Hito and Yume

Chapter 3 - `Do you like me?`

Dreams are very strange. For Hito, none have been stranger. His dream of feeling up Yume from yesterday got repeated with a far more intimate twist to it. Far more touchy feely for our dreamer, and far more likeable for him too.

It involved the removal of clothing up until the underwear, and far more physical contact too. Hito's dream-Yume was soft to touch and warm too, with desire almost bursting out of him from wherever it could find a way out. Yume's form was something that could satisfy Hito for many decades after they were apart. The boy inside Hito's dream is hairless and smooth, with nothing to interrupt the surface of his skin.

Starting off fully clothed and together in Hito's old bedroom, they move towards each other quickly before grabbing each other in a strong embrace and kissing one another after a gazing shortly into each others eyes, allowing the visibly burning passion between them to flow freely as their tongues explore the surface of each others lips before heading deeper into each others mouth. With the energy they put into kissing it's as if they're scared to lose one another (and if I loved someone like this dream is depicting, I certainly wouldn't want to stop either). Audible moaning can be heard between them where either boy takes time for air, with each breath drawing the other boy in just so much more than the last.

Sometime or another, kisses meant to last forever have to stop, and so once they'd stopped kissing the pair went over to the bed Hito had in the corner of the room. It's average for a 12 year old but they can't fit side by side fully. Yume throws himself back onto it and Hito takes the chance to jump over him, sitting himself straight over Yume's centre with a leg either side. It's clear what they want, but there's work to be done before that can begin. They have a few things to remove.

Hito leans forward, almost lying over the top of Yume, before he puts both hands either side of Yume. "Yume," he says, "tell me something..."

"Anything..." Yume sighs slowly, with his Iithanaian accent coming out very strongly now.

"How much do you want this?" Hito asks softly, pausing while he plays with the lumps where Yume's nipples are hiding. "How much do you want to be together?"

"I'll show you..." Yume says, taking a breath while he takes one of Hito's hands and moves it lower down on his body. The other one of Yume's hands reaches up to Hito's head and pulls him in for a further mouth action, using his tongue to prod through Hito's lips, sharing the strong desires between them with such passion. "Very soon..."

After both of Yume's hands have returned to holding Hito against himself, Hito's hands begin to feel Yume from torso and chest to stomach and waist. It isn't very long before Hito puts a hand underneath Yume's shirt and starts to take the shirt up, moving the edge of it up slowly while he continues to kiss the angel lying down under him. By the time the shirt gets to his arms, Yume finishes the job. He breaks off the kiss, and removes his shirt, before lying back down with both hands either side reaching for Hito's legs.

Hito takes the cue to remove his own shirt and does so quickly, throwing it across the room along with Yume's own shirt. He turns his head again to face Yume, staring into the beautiful face of the boy as he takes in the new parts of Yume that he can see. How no hair has spouted from him, how he's still heavenly soft to touch. Hito's hands play with Yume's senses, gently dragging his hands above Yume's smooth body as if a feather.

He takes time to make Yume want more before leaning in and kissing his neck while his hands begin to work at the clasp holding Yume's belt shut. Once undone Hito removes it from Yume's trousers and tosses it off the bed, in the same direction as the shirts. A small pile is slowly forming itself, and none too quickly either. For both boys it couldn't be any slower.

The neck kissing causes Yume to sigh, with echoes of pleasure emanating from every breath Yume takes. Hito continues kissing Yume, while he slips one of his hands between Yume's trousers and underwear before unbuttoning them and lifting himself, allowing Yume to continue the process of removing them. Hito stands up on his bed, and swaps his feet over to turn himself around before he sits again and finally takes the trousers over the edge of Yume's feet, ticking them as he goes.

He feels a hand on his own waist now, as Yume pulls Hito's trousers swiftly with a strong downward action. Hito stands himself up again, and repeats the feet swapping process to allow Yume better access. It isn't long before Yume lifts himself to kneeling and pulls Hito's trousers down, letting them fall to his feet. Hito steps out of them and slides them across the room. Yume signals for Hito to lie down as he was before, and Hito follows as if obliged. Yume sits down on top of Yume in almost the same way Hito was on him, except now Yume can feel Hito's boner underneath the white fabric hiding it so well.

"All the way..." Yume sighs, before he leans and continues the kisses full of desire around Hito. He starts from his neck, and begins to work his way down, sliding himself back the further he goes. Hito moans with each kiss, with each small movement further down, with each breath he feels coming from the boy sliding himself down Hito's length towards his awaiting dick. Excitement builds along almost every part of the journey, creating the perfect scene for later sexual interactions between the pair, interactions Hito wants so much already today.

