It had been a week since Archer had holed himself up in his bedroom, only padding up the stairs to get a bite of food and mutter a few greetings to his parents, who he knew he had worried after that awful day when they had arrived at their new home. Rather than go out to visit his cousin, who had been the one person hed wanted to see enough to move across continents for, Archer remained in the basement of his home, straightening the picture frames that hed set out on his dresser, and rearranging his closet, which was bare except for a couple of shirts and pants, and a bin of all of his favorite childhood toys that he couldnt bear to part with. Most of them had been nibbled and drooled on, with matted fur or messy piles of hair, but he loved each of them with every part of his heart. They had once been Hunters-his Hunter, not the Hunter that came along as a package deal with his cousin, one that hed unknowingly took upon himself.

He frowned at the thought of Hunter, who his cousin had left him many urgent messages about, claiming that he was sorry for whatever he did to upset him, that he wanted him to give him another chance. Somehow, he knew that Hunter wasnt sorry at all, and had probably not even been present for when his cousin had been pleading with him to forgive him. Archer was not a person to hold grudges, as it was simply too much of a headache to always try to be angry, but he certainly would not be forgiving Hunter until he heard those words from his raspy, deep voice. "Damn him." Archer whispered to himself, taking a few long steps out of his steaming bathroom. He knew he would have to come out of hiding at some point, and unfortunately also have to face the ass who had drove him away from the one person who Archer had wanted more than anything, but he wasnt nearly ready to head off to his first day at a real high school. This was not turning out to be what he expected. If there were more people there that would be like Hunter, he might have to drop to his parents feet and beg them to take him back to France.

Holding a towel up to his hair, which he was rubbing to blot the moisture away, Archer started to go over to his closet to pick out an outfit that might look decent. As he opened the door, he heard a crackle from outside, and his head whipped around, a frown turning his lips down at the sight of the downpour of rain that was pounding the window. He immediately dropped the towel, knowing that it would be useless. "Great." He snapped, reaching up for the few clothes that he had and yanking out a simple, blue hoodie and a pair of dark jeans. He saw no use in making himself presentable when the first impression he would make would be one of him imitating a sopping, miserable rat that had just been dunked into sewer water. "How could this day get any worse?"

Once he was dressed, he turned back to his bed, where he had set his shoulder bag. He picked it up, feeling the weight of his books. He carried it out of his room, clomping up the stairs and into the living room. His daddy was out of the room, but his père was curled up on one end of the couch, a white sweater with strings hanging off of it splayed across his lap. His deft fingers weaved needles and strings over and under each other, and his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth. At one time, his père had knitted these clothes for Archer alone, when he was still just a child and thought that dressing up like his père was the neatest thing to do. Hed loved to model for his père, who let him wear the tiny outfits as he snipped pieces of fabric and strung pieces of lace around the waist. Part of Archer still missed that, and still resented the day that his père had come to him, holding up what would eventually be a pink dress, and Archer had shook his head, repulsed by the idea of not fitting in with the norm. But, back then, and as of right now, Archer felt that it was in his best interest to not stand out as the child of a formerly famous Broadway singer and model, and one of the heads of a major record producing company.

As his père lifted his head to him, the sound of tires drew his eyes behind him, and he twisted around to look at the car that was pulling up in the driveway. "Oh... that must be your uncle and cousins. I didnt realize how late it was getting to be." Setting aside the unfinished fabric, he brushed his skirt down and said, "You must have a few bites of breakfast. Blaine, dear! Would you please bring Archer a plate of pancakes?"

Archer shook his head, glancing out the window at his uncle, Noah, who was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Oh, no... its okay, Père. Ill take an apple with me... thank you."

"Are you sure you wont be too hungry?" His père asked, holding his hands up to Archers shoulders. He gave him a small smile when Archer nodded. "Youll be wonderful... I just know it. Youll meet new people... make some friends... just like you wanted. Your uncle will you pick you up after school, and then you must tell us how you like your new school."

Nodding once more, Archer felt his daddys strong arm wrap around him, his large hand presenting a red apple to Archer, who gratefully took it. He turned and hugged his daddy, relieved when his muscular arms bundled him up and held him tightly. "I love you, Daddy... and Père. Ill try my best, I promise." He let go of his daddy, giving both of his parents a wave, which they returned, before his daddy placed his hand at his husbands waist.

Sighing heavily, Archer turned away from them, shoving his hands into the pocket of his sweatshirt. He pulled his bag up higher on his shoulder, then stepped out into the brisk air of fall, the smell of the changing season masking the scent of his juicy apple, which he gnawed a chunk out of. He opened the back door to his uncles car, sitting down hard beside of Dillon, who gave him a hesitant smile. Beside of Dillon was his youngest cousin, while his older cousin, Beth, took the front seat, beside of her dad. "Hey, kiddo." His uncle greeted him, turning around so he could flash him a friendly smile.

