~*~*T R E E S*~*~

"Got something to show you,"

Josh turned to see the silhouette of Tyler making its way through the undergrowth, dead wet leaves squishing loudly with every heavy step he took over debris that littered the forest floor. Josh wiggled his legs over the edge of the cliff and patted the spot beside him, the cool, muddy earth of the rock sticking to his skin. Josh was used to getting muddy and soaking wet whenever it meant he could see Tyler.

"Could you give me some light?" Tyler called out, his footsteps stopping, creating dead silence.

Josh turned back, picked up the makeshift torch he and Tyler had crafted the night before, turned back and shone it in the direction of Tyler's soft voice. The boy stood there with an arm over his eyes, letting the sudden light adjust and burn his retinas. Josh gave a smirk as Tyler squinted, looking to the ground and began walking again.

"You sneak out again?" Josh asked as Tyler began to seat himself next to his friend, throwing his own legs off the side of the cliff to join Josh's in a suspended dance.

"What's it to you?" Tyler turned to Josh, only to be blinded by the light shining from his hand. Tyler slapped it away in annoyance, only to receive a chuckle and smile from Josh in return.

"Dunno, you're gonna get caught one day," Josh nudged Tyler with his shoulder, earning a smile from the boy.

"One day, not today though, but one day," he replied with a small grin. Silence quickly filled the dark night air, cool wind whipped up from underneath the lip of rock they sat perched upon. Josh leant back on his hands, wet leaves being destroyed under his palms, while Tyler leant forward slightly, fiddling with his thumbs, picking at something he knew he shouldn't. Josh had always berated him on his habit, skin picking.

"You have beautiful hands, stop ruining them!"

The words so clear in Tyler's mind he had to turn and look at Josh to make sure he hadn't really said them, hadn't really caught him in the act. The sudden jolt of Tyler's head snapping to face Josh pulled him from his daydreams and he returned the sudden movement, locking eyes with Tyler's own.

"What?" He cocked his head slightly, and Tyler couldn't help but stare at the folds his neck made. He liked everything about Josh, even the little folds, wrinkles and lines his body had. The scars, the dyed hair, Tyler liked it. It showed Josh's true side, one only Tyler had seen whilst sitting out in the dark. That's how they had met.

"This rock taken?" The man grinned down at him, and Tyler had jumped nearly completely off the edge.

"N-no, um, you can sit here," Tyler began to move and stand up but was abruptly interrupted by the strange man.

"Hey, stay? Please?"

The words begged Tyler, the voice sounded hollow, like it needed something to fix it. So Tyler stayed. It was that night, only a few months ago, when the sun felt hot, when the nights weren't cold, that Tyler met his best friend.

"Why'd you run away?"

With a shrug, Josh yawned.

"I'm going back, so technically, it's not running away;" he winked. "Why'd you run away?"

Tyler also shrugged.

"Dunno. Couldn't sleep."

"So you abandoned your home?"

"I went for a walk," Snapped, frosty words spat at this stranger sitting beside him. "I'm going back," he paused, and turned to the man. "So technically, not running away."