The mid-July day was sweltering as the temperatures continued to soar to unbelievable levels. It felt as though the sun had completely consumed the planet and then took a nosedive into a preheated oven. The fact that it wasn't even noon (in fact, it was particularly early in the morning) made the heat even more intimidating to the many young boys that currently resided within the aged and debilitated campsite of Camp Kidney.
Most of the Bean Scouts, which is what the teenaged boys were referred to during their summers at the camp, were cooped up inside of their cramped cabins (most holding three Bean Scouts each). Each teen had their complaints about the scorching day's weather, not wanting to leave their cabin sanctuaries.
However, while every other boy stayed put in their cabins, keeping themselves somewhat cool with fans made of magazines or letters from home, one rather different male hummed cheerfully as he slung a fluffy white towel over one of his slender shoulders. His bright and joyful caramel-colored eyes looked over to his two cabin buddies, who also happened to be his very best friends, watching them as they desperately tried to keep cool with their own makeshift paper fans.
"You guys sure you don't want to come down to the lake with me? It might help cool you down," Lazlo questioned for the fifteenth time since he awoke to the blinding sun pouring down on his orange-tinted face. He had one hand resting on the slightly torn screen of the blue wooden door of the cabin, ready to open the door after his friends had made their decision.
"For the last time, Lazlo," Raj, a rather chubby, rosy-fleshed teen, groaned out with a thick Indian accent lacing his voice. "It's too far to walk in this heat."
Normally, a person would be a little offended by their friend snapping at them with a bitter tone and a declining of an invitation, but the overly-cheery teenager just smiled. Lazlo knew that his chunky friend wouldn't have snapped at him had the heat not been making him miserable and sweaty – very, very sweaty. So, instead of creating a huge fuss, the skinniest member of the Jelly Bean cabin simply shrugged his shoulders and looked to his shorter friend.
"How about you, Clam?"
"Too hot!" Came the simple reply of the shortest Jelly Bean, his yellowed face (which would leave many to believe he had a strong case of jaundice racing through his veins) twisted into a miserable frown as sweat glistened on his forehead.
Again, the Brazilian boy shrugged his delicate shoulders. He pushed open the squeaky door, which was barely hanging onto its hinges at this point, and stepped out to face the horrifically hot day with a smile. He took in a deep breath through his nose and exhaled with a long content sigh. The smell of nature, the warmth of the sun on his tangerine skin, the sound of all the little creatures and insects around him always gave Lazlo a warm, fuzzy feeling deep in the pit of his stomach and his soul.
His lime green flip-flops clacked against the stairs on the outside of the cabin as he stepped down them, humming an unknown song to himself as he did so. He adjusted the towel on his shoulder and fixed the emerald-colored peace sign necklace that dangled from a black cotton string around his neck.
The walk to the mucky water of Leaky Lake was a bit of a ways off, but it wasn't as long of a walk as the other two Jelly Beans had claimed. Before he knew it, the redheaded teen had reached his watery destination. Beads of sweat were already trailing down his face like speeding bullets flying through an open range, the sweat causing his green-colored tee-shirt and his midnight black shorts to stick to his skin. While this was rather uncomfortable, even for Lazlo, the lanky teenaged boy managed to push away the sticky feeling of the sweat long enough to reach the edge of the calm and murky lake water.
The sun was beating down on the young camper with all the fiery heat it could produce, yet Lazlo still managed to find the flaming star a beautiful sight to behold. Rather, he found the way that its beaming rays skimmed the water's surface, creating what appeared to be little shimmering lightning bugs that danced along the low-current waves, a beautiful sight to behold. With glimmering caramel eyes, Lazlo watched in awe at the tiny light particles scooting along the water. He wanted to be apart of it; he wanted to join in their little dance and become one with all of what nature had to offer.
