When You Fall - {Salvis}

Chapter 8.

Sal and Travis were laying down on the pebbles of the small beach, staring up at the moonlight shining through the tree leaves.

"I'm so happy right now. I think might explode." Travis whispered, gazing into the light. He could float there forever.

"Yeah that's what it does." Sal said, absentmindedly running his hand through the tiny rocks, basking in the sounds of the lake and forest.

Travis had never felt like this before, he didn't know what he felt. He felt invincible, like he could do anything without consequence. His mind was mush, but he liked it. He couldn't bring himself to worry about anything. He was everything, all at once. He felt truly at peace. A little too warm maybe, but that didn't matter.

"Travis sit up, I want to show you something." Sal said.

The two were sitting criss cross. facing eachother so closely he thought they might bump foreheads, taking in each other's breaths of air.
Sal reached behind his own head, slowly unclipping his prosthetic. Travis couldn't process what was happening until it happened, he was seeing Sal without his prosthetic for the very first time.
Sal slowly pulled it off his face with one hand and rested it in his lap, making direct eye contact with Travis.

Travis stared, Sal's eyes were even bluer than his hair, he was magnificent. He could barely see any of the healed gore in front of him, because his mind was making him see spirals in Sal's torn flesh. He lifted a finger and started to gently trace the scars. He was missing almost all of his left jaw, and his teeth seemed perfect but they were fake, his left eye seemed fake too. His left nostril looked like it had collapsed and there were small cuts going through his  eyebrow. All the skin on that side of his face was either scarred or burned down to his shoulder.
He cupped Sal's face with both his hands, and Sal did the same to him.

"Happy early birthday." Travis whispered though he didn't know why, looking into his hypnotic eyes.

"Thank you." Sal whispered back, smiling wildly.



By the time they got back to their camp everyone was asleep, but the fire was still going. Since the rest of the group was outside near the fire with their blankets, the two resided in the tent. 

Travis made a bed out of the pillows and blankets, laying them around the two sleeping bags they would use as a mattress.
As soon as he was done, Sal turned off the lamp and they laid there together under a blanket.
Sal's head was overlapping his chest, and he could smell the same shampoo that he did at their first sleepover. He let the scent drift him off to sleep, ignoring his father's angry voice in his head yelling religious and homophobic profanities.
They were friends, it wasn't like that.
He wouldn't let it be like that.

When Travis woke up he was sweating, probably had one of those nightmares again. They were becoming frequent, and it was always the same thing over and over again.
He could hear the others outside packing up.
Sal had already gotten up with his prosthetic, and he wondered what time it was.
Eventually, Travis got up and helped pack the tent and blankets. Larry was taking the rest of the alcohol with him despite Sal's protest, saying he wanted some too.

The ride back was faster than the one there, at first they couldn't find the van but quickly realized it was in the other direction the whole time.
The group chatted and Maple showed them some of the drawings she did on their trip, she was remarkably talented.
Travis was happy here. The soft sunrise shone through the van and he watched the way it made Sal glow.
His heart dropped when he realized he was admiring too much again. There were no drugs to blame this time.
He looked away.

"So what do you guys feel like doing for winter break?" Ash asked.

"Me and Neil are going on vacation with his parents somewhere." Todd said, holding his boyfriend's hand.

"Gaybos." Larry teased harmlessly and the couple laughed.

Travis didn't want to admit it, but he was jealous of them. He hated that he was going back to Nockfell, back to his father's house where he'd probably suffer a beating from being gone for too long.
His emotions seemed to be making their way into his face, because Sal put a hand on his knee and told him things would be fine.
That didn't seem to calm his nerves though.

An hour later Travis was being dropped back off at his dad's, and he waved to the rest of the people in the van before walking back in through the front door quietly. His fantasy was over, and he was walking back into his own personal hell again.

He saw his father sitting in the big cushion chair reserved for him in the living room, with a belt in hand.
The man was a beast, he was large but not in the fat way. He was tall and muscle filled him out, and his thin blonde hair was combed over his head professionally, and his skin only a shade lighter than Travis's. Where other women his age might've found him attractive, Travis found him terrifying. His large hands bore rings that've clashed across Travis's nose more times than he could count.

He knew what was in store for him.