It was nearly ten now. I had sat down at a park and cried. Some parents had given me odd looks, but then a small boy walked up to me.

"Why are you crying?" The bundled up boy asked. His cheeks red from the cold, he was about five. Maybe four, by the looks of it.

"Oh... The person I like doesn't like me back. He hates me," I shut my eyes tight. They snapped back open when I felt his tiny hand on my hand.

"I'm sure that he doesn't hate you." His voice was tiny and gentle.

"Are you some love expert?" I joked, he seemed proud.

"Yep! Why do you think I have a boyfriend?" He said cooly, my eyes widened.

"Oh really?" I said laughing.

"Yep! He's my best friend, Dante. He kissed my cheek on the playground yesterday."

"I guess I better take your advice then..."

"You should. Just apologize to that person. I'm sure they would enjoy that..."

"I think he would too," his eyes went wide with excitement. Hearing that I liked boys too made him excited.

"Jason!" What I guessed to be his mother walked over. "I'm sorry was he bothering you?"

"Not at all. He's a smart kid." His mother grinned.

"He is. We came out here to find our cat. My husband found him hiding under the slide so we need to go home okay?" She held out her hand for him to take.

"I was just telling him about Dante." His mother looked over at me, maybe to check if I was being judgemental or not. I gave her a smile and could see the relief in her eyes. The child grabbed her hand and was already distracted. "Come on! I wanna see Flufferson!" He tried to pull her away.

"That was him and his father's doing. That darn name,"

"You love it, mommy! I know you do!"

"Go catch up with Daddy, I'll be there in a moment." Surprisingly she sat down next to me, I looked over at her.

"I'm sure my son was helpful. He always is, he can even cheer me up when I need it. but can ask what's bothering you?"

"I'm in love with my best friend. And he knew about it. I'm sure he doesn't feel the same, he looked disgusted with me." The woman sighed and fiddled with her hands.

"Sometimes we mask the feelings we have. Mainly because we think that they never feel the same. Sometimes they do that also. What you have to understand is that you never know if you don't try. And if you fail, which I'm sorry that is always a possibility, you have to remember the good times. Did he treat you any differently during the time you suspect he knew?"

"No he didn't."

"Do you want to lose him as a friend?"

"Of course not. I need him in my life, he's all I need in my life."

"Then try. Just try that's all I can tell you." She gave my hand a squeeze and walked over to her husband. She gave him a quick kiss and gave the cat in his arms a scratch on the head. That boy gave me a grin, then raced his mom to the car.

...

I pulled the key from my back pocket and opened the door. I could hear the shower running and the bathroom light was on. I didn't to be up when he got out of the bathroom. I slid under the covers of my bed and pulled the comforter up to and over my head. My eyes were droopy but I didn't want to sleep.

My heart dropped when I heard the shower turn off, then a few minutes later the door opened. I could tell he was staring at me, looking at me from the door frame. I froze, unable to move. He silently got into bed without a word, I could sense he was staring at me. So I turned around and faced him, his eyes looked even more yellow in the dark. They almost seemed to glow.

"George," I shut my eyes tight, but his eyes didn't leave my face.

"You were right Dream." I sniffled, tears falling from my eyes. "I am so in love with you, and I don't know how to handle it. I can't even stand seeing you hurt, and I know that you are probably disgusted but-" My mind went back to what that kind mother had said to me, and that boy. I had to try. "You aren't disgusted, right?" I glanced at him and his eyes were soft. He rose from the bed and walked over to me.

"Not in a million years George. I would never be disgusted." I was sitting up to, my weight resting solely on my palms. I felt like I was going to collapse when he inched closer to me.

"I know I shouldn't love you. That it's not fair to you, that has to be so much pressure knowing that your best friend is into you," I wiped the tears falling from my face, and put my head in my hands. I jumped a little when Dream pulled me close to him, guiding my chin upward so I could meet his gaze.

"George," I searched his face. Checking for that playful grin he usually had.

"Please don't be teasing me again, my heart can't take that," I said avoiding his gaze, he pulled me back.

"I teased you because I wanted to make sure you liked me. I wanted to know if I was right before I..."

"Before you what?" I asked, biting my lip nervously. He opened his lips to speak but no words came out, instead, I felt him crash his lips against mine. Cupping my face and wiping my tears with one hand, and lacing his fingers through my hair with the other. I could feel that stupid grin with his lips against mine. I melted, almost falling over at his touch, thank God I wasn't standing, or else I would have buckled to the floor right then and there. He gripped my waist and pulled me to him, he was still standing and I had to stretch to meet his lips. I wrapped my legs around him, slithered my arms around his neck. I wanted him close, as close as possible. Just in case this was just a repeat from the dream I had last time. He pulled away, gasping for breath, I did the same. He rested his forehead on mine, smiling. The one I loved. That real smile.

"I love you so damn much George," His breath was warm on my skin and I fell apart.

"It's so hard to really know that when all you do is tease me."

"I really do, I love you so much. I am so sorry that I hurt you." I gripped his shirt between my fingers.

"How did you even know that I loved you?" I asked, still trying to catch my breath.

"You sleep talk George. I heard the things you were saying that night you slept in my room..." He looked at me, my eyes widened and I burst into laughter.

"I hate you," I couldn't hold back the laughs.

"You love me," he said.

"I do. I do love you," I felt his lips meet mine again, soft and slow but still overflowing with passion. He eased me onto my back and hovered over me. Kissing me even deeper now, I couldn't help the small moan that slipped from my mouth when he bit my lip. I pulled away for a moment and he looked at me concerned, "Is this what you meant when you said crossing boundaries?" I asked, he just rolled his eyes.

"You aren't crossing any lines. I don't think they're even is a line when it comes to you," I pulled him back to me. It was him, I was touching him. Holding him. I loved him. He was all I ever wanted, all I needed. He was perfect.

"You're so beautiful, you know that?" He said, I smiled. And kissed away the tears on his cheeks. So overwhelmingly happy, we both were. So ecstatic that I was feeling every emotion at once. Anger for not kissing him sooner, sadness that he was still in so much pain, happiness that I could be there for him when he needed it.

"And you are just as breathtaking."

I fell asleep in his arms that night.

...

Five minutes away from the hospital was all we had left. I could see him tense behind the wheel. I grabbed his free hand and traced circles on the back of it. I could see him breathe out in relief. "Will you come in with me? I don't know if I can do that alone..."

"Of course," I said. We went in together. We had asked a few questions when he was expecting to wake up, and how long he would be in the hospital. Dream yelped for Joy when he saw his eyes flutter open.

"Oh my God you're okay, Ben!" His cousin choked out a laugh.

"I'm hanging in there, Jesus, I feel loopy..." He said his eyes were barely opened, but somehow he was able to make me out.

"You seem familiar" I froze. His eyes barely looked down at our hands, he gave us a weak smile.

"So you finally got him huh Dream? Is this the British boy you're constantly gushing over?" Dream's face went red.

"This is isn't about us Ben. It's about you,"

"Nah, this is huge! You've been into him for months! I told you, you liked him. He was just in denial," He whispered the last part to me. "You didn't believe me, 'He's just my best friend' you would say. They always just say they're homies..." He narrowed his eyes as much as he could without fully closing them. I laughed and so did Dream. He was really drugged up, but later Dream said that it was true. That he's been into me for months. That never left my brain, and it never failed to make me smile.

I tightened my grip on Dream's hands. And he gave me a smile, then a peck on the cheek.

"I love you," He whispered.

"I love you too."