The look on his face is priceless…
His lips are parted and his crimson eyes are wide open. His hand in Nezumi's palm barely has any gripping force and he looks, absolutely dazzled.
This is the first time Shion has ever seen the sea.
After a two hours walk through a meadow of green wheat and some light hiking, they have finally reached their destination. Nezumi stands next to Shion with a backpack on his back, a hand in his beige short's pocket, the other holding onto Shion's so he wouldn't fall flat on his face with his all consuming daze. There is a mild, salty breeze licking the knee high grass on the hill they are standing. Nezumi's raven bangs dance in the wind and he raises his free hand to keep them from his eyes as he watches Shion gape at the sunlight drenched ocean before them expanding as far as the eyes could see.
Nezumi has accidentally forgotten to mention that he was taking Shion to the sea. And that's the reason Shion can't even talk right now. They have been on the road for over a week to get here, to this secluded little cove, hidden beneath a large rock protruding from the hill they are standing on. Nezumi had discovered this spot during his travels and had spent a week here in solitude. It's a day's distance from No.5 and like the Village of Mao in the Northern Forests, or a few other spots Nezumi has encountered, although inhabited, it has preserved its nature with lush Japanese cedar trees and birch trees scattered all the way into the glowing sands of celery. The waves roll and crash against the shore in slow, rhythmic strokes and the sunlight glitters off the smooth aquamarine surface of the sea. Nezumi thinks the weather couldn't be any better for some swimming.
"It's so beautiful…" Shion whispers next to him.
"And you wouldn't stop asking me where we were going…" Nezumi smirks slyly… "Isn't it worth not knowing?"
Shion meets his gaze and his eyes are almost like genuine rubies in the sunlight. He smiles sheepishly before replying and his eyes and the way his hair catches on the golden sunrays makes Nezumi strangely think about the Happy Prince.
"It really is. Thank you, Nezumi."
An impulsive sense of embarrassment stirs in the pit of his stomach when Nezumi sees the blindingly brilliant, grateful eyes look at him with such admiration. Nezumi wants to both cringe and reach out to run his fingers through the silky locks of long ivory tresses. Instead he starts walking and pulls Shion with him.
"C'mon. Let's swim."
"Are you sure it's okay?" Shion asks as they walk down the hill to the shore. Nezumi lets his backpack fall on the sand with a muffled thump and then turns around to face his airheaded companion.
"Ingratitude, thou marble-hearted fiend, more hideous when thou show'st thee in a child than the sea monster."
"King Lear, Act 1 Scene 4," Shion repeats from memory and Nezumi's replying smile is full of praise. Shion continues,
"Only, I'm not being ungrateful and I don't think there are sea monsters here, Nezumi."
Nezumi's hand cups the side of his face and his thumb brushes over his scar.
"Heavens, when has my Prince grown up so," he says with an amused grin. Shion's eyebrows knit together and he seems to be on the verge of objecting the underage treatment but Nezumi leans in with his hand still on his chin and presses his lips against his. Shion kisses him back without a moment's hesitation and for a while Nezumi's mind only registers the sound of waves, sunlight prickling over his skin and the warmth and the sweetness of Shion's taste. He pulls away and grins at him.
"I hope Your Highness can swim better than he could when he was sixteen."
Shion glares at him.
"Swimming in thick sewer water without having a chance to surface and trying not to die doesn't really compare with swimming in the open sea in a warm summer day, Nezumi." He lets his backpack fall on the sands as well. "I can swim just fine."
"Mmmm…I guess we'll see soon enough." Nezumi replies and then he pulls his shirt off and takes off his shorts. He casually throws them on his backpack without paying much heed to where it lands. His fingers tug at his hair tie and he notices the way Shion is looking… no, staring at him.
"See something you like?"
Shion has his usual captivated look on his face as his glowing crimson eyes trace every line across his body.
"I can't see anything I don't like," Shion replies and Nezumi chuckles.
"I am too pale. A little sun will be good." Nezumi turns to the sea and looks over his shoulder.
"Are you gonna take your clothes off and join me or do you plan on resuming your travels with the Airhead Express?"
That's all it takes for Shion to snort and strip down to his boxers as Nezumi watches him. His ivory hair, reaching all the way to his shoulder blades looks nearly translucent in the brilliant summer sun. His skin, almost as pale as his own -if not more- contrasts the red serpent coiling around his body and the glint of his deep crimson eyes. He looks absolutely… unearthly.
Shion straightens himself up and meets Nezumi's gaze. Even with several feet between them Nezumi can see the tint of red spreading over his cheeks and ears. It's been years since Nezumi has returned to this guy; years filled with nights and days he has laid eyes on every inch of his skin, breathed in every ounce of his scent, tasted every drop of his essence and Shion still blushes under his gaze. He finds it inexplicably arousing.
Nezumi extends a hand towards him. Shion walks to him and takes his hand.
When they reach the darkened sands and the sea starts washing their feet Shion makes a surprised sound.