He looked around himself to see if any of the other campers had decided to behold the beauty of the sun's rays performing their elegant ballet on Leaky Lake. However, after a few moments of taking in the sight of the multiple massive trees around him, Lazlo came to the conclusion that every other camper had to still be barricading themselves in their cabin sanctuaries. While the Brazilian adolescent fretted a bit at the thought of all his wonderful friends missing out on such a blissful sight, he could understand that the skyrocketing heat was getting the better of them.
As soon as he confirmed that he was in fact alone at Leaky Lake, the nature-lover tugged at the collar of his sweat-drenched shirt, pulling it over his head and resting it on a nearby boulder. His soft scarlet hair became a shaggy, mop-like mess from the fibers of the shirt grazing against the strands. Lazlo carefully readjusted the imitation-emerald peace sign necklace once again, making sure it rested perfectly in place. His blazing eyes once again peered around to check for other campers. Again, no other boys could be spotted – nor was Scoutmaster Lumpus and his assistant, Slinkman, anywhere in sight.
While Lazlo would have loved to have at least one companion to splash around in the lake with him, he was almost thankful that the site was empty of the other Bean Scouts. Now, it was just Lazlo and nature. Nature and Lazlo. The only sounds that filled the morning air were the tiny chirps, squeaks, croaks, and buzzes of all the little critters that claimed Camp Kidney as their habitat – their home. The young adolescent loved these sounds, it let him know that while he may not have his fellow campers around him, he still had friends by his side. This also gave the flower child a sense of freedom and need to feel the breeze between his knees. He wanted to just be natural, just as nature had intended for him to be.
So, without much hesitation and with a content grin on his cantaloupe-complected face, the redhead stripped himself of his shorts and his teal-colored boxers (which he also placed on the boulder a few feet away from the water's edge). The feeling of the warm air now completely consumed his entire slenderly-built frame, leaving him to feel happy and free. Lazlo, who was very eccentric in many ways, wasn't the type to be stifled by society's laws – and certainly not by society's dress code. No, this young peacemaker believed it was better to experience everything the green Earth had to offer. And if that meant being stark nude in the middle of a summer camp ground, then so be it. In Lazlo's glowing hazel eyes, nudity was one of the most natural things in the world. After all, you do come into the planet wearing nothing more than a facial expression.
Once the Brazil-native was stripped down to his birthday suit, he slipped off his lime-green flip-flops and approached the mouth of the lake, the muddy water delicately whisking itself over Lazlo's petite toes, which curled at the cool temperature. He hadn't realized just how humid the day was until he stepped shin-deep into the inviting liquid. After a few more steps into the water, the sandy bottom became further and further away from the teen's feet, leaving him wading happily in Leaky Lake's figurative arms.
Lazlo leaned his head back a little as he propelled himself onto his back, floating on the surface, letting his spine curl with the small waves. The steady current quickly lulled him into peacefulness. His scarlet locks flowed this way and that as the current guided them in different directions. As the soft sounds of nature continued their harmonic symphony, Lazlo's eyelids grew heavy. He wasn't tired or sleepy, he just felt calm and collected. He gave into his eyelid's wishes and let his eyes flutter shut as he continued to float, another comforting and cheerful song beginning to escape his throat in the form of hums.
"Ahh," the relaxed teen murmured after his little song was complete, skimming his hands against the creek's murky liquid that was gently rocking him. "Leaky Lake sure is nice on a hot day like today. It's still too bad that Raj and Clam didn't come; they'd really enjoy this."
The redhead slowly opened his eyes and stopped his floating, returning to wading in the water that rested just above his navel. He splashed the dirty water onto his orange-tinted chest, a few of the droplets sticking to his flesh and trickling down until they reached the surface of the lake once again. A few other droplets were trickling off the ends of Lazlo's hair, sliding down the back of his thin neck and spine. He smiled a little bigger as he felt a tiny fish gently nibble at his toes. It was times like this that really made the flower child one with mother nature and all her vast glory.
