For Everything

Shivering and Snuggling

I make it to the clearing with the tree, relieved. I spot Gale immediately, sitting at the base of the tree, crying. I hate this Gale. The broken, beaten, nothing to live for Gale. I can't bear to see him like this, ever. I walk over to him, slowly. He hears my footsteps and turns around. His face is wet with new tears and puffy from crying so much. "Hunter, I-" he starts but I stop him.

"Shhh. It's okay," I whisper, "I understand. I went to go see Rosie after I left and realised it wasn't right to judge you for that. I'm the one who should be sorry Gale. It's okay. I forgive you." This makes him cry even more, and I pull him into my arms, hugging him. I let him cry into my chest, occasionally I murmer a "shhh" or "It's okay. I'm here." We sit there for a while, I don't know how long, but it was a long time, while I let Gale cry into my shoulder. Eventually his crying stops and he pulls away. His face is stilly puffy, but he's still cute. For some reason, I don't know why, but the expression on Gale's face makes me love him even more, and it also makes me kiss him. I grab his shirt collar and pull him close, pressing my warm lips against his cold, wet ones. He stops shaking and crying, and pulls me even closer to where I'm almost sitting on top of him. He grabs the back of my shirt and caresses my spine, I shiver. I don't why, but every time I kiss Gale, I feel new, a rush of adrenaline. I close my eyes, and let go. I let Gale have me, all of me. I interlock my tongue with his, completely in love with him. We both moan and a steady wind picks up. It blows harder and harder until we're both freezing. We break away and Gale grins.

"I'm just that irresistable aren't I?" he says, laughing.

I punch him in the shoulder, a light punch, but I laugh too, "Shut up. I just wanted to stop you're crying, it was going on forever."

"Oh it was was it?" Gale asks, smiling, "Or maybe you just can't go for more than ten minutes without me?"

"That's not true," I laugh, punching him again. But it was true, in a way. I don't know what I would do without Gale. 

"Come on," Gale says over the wind, "Let's get out of here, it's getting really cold."

"Agreed," I say, getting off Gale's lap. We get up just as it starts sprinkling. Gale and I start running into the trees, slowing down when we get to the street. We get to the sidewalk and stop as it starts raining now. I consider going home right now but school's not over yet and my parents would ask questions. We decide not to go back to the school, neither of us are eager about that choice, but it's starting to really come down now. We walk around for a little bit until we see a covered bus stop on the sidewalk. Perfect. We sprint to the stop and sit down on a hard, cold bench. Luckliy the wind is coming from behind us and going up and over us, so we aren't absolutely freezing anymore. I am still cold though, so I lean into Gale, burying my face into his jacket and intertwining my fingers with his. He puts his arm around me, pulling me closer. Both our bodies are warm enough for me, so I'm good now. Here we both are, soaking wet, cold, and under a bus stop in the pouring rain; How romantic. Truthfully, I don't really care where we are, as long as we're together. You're probably thinking wouldn't someone see Gale and I since we're out in the open, but here in Blackburg Maine, when the rain comes, it comes bad, so no one is going to be outside for a while. Gale and I spent the afternoon sitting under the bus stop, shivering and snuggling. I occasionally checked my phone for the time, and eventually 3:15 came around. I asked Gale if he wanted to come back to my house for a while, and he said yes (obviously). We ran home, since it was still raining that day, and to my surprise, we saw Alex while we were on our way. We rounded the corner of a block and almost slammed into him. He looked up and of course had a look of disapproval on his face. We all knew Alex didn't like me, it wasn't a shock, but whenever he looked at me like that, it still hurt, somehow. "Alex, hey," I say.

"Oh, hey guys," Alex says, but that's all he says, before walking around us and speedwalking away to wherever he was going. We continue our run to my house, but I can't help thinking that was strange. I've never bumped into Alex on my way home, but I dismiss it when we arrive at my house. Gale and I bustle into the small store. My dad is helping a customer, but looks up anyway.

"Hey Hunter," he says, waving.

"Hey dad," I say, "Is it ok if Gale stays for a little while?"

"Oh, um, sure. I guess. You both look freezing, and wet. Is the rain that bad?"

"Yeah, it is. We're gonna go get changed, ok?"

"Yeah, oh, Hunter, wait."

I turn around from the back door, "What is it dad?"

"Um, your mother and Rosie went to the grocery store to buy some food and after I was going to meet them for dinner, do you guys want to come? I'm leaving right now."

"Oh, um," I look at Gale, "No thanks Dad. We just got home and kind of want to relax for a while."

"Ok, sounds good Hunter. There should be some food in the fridge for you two. Have fun," my dad finishes with the customer and heads to the front door. He pauses at the door, turns and waves. I wave back, and then my dad is gone. Finally, we're alone. We head up to my room and I open my dresser. I close my blinds so no one sees us changing. I toss Gale a tank top and some black shorts. He takes them and we both strip down. I have to admit, I wasn't planning on what happens next, but seeing Gale in his underwear was just too tempting. I've seen Gale's arms before, but not his chest or stomach. He was very muscular, his chest strong and steady. He had pecs, and I mean pecs, but Gale's abbed stomach was what really captivated me. I couldn't help but staring, until Gale saw me.

"What?" he says, glancing at himself 

I don't respond for a second, but then regain conscious control of my body and slowly walk over. I stop fitting my arm through the skinny black sleeve of my thermal, that was irrelevant. Faster than I know what's happening, I'm on top of Gale. He's pinned down on my mattress, in a daze. We just stare at each other for a little bit, until he breaks the silence.

"I-I thought you said you wanted to wait."

"Shh," I whisper in his ear, and then bite it. Running my tongue down his neck I start kissing down his pec and to his abs.

"Hunter, you said you weren't ready yet."

I come back up to kiss him, shoving my tongue into his mouth to keep him quiet, and he's stunned when I pull back.

"I'm ready now, really," I mumble and kiss down to his stomach, stopping right above his waist, hearing him gasp while his body shudders. I grab his waistband and pull it, letting it go and hearing it snap against his v-line. 

"Okay," he whispers through ragged breaths.