"It's colder than I thought it would be."
"That's the best part about swimming in the summer. C'mon." Nezumi lets go of his hand and walks into the sea. Looking back over his shoulder, he smirks and then elegantly dives headfirst into the pleasantly cold arms of the ocean. The coolness of the sea licks across his parched skin as the momentum of his dive helps him cut through the water and Nezumi swims without surfacing for as long as his lungs can stand. When he finally resurfaces a good hundred feet away from the shore he sees Shion waist deep in the sea looking at him.
"You are awful, Nezumi." Shion calls out. "I thought something happened to you!"
Nezumi shakes his hair away from his face and chuckles.
"What did you think happened to me? Worried that I was eaten by a swarm of tuna? Or gotten buried under a lump of sand?"
He hears Shion grumble something under his breath and watches him walk into the sea. A smile forms on his lips as Shion frowns at the coldness and Nezumi swims towards him. Diving half way through the remaining distance between himself and Shion, Nezumi sneaks up on him, his arms lock around his waist and he pulls him down into the water. Shion's cry of shock gets swallowed in a slurry of bubbles and Nezumi sees him glare at him even under the water. Nezumi lets go of him, resurfaces and bursts into laughter.
Shion's head breaks the surface, an arm's length away from him and the betrayed look on his face makes him laugh even harder.
"You are horrible, Nezumi!"
"I see your sense of danger still hasn't improved. How can you be so guardless?"
Shion's hand slides across the water and sends a wave of salty sea water flying at him.
"I don't know Nezumi; could it be because that maybe, I trust you?"
Nezumi easily dodges Shion's petty attack and replies grinning,
"Oh don't be like that now. You enjoyed it. Just admit it."
Shion glares but Nezumi can see him bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. He closes the distance between them. His arms wrap around his body, his lips find his ear and Nezumi murmurs.
"Plus, you don't feel cold at all right now, do you?"
Shion shivers in his arms and Nezumi smiles as he pulls away. Shion's arms wrap around his shoulders and that silly, love-struck look appears on his face… and then Shion pushes him down into the water with all his might. Nezumi sinks without a warning. It isn't too deep so he kicks himself up when his feet hits the sand at the bottom. As his body shoots upwards he puts both hands on Shion's legs and they slyly slide into his boxers from below. He hears Shion gasp as his head breaks the surface.
"That's not how you thank someone who helps you get into the cold water the first time," he says as his hands run around his curves and grope his butt.
Shion arms helplessly work to keep him above water as his head falls on Nezumi's shoulder with a groan. Nezumi pulls him to himself and presses their bodies together.
"Tell me Shion… you are supposed to be a genius. Do you know anything about the buoyancy of water?"
One of Shion's arms close around his shoulders and Shion asks dazedly.
"What?"
"Buoyancy, My Prince. Do you know what it is?"
Shion doesn't reply right away, probably too lost in the feel of Nezumi's hands rubbing his butt in circular motions. Then he speaks distractedly,
"Buoyancy is the ability of an object to float in a liquid. If an object displaces more water than its weight, it will float."
"Gold marks. You passed." Nezumi turns his head to find his ear again as his hands continue kneading his butt.
"Say, Shion… Have you ever experimented with it?"
Shion sighs deeply when Nezumi pulls his hips into his own.
"Experiment… how? Mmmm… what… do you mean?"
Nezumi lifts a single hand to Shion's face. He holds him by the chin and stares into his burning crimson eyes. His ivory hair sparkles in the summer sun as the tips draw white lines on the surface of the water. Nezumi feels his heartbeat pick up as he feels heat pool into his lap despite the coolness of the sea.
"Would you like me to show you… how easy it is to move in the water… how fluid… how light everything feels?"
Shion doesn't reply. He doesn't have to. White eyelashes cloud over the crimson glint as Shion leans in and his lips close over Nezumi's own. Nezumi tastes the sea on his lips and his tongue dives deep into his mouth in search of his unique, sweet aroma. His hands meet behind Shion's back, running down and coming to a stop over the back of his thighs. Nezumi pulls them up and around his waist as Shion kisses him with increasing fervor. He is feather light in his arms, fire warm against his skin and tangled around him like wild vine.
Nezumi glides through the water with Shion in his arms until they are under the canopy of the great jutting piece of monolithic rock protruding from the hill they climbed down from. Shion's bare back rests against the wave-glazed rock, and one more time; as it happened countless times before, and will happen countless times more, Nezumi indulges himself in the summer warmth of Shion that had kept him grounded ever since he was twelve and lost in a storm.
The End
This is for hitting 500 followers on Tumblr. While writing it, I also found out about a No.6 Summer Fun contest on DA... So I'll participate with this 3
Many thanks to Brigid for the prompt "SEA" which inspired me to write this.
Hope you enjoy it! Feedback is always appreciated!
Cover art belongs to: 織瀬 ［イ-55ｂ・Ｉ／Ｌ］