blue (book one) - h.s. ✔️ watty's 2019

chapter 25

For a while that's the way that it is. Just Parker and I splashing each other, enjoying each other's company.

It feels nice.

No annoying friends or parents or authorities. He looks so happy as he bobs in and out of the water in his own little world. His hair continuously gets in his face, shielding him from me. When this happens he crinkles his nose slightly and juts out his bottom lip before removing the dark strands to the sudden - I wonder if he's aware of his facial contortions. I don't think so; he seems completely oblivious yet concentrated on the strands. It makes me smile.

God, what is this boy doing to my head?

"Hey, come here. I have to show you something," I say taking his hand in mine to guide him. His tiny hand fits perfectly in mine before I let go to dive underwater.

I begin swimming to the little area behind the waterfall. When I get the courage to open my eyes, shifting my head slightly to get a look at him, he's swimming fervently with his index finger and thumb closing his nostrils. My heart lurches at the sight. For a second, I lose my steady pace, bumping into a small school of fish. This makes the slender boy smile slightly, letting in a small bubble as he stifles his laughter.

It feels like hours before we make it to behind the waters and I find it hard to catch my breath coming out of the water. Before I let him behind I ask him to close his eyes; I ask him to trust me. Without much protest he does as I say and I can tell that he is getting much more comfortable with me.

"What are we doing behind here?" his light voice questions, eyes still closed.

Taking my index finger I press it up against his lips and literally feel him shake against my touch.

It-It's empowering to say the least.

I beckon him to shush and he complies obediently. Using my other hand, I pull him gently behind the fall and direct him to look up slightly.

The view is almost as mesmerizing at it was the first time I had seen it. We are in the eye of a rainbow! The colors: red, violet, green, yellow, blue orange, indigo, coloring his almost pale skin. He looks like a work of art. When his eyes come back down to meet mine I swear I have never seen anything more beautfiul than this moment. His blue eyes are dancing with happiness at the sight; the intensity is so strong they seem as if they could cut right into my soul. His pearly, white teeth shine brighter than I've ever noticed. His dark hair is all wet and sparkling droplets grace the ends. The coldness of the water has caused his temperature to drop significantly. His lips are plump and strawberry red thanks to the lip-biting he was doing earlier. He's almost pixie-like and it is entrancing; I can't take my eyes away.

"Harry?"

His voice rings throughout my ears and I see his eyebrows scrunch in confusion, probably at my reaction.

Clearing my voice, once again, I pull him deeper behind the waters to explore further. My legs are growing incredibly tired from holding my both up in this deeper end of the water. I'm sure his are just as tired. We come across what looks like a cave within a cave and swim inside of it. Even in the eerie, dark cave he's illuminescent and I have to fight every instinct to pull closer behind him as we move further inside.

As we get deeper he starts going on about the structure of caves, stalagmites, and all of these other words that I don't understand, but I just nod along with a mock interest since it seems to make him happy: nerd.

The thought makes me chuckle lightly and he asks why, but I just brush it off not wanting to ruin the moment. His small frame is directly in front of me as the ground appears suddenly under our feet.

We soon get to land within the cave and the sand is cold and nice to the touch. The wet sand is extremely sticky and I'm sure if anyone could see our feet, they'd think we were wearing terrible socks. I turn around to see Parker shivering, his hands wrapping around his slender body, and look around to find material for a nice fire.

I've only ever made one fire at camp. It was also the last time I'd been on good terms with the man. He, surprisingly, is well equipped in nature.

I guess I owe the fucker for making me play 'boy scout'.

Grabbing the necessary materials I begin to try making the fire. For some reason, the spark just won't burst into flame. I've failed multiple times now and am beginning to feel slightly embarrassed.

Looking helplessly, Parker brings over a rock and tells me to 'try this'. He doesn't seem to notice my light embarrassment over the situation, but I wouldn't put it passed him. He's impeccably observational.

I smile slightly and strike the rock hard multiple times, happy to see an assembly of sparks before an actual fire manifests itself. I blow on the content to make it brighter and beckon Parker to come closer for warmth.

"I will not be responsible for your death," I say jokingly. Smiling slightly, he scoots closer putting his back to me and leans against my chest. I find myself wrapping my arms around him without much thought and lean against the smoothest part of the rock wall in the cave. Despite the water we just got out of and the overbearing smell of fish in the cave, his sugary scent is ever present.

After about a moment of comfortable silence I unconsciously begin to make small talk with the guy. I don't take the time to register my words until they are already spewing out of my mouth into the quietness.

"Do you believe in aliens?"

He doesn't respond right away. In fact, I feel his small frame shaking slightly below me. I shift my head downwards to get a better look at him and come face to face with his cheesy grin.

Laughing from beneath my arms he still doesn't answer and I can see that he took it as only a joke.

"I'm serious."

Twisting his head upwards his eyes meet mine and I can tell that he now knows that I wasn't kidding. Though I didn't take the time to process my words I'm actually really curious to know his stance on the topic. Before answering he twists his head back around and snuggles deeper into my arms.

"Well, I guess I refuse to believe that we are not the only one's in the universe. I mean space is infinite, Harry. There is no way that we are the only lifeforms within it. Now, whether or not those lifeforms take the bodies and stereotypes we have conjured throughout time is debatable. But yea, I guess I do believe in aliens. How about you?"

"Nah," I say shortly, thinking on his words. He's insanely intelligent. He seems to have an answer for everything.

Scoffing, he removes himself from my arms, leaving me feeling empty and cold.

"Why are you laughing?" I ask genuinely confused.

"I don't know. I just wasn't expecting your answer to be so curt, I guess. I don't know. It sounded like you wanted to have a deep conversation or something. I found your response funny," he says again for clarification.

I smile a little but reach my arms out and make my hands do a child-like grabbing motion before answering another question. As he climbs back into my arms I find his warmth again and ask another.

"What is it like to be gay?" I ask.