High School Drama.

Valic walked over and gently pushed Joshua to the side of the bed so he could at least manage to squeeze in on the edge, he laid on his back and turned out the light, having a dim reading light while he pulled a book over to lull himself to sleep, having nothing better to do. He expected to talk with Joshua and stay up, watch movies, play video games, etc.

Joshua lifted his head as Valic got in the bed beside him and scooted a bit to the side, allowing him more room. He gazed at the book that the other was reading and yawned. "Hey."

"Hey...How come you're not sleeping?" Valic asked, keeping his voice low while he listened to the garage opening - mom was home. She wouldn't care that Joshua was here, it was better than having a girl over, and she's seen Joshua hanging around a little after hours.

Joshua gave a small shrug. "I had a nightmare and I'm not tired anymore." He yawned and covered himself with the blankets, making a small kind of nest for himself.

Valic gave a slight nod towards the comment, "I'm sorry to hear that... Do you need to talk about it?" Valic asked, closing his book and setting it to the side to give Joshua his full attention, the light was off as well - the only source to see Joshua was the moon peeking through the closed blinds.

Joshua gazed out at Valic with his quiet eyes. "Um…well, it had Neku…" That was all Joshua wanted to say, he figured the other would put two and two together.

"Nothing bad will ever happen to you, if he so much as come into my view while I can see your blonde hair then he's dead." Valic didn't like how the other was treated by Neku - it honestly hated him now, he pursed his lips a bit and glanced towards the door, seeing the shadows pass under the door. Mom had a friend with her.

Joshua fell silent, he had never spent the night before. The small teen shut his eyes and rested his head on his hands. "Who's that?" He asked kind of quietly.

By the voice he could tell it was an actual friend - a family friend. "My mom and one of her buddies..." He mumbled softly, brushing back his hair as he listened to the door shut and silent sobbing and reassuring voices, "She hasn't gotten over my sister's death yet."

"Oh." Joshua mumbled softly, glancing down. He didn't want to think about his own sister. "Well, it's never good to bring up memories. Let the past be the past."

"Well - some memories at least. I'd like to remember some of the good ones." He chuckled faintly, just teasing him - but got serious since he felt it wasn't the situation to joke. "Did you want to do anything tomorrow or are you heading home in the morning?"

"I don't think I have anything planned." Joshua thought for a few seconds. "I was just going to listen to music or something." He yawned and curled up.

Valic nodded his head a little, he wasn't going to bring up the whole issue from before where they were talking about a chance at having something - that was painful. The ink was scrubbed off his arm by now so one reminder of his idiocy was out of the way. "Well if you want you can stay here."

Joshua yawned and sighed, grabbing a pillow and snuggling against it. Usually Mr. H would come into his room so the small teen would have a cuddle buddy or Joshua would go into his room. He needed to have his hands around a warm body, so tonight was going to be rough.

"You look like you're struggling with something." Valic murmured to the other, seeing him trying to cling onto the pillow like it would provide something for him that wasn't being given to him. Val gave off a soft glower at that and watched, head tilted a bit.

"Nothing, I usually just cuddle with someone when I sleep. It's no big deal." Joshua muttered out, not wanting Valic to worry about his odd quirks. The small teen curled around the pillow, sighing.

Valic nodded his head a little bit and stretched out on the bed some, rolling on his back since he had an odd sleeping issue - if he laid on his stomach he'd get sick and dizzy. "You're an odd little cat."

"Yeah yeah." Joshua muttered out, gazing out the closed window. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight, not if he couldn't cuddle…he glanced over at Valic. As if in thought.

Valic felt the other staring and looked over at him with confused furrowed brows, "Could I help you with something?" He asked, seeing as people normally stared if they were thinking of something, trying to scare someone, or tempted to ask something.

Joshua shook his head, sighing softly. Then he stayed quiet for a few more seconds. "Uh…will you cuddle with me?"

Valic blinked and mulled it over before giving a shrug, "Sure I guess." He muttered softly, shifting a bit on the bed to get comfortable before welcoming the other into his little bubble of space.

Joshua was hesitant as he set the pillow aside and nuzzled into Valic, arms wrapping around the other's body as if he'd been holding him for the past few years. He was rather thin and bony, but he was warm, perfect for cuddling.

Valic merely hugged his arms around the other like the embrace shared moments before in the school building earlier that day, he gently rubbed the other's back and stared at the closet ahead of him to keep his mind clear. It wasn't cold in his room with the heat going, the blankets, the heavy clothing, and then the fact Joshua was there. "Is this better?"

"Yeah, I'll be able to sleep." Joshua muttered and hugged against Valic, his ead in the crook of the other's neck. He seemed so calm and blissful.

Valic nodded his head a little towards the words being spoken, he gently tugged the blanket up and tucked it around Joshua and himself to give off a secure and protected aura.

Joshua shut his eyes. The nightmare still scared him and he wanted to sleep, but couldn't. The small teen scooted closer and sighed.

