Elio and Oliver had been dragged off by their teammates, and there had been no time to discuss what had happened. Or rather, what had not happened. Elio had considered going to find Oliver after the game, but Marzia and Chiara had come up to him, and they had finally asked him about the texts. He had brushed them off though, saying that he was just kidding and trying to scare them. They didn't seem to believe him, but they had let it go nonetheless.

Now that he had talked to Oliver about it, he didn't feel like talking to his best friends about it anymore. Because then he'd have to mention Oliver to them, and the fact that this virtual stranger had offered to come and stay with him for the night. They would never let him hear the end of it, and surely they would make him feel so awkward about the whole thing that he wouldn't be able to face Oliver at all anymore.

So he had spent the rest of the day with the girls, happy to find that they had indeed not mentioned his texts that morning because they didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable in front of the others.

He had noticed Oliver looking over to him a few times during dinner, but they had been sat at different tables, and Oliver seemed to have been caught up in a heated discussion with his friends, while Elio had been dragged into a conversation which went on long after they had finished eating, about some new artist that the girls and their new friends are all fans of. Elio had smiled and nodded along - not a clue who this guy was, or what the song was that they kept mentioning - but the longer the conversation dragged on, the more he was starting to worry about that night.

Were he and Oliver still on for meeting by the lake? Was that off now that Oliver was going to be staying with him in his tent? Should they have discussed a time or a meeting place? Had Oliver meant it at all? Elio could tell that he had to get out of here, because this conversation was giving him too much time to think, and if he went on like this, surely he was going to talk himself out of the whole thing.

So he had made an excuse, before getting up and leaving to go to the lake. It's still early, and they hadn't exactly agreed on a time.

When he gets there, there is a group of students who are just packing their things after having gone for a swim, but Oliver isn't there. He looks around and he gives it a few minutes, but the longer he is there by himself, the more he is starting to feel a panic building up inside his chest. So he returns to his tent - Thomas nowhere to be found - and he picks up his book.

Elio had tried his best to keep his eyes open, but he could feel himself nodding off every other minute, so in the end he had put his book down and he had lain down for a nap. Or so he had told himself.

But when he wakes up from some rustling outside his tent, he realises that it's already gone dark. So he reaches for his phone to turn on the flashlight, but before he can get to it, the tent zips open and Oliver appears.

"I figured I'd find you here. May I come in?"

Elio gives a nod, his heart still beating way too fast. Not that it slows down when Oliver gets in and zips the tent back up behind him.

"I went to the lake, but I couldn't find you," Oliver says as he makes himself comfortable on Thomas' air mattress - not seeming in any way bothered by the fact that he isn't supposed to be here. "I'm sorry, man, I thought we were supposed to meet there. I didn't mean to…"

"We were. I was there earlier, but you weren't there," Elio explains, feeling like an idiot for not having waited a little longer.

"We must have just missed each other, then."

Elio gives a small nod, now very aware of just how close Oliver is lying next to him. Of how he only has to reach out to… He shakes the thought, because Oliver is only here to help, not for anything else. Most definitely not for that.

"Are you okay?" Oliver laughs, as he teasingly nudges his leg against Elio's. "I'm sorry I didn't get to sit with you tonight. I tried to get away, but you know what it's like."

Not really, Elio thinks, but he gives a nod anyway.

"Those girls you sat with…"

"Marzia and Chiara."

"How long have you been friends with them?" Oliver asks, and Elio can feel a smile forming on his face as he thinks back to dancing with the girls when they were little. To all the afternoons they had spent watching movies or going into town for ice cream.

"Our parents are friends," he explains. "So we grew up together. I've known them all my life."

Oliver flashes a smile, waiting for Elio to continue.

"Chiara is like my sister, and Marzia…"

"Have you two ever…?"

"What?" Elio laughs, shaking his head. "No! She's more than a sister, she's… I don't know."

"I get it." Oliver nods, turning away from him to lie on his back. "I used to have a friend like that."

"Used to?"

"Yeah, we spent every minute of the day together and I told him everything," Oliver explains, his eyes now focused on the tent ceiling - Elio for the first time noticing him avoiding his eyes. "Well, almost everything."

"What happened?"

"He wanted to be more than friends." Oliver shrugs. "I didn't think of him like that though, but I didn't want to lose him, you know? So I tried to make myself feel… something, I guess. I hadn't come out to anyone yet, so we had to sneak around and it put a strain on our friendship," he recalls, still avoiding Elio's eyes. "In the end I just couldn't do it anymore, and we had a huge fight. I haven't spoken to him since."

"Is he here?"

"He is."

"But you're not going to tell me who he is?" Elio asks, already opening his mouth to apologise for asking. But Oliver finally looks at him, a sad smile on his face.

"It doesn't matter."

"Can't you go talk to him?"

"I hurt him."

"So apologise."

Oliver smiles, but he doesn't object, nor does he agree. He just reaches to take Elio's hand in his, Elio struggling to keep himself from smiling as he starts feeling those butterflies again.

"Have you had other boyfriends?"

"Not yet, but there's this guy I like," Oliver teases, the smile on his face growing mischievous. "I'm hoping he's interested in me too, but we'll have to see."

"Is that why you're here?"

"Maybe." Oliver wiggles his eyebrows.

Elio can't help but smile as Oliver moves to the edge of the air mattress, closing the non-existent distance between them, their faces now almost touching. Last night he had been ready to let Oliver kiss him, and this afternoon he had definitely been ready. But after Oliver has just opened up to him, something is holding him back right now.

"I've never…," he begins, feeling like he should open up to him too, but a voice in the back of his mind telling him that if Oliver knows just how inexperienced he is, that he will lose interest. He needs to take that risk though, so he goes on, "I've never kissed anyone. Not really."

"Oh… right…"

"Sorry."

"No, don't apologise!" Oliver quickly tells him, flashing a reassuring smile as he lets go of his hand. Instead, he places his hand on Elio's waist - which feels much more intimate to Elio, but he doesn't point this out. "I don't want to do anything you're not ready for."

"I'm ready!" Elio blurts his, his cheeks flushing. "I mean… if you… if we were… if you want to…"

"Are you sure?" Oliver chuckles, "You know that's not really why I'm here, right? I'm cool with us just talking. I want to get to know you better, so…"

Before he can finish what he was going to say, Elio has kissed him. A girl had kissed Elio at a party once - as he later found out because she had lost a dare - and there had been that kiss with Marzia years ago, but those had been meaningless kisses without feeling. It had been odd and uncomfortable with the girl at the party, and Marzia and he had just been curious. But those kisses hadn't been the kiss he had always imagined. That first kiss that you will remember all your life, the kiss that makes you forget all about the world around you.

"Was that okay?" Oliver whispers, flashing a nervous look. His hand is still on Elio's waist, but when he doesn't answer, he quickly moves away from him. "Sorry."

"No, I…," Elio tries, but his heart is racing so fast that he can't get another word out. Instead, he pulls Oliver back in for another kiss.

An overwhelmed giggle escapes him, and he quickly clasps his hand over his mouth, a little embarrassed at his own reaction.

"Are you still okay with me staying?" Oliver asks, even though he can already guess Elio's answer. "I mean, if you want me to go…" he teases, but Elio shakes his head, a little hesitant as he places his hand on Oliver's arm. Not used to being this close to anyone other than Marzia or Chiara - especially not a guy.

"Stay, please."