"Pip.. What were you doing down there in the first place?" Damien asked some time later as the pair walked along another snowy road. Pip squirmed and jerkily shifted his hat more comfortable.
"Well.. I.. was going to Tweak's Coffee shop. But I looked up and… saw you coming. So I carried on going, hoping to meet you.. But when you looked up.. I don't know. I just hid in the alley and those boys grabbed me." Pip said, quickly.
Damien stared at the floor, his focus not fixed on anything particular.
"Do you.. Want to see where I was when I wasn't at school yesterday?" Damien asked, his hands in his pockets and his head low.
"Oh, I'd love to see where you disappear to!" Pip smiled. Pip had been lonely throughout the previous day. No-one talked to him apart from Damien, so he wished very much that he could go and find Damien whenever he wished (unless of course, that Damien was in hell..).
"Come on then, I'll show you. Hurry up." Damien said, turning down another road which led to a massive cast iron bridge.

Damien led Pip across the bridge, then across a small fence. Pip got slightly caught on a large nail sticking out of the wood, but still managed to get himself over. Soon enough, the pair reached a huge Weeping Willow tree over the path. The path had become thin and high, so the willow was the only obvious way to get across. Damien ducked under the leaves and held them apart for Pip to walk through. Pip crouched down, keeping two hands on his head so his hat stayed put. He looked up and around at the cavern of leaves. The sunlight was shining on one side which made the leaves glow a deep emerald green. Damien walked over to the other side of the tree and held the leaves back once again for Pip to walk through. Pip obliged and entered bright sunlight. He squinted, but once his eyes had adjusted to the light he looked up.

The snow under his feet gradually came to a stop and was replaced by thick, lush green grass. Another small brick bridge cut the grass off at the other side, but the bridge was covered in snow. It seemed as if the snow only stopped around one patch of grass. Along the grass grew many exotic flowers, too, that you would most certainly not find in South Park. Little did Pip know that Damien, himself, had planted all these plants to cover a patch of rough brambles.
The river that ran under the bridge came to meet the front of the patch of grass, but still left lots of space.

Pip felt like he had fallen asleep and was having one of his strange dreams, again. The ones that involved himself, Damien and a beautiful place like the one he was looking at.
"This place is so… beautiful, Damien!" Pip said softly.
"It's just.. A place I made to think in quiet." Damien shrugged, his face turning red again. He dropped himself down onto the lush grass and spread himself out, arms folded behind his head and a blissful look on his face. Pip smiled, watching the prominent features of Damien's face relax. Damien was ever so slim… Pip noticed this as Damien stretched out.. His toned stomach, thin arms..
Then, Pip was snapped out of reality by Damien's voice.
"You can sit down, you know." Damien said, looking at the glassy-eyed Pip. Pip jumped, then regained himself and sat down on the grass. He looked to the satanic being next to him.
"Did you make the snow go away here, Damien?" Pip asked, smiling. Damien opened a single eye, and copied Pip's smile; showing his fangs.
"You know me so well." he said with a small chuckle. "Yes, I did. I couldn't get exotic plants to grow in the snow, you see." he said, sitting up and looking at the flowers. Damien then turned to the water in front of them and nudged closer to it. He took off his black boots, then his socks, then he rolled up his black drainpipe jeans and dipped his feet into the water. He gave a relaxed sigh and closed his eyes.
"I would much rather live up here than down there…" he mumbled, finally. Pip paused for a moment, thinking. Why had Damien changed so much? He wasn't usually like this.. Maybe the scenery and exposure to nature was getting into his head?
"Then.. Why don't you?" Pip asked, sliding himself next to Damien, but sitting on his knees instead of putting his feet in the water.
"You… You could come live up here and… we could be room-mates!" Pip said, his grin widening as ideas progressed in his head.
"There's way too many reasons that couldn't work." Damien said, plainly. Pip turned his head on it's side with a confused expression.
"Why?" he asked, feeling hurt. Damien sighed and took his feet out of the water.
"For one; We're both guys. That could cause some major shit. And two; My Dad would be offended if I moved out. I mean… he'd probably get depressed if I changed my hairstyle." he said, avoiding Pip's stare while he dried his feet and put his shoes and socks back on. Pip looked down.
"But your father knows me… and he likes me, right?" Pip asked to a small nod from Damien. "So I'm sure it'll be alright if you were moving in with me. Besides, everyone knows we're best friends - so it's natural, right?"
Damien moved so he was face to face with Pip, then sighed. He was about to answer when Pip cut him off.
"And anyway. I'm nearly a girl as it is! I look like one!" Pip giggled. He didn't mind insulting himself for fun when he was with Damien. He was comfortable with him for some reason… "Oh.. And you don't hate your hairstyle do you?"
Damien laughed, shaking his head.
"No.. Well.. It could be a little shorter I guess.." he said. "But seriously, Pip. As much as that idea sounds fantastic - it's never going to happen is it?" Damien asked, returning to his pessimistic attitude. Pip sighed and moved closer to Damien to look right into his scarlet eyes.

"Why don't you want to live with me, Damien?" he asked, softly. Damien looked into Pip's twinkling blue eyes.
"Because.. I don't think I can bear to live with you. It's not that I don't want to… because I really do. I can't go through with telling… everyone that your… just my room-mate." Damien stammered. Once he started… he found he just couldn't stop. It was like Pip's eyes had him under some sort of spell.
Pip listened carefully and all the while he kept his eyes transfixed on Damien's… They looked so sincere and honest… not a hint of cruelty within them at all.
"Damien… is there anything you'd… like to tell me?" Pip asked. He had the feeling that Damien was keeping something from him.. But what?
Damien made a noise of frustration in his throat and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes… but I can't… and.." Damien stuttered, making a move to stand up, but Pip grabbed his wrists to make him stay.
"Why not?" Pip asked, sharply. "Damien, I'm supposed to be your best friend. Why can't you tell me?"
"Because it's uncomfortable, alright?!" Damien nearly yelled, but kept his voice to an angry hiss. He tugged his wrists away from Pip and stood up. Pip stood too.
"Tell me why it's uncomfortable!" Pip pleaded. "Is it that people would think you're a fag for living with me? It's not like your in love with me or anything!" Pip said, looking earnestly at Damien.
"Well, you've hit the nail right on it's fucking head there!" Damien yelled. Then, he stopped dead and clasped his hands over his mouth in shock… but the damage had already been done.. He had meant to think that… not say it!

Pip's eyes widened and a stray bit of his fringe fell to his nose. His heart leapt into his throat and he backed away a little.
"You… You're in love with me?" He asked, quietly. This was quite a shock to the poor little blonde. Damien moaned into his hands. He looked up at Pip and tried to say something but his vocal chords seemed reluctant.. He ran past Pip, whacking into his shoulder slightly before bursting into the confined space inside the Willow leaves.
In Damien's attempt to get away, Pip had been knocked off balance and had fallen into the shallow part of the river with a almighty splash. He decided to let Damien keep going, though. If Pip was going to sort this situation out; he would have to let him have space. Also, Pip needed time to think about what had just been said.

Damien leant with his back against the trunk of the tree, his head in his hands and his eyes prickling.
"You don't cry, Damien." he growled to himself. "You don't cry!" but with this last statement, tears fell from his eyes, mixing with the makeup around his eyes and turning the salty water black.
He slid down the trunk and curled up into a ball.
"Why can't I keep my god-damned mouth shut?!" he yelled at himself.

Pip could hear Damien's muffled yells.
He didn't want to leave his best friend alone. He pulled himself up out of the river with a little effort as his clothes were heavier now they had soaked up the water.
He walked over to the tree slowly and pushed the willow branches out of the way.
"Damien?" he asked, soothingly. Damien had heard Pip's footsteps approaching and had hunched himself up tighter, pressing his face into his arms as he didn't want Pip to see him crying.. Pip paused briefly before kneeling down at face-to-face level with Damien. He placed his hands onto his arms.
"Damien. I don't mind if you like me… like that." Pip said truthfully. "And to be honest… I'm probably gay, myself. I've never liked any girls.." Pip said. He was just digging a bigger hole for himself now, but everything he was saying was true. Damien stayed silent, and kept his face hidden from Pip. He automatically dismissed the idea that there was possibly a chance for the two of them..
"Pip.. I'm really sorry." Damien sniffed, quietly. Pip shuffled closer to Damien - close enough so he could wrap his arms around Damien's shoulders to give him a tight, wet hug.

"Damien you idiot. Do you really think I'm going to stop being your friend just because you've said that?" Pip smiled. Damien hugged back, not even caring if he got wet in the process. He rested his head on Pip's shoulder…
"I don't know. It was just the reaction you gave me." Damien mumbled into the fabric of Pip's clothes. "I felt like I'd well and truly fucked things up…"
"Then I'm the one who should be sorry… not you. It was just a little… surprising." Pip said, quietly. "You know.. I thought you would be into all the slutty girls around school. The gothic ones who watch you down corridors. It wouldn't be hard for you to get laid.. I'm sure." Pip said, smirking slightly into Damien's shoulder. He had seen all the attractive Goths and emos in school looking Damien up and down, licking their lips and whistling.
"Yeah, well when you have a reputation like I have, people tend to be… interested." Damien said, breaking away from Pip to dry his eyes. "Fucking allergies." he muttered as a lame excuse.
"Yeah. I think I should wear clothes your not allergic to." He smiled, knowing Damien had really been crying. Pip wondered if he felt the same way for Damien.. That would explain the dreams a lot… and the funny feeling in his stomach that he experienced after seeing him for a long time.
Damien nodded, smiling and then stood to crack the tired joints in his back. Pip sneezed. He was shaking due to being so cold from the icy water.
"Oh.. Sorry about that, by the way." Damien said, biting his lip. "Your going to have to get dry." he said, ducking under the leaves and walking to the small brick bridge. On the inside of said bridge, there was a patch of bricks that has fallen away to give room for a small ledge in which Damien had stored a jacket from the night before. Pip blinked.
"A jacket isn't going to stop me getting Pneumonia.. I need dry clothes." Pip said as he refused the jacket.
"I know. Put the thing on until we get back to your house. It'll stop you getting colder." Damien said, throwing the jacket to Pip; giving him no choice but to put it on.