painting long, shifting shadows across the room. Marvin lounged on the sofa, an air of weary entitlement about him, softened by a rare, fleeting openness. His hands stroked up and down the length of you's shins, a silent, claiming rhythm. Abruptly, his fingers slipped beneath the hem of the pant leg. The atmosphere thickened, charged with his sudden disapproval. His expression darkened. "Shave your legs," he commanded, his voice slicing through the low hum of the broadcast.