the ghost of you ☔︎ shaymien

Eight

"I've never felt more alive!" Shayne bellowed into the open welkin with a burst of childlike elasticity. The hair on his head danced in perfect synchronization with the wind as the stranger, who Shayne now knew as Damien, recklessly drove his black convertible.

Shayne recalled Damien sneaking into his home at night, waking him with a rowdy shake. Shayne awoke in a spasm and instinctually punched Damien in the face, allowed a bloody ribbon to roll down his nostril. "Shit I'm sorry," Shayne apologized.

Damien laughed it off, "Jesus, you don't like being woken up." His voice changed to a more serious tone. "Shove all of your important shit into a bag and meet me outside in ten. Leave a note if you desire because we're never coming back."

Shayne obliged to these orders and immediately started shoving clothes into a large grey duffel bag. He left all of his business suits behind, except for one in case an occasion in which formal attire is a necessity shall strike him across the face.

Scrawling out a quick note, Shayne announced that he'd be leaving and never returning, and set it on the counter for Courtney to find. Adrenaline pumped through his circulatory system, leaving his nerves to be addressed later.

Was he crazy, suddenly leaving his entire life behind for a stranger whose name was unknown to him? Yes. But Shayne literally couldn't take another day in his lifeless life.

Running out the door at speeds only a man as electrified as Shayne could reach, he barely gave himself enough time to open the car door to avoid bodyslamming the aluminum of Damien's car.

"Damn you're excited, " Damien chuckled, eyes meeting those of Shayne's. "You need to do one more thing, call your boss and quit your job."

"Dude it's-" Shayne paused to check the time on his phone, "-3 am, he's definitely sleeping, " Shayne aforementioned.

"Leave a voicemail." Giving another nod in response, Shayne unlocked his phone to see Courtney's stupid smile staring back at him. He sighed and immediately changed it to a default background. He then proceeded to his contacts and clicked on his boss's name. The ringing as he waited for his opportunity for a voicemail was riddled with anxiety.

"Hey, I'm quitting. Fuck you and your stupid company!" Shayne yelled, a dose of too much adrenaline showing through at the end.

"That last part was unnecessary, but good on you dude!" There were a few moments of silence as Damien drove off into the night.

"Hey-uh, I have a question? What's your name?" Shayne asked immediately as the realization hit him; he was leaving his entire life behind with a complete stranger.

"Damien Haas, " he responded, his voice flowing smoothly.

So there they were, daylight had caught up to the night that had previously seemed to be so far ahead, but apparently the day could ride in with the speeds a bullet would travel. "I haven't felt this alive since I was being a rebellious teenager in high school!"

"That's the spirit I live by Shayne!" Damien cheerfully whooped. He turned on the radio, just as Mr. Brightside began to play. Now Shayne really felt like he was in high school. He's never felt more alive in his entire life.

After an entire day or driving with a few pit stops, Damien finally pulled into the driveway of a cabin seemingly in the middle of nowhere. "Welcome to the Cabin of Dreams my friend, otherwise known as the isolation station where you can take a break from the world."

"Nice, " Shayne smiled as he hopped out of the car, completely disregarding the door. Who needs doors when there's no roof? He entered the suit with his duffel bag grasped between his fingers. Following Damien inside, he was left to be amazed by the interior of the cabin.

The natural wooden ceilings stretched towards the sky and many windows adorned the log walls. Stones created a fireplace which provided a warm glow to the living area. Above the flaring flames was a moose head carved from cedar. Comforting couches rested on a furry rug and the open concept leads into a nice kitchen with updated stainless steel appliances. There was also bathroom complete with a toilet, sink, and a shower. Bedroom inhabitants the first floor as well, with two beds and a flat screen tv in the middle. The upper floor had an area with some more couches and a huge tv, as well as a ping pong table, Foose ball table, and a basketball court.

"Woah man this is sick!" Shayne told Damien, awestruck by the beautiful cabin.

"I know, I really lucked out on this one. I have this reserved for a full two months before we need to go back to my apartment in LA, " Damien informed Shayne, smiling because Shayne's was so contagious. "C'mon dumbass we're going swimming in the lake go change."

Shayne didn't hesitate as he grabbed his swim trunks from his bag, running into the bathroom to put them on. He came out in nothing but his blue swim trunks and necklace that he never took off. Even at work he'd just hide it under his shirt. Damien returned also in a pair of swim trunks and with two towels under his arms. "The last one to the pond is a stupid face!" Damien yelled as he gained a head start.

Shayne caught up and eventually passed Damien, cannonballing into the lake like a ten year old boy. Damien joined him soon after, his impact into the water causing the waves to roar up.

"Ha, you're a stupid face!" Shayne teased, splashing some water at Damien.

"Shut up you bimbo!" Damien fired back, throwing a sprinkle of water towards his new friend.

"Make me, " Shayne smirked. The two men stared at each other for a while. As Damien watched a water droplet drip from Shayne's blonde hair and run down his chiseled face, a sudden desire overtook Damien's brain as he pressed his lips against Shayne's.

Shayne was shocked at first but eventually returned the kiss. It wasn't like a fireworks display or sparks flying or electricity coursing through their veins or any of those cliches, it was more like a steaming fire of lust and passion burning up their faces. Instead of the cliche of the world stopping around them and it feeling like they're the only two people on earth, it was more like the world around them was set ablaze and this was their last moment alive so they were making it count by sloppily moving their lips in kissing motions. Shayne's tongue begged for an entrance as he pushed Damien into soft mud of the lake's ground. They've managed to move just shallow enough so Damien's head was still above water. Damien allowed Shayne's tongue into his mouth as Shayne became the dominant force of their mouths.

When they finally pulled away, they were both breathless and exhausted with swollen lips. "Fuck that was hot, " Shayne gasped.