"Today's the day," Roger whispered into the wind, hoping it'll reach his love.
The tribe is still as lively as ever. They have learnt to accept the beast amongst them, even going as far as to worship it. Roger started straying from the group, heading towards the densely packed forest.
"Hey Roger! Its your turn today to-" Maurice shouted after him before Jack cut in.
"Leave him be for today," Jack muttered. Every month, on this day, Roger would wander off into the forest with only one objective on mind.
No one has bothered to keep track of the days that passed on the island, except Roger. Everyday he would carve a stroke onto a tree. A special tree where he and Simon would kiss. Or at least they used to.
Roger passed the lush green forest, untainted by humanity. Walking down the memory lane, he briefly recalled the times when Simon would hold his hand and they'd go for leisure walks through the forest. Roger had never noticed nor appreciated nature before he met Simon. He'd never notice the way the plants seem to glow in the sunlight, the way the light reflects onto the morning dew drops, the way that the forest seems to sing. His world has always been dark and hollow. There was no such thing as "light" and "happiness" in his dictionary- that is, until he met Simon. Whenever he was around, the things seemed to glow (well now, he was the one glowing) . When he flashed his rare smiles at him, Roger's heart seemed to thump so hard that he'd thought it would burst. Roger smiled as he recalled these precious memories.
Roger kept walking before he reached a familiar spot, a check point. He's never been good with directions, but Simon had made secret and discrete marks on the tree that only he and roger know.
"Top left, 2nd lowest branch..." Roger muttered. The seemingly ordinary branch was marked with a
"R S"
He chuckled, as another memory played.
It was Simon's idea.
Roger had laughed at the cheesiness of it, making little Simon blush furiously. "Fine then!" Simon announced before attempting to run off in embarrassment. Roger grabbed Simon's hand and brought it to his mouth, giving it a small little peck and pulling Simon ever so gently towards him. In the embrace, they kissed passionately under the tree and everything seemed so, so perfect.
Roger broke the the kiss and stared at Simon. Simon, who was burning up and turning tomato red from the embarrassment of the kiss, avoided eye contact. Roger just kept chuckling and giving him small pecks on his cheeks and forehead. Simon closed his eyes against the love-filled kisses, relaxing into Roger's embrace.
Roger smirked as he quickly worked with a sharpen small wooden dagger onto the branch.
"Here." Roger clasped Simon's shoulders, turning him to face the branch. "How's it?"
On the branch was a freshly carved " ". Simon stared at it and gave a rather goof-ish smile. Now it was Roger's turn to blush.
"You're missing something though," Simon commented before taking Roger's dagger and carving the additional "R" and "S", sandwiching the heart in between.
Sunlight glistened off Roger's body as he climbed the marked tree to gather pears. He's never liked pears.
"It resembles a dick"
When he had told Simon about it, Simon lost it and laughed till he cried.
"I've never heard of anyone relating a pear to that before!"
Roger made no comment and stared at the ground in embarrassment.
Simon, who finally stopped, grabbed the pear and cut a slice. Roger was sure it'd taste horrible, but since Simon had already cut it for him... he couldn't reject an angel's offer.
He bit into it and immediately, sweet juices flowed out gloriously.
If he knew pears were so good, he would have tried eating them long before. Man, has he been missing out on life!
And ever since then, Roger's been a tad addicted to pears.
Roger's hand reached out and grabbed the fruits swiftly, before pearfully making his was back to the ground.
The sun was shining especially bright now. Too bright, in fact. Roger guessed that it was around 12 in the afternoon already, and he'd better not keep Simon waiting.
He followed the familiar path down, past memories surfing through his head each time he passed through a specific spot.
"Ah, that's where Simon froze still when we were making out."
Apparently he had felt something clung onto his back and was terrified. Roger looked over through Simon's shoulders and saw a huge spider crawling up the frozen stiff boy. With a fallen stick he picked from the ground, he smacked it hard. The spider was not to be so easily defeated though, as it jumped and clung onto the swinging branch and dashed for Roger. At that moment, Roger gained a new feeling called "fear".
After an hour long battle, all three of them were exhausted. The spider, having exhausted all of its own energy, scurried away into the shadows. Simon quickly shouted a "sorry" before slumping against the tree from tiredness. Roger looked at him curiously before Simon caught his breath and stated
"Well... we had destroyed her web nest during our... bonding...time..."
Roger gazed at wise Simon, fascinated with the intellectual ability of his love.
Smirking, Roger leaned in. "Hmm... and I guess we should continue the 'bonding time' now that she's gone?"
Simon laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound Roger has ever heard.
"Alright, sure. But first... let's go to a special place of mine?"
Grasping his lover's hand, Simon guided them through the near impossibleforest to a field where hundreds of flowers were adorned by sunlight. It looked as if it had just popped out of a fairy tale.
And surrounding Roger's feet now were the same flowers that showered in the rays of light.
"Still enchanting as ever"
Roger wore a smile as he threaded on the flowers lightly.
He ninja walked his way to his beloved Simon, before settling down on a spot that was designated for him. He began to talk to Simon about his days as a hunter and how things were, all while his hands cleverly weaved flowers into a crown.
After talking for a few hours (and what Roger always felt it was just a few minutes), the sun had began to set.
Roger looked at the flower crown on his hands, and closed his eyes as he allowed a final memory to play.
Both boys were laying on the field, enjoying each other's presence. Roger was lying on Simon's leg, eyes wandering all over his face while occasionally lifting up his head to kiss him before returning to the comfortable thighs.
Simon stroked Roger's hair, trying to untangle the almost impossible knots.
Roger, who finally began to settle down his heart, flipped over after simon gave up trying to untangle his hair.
Simon had picked some flowers and was beginning to weave them together expertly.
"My sisters taught me," Simon said, after feeling the curious stare from the other. "Sorry if they're too girly..." he added, feeling that perhaps it was abit too lame.
"Hmmmm... teach me," Roger requested earnestly.
Simon boasted a proud smile as he continued to weave the flowers. Roger was enthralled by the graceful pulls and tugs from Simon's fingers, his eyes following every move of it.
As if by magic, an alluring flower crown was born. Simon placed it on Roger's head, before saying
"Looks good on you"
"I'd bet it'll look even more gorgeous on you"
Roger had made a mental note then to make one for Simon one of these days.
'Yep, i definitely need to make you one' Roger firmly thought to himself.
Roger gingerly placed the assorted flower crown onto a rock. "See, I told you that it would look so much more beautiful on you." His fingers caress the words carved roughly onto the stone.
That night, when his Simon was taken away from him, Roger was about to follow after, would Jack not have held him back.
That night, when they had returned, Simon had wanted to check out something and told Roger to head back to the camp in a firm tone. That night, that day, he should have known something was wrong. 'If only i had stopped him, if only i had gone with him, hell, it was only for 10 minutes! If only..' thoughts like these filled his sorrowful mind. Roger glared at the barren edge of the cliff, silently praying that it'll break off and kill him.
Roger leaned against the slab, before whispering a soft, soft,
"I miss you"
A bead of water rolled down on his smooth skin before dropping onto the flowers below. The wind blew gently as roger closed his eyes, listening for a reply.
But none ever came.
As the dark eye bags under his eyes grew heavier, Roger slowly slips away from consciousness, while chanting in a sniveling and soft, quiet voice,
"Simon"