His Sunshine

Chapter Seventeen.

The last day of school before winter break, Chicago and I skipped and slept in late. And I mean late. He woke me up around one in the afternoon, he was laying on his stomach next to me, his head propped up on one of his hands while the other moved hair out of my face and behind my ear.
"Morning, Sunshine." He hummed as my eyes fluttered open.
I stretched, not being able to fight a small smile on my face. "What time is it?" I murmured groggily.
"Like one-ish."
I hummed, my eyes lingering on him for a second before I stood up. "Where are you going?" He asked.
I sighed, pulling a hoodie over my tank top. "I want to go home, see if my dad came back yet."

I had been doing this every two days or so since staying here, and I hadn't been letting him come with me in case he was actually home. I didn't want him to meet my dad, I didn't want him to see what he was like.
But I hated the thought of leaving him at home alone, so when he asked to go with me I said yes.

As we drove to my house, a text came up onto the car screen, Chicago reading it out loud. "You're looking for jobs?" He asked.
The text was from a job I had applied for online, I couldn't afford another tank of gas and needed a job terribly.
It was some camera shop that was looking for more employees. As someone who loves photography, I figured why not shoot my shot.
So I explained that to him, causing him to state, "I didn't know you were into that stuff."
I shrugged, "It's kinda stupid. I doubt I'll actually be able to pursue anything in photography but it's fun."
It was embarrassing to talk about it, and I didn't expect him to think it was as cool as I did but he proved me wrong when he asked, "Do you have any pictures I can see?"
As a matter of fact, I did. I had a thick folder of pictures I had taken over the last couple of years sitting in my room. I didn't really want him to see them because truthfully, I thought they were terrible. But I promised him a look anyway.
I felt zero surprise when we pulled into the driveway and there was no sign of my father. And zero surprise when I opened the door and the house was empty.
Chicago followed me to my room where I opened my desk drawer and took out the folder, then grabbed my camera bag and a couple of pieces of clothing before we returned back to the car.
It was a quick trip as we had gone back to Chicago's house and to his bedroom but all he had interest in was the pictures he so desperately wanted to see.
So we sat on his bed and I opened the folder, allowing him to take them all out and examine them.
Years worth of work was laid out on his bed.
Pictures of sunsets and trees from when I would go out on hikes just to get the best views of mountains and rivers, especially during a sunrise or sunset.
"They're so pretty." He mumbled, flipping through the images.
He had arrived on the pictures I had taken of people. I used to offer my photography for money when I was around 16, I would shoot photos of my friends in homecoming dresses and birthday dinners and what not just for a little side money.
And even a few times, I would have a model to photo for.
"Where'd you take these?" He asked, showing me a photo I had taken last year. It was of a brunette guy, he was in a creek I had found during a hike one time. We had waited hours for the sun to hit the right way, in which he got into the water where the sun had made his wet skin glisten and his green eyes shine.
He was a beautiful person, but not nearly as beautiful as Chicago, of course
"He was someone I met in my photography class sophomore year."
Chicago looked at me and then back to the picture. "Did you two ever.."
"No, he was just a friend."
Now that I think about it, I may have had a small crush on him. I didn't know what it meant at the time, but now that I've..cleared up that region of my life, I think I did like him a little bit.
I didn't clarify anymore on the subject, I didn't want to have a conversation about me being gay though it seemed like Chicago already knew.
"You're really talented, Bailey." He said, setting the photos down.
I shrugged.
"No really, these are amazing."
I felt my cheeks burn, maybe this wasn't as useless of a talent as I thought.
I rubbed the back of my neck with my hand, "Y'know, if you ever..wanted me to take pictures..of you. I-I could, if you wanted."
Chicago smiled, "My own personal photographer."
I laughed.
"I'm not really photogenic, so that may not be for the best." He replied.
"We can test that theory." I said with a click of my tongue.
There was no way he was unphotogenic. As pretty as he was, I severely doubt it.

"Right now?" He said with furrowed brows as I stood up. I nodded, "Duh, what else do we have to do? Besides, the lighting is good right now."
Chicago laughed, allowing me to pull him out of bed and following me to the car.

I drove outside of town, to this little patch of green grass and trees where the gaps in the branches left the perfect amount of room for sun rays to dive through.
"What do I do?" he asked, sitting on the ground and looking up at me.
I sat on my knees, preparing my camera and holding it to my eye.

He was beautiful, simply gorgeous. The sun had made his eyes glow into a bright orange-ish color. He was just looking at the camera when I snapped the first shot. His mouth fell open, "I wasn't even doing anything."
I smiled, "But still.."

In between conversations I would snap photos, some of him laughing, some looking down sheepishly after I would say something that would make him blush. I had never seen this side of him, he was vulnerable. Honestly, he would make an amazing model.
As the sun began to set, he came up behind me to click through the photos.
"Huh." He hummed as he looked at them. I smiled, "They're good, yeah?"
He turned his head to look at me, it being right next to mine so when I turned we were merely two inches apart.
We both froze for a second, I held my breath as he so confidently looked at my lips.
"Um," I huffed out, turning back to my camera. I could hear him snickering but ignored it.
It was getting hard to avoid, my feelings for him were getting hard to avoid.