The Bright Side

Chapter 14 - Part 2

TRISTAN

I need to diffuse the bomb. That's my first thought as I wake up to a steady beeping sound somewhere close. I open my eyes and frantically search my surroundings that seem totally unfamiliar in the first few seconds of being awake. Light emanates from the window and bathes stacks of books and magazines, clothes and shoes, video games and drawing equipment in a pastel shade of yellow light. It makes Sky's mess look like a still life. Sky. The penetrating blast belongs to his alarm clock. I scan the room for the source of the sound. His bedside table is cramped with pieces of paper, a few worn down pencils, screws that probably belong to one of his boards and three packets of chewing gum in varying states of almost emptiness. I lift the side of the paper sheets desperately hoping to find the alarm underneath but there are only books. The floor beneath the bed is covered with our clothes and shoes on top of some stapled printouts that sure seem like essays, but no alarm.

"Sky!" I turn around towards the wall, expecting to see a startled Sky frantically searching for the alarm, but all I see is a bulge underneath the blanket. He's completely invisible, you can't see as much as an inch of skin. And by the regular up and down of his body where I suspect his chest to be, I can tell that he's still fast asleep. I pull the sheets from his head and shake his shoulders.

"Sky! Where's the fricking alarm?"

His eyes fly open and it takes him a moment before his brain is ready to see to the problem. He scrambles towards the end of the bed and pulls the clock out from between the mattress and the frame, with the only effect that it becomes even louder. He hits against several buttons before finally the world is a quiet, eerie place again. I let myself fall back into the cushions and rub my hands over my face. Morning has come way too soon. I'm all groggy from sleep deprivation and I'm all alert from being in Sky's bed. The mattress tilts on Sky's way back to the head end and as he comes to lie beside me, I turn towards him. Sky's smile is shy, but it's a smile and it's more of a smile than I would've expected, without hesitating and without biding my actions first. I smile back, a huge and crooked smile I suspect, but that's alright because I want Sky to see that I'm alright.

"How did you sleep?" Sky asks. His head is lying on the cushion across from mine and his hands are tucked under.

"Like a baby." I slowly move in closer and entangle my legs with his; a hesitant hand sneaks onto my waist and Sky kisses me carefully. "It was the best night ever."

"Yeah, it was." I can feel his sprouting stubble against my chin.

Sky's long muscular legs move against mine and his hand slides underneath the hem of my shirt. It lingers right above my hip bone just as warm as my skin. The tip of my tongue parts his lips and I move in closer. He's warm and a layer of sleep clings to his patchouli scent. I am distressed by his touch and feel, but my whole body still surges towards him. I push myself closer to the limitations of my mind. It's okay to want this. I just need to let myself have it. And most importantly: to let him have it, too, and not make it all about me again.

As my thigh comes up against his balls, a quiet moan hums in his chest. I trace his abs with my fingertips, slowly crawling downwards. I can feel him harden against my belly and I hook my fingertips behind the waistband of his briefs. His thumb presses against my groin, just inches away from where I actually want him to touch me. My breathing is picking up in an attempt to overtake Sky's subtle panting. I'm so aroused that I'm afraid it will be over before he actually touches me. He pulls away a bit, asking me if he can go on without needing words. I swallow hard and nod. I can hear my own heartbeat. His fingertips barely graze the front of my boxers and my moan comes out as a croak. I'm suddenly not sure I can do this anymore. Sky immediately takes his hand away. He pulls me closer to his body and moves his lips against mine until I've calmed down a bit. This is insane. I'm completely freaked out and I want to give in at the same time; I just need to shove my anxiety aside. I can do this.