"Mom?" Jude Adams Foster spoke in a low voice, as he approached the woman standing near the almost extinguished campfire.

It was almost time for "lights out" on the seventh grade camping trip. This meant that all kids had to be in their tents with the flashlights off. The chaperones knew that they couldn't force the kids to go sleep, however, so the lights out rule didn't extend to no talking. As long as voices were kept at whisper volume or lower, the children could talk their night away with their tent-mate, if they chose to do so.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?" Lena replied to Jude, taking a few steps toward him so that she was standing next to him.

"Yeah, but," Jude bit his lip, stopping his own voice.

Concerned, Lena crouched so that she was more at eye-level with Jude. She knew that he and Connor had been going through a rocky patch in their friendship recently and had been keeping a careful eye on the two of them, not wanting that rocky patch to flare while they were sharing a tent. She hadn't noticed an issue, however, as both boys had been extremely happy on the camping trip. Still, she questioned Jude about it. "Is something the matter? Did something happen with Connor?"

"No, nothing like that," Jude answered so quickly and so expressively that Lena had no choice but to believe him – not that she thought Jude would lie to her. "It's just that … this is the last night of the camping trip and there are still so many marshmallows left and can I take a bag in the tent with me?"

Lena had to smile at the rushed and innocent request. He was so afraid at being denied. She stood, wrapping one arm around his shoulders in a quick hug. "Sure, honey. Just don't make yourselves sick on them, okay?"

"Okay!" Jude graciously accepted the plastic bag she passed him. "Thanks!"

"You're welcome," Lena replied. "No get your butt to your tent. It's almost lights out."

"Night. Love you!"

"I love you too. See you in the morning, Jude."

Jude waved and bounded through the sea of tents to find the one that he had shared with Connor for the duration of their camping trip. He slowly unzipped the front entrance and climbed in, being careful that he didn't step on any of the belongings that had miraculously managed to scatter to all corners of the tent in the brief time the boys had actually been in the tent. Connor was sitting on his sleeping bag, on his half of their shared air mattress.

"So?" Connor pressed. "Did she give them to you?"

In response, Jude gently lobbed the bag of marshmallows to Connor. "Yeah. You know Lena's awesome like that."

He turned his back on Connor and grabbed his pyjamas to change for bed. He heard Connor rip off the top of the plastic bag.

"I wonder how many of these I could fit in my mouth," Connor mused.

"Less than you probably think," Jude joked. He finished tugging his t-shirt over his head and then spun around, dropping onto his own sleeping bag.

Connor thought about this, and decided that Jude was probably right, although what he said was, "Fine. I won't put the entire bag in my mouth, just because I'm good with sharing."

Jude chuckled, and let Connor have his moment of bravado. "If you're so good at sharing, pass the bag."

Connor slid the bag over to Jude.

"I can't believe we go home tomorrow," he sighed.

"Aren't you excited?" Jude asked, knowing that he was. He had loved his camping trip. He'd loved being outdoors. He'd loved seeing Lena so happy outdoors. He'd loved spending so much time with Connor. But when all was said and done, Jude had missed consistently hot showers, a real mattress. He had missed the rest of his family. He'd even had moments of nostalgia for Jesus' wheezing snores … if only because Connor's occasional guttural noises reminded Jude of a bear, and bears weren't the optimal thing for one to be thinking about when they were in the woods.

"I mean, for some things, I guess," Connor admitted, "but I really liked camping."

"Me too," Jude said quickly. "Maybe we could do it again. Not with the school, but just us kind of thing."

Connor met Jude's gaze and smiled – an expression that reached even the furthest depths of the boy's eyes. "I'd really like that."

There came a knock at the entrance of a tent; as much as one could knock on a tent's fabric, at least.

"Connor and Jude," Mr. Walsh trilled, "Could you please unzip the tent door so I can see you're both in there?"

"Sure thing!" Connor exclaimed, and reached for the zipper while Jude hid the marshmallows like they were contraband.

Mr. Walsh lowered his head so that he could see inside the tent, verifying the two students were exactly where they should be. "It's time for lights out, boys."

