Archer didnt see Hunter for the rest of the day, which made the last few hours trying for him as he tracked down that towering, dark form in the three minutes he had between every class, only to discover that, even after he retraced his steps to Hunters favorite spot, Hunter had seemingly vanished. He wouldnt admit out loud that part of him missed the ungainly, slightly insulting man who had shown brief moments of complete adoration for Archer, but the voice in his head seemed to have no reservations about screaming it at him. This was why, when Hunter still hadnt come to him by the time the final bell rang, Archer vehemently slammed his locker shut, letting himself dunk under the waves of students who pounded into him. When he reemerged at the doors that the ocean carried him to, he separated himself from the howling wolves around him, busying his hanging hands with pulling up his hood to block out the frigid air. It was no longer raining, but the storm clouds were still gathered, shielding the watery blacktop from the sun.

Shivering when the nippy air seeped through his thin hoodie, he wrapped his arms around himself, his lowered head raising only a few inches so he could see what was ahead of him. The parking lot was still full, which made it very difficult to pick out his uncles gray car, but then every other car went away at the revving growl of the engine of a motorcycle. After a week of living in Lima, Archer had figured out that no one owned a motorcycle, which made him turn his head to the side so he could see who was sitting on it. His jaw dropped when he saw Hunter resting against a black bike, one hand clutching a handle bar, while his other clasped a cigarette between two fingers. He lifted the cig to his lips, taking a long draw on it, and then he sucked his mouth in, holding the smoke in his cheeks for a half of a minute before he exhaled deeply. He was standing next to Archers cousin, who seemed concerned by whatever the two were talking about.

"Hunter." Archer whispered, taking a step toward him as he stubbed the burnt out cigarette on a nearby telephone pole. He watched him grab the key that was stuck inside of his vibrating bike, twisting it to the side so his bike slowly stilled. "Hunter." He said again, his pace picking up as Hunter swung his leg over his bike, standing up from the seat. Putting a hand on his bag to keep it from sliding off of his shoulder, Archer splashed through the puddles, feeling the cold water spray the bottoms of his jeans. "Hunter!" He cried once more, finally getting his attention. Hunter raised his head from the ground, his brows appearing over the edges of his glasses, and then shoving together. Desperately lurching forward, Archer flung himself at Hunter, who stumbled backward at the sudden weight that hit him. His strong arms flew around Archer, snatching him up as Archer looped his arms around his neck, his small head burrowing beneath his chin. Clinging to the collar of Hunters jacket, Archer pressed his face deeper into the hollow of his throat, feeling him swallow thickly. Unsure of what to say, he simply panted to get his breath back, trying to rattle his brain for an excuse about his peculiar behavior. "Hunter... you cant just walk away like that. I told you I wanted you to stay."

Hunter made a short sound, his hands lowering to Archers back and balling up fistfuls of his damp jacket. His head bowed over Archers, his heaving breaths moving his frizzy curls. "You also told me that I cant kiss you." He whispered in his ear, his voice so gruff to his sensitive hearing that he shuddered. "Archer, youre driving me crazy, kitten. I cant make up my mind-" He abruptly stopped speaking, and when he lifted his head from Archers, his voice sounded very far away, "We cant do this right now." Clearing his throat, he spoke much clearer, "What were you saying, Dillon?"

Archers cousin sounded flabbergasted, "Um..." Turning his head to the side, Archer stared at his cousin, whose eyes were blown out of proportion as he openly gaped at the way Hunter and Archers arms were wound around each other. "Uh... Hunter, we were talking about our sleepover... the one we have every year on the first day of school. You know... that?" Scrunching his brows up, Archer let go of Hunter, feeling him release him as soon as he realized that Archer was getting flustered in front of his cousin. "Hunter... are you okay? You look really out of it."

Peeking up at Hunters hard face, Archer watched him nod shortly. Suddenly, a protective hand returned to his waist, the entire length of his fingers and palm swallowing Archers waist. "Im fine, Dillon. I told you I was fine. Yeah... I can come over to your house tonight-"

"I want to come." Archer interrupted, his huge eyes flickering between both of the men, who stared at him as if he had grown antennae. "Dillon, you said that you would let me experience these things with you."

