The sky was dark, pins of light serving as stars millions of miles above, the moon shining brightly among them. The grass was wet beneath your palms as you fisted damp earth, eyes focused on nothing but the sky for the moment. The stars twinkled and you smiled a little, it was like you could tell the stars your thoughts and they would listen. You could vent all your worries and frustrations and they would understand. Your emotions had been running high. Just being a teenager was difficult, but you were trying to decide why you were having romantic feelings for your best friend. Justin had always been there for you. He made you laugh, made you feel comfortable and safe. But the last time he looked at you, your insides felt like they were exploding. You found yourself watching his lips when he spoke, examining his body in a way you never had before. You were trying to hide it, but you were sure he had sensed a strange tension between you two, especially since you were avoiding his texts and calls. Insects playing a near-silent symphony around you and the leaves of the trees rustling as a breeze rushed through them. You sighed at the soft sounds, your breath hot in the cold night air, skin prickling with goosebumps in the wind.
"How long have you been out here?" A voice startled behind you. You were surprised to see Justin standing there, dew clinging to his bare toes. He was standing shirtless in the grass, the moonlight shone onto his muscular body. You shrugged, but internally you wanted to run away. Your skin shifting slightly beneath your ragged old pajamas, feeling uncomfortably self-conscious. "I dunno. An hour or so.." Justin tilted his head and looked you up and down with concerned eyes. "You must be freezing." He took a few steps closer, hands deep in his pockets. "You're the one that's barefoot," You pointed out with another small smile, earning an eye-roll before he sat in the grass to join you. "Never pegged you as a stargazer." The stars were so inviting as you looked up into them with longing eyes. "I like the stars," You said simply, Justin was quiet for a moment. "I like them too.."
Justin was quiet for a while after that. You tried to relax in the sudden tension of it all. Justin lay down on the wet grass with his arms folded behind his head like a typical teenage boy, and you looked at him fondly. His hair spilling out over his neck and onto the grass, green eyes reflecting the sliver of the moon above. You tried to snap out of it, but found that you couldn't look away; he was your best friend, the only person that you could ever really trust. But now you couldn't trust yourself... Justin's eyes caught yours and held the gaze until you looked back to the stars again. "What?" Justin asked, and touched his own face. "Do I have something on my face?" He said, and you could feel your heart beginning to race. "No," You replied, a blush settling into your cheeks. Justin blinked, inching in closer to you. "Then why were you staring at me?" You looked at him again, embarrassed. "It's just... You're my best friend, do you know that?" You said and Justin's eyes were very dark all of a sudden, darker than usual, and they held in them all the beauty of the world. "I know," He said, and his voice showed that he meant it. "You're my best friend too." You looked to the sky once more and tried to take in the space between the stars. "I've missed this," Justin added. At your questioning look, he continued, "You, me. The stars and the moon." He looked at you again. Then he sat up and touched your face with trembling fingers. Whether from cold or anxiety, you couldn't tell, and didn't care as you found yourself relaxing, leaning a little too far into the touch.
"I don't see any darkness out here," Justin whispered, breath fogging slightly in the chill. His fingers drew patterns on your cheek, making you shakily inhale for air. "Justin..." You breathed out his name and he smiled, leaning in to speak softly in your ear. "All I see is you." It seemed only natural then to lean forward to meet his mouth. You realized how strange it was to be kissing your best friend, but his mouth moved against yours without any real hesitation, like it was always meant to be this way.
"I like it when you look back at me and just smile." Justin whispered deeply, and inched his way closer to you... if that was even possible. You could feel Justin's lips over yours, barely touching, the tingling sensation making your eyes flutter shut. Justin finally closed in on the distance still separating them, but feeling the insecure pressure of your mouth, lips moist and trembling slightly like his own, Justin moved slow at first. Then it was like jumping off the highest cliff and never reaching the bottom. You could hardly breathe, and when you opened your mouth slightly and felt the tip of Justin's tongue touching your bottom lip, the reality of what they were doing kicked him hard – and would have knocked you to the floor if you wasn't already lying on it. They were kissing, and it was weird, 'cause they were just friends, right? But when his tongue brushed your lips, your teeth, and started the most gentle of wars inside your mouth, you couldn't help believing that something that felt so good, so natural, had to be the right thing to do. You had always felt the pull of Justin's personality, and now you felt like you could never let go of it, of him...