"Okay, Mr. Walsh," Jude answered.

"Goodnight," Mr. Walsh bid.

"Night!" The boys chorused, as Mr. Walsh stepped away.

Connor zipped the tent back up while Jude snatched the marshmallow bag back up. Holding the treats against his chest, he allowed himself to topple over backwards so he was lying horizontally across the middle of the mattress, his feet hanging off to one side. Connor turned to face the air mattress and saw Jude lying there. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. Jude returned his gaze, pointedly eating a marshmallow, letting Connor know that he wasn't moving for anything.

Connor shrugged, and Jude's mind raced. He was either going to either get tossed unceremoniously from his very comfortable position or … or something. Getting rolled out of the way was the only thing that he could think of, although that conviction was probably born of having siblings who wouldn't stand for someone being in their spot. Jude couldn't count the amount of times that wrestling matches had erupted, particularly between Mariana and Jesus, when one sibling had stolen another's place on the couch.

To Jude's surprise, he was not moved out of the way as he might have been at home. Instead, Connor lay down with him. Although Connor lay vertically, his head resting on the lower half of Jude's stomach, so that his body moved with every breath that Jude took. Jude liked the feel of Connor resting against him, and when he placed the marshmallows by his side, he left his arm stretched along him, so that it was resting against Connor's forearm.

Jude stretched his other arm and flicked off the lantern that was the only light source in their tent. It was, after all, lights out. The two lay there, in the darkness, slowly allowing themselves to adjust to the change.

"I'm going to miss camping," Connor whispered with a sigh, finally breaking the silence.

"Why?" Jude pressed, keeping his voice equally low. Not only were they not (technically) supposed to be talking after lights out, but he felt as if this was a conversation that he wouldn't accidentally want overheard by people in nearby tents.

"Cause," Connor mumbled.

"You know I'll always listen if you have something to say," Jude explained softly, trying not to pressure Connor, to make his friend feel like he had to tell Jude anything, while letting him know that Jude was always there for him. "You know I'll never judge you for anything. You have to know that."

"I do," Connor insisted. He turned his head so that he was pressing his head into the soft give of Jude's stomach.

Jude squirmed so that Connor's face was resting closer to his ribs than his lower abdomen, so that he could sling an arm across his friend – almost as if it were a hug.

"I just … I feel like we're starting to become friends again, like we were before my dad made it weird." Connor paused and then amended his words, "And I guess I did too."

"I just didn't want to feel like a secret. I'm not a secret, Connor."

"I know, Jude. I know. I just hate how my dad makes me feel sometimes."

Jude winced as he heard his best friend's voice break at the mention of his father. In the darkness, he shifted so that he was lying the same way Connor was, pulling his friend to him. For the first time, Jude felt as if he were the bigger one, and Connor the smaller one, as Connor buried his head against Jude's shoulder.

Jude wrapped his arms around Connor, cuddling him. He knew the value of a physical touch; of a genuine embrace. Sometimes, there was no need for words. He felt as if this was one of those times. Connor was shaking, snuggling his head into Jude's shoulder. It made Jude's heart ache, to think of what Connor's father might have put him through, to leave his usually strong friend trembling as he was. Connor had alluded to a few things throughout the course of their friendship, but he'd never blatantly said anything. Jude wished his friend would open up. Jude knew what it was like to be hit and to feel as if he had no one to turn to. He just hoped Connor knew that he would always have Jude to turn to.

"Jude?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry."

Jude twisted his arm a little, so that he could comfortably rub Connor's shoulder.

"I know," Jude whispered, because Connor had already told him this so many times before.

Jude understood self-preservation. He knew how domineering Connor's dad could become. Both of these things were why Jude had forgiven Connor, but that didn't mean Jude was going to be content to be a secret.

"You know what always makes things better?" Jude asked, his voice taking on a lighter note.

"What?"

"Marshmallows!"

