Connor raised an eyebrow at the sleeping arrangement as he climbed into the tent.

Aiden had laid out the thin fleece cover for them to lie on and unzipped the sleeping bag into blanket. They were sharing the small pillow.

Connor shuffled around through his bag and found a hand towel. He ran it through his hair before climbing into his sleeping bag.

“Can I get the light?” Connor yawned.

“Yeah.”

The tent went dark. Aiden listened to the light patter of rain on the tent, and their breaths. He was cold, and the temperature was only going to drop as the night wore on.

It was the same as when he’d fallen asleep with a window left open, and woke in the middle of the night. Move an inch, and you’d be shivering, but stay still and you’re still cold; too cold to sleep and forget about how uncomfortable you are.

Aiden rolled over, chancing moving an inch closer to Lucas to cover his back with the sleeping bag.

His hand touched Lucas’s arm, and he jumped.

Lucas turned to him.

“Sorry.” Aiden said quietly.

“Your hands are freezing.” Lucas whispered back. He took Aiden’s hands in his and rubbed them before pressing them against his chest. It was warmer like that.

“Thank you.” Aiden forced himself to relax as Lucas continued to rub his hands softly.

His forced relaxation turned into real relaxation. It was soothing after a while, and he didn’t mind being awake as much.

Lucas stopped. “Are your teeth chattering? You’re that cold?”

Aiden shrugged, then realised Lucas couldn’t see the gesture. “A little bit.”

Lucas sighed. “I’m going to head back. I’m sorry about this.”

“No” Aiden caught him immediately, “It’s pitch black and it’s raining. You’re not walking back in this.”

“I have the torch on my phone, I’ll manage.” Lucas pushed his hands off him and sat up.

“I’m telling you this as the guide, if you go I have to go with you and I don’t want to get soaked.” Aiden insisted, “I’ll be even colder then.”

Lucas was silent for a minute. “Fine. Move over there for a minute.”

Aiden shuffled over off the fleece.

There was rustling as Lucas did some rearranging, but Aiden couldn’t see what he was changing. Lucas lay back down. “Okay, you can lie down again.”

Aiden crawled back over and found that the fleece as well as the sleeping bag were gone. “Wow. Thanks.”

“Shut up” Lucas grumbled, “Lie down next to me.”

Aiden felt further to Lucas’s side and found the sleeping bag had been turned back into a sleeping bag. “We’re not going to both fit into that.”

“Won’t know until we try.” Lucas said. “Come on, I’m cold.”

Aiden reluctantly climbed in. His legs were stuffed against Lucas’s and he was way to close to him. Their chests touched, and Aiden felt Lucas’s chin pressing against his forehead.

“I’m going to zip it up.” Lucas reached behind Aiden and caught the zip. Aiden was pushed against Lucas, and suddenly everywhere was touching. Aiden was glad it was dark, because his cheeks were burning in embarrassment. “You have to move a bit closer.”

“We’re already squished together!” Aiden hissed, “Ugh, hold on.” He twisted around so that his back was to Lucas. When he pressed closer to Lucas he made a weird sound in his throat. “There.” He was able to catch the zip himself and put it up.

Lucas rested his arm against Aiden’s side.

There was an awkward silence in which Aiden’s heart pounded in embarrassment. Because of their position, because of the way he was being hugged, and because how close they were let him feel all parts of Lucas – and he knew it.

“Well” Aiden murmured, “I’m not cold anymore.”

“No” Lucas chuckled nervously, “Neither am I. Do you mind if I – uh, I’m just going to move my arm underneath you.”

Aiden lifted his waist and Lucas wrapped his arm underneath it. “If that goes dead and I’m asleep you better not wake me up.”

“Nah” Lucas tapped his side, “It’s curvy here, no weight on it.”

They went quiet again.

Aiden was certain that he’d lie there awake all night. It felt like hours when Lucas’s breaths slowed down, and he snored softly against the back of his neck.

The breaths on his skin bothered Aiden at first, but soon it became like a lullaby soothing him to sleep.

*

Aiden woke up shuddering.

It was confusing to become aware in the middle of overwhelming heat, and it wasn’t till it died and down he could catch his breath that he took things in.

Hot lips were against his shoulder, and a wet tongue was interchanged with teeth pressing down. Aiden’s hand was in his pants. Someone else’s hands were in his pants. It was sticky. Someone’s thing was pressed against his thigh.

Aiden jerked himself up and fell out of the sleeping bag. “What the hell are you doing?” He demanded.

Lucas looked dazed as he lifted himself upright. “You didn’t like it? I’m sorry, I thought you were enjoying yourself.” Lucas looked embarrassed as he answered.

It was still raining but light out.

Connor was gone, so it couldn’t be that early.

Aiden felt a shudder go through him. This one very different from the one he’d experienced moments ago.

Lucas frowned. “Aiden?”

“I was sleeping.” Aiden’s anger came out in a hiss.

Lucas eyes widened. “No! You were the one that –“

Aiden looked away. He felt stupid. Stupid for thinking that maybe him and Lucas could be friends again, stupid for thinking he wasn’t all that bad and stupid for wanting to get close to him. He also felt like crying.

He ripped the zip of the tent open and jumped out.

Aiden heard Lucas calling after him, but he’d ditched him after only a few minutes. He knew this place better. He found a sheltered spot next to a small stream to sit in the drizzle. He stared down at his bare, dirtied feet and the light clothes he was wearing.

