Split Love

3: The Beach

It was late August. The last day before school started back up again for Ben and Daniel. Ben had invited Daniel to go to out for the day, getting ice cream and milkshakes, strolling through downtown markets.

By the end of the day, they were walking. Bare foot on the beach, hands intertwined and swinging slightly. The sky was orange and red, the setting sun reflecting off the ocean that fanned all around the horizon, making Daniel's ginger hair and freckles seem to glow. Except for one freckle on his bottom lip, that was always dark brown. It was slightly raised up from the skin. Ben could feel his tongue run over it when they were kissing.

Daniel smiled a crooked smile. "Your staring. What's so special about me now?" He was teasing, but Ben grinned softly and leaned down to whisper in the shorter boy's ear: "you're glowing."

Daniel looked up in surprise, slowing his pace. Then he laughed. His golden skin wrinkled around his eyes and on his nose. Ben smiled wider.

"When did my boyfriend stop stumbling over himself and start talking like that?" Daniel nudged Ben's shoulder. "You cheeseball."

Ben chuckled. "I never stumble!"

"Yeah, right!" Daniel teased.

" 'I just, uh, I wanted to, um, just to say, I think that you're r- this is weird, uh, but-' " he mocked.

"Okay, okay," Ben said, smiling at the memory of earlier in the year, telling Daniel his feelings after missing their stop on the bus, getting off far away from home and then seeking refuge in a bus shelter from the rain.

True, Ben had stumbled and stuttered over the simple words of "I think you're cute" or "I have feelings for you". After he finally did get the words out, blushing tomato red, Daniel had laughed and said: "you're adorable when you're not trying to be straight. I like you too." They both laughed and walked home together, hand in hand, in comfortable silence.

After kissing a few times, of course.

"So I stumbled a little, thank god you speak blushing idiot." Ben joked.
Daniel stopped walking, turned in front of Ben to face him and brought his arms up around Ben's slim shoulders and neck, lacing them behind him.

"Yeah, you're my idiot. . ." Daniel trailed off, raising himself on his toes to touch his lips to Ben's. The softness of it soothed him. Ben dropped his hands to Daniel's waist, pulling him closer gently.

Daniel raised one hand to stroke Ben's buzzed but soft hair, raising himself higher on his toes to press into the kiss. Ben shivered; not just from the breeze. He could feel the small mole on Daniel's lip rub against his mouth.

Daniel pressed forward again, Ben stumbled backwards, the weight of the fall let him scoop Daniel up and dash into the water to dump him into the rolling, orange waves. Clothes and all.

Daniel shrieked and splashed as he went under. Ben cackled with laughter, wheezing and doubling over.

"Ben!" Daniel squealed when he shot to the surface, holding his glasses in one hand, they must have fallen off in the water. It made his features look more pinched and annoyed. "You shit!"

Ben scrambled through the waves, trying to get away, the water was up to his hips and it was an effort to walk. But Daniel caught up and leaped on Ben's back, although he was shorter, he wasn't as skinny and Ben was knocked off his feet when Daniel leaped onto his back.

They tumbled underwater, salt water stinging their eyes and noses, hugging each other, hands slipping on skin. They both emerged clinging on. Daniel was panting, the exhaustion of the long day getting to him.

Ben hugged him close as they waded out of the ocean, both soaking wet with no towels, which Ben should have thought have before he played the trick on Daniel.

They stumbled back across the loose sand to Ben's car. Ben found an old, dusty blanket in the trunk that he threw over Daniel to keep him warm after taking off his wet shirt.
He grumbled, saying that he was fine but curled up under it anyway.

After they got on the high way, Daniel passed out began snoring quietly. Ben listened to his rhythmic breathing, his face soft and vulnerable in his sleep.

He turned on the radio to keep him awake while driving. Chocolate by The 1975. He remembered the March break trip, Daniel asking if they should tell people about them. He thought about it. He could trust their close friends and family with the secret, he guessed.

Maybe this new year would give them the chance.