This is where Hito's dream ends. `Fuck... come on...` he thinks to himself. `Come back to me dream...` fills his mind for the next few minutes, closing his eyes trying to visualise where the dream left off just moments ago. He wants this adventure to complete its course, whether the end result is sucking Yume off, having sex with the boy, or just a masturbation game designed to excite to the last moment. There's so many ways the dream can continue that Hito doesn't have the energy to imagine all of them. School starts in nearly two hours, he has things to do.

After yesterday, both confidence and nerves are no longer a huge issue for Hito, but it's still going to be really hard for Hito to tell Yume his feelings. He doesn't plan on it any time in the next week, too much of a new comer to his life to trust that much in him. Two days left, Thursday and Friday, before the weekend.

Another quiet walk to school with wonderful calming surroundings along the way take care of any residual nerves Hito may have had, and also makes him forget about the dream too. Upon entering the classroom, Yume's usual jump at catching Hito's attention rings out just above the chatter.

"'Ello there!" he calls out, sat at his desk already.

"A good morning would be nice too!" Hito calls back, walking towards his own desk besides Yume.

"OK then, good morning there." Comes back from Yume.

"Good morning to you too." He replies in a fancy tone of voice.

Hito lets the good morning pass for a short few seconds before his observance of noise around him is interrupted by Yume.

"So did you find the phone?" He asks, clearly not forgetting about their conversation from last night.

"Shit I so forgot about that!" Hito replies, not really wanting to say what he was really doing last night when he could've been searching for the phone. "I still have the number though." Hito buries his hand in his pocket and shortly later pulls out a piece of paper with Yume's number written on it.

"At least you didn't lose it."

"At least it's still in one piece too, I nearly lost it a load of times sorting through some things in my room. Couldn't be bothered before last night."

"Only just setting things up? And when did you move here?" Yume says, mocking his slow speed.

"Three weeks ago."

"Is this inefficiency I smell?" Yume says, attempting to sound smart (and in this case, being successful at it too).

"You even know what that means?"

"Yeah. Do you?"

"Nope, tell me?" Hito asks, curious to know a new word but only because Yume used it.

"Means not done in a way where time or resources are most wisely spent."

That ends their conversation, because a moment later Mrs. Partina enters and begins her usual drone style teaching. Boring but effective.

The kids want more than just a writing and listening lesson, although their wants aren't what's going to happen any time soon. The more fun lessons tend to begin around the end of term times, closer to where they can have break from their hard work. Hard work brings good rewards, or at least that's the default philosophy.

Packing away, and then heading up towards their tree again, the pair conversed between themselves about the droning of their past lesson and how boring it is compared to both of their old schools.

"Sit." Yume instructs as they approach the tree, trying to imitate their grade tutor however not really passing anyone's ears. For effect, he straightens his form as if he were standing in front of a rather reputable government official.

"Funny." Hito says sarcastically, before sitting down by Yume against the tree. "Very."

"Well, it's pretty much how she talks isn't it?"

"Adding in a change in gender, bit more authority and then losing a bit of the accent." Hito replies, noting pretty much everything different between their voices.

"Eh my accent seems to be quite rare." Yume states. The accent he has is from the local area but it's also an old one, which is slowly dying out.

"A nice one too." Hito throws, hoping it's not too much of an obvious sign of the attraction to his personality.

"Thanks dude." Yume replies, smiling at the compliment.

"So," He begins, remembering part of their conversation from yesterday morning, "what happened to saying how you were alone from yesterday mornings conversation?"

"Damn you remembered." Yume says, evidently hoping Hito wouldn't remember.

"Did say I'd hold you to your word on it. Come on."

"OK then." Yume starts to recall his prior experience of loneliness. "So I was starting out in middle school's grade 3. I was around 7 or 8, not sure which, and for a bit no one wanted to know me." He stops for a short moment, thinking of how to word the next part.

"Do go on."

"OK! Calm it! K so this didn't just go on for a bit. It went on for the next year pretty much. Jumped over from grade 3 to 4, and I never found out why. Tried to change it, so I did something dramatic and stopped a kid being beat up against the lockers in the hall way."

"That actually happens?"

"Yeah, but not normally in middle schools. Not where I live anyway. After that everyone went to how they were, plus their changes from the months of whatever life did to them."

"How did it feel?" Hito asks, hoping their views on how loneliness feels are the same.

"How would you describe loneliness?"

Having not had very many friends Hito says, "I live in it so it's normal for me."

"When you first became lonely?" Yume hopes to get a response from this.

"Always was." Hito replies, far too truthful for his preference.

"Well Hito, consider yourself unlonely!"

"That's why I said was."

Hito spends the next few seconds of silence thinking. Was Yume's girlfriend something Yume liked? Or was she just someone to hold his reputation? Is he gay? Would he like Hito?

"How was your girlfriend?" Hito asks to Yume, hoping for an insight into Yume's sexuality or at least his life before they met and what sort of person he likes.

"Eh. She was lazy."

"Lazy?" Hito asks, curious as to how a girlfriend can be lazy.

