From Day 1 ❦ BrightWin ✔

[09]

If Win really did worry about whether things would be weird between them after that night, it would've been wasted brain waves.

The next day, everyone goes down to the beach. There are steps down the cliffside just down the road, so it isn't too far to walk with the cool boxes, beach bags, and inflatables. When they reach the bottom of the steps, and the adults along with Manu set up their sunbeds, Bright's younger sisters immediately start building sculptures in the sand whilst Bright and Win run down to the waves, dragging their lilo behind them.

"Be careful, boys!" Kulap shouts.

"We will!" Bright replies.

Both boys hang over the lilo width-ways, kicking their legs to propel it forward, out of the shallow waters. When it is deep enough to float on the lilo comfortably and the two of them can just touch the floor on the tips of their toes, they turn to each other.

"Do you wanna climb up first, Win?"

Win nods and pushes himself up onto the lilo, moving around so his head is at the top, on the sort of pillow part. Bright rests his head on his hands to the right of him.

"Comfy?" he asks.

"Think so," Win replies, looking up at the sky.

Bright begins kicking his legs again so they are moving forward, and when Win asks whether he is going to join him, Bright points out that there isn't really enough room for the two of them.

Win attempts to persuade him by sitting up with one leg either side of the inflatable, holding each side for balance to prove that there's plenty of space. Bright still is negative, not wanting it to flip up, so Win explains that they can both swim, meaning no problem. He really doesn't understand why the older boy won't join him.

"Fine." Bright puts his feet on the ocean floor and pushes up. As he predicted, it flips straight over, leaving them both in the water. Bright resurfaces first after somersaulting over the inflatable, but Win is under a bit longer before popping up, coughing and spluttering. Bright hurries over to him as quickly as he can, putting his hands on his shoulders.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Win replies. "At least it's sort of shallow!"

Bright grins and offers to help Win back onto the lilo, but Win insists that he doesn't need any, clambering up onto the inflatable and sitting as he was before, gesturing to Bright that it is his turn. Bright raises an eyebrow and Win nods, patting the space in front of him.

This time they both gracefully slide back into the water when it tips slightly.

"It's okay Winnie, I'll just swim."

"But Brightie," Win whines.

"Okay," Bright agrees, "but this time, we'll jump up together."

Win nods and pushes his fringe - which is starting to get pretty long - out of his face before putting his hands on the side of the lilo. Bright does the same.

"Ready?"

"One...two...three!"

Both boys jump up onto the inflatable, swinging a leg over the other side and sitting up. Finally, they achieve success as both are floating, looking straight at each other.

"We did it!" Win exclaims. "High five!"

Bright shakes his head as he slaps Win's outstretched hand. "You're a dork."

Win shrugs. "You still love me."

"Well, I suppose so." Bright laughs.

They float on the lilo for the next couple of hours, talking and laughing and joking. Win's stomach is the first to rumble, so they paddle back to shore.

Once both boys have eaten their sandwiches and munched through their packets of crisps and apples, their mums insist on them putting more sun cream on.

Normally they'd grumble, but they rushed through putting it on, as Win had noticed some rocks further down the beach that he wanted to climb on, due to the rule about not swimming after eating.

When they tell Kulap about their plan, she immediately puts hats on both of their heads, sunglasses on their faces, and their shoes back on their feet.

"Mum, you worry too much," Bright points out.

"Don't be silly; a mum can never worry too much about her children." She shoves t-shirts and a couple more packets of crisps into a bag, along with a bottle of sun cream.

---------

Bright and Win are actually cuteeee, fight me!

Have a nice day~