"Yeah, Jake you're rooming with Caiden," Caiden could hear Taylor shout, indicating she was in her own space, probably already unpacking.

Jake genuinely struggled to hide every emotion he wore on his giving face. He was over the moon, yet under the weather over spending his quarters with the boy in the white t. Jake could feel Caiden's eyes on him, reading and dissecting every feeling he had been badly concealing.

"Your face is a poem," Caiden whispered, his lips brushing against Jake's ear, while making his way up the stairs.

Now would have been the perfect time for his feet to transport him on their own, just like they have in the past, but it seemed like they wanted to stand still, allowing his mind to run a mile a minute.

'Work, damn it!' Jake heard himself yell at his lungs, as his breathing had terminated itself without permission. His unsteady breathing began slowly, sounding like a destroyed car engine, needing to be looked at.

"Coming, Jake?" Caiden watched as the statue of Jake completely halted right by the first step, as he was almost at the end of the staircase. He somewhat enjoyed how a simple touch can earn him that reaction.

"Huh? Yeah..." Jake finally snapped out of his trance, following the dark haired boy. "Last door to the left, Caiden." Jake sounded more confident than he had felt at that very moment.

Caiden nodded, complying with the instructions given, before trying the knob on the wooden door. The door opened, exposing the dark blue colored walls.

If Jake hadn't gone into full panic mode earlier, he definitely felt himself drowning into quicksand at the very moment Caiden had opened the door.

Jake took a deep breath, trying the exercises taught to him by his old therapist, Ariel.

Trapped. That's how Jake had felt. He was in his room with some boy who could easily strip him of his respiratory system with nothing but a look, and had, in all likelihood, not a single clue that Jake was that affected by it.

"Jake, breathe. You're not alone," If Caiden hadn't spoken, Jake would have probably not known that Caiden had his hands on his shoulders, with their eyes meeting and their lips not even centimeters apart.

It was then that Jake registered what Caiden had said, realizing that was the issue. He wasn't alone and Jake appreciated his isolation.

"Here, Jake," Caiden reached out for the water bottle in his bag.

Jake wanted to yell about needing distance, but in all honesty, he didn't mind Caiden invading whatever was left of his personal space.

Caiden opened the bottle, handing it to him, watching closely as the curly haired lad gulped down a quarter of the filled container.

"You good?" Caiden, once again, was merely inches from the boy before him, studying every feature on his exhausted face.

Unable to speak, Jake nodded as a reply towards the raven haired boy. Though he wasn't fully sure if the nod was a complete lie, or not the full truth, he decided a nod was best. Jake didn't need someone he'd probably never speak to again pitying or worrying about him.

Inside, however, Jake had known that was false. He was almost positive he would see Caiden constantly, as he was Landon's roommate.

Landon didn't invite just anyone to the lake house; it had to be someone he truly thought would fit with the others for the person to receive a request to join.

Caiden, though, was never one to pity anyone, and sure he didn't know much, or anything at all about the boy, but he felt a sudden ping in his chest filled with worry. Especially, after watching Jake slowly break down with no explanation.

"I can sleep on the couch, if that's what's bothering you," Caiden spoke, his eyes shifting to the queen sized bed behind him.

Jake simply shook his head in reply, before running out of the room and towards the bathroom. He could feel himself slowly suffocating with the walls caving in, again, as his own footsteps sounded loudly.

Before he could get to the restroom, an arm pulled him into another space. Being met with brown eyes of worry, Jake took a seat on the floor, once the door had been closed.

"Spill," Taylor spoke, handing him a tissue and some water.

What's with people and their water?

"Your dumbass really wants me to share a bed with a stranger?" Jake emptied the bottle within seconds, calming down.

"Actually, you're in need of a good fuck," Taylor nodded, her face as serious as ever.

"Tay, not everyone is sex obsessed," Jake instantly reverted back to himself, rolling his eyes.

"Well, when you have a desert for a hole, I understand why you wouldn't be," Tay shrugged, helping him up.

"At least I don't have a forest," Jake stuck his tongue out, leaving the room.

Before he could make his way back to his room, he was met with the eyes that seeped into him not even minutes before. The dark chocolate eyes were written with utter concern and apprehension.

"I was thinking some fresh air would be good for you, Jake," Caiden spoke, a smile gracing his handsome face.

Jake couldn't help but want to smack the prettiness off of Caiden, so he'd be able to breathe normally, again.

"That's a great idea, Caiden. Jake, a walk is necessary at the moment," Taylor was too excited, and that was never a good thing.

"I hate you," Jake rolled his eyes at his friend, before following the broad shouldered boy down the stairs.

****

Blue skies and sunshine surrounded Jake and Caiden as they walked side by side to wherever the road led them. The two made their way a little ways away towards the town.

Jake wanted to show Caiden the lake, but calming down was the first thing on his to do list.

"Sleeping with me won't completely hurt you," Caiden's voice sounded, as the two walked along a small street. "I don't bite."

"Who says I had a problem with biting?" Jake retorted, walking into a small corner store, grabbing two icees and handing one to the boy beside him. Once paying for the ice pops, the two continued their walk.