"Didn't want to do anything, or go anywhere. I don't think she even liked me, probably serves me right because I only got with her because everyone pressured me. It was like a running joke around school that she had a crush on me so we decided to play with it. Didn't take her more than two weeks before she called it off, but I did put on a good show."

"And you call that a girlfriend?" Hito says, displeased that whoever she was left such a beautiful looking boy.

"Yeah."

"I think she didn't like you." Hito states.

"I think so too." Yume says, before moving the questions more onto Hito's love life. "So why haven't you had any girlfriends? And don't give me the `I'm not good looking` line again."

"I never asked any of them." He replies, however this time he likes this specific truth. "Never liked them I guess."

"Why? Bring me back to your old school and I'll match you up with someone. Hell I'll do it here if I must." With Yume's rather upfront sparkling personality he probably would too.

"Please don't." Hito says, hoping it's merely a joke.

"Why not? You scared?" Yume retorts, half joking but knowing there must be a reason he doesn't want a girlfriend.

Thinking of a response to this is harder than he realised. He can't tell Yume the doubts he has on his own sexuality, at least not yet. He can't tell Yume that he's attracted to him either.

"No," he finally says, "I just don't really like the idea."

"Why?"

"No reason." Hito replies, definitely hiding something as Yume observes.

"Not good enough." Yume states, as if he was expecting a better reason.

"Come on..."

"Nah spill it." Yume persists.

"Yume, don't. Please."

"OK then..." Yume disappointedly says. "You'll tell me one day though." He follows, planning on making Hito explain why he's never had a girlfriend.

"Maybe." Unsure, this is all Hito can come up with.

"No, you will."

"Fine," Hito gives in, "but not this week OK? Please."

"Sure."

Hito doesn't want to have to explain things to his crush but he wants to at the same time. He doesn't look forward too it but wants it over with so he knows whether it's worth trying to take Yume as his boyfriend.

The remainder of the break, school and even the day goes by much the same as the prior day. Discussions loop through topics between the boys when they can talk, and the afternoon goodbyes go by quickly, much to quickly for Hito.

It doesn't take more than a minute after leaving school for the same feeling of missing Yume to kick in as did yesterday. Not only was Hito physically attracted to Yume but he was starting to fall in love with him too, his crush for Yume was developing into something stronger. Hito's only very slightly aware of it, that he might be falling for him. Away from Yume, Hito felt there wasn't much to do but not yet at the stage of `there is nothing to do`. He just wants Yume around, a lot.

After getting home, eating, and proceeding to his bedroom, he remembers that he has a phone to find somewhere or another. With his mother in it'll be hard to look for anything without her poking around so he carefully sneaks through to the garage, where spare anything in boxes is being stored, and pulls out a box taking it up to his room. When searched, he takes it back down carefully and takes another up.

Eventually an old flip phone presents itself underneath a bunch of paperwork in the 6th box he searches, along with a suitable MI chip (Mobile Identifier, AKA phone number) in working condition as far as his can see. A Micro USB charging port is found on the top half, making it a new ish model (six years old, probably only used for the past four years before being boxed) so Hito plugs it straight into the charger already plugged into the wall for his XCR-45 (Imagine a PSP).

The battery of the phone is drained but its a relatively low tech phone, so battery life and charging times are never going to be an issue after he gets it up and running. When these phones are fully charged a mechanism automatically removes the charger from the top of the phone, preventing overcharge and by that right meaning Hito can sleep while leaving the phone plugged in, knowing it's not going to explode during his sleep

Before going to sleep Hito thinks about how he's going to tell Yume of his sexuality confusion. While he himself is very sure he's gay (despite being barely a day after the solid belief he was straight ended up being under question by himself), he doesn't know how to tell that to Yume. Aside to the fear of losing Yume as a friend, or maybe nulling their chances of being lovers, Hito doesn't think he knows how to come out to Yume. `It's more than just a friend thing. I know it is. How do I tell him that? How do I tell him I have a crush on him? How do I tell him I might be falling in love with him? How will he react? Will he care? Will he hate me? Will he think I'm gay?`

Many hundreds of questions rush through his mind. Yume seems to be a nice boy. Is it possible that he is gay too? Or is the opposite true where he's asexual? Yume could be bisexual, or pan-sexual (which is different from bisexuality, look into it if you must). Does Yume already have something for Hito? Is that why Yume doesn't seem to be trying to make other friends? How does Hito explain about his sexuality to Yume without giving away that he's attracted to him too?

Unfortunately for him, his dreams of that night were relatively unhelpful, containing no answers to the questions he wants answered. He still had fantasies, but not yet the sexual energy to have another session like the day prior. The drained sexual energy seems to be the reason for his lack of arousing dreams too. He'd have liked a good dream, one with Yume in it, but that wasn't to happen this night.

