High Tide (boyxboy)

Chapter 8: Under the tree

"I know...my eyes. I swear. I'm going to get contacts."

☆

Stan gets comfortable on a picnic bench under the shade of a large tree in one of the city's beautiful parks. The wind was breezy in the open spaces, so they were glad of the shelter. He looks across the table at Kai who is peeling back the plastic film on his prawn salad before unwrapping the plastic fork which came with it.

"I don't know how you can eat that." Stan says, turning his nose up at the small coral sea creatures resting on a bed of green, covered in a pinkish dressing. Kai looks up at Stan. 

"Have you ever tried it?"

Stan shakes his head. The thought alone was putting him off. 

"Try a bit...go on. I dare you." Kai puts a bit of prawn, sauce and lettuce onto his fork and holds it up.

Stan just looks at the fork being held up halfway betwen them, then sees those amazing aqua eyes looking directly at him. "You might like it." Kai adds, holding his fork a little closer. 

Before he can back out of it, Stan closes his eyes and leans forward taking the fork's contents into his mouth and begins to chew. The taste is tangy, different to what he's tasted before. He's still not sure if he likes it. He opens his eyes again to see Kai smiling at him. 

"What do you think?" 

Stan swallows it down without chewing further. He didn't want to taste any more. "Different." He decides to reply.

"Well at least now you know." Kai says and holds out a thumb to the corner of Stan's mouth. Stan pulls back a little.

"W...what are you doing?"

"Sauce ....you've got sauce on your face." Kai pulls his hand back, as if Stan is too dangerous to touch. 

Stan puts a hand to his mouth and wipes away some pinkish sauce.

Kai continues to eat his salad and Stan tucks into his sandwich. "I'm surprised you don't like seafood, with you coming from the coast and all." 

"I like some seafood, just not shellfish." Stan adds. "Considering you've never seen the sea for real, it's funny that you do."

Kai chuckles at this. "Yeah I guess it's strange. We can be drawn to places we've never visited, want to taste food we've never tasted, experience things we've never experienced. Isn't that the point of life. I mean if we don't challenge ourselves, take risks, try something new, we would still be living in caves."

"Caves?" Stan stops chewing his sandwich. 

"Yes caves." Kai continues. "I don't want to live in a cave."

Stan's mind instantly goes back to his traumatic cave experience, as a boy. Kai was casting doubt over Stan's mind yet again. He swallows down his mouthful should he ask?...

"Kai? Um...have you ever lived in a cave?"

"What?" Kai looks at Stan like he has lost his mind. "What sort of question is that? Do you think I am an animal." 

Stan shakes his head as if to dismiss the question altogether. "Doesn't matter, it..."

"It's what?"

"Are you sure you haven't lived by the sea?" 

Kai rests his fork on the plastic salad container. 'Stan...I am not that boy you are looking for...I can't even swim." 

"I'm sorry it's just you seem so familiar to me and your eyes..." 

"I know...my eyes. I swear. I'm going to get contacts." Kai chuckles.

"No, don't." Stan interrupts." I like them, they're like the ocean."

"That's actually really sweet." Kai can feel a small blush on his cheeks. "I didn't expect that from you."

"Neither did I." Stan chuckles in agreement. "Keep it to yourself."