Gilles tilted the boys head further up trying to get him to meet his gaze but no matter how high he tilted his face the boy just looked further down.  His pretty brown eyes were still shining with the last of the tears and Gilles wondered if he could help make better whatever the problem was.

Pretty eyes? Had he thought that? It must be the drink, it had to be. Gilles sat down on the bench near to him, feeling the coldness of the wood as he sat. He had hoped the other boy would sit with him but instead he turned as if he would still walk away.

“Don’t leave,” Gilles called, patting the bench beside him, “come and sit with me.”

“I don’t know you,” Avarin looked at him untrustingly, “why would you be interested in me? And anyway, you’re drunk.”

Gilles grinned, “I am drunk but I’m not that drunk and my name’s Gilles so now you do know me. Someone doesn’t just come into the park in the middle of the night and cry by themselves if there isn’t anything wrong, why don’t you come and tell me?”

“And someone doesn’t come and drink alone in the middle of the night,” Avarin shot back.

Sighing, Gilles took hold of Avarin’s wrist and pulled the boy to sit next to him. He didn’t want him to leave for some reason; it was like his own problems didn’t matter so long as he could help this boy. Silly? Maybe, but that was the way he felt.

“You didn’t tell me your name.”

“Avarin” he said quietly.

“Avarin? Can I call you Rin? Well Rin why don’t you try telling me what’s happened? You know sometimes it helps to share,” Gilles was feeling less light-headed now than he had ten minutes ago.

“Why do you care?” Avarin replied, ‘and you didn’t even give me a choice of whether you could call me Rin,’ he thought to himself.

“I don’t know,” Gilles replied honestly, “but isn’t it better that someone cares?”

Was it better that someone cared? Avarin wasn’t sure he wanted the attention, perhaps being alone was better. After all no one liked him for who he was, not even himself, so Gilles was bound to get bored soon and dislike him just like everyone else.  He sat pondering this for so long that Gilles began to think he was ignoring him.  Avarin suddenly felt a bottle pressed to his lips and upended so that he was forced to drink or choke.  The cool liquid burnt a fiery path down his throat into his stomach but strangely it warmed him and made him feel a little better.  When Gilles lowered the bottle instead of glaring at him Avarin was watching him quizzically.

“It might not be the solution to all problems,” Gilles announced plopping back on the bench and drinking some himself, “but it sure beats sitting alone and crying doesn’t it?”

Avarin was totally mystified as to what Gilles purpose was for being here harassing him but he was sure of one thing, he was starting to be grateful of the company.  He wondered what exactly Gilles had been doing out here alone in the middle of the night by himself.  If he had been with friends then they would have shown themselves by now.

“If you’re so worried about me,” Avarin stated, “why is it you’re out here drinking alone?”

“I came from a party with some friends.”

“That doesn’t explain why you’re now out here alone, if you came from a party why didn’t you go home?” Avarin wouldn’t let him avoid the question a second time.

“Well I was going home, but you know when home is a lonely place it’s not always a good place to be,” taking another swig from the bottle Gilles grinned, “but I’m not alone now so I don’t need to worry about going home.”

“That’s the reason you came over to me?  Because you’re lonely?”

“I guess perhaps that was my original reason, yes.  Don’t get me wrong, I like you, so you don’t need to worry.”

Blinking Avarin looked back at Gilles, “you like me?  Why do you like me?  No one likes me.”

“Who told you that?” Gilles was a little shocked that the cute red haired boy in front of him believed no one liked him.

“My step dad hates me, mum is only interested in what he wants and I don’t have any friends.  No one needs to tell me, it’s obvious either way,” Avarin turned away.

“Well I don’t hate you,” Gilles announced, throwing his arm around Avarin’s shoulders, “and that must count for something right?  Why don’t you have some more to drink and we can forget everything for the night and have some fun.”

“Fun?” Avarin couldn’t see how, “in the middle of an abandoned park at night?”

“Sure why not.  Maybe we could tell some ghost stories and see which of us gets scared first,” grinning he pulled Avarin against him meaning to tip the bottle up to his lips again but Avarin sat up straighter at the same time and their lips bumped awkwardly.

Gilles blinked, staring straight into Avarin’s maple eyes from only an inch away and froze.  Caught in that lost stare he couldn’t seem to pull away.  Avarin looked unsure, like he was lost in some strange dream that he didn’t know what to make of, but he hasn’t pulled away.  Gilles brought their lips together again before he could change his mind, drunken thoughts mingled with what little self-control he had left and warred with each other but when he felt Avarin respond and lean into the kiss the drunken thoughts won.  The smaller boy pressed his lips back against Gilles’, a fine tremble running through him as he did.

Avarin didn’t understand why he was leaning into the kiss.  He should have been pulling back in disgust, should have been running but he didn’t want to.  The alcohol had gone to his mind, not being used to it had made him a little fuzzy on that small amount and his foggy mind seemed to reason that if Gilles liked him then wasn’t this okay?  If Gilles was the only person that liked him for who he was then it didn’t matter if he was another man.

Feeling Avarin respond, Gilles deepened the kiss a little and touched the tip of his tongue to Avarin’s soft lips.  He felt delicate under Gilles touch and he realised he was running his hands up and down Avarin’s back without realising it.  Avarin was leaning against him now; he could feel his heart hammering like a trapped bird against his ribcage and his tongue come tentatively forward to touch Gilles’.  Taking courage from this, Gilles parted his lips and slid his own tongue along the smaller boys’.  He felt Avarin inhale under his hands and feel the other boys’ tongue explore his own mouth.