His upper body was now glistening with the chilled water, the little rays of light that danced through the surface of Leaky Lake now danced against his bare skin, too. He drew in another deep breath, the scent of blooming flowers, the great trees, and the vegetarian-styled meal that Chef McMuesli was cooking up in the Mess Hall wafted gracefully into his nose. It was all so mesmerizing and enthralling. In fact, it's majestic hold over the boy prevented Lazlo from hearing the somewhat heavy footsteps of someone approaching the lake.
"Bah! This heat's really starting to get on my nerves. Everyday it's the same around here," the youngest Bean Scout cursed under his breath, his brow furrowed with annoyance for everything and everyone that resided at this dinky camp. "You wake up drenched in sweat and then you have to deal with all these idiots all day long."
Edward's pale complexion lightly reflected the sun's rays as he approached the nauseating waters of Leaky Lake. What was so special about a dumb, muddy pool of water anyway? The unforgiving sun boar down upon the short-standing teenager, leaving his fair flesh to tingle with a burning sensation. While he had applied a decent amount of sunblock from head-to-toe, Edward knew he'd still fall victim to the burning pain of sunburn. That was just one of the things about summer camp that he couldn't stand – there, of course, was an entire list of things he couldn't stand about Camp Kidney.
His sparkling baby-blue eyes shimmered in the light, the tiny light particles dancing across them just as they had done with the lake. His faintly-blonde hair was also a great place for the figurative lightning bugs to perform their ballet. The well-conditioned locks gently flowed about the angry male's skinny face as he walked through the miserable heat to reach the miserable lake in the middle of the miserable camp.
Edward was truly proof that dynamite comes in small packages. He was probably no taller than five-feet and his body-build couldn't be described as anything but dainty. While the blonde prided himself on manliness (at least, in front of the other Bean Scouts), his body was delicately formed. Everything from his face to his small feet had some type of feminine quality about it. But, with someone like Fancypants as your brother, you were bound to have something girly about you.
The pale-fleshed teen groaned loudly as he finally reached the lake, sweat plastering his bright red tank-top to his thin chest and flat stomach. His petite and frail hands tugged at the shirt, trying to escape the sticky feeling that made him feel disgusting. He growled as his attempts were futile; the only way to escape this feeling was to remove the drenched top. Which the world-despising adolescent did without much hesitation, placing the tank-top on the scorching ground below him.
As the giant, flaming star rose higher in the sky as time continued to pass, the day only grew hotter. How anyone could survive such heat was a complete mystery. The temptation to remove his loose-fitting black shorts tugged at Edward's mind, but he was no idiot. This was the middle of a public place and in public you keep your junk in your trunks. Plus, the blonde had been raised to have more modesty than most of the other filthy scumbags suffering through the summer's heat.
He was wrapped up in his thoughts of hatred for Camp Kidney, hatred for his fellow campers, hatred for this filthy lake, and pretty much hatred for everything else. However, this massive wave of furious thoughts was cut short as he heard small giggles float through the air and into his ears (which Fancypants had pierced after tricking Edward into thinking the needle was for sewing the boy's teddy bear back together). Great, he couldn't even get peace and quiet at the currently secluded lake, or that's what he had thought before he heard the giggling.
There was no mistaking that laugh, such a unique laugh it was. Edward could place that sickening joy anywhere.
"... Lazlo," the youngest camper hissed harshly under his breath. "What's banana-breath doing here?"
His raging monologue was cut abruptly short as he saw the water-covered orange figure in the distance waving at him happily, the emerald necklace reflecting brightly off his chest.
"Edward! Hey, Edward!" Lazlo called out in a gleeful shout as he waved his hand frantically through the humid air, trying to gain the other boy's attention. Not knowing that Edward was trying to just ignore him, he continued to call out to him. "Edward!"