Putting his bag on his lap, Archer fiddled with the handles, his narrowed eyes glancing out the window as the image he had of his house disappeared behind them. "Thanks for driving me, Uncle Noah." He said quietly, looking back up at his uncle, since he was purposefully trying to avoid Dillons seeking gaze.

"Its no problem." He said, turning the steering wheel so the car drifted into the main line of traffic. "Your parents said that we would switch on and off for the carpool. Besides, I figured you didnt want your dad embarrassing you by crying about this in the parking lot." Archer rolled his eyes at that, knowing that if there was one word to describe his daddy, overprotective would be the kindest of them.

As if he had somehow sensed that there was something off about Archer, his uncle gave up on conversation, a silence that Archer took as a respite. To his luck, even his cousin remained quiet, even though he could tell that he was squirming to plead Hunters case once more. Archer would have taken that conversation with a closed ear. Letting his eyes fall shut, he leaned his head back on the seat, as if he was trying to sink into it and never appear again. The last person he ever wanted to see again was Hunter, but he had a feeling that he would be around him all day.

They pulled up in the parking lot twenty minutes later, so Archer unbuckled himself and pushed his door open, watching people around his age herd around the one building that Archer suddenly didnt want to go into. Had he been stupid in thinking that this would be easy, that he would go inside and make instant best friends, and then go on his merry way to each class? He hadnt even been inside the building yet and he already had one enemy. Hooking his bag onto his shoulder, he waited for his cousin to climb out behind him, mainly because Archer didnt even know which way was the correct one to get into the building. His plan was to ditch his cousin as soon as possible, so that he could avoid at least one encounter with the man he still wanted to strangle.

Feeling his cousin grab his arm, Archer let himself be dragged along, his feet hardly leaving the ground for each step. He was probably burning holes through the soles of his shoes, which sloshed over the growing puddles as the rain splattered the ground by buckets. He headed in the direction that his cousin seemed to be taking him, but stopped when his cousin came to a short halt on the sidewalk, which was packed with other students that were running by, chasing each other, or chasing the time to get to their first class. "Uh... Archer, I cant really walk with you to your first class. My science class is on the other side of the building, but youll want to go in these doors. The office is right down the hallway. Stop in there... I know theyll have forms for your dads to fill out, and a map and a schedule for you. I dont know if well have any classes together, so text me what you have when you find out."

"Okay." Archer stared blankly at Dillon, unhappily watching him whip away, following his younger sister as she went off to the other side of the building. Frustrated that hed ended up completely alone, which was the one thing he thought hed avoid when he decided this move would be good for his social life, he clenched his hands into small fists, shoving through the back door to the school. He stormed down the hallway, pacing himself through the maze of students, many of them who put up pointless walls just to confuse him and make him turn himself around. After a few more times of ducking through bodies and raising onto his toes to read signs, he thought hed found the office, which was nearly silent, except for the clacking keys as the secretary typed on her computer. When the door shut behind him, it blocked out all of the raucous from outside. "Um... excuse me? Im new here. My cousin said you had forms for me."

The woman looked up from her computer, giving him a glassy stare as he approached the counter, and then she shook her head, quickly rising to her feet. "Oh... of course. What is your name, dear?" She opened a filing cabinet, her thin fingers flipping through the alphabetized folders. He muttered what his name was, and she pulled it out after a minute of digging. "Here is your schedule and a map of the school. Youll have to take the rest of these forms home with you so your parents can fill them out. Bring them back promptly."

As Archer flipped through the papers, the door swung open once more, letting in the loud noises from the hallway, and then slammed shut. He picked up the paper that had his classes listed on it, and he squinted at the room numbers beside of the class names, trying to locate those on the map. "Uh... could you please tell me if the English room is on the other side of the building? I cant find it anywhere."

Much to his surprise, a hand reached over his shoulder and covered his map, blocking his vision of the tiny print that pointed at what he couldnt tell were squares, walls, or classrooms. Recognizing the shade of that tanned skin, Archer stiffened his entire body, knowing exactly who was behind him. He flinched, gripping his papers with a tightness that crinkled their pristine conditions. "Ill take you to the English room. Just give me a minute to get my papers." The hand flattened on his stack of papers, and Archer tried to pull them out from under it, but they seemed to be stuck. Stepping backwards, Archer drained of all color when his body hit a hard wall. His stomach did a terrible, rolling motion that left him nauseous when he realized that he was trapped between the desk and Hunter.

