It was the summer of dreams, that break just between fifth and sixth year. When the hot December air was bringing in endless heat waves, Calum could not have been more excited because he and Michael made plans to spend as much time as possible together in their off time.

And unlike most people’s plans, it actually happened for them. When Michael wasn’t over at Calum’s, Calum was at Michael’s. Luckily their parents didn’t seem to mind carting them to the other’s house when they were having so much fun.

Plus two eleven-year-old boys—well almost eleven, in Calum’s case—always had something to do. Michael had loads of video games and a guitar he sometimes let Calum mess around with—but Calum determined quickly that the guitar was not for him. Calum had football, but when Michael was over he didn’t really force him to play unless it was in the cool of the evening, so Calum’s house became the place where they watched tons of movies. Calum would guess they’d been through at least half a million by the end of break.

Both were lightweights and couldn’t stay up all night—though not for lack of trying. On more than a few occasions they’d woken up sometime mid-morning with Calum’s carpet indented on Michael’s cheek, a stream of drool trailing down Calum’s arm from his own mouth, and the home screen of whatever dvd they were watching running on a continuous loop.

They’d always rewatch the ending.

Calum was fond of the time they spent together. In fact, it was mostly because of the time they’d spent together that made it the summer of dreams. Michael was so interesting, and funny, and he always had something nice to say to him. He could go on for hours about any topic that interested them both. And Calum didn’t mind if he talked for a while in the dark of the night while they had both at least attempted to go to sleep. He liked hearing what Michael had to say. He couldn’t be more thrilled to have a best friend as caring and charismatic as Michael Clifford.

Michael’s neighborhood had a pool, and on certain nights of the week—specifically Friday and Saturday—the pool closed later at night than during a normal day. Calum loved, going to Michael’s house on the weekend because that meant night swims two days in a row. And while it was one of the only outdoor activities where he was in danger of having to talk to people he didn’t know, he just enjoyed being in the pool, freezing in the chilly water and being rewarmed by the concrete that still radiated heat after the sun was down.

Plus the games he and Michael would play he would consider to be better than all the other kids’ at the pool, because Michael was sort of a gaming legend and he always knew how to make it interesting. And on the off-chance other kids did join them, he was always helpful and kind to others, too—something Calum occasionally had to remind himself was okay.

Calum didn’t understand why the idea of Michael being friendly to someone else made him so upset. At least he didn’t until one Friday night after New Years.

He hadn’t seen Michael in way over a week. They went to the pool as normal, they had their swim trunks in plastic bags with towels and sunscreen—even though the sun would set soon, Micheal’s mother insisted and Calum was no one to fight it. They chatted about all the things they got for Christmas and Michael went on about a movie they were going to have to see soon. Calum giggled along with each of Michael’s hilarious New Years stories, grateful to be in the presence of his best friend again.

When they arrived to the pool the boys headed straight to the locker room and quickly changed out of their jeans. Calum was anxious to get back out in the water, it had been a while and he ached for the cool, unsteady rhythm of the water to soak him to the bone.

But when he turned around to ask Michael if he was ready, he saw something he never thought he’d see. His best friend in light purple swim shorts. This momentarily threw Calum off track because he didn’t expect it, it was so different from anything he’d ever seen Michael wear.

“Oh? You like my swim trunks?” Michael smiled that soft smile he got when he was proud of something. “They’re the GIR shorts I was telling you about.”

When Michael had described getting Invader Zim shorts, he for some reason had expected the shorts to be the same green color as the cartoon character for which it’s advertising, not a light purple...

“Do you like them?” Michael asked sort of suspiciously when Calum kept staring. The easy, proud smile was gone and Calum knew he had to act fast.

“Yeah, they’re cool, man,” Calum assured Michael. And Michael seemed to accept the answer. Whether or not he believed Calum, that was a different conversation.

“C’mon,” Michael said closing the locker, “I’ve been waiting for two weeks for your lame ass to get here so I could swim again.”

And when he started walking, Calum could see the little green cartoon decal on the side of the shorts.

On the walk to the water Calum found himself thinking about the color of his own shorts, the plain navy blue with a thin white stripe up the side. He wondered briefly what people would say if he wore purple shorts like that.

It wasn’t that he disliked them, he just couldn’t look away from them. Or Michael for that matter. And he felt that sort of weird tug at his stomach he’d sometimes felt during the summer. It wasn’t a bad or good, just sort of uncomfortable for a second, and then it’s gone.