Friday! Usually every schoolboy's heaven but for now it's not the heaven Hito got used to, as the ending of this day would mean an absence of Yume for the proceeding two days. On the upside, the preceding three days have been made enjoyable by an attractive young boy of which seemingly enjoys the company of Hito, a boy who actually seems to take interest in whatever Hito talks about, when conversations involving things he likes arises at least.

With a fully charged SI8 (pronounce as sate (not sah-tay)) flip phone and MI initialised, Hito picks it up and ensures the old content of the phone is removed before adding Yume's number to it and hiding the phone in a hidden part of his school bag. Phones aren't allowed in school, so he'll have to take some care in making sure none of the staff see it.

"Hito, come on, it's nearly twenty to nine!" his mother calls from downstairs, while Hito checks and rechecks that he's written down the number for his new (well, old but recently came into his possession) phone, and that said phone is on silent in his bag.

He takes the walk downstairs, says his goodbyes for the next 7 hours and steps outside. He knows he'll get in trouble if he and Yume get found with the phone, so he makes a note in his mind to only try and use it by the tree, where staff barely walk by. It seems to be quite a quiet spot, with little traffic, which is good for the two boys because it means open discussion without prying eyes and ears (to a reasonable degree at least).

Down the road, a turn left and then up another road appears the school, with Hito walking into it minutes after he sets off from his own home. Really goes to show how close he lives, which is lucky considering Yume's hour and a half bus ride into and out of school. The gates are quite large, metal ones which look extremely hard to break through. They're closed in school hours and after the staff have gone home at the end of the day to prevent anyone going in or out without proper authorisation. A kiosk on the side of the gate is the only way to enter or exit the grounds after the gates are shut.

It's quite an old building, but definitely fills its purpose. Large windows which don't open very far, a kind of boring paint on the exterior. It's not a very interesting place unless you're really into schools and old buildings. For almost every kid there it's prison. To Hito, it's the one place he gets to see Yume right now.

A small bit of walking further down the time-line and Hito's once again entering a classroom with the other kids around. Yume seated as he always is, always one of the first faces he looks for and definitely seems to be in well before Hito gets in.

"Yawn." Yume says, doing his best impression of being tired.

"Eh. That works." Hito replies, imitating the same sort of tiredness and evidently accepting it as a hello.

"Find it this time?" Asks Yume. Hito assumes he's asking about the phone.

"Yeah. Got it with me." He replies, pointing to his bag.

"Mm. Be careful."

"Don't worry," he reassures Yume, "I know what they'll do if they find it and I'm not letting that happen."

"Good." Yume says, reassured entirely. "So sup?"

"I want more sleep."

"Well Sherlock, don't we all?" With strong sarcasm from Yume.

"Forgot you lived in Iffleton."

"Yes, you seem to have."

The morning registration period passes and their first class starts. Mrs. Partina walks out for a quick drink then walks in again and begins her standard drill of almost every lesson now. Silence, mostly writing and taking notes or asking and taking questions one at a time while on a specific subject.

These lessons aren't easy to withstand. Often the barrage of talking and showing from the well dressed lady Mrs. Partina bores them, to wanting to go back to sleep. She could really try to make her lessons more interesting instead of droning on, and we ALL know that one teacher who's insistent on the droning and talking over doing anything constructive with any possible work.

An hour later and they're let out. I'd imagine a few yays around here. Everyone leaves, does their break stuff as they usually do. Hito and Yume head up to their tree. They've pretty much claimed it now. It's a nice spot, keeps the sun out, helps block the wind, and there's a fence behind them so no-one can really creep up on them without being seen, and it's a fairly quiet place too which isn't really used by anyone.

"Show the phone then dude." Yume says, post to sitting down, hoping to get a look at the phone.

"K, give me a sec." Hito replies, before opening his bag and then sliding his hand into the hidden part of it where the phone is stored. Taking special care to make sure no staff are around he takes it from his bag and lets Yume look at it.

"Pretty basic. Old too." Yume observes, looking at the phone and noting how there's some small scratches and such on the outside.

"Did say it'd be old. Take it, check I put your number in right."

Yume takes the phone from Hito's hand, flips it open and quickly navigates to the contacts page where he compares the entry of his number to the one he's memorised.

"Yep, that's right." He states, before closing the phone and handing it back.

"Wanted to be sure."

"You mean you couldn't check yourself?" Yume asks, looking back to the phone and then to Hito again.

"I wanted you to check."

"Well, that's done and the number's definitely in fine. Did you write out your MI number?"

"Yep. Here." Hito produces a piece of paper with the number he wrote on it earlier. "I double checked it."

"You're very paranoid about getting this wrong."

"I haven't had a phone before." Hito says, both truthful but hiding his other reason.

"You don't have one."

"I'm sure I do." Hito says, confused as to Yume's statement.

"Nope, it's borrowed until you get one." Yume goes, again trying to be smart. Also succeeding a second time.