His cousin kept looking at him with that same stupefied expression, making Archer want to slug him. "Yeah... but, Archer... I meant that we could do things like this together. I just dont think this is a good idea. Your dad would take you back to Paris if he found out that you slept over at my house with him there." Even though he didnt look at Hunter, Archer knew that he was referring to him. At the way that Archer rolled his eyes, Dillon made an exasperated sound, "Archer, its not my problem that your dads overprotective. And we cant not tell him. My dads will know, and theyll never go against what your dad says-"

Hunter gave up with a frustrated grunt, once again letting go of Archer, who tried to press himself against him, "Dillon, its not that big of a deal. Let Archer sleep over at your place tonight. We can plan another one." Patting Archer over to his cousin, he shot his gaze down to his small, worried face. After he stared at him for a moment too long, he glanced back up at Dillon, who had set a firm hand on Archers shoulder. "Ill see you later, Dil." With that last comment, he whipped away from the two of them. He threw his leg over the seat of his bike, sitting down hard as he keyed the engine into an uproar one last time. As he turned his bike out of its parking spot, Dillon stepped back with his cousin, giving him space to leave. Archer heard his cousin start to chatter on about how much fun the night was going to turn out to be, but the words fell on ears that were deafened by the rumble of that motorcycle.

It wasnt until hours later, sometime near the middle of the night, when Archer realized what a dreadful mistake hed made to quickly bolt into his house to spew out what he could about his first day of school, but still keep some of it to himself, and then grab a stuffed bag of his clothes and toothbrush, and then run back out to his uncles car, smiling as if he was actually excited about the awful night he hadnt known was coming. Within the first hour of staying at his cousins house, hed nearly been bored to tears when Dillon had sat him and his book bag down at the coffee table, spreading his books out over the surface of it. Archer had stared at those books as if they were on fire, watching his cousin flip to the first page of his math notes, and hearing him tell him that even though the homework wasnt due for another week, he would forget about it if he didnt do it right away.

After a while of watching his cousin doodle tiny graphs, then redo entire pages of work because he got one part of the problem wrong, Archer had slunk off to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Unfortunately, there wasnt much offered since both of Dillons parents worked, and Dillon was now at school for the majority of the day, which left Archers stomach gurgling after a couple of nibbles on a banana. It was a relief when Dillon finally sauntered into the kitchen, bragging about how hed gotten his work finished, and how he would undoubtedly get high grades on everything because hed checked over it more than once, and Archer had silently followed his cousin up to his bedroom. His cousin had then started up his game station, which Archer had looked forward to since he didnt have one of his own. Because Dillon only had one controller, he had made a deal with Archer that after one of the bad guys killed either of them, they would switch so the other could play, but Archer had soon realized that his cousin had become so engrossed in the game that he seemed to forget that, even more important than the bad guys on the screen, Archer was still there. Archer had even asked his cousin if he could have a try at it, only to be barked at that the bad guy had pulled a cheap shot at him, and he felt that he needed to avenge himself.

As much as Archer tried to be enthusiastic for his cousin, he lost interest after the tenth kill, and eventually leaned his head back against the side of the bed, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling, counting the specks. His cousin had remained in that hunched over, squatted position for the rest of the night, occasionally shouting at the TV, but had quickly quieted down as soon as his dad came up the stairs, saying that it was a school night, and that it was time to shut off the game system. Jaded to the point of senselessness, Archer had happily climbed into bed beside of his cousin, having heard stories about other sleepovers, in which, after the lights went off, the whispers started passing from ear to ear. Archer looked forward to whatever secrets his cousin wanted to relay to him, privately hoping that at least one of them was about Hunter, who was a closed book to Archer.

He felt like hed been kicked in the stomach when, after a few minutes of waiting for his cousin to roll closer to him so he could press his lips to his ear, he instead heard the faint sounds of snoring. No matter how tired he was, or how firmly he pressed his face into the pillow beneath him, sleep evaded all of his desperate grabs, leaving him facing away from his cousin, scrunched to the edge of the bed to get away from Dillons kicking feet. He started to scoot off of the bed so he could go down to the kitchen and grab a glass of water, if only to pass some time to the point that he reached complete exhaustion and just passed out, but before he could lift the upper half of his body so he was in a sitting position, a tapping sound caused him pause. Alarmed, he snapped his head to the side, his eyes widening to the size of saucers at the sight of a dark figure outside of the window.

