𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭

𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 | 𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞

"You came."

Yates grinned, a wild sort of smile that stretched at his cheeks and made his eyes glitter like obsidian in the streetlights. He was a storm of his own, like there was something tugging at the seams of his skin begging to be let out, to be spilled into the depths of the ocean and stirred into a frenzy. He took off his coat, a skeletal thing, letting it fall onto the sand underneath you. It fluttered to the ground like a corpse, billowing shadow silk.

"You actually texted," he said, wry. You were torn between kissing and slapping that damned smirk off of his face.

"I- needed a distraction."

He eyed you curiously, chewing on his lip. "Am I a good one?"

You gave him a wan smile, wrapping your arms over yourself. The sky hummed with an answer, the clouds rolling across its canvas like spilled ink. Blue, blue, and blue, the horizon melding into the craggy ocean, peaks and waves streaking across the sky like rips. "Well, not yet." You force your tears away, scattering them to the back of your throat where they lay in a strange clump, your lower lip trembling.

Yates shook his head. "Well, I best be getting to work then." He strode towards you, self-assured, as he started dragging you along with him. He grabbed your hands, tugging you forward like you were a sack of flour. Your body rioted at his touch- warm, and solid, and steady, and exactly what you needed right now; you wanted to curl into his warmth- which felt so familiar, like a fire crackling in the midst of winter or the soft fur of a well worn blanket. The two of you strode into the ocean once more. The inky waves battered your calves, climbing up your skin with a biting chill.

"What are you doing?"

"You'll see," he laughed, pulling you in deeper. The ocean continued to swallow you up, frothing as it tried to find purchase on your thighs, soaking your pants and lugging you down.

And then, as soon as his warmth had come, it was gone, leaving you hollow and empty again, aching for a fire to warm the hole gaping in your heart. Yates plopped into the ocean, sitting down in the middle of the water. It swirled at his fingertips like a docile pet; as you watched him, doused in moonlight, his face shining with the lustre of a thousand stars, something stirred inside of you. It was like electricity, a small humming in the air that pulled you closer and closer.

"When I felt bad, I would always do this, sit in the middle of water and let it..calm me, I guess," he murmured. His voice was soft, hesitant. You sat down beside him, flinching at the feeling of the water rushing over your body, hungry.

"You lived near the ocean too?"

He looked at you sheepishly. "No, I used my parents hot tub."

You stared at him in disbelief, a laugh caught in your throat. "A hot tub."

He nodded. "A hot tub. I would literally stand there, super angry or sad or whatever, and wait for the stupid tub to fill up, and then I would sit in there for hours, moping. I usually fell asleep too," he paused, looking around, "although I don't think you can do that here."

You laughed- an impulsive sound that came ripping from your lips in an obnoxious burst. Hearing what your body had just done, you froze, clapping your hands over your mouth.

"Oh my god."

Yates laughed, shaking his head. "You're adorable."

You rolled your eyes. "You're just...you're incredible, truly. I've known exactly...one man who tells me about his emo, hot tub rendezvous."

Yates trailed his hands over the length of his body, striking a ridiculous pose. You snorted. "The one and only, baby!"

You shook your head, an indulgent smile spreading across your lips. Yates was dulcet- intoxicating, like a song you hear once and never forget. "Really, though, why did you come?"