At this point, Joshua was pressed up as firmly as possible to Val - who just let it happen since this was Joshua's routine. Val gave off a soft yawn, covering his mouth before trying to nuzzle under the blanket a little more, he hesitated a moment, "You know...you never did answer me earlier."

"About what?" Joshua asked, playing dumb a bit. He just wanted more time to think. He could just say no but then he'd break the promise he made. If he said yes…he'd be breaking that promise.

"Nev-..." Valic murmured softly, giving his back a soft pat, "About hanging out tomorrow... You just told me you planned to listen to music, you never gave me a clear answer." He looked to the closet again and felt another pang hit his stomach and a lump form in his throat, he screwed up again - but his recovery towards it was near swift.

Joshua sighed and looked away, eyes shut. "I know what you were talking about…I just don't know." He seemed scared to love again, as if he were glass and Valic could drop him and shatter.

"You can tell me 'no' and I won't get upset, Ill just...pretend we never had the conversation to prevent any mix up in the friendship we have now." Valic's grip wasn't as strong, it was a little more loose, but it was still there. "I'm not going to pressure you into anything, so just - take your time..." Valic looked at the door as his mother peeked in the room to see what was going on, she couldn't see Joshua because he was practically hidden away - she could just see Valic. She paused a moment before speaking, "I'm going out, I won't be back for another few hours so be good."

Joshua fell silent, so that Valic's mother wouldn't get suspicious. The small teen waited until she left to speak. "I just…everyone is always so…I don't…" He didn't know what to say.

"Don't stress over it - I can understand." Valic took it as a response for 'no', that Joshua was just trying to dance around the subject and other things. Valic pursed his lips a little bit, "Get some sleep, I may not be here when you wake up - I'll be making breakfast."

Joshua gave a small nod. He thought that the other knew he said 'maybe'. He shut his eyes and pretended to sleep. He still couldn't, no matter what.

Valic didn't sleep either, he didn't even pretend, he just grabbed the book of the table and placed it behind Joshua so that they could still snuggle and the light wouldn't hurt Joshua's eyes. He began to read in silence, the soft page flipping and breathing - the clock and vents were all the noise in the entire house.

Joshua stayed still and silent, his sides rising and falling ever so gently. He shut his eyes, allowing his thoughts to wander--and to listen to Valic's thoughts.

Valic's thoughts were nothing but memories the book had brought up - it was a sad story of a family having to live in a bomb shelter, that sparked up his own childhood memory at fourteen years out, just outside when the house exploded from a bomb and was nothing but a burning crater in the earth. Valic's thoughts - however - did switch around every now and again to whatever was distracting him, homework, a schedule, tutoring someone, Joshua, maybe a new pet, etc.

Joshua glanced down in his own thought then sat up, pushing the book aside. "Don't read that, it's sad." He mumbled out softly, looking at Valic.

Valic blinked when the pushed his book away and acted out - he actually though Joshua was asleep, so he was surprised the other just jumped up and did that. "But you never even saw the title of the book..." He murmured in confusion before picking it up and setting it on the table, flicking the little light off.

"Yeah I did." Joshua said, gazing at Valic. "You just…I was napping." He scooted closer to Valic and drew his legs up by his chest.

Valic gave a small nod and turned to lay on his back, pulling Joshua over to cuddle by his side with an arm draped over his shoulder - snow began to quilt the area around the, school would end up being canceled because of it.

Joshua gazed at Valic contently, he was starting to think that maybe he did like Valic…he was pretty build, which was more his taste. Not totally decked out in muscles but a few here and there. He shut his eyes.

Valic however, kept his eyes open and just stared at the roof of his room, which was painted with a cool icy blue glow in the dark paint that was invisible during the day and bright at night. He just stared at it and looked at the green glow in the dark that covered it - making a random map that was labeled like Neverland.

Joshua wanted to talk about something, considering the fact that he wasn't gonna sleep, but nothing happened. Finally he mumbled," I think I might like you too…"

Valic furrowed his brows and turned his head towards the other, "Is that so?" He murmured, his voice sounded tired but he didn't want to sleep - he couldn't even if he wanted to. "Why's that? I thought you weren't sure/said no earlier...."

"I wasn't sure." Joshua said, eyes shut. "I'm scared to try again, so soon…but it's better now than never, right?" He looked up at Valic with a gentle, quiet look. He seemed so cute and happy.

"I don't want it to be like that." He murmured, seeing as the other said 'better now than never', he wanted to be loved when the other was ready. He didn't want it to seem like he was being loved out of loneliness. "I don't want for you to just say yes..."

"Then what do you want?" Joshua asked, raising an eyebrow. He stretched out and sighed, shutting his eyes. He wasn't sure what to say.

"I don't know, but it seems like you're not confident in your answer." He already knew he was older than the other was, he was more mature as well and already knew what he wanted in someone if they were to get together. And the biggest part of that was to actually be desired and not to feel like a last resort.

Joshua gazed at Valic. "I just…I've never had a relationship that works out." He really wanted to have something work out with Valic, after all, he had promised.