Aiden ran his fingers through his hair and stared despondently down at the mess in his trousers.

He thought he’d start crying when he got out of eyesight, but the tears were gone.

He couldn’t believe that Lucas would do something like that to a sleeping person. He’d started to say something. Aiden was the one who what? He thought about the night before. Maybe he’d had one of those dreams again?

Or maybe Lucas didn’t have an excuse and just said that to throw him off.

Aiden found himself hoping it was him that had started it, and he was right, that Lucas wasn’t the kind of person to do something like that.

Calm, he made his way back to the tent. There was no Lucas in sight. He hoped Lucas wasn’t looking for him and had just gone back to Hugh and Kal.

He changed and packed everything inside the tent.

Aiden could only sit still for a few minutes before he had to go. He made his way to the spot he’d avoided yesterday.

He crouched next to the door of their tent and knocked on the railing outside it. There was shuffling inside, and a grumpy looking Hugh unzipped the door.

“What do you want?” Hugh asked with an unfriendly tone.

“Has Lucas come by here this morning?” Aiden ignored the way he’d asked.

“Why do you want to know?” Hugh asked.

Aiden took in his red eyes and bedhead. Clearly, he’d just woken up. “Never mind. Sorry for waking you.” he stood up, but Hugh grabbed his wrist.

“What’s wrong with Lucas?” Hugh demanded.

“Nothing, I’m looking for him is all.” Aiden cringed at the iron grip on his wrist.

Hugh glared up at him like he didn’t believe him. Aiden snatched his wrist out of his hand. Aiden went back down the path to his own tent. Again, there was no Lucas. He wondered around where he’d ditched him earlier.

He was starting to get search-party worried when he returned to the camp again and saw his silhouette next to Connor.

“I’m sure Aiden isn’t lost.” Connor was saying.

“No, I’m worried. He was upset, he didn’t even have shoes on and it’s raining.” Lucas said with a high-pitched, forceful voice.

“Why was he upset?” Connor asked innocently.

“Did you listen to anything else I just said?” Lucas snapped.

“His shoes are gone, and the tent is packed up” Connor shrugged, “He’s fine, oh” his eyes flitted up to Aiden as he came into the clearly. He pat Lucas on the shoulder. “See? He’s not dead.”

Lucas whirled around and intense green eyes scrutinized Aiden before he relaxed a bit.

Connor looked between the two of them thoughtfully.

Lucas approached. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly, “Your feet aren’t cut or anything are they?”

“No, I’m fine.” Aiden glanced away. Literally running away wasn’t the most mature thing he could have done.

“Are you cold?” Lucas questioned.

“No.”

Lucas looked sideways at Connor, who was taking down the tent, before dropping his voice even further and leaning in. “I am so sorry.”

Aiden saw Connor’s head cock to the side and put a hand on Lucas’s arm. “We can talk later.”

Lucas glanced again at Connor. He looked unhappy about it, but he nodded.

“Why don’t you head back and pack up for the hike today?” Aiden suggested.

Lucas’s lips were set in a thin line when he nodded and left.

Connor let out a huff. “You’re no fun.”

“I’d rather be no fun than be laughed at” Aiden marched over and with his help tent was done in seconds.

Connor rolled his eyes. “I get it, I’m not going to pry.”

Aiden looked at him a little surprised.

Connor gave him a look back. “I’m not stupid. I can tell you’re about to explode if I try push it any more than this.”

*

They reached the second set of cabins just after lunch. The outside of these ones looked the same, but the inside had a different set up. Rather than dorms the cabins were more like houses. There was a kitchen inside and each person got their own room.

Less people stuck around for the second part of the trip, so everyone got more space.

Unfortunately, since cabin five was now a one-person set up and the most sought-after room, Aiden was kicked out of it. He was put in cabin three, with the other ‘boys his own age.’

His things had already been moved into his room. A stack of music books was on a small bedside table and his violin case was propped up next to them.

Aiden closed his door and opened the case immediately.

He tucked the instrument under his chin and played ‘Turning Tables’. It was his go to whenever he’d had a long break from playing. He played it quietly once, tuned the violin, and put it away.

He knew that the others were in their rooms, and he didn’t want to be heard.

Before long there was a knock on his door.

Aiden opened it to Lucas.

“Do you mind if I come in?” Lucas asked nervously.

Behind him two of the doors in the hall swung open. Kal and Hugh both exited their rooms together.

Hugh’s eyes narrowed at them, and even Kal looked a bit irritated.

“Lucas, you coming?” Kal asked, “We’re heading over for dinner.”

Lucas didn’t even look behind him. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

Hugh’s jaw clenched.

Aiden tensed. Why were they so annoyed by Lucas wanting to hang out with him? He was sure he wasn’t imagining it now.

Lucas followed Aiden’s gaze to behind him. Annoyance flashed across his face. “What?”

“We’ll wait for you.” Kal leaned against the wall next to his door. Hugh mimicked his position.

Lucas looked like he wanted to strangle them.

He turned back to Aiden. “I’ll talk to you later.” He muttered, before stalking out of the cabins.

Kal followed immediately, but Hugh walked towards Aiden.

Aiden closed the door a bit more. “Did you want something?”

Hugh shoved the door open and pushed Aiden back. “Stop with this shit and stay the hell away from him.”

Aiden caught himself on the bed before he tumbled over. By the time he’d scrambled back to his feet, Hugh was gone.