He opened his mouth so he could scream for his uncles, but then his slightly fuzzy vision cleared up on the mans face, bringing out his individual features. Closing his mouth, Archer shook his head in disbelief, pushing the blankets off of his legs as he rose from the bed, his feet thumping the cold floor. "Hunter?" He whispered, scurrying over to the window. Separated from him only by a glass wall, Archer flipped a latch at the top of the window, and he watched Hunter grab the bottom of it, pushing it up enough for him to lift his body inside. He sat down on the sill, giving Archer a funny smirk as he gaped at him, slack jawed. "Hunter! Are you crazy?" Suddenly flinging his arms around Hunter, Archer gasped when his body tipped over, so he quickly dragged him back in.

Hunter let out a ragged noise, setting one of his feet down to give himself more balance. He sealed his arms around Archer, carefully rocking him back and forth. "Are you still trying to kill me, little kitten? Youre doing a very good job." Blowing out heavily, Hunter bundled Archer closer to him, rubbing his face through his hair when he felt him quiver at the cold breeze that he was letting in. "How many times do I have to tell you that Im absolutely mad before youll finally believe me?" He drew back from Archer, a gentle look on his face as he raised his hand to his hair, brushing his heavy curls off of his forehead. Archer closed his eyes, pressing into Hunters tender hand. "I thought you might want some company. I know Dillon always falls asleep early."

Archer softly giggled into Hunters palm, lifting his hands and grabbing two of his fingers in each one. He held him there so he couldnt put his hand back down. "You cant stay here, Hunter. We have to be quiet or else well wake Dillon up."

A devious smirk crooked the corner of his lips, and he nodded his head at the open window, one brow quirking, "So, lets get out of here."

Following the way that Hunter had cocked his head, Archer looked out into the pitch black. It was so dark out that he couldnt see more than ten feet of grass outside of the window. Suddenly looking back at Hunter when his long arms wound around his waist and butt, Archer placed his hands on his shoulders, holding him tightly. "But where would we go?" Archer pleaded to know, feeling Hunter slowly lift his body into the lee of his thighs.

"Relax." Hunter said softly, taking Archers clenching fists into his hands and squeezing them. "Kitten, relax your hands. Youre going to pull my shoulders out of their sockets." As he spoke, he slid his other leg over the ledge, leaving both of them suspended over a long drop that made Archer claw anxiously at his back. His legs slipped against Hunters, so Hunter quickly hooked an arm under his bottom, giving him support. "Do you trust me enough to let me jump? Ive done it a thousand times before, if thats any suffice. But you cant panic, sweetheart, or else I might lose my grip on you. I promise you that I would never let you get hurt."

Tucking his face into Hunters neck, Archer cautiously peered down at the ground, which seemed too far away for either of them to land securely on it. He knew that if he went home with a broken leg, his daddy wouldnt hesitate to ship him and his booted foot all the way back to Paris the next day. "Are you sure that nothing bad will happen?" He whispered as quietly as the squeak of a mouse, and at the sound of Hunters chuckling, he lifted his huge eyes to his face, which was nothing but confident.

"Im sure, Archer." Hunter grabbed both of Archers legs and wrapped them around his waist, and then he lowered his hands to his back and butt. Seizing Hunters neck in a tight hold, Archer gasped when he felt him shift again, pressing his face into a shirt that had such a familiar smell to it, that of cigarettes and the most bitter of coffee. "Youre alright, kitten. Ive got you. I wont let you go."

After those few words of reassurance, Hunter pushed off from the sill, and suddenly all that Archer had was the man who had encased him in his strong arms, protecting him from the impact at the bottom. Wind rushed all around him, making him burrow closer to Hunter in an attempt to have something to rely on, since his feet had given out on him. Making a startled sound when Hunter hit the ground, stumbling backwards to catch his balance, Archer blinked his squinted eyes, glancing around the two of them at the greenery that was once again beneath them. Even though he knew he could have let go of Hunter and safely planted his feet on the cool grass, he couldnt make himself detach, his arms still locked around his neck.