"Sure. Because I'm so going to give this back." He replies, with a strong sarcastic tone.

"I'll make you."

"Come on then." Hito challenges.

"You're getting a new one first."

"Keep waiting then." And then Hito smiles, as if to say 'haha not gonna happen'.

Hito remembers what he was thinking of last night. He knows that if he wants a relationship with Yume, he has to know about the sexuality thing. Sure, yesterday he said next week, but he doesn't know when else to do it and if he doesn't do it now he might not in future when their friendship could be so much different. He still doesn't know how, but he figured he'll just say it when it comes to it. Three days ago Hito believed he was straight, although it seems meeting Yume changed his perception on his sexuality. Regardless, it's something he should know.

"Yume." Hito says, unsure on how to go about telling Yume. His voice changes, to a soft and very slightly nervous tone.

"Yeah?" He replies, noting the change in voice.

"I need to say something." Hito softly says back.

"Good, the silence was killing me." Trying to raise the atmosphere generated by the dropped and distinctly more serious voice Hito was using.

"Haha. Well. This thing isn't a normal thing." Hito confesses. With what he's going to say in some moments, his friendship with Yume could be made stronger or broken down in a moment.

"What do you mean?" Now further interested, Yume wants to know exactly what Hito's about to say.

"I mean I want it kept secret," Hito replies, cautious of anyone who might be nearby, "between us."

Yume thinks for a second and looks around with Hito checking that no one's around. "How serious is it?"

"The `if saying this goes wrong I'm screwed` sort of serious."

"Personal?" Yume inquires.

"I guess."

"Well, I can keep secrets." Yume says strongly while quiet at the same time. "Whatever it is I won't tell anyone."

"OK..." Hito begins the process of stringing together the first of many sentences to explain his sexuality doubts to Yume. "Do you remember yesterday?"

"Of course." Yume says, as if he couldn't forget.

"When you asked about getting me a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, I remember that. You didn't want me to."

Hito remembers the conversation all too well. "Do you think you know why that was?"

Yume thinks for a second before saying, "I think you're just not ready."

Hito sighs silently of relief, thankful that Yume didn't already have suspicions. Now though, the more important task begins of finally explaining why he doesn't want a girlfriend.

"It isn't that." He starts.

"What is it?"

"Yume. I..." Hito's mind stalls. `Get it over with`, he thinks to himself knowing there's no way out. Hito realises there's a quicker way to explain the sexuality thing, and decides that it's more better too. Yume leans in a bit so Hito won't have to speak as loud. "OK. I... uh... I have a crush on you... a bit..."

They both fall silent. Hito can see Yume thinking about what he's just been told, and begins to grow quite nervous very quickly. To Yume, this is all quite different. A boy he met three days ago has just told him that he has a crush on him. How is he supposed to respond? Hito begins to dread what Yume could say, the silence hanging on for what feels like forever.

"Hito." Yume says, quietly.

"Yes?" Hito says, with the new tone of nervous present in his voice.

"Why are you telling me?"

"It's important, to me." For once, Hito can just say a few of the things he thinks. "Because if I like you for ages and then find out you don't like me I'll be hurt. If I am going to be hurt, I want it sooner rather than later."

"Do you think about whether I like you?" Yume asks, after a short moment of silence.

"I haven't thought of it."

"Then take a guess at how I like you."

"I think you like me as a friend." Hito quietly replies.

"Then you're wrong."

Hito thinks on what this could mean for a few seconds. "Then... how do you like me?"

"Well, I think of you a lot."

"You do?" Hito says, taken by surprise. Does this mean... "You... You like me? Like I like you?" He asks, with some hopes set high. He's uncertain on what to expect, and this conversation could easily be turned around in a single word.

"Yes." Yume finally says, after a short moment of silence.

Yes, it does mean. It means that one of the craziest metaphorical dreams Hito's had (having Yume as a boyfriend) could actually be realised. This realisation takes a few seconds to hit home before Hito smiles at Yume, who in return smiles back.

"How?" Hito finally asks, breaking what seems to have been a forever worth of silence between them while they smiled and stared at each other.

"I have no idea," Yume says, "but you do look attractive and I don't know why none of the girls here haven't snagged you. I don't even know how you managed to get a crush on me, of everyone here."

"But... you like me?" Hito says, wanting to make sure he didn't hear something wrong.

"Yes Hito, since Tuesday."

"When? I mean. When on Tuesday?"

"Before you seen me." Yume states.

"Seating?"

"Oh no, that's when I learnt your name."

"Then..?" Hito says, confused.

"When you walked in, before seating. At the start of the day."

"Oh."

"You just walked in and sat down before Mrs. Partina stood us all up again. You didn't look at anyone."

Hito remembers back to the day. He remembers walking in and sitting down, and not looking at anyone. He also remembers looking around the room. He doesn't remember noticing anyone around the room at the time, even if the room was full of kids his own age at the time.