As Hunter casually spoke to the woman behind the counter, his hand abruptly lifted from the papers, giving Archer a second to scoop them up and press them tightly to his chest. The hand came up to the side of his face, searching fingers finding his earlobe, which he playfully tugged at. Archers skin heated up to a thousand degrees, the color returning with a flare. When he was done collecting what he needed, Hunter backed away from him, giving Archer a moment to stagger around, his huge eyes flicking over his entire body as if he needed to prove to himself that he was there. Of all the people to come in to the office, the most unpopular place in the entire school. As if amused by Archers stunned silence, Hunter gave him a winning grin, "I thought you were polite. Arent you going to ask me how my morning was?"

Archer blinked at Hunter, who reached out for him once more and snatched his wrist. Too shocked to say anything, he went along with him, carefully watching him from the corner of his eye. "What were you doing in the office?" He blurted, making the smile stretch from ear to ear.

"Youre feeling nosy today, arent you?" Hunter joked, his steps speeding up when they got to a break in the swarms of students. Archer had to scurry after him, his short legs only carrying him so far. "I was getting my own paperwork. Not all of us have parents who can fill it out ahead of time." Furrowing his brows at that, Archer opened his mouth to ask what he meant, but Hunter suddenly spoke up again, "Do you have your English class now?"

Archer felt his mind go blank for a second, his unbelieving eyes staring up at Hunter, who was wearing that cocky smirk that always made Archer feel beside of himself. "Um... yes. With..." he checked over his schedule to make sure he got the name right, "Mr. Lumbly? You dont have to walk me all the way there... If you could just point to the-"

Archer didnt know that a smile could be as big as Hunters was. "Dont worry about it. Im in that class, too." He almost swore out loud, but contained the damnation for Hunter and everything that he was just by sucking his lips in. He couldnt believe that, of all of the classes he would have on his own, the one class he had with the juniors just had to be one he shared with Hunter.

The two of them didnt speak for the rest of the walk there, as Archer was too busy panting to keep up with Hunters ground-eating strides to murmur a single word. Hunter whipped around one more corner, and he skidded to a stop in front of a wooden door, which had the same number engraved on it as what the paper said it would. Frowning as Hunter pushed him inside, Archer swept his eyes over the entire room that was full of people he didnt know, and probably never would, studying each of their faces, which were turned away from him and instead pressed to their friends ears, until Hunter gave him another light shove. He opened his mouth to tell him to keep his hands off of him, but he had already grabbed onto his shoulder, pulling him along to one of the back rows, where the only two remaining seats were. "Hey, Im not sitting by you!" Archer cried, refusing to lower into the chair that Hunter left behind in favor of the one right next to it. "If you think I am, youre insane."

Hunters lip curled into a sneer, "And where else would you sit, princess? Would you like everyone to rise so you can pick your favorite spot? Stop being ridiculous... Youre acting like a spoiled brat."

Realizing that a few eyes had flashed over to the two of them, Archer immediately sat, giving in with a loud huff. He could only hope that there would be an assigned chart, and that Lumbly had kindly put him as far away from Hunter as he could be. Lowering his voice, Archer hissed at Hunter, "But youre being mean." He undid the strap to his bag, pulling out his English books and setting them on his desk with a clunk.

Hunter shook his head, obviously annoyed, "Learn to be more appreciative, kitten, because as soon as Lumbly sees you sitting here, youre going to be stuck here for the rest of the year. He assigns by rows. Well be partnered for every project there is for a whole nine months."

Archer widened his eyes to the size of saucers, his head flinging from side to side as he sought out any other seats. To his regret, every one of them was taken. Beside of him, Hunter chuckled darkly, "Maybe we could try to be friends just to make this less of a miserable experience for you-"

Holding up one finger to Hunters mouth, Archer whispered, "Hush! Just be quiet! I dont want to speak to you for the rest of the day."

"So, well be on speaking terms tomorrow?"

Archer made a point of ignoring him, distracting himself with aligning the edges of his books perfectly. Before he became too bored of his idle task and helplessly glanced back over at Hunter, who he wondered what he was doing, a man in his later years strode through the door, old enough to be at least fifty. A pile of books were pressed to his chest, and he set the load down on his desk. After he wiped his sweating brow, he hurried to the front of the classroom, looking more flustered than Archer was. "Settle down, class!" He raised his hands, making a quieting motion with them. When he was satisfied with the lowered noise level, even though there were still some muttered conversations being carried on, he carelessly shrugged off his next few sentences. "Welcome to your junior level of English. This year, I thought we could start off by grouping off by rows and having each group write a paper about something their senses can pick up on. This is something you might see, or hear, or smell. In order to get all of you inspired to use your senses for something more than staring at cellphone screens, I have planned a trip to a nearby reservoir. We will be sleeping every night in cabins, and hiking through the woods during the day. Get the permission of your parents! I expect slips to be turned in as soon as possible."

The class burst into an uproar of cheers and hoots about how awesome this fieldtrip would be, while both Archer and his apparent new partner stayed in silence, until Archer turned his head and asked Hunter, "Why arent you excited... like the rest of them are?"

