Francis sorts through the ingredients, humming along with the music which could now be heard from the living room. The song is folksy and heavy on the banjo; not something he would normally be inclined to listen to, but tonight he finds it appealing and almost comforting in a way. (I rise as the sun goes down and I pray that my true love and I find a way to each other.)

But that's not important. (Or maybe it is. You can never tell what will be remembered in the years to come, and maybe that snatch of song will come back to Francis as perches on a windowsill, smoking a cigarette and watching the stars. And when the body on his bed stirs and complains about the cold air creeping through the open window, maybe he'll turn to him with an easy smile and whisper the lyrics he barely remembers from a song he only heard a few times so many years before. And then maybe the man will roll his eyes and call him back to bed with a 'I'm right here, you tosser, and if you don't get your ass back here, I'll push you out of that window.')

But then the song changes to a bouncy tune about laundry and freeze rays and they hear a gasp and Matthew's voice is exclaiming "Is this from Doctor Horrible?" and Alfred's slow, almost shy response; "Do you like Doctor Horrible?" and then Matthew's voice again, excited to find someone who shares his interest in silly, heartbreaking musicals, "I love Doctor Horrible."

And Francis and Arthur turn to each other with knowing smirks and raised eyebrows, sharing a private moment of knowledge of something that the other two don't realize- won't realize for a while.

The moment passes quickly- almost as quickly as the song, (now Billy Joel's singing a sickly sweet jangely tune which will remain in Arthur's head for two days afterwards.) But when Francis shoves a bundle of (wilting) rosemary at Arthur with the simple command "Chop this," Arthur doesn't protest. Soon they settle into a comfortable silence as they cook, the familiarity feeling foreign to both parties, but each time they catch snatches of the eager conversation going on in the living room, they catch each other's eye and smile.