Stan fluttered his eyes open to a dark room, feeling Craig still wrapping him in his arms. He stayed still listening to the wind blow the tree outside Craig's window, and felt the other boy's chest rhythmically rise and fall. He thought about what Craig said as he fell asleep earlier.
"I love you Stan".
Why did such a simple sentence make him feel so much unease he wondered. Surely the ramblings of someone on the edge of unconsciousness, and yet he still felt his pulse quicken and his body run icy cold and feverish hot at the same time. What did he really mean to Craig, and what did Craig mean to him? He didn't have an answer.
Stan stiffened his spine and held his breath as he suddenly felt Craig shift in the bed, before the warm embrace he needed so badly abandoned his body. Craig sat up, looked outside and then at Stan. "Morning". Stan laughed and said, "Evening actually".
Craig grabbed a dark blue hoodie and a black pair of denim jeans before throwing Stan's coat at him. They both got dressed, Craig still shaking off sleep.
Craig's normally steely gaze was soft and comforting, he stared into Stan's eyes before standing up and opening his window. Stan watched Craig raise himself out of the windowsill and climb onto the tree outside it. "You coming"? Craig asked. "Yeah".
Stan climbed onto the limb of the oak tree and shimmied down the trunk of it. Seeing Craig already holding out a cigarette for him while smoking one of his own. "Thanks, you got a light"? Craig gestured for Stan to come to him before putting the tip of his cig to the one in Stan's mouth. Stan inhaled as Craig exhaled and lit Stan's.
(A.N. Don't smoke, kids.)
The two walked down the dimly lit street as Craig texted someone on his phone. It was a comfortable silence to Stan, as he enjoyed the sounds of night. "Kenny's having a party if you don't want to go home yet" Craig said. "Will there be alcohol there?" Stan asked. They both paused for a second before chuckling. "It's Ken's house, of course there is" Craig said.
"Let's go then".
