"We were young, and stupid."
☆

The night air was not especially hot, but Milo was. His bed sheets were a mess, tangled around his limbs as sweat seemed to drip from his pores. His dreams haunting him again. Or more specifically, that dream. The one which almost felt like a memory...

..."Come on, come test it out!" An excitable 15 year old Hester is crawling into the two person tent, which he'd just put up with not much help from 16 year old Milo. Adult Milo is suspended over the scene, watching his younger self as he ponders on whether to follow. 

The young Milo enters after a while and all the older Milo can see from above is a light shining from inside, creating two silhouettes. They seem to sit apart, then blend as one before separating again. 

He then feels a closeness around him, tree branches encasing the small tent, as if it was being caught in a trap. He sees his younger self manage to open the zipper of the tent and make a run for it, but Hester's silhouette still remains, unmoving, the trees now wrapping around the tent, squeezing then crushing it! 

Milo feels powerless as he watches from up above. His voice, no matter how hard he shouts, cannot be heard. Soon the light in the tent disappears and there is pitch darkness around him...

...Milo jumps himself awake in his bed. He is breathing fast, frantically trying to get a grip of his surroundings. He soon sees his window emitting a faint moonlight through the blinds, his piano keyboard, pushed against the far wall. "Just a dream." He says out loud as if to reassure himself. 

"You ok?" 

Milo sits up, resting back on his elbows to see Hester stood by his bedroom door, his favourite jumper now back on its rightful owner. "Y...yes...just a dream." Milo says, his voice a little hoarse, as if from shouting. 

"You were calling my name." Hester says matter of factly. "That's why I came." 

"Was I?" Milo says with surprise, but he knew deep down that he had been. The dream had made it so.

"You wanna talk about it?" Hester approaches, sitting on the edge of Milo's bed as he sits up a little more.

"No...not really." Milo says, forcing a smile. 

Hester looks at Milo intensely as if to read his mind. Milo looks back quizzically, "Was it that dream again?" Hester finally says.

Milo shakes his head in defence, but when Hester raises an eyebrow as if to force the truth out of him, Milo changes it into a nod.

"I...I'm sorry." Milo can feel himself want to shed a tear, causing Hester to move closer towards him. 

Hester places his hand around the back of Milo's neck, rubbing his thumb against his sweaty skin. "Don't apologise. It was a long time ago."

"I know, but I can't stop..."

"Shhh...." Hester places a finger to Milo's lips and then with both hands, cups his face, making Milo face him. "We were young...and stupid." 

Hester's thumbs brush over Milo's quivering lips as a tear travels down his cheek. Electricity is now building between them as Hester gazes upon Milo, his eyes drawn to his parted lips. The friendship line, once again being called into question.

Milo feels vulnerable. Hester being this close makes his judgement off. He lifts his hands up to slowly grab a hold of Hester's wrists. "Please.. don't do this." But Hester doesn't listen. He gets closer and closer and then their lips meet.

As soon as the contact is made, both Hester and Milo cannot hold back. It's as if the sudden rush is overwhelming as Hester climbs further onto the bed, Milo slowly lays back down, lips still connected. 

Hester, who is now sat astride Milo's hips sits back up to look at a very sweaty Milo below him. He takes off his own rainbow striped sweater and drops it to Milo's bedroom floor. 

Milo sees that Hester is wearing nothing underneath and gazes upon his firm tight abs. He raises a hand to touch. Hester feels warm, but not as sweat ridden as himself. 

Hester smiles and lowers his head again, their lips grazing each others. Milo lets his hands glide over Hester's back, his skin like velvet. Just like he had imagined. 

Milo can feel one of Hester's hands work it's way under his pyjama top, pulling it up to reveal a small toned set of sweaty abs. "Take it off." Hester pulls away from the kiss and whispers in Milo's ear. He obliges and soon there they were...lips connected, tongues intertwining, hands exploring...it was only going to end one way and neither Hester, nor Milo put a stop to it.