“Dude, hurry up, I’ve been thinking about this game of Space Invaders forever,” Michael called from the edge already.

Calum walked faster—which it wasn’t running—and jumped in tugging Michael with him.

The water was still a little warm, but not for long. “Dickhead,” Michael shouted when he resurfaced.

Calum giggled and gave a few apologetic looks at the few displeased parents whose children were about to be exposed to the wrath of Michael Clifford. “You could have warned me you were gonna push me in!” Michael pushed a wave of water at Calum’s face.

Calum felt a little water go up the nose but was otherwise able to splash back playfully. But that only caused the two of them to get into a splash fight. Unfortunately a few poorly aimed splashes hit a couple of girls who were for some reason trying not to get their hair wet. Calum didn’t understand, nor did he care. Only about what Michael was gonna do next, because it was probably going to be evil.

But before Michael could act Calum held his hand out. “Truce!” He offered.

“As long as that means I win, then yes.”

“Fine, you win.”

Michael’s red lips formed a smirk, and he shook Calum’s hand. “Good. I wanna play our game anyway, so I forgive you.”

Calum smiled. “Whats so different about this game of Space Invaders, anyway?”

“Well usually we’ve been playing where I’m the alien, and you’re the guardian of earth—A-K-A: the pool. And that’s gonna stay the same, but this time it’s the final showdown. Winner takes all. No more Space Invaders till we aren’t sick of it anymore. Plus whoever wins doesn’t get splashed for a month, but they can splash however much they want.”

This intrigued Calum, because Michael was relentless when he’d splash. It always found a way to get caught in Calum’s nose and throat, and he would do anything to give Michael a taste of his own medicine. “You’re on!”

So the two set out. Calum in the middle of the pool, Michael along the side.

“You’ll never take this planet,” Calum called, getting in a vaguely defensive position.

“And you’ll never take me alive!” Michael called back, completely immersed in character. He dove under the water to swim at Calum—meaning he had to be quick to move out of the way.

The good thing about this game was the fact that it tired them both out relatively quickly. However this time—with splash immunity on the line—neither of them were willing to forfeit. Not even when it was mandatory break time. They just sat at the edge of the pool barely talking. Calum was going through strategies in his mind of how he could beat Michael.

And he didn’t know what he expected when he looked at Michael, but he was still wearing those shorts and Calum’s breath caught...

It was so easy to forget about them in the pool, but outside? Oh boy. It was worse than Calum even thought. He felt the pull in his stomach, and this time warmth spread across his face.

The sun was down now, and there was only the lights along the inside of the pool and the locker room building keeping their shapes from blending into the darkness. The moon was out too. Big and bright and beautiful.

Calum bit his lip lightly and looked over the profile of Michael’s face out of the corner of his eye, so it wasn’t noticeable. He felt that strange tug again and...

Oh.

It hit him all at once. And he didn’t know if he wanted to run away, or stay close. But he realized like a switched on lightbulb that Michael was the prettiest face he’d ever seen.

His blush grew worse then, and he only prayed nothing more telling happened, especially during their wait for the signal to let them back in the pool.

“Are you alright, man?” Michael looked at him with those soft eyes. Everything about him was so soft and kind and gentle and... fuck.

“Y-yeah,” Calum said unconvincingly. “Just cold.”

“The water is gonna be cold,” Michael smirked. “Are you sure you sure you’re gonna be able to defend Earth while your teeth are chattering?”

“You just wish you could get in my head,” Calum rolled his eyes trying to find some form of normal. “You’re never gonna win.”

“We’ll see about that...”

And as if on cue the bell rang to tell them they could get back in the pool, Michael jumped without hesitation making Calum scramble to swim faster than him. They reached the middle of the pool at the same time and stood in the not-too-deep water. Calum looking only slightly up at Michael.

“I have alien ships surrounding earth.” Michael narrowed his eyes at him.

“No you don’t.”

“Yes I do! They’re here and they’re awesome.”

“Prove it!”

But whatever Michael had planned it was cut short by the appearance of a firefly by the pool. He quickly pointed to it, “there! That! See? I told you!”

“How did you do that?”

Michael shrugged, “I’m a powerful intergalactic commander. I can call up some of my alien friends.”

“Too bad they won’t help you win the war,” Calum said and pushed Michael under the water in what he could only describe as a savage power move. Neither of them knew how to actually win Space Invaders. It was honestly just until one gave up, so Calum just had to outlast Michael.

