"I won't go if you don't want me to."
☆

"Definitely the blue shirt." Hester nods, currently perched on the edge of Milo's bed, watching Milo questioning his attire in the full length mirror in his bedroom. "Who is the lucky individual?"

Milo drops his hands to his side. "Jude.. Jude Parker. Remember he's the guy I told you about, the new dance teacher at the faculty." Milo looks at Hester in the mirror's reflection, who is slowly nodding. "You know you could have applied for that job. You were always busting moves when we were kids."

"Yeah but, you know..." Hester doesn't give a definite answer.

Milo now turned to his friend sat on the bed. "What is your job now? You're always so sketchy about it?" Hester always seemed to keep his life pretty private.

"I do dance, I just do private lessons...that's all." He begins to shuffle uncomfortably on the bed.

"That sounds a bit dodgy to me! You don't leave the apartment." Milo raises an eyebrow, "And you live here rent free." He returns to gaze at his reflection in the mirror.

"You know I'll pay you when I can. Anyway, make of it what you will." Hester shrugs, with a half smile. Eager to change the subject, he gets off the bed, walking next to Milo, joining him in staring at the reflection. Hester was a little taller than his friend. Milo always thought how young and fresh faced Hester looked, compared to his own ageing face, probably due to one too many cigarettes.

"So...what does he look like?" Hester asks.

Milo starts to do up the buttons of his shirt as he speaks. "Well, looks wise, he's got this blonde hair, obviously dyed, but it looks so good on him. He has these eyes, that when he laughs, just seem to disappear." Hester looks at Milo now smiling to himself at the thought of it.

"What's he like though?" Hester asks.

Milo sucks in a breath in thought. "He's kind, dedicated, and obviously sees something in me that I don't because he's asked me on this date."

Hester smiles at his friend, before looking down at his own yellow converse boots. Milo catches the smile, it seems to be masking something. "Hey are you ok?"

Hester looks up again, patting Milo on his right shoulder, attempting to plaster on a more convincing smile. "I'm fine. You go enjoy yourself. I know you will."

Milo pulls away from the shoulder grasp, with the hand dropping down to the side. He faces Hester. "I won't go, if you don't want me to."

"What?" No. You have to go! Don't worry about me. I'll be fine! I have box sets to watch." Hester clears his throat, returning to sit on Milo's bed.

Milo looks at his friend briefly before continuting to get ready. He couldn't help but worry about him. Hester had no one since his relationship with his mother seemed to break down as a teenager. Milo couldn't remember the details but knew Hester had drifted out of Milo's life since then, but at least they were together now, as flatmates.

"Jude is a lucky guy." Hester sighs.

"Well you had your chance." Milo half chuckles.

"Do you need to bring that up right now?" Hester huffs, pushing himself off of the bed, heading for the door.

"Hey! I was joking!" Milo turns to try and stop Hester from leaving, but Hester is too quick, slamming the door behind him. He huffs out a breath of annoyance and is in the process of following after him, when his phone rings...

Milo pulls it from his nightstand, smiling at the incoming call.

"Hey. Jude, what's up?"

"Oh hey...look I'm sorry, but I'm running late, only by around half an hour or so."

Milo can hear shouting in the background and a dog barking.

"Is everything ok?"

"Y..yeah everything's fine...it will be fine. I'm sorry again."

"Hey don't worry, just take your time."

"Thanks again and sorry."

The call is cut short, leaving Milo a little confused. "Problem?" He looks up to see Hester again sat on his bed, seemingly over his mood from a moment ago, the door once again open.

"No there's no problem and you shouldn't sneak in like that, I mean, that could have been a private conversation."

"And was it?" Hester asks, raising an eyebrow.

"My date, he's running late." Milo sighs