The feminine young male roughly sighed, knowing there was no way the older of the two was going to give up on getting his attention. However, he remained silent, kicking off his charcoal-colored sandals. For a brief moment, he hopped between feet as the flaming hot sand came in contact with the size seven feet. A few grunts of displeasure escaped him as he scowled, darting to the edge of the lake to let his feet become engulfed in the mucky water.
Edward's head was hung low as he watched the water roll over his feet, the loosening sand seeping through his toes in the form of mud. He made a slightly disgusted face at this sight. How that nature-freak, Lazlo, found appreciation in such things was beyond the blue-eyed male's comprehension. Continuing to step into the vast pond, his head still hung down and his eyes still focused on the surface of the water, Edward had no time to realize that the Jelly Bean had approached him and was currently standing right in front of him.
The water level where the two Bean Scouts were standing only went up to their knees, leaving Lazlo fully exposed without his cloak of liquid covering him. Edward's turquoise eyes slowly lifted up with annoyance when he saw the taller teen's faded shadow crinkling on the water's surface. He looked with an unamused expression for a very brief moment before his face twisted into an intense look of shock. His arm flew up to cover his eyes, which he closed tightly the instant he had observed the tangerine figure before him. His femininely-curved body propelled back a few paces, causing water to splash through the air and shower them both.
"Lazlo! You idiot!" The somewhat mentally-scarred scout shouted with horror, continuing to hide his blushing face behind his arm. "Wha-what are you doing?"
"I'm swimming, Edward," the Jelly Bean responded with a confused smile on his face. The question didn't seem to make any sense to him. They were at Leaky Lake, of course you'd be swimming. Right? "What else would I be doing in Leaky Lake?"
"No, I mean, why are you naked, Garbanzo-brains?!"
Lazlo's glistening body was a beautiful sight, even the ill-tempered adolescent had to admit that. But, running (or swimming, rather) around in a public area as naked as the day you came out of the womb just wasn't right. However, Lazlo had a different outlook on pretty much everything. He always looked at the brighter and friendlier side of things while his younger companion focused on the dark and negative side. The peace sign-wearing scout didn't see himself as naked at all. He just saw himself as natural and going with the flow.
"I'm not naked, you silly," the caramel-eyed boy chuckled thoughtfully, stepping closer to Edward, who still refused to open his eyes. He placed a rather strong hand on Edward's boney shoulder, patting it in a friendly manner, drops of icky water transferring from his hand to the other teen's shoulder. "I'm natural."
"Nothing could make you "natural", Laz," Edward insulted the friendly camper in an almost inaudible whisper. He cleared his dry-from-the-summer's-heat throat to speak more clearly. Hesitantly, his turquoise eyes cracked open, but forced themselves to remain focused on Lazlo's face and nothing else. "News flash, Einstein. Having your junk hanging out for everyone to see is being naked."
Okay, maybe the peacemaker was technically naked. Anyone with eyes, considering they weren't completely blind, could see that. And, if he were to be absolutely honest, Lazlo would have been a tad more embarrassed if it had been any other scout aside from Edward. Even with Raj and Clam, it would have been a little awkward to just bare all so gracefully. But, this was Edward. The short, blonde, and snappy Edward that Lazlo had harbored feelings for since their first summer at Camp Kidney. Besides, he'd been nude around his now embarrassed friend before.
It was such a short and simple memory, yet the naked male had become so fond of it. All the campers were anywhere around the ages of nine to twelve at the time, so they were all still pretty naive to the ways of the heart and how crushes or relationships worked. But, even all those years ago, Lazlo found something special about his angered and sometimes depressed friend, Edward. Of course, back then, the redheaded youngster thought the little butterflies that fluttered in the pit of his stomach were just gas build-up from too many marshmallow roasts.
The memory was still crystal-clear in the back of the peace-loving Jelly Bean's mind. He was cuddled up in his sleeping bag, smack-dab in the middle of swampy forest. The nine-year-old blonde child wandered into the tent (made out of one of the heavyset campers' oversized boxer-shorts) after his sleeping bag had been destroyed in a freak accident. With a livid expression on his cream-colored face, Edward harshly asked the fellow scouts if he could share their sleeping bags.