"Yume." Hito begins, obviously hoping to say something else after.

"Yes Hito?" Yume replies, wanting to know what he's going to ask.

"Do you think about me?" Asks Hito.

"At home, yes."

"What do you think about me?" He asks, wanting to know in what ways Yume thinks of him.

"I think you're a beautiful boy and that I'd never really have you. I mean I'm just the boy who has a rather strong outward personality, but you... you're the cutest boy I've ever seen... and the best looking too..."

Hito smiles, as does Yume. "Do you?" He says, wanting to know if Yume isn't just screwing his mind up, trying to identify him as gay and out him to the school. He's not sure, so if this is some evil plot then it'll certainly hurt him more than just once.

"Do I what?" Yume asks.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, Hito." He replies, softly and slowly. "I mean it. I really do like you."

While Hito and Yume have been talking about this for the past five minutes it's still sinking in for Hito. His crush likes him too. Probably has a crush on him too. It makes the whole process of admitting his sexuality a bit easier later down the line, having now decided just telling Yume that he has a crush on him would do for today.

"Hito." Yume says, breaking the silence. "I do like you."

Hito smiles again, and then looks into Yume's blue eyes. "I like you too." He says, staring straight into Yume.

"Can I call you later?" Yume asks, a strange question to ask given their current topic.

"Uh... sure... I'll text you when we can talk?" Hito says, knowing that keeping the phone a secret from his mother will be tricky unless its well coordinated.

"OK." Yume says, with an audible tone of happiness present in his voice. "What do you think of me?" He finally asks, after a bit.

"I think you're... Uhh... You look amazing... You sound amazing... Your accent... Your face is perfect... You are... How do I describe that?" Hito doesn't know how to describe Yume. It's hard to describe anyone for Hito, let alone Yume who is the most perfect looking boy Hito ever seen.

"Thanks..." Yume says, taken back by how much Hito really likes him.

As it stands, it seems they both `fell for` each other at the same sort of time. For Hito, it's the most unlikely thing to have ever happened. Apart from meeting Yume and then having a crush on him in mere seconds after seeing him, Yume both likes him back in the same way and is pretty much perfectly fine with what could be a long relationship between them.

"Can I hold you?" Yume asks. Hito always wanted to know what it was like to hold someone, and while Yume was offering the chance he can't. They're still in school where people from afar could be watching, and he wouldn't like to be caught holding another boy.

"Not here" Hito says, taking the potential observation theory into account. "When we're alone, yes. Please. And don't ever let go."

"Do you want a relationship with me?"

"What sort of question is that Yume?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Saves me saying it."

During the next however many minutes until this first break ends they discuss each other, playing guessing games with what they told each other about themselves yesterday for most of it.

However throughout the next lesson, the silence between them was almost painful for one another. Hito wants nothing more than to be talking to Yume about each other, about what they could do together if they ever went to each others houses. It wasn't a surprise to Hito that thoughts of seeing Yume naked, or even playing with Yume in sexual ways, came up as he thought of how they could spend their time together outside of school.

Their relationship has begun. To Hito, one of the best things that could possibly happen, and for Yume just one thing he's been waiting for was the perfect person to be with him. They can go far or they can go only a few meters in terms of relationship length. It can flare or it can fizzle.

For the rest of the day though, they're pretty much inseparable. Both of them want to hold each others hands and gently kiss each other, but neither can do that until they're alone. They can't do it anywhere in school because it's far too public.

Their goodbyes at the gate aren't too "happy" ones. As expected, neither want to be away from the other so they delay it as much as is possible. Hito stays with Yume for the next 10 minutes while he waits for his bus. Sure Hito'll get home late but it's only a walk down the road so there's no real concern is there?

"I'll see you on Monday Hito." Yume says, preparing himself for the hour and a half of quiet isolation on the bus before he himself arrives home.

"You too Yuyu." Hito says. He waves up to Yume, who's now standing at the door of the bus facing outwards. Yume waves back, then moves towards the back of the bus and takes a seat before looking out at Hito, who hasn't stopped watching him since he got on.

The bus begins to move, and with that Hito watches as his new lover disappears into the horizon, waving at him as he goes. Once the bus is out of sight Hito sighs. `This has been a hell of a day` he thinks to himself, as he turns and begins the walk home.

While only a short walk this is now the stage where any moment without Yume feels much longer. Arriving home doesn't change that. His mother asks how the day went and the default response that Hito gives works just as it usually does. Hito heads up to his room and changes into something `better` before playing on the XCR he set up. He returns downstairs for food around 7pm and once finished he returns again to his bedroom, taking his school bag with him.