Realizing that Archer was stuck, Hunter laughed lowly, reaching back for his trembling hands and unhooking them from his neck. He lowered them to Archers sides, but kept his fingers wrapped around Archers. "Youre okay now, Archer. Its over, sweetheart. Were on the ground." When Hunter stepped back from him, Archer quickly followed, holding his arms out once more. Hunter chuckled, but, to Archers surprise, it didnt sound like a snort of derision. Instead, his arms returned to Archers body, bundling him up around his waist. "This way, kitten. I have something I want to show you."

Wrinkling a brow at Hunters determined face, Archer trotted beside of the man with legs a foot too long. As they turned onto another street, distancing themselves from the place that Archer was supposed to be, he opened his mouth and let out a shaky sound. "Hunter?" He mumbled, getting a nod of acknowledgement from him. "Hunter... why is it that you call me kitten?"

That question drew a funny smirk onto his lips. Before he answered, he tightened his arm around Archers waist, pulling him even closer to himself. "Dont make mockery of me." He warned, making Archer ruffle his brows as he wondered what could have Hunter so sheepish. "I dont remember who sang it to me... but, when I was young, I used to hear this beautiful voice singing this lullaby to me. It was about a playful kitten who was too rambunctious to go to bed. You remind me of that kitten... youre very determined to have your way, but in getting there, you can be nothing more than a pestering nuisance."

Somehow, Hunter made those harsh words into phrases of endearment, which made Archer, somewhat flattered that Hunter compared him to a good thing of his childhood, blush. "I know the lullaby youre talking about. My père used to sing it to me when I was a baby. I was very fussy, bothersome child... but my parents always made that out to be a good thing. I think they loved how stubborn I was." Leaning closer to Hunter, Archer let his eyes fall shut as his lips parted just enough for a few breaths of air to escape, making the soft melody to his favorite thing to listen to as he drifted off.

When he opened his eyes again, he found Hunter staring down at him, an amused, but gentle, look on his face. Reaching down for Hunters hand, Archer touched the back of it, glad when Hunter instantly turned it over, lacing their fingers together. "You have a beautiful voice." Hunter told him, making Archer giggle lightly.

"I come from a musical family." He admitted, swinging their hands back and forth. "My parents tell me the same... but Id much rather dance. But... thank you."

Hunter grinned down at him, and then he turned his face forward when they came to a vacated road that was mostly made up of a thin layer of gravel and broken blacktop. "Were almost there. We just have to go through these woods." He took Archer off of the main pathway and across a grassy yard, slipping in between two tree trunks that gave way to mushy dirt and weeds. When Archer slipped over a damp rock, Hunter instantly turned around and lifted him by his hips, half carrying him for the rest of the trek through the mucky woods. "Do you see that tree up ahead? The one with the wide trunk?"

Archer nodded his head, placing his hands on Hunters shoulders when he boosted him up higher, dropping him onto his back. Feeling a little awkward as he lay limply over Hunter, who cupped handfuls of his butt to keep him from sliding off, Archer remained silent, feeling Hunter move like a panther over the logs and twigs. He never got hung on one bush, and he was never slowed down by sticky mud. "Ive climbed that tree a hundred times. I found it when I was a child. I hung a swing from the very top. It wont hold me anymore, but I think you can sit in it."

Looking up as high as he could, Archer narrowed his eyes at the glare of the moon, which whited out his vision. "Were going up the tree?"

Hunter nodded his head, approaching the base of the tree and digging his nails in. Archer saw other small slits where he must have grabbed on before. "Just hold onto me. You dont have to be nervous. I cant let you fall, Archer." Lassoing Hunters waist with his legs, Archer stared at the nape of his neck, feeling his toned muscles shifting under him as Hunter kicked off the ground. Hunter was very lithe as he climbed, not losing his hold on the jagged bark even for a moment. He kept a steady pace, despite the extra weight he was carrying. Although Archer became dizzy when he tilted his head toward the ground, he knew that he couldnt be safer than he was with Hunter.

