The Royal Blue Network

The New York City pavement was hot enough to melt steel, but thankfully, the fire hydrants were blasting cool refreshing water, giving the neighborhood children a method of cooling down. 

In the distance, an ice cream truck could be heard, prompting the children to shout with excitement. The fire hydrant was quickly forgotten as parents dug out their wallets and pocket change; but before any of them could dish out a single cent, The Milk Boi’s were making their way into the neighborhood. 

“Denis!” Shouted a girl with pigtails, causing the parents and other children to look up. 

The Milk Boi’s were six trans mascs who rode around the city on Super 73’s. Having grown up in Queens, the six men where a tight knit bunch who all shared a love for bikes, storytelling, art, comic books, and serving their community. Whether it was checking up on the elderly folks, walking the local children to and from the bus stop, or providing free baby-sitting services to single parents, the Milk Boi’s were a staple within their community.  

“Alright everyone, single file line! We gotta be quick, hurry, hurry!” Denis shouted. 

Travis, Denis’s boyfriend and best friend since grade school, pulled out his wallet. 

“When are you all going to let us pay you!” Mr. Jones, one of the parents, shouted, throwing his hands in the air. 

The Milk Boi’s were always buying treats for the kids in the neighborhood. If they were at the corner store, they would load their backpacks with sugary snacks, and dish them out as they rode through the neighborhood. If they were at the supermarket, they brought fruit and other healthy snacks, and stopped by to drop them off. 

The parents and other adults in the neighborhood saw The Milk Boi’s as saints, but the truth was, they simply had plenty to spare. Tony, Travis’s father, did well for himself. Tony, and his best friend, Roy, were in the business of building and selling businesses. The men did well for themselves, and Tony was never shy about sharing his wealth. But before Tony began showering Travis, and his older brother, Tyler, with gifts, he made sure they knew the importance of hard work. Travis and Tyler were privileged, and Tony and Sandra, Tyler and Travis’s mom, made sure that their boys knew that. 

In high school, Sandra and Tony required that the boys get jobs; while Tony and Sandra loved to spoil their boys, they needed them to understand how privileged they were.  

Sandra and Tony always told Tyler and Travis that they weren’t rich, they were, but Tony and Sandra were never stingy with their money. Tony and Sandra taught their sons that providing value was how they got money, so instead of ‘can I have some money?’ the boys learned to ask, ‘how can we make money?’ Friends and family thought this was cruel of Tony and Sandra, but that simple change in words completely changed the way Tyler and Travis thought about money. In their minds, the brothers were surrounded by money; they just needed to figure out how to convince people to give it to them.  

But being surrounded by money was a privilege, and the brothers were very much aware of that; so much so, that after meeting Denis, Kenny, Rex, and Josh, and coming out to one another, the six men put their heads together to figure out how to make enough money to pay for their top surgeries.  

With the help of Tony, The Milk Boi's started a publishing house, and began writing comic book series. After high school, Rex and Josh got into video editing, and the pair came up with the idea to make animations of the comics that they wrote. Kenny and Dennis, being the sketch artists of the bunch, took some animation classes alongside Josh and Rex.  

All the Milk Boi’s were involved in coming up with the story ideas, but it was Tyler and Travis who wrote the stories; while Kenny and Dennis drew and edited the stories, while Josh and Rex turned the comic books into animated shorts films and shows.  

The Milk Boi’s did well for themselves. Between comic book sales, YouTube ad revenue, and the money they got from their Buy Me A Coffee page, The Milk Boi’s made plenty of money. Of course, much of what they made was reinvested into the company, and after two years, with the help of Tony, Roy, and Josh’s parents, The Milk Boi’s were able to get a house, not too far from Tony and Sandra’s. After they brought a home, the Milk Boi’s went into overdrive and the boys began making more money than ever.  

As the money rolled in, the guys began thinking about their community; without their neighbors, random people at the corner stores, and the kids that hung out at the library, The Milk Boi’s would’ve never gotten as big as they did, as fast as they did. And so, to show their appreciation, The Milk Boi’s began serving their community; helping in any way that they could think of. 

“Ahh, don’t worry about it Mr. Jones! We get all that we need from the satisfaction of being of service.” Kenny said, waving a dismissive hand. 

After making sure that everyone had their ice cream, The Milk Boi’s sat with the children, talking and eating their ice cream. 

The truth was The Milk Boi’s got a lot of inspiration from hanging out with the kids. Their imaginations were massive, and they had a lot of good ideas; sure, they weren’t fully fleshed out, but among the six of them, The Milk Boi’s could turn anything into a comic book series. 

So as the day began to fade into the evening, parents began rounding up their children to take them inside. But before they left, each child just had to get a hug from each of the Milk Boi’s. After the final little girl ran off, the boys hopped onto their bikes and began making their way home. 

The cloudless sky was a blue blanket with millions of tiny holes. The wind was a soft caress, ruffling the leaves on the ground.  

Lying on a blanket, amongst the leaves, Micheal Jones looked up at the sky, attempting to count each and every twinkling speck.  

On his chest, Micheal’s husband, Darius twisted the buttons of Micheal’s shirt. With his ear pressed to Micheal’s chest, the sound of Micheal’s heart thumping in his chest was like a sweet lullaby. Micheal was alive, it was a war to get to this point, but they did it; Darius helped his husband slay the dragon that was his depression. Of course, the dragon wasn’t actually dead, just dormant, sleeping, waiting for its next opportunity to strike; But for now, the husbands were soaking up every second of peace the dragon’s temporary death provided. 

“I love you.” Darius said suddenly. 

His voice was raw and horse from all the yelling they’d done that day. 

“I love you too. I wish I loved you enough to set you free though.” Micheal said. 

“Stop it. I’m not a prisoner.” Darius said. 

Micheal always said he wasn’t worthy of being loved by anyone but Darius knew that that was just the depression talking.  

On his darkest days, Micheal would scream and throw things, telling Darius to leave, pack up the car, and drive off.  

Darius knew that it wasn’t his husband talking on those days. It killed him to see Micheal battle the darkest parts of himself all alone.  

They’d tried therapy, meds, and a whole host of hippy-dippy treatments, and it worked; until it didn’t. For a couple of months, Micheal was alive and on fire. To-do lists were getting checked off, sex was being had, and Darius felt like he’d gotten his husband back.  

Then, a switch would flip and suddenly they were crashing, free falling from the sky. But Darius was always there. Whether they were flying high or nose-diving, Darius was right there, sticking to the words he said to Micheal when they stood in that dirty little chapel in Salt Lake City and exchanged vows and rings.      

“Til death do us part, remember?” Darius said, turning his head to look at his husband.  

Micheal’s chest bounced as he let out a laugh. 

 “Geez babe, I didn’t know you actually meant it.” Micheal said. 

Darius shook his head before shifting himself higher on his husband’s chest. 

“Of course I did.” He whispered, kissing Micheal’s lips. 

And he did. Even when Micheal lost his head and didn’t know how he’d ever make it to tomorrow, Darius loved him and would do all that he could to support his man.