Jude moved so that he could grab the sugary treat, twisting on his side. Even though he was stretching away from Connor, he could still feel his friend's hand resting near his knee as Jude picked up the bag from where he had left it. When he returned to the mattress, Jude lay on his side, propping himself up on one elbow. Once Jude had stopped moving, he felt Connor nudge into him, wanting to remain as close to him as possible. Jude didn't mind though; he thrived off positive physical affection.

"Want one?" Jude asked, placing the bag just behind Connor's head.

"Meh," Connor breathed, and that's how Jude could tell that Connor was locked in his tangled thoughts, overthinking things that he shouldn't have weighing on his mind.

Jude pulled one of the squishy snacks out of the bag, and held it near Connor's lips, hoping to distract him.

"You sure you don't want it?" He enticed.

Connor reached up with one hand and looped his fingers around Jude's wrist. He didn't move his friend's hand away from his mouth, however, he just left it there, as if he forgot what he was doing in the middle of the motion.

"Sugar fixes everything, it's a fact," Jude insisted, as Connor finally took the marshmallow from his friend's hand, slowly chewing on it. After a few moments passed in silence, Jude finally asked, "Are you still dwelling?"

"No," Connor admitted, and he snuggled further into Jude.

"You sure?" Jude asked again, just to be sure. He brought his hand down to Connor's face, so that the other boy's eyes were pointed in his direction, though the tent was so dark they couldn't make out more than the outline of one another.

Connor nodded, his cheek rubbing against the palm of Jude's hand.

"Hey Jude," Connor began, and then he had to laugh softly to himself.

"What?" Jude questioned the chuckle.

"I just … I actually heard that song the other day."

"Did you like it?"

"Yeah," Connor admitted.

"So?" Jude prompted, finally easing off his elbow and lying back down flat on the air mattress, Connor still pressed against him. He turned his head so that he was facing Connor, who had his head on Jude's shoulder. "What's up?"

Connor shifted slightly, nervously, in Jude's opinion. And then, that was the last thing he thought. He felt Connor move closer to him, felt warmer all over as Connor shared body heat, and then Connor was kissing him. Connor's hands were cupping his face, and Jude automatically moved his own arms around Connor's back, holding his friend to him.

Jude had kissed before, but this wasn't a kiss. This wasn't a peck on the lips and an awkward shuffle away from one another. This was a kiss; lips moving in tandem, the touch of a tongue, and hands gripping, rolling, touching. There was a gasp of air, exchanged between both of their lips as they finally had to separate.

The moment Connor's lips left Jude's, the taller boy backed away from his best friend, as if he'd been burnt. He went from cuddling Jude to rolling away from him, to the very edge of his side of the mattress.

Jude lay there for a moment, a bit shell-shocked over what had just happened. He raised a hand to his burning lips, wet from the kisses of another person. What Connor had done was unexpected, but it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Jude really liked what he and Connor had just done … except for the Connor attempting to hide from him part. But when you're confined to a tent, there just aren't a lot of places to go.

Jude sat up and scooted toward Connor. He hesitantly reached out one hand and touched his best friend on the shoulder.

"Please don't," Connor whispered, "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry," Jude comforted him, "And we don't have to talk about it right now, not if you don't want to. You just can't ignore me, okay?"

After a breathless moment, Connor rolled over. Jude lay back down next to him, and grabbed Connor's unzipped sleeping bag to use as a blanket. There was a beat of hesitation, and then Connor cuddled back into Jude, who willingly opened his arms to him.

There would be a lot to talk about, come daylight. There would be a lot of this and that's to consider, but, for now, Jude was content to lay there in the darkness, feel Connor's breath whisper across his collarbones, his kiss still imprinted on Jude's lips – there to stay.

Why is this called Smores when there isn't a single smore in this story? (I really have no idea…)

Anyway, an anon on tumblr wanted to know my take on the all mighty question "what happened in the tent?". While I think the writers are going to disappoint us and not have them kiss (and I kind of want their first kiss to be on-screen, so I don't know what my emotions are doing there) I wanted them to kiss in my fic, so here we are!

I don't own anything recognizable.

~TLL~