He places his school bag on his bed and takes the phone out from it, placing it in his pocket. He knows that if he wants to have Yume talk to him through it he'll have to use it secretly, which means finding his way to a secluded and private area of the property. The basement might work, but it's underground so signal might be quite bad, and the garage is too echoy along with being too close to the lounge to be used as a private place. Bathroom would work if it was an en-suite, but since it's not there's no real place Hito can go.

He looks out his window, into the back garden, and notices a small shed hiding in the dying light outside, quite close to the back fence and hidden well by a few bushes and low trees. `How didn't I see this before?` he tells himself, before sneaking downstairs to check it out. He puts his shoes back on and slides carefully out the back door, avoiding anything that makes noise so that his mother is unaware of his actions. Once outside, he starts to walk towards the shed not so far away.

It's not a large building. Inside it's clear that no one's actually been in there for a few years. The door hinges have rust on them, and the pad lock is visibly broken. Opening the door and stepping inside, Hito sees there's not much in there but it is a bit darker than he imagined. The window that lets light into the shed is poorly placed and not much light gets in.

Shelves line the walls, with all sorts of old things on them. Some of them are presumably over 20 years old, technology and such like these have been out of circulation for at least that long. The last time a ring phone was produced was around 15 years ago on special request, and it's hardly possible that the shelved ring phone here is that model. There's cobwebs around the corners, but Hito has no problem with spiders.

After a quick look around he finds the light switch, and flips it up. A dim light above the door turns on, illuminating layers of dust that have been kicked up from Hito entering the shed. Whoever lived here must've left in a hurry, and it's most probable that the caretakers never really seen this shed. You can't see it properly from the back door either, but it's there (barely).

He finally decides to pull out the phone, and leaning against the back of the shed he opens it up and sends a text to Yume, simply typing `ready` after a few attempts at working the keypad. On the other end of the MI system, Yume receives this text within merely a few seconds, and then proceeds to begin dialling Hito's MI number.

Another few seconds later, and the screen on Hito's phone once again lights up, showing Yume's name and his MI number as an incoming call.

"So this is how these work." Hito says, having spent a short few seconds trying to find the green `answer call` button. The green has faded, but it's visible. The darkness of the shed didn't help.

"Yeah, they're not easy at first but you'll get used to it." Yume replies. There's an audible static or interference in the audio that comes through but Hito can still understand him and recognise his friends voice.

"So, what're we going to talk about?" Hito asks.

"I actually wanted to tell you something." Yume replies, "something which I couldn't say earlier."

"Hmm?"

"I know that you're gay." Yume says, immediately surprising Hito into a quiet state. Well, quieter state.

"How do you know?" He asks, after a few moments of silence across the line.

"You didn't want a girlfriend, and you like me. You don't look at the girls either."

"They gave it away?" Hito questions, surprised at how little can give it away.

"Pretty much."

"Oh." Hito says. "I don't even know if I am really gay or not..." He confesses.

"Don't worry," Yume begins, "I am too. I can tell you are."

"Wait... You're gay... too?" Hito's a bit confused now. So not only does his friend know he's gay but his friend is gay too? Is this a dream? Is this a plan by Reality for future pain? This can't be real.

"Yes," Yume pauses, "I've known for a few years."

They leave another few moments of silence to transmit between both ends, before Hito decides to speak some of his thoughts.

"You're not... not trying to out me?" Hito asks in uncertainty, not sure of what to say.

"No." Yume softly replies.

"You actually mean everything you said?"

"Yes. I'd stare into your eyes like you did with me and tell you it if I could."

So this isn't a dream? This is actually happening? Things happen in strange ways and this could be none stranger in a shed barely visible from Hito's house over a phone he shouldn't really be using.

"I won't be able to talk for most of tomorrow." Hito feels suddenly quite desperate to not let Yume end this call, ever. "My parents decided we're going some place and my phone isn't allowed to come with me."

"When will you be back?" Hito says, trying to think of what else to say. "When can I talk to you tomorrow?"

"You can text me in the morning, as long as it's before 10."

"Only text?"

"Yeah, sorry dude... My parents would hear me if I called you."

In the background, Hito hears Yume's name being called out by presumably Yume's mother along with some mumbled sentence shortly after. He knows there's not much time of talking left.

"I think I love you Yume. Please don't go." Hito says, hoping he can get Yume to stay longer.

"I think I do too." Yume replies. "We'll talk tomorrow k? I can't stay or I'll lose my phone."

"Aw. Well, OK..." Hito sighs.

"Night Hito." From Yume.

"Goodnight Yume." Comes a final reply from Hito, before Yume ends the call.

The silence from the call ending makes Hito feel alone in the dimly lit shed. The end of the call also signals to Hito that he should get back inside. They've only been talking for around 5 minutes, but it feels much longer. He flips the light switch and walks out the shed, closing the door behind him. He then walks up to his house, and being as quiet as he can enters before heading to his bedroom silently and without alerting his mother.

