Through It All

Chapter 3

"Could you put those away?"

Up turns from where he's crouched, rifling through his open suitcase to find Kao looking at him, one eyebrow raised accusingly.

"Excuse me?" Up asks, defensive.

Kao flinches, taken aback. "It's just, wouldn't- wouldn't it be easier to hang all of that up?" he stutters. He moves to leave for the bathroom, but Up stops him, deciding the argument isn't over.

"Why are you parenting me?" Up snips, standing up to fully face Kao, his hands on his hips.

Kao visibly falters, his eyes wide while his mouth slowly opens and closes, clearly uncertain of how to respond. "I'm sorry," he eventually concedes, his hands up in front of him in surrender.

Up instantly deflates, all the contentious energy leaving his body at once, and he turns away from Kao to leave the bedroom. "I'm gonna just go for a walk, cool off," Up mutters, making his way over the threshold, not even taking a moment to slip his sandals on and instead just picking them up on his way out the cabin, crossing the boardwalk into the sand.

He drags his feet away from the cabin, edging slowly through the sand close to where the tide reaches the beach, his feet in the water.

Eventually, he finds a dock, only long enough to moor a few canoes, and sits on the end of it, his toes skimming the water. He lets the feeling of forlorn encase him, realizing that things have shifted so much, that what once would have been playful bickering, has resulted in Up alone on a dock, his husband back at the cabin.

He doesn't know how long he stays there, but eventually, he's joined by two more people, and when he turns to see who they are, he's greeted by the softly smiling faces of two beautiful women.

"Where's your man?" the one with wine-colored hair asks, without any prompting.

"Uh," Up says, completely taken aback by the direct friendliness.

The one who spoke giggles, turning to the dark-haired woman next to her. "I told you we should've handled this more delicately," she says, the dark-haired woman rolling her eyes playfully.

"We're in the cabin next to yours," the dark-haired woman explains. "I'm Mariam, and this is my wife, Reevi." She motions between the two of them, smiling brightly at Up. "We couldn't help but notice how lonely you looked."

Up tries to force a smile, but it must look just as much like a grimace as it feels, because Reevi's eyebrows pinch together in concern, and Mariam reaches across her wife to gently grasp Up's hand in her own.

"Trouble in paradise?" Mariam asks, her tone soothing. When Up stays quiet for a moment, Mariam retracts her hand, her expression shifting to apologetic. "Oh, I'm so sorry, we're overstepping. We'll let you be."

They move to stand, only to stop in a crouch once Up speaks up. "Wait, no, I'm sorry," he murmurs, looking up at them. "I'm Up."

Reevi smiles warmly, settling back down beside Up while Mariam moves to his opposite side.

Up sighs, and thankfully, the two women give him a moment to collect his thoughts, closing his eyes for a moment to center himself. He breathes out, opening his eyes and tilting his head back, gazing up to the sky.

"I'm here with Kao but I may as well be vacationing on my own," he explains. "And we keep fighting."

Reevi and Mariam give him a moment before they speak up. "The two of you were on the hike yesterday, though," Mariam points out.

Up snaps his gaze towards her, confused. Mariam puts her hands up, placating. "We were also there, Up, I promise we're not tracking you."

"Sorry," Up murmurs, relaxing. "I realize that's obvious, now, I'm just so on edge lately."