Of course, each sleeping arrangement wasn't up to Edward's standards. His baby-blues glanced over to the Brazilian youngster, who's eyes were covered by a somewhat frilly sleeping mask. Lazlo had heard the younger boy's yelling, figuring out that he was searching for a place to sleep. Both the butterflies in his stomach and just the kindness in his heart made the Jelly Bean speak out and offer his friend a place to rest for the night, fully aware that he himself slept all natural.
The agitated youngster, seeing that he had no other option, approached the oversized sleeping bag. He situated himself into the empty space beside Lazlo, snuggling down a bit to get comfortable. Edward had to confess that it was actually cozy laying next to his fellow camper. His delicate feet accidentally slid against the other Bean Scout's leg, his toes being greeted by a softness he had never felt before. He made the assumption that he was grazing his foot against a pair of flannel pajama pants, until the other drowsy boy stated that he sleeps in the nude.
Even though Edward ran off with a horrified and traumatized expression etched onto his pale face, the flower child still held the memory near and dear to his rapidly beating heart.
"Hey! Are you just going to stand there and stare at me all day or what?"
The irritatedly-toned voice snapped Lazlo back to reality, causing him to jump slightly from the startling sound. His moist, slenderly-built body was slowly beginning to dry as the two boys continued to only stand knee-deep in the lake. Miniature fishes began to nibble at their toes as they were brought closer to the teens by the current. Lazlo softly giggled at the feeling of his toes being bitten in a way that felt to be more of a tickle from a feather, while Edward growled and pulled his foot away with a harsh jerk, causing the aquatic life to disperse in fear.
"Oh, sorry," the taller-standing of the Bean Scouts spoke, a smile still refusing to leave his face, which the piercingly scalding sun had painted with sweat once again. He moved a lanky, but surprisingly strong, arm over his forehead to wipe away the tiny beads of salty, shimmering liquid. "I was just thinking about something else."
"Surprise, surprise," the fair-haired male sarcastically muttered under his breath, slowly turning to face the vast amount of trees and open space surrounding swampy Leaky Lake. His faded-blue eyes filled with disgust and hatred for the sight of the campground and all it's so-called "beauty". Was he missing something? Was there something absolutely majestic about these trees, this swampy puddle called a lake, those little flowers that dared to bloom in this dusty cesspool of a summer retreat? If there was, Edward just couldn't see it. Even if he wanted to attempt to view the world through that crazy, hyperactive "friend" of his, he probably still wouldn't be able to find what's so special about a place that had brought him so much misery over the years. "Now, go put some clothes on before anyone else has to look at your little fishy."
Well, that statement wasn't entirely truthful in its careless wording. The redheaded Camp Kidney resident never paid much attention to the growth of his nether regions, I mean, who actually does? Unless you're one of those guys who continuously worries about whether or not your sizing was adequate for your sexual partner. However, Lazlo never worried himself over things such a sex or anything related to sexual activities. While the dirtiest of private thoughts never actually grazed the boy standing in nothing more than his sweaty birthday suit, his body gave him a wonderful set of equipment should he ever use it.
"Aw, but, Edward," the older male whined in a pathetic tone of voice that sounded like a child begging their overworked mother for a candy bar. Though he was making such a whiny and pitiful tone of voice, a blissful grin remained firmly in place on the carrot-skinned face. He chuckled thoughtfully after regaining his normal tone of voice, one of his graceful hands ran through his fluffy locks, which were still somewhat damp from soaking up the lake's non-purified water. "Being natural is great! You get to be one with nature. And nature doesn't judge you, even when you're in the nude. You should give it a try!"
