Sand
Sea Salt
They find a dead bird together, small and brown and soft just like the little wooden ones Nicholas would sometimes carve and then hide away beneath a floorboard or under his pillow. It's early afternoon and Livio has forgotten what made him want to go outside, when each of the suns is sitting high and beating down strong and hot. He blinks the sweat from his eyes and tugs on the sleeve of Nicholas' shirt, asking softly if they can go indoors again.
"In a minute," Nicholas says and picks up the bird, gently bushing away the sand caught between its feathers, "we should bury it."
"But it's—" Livio stops and wrinkles his nose. Nicholas turns to him, waiting.
"… Just a bird," he finishes, lamely, and Nicholas rolls his eyes, shifts his weight and leans into Livio hard with his shoulder and arm, forcing him to stumble back.
"Don't be stupid," he says, waiting for Livio to catch his footing. Nicholas gives him a look, a little exasperated but not unkind and starts walking, glancing over his shoulder to check that Livio is following before disappearing around the side of the orphanage.
They make a grave, digging with their hands and finish with sharp sand sticking beneath their fingernails. Nicholas uses a flat rock for the tombstone, and shoots Livio a look when he starts to protest that the wind will just sweep it away.
"That's not the point, you know."
Livio puffs out his cheeks, wipes away the sweat soaked bangs from his forehead with one quick, irritated swipe of his hand.
"Then what is?" he asks, slipping into the tone of voice every child brat learns to master. Nicholas berates other kids for using it, but allows Livio to because it's rare and because Nicholas likes it when he stands up to him.
So instead he throws up his hands, exaggerates the gesture, makes a show of it.
"Hey, I've got to let you figure some things out on your own, right?"
"Wolfwood—" whining.
Nicholas hooks an arm around Livio's shoulders, catching his neck in the curve of his elbow and tugging at him until Livio starts to shove back. He lets himself fall and pulls Livio down with him, sweeping sand into his face.
"H-hey!"
"Baby."
He lies down and closes his eyes. Livio turns away, spits the grit from his mouth and moves like he's going to get up but instead flops next to Nicholas, landing on his arm. Nicholas scowls and murmurs something but doesn't move, and Livio blinks up at the sky, quiet.
End