The World Looks Better Through Your Eyes - Larry Stylinson

The Rainforest

The way the air felt on his skin made him feel like something was crawling up his spine and digging its claws into him, making itself at home beneath the thin layer. A layer of irritation and sweat building up like a layer of defense.

His hair matted to the back of his neck even his bun started dripping sweat as they walked hand in hand through the forest traveling slower than the speedy tourist group, pacing behind them for a few moments of peace for them to talk and be alone.

He guided Louis easily through the leaves, crumbling under their feet. Greens and browns spiraling between each others stems and making a pattern Harry's eyes followed like they would when staring at the top of Louis' head, his hair spiraling layers of brown.

He breathed in deeply taking in the aromas, the warmth and the plant life all spiraling and fighting to travel into his body and fill his veins with wonder and lust for adventure.

"Why do you breath in like that?"

Louis was tapping his foot, crunching leaves under it like a happy child jumping in rain puddles. His hand clasped to Harry sweat dripping between them but neither intended to let their skin breathe.

"I like to take it all in, smells too I guess. It's also relaxing."

Louis leaned into him, his lighter backpack that Harry helped him fasten to his body making him lean against Harry, carelessly throwing his body just hoping to hit his target.

Harry watched him breath in deeply, smiling and sighing when he was done to simply start the process again throwing in a hand motion and another sigh before he stopped leaning on Harry and brought himself back to their little reality.

"It smells wet and warm, like the string beans you forced down my throat at the dinner table. Or after it rains in the fall and we are walking towards the car. Little moments like that."

Harry hummed and moved him along slightly, he didn't want to start too far away from the group and lose them in the vast green landscape.

"It's green here, very green with tall trees and animals that seem to lean over to watch you pass by, like owls at night or a raven in a cemetery."

Louis seemed to get a bit nostalgic, his body slumped slightly and he sighed with pleasure at the simple analysis of the scene. He loved Harry's voice, they way he talked and pronounced words letting them slur off his tongue and float away like a feather in a raging wind. His voice was the calm in the world, the eye of the storm or the center of a spinning object. He was the reason you could watch the world spinning on its axis and feel safe at the top of the world, he was the person Louis wanted nothing more than to spend every waking moment listening to.

They followed the group still hand in hand sweat from both bodies mixing together and causing steam between the palms. The tour guide stopped at a gated area, large for exploring but not enough to get lost.

"Here we are, our final destination of the tour. Here we give our tour groups a bit of freedom to roam around without a guide and to see the rainforest for themselves. It's quite large inside so keep track of time we will meet back here in 30 minutes. If you get lost, follow the flags back up. They make the rainbow, the purple flags at the end of the gated sections leading you all the way back up here to the red flags. Enjoy!"

She opened the gate for the group to move through and Louis whispered to Harry to start from the back and make their way to the front, away from everyone who already had disappeared into either the red or orange sections.

"It's a bit misty back here but the trees are getting lighter and a little more vibrant."

Harry helped Louis over a stray log, stopping himself from simply lifting him and taking him in his arms to the back of the space.