The sadistic Pinto Bean cabin resident swiftly and sharply twisted his body back around to face the Brazil-native. His finger jutted toward the other in an almost accusatory manner and his face held an expression that both resembled extreme shock and acrimony. His normally pale-as-paste face turned a dark shade of scarlet as a blistering blush burned onto his cheekbones. Despite the fact that Lazlo was stark naked with his manhood just dangling there as if no one would notice, Edward poked his finger angrily into the Jelly Bean's well-trimmed, finely-tanned chest, making sure he would leave a sensation of pain in the area he was jabbing.
"I would never, ever, EVER do something as stupid as that, Lazlo! Now, go put some clothes on like I said before!"
The acid-laced and bitter tonality of Edward's cry caused the overly-joyful freethinker to gently flinch, pulling back from the source of the dull stabbing sensation caused by the younger boy's finger driving into his chest. His caramel eyes widened slightly at how vilely the other had shouted at him. It was a tone that Lazlo had heard many times before, but this time, standing in the middle of the sunbeams' elegant ballet, it stung a little sharper than usual. However, this free-spirited Bean Scout wasn't about to let his confidant miss out on such a magical and glorious experience that was the feeling of being free and engulfed with happiness.
A mischievous and quirky smirk replaced Lazlo's former expression as he moved his delicate hands to his companion's model-thin waist that was sultry to the touch. The redhead was surprised by the fact that his hand fell into a deeply incurved space. He always knew that Edward's frame was more ladylike and tender than the other boys attending camp, but he never expected puberty to cause him to become more effeminate. Then again, that was just another element that made the sadist much more special than anyone else in Lazlo's point-of-view.
The fiery-red blush that had formed on the pasty white flesh of the more petite scout's face, which seemed to burn even hotter than the murderous sun centered in the never-ending azure sky, became an even deeper shade on the color wheel. Although, in this particular moment of socialization, the rosiness was caused by astounding embarrassment rather than pent-up rage. Edward emitted a small gasp from his throat, which was growing dryer by the minute from both the blazing sun and sudden feeling of fluster. He quickly tried to cover the obvious gasp by poorly imitating a cough and swatting viciously at Lazlo's firm hand.
What would the campers think if they saw these two male campers standing near the edge of Leaky Lake, one of which was completely unclothed, in such a close and intimate position? Or, in an even worse case scenario, what if Scoutmaster Lumpus or his assistant were to stumble across such a sight as this? And just why in the name of all things sane was he blushing so feverishly? A better question; what was this overwhelming feeling in the pit of his stomach that felt like fragile butterfly wings tickling against his esophagus? All of these thoughts and strange feelings made Edward queasy to his stomach. Was he actually feeling some type of affection for the strapping, peace-sign wearing, nature-freak of a young man standing only inches away from him. No, that was out of the question. This feeling must be coming from the previous night's mystery health food.
"I hate seeing you so down in the grumpy-dumps all the time," a suddenly serious and unusually mature tone weaved its way into Lazlo's voice as he spoke right against his buddy's well-defined jawline. While the words were sweet and endearing, the half-clothed male simply found it impossible to believe that Lazlo could hate anything. For Heaven's sake, the boy used to skip around camp with the biggest smile on his face, showering flowers upon unsuspecting campers in hopes of making their long summer days a little happier. What did he know about hate? "I just want you to be happy, Edward. You're always so closed off from everyone else in camp. It really hurts me to see you sitting on the steps of the Pinto Bean cabin, while the rest of us are off having the time of our lives. Please, Edward? Just this once... let me show you how wonderful Camp Kidney really is."
Within a moment of somewhat awkward passion, the orange-complected Jelly Bean firmly grasped onto the trembling hands of his younger companion. Slowly, Lazlo stepped deeper into the mucky water, pulling a flustered and confused looking Edward along with him. Before either of them really had time to register what they were doing, they were floating in the middle of Leaky Lake, smack dab in the middle of the beautiful and artistic sparkles of luminescence from the daylight, they're feet unable to reach the sandy bottom of the pond.