After a moment Gilles pulled back.  He noted the dazed look on Avarin’s face and wondered if that was the alcohol or the kiss.  Avarin didn’t move, just looked up at him with large eyes, waiting for the next move.

Gilles smiled kindly, “have we drunk too much?”

Avarin shook his head then nodded then shook his head again, “I don’t know,” he admitted finally, “but I know that made me forget I’m hated.”

“I told you,” Gilles replied, exasperated, “I don’t hate you. There isn’t anything wrong with you, it’s you’re mother and step father’s fault for not seeing that not yours.”

Avarin shook his head again and Gilles leant forward to try and make Avarin believe.  He put his hand out to steady himself and it cupped around Avarin’s thigh.  The smaller boy shivered and shifted on the bench.  Gilles looked down and could see what reaction he had had to the kiss.  He hadn’t realised that Avarin had liked it that much.  He didn’t know what Avarin wanted but he still hadn’t leant away from him so he slowly ran his hand up and rubbed the bulge in the red heads pants.

Avarin went limp, leaning his back against the back of the bench and his eyes fluttered closed.  His back arched a little and he tilted his hips into Gilles hand.

“Do you want me to,” Gilles gestured to his crotch, “or is it the drink?”

“It’s the drink,” Avarin gasped, “but do it anyway; you’re the only person that’s ever said they like me.”

Gilles would normally have asked again to make sure but his own head was so filled with the effects of the alcohol he didn’t think to ask a second time.  He slid Avarin’s pants over his hips while the other boy tipped them up to allow him to.  His boxers had slid down, caught under them, and Gilles bit his lip looking at the other boys’ erection.  This is not the sort of thing he usually did after a party but some how it seemed right with Avarin, something was there that he hadn’t felt before.

He slid a hand over the boys’ member and heard him gasp involuntarily.  Curling his fingers he circled Avarin and rubbed the smooth skin under this thumb.  Avarin’s breath caught and he pressed up into Gilles’ hand.  The sight of the other boy straining like that made Gilles want to help so he started moving his hand, stroking the tender flesh.

Avarin bit his lip, stopping the cry that wanted to escape and panted lightly through his nose.  It didn’t even occur to him that he was doing this with another boy or that they were in the middle of a park.  He could feel flashes of pleasure lancing through his body from where Gilles touched and this was all that mattered.  The sensations arched his back and made his breath catch in his throat.  Gilles’ hand sped up and he whined between his teeth not to moan.  The pleasure was getting stronger, making a pressure build in the pit of his stomach and he fought it, not wanting it to end yet.

Gilles watched, eyes widening as Avarin fought not to moan and squirmed under his ministrations.  The boy was beautiful and he never thought he would say that about another boy.  He twisted his hand lightly as he stroked and Avarin moaned lightly around his bitten lip.  There was no one here to hear them and Gilles wanted to hear that noise again.  He twisted his hand harder and Avarin arched off the bench, crying out and spraying his hot essence onto Gilles’ hand. 

Avarin felt his body go leaden after the wave of pleasure had passed.  He had never felt more tired in all his life.  It was like that one act had drained all his energy and left him wanting to sleep.  The alcohol haze had lifted more from his mind and he wondered at what he had allowed himself to do.  It was fine though, if Gilles really did like him at least there was one person in the world that did.  He might never see Gilles again after tonight and it had been worth the risk to allow himself this one night of happiness.  He opened his eyes a touch and noticed that Gilles was looking down at him smiling pleasantly.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

“I’m fine,” Avarin’s voice was husky and sounded odd even to him, “I’m just tired.”

Gilles’ smile widened.  Lying back along the bench he patted his chest, “come and lay down for a while.”

Avarin crawled up between Gilles’ legs and lay with his head cradled against the golden-eyed boys’ chest.  He felt Gilles start to stroke his hair and allowed this to lull him into a peaceful sleep.

Gilles fully intended to allow Avarin a few hours sleep and then wake him.  He should really sober up more himself before he went home after all.  He stroked the red hair under his hand and watched the stars over head in the clear sky.  It was a beautiful night, almost as if it was magical, and maybe it was, this night had been far from normal after all.

He could hear Avarin’s breathing slow into sleep and the sounded lulled him, making him relax against the hard bench.  He slipped off to sleep without even meaning to.

*_*_*_*_*_*

Gilles woke when someone pushed his shoulder.  He sat up rubbing his eyes and looked straight into the face of a disgruntled park attendant.  The attendant wandered off muttered something about drunken teens and someone fixing the railings so they couldn’t get in.

Looking around Gilles found he was alone.  There was no one there on the bench with him, his empty alcohol bottle lay tipped on its side next to the bench but there was no sign of Avarin.

Jumping up he jogged after the man who had woken him, “excuse me, did you see another boy there with me?” he asked.

The man turned, “there was no one, no one but you.  You were dreaming things and you should go home.”

Gilles wandered back to the bench and looked down at it as if he would get answers there.  He hadn’t dreamt it, Avarin had been real, he was sure.  But look as he did he could find no sign that the other boy had ever been there.  Had he really gotten drunk and fallen asleep alone on the park bench?  If he had why would he dream of a red haired boy with a streak of black in his fringe and lost brown eyes?

Shaking his head he turned and headed for home.  Less of the alcohol and more solving problems, he berated himself.  If he ever saw Avarin again he would make sure the boy wasn’t lonely any more, he swore it, but for now he had to get home and clean up before someone saw him in such a state.