Hunter, who had been looking ahead of him, turned his gaze back to Archer. A corner of his lips flipped up, "At any moment, I could go anywhere I wanted in this entire world. Im well aware of how easy it would be for me to escape. The rest of them dont see all of the possibilities. One day, Im not going to be pinned down to one place, and Im going to leave. Ill be able to travel wherever I want."

Archer raised one of his brows. For how negative this man could be, he had a list of things that he could rave on about. "If you want to go so badly, why have you stayed here for so long? Is it that you dont have the money?"

Hunter rested his chin on his fist, giving Archer the kindest smile hed seen cross his lips so far, "Youre very blunt. Ive never heard anyone speak to me the way you do." Cocking his head to the side, he reached out for Archers face, smoothing a loose tendril of hair off of his forehead. "With or without money, Id have the ability to make it on my own. Ive trained myself to live a life of minimalism, anyway. I think Ive stayed... because Ive been waiting."

"For what?"

The corners of Hunters eyes creased, a few of the wrinkles visible, but most covered by the rim of his sunglasses. "To be proven wrong." Archer still didnt understand, but he didnt get the chance to ask because the blaring bell cut him off, and Hunter immediately stood, his bag already packed and dangling from his shoulder. But, instead of leaving, he hovered above Archer, extending one hand toward him. Archer gaped at the bony fingers, watching the veins beneath stretch the skin at the top of his hand. "Its okay, Archer. I would tell you Im not going to kiss you again... but youre going to have to never let me be alone with you in order for me to keep that promise." The hand stretched closer to him, his fingertips brushing the edge of his sleeve. "Take my hand. Ill walk you to your next class."

Archer reluctantly placed his hand in the middle of Hunters, gasping at the heat that radiated off of his calloused palm. He stood up beside of Hunter, blocked from him only by the metal bar that held his flat desk to the seat. Pulling Archer around to his side, Hunter took the bag that hung limply off the tips of his fingers, and he clasped it between his elbow and side. "Do you trust me at all?" Hunter muttered, his voice containing no hints of sarcasm or humor for the first time since hed spoken to him.

"N-No." Archer whispered, pinching his eyes shut when Hunter lowered his face to his, his smoky breath blowing into his nostrils. "Hunter... please..."

"Im not going to kiss you." He said again, his fingertips sliding under Archers chin so he could lift his face. "Of all of the places Ive ever wanted to go, your mouth is the one I want more than anything. Ive never refused myself anything... since Im the only one whos ever given anything to myself. But Im going to do this for your sake. You can say one word and Ill never try to visit with you again... You can walk to class early tomorrow and choose a different seat. Ill make someone else my partner... You wont have to deal with me anymore."

When Hunter dropped his hand from his face, Archers skin nearly ached where there had once been heat, but now was just cold. Feeling Hunter unwrap himself from him, Archer dumbly held his hands out to him, grabbing fistfuls of the back of his jacket. "Hunter." He begged, his voice shaky and high pitched. He pulled Hunter back to him, his knuckles pressing into the muscle that rippled over his back. "Hunter... wait." Hunter turned his head to the side, giving Archer an image of his hard jaw, which was the only thing he could see because of how short he was. "Y-You dont have to go away. I trust you a little." Hunters jaw tightened with a thick swallow, and his teeth clenched, so Archer tugged on him, feeling like he was slipping out of his grasp. "Hunter... Iwant you to stay."

At those words, Hunter whipped back around, an alarmed look on his face as if he had been expecting Archer to kick him onto his ass. Archer felt stupid as he stared up at Hunter, knowing that he had just given that damned man something over him. Hunter had offered him nothing. He wouldnt get hurt if one of them betrayed the other. But, even though he hadnt seen that entire face yet, he could tell that there was something gentle about it, no matter how many cocky looks or sardonic smirks Hunter gave. There was a tenderness in those lips that made every word that drove Archer off the edge playful and affectionate, as if he wasnt trying to be mean, but just didnt know exactly how to be nice.

Suddenly, Hunter shuffled closer to him, leaning over once more and giving Archer a whiff of the undeniable scent of cigarettes. Pushing himself backwards so he had space from Hunter, Archer inhaled sharply when those long arms wound around his waist, drawing him into that broad chest. He turned his head to the side, his cheek thudding against a steady heart, which pounded rhythmically, except for an unexpected jolt when Archer helplessly raised his hands, folding them around the nape of Hunters neck and petting the layer of fuzz that sprouted from his thin skin. One of Hunters hands raised to his hair, threading through his thin, dark curls and pulling piles of them up to his face, as if he was trying to sniff each strand. Archer breathed out heavily, clinging much tighter to this powerful, but tender, man, who had such a strong heart.