Within minutes, Hunter finally reached out to one of the thicker limbs, stretching his arms out as he lunged from the trunk onto the shaking branch. Archer inhaled sharply, feeling himself tip backwards, and then rock forwards, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself sitting in between Hunters legs. Hunter had wrapped himself completely around Archer, as if he knew that if he let go, Archer would lean too far one way and fall. "Youre safe, kitten." Hunter whispered in his ear, one hand raising to his hair, which was a wild mess after going through the rain, and now after being caught in more than one tree. "What do you think of my world? I only have one place thats more important to me than this."

Archer turned his head from Hunters shirt, giving himself the courage to stare out at the suddenly small world around them. Everything looked so distant, and he realized how high up they were, just the two of them separated from all that was below. "Its amazing." He murmured, twisting around to get a full view of the earth that was under them. Down in the patches of weeds, hed been blind to the tiny creatures that buzzed in and out, zooming from plant to plant. Every now and then, a darkened creature would scurry from one hiding place to another. "Hunter... this is wonderful." Turning his head to the side, Archer raised his brows at the man beside of him, watching him look down at the ground with an observant expression. He was aware of everything, alert to the most minute shuffle of leaves. Suddenly, Archers stomach rolled the same way it had when they were in Hunters secret spot that he saved for himself at school, and he scooted closer to him. His skin burned wherever it brushed Hunters, and when he laid his fingers over Hunters muscular hand, he felt his heart thump violently. "Why did you take me up here? Do you take others here? Or is this another special place to you?"

"Its only been me up here." Hunter said automatically, looking back at Archer with the same expression that he had the ground below, one of intent studying. Flipping his hand upside down, he snatched Archers in his. "I dont know why I brought you here. You remind me of someone I knew a long time ago." Abruptly, Hunters throat moved with a thick swallow, and he tilted his head to the side. Archers heart picked up as Hunter moved closer to him, not a very far distance to close since Archer was clasped between his thighs. Batting his lashes until they were limp against his cheeks, Archer parted his lips, breathing in sharply as the whiff of cigarettes hit his face.

Quietly whimpering when a powerful arm wound around him, drawing him into a better position for Hunter to reach his face, Archer whispered in a voice so soft he couldnt hear himself above the chirping crickets. "You can kiss me now, Hunter. I want you to." That was all the encouragement Hunter needed to clasp Archer tightly against his chest, his head lowering over his. They both released low sounds at the first taste they really got of each other, Archers mouth like cool mint, since hed recently brushed his teeth, and Hunters like a smoky cigarette. Sliding his tongue through his rows of teeth, Hunter flicked the tip of it across Archers bottom lip, which quickly lowered so he could let him in. As Hunter licked through his small, pearly teeth, Archer raised his shaking arms, looping them around his neck. He tangled his fingers in his short hair, pulling at the blond strands. Hunter grunted lowly, dragging Archer closer to himself, closer than Archer had ever been to anyone before.

At the new angle that Hunter placed him in, Archer had to lower his hand, his fingertips scratching over the rough material of Hunters jacket. He laid his palm over his chest, feeling Hunters heart pounding just as rapidly as his own. He hadnt known that he could do that to a man. Tilting his head back, Archer let out the softest moan, which made Hunter press his lips firmer. He was so warm and damp on Archers lips, his tongue tracing the interior of his mouth, the bumpy roof of it, the tip of his own tongue. With one last nudge, Hunter drew away with a pop of their lips, and Archer flushed when he realized that they were still connected by a strand of saliva. "Im scared." Archer suddenly blurted, his voice still breathy and high pitched as he tried to come down from the toe curling high hed just reached.

Hunter ran a tender hand through his frizzy curls, leaning down so he could press another kiss to the tip of his nose. "Of me?" He asked against his skin, his buzzing lips making Archer wrinkle his nose.

Archer shook his head, reaching up for Hunters face and pulling it back down to his own. As their lips touched, he hummed one last thing before his thoughts were pulled down into the blackest depths of the ocean, "Of my feelings for you." Hunter brought his body back against his, his grip so strong that Archer knew that he could never get away, not that he was fighting to anymore.