Count Your Burdens

Late Night Lake Night

Jade's POV

So, after that roller coaster of emotions back at the run down Weinerschnitzel, we decided to go back to the lake. I'm glad we did, because I had accidentally left my sleeping bag.

Right when we got there, I climbed up the rope ladder, and onto the platform. Nat followed, of course, and found some I cracked glow sticks to use for when the sun went down.

I stood at the ledge and looked down at the lake, and Nate must've noticed my shiver. He came up behind me and wrapped his arms gently around my waist.

"You know, when you do that I feel really safe... I don't know why, but it makes me feel protected," I held his hands with mine, while he kept holding onto me.

"Good," he smirked and nuzzled his face against my cheek, "I want you to feel protected." He almost whispered.

This was new for me, because Nat and I weren't making snide remarks. We were being nice, and I loved it.

"Thank you... Nat, thank you for making me feel better," I said, then turned to face him and hugged him tightly.

"It's okay, J," he smiled and hugged me tightly, then kissed the top of my head, "I promise," he spoke softly.

I decided that I had to lighten things up, because I could tell he was still tense.

"Jump in the lake with me?" I asked, and then grabbed onto the swing rope.

"C'mon J, no way you're getting in when it's already so cold," he scoffed.

That's better, I thought silently.

"Damn right I will!" I poked him and jumped off the platform, into the icy lake. That was a mistake, it was way colder than I anticipated.

Next thing I know that big lug is next to me.

"I guess I was wrong, huh?" He chuckled under his breathe and peeled off his T-shirt.

This was the first time I had ever really noticed how built Nat was. His arms were muscular, but not over the top, just really strong. His veins were mildly visible on his forearm, and his pecs were meaty from football. Nat had and too, and I started staring at his chest unconsciously.

Earth to Jade! Earth to Jade! Abort, abort!

I snapped out of it, but couldn't believe I had been staring. When I looked up Nat was already staring at my eyes, and I blushed intensely.

"S..sorry," I stuttered embarrassingly.

"It's okay," he looked down, "Just surprised, I guess," he responded coolly.

I realized that I should probably slip out of my soggy clothes too, which I did. Afterwards, I retired my bikini top, because it had loosened a bit.

Eventually, I thought Nat would stare, but he didn't. We swam, and talked, and splashed each other, and he was wholeheartedly focused on me. Not how I looked, just how I was with him.

"Hey Nat," I had climbed up onto a rock, while playing Marco Polo, "Are you a virgin?"

"Marco! Woah! Slow down there," he chuckled, and I couldn't help but do the same.

"Polo! C'mon, I'm just curious. I mean, I am, I figure you aren't. You're a grade above me," I mumble.

"Fish out of water!" He screeches.

"Dammit," I whisper to my self.

"But you're right," he calls back as he opens his eyes, "I'm not a virgin," he swims over to me and climbs up onto my rock.

"Why does it matter J?" He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls my into his lap.

"I don't know, really, just curious," I speak quietly and look at his eyes. Sometimes I forget how golden they are...

"Sure thing Sorsin," he smirked softly.

Nat's POV

Woah, she's looking right at ya, big guy.

For once, my subconscious was kinda normal.

"For reals, just curious," she sighed softly and looked away, but started again, "I mean... I don't know, I think I have feelings for you... And damn, I want to kiss you again, that and I absolutely love being held by you. Not even intimately, just to have my skin on yours feels like a tsunami of new nerve endings meeting," she shifted her gaze back onto me.

"Well I.. I don't know what you're expecting J," I stuttered, honestly.

But before I could come up with anything else she had wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed my lips. She was right, it wasn't meant intimately. Not in the steamy, sexy, porno kind of way. Just a kiss, a gentle and plush motion of tugging and returning our lips.

"Nat.." J's voice was shaky, "can we go back up to the platform?"

I nodded and carried her out of the Lake, then followed her up the rope ladder.

J pulled on an oversized sweater and lay her sleeping bag out flat, so it would be more like a mattress. She held her arms open in expectation of a hug, so I crawled over and hugged her, pulling her against my chest.

J's wide eyes peered up at me, and next thing I know she's kissing me again. This time, more passionately. J bit my lip lightly, and placed her hands on my chest, ever so gently.

"J.." I was hesitant as I looked at her, "are you sure about this?" I rested my forehead on hers and nibbled on her lip while she breathed on my lips.

"I'm positive Nat," she slid her hands up my chest and around my neck, then wrapped her legs, still wet and cold, around my hips.

God, that girl got to me.. All the time, in so many ways, on so many levels.

I kissed her deeply, and intimately, unlike any other kiss we'd shared. I held her waist softly and slowly pried my lips off of hers, and kissed her neck instead.

J's soft moans were practically fueling me. It only encouraged me to kiss her with a whole new burning passion, to hold her in an entirely novel sense of protection, and most definitely to want her with me all the more.

"J," I pulled her legs off of me, "I feel like this isn't right," she pouted after I spoke, actually pouted. Jade Sorsin- pouting- over me...

"What? Nat, cmon, why not?" Jade whined, and I groaned.

Her eyes widened, "N-Nat?" She looked at me curiously, and I but my bottom lip. My eyes stared at her lips, and I grunted under my breathe, it's almost like she engulfed me this time. Her hair fell over her shoulders, and water dropped down her bikini top, over her stomach, into her thighs. Everything about her made me need her to be making love with me.

Abruptly, nothing I had thought mattered. I pinned her beneath me on her sleeping bag and kissed her roughly, and yet so calmly. J's breathing was deep, and staggered, but it was her breathing, which made me feel incredible. Jade was breathing like that because she wanted me too, his as much as I had needed her.

She wrapped her arms around my back and clawed at it softly, then I gripped her waist a bit tighter. Jade began kissing my neck, and leaving hickeys on my chest.

"Jade," I almost moaned her name, but it came out weakly. It came out softly and tiredly, because she was honestly filled with so much more intensity than I was right then and there, that she was sucking energy out of me.

"Jade," I said again, a bit stronger this time, "I really am tired," I pushed a strand of hair from her face and kissed her neck lightly, "We should break the glow sticks and get settled in your sleeping bag," I bit her lip and looked at her, "Okay?"

She nodded and and laughed quietly after I but her lip, "Okay Nat," her smirk made me light up, "Definitely okay." She winked and began fixing up the sleeping bag.

I knew what Jade meant. I, no, we were okay. Her and I were a we, an us, and that had been more than okay.