It was a long walk for Hito despite being even shorter a distance than the one to school. Avoiding detection by his mother was something of an important part. He couldn't keep going out to the shed everyday to talk to Yume, so he'd need to scope out the rest of the house over the next two days in order to find a good place to talk with Yume at.

He found his way up without being detected, which is fortunate for him. He sets his phone to silent, so that it won't make noise while he's not using it, and lies back on his bed.

What has happened? His crush admitted to him that he likes him, is gay and may even love him. The number of varying insane thoughts crossing Hito's mind barely register. It's impossible to keep track of them all, with so many different ideas and hopes for their time together in the future flashing back and forth across his brain. Maybe some ideas aren't so unlikely after all? Maybe they're even harder to integrate into Reality now?

The thinking continues for the next few hours. He tries to take his mind off it, but playing games doesn't stop him thinking about what Yume's said and what this actually means. Yume could, one day maybe, be with Hito as a lover. Not just in school, but out of school too. They have to build trust between each others parents before either can go to one another's houses, and the distance is a large concern for either parent if anything goes wrong and one of the boys gets hurt. For now though, it's all a mix of excitement and dread as waiting for the next day begins. Will Yume have changed his mind? Is everything going to be the same?

The endless stream of thoughts eventually drifts Hito off into a dreamful state where fantasies feel more-like realities, where the idea of having Yume as a boyfriend is more realistically shown however through Hito's wants. For a change, this is the first dream Hito's had about Yume that doesn't start sexually.

Inside this dream the pair are almost never apart. What would you expect? For most of it, it's life the same with more time together, and time alone too. They hold each other, kiss each other for periods of minutes on end, feel each other in ways they've never got to before. Eventually the dream graduates from just together to more intimate together, similar to the dream Hito awoke with on Thursday. It ends at the same place, but given the bunch of parts added at the beginning it certainly feels both longer and more realistic. It's enough for Hito to be happy with, even if his sexual desires involving Yume still are unanswered.

Awakening the next day Hito feels the after effects of the dreams he's had. The inhabiting feeling of love growing, or is this still a crush? Giving the feelings time to differentiate themselves is in Hito's interests but it's not something he's prepared to do. To him, Yume's quickly becoming something he can't live without, and the idea of giving anything time between them is none different to the idea of calling the whole thing off and potentially ruining his chances.

"Hito, come on, time to get up." His mother calls up. Hito looks over at his clock, which reads 9:18am in its digital font. It's a Saturday, so waking up early isn't a priority. Oh wait, it was, because he only has 40 minutes to talk to Yume and he might not be answering much given his having to go out later. He'll be getting himself ready, so that'll take time off their chances to text.

The lazing boy quickly gets up, the first thing he does is pretty much expected. He checks the phone. There's one message from Yume received just over 15 minutes ago, reading `we have an hour`.

Hito texts back `Awake, 'bout to eat` before pocketing the phone and heading downstairs to energise himself. The process doesn't take very long, and once finishing food 10 minutes later their first texting session begins.

The boy returns to his room, and pulls out the phone again to check for messages. The newest one reads simply `ok`. Hito quickly taps in `here` and hits send.

Around 30 seconds later, Hito sees `Hey Hihi :)` flash on the phones screen before it goes dark again.

Moments later Hito sends back `'Ello Yuyu`.

`Hihi. Thx 4 lst nigh.` Yume responds.

`What?` Hito's new to phones, and with such new to text speak too.

`Thanks for last night.`

`No, thank you!` Hito taps in, `It was really nice.`

`Only bcuz of U Hihi.`

`u2 Yuyu.` On sending, Hito smiled, and on receiving Yume smiled too.

`Lol. Ur gettin' there.` He texts back.

`Not easy to text yet.` Hito confesses.

`T'will be soon.`

`How long do you have?`

`Quite a bit. Bck in 5.`

`k.`

And for the next five minutes Hito waits patiently for Yume to return. He takes guesses at what Yume could be doing, ranging from getting changed to eating something quick. There's other things Yume could be doing too, but in Hito's mind there's not enough time.

Hito also begins to speculate how long `quite a bit` really is,

`bck.`

`'Ello,` followed shortly by `can I ask you something?` in a separate message.

`Sure.`

`Does this make you my boyfriend?`

While it only takes momentarily longer to receive this response, it's still `yes.`

`Yay.` Hito instantly taps back in, sending it off within seconds. Hito now has a boyfriend. At least, someone to call a boyfriend. Hopefully, in not so much time, a someone to hold and never be away from. Hopefully.

A few moments later, Yume sends `Leaving early, talk soon.`

`oh. k. talk soon. bye.`

Not a very long conversation, but it's already 26 messages between the pair. It's been maybe 10 minutes. Receiving replies isn't a speedy process, neither is typing and sending them. Unfortunately for Hito, with Yume now out of contact for what could be an hour to the rest of the day, he has very little to do. Time to scope out the house.