Michael apparently couldn’t just take that, because Calum felt Michael’s hands wrap around his waist and pull him under the water. They shoved at each other under the water in an unspoken agreement to not go to the surface unless they were forfeiting.

Calum wasn’t even sure what was happening half the time, they were just flailing limbs at each other. Until at one point he kicked and noticed Michael wasn’t there anymore. And all at once, Calum remembered Michael’s bronchitis.

He found Michael on the surface leaning at the edge of the pool coughing out a lung. His mom was perched beside him giving him some water and saying something Calum couldn’t quite hear. Michael nodded in understanding.

Calum’s heart was racing when he reached the edge. “I forgot about your bronchitis... I’m sorry, Mikey. Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I just—. I need oxygen to live you know?” Michael coughed out a slight laugh.

Calum even smiled. “I won’t count that round.”

“No, you won fair and square.”

“Mike, I can’t just take the win like that. You were hurt.”

“I wasn’t hurt,” Michael rolled his eyes, “I thought I could hold my breath longer than I actually could. In any game that’s a valid reason not to win.”

Calum still didn’t feel right about it. “You wanna give up rights to splash me with no splash backs?”

“Don’t worry. I’m giving it to you, man,” Michael give him a pat on the back. “We both know if I had functioning lungs you would never have stood a chance.”

Calum could accept it because of that though.

They took it easy from then on, just swimming around the edge of the pool. Looking at the show of fireflies as they filled the dark off in the distance. It was just so magical to see.

Calum found himself watching both the fireflies, and Michael’s reaction to them. His face was lit up and he had that wondrous smile that Calum had long since found contagious. Now he at least understood why...

He looked back out to the horizon.

“Life is so much better with you, Cal,” Michael spoke unexpectedly.

Calum turned to him, brows furrowed but in interest, “what do you mean.”

“I’m not saying the fireflies wouldn’t be here if you weren’t here, but I probably wouldn’t be at the pool to see them,” Michael said. “This has been the best summer I’ve ever had.”

Calum smiled. “Me too.”

“I know.”

The drive back to Michael’s was quiet. Both of them were exhausted and cold, but warming now that they were in dry clothes again. Calum looked at the moon and the soft flicker of fireflies in the distance, and listened to Michael’s gentle breathing as he napped.

Calum was relieved to find out that Michael wanted to go to sleep early. And when they had both showered the chlorine from their hair and body, they curled up on Michael’s bed. Calum could feel the waves of the pool still like he was floating on the water.

It was so real, like in closing his eyes he could imagine he was just floating in a warm bath.

He felt the bed shift a little and then felt Michael’s breath on his upper arm. “Cal?” Michael asked in an almost small voice.

Calum hummed in response.

“Can I ask you something and it not be weird?”

Calum opened his eyes at that. “Okay?”

“Can you—?” He stopped, “can you like... hold me while I go to sleep. It saves blanket space...”

Calum’s heart jolted at that. “Uh, y-yeah,” He cleared his throat.

“That’s not weird for you?” Michael asked. He could almost hear the blush rushing to Michael’s face.

“I don’t see why it would be,” Calum assured him softly, even though his own heart was racing. “I almost killed you in the pool, the least I can do is comfort you.”

Michael in response, scoot himself closer to Calum and wrapped himself in Calum’s arms resting a head on his chest. “Your heartbeat is heavy,” Michael whispered softly.

“High blood pressure.” It wasn’t a lie, it just wasn’t the reason for his intense heartbeat this time. “It’s hereditary...”

Michael hummed in understanding. Whether or not he believed it he wasn’t giving away.

“I—. Uh... I liked your GIR shorts, by the way,” Calum said softly, and Michael giggled.

“You told me that already.”

“I know. Just wanted to give you a real compliment.”

Michael nodded. “Thank you,” Calum could hear the grateful smile.

He let himself breathe in the smell of Michael’s soap and was contented and elated and scared and everything all at once. He barely breathed, barely moved. He wanted to make Michael as comfortable as possible.

Somehow he felt like the whole summer had been leading up to this moment. The realization that he had new feelings for Michael, and then this. It seemed perfect, it seemed right. He never wanted the smell of Irish Spring to leave him. Or the warmth of Michael’s body. Or the sound of Michael’s breathing.

He held him gingerly, grazing soft innocent hands along Michael’s back. There was nothing else Calum would rather do than fall asleep with Michael in his arms for the rest of summer.

“Night, Cal,” Michael hummed contentedly. “Sweet dreams.”