"I... I hate you, Lazlo," Edward weakly spoke with much strain from his throat. He always said this, repeating it on a daily basis, but he never actually meant it. He always said it in times of rage, sorrow, or confusion, but no matter how many times he reenforced the statement, the flower child would do something that would rekindle a small admiration for him. Gah, he was like a bad itch that you just couldn't quite reach to scratch. "L-let go of my hands."
A loving and tender smile appeared on the camp-enthusiast's face, which was beginning to turn to the shade of a freshly blooming rose bud. Why was he still smiling? He had just been told that he was hated by the person he had the strongest of feelings for in the world. How did such a strong and powerful word such as hate yield no type of negative emotion or backlash?
As the Pinto Bean continued to wrack his racing mind with these types of negatively-focused thoughts, the answer was quite easy for the older male to figure. Even though hate is one of the strongest words there is, one of the strongest emotions there is, one of the strongest feelings there is; love is even stronger. Love is something you can feel radiating from one person to another. It was such a powerful feeling that it was almost tangible. The redhead could see the glowing of love brightly beaming off the blonde's flawless porcelain flesh – he could feel it.
"I love you, too, Edward."
"Y-you ignoramus. I said that I hated you! Not that I loved you."
A chuckle emitted from the peace-lover's throat as he once again slid his hands to rest in the concave areas of the perplexed teen's waist. He hovered his gentle, loving fingertips over the ink-colored, water-immersed shorts that his love interest was wearing. The figurative fireflies on the water's murky surface began to dance in time with the figurative butterflies residing in their stomachs, starting an alluring tango. Delicate heartstrings were being pulled to their breaking points, senses were mixing, thoughts were syncing.
"I want you to experience the beauty of nature with me. I want you to have fun for once. I want to see you smile for me," the tawny-eyed Bean Scout informed through a caressing whisper into Edward's ear, which instantly began to flush to the color of a beautifully fragile coral reef from the sensation of the warmth. Lazlo, a bit hesitant at first, closed the narrow gap between their drenched bodies, becoming chest-to-chest, stomach-to-stomach, and almost groin-to-groin with the smaller of the two. As he completed this action, still holding his hips away from Edward's out of consideration to the often depressed boy, he could feel a heated pulse shoot from his racing heart down to his exposed genital region. A shade of glistening crimson sketched across his face, starting on one cheekbone, coating the bridge of his nose, and ending at its final destination on the opposite cheekbone.
"What are you talking about?" The somewhat neurotic scout shouted in a hushed whisper as to not draw attention from any other scouts, all of whom were still trying to find inventive ways of beating the blistering heat, a flabbergasted expression present on his rosy face. The rose color on his perfectly-shaped cheekbones contrasted gorgeously against his cream-colored skin, much like the fragments of light contrasted against the cloudy water. And just as he had admired the twinkles on the lake, Lazlo admired Edward. "I already smiled for you. Remember?"
It was as if the word "remember" had flipped a switch buried deep within the memory box that was stored in the self-proclaimed hippie's mind. All of his hustling thoughts instantly halted to an abrupt end, stopping on a dime. The memory was the only thing playing in his brain at the moment, projected front and center as if it were a movie playing on the most vividly-colored cinema screen.
It had been many summers ago, back when all the young Bean Scouts were just getting used to the fact that Camp Kidney was going to be their new home away from home. The sun was shining against a bewitching sapphire backdrop, reflecting on Leaky Lake's wavy surface. It was the perfect day for little boys to do what little boys do; run around outside and let their imaginations be their guides.
The Jelly Trio, consisting of Raj, Clam, and Lazlo, were carelessly running and exploring near the shore of Leaky Lake. The young redhead and his albino friend, Clam, were letting off fake cries for help as they ran away, giggling, from an angry juice machine, which was actually Raj with a cardboard box situated upