hey everyone! this is a fun fic in preparation for summer which seems light years away. i know i have been mia for a while but hopefully that will end :) enjoy.

The earth buzzed with life as we all stood huddled against the darkness. I grazed over each face momentarily tallying who was here. Moritz, Georg, Anna, Thea, Ernst, Hanschen, Otto and me. Everyone who was coming was here and they all twitched pleasantly with the summer night's anticipation.

"Come on Melchie, hurry up and make teams! Father wants me home before midnight. It's a godsend I was even allowed out this late." Moritz flicked his gaze from side to side as Anna slipped slightly closer too him. I laughed as I watched his eyes zero in on the miniscule part where her hand had brushed his. Silly girl you don't even know what you just did to the poor boy. Anna, completely oblivious to her searing touch continued to gaze off into the night in her quiet happy way that she had.

"All right. As you all know the school year is coming quickly and the summer is on its way out. I wanted to get everyone together for one last hurrah before we get ensnared into the mundane mediocrity they call school." I realized I had lost everyone but Hanschen and tried to reign my anger back in. "I suggest a game of man hunt." The expectant faces nodded their agreement with only Ernst gazing at the ground.

"Is there a problem with that Ernst?" Hanschen's harsh voice made the young boy's head snap up and shoot back down. I would never understand why he had to single him out; it was rather cruel in a way.

"N- n-no. Not at all Hanschen. I mean it does.. it is … it sounds fine." He dug his shoe into the dirt and I tried to pull the situation away from him.

"Good since we are all in agreement I will split up teams. Moritz you are on my team." I smiled as he rabbit hopped over to where I stood. I enjoyed leading these children. I was glad they listened to me.

"That is not fair Herr Gabor!" I spoke too soon as Hanschen detached himself from the group.

"What is the problem Hansy?" He shone red even in the dark. Ever since last summer he had been trying to rid himself of the old childish nickname but I made sure that it stuck. We couldn't let him think he was a man too soon.

"You could put all the boys on your team and leave me with Anna and Thea. That wouldn't be fair."

"Oh what's wrong with that? Not afraid of girls are you?" I knew I was pushing my luck but the summer night air had gone to my head and I felt daring. Hanschen frowned and did his best to hold his chin up. He always tried so hard to show no emotion and I really just wanted to see if there was a person under that blonde shell of his.

"I want to be a captain too. That would make it fair." The pout had left his voice and he knew he had made perfect sense. The others gazed on to see how I would react. I was tired of putting on a show for them and I wanted to start playing. I nodded my head and allowed Hanschen to pick.

"Ernst you are on my team." Perplexed I watched as the little waif of a boy scurried terror stricken over to where Hanschen stood with a pompous smile. He kept a safe distance of about a foot and a half. I can't say I blame him.

"Ok… umm Anna you can be on my team." She smiled and skipped over casting a brief glance back at Thea.

"Otto." Hanschen had reverted back to his bored aloof self as Otto walked over and stood next to Ernst. I scanned the faces left Georg or Thea. Thea had her eyes squeezed shut and her hands behind her back, but I was sure she had both fingers crossed. Georg just looked through the window of his house at which we had congregated. Everyone knew that his piano teacher had decided to stay for dinner and I could only imagine what kind of fantasies he was having.

"Georg." Thea flung her hands into the air and slumped as she stared at Hanschen. She mouthed you owe me to Anna who was giggling madly as Georg finally snapped from his stupor and walked over. "Good, teams seem to be even enough."

"But Melchior, what about Martha and Wendla?" Anna tugged at my sleeve. I sighed. I had been waiting for that.

"Wendla's mother won't let her out especially not at this hour and Martha said she had other things to do tonight." It was really a shame Martha was the fastest girl, much faster than both Otto and Georg, and Wendla had her own perks to be had. I had to keep moving on though before the atmosphere got too heavy. "Alright my team is seeking unless Hansy has any objections to it." I gazed up at him.

"No that is actually preferable Melchie." He tried gushing Melchie in the same cloying diminutive way I had done but it didn't quite have the same affect and he knew it.

"Good. You will hide and we will seek and if you can get your whole team to my hay loft you win. But if we find and tag everyone then we win." Everyone nodded and rolled their eyes having already known the rules. I grinned as all of a sudden the crickets went silent. They were waiting for us to begin and so was everyone else. A sudden exhilaration thumped through my chest and I nodded. We all turned our backs and in unison started counting backwards from fifty.

"Come on. You are coming with me." I heard Hanschen's lyrical voice from behind me and a sharp gasp from Ernst as they pounded away.

"You said I wouldn't get stuck with Hanschen!" Thea called at Anna. I snorted rather loud and Thea gasped and ran away.

"30… 29… 28…" The final foot falls of Otto could be heard smashing down the long grass as he thundered to go find a hiding place. I let a secret smile escape because I knew no one could see it. I could hear Moritz's cracking voice next to me and Anna nudging towards Georg. This was summer. Nothing could touch us.

"19… 18… 17…" Moritz pulled my hands away from my eyes.

"Melchie, if you have the time, I mean if you wouldn't mind terribly, would you answer a question I have." He was looking pale in the moon light and he bounced from foot to foot all the while looking at Anna and Georg to make sure they were caught up in their counting.

"Of course, no problem at all." I put a hand on his should to reassure him. Through out our friendship I was always reassuring, always pushing, telling him he could do anything.

"10… 9…. 8…"

"I have been, well… no this isn't actually the way to start… this thing was going on with… with my friend! Yes my friend! That is it. My friend well, he can't exactly…"

"This isn't sounding very much like a question." I knew if I didn't press he would never ask.

"6… 5 … 4…"

"You are right Melchie. What if… if.. my friend has been having these. . . encounters… I guess is a way you could put it… perhaps"

"I am afraid I don't understand what your "friend" means perhaps he could be a bit more clear with his question." He bit his lip and gazed at me. I had an inkling of what he was going to say and his friend ruse was transparent but I wanted him to say what he had to say.

"I have been having these d…"

"3… 2… 1…go!" Moritz jolted as the others spun around to face us. I gazed meaningfully at Moritz pleading with my eyes and trying to silentl let him know that we were not done with this matter.

"So what's the plan?" Georg asked as we crouched in a circle keeping out the snoops who wanted to hear our master plan. I grinned wildly.

"Here we come!" I bellowed and broke the silence and went barreling down the hill. We were young and the night was ours. I listened as Moritz tumbled after me and Georg stood dumbfounded at the top of the hill. Who needs a plan anyway?

*** and so it begins. you will be getting a bit of every couple but i don't know what couple to start with. suggestions would be apreciated and as always reviews are amazing.***