The Fault in Our Infinities

Chapter 16: Touching Bliss

The sun warms my skin as I stand on the beach, burying my toes into the sand. Everything in Dubai is so bright and warm. Only the cool breeze rolling off the sea keeps me in the blazing daylight, the beautiful landscape and the overall exotic aura of Dubai.

The plane journey was long and, if Augustus were not there, I would have grown bored very quickly. As it were, he spent most of the journey bouncing in his seat from excitement. He was like a young boy, innocent and ecstatic.

When he hadn't acted overjoyed, he'd stared out of the window, nudging me every so often to say wondrous things like, "Observation: It would be awesome to fly in a superfast airplane that could chase the sunrise around the world for a while." Or, after a ray of sunlight had blinded me, he'd quoted: "The risen sun too bright in her losing eyes."

I had remembered the quote from An Imperial Affliction, of course. It was impossible not to after I'd spent the last four years reading it over and over again.

After the third hour of being on the plane, I had fallen asleep, my head nestled into Augustus' side, his fingers brushing my shoulder. When I woke again, his head was on top of mine and his steady breathing had indicated he too had succumbed to tiredness.

The ocean is much brighter than the ocean at home, as if the waters are different somehow in substance. It smells better too; cleaner and refreshing.

I sigh and tip my face back, basking in the sunlight. My head aches and my chest twinges with the work of breathing. It's so hot it's almost stuffy and it takes more effort for my lungs to actually draw in breath. It doesn't help that I am suffering from jetlag.

Before I can react, arms twine around my waist and a body presses against mine. I recognise Augustus' unique scent and I lean my head back against his chest. I didn't know he followed me out here. I left him with his parents discussing wedding plans. They were marrying at sunset tomorrow, and the reception was after that. Augustus was best man – his dad really didn't want anyone else for the job when his son was his whole world.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Augustus says now, softly, his arms tightening around me.

"I can't decide what to look at." I admit. "The beach, the city or that." I jerk my thumb over my shoulder and turn his arms. "It's so magnificent...what is it?"

"That is Atlantis." Augustus announces. "Famous landmark of Dubai."

It was a cross between a palace and a wall. Curvilinear in shape, the turrets broke through its smooth shape, standing proudly, symmetrically, casting shadows on the beach sands. There was a break in the wall, shaped like a spade but the rest of the landmark was covered in black windows, framed in gold and the walls on the side was shaped in semicircles, more windows lining the sides. It was so big that I had to crane my neck to see the top. It was beautiful.

"It's a hotel." Augustus says, resting his chin on my head.

I let out a low whistle. "I bet that's expensive."

"Off the charts." He agrees. "It's prestigious and makes its money on tourists – like us – who have a thirst for that which is grand and empowering. It does give off that sort of aura, doesn't it?"

"It does." I relent. "But...it's not hard to remember that it is really – for all intents and purposes – just a hunk of rock. Nothing is so empowering that it defies its true configuration."

"While I agree, Hazel Grace, I have to protest on the claim that it is just a 'hunk of rock'." I can tell, by the sound of his voice, that if I turned around, he would be wearing his trademark smirk. "I would be willing to bet there's at least some metal in there, too."