Summer Love (Anthony Trujillo & Emilio Martinez)

Unfortunately, He's different.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Ivan' voice mixes with the ocean breeze, the navy blue sky contrasting with the brightly lit moon. The waves lap at Emilio's dangling feet, licking away sand but leaving a steady calm trickling down his spine.

The wood of the dock scrapes the back of his thighs as his big toe draws aimlessly in the water below, spelling out words that he wouldn't dare say out loud, words that make his heart flutter.

"Why'd you leave the party?" Ivan stands behind him, his presence warm, as his bony kneecaps jab into his shoulder blades.

"Not in the celebrating mood."

Without turning around, Emilio pats the rough wood beside him.

The dock creaks as Ivan sits, his feet landing in the water, ruining the portrait Emilio'd been drawing from memory; fond coffee coloured eyes framed beautifully with furry eyebrows, thick cotton candy lips pulled tightly around straight white teeth into a blinding smile.

A deep breath wracks Emilio's chest as he collapses onto Ivan' shoulder on the exhale.
"Come here to tell me you told me so?" Emilio's voice is muffled by Ivan' t-shirt, the thin cotton smelling so much of Ivan, and family, and home that Emilio just wants to cry.

"No." It was Ivan' turn to sigh, resting his head atop Emilio's, his feathery hair tickling Emilio's ear, "But I did, didn't I?"

The soft laugh Emilio lets out catches in his tightening throat. "Yeah, I guess you did." Ivan' hand finds his own, absently twirling the silver rings that litter Emilio's long fingers.
It's quiet for a moment, the rushing of waves and the faraway cackle of seagulls all that he can hear.

"Anthony's different though, isn't he?"

Just hearing his name has nerves bubbling in Emilio's stomach. It's pathetic how quickly a warmth rushes through his veins as an image of Anthony tattoos itself to the inside of his eyelids, materializing at every blink.

"Unfortunately." It's a lie, a blatant, painfully obvious lie, and by how Ivan abruptly sits up, Emilio knows Ivan knows it too.