Transcending To You

Chapter 4: THE LITTLE THINGS

The night draped the island in a cloak of breathtaking beauty, a canvas painted by the stars. Along the beach, darkness reigned supreme, the absence of artificial light enhancing the celestial spectacle above. Win lay stretched out on the sand, his gaze fixed on the heavens.

Into this serene scene strode Bright, bearing a handful of beers.

"What are you doing out here? I figured you'd be back in the room by now," he remarked.

"I thought the same about you," Win replied, "but I find solace here. It helps me untangle my thoughts."

Bright settled beside him. "Thoughts? Plural. Sounds like quite the mental jumble."

He extended a beer to Win, who accepted and joined him.

"Not really," Win mused. "It's just... We were so close once. I can't pinpoint when things veered off course. I find myself grappling to hold onto the love I still feel for you, maybe because your absence weighs heavily on me."

"You're still young," Bright reassured him. "Infatuation often feels like the end-all, but it's not. We can move forward."

"You're only a year older than me," Win countered. "And yet, you speak as if you've mastered life. How can you be so certain that what I feel isn't love, but a fleeting fancy?"

"I don't know," Bright admitted, taking a sip of his beer.

"So, what's your verdict? Shall we embark on fifty more 'not-really-dates'?" Win inquired.

"Ah, so this was not a date after all," Bright teased.

"Complex, perhaps, but we were together, enjoying ourselves. Isn't that the essence of a date?" Win countered, raising his bottle.

"It was enjoyable, but not quite a date," Bright insisted. "Did your heart flutter at all?"

Win grinned. "Did yours?"

Bright returned the smile.

Win inched closer. "How about now?" he whispered.

Bright's smile conveyed his response as he gently shook his head.

Undeterred, Win reached for Bright's hand, clasping it within his own. "And now?" he pressed.

Caught in the intensity of Win's gaze, Bright felt his heartbeat quicken. Sensing a shift within himself, he took his hand out of Wins.

"Are we really going to spend the night out here? Who knows what creatures lurk in the dark," Bright voiced his unease.

Recognizing Bright's discomfort, Win decided to steer the conversation elsewhere, though he couldn't quite decipher his own feelings about the exchange.

"Well, let's finish these beers and head in," Win proposed.

Bright nodded in agreement.

Together, they savored the last drops of their drinks, the cool breeze brushing against their faces.

"It's getting a bit chilly," Win remarked.

"Yeah, we should probably head inside," Bright concurred."

Win nodded in acquiescence.

With heavy limbs, Bright and Win retraced their steps back to their room, fatigue weighing heavily upon them. As Bright collapsed onto the bed, exhaustion enveloping him, Win gently nudged him.

"You should probably brush your teeth. You had seafood today," Win suggested.

"I'm not planning on kissing you, and I'm too tired for anything else," Bright teased, a smirk playing on his lips.