"What about sleeping with me?" Caiden could feel his pants getting tighter, watching a very oblivious Jake sucking on the popsicle in hand.

"Why would I sleep with someone I look forward to avoiding?" Jake raised a brow, taking a seat on a bench the two found.

"That method has been working for me for years, babe."

"Don't babe me," Jake chuckled, shaking his head.

Why had those words tasted like venom?

Just hearing Caiden's words made Jake feel a hint of jealousy.

Though, Jake wasn't sure what or who he was jealous of.

He was sat cross legged facing the raven haired lad. "It would be kinda hard to avoid me on this trip."

"Okay, what about darling?" Caiden tried again, earning himself a scrunched nose from the curly haired boy with a shaking of the head, once more.

"First off, I don't do pet names, because there aren't any that are original and not overused. Also, what's wrong with my name?" Jake answered, his mind still on the fact that the boy he was slowly becoming infatuated with was somewhat of a whore.

"I guess I've become accustomed to calling others by pet names, I didn't notice how unoriginal they are," Caiden was taken aback by what Jake had said. He was almost sure he would have Jake wrapped around his finger by now.

But Jake Hart was no ordinary human. He felt things in ways others didn't, but also understood facts and logic on a complex level.

"Say what you will, Jake, I'm still getting you in bed, tonight," Caiden, once more, had his lips brushing against the boy's ear. His deep, seductive voice had Jake practically begging, though he was unsure for what.

****

Some time later, the two were approaching the lake house, when Jake absentmindedly took Caiden's hand in his, leading him towards the back. Sparks of electricity sped through their veins, like a California wildfire. Jake pushed the feeling away, unable to focus on anything but the water, while Caiden welcomed the foreign feeling.

Caiden had the desire to question his kidnapper where the two were heading, but decided a surprise wasn't something he was against. Keeping the pace, the two ran through a small forest adjacent to the lake. Several moments later, the two were in a very secluded part of the forest.

Swarms of butterflies flew in a circling pattern, like a pack of wolves, who never roam alone. Birds of every color and size surrounded the two. Caiden was in awe, trying to take in the scenery engulfing him.

The stream of the lake followed through the middle of the forest, with schools of fish swimming by. A growing grin dressed Jake's face, watching as Caiden stood in the middle of it all.

"This is my favorite part of this area," Jake sat with his back to the first tree he had seen.

"Wow," was all Caiden could word, completely immersed by everything he had just witnessed.

Taking a seat beside Jake, Caiden felt heat rise to his cheeks, noticing their hands were still linked. Though he could bask in the unknown feeling, Caiden caught Jake's attention, hazel eyes meeting brown ones.

A void of emptiness filled the two when they were forced to separate their hands, as Jake's phone rang and he had to reach for it.

"Yo, J, you good?" Landon's voice sounded through the phone.

"Yup, I am," Jake replied, his eyes on the other boy's palm.

Why had he been feeling so vacant without their hands interlocked? Jake could ask himself a million questions, but now was absolutely not the time, nor place, as he had the other boy right beside him, and Landon in his ear.

"We're gonna head to lunch if y'all wanna come. We're thinking Gabby's," Landon spoke, bringing Jake back to reality.

"You hungry?" Jake watched as Caiden brushed his hair back with his hand.

It was at that moment that Jake proclaimed what surrounded the two wasn't nearly as beautiful as when Caiden did anything at all.

"Me?" Caiden wore a smirk on his cocky face, seeing as the boy beside him was watching him intently.

With a nod, Jake replied to Caiden.

"I can eat," Caiden shrugged.

"We're gonna leave in like twenty minutes. Kai is doing his hair," a very annoyed Landon retorted.

Jake laughed, knowing they could be there for hours. Kai took longer on his hair than Taylor took scolding Jake for anything in life.

"We'll be there in ten," Jake spoke, before hanging up.

Maybe it was out of habit, or just instinct, but Jake felt himself lay his head down on Caiden's lap. It was something he did around Landon and Taylor.

"Sorry... I..." Jake began, but felt too embarrassed to even raise his head.

"What's with the *NSYNC hair?" Caiden found himself playing with the boy's curls.

"Excuse me?" Jake furrowed his brows, looking up at chocolate brown eyes.

"The frosted tips, Jake. I mean, when do you perform? Can I come see you in concert?"

"Tay got bored one day a few months back and tried to bleach her own hair. Her hair turned a disaster, and to make her feel better, I let her do mine." Jake giggled, repeating the boy's words. "Frosted tips."

"I don't think I'd let Ava or Eli fuck with my hair," Caiden thought out loud, then remembered a time when they did. "Well, not anymore, anyway."

Jake was intrigued, giving him a face that said go on.

"I lost a bet a year and a half ago that allowed them to give me a buzz cut; it wasn't pretty." Caiden laughed, recalling how ridiculous he looked, "I need my hair; my head is shaped weirdly without it.

"I'm thinking of cutting mine, actually. It's getting too messy to deal with," Jake replied, getting up and brushing the grass off of his clothes.

"It's more fun to pull when it's long," Caiden left Jake speechless in his tracks, for the umpteenth time that day, while he began towards the house.

Click. Click.