It was raining outside, when they walked aimlessly towards nowhere in particular. Aaron didn't mind the rain, because the storm going on inside him was stronger than the one outside.

"Hey stop, I can't keep up with you!" Zach yelled through the harsh sound of the raindrops hitting the earth. As if in a trance, Aaron kept on going further and Zach had to take rather long steps to keep up with him.

By the time Aaron stopped, they were on top of a small raised platform, a kind of hill, which had more trees than their whole town. It was an extreme part of their neighbourhood, and except depresed teenagers no one really cared to come near this secluded area. Aaron used to come here when he was a child. When he was scoled by his mom, he would run away and hide behind one of these tress furrowing the area.

It was still raining, maybe with less intensity, but it was drizzling. The atmosphere turned into a potion of
heavy fog, with a tint of cold, and the sweet scent of earth.

"What're we doing here?" Zach asked softly, scrutinising his surroundings.

"Zach." Aaron murmured. "Why did you do it?"

He wasn't the one to beat around the bushes, and asked whatever was going through his mind.

"What did I do?" Zach looked confused for a second.

"You knew. You knew it could harm their relationship if you told him truth. You said yourself. You don't care what gender he likes. Then why Zach? Maybe things were getting better between them. Why do you need to be the one to ruin it? Why didn't you just let it be? Do you know what you did? You just—"

"Shhh." To his surprise, Zach came much closer to him, almost invading his personal space.

"Tell me Aaron. Even if they're in a relationship, don't you think Travis has the right to know? If Scar really likes him, cool. But shouldn't he start over? There shouldn't be any secret between them. Any relationship is based on trust, Aaron. But what did he do? Did he succeed to build that up? No. Their relationship was based on a lie and it would've been if I kept quiet. Because I know, Scar is too scared to risk it. If he kept quiet, it would've been unjust to Travis. That's why I came in. What is the point of a relationship if there's no trust? Shouldn't they tell each other everything?" Zach said gently, placing his hands on the smaller's shoulder.

He got it now. It was the rain, yes, the rain that made his vision go hazy, at least that was what Aaron compelled himself to believe. Was it Zach? Since when did he care? Was he always like this?

"Nope. Not at all." Zach smiled through the rain.

"I—"

"—said that out loud." Zach confirmed. "But you, Aaron, made me see myself. Not what I thought myself to be, but what I was running away from. You taught me to not run away from myself, so I won't."

Aaron was saying, at least trying to say, but his lips were covered by another pair.

Zach.

It was nothing rough or hard or anything like a lust-driven kiss. It was all like or maybe love. It was tender, and more intimate than Aaron imagined (yes, he did)—it passed his expectations. Zach's lips were just placed over his oh so softly, like a dewdrop on the leaves. And as carefully the dewdrop is transferred to the ground, Zach sealed his lips tenderly in a perfect kiss.

Aaron's thoughts were confirmed. Aaron believed that the sweet scent was of the moist earth, and not of Zach's mint toothpaste. Yes, it was the rain which made him dizzy, not the taste of Zach. It was the rain that blurred his vision, not from tears struggling to flow down-from feeling too much. It was the rain which turned his whole world upside down, not because all of a sudden, Zach decided to kiss him. It was all the rain.

"Won't you kiss me back?" Zach asked timidly, trying to hold on to his composure. He was fumbling with the wet end of his shirt, twisting and turning it between his fingers. Aaron's thoughts to nowhere were halted, and he looked up into his eyes. There was no hesitation, mixed with a fear of rejection, but more prominently, adoration.

Maybe it was the green signal. Maybe Aaron needed not to hold back anymore. And just then, he let his worries, his insecurities get lost amidst the trees.

Lips met again, no hesitation this time. They both knew they were crossing the thin lines of friendship, but couldn't possibly hold back when their feelings ran deeper than just friends. If it was possible, Zach kissed him softly, sweeter than last time, placing his hands on his neck. It was desperate but not lustful. Their lips merely moved over the others, getting familiar with the differences, no tongue involved. Their breaths mingled, so did their bodies because Zach pulled him much closer to him—letting his hands clutch his back.

They detached after a minute, breathing deeply as their foreheads rested against each other.

"I did reach out, Aaron. Only to you." Zach mumbled, tightening his hold on the said boy.

"I didn't expect to do it so well though," Aaron grinned.

"Well, all credits to you, I guess. But I'd like to do this 'reaching out' thing more often. Only with you, of course, haha...." He laughed awkwardly, making Aaron let out an amused chuckle.

"I got no complaints."

For the third time that day, their lips collided again, and their bodies too, in a beautiful tangled mess.

*
aaaaaaaa eeeeeeek

the long awaited scene. not smut tho, but me likey this fluff more than le smut. tell me if you liked it, please?