All The Ways We Touch [MxM]

nine - saltwater pt. two

For as much as Elliot wanted to know Jamison's secrets, he wasn't sure he was ready to share his own. How he could expect Jamison to delve into whatever pain seemed to define him while he refused to do the same was a question for another time. In the meantime, he could use this as a way to share more of the little things so they could get to know each other better. "Well, I love stargazing so I've been trying to learn all of the constellations but there's a lot. I'm like a third there though."

"Really?" A wide smile broke across Jamison's face and he nodded enthusiastically. "I love stargazing, too, but I only know a couple. That's really impressive, Elliot! I would've thought you were too cool for science-y stuff."

"Oh yeah, you think I'm cool?" With Jamison's beaming smile, it was difficult not to break out into one of his own and he sighed contentedly. While he expected a positive reaction, he didn't expect one that made his ego inflate a little more, but he just had that effect on him.

"Obviously. Why else would I hang out with you?" Jamison teased, sticking his tongue out.

Laughing, Elliot wished he could shove him playfully but settled for pushing some sand against his leg. "I'll bury you here, Jam," he joked, taking a pinch of sand between his fingers to sprinkle over Jamison's stomach.

"Alright, alright," he laughed and pushed some sand back towards Elliot. "Well here's a secret, not that you asked," he said and brushed the sand off of himself with another laugh. "When we met, you wanted to know if I was reading that book for a class or because I enjoy poetry..."

Elliot was surprised but waited for him to finish before saying anything. Drunk Jamison was kind of all over the place but he was enjoying every second of their time together, elation coursing through him with each beat of his heart.

With his eyes locked on Elliot, he began to recite a poem.
"Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art—

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night

And watching, with eternal lids apart,

Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite,

The moving waters at their priestlike task

Of pure ablution round earth's human shores,

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors—

No—yet still stedfast, still unchangeable,

Pillow'd upon my fair love's ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever—or else swoon to death."

After he had finished reciting the poem, he took a deep breath, and returned his eyes to the night sky, exhaling lightly. "That's Bright Star by John Keats. I love poetry and was reading it for fun."

Stunned, Elliot watched him for a moment, his heart rapidly thundering in his chest. What a moment this could be, the poem so deeply romantic. 'So he's a romantic at heart.' But Jamison didn't seem to have deployed it with romantic intent and again, he let the moment blow on by. "Jesus, what a beautiful poem. Do you memorize a lot of poetry?"

Smirking, Jamison looked back at him and shrugged. "Maybe that's just my favorite one of all."

"Your dedication to being mysterious drives me crazy sometimes," Elliot groaned, though his smile remained.