The boys played through a large portion of the game that night, not allowing themselves to look at each other. Though in their hearts they were aware something had changed within their friendship, neither wanted to discuss what was happening. Finally, when Connor's mum came to remind them with a well found Mormon verse that it was late, they shut the game down and looked at one another again.

"We should get ready for bed before mum comes in again" Connor smiled slightly as he allowed Steve first turn in the bathroom as he put his games all back into the correct order and tidied his room back into a state his mum would find acceptable in the morning. He hated getting lectured by anyone, let alone his ridiculously Mormon family.

He brushed past Steve as he headed to change in the bathroom, inciting an incredibly quick snapshot of the previous dreams about him to flash in front of his eyes. He avoided eye contact as he scrambled past him and forced himself not to think about the naked man that had been in here less than five minutes before him. When he had, of course, successfully managed not to think about him, he came out and plonked himself on the best as far away from Steve as he could. He breathed into the awkward silence that had fallen between them.

"So" Steve mumbled, scrambling quickly to find a conversation topic "Which is your favourite character so far?"

Connor's heart sank a little further as he played with a loose thread on his already worn out pajama top. He was convinced that he wasn't crazy, that what he was feeling was normal and what boys went through. This just confirmed Steve wasn't the same and definitely didn't have the same thoughts he did.

"Ah... Urm I would say Axel, he seemed pretty cool"

"Oh I would say Roxas so I guess they're pretty similar"

"Weren't they friends as well, like us?"

The boys once again looked at each other, Connor averting his eyes the fastest he could manage whilst staring into eyes that had always been so kind to him. Always been there. Always.

"Hey... Con... Are you okay?"

Connor looked up as he felt Steve stroke a thumb absentmindedly along the top of his hand where it was placed on the blanket. At some point during his internal struggle, his friend had crossed the gap between boy continued the action despite the eye contact before fully placing his hand on his friends.

"Steve... uhhh...I..." Connor stumbled over his words nervously, his eyes darting nervously between his hand and Steve's eyes. The boy never stopped the reassuring gentle stroking and Connor felt his nervousness begin to fade slightly. He turned his hand over and held Steve's hand without looking up at him again.

"There's something... different about me Steve. I don't think I like girls in the way I like-" Connor murmured, gesturing to the other boy with his other hand.

"You...You like me in the way guys like girls?"

Connor nodded his head, feeling weight simultaneously lift and settle. Someone finally knew his secret but this still wasn't natural. He knew that much.

"Do you wanna... try it out? Ummm... I mean do you wanna make sure? You need to try both... sides" Steve stuttered, taking his hand from Connor's and holding them together tightly.

Connor looked at his friend incredulously, wondering why he was stalling. This was his best friend of years and yet all he could think about was this would ruin their friendship. How could he go back to being best friends with someone if he definitely had...unholy thoughts and been allowed to act upon them. Just the dreams alone were definitely enough for damnation.

"Con... stop overthinking it"

Connor looked up and felt soft lips press against his for the quickest of seconds. His eyes flicked open and looked at Steve who had averted his eyes to the floor. Connor tapped Steve's shoulder gently and immediately repeated the action for slightly longer this time. They both looked at each other nervously as both boys were wondering what the other was thinking. Steve took a deep breath before broaching a subject that was circling in his head.

"Um... So I saw this thing on a movie my sister watched? They basically kissed but I searched up some things afterwards and... the other girls I've done it to liked it so maybe it'll make you decide if you're... you know"

Connor ignored the twinge in his chest and nodded slowly, hoping that his slight jealousy didn't show on his features.

Steve took Connor's hand and placed them gently to rest on his thighs and pressed his own hand to Connor's cheek. He looked into the other boys eyes for some sort of disgust or reluctance but when he found none he pressed his lips to the others gently. They kissed gently at first as Steve allowed him to feel as if the situation were completely natural to them both before moving his hand to tangle in Connor's hair, eliciting a sigh from him. Connor's hands pressed more solidly into the boys thighs, feeling his body tighten with a feeling he would later realise was complete desire. Steve, feeling that Connor was more comfortable with this now, lapped his tongue eagerly against his slightly parted lips. With a slight gasp of shock, Connor pressed himself closer and moved his hands to Steve's waist. This continued for a few minutes more before Steve slowly removed his lips from Connor's, attempting to hide the disappointment. Even if he had painted this little 'experiment' as something to help Connor, it had made him realise some home truths about himself.

"Why... Why did we stop?" Connor asked breathlessly, the moisture that had collected on his lips trying to tempt Steve back but he ignored the call.

"We can't have your parents coming in on us Con, how would you explain it even if it was completely innocent?"

Connor's heart sank to the floor and fractured deeply as he attempted to control his trembling bottom lip. All of the feelings he had felt that flooded through that kiss were not only completely unnatural but apparently unwarranted as well. He wrung his hands together sadly before Steve gently lifted one and laced their fingers together.

"We need to go to sleep before your parents come in and realise we've been awake this whole time"

Unwillingly Connor agreed with this and tried to pry his fingers from Steve's without much luck.

"I... uh can we go to sleep like this?"

Connor looked towards his friend who was looked down at their clasped hands, only looking back up when he squeezed his hand gently.

"Yeah"

Steve squeezed his hand back and they climbed into bed, their fingers still laced together tightly. They both laid on their sides, looking at each other with different thoughts. All Connor wanted was to tell Steve his mission had completely worked. Or failed, depending who you spoke to. He knew exactly who he was now. All Steve could think about was how he'd ever find a friend like Connor again, they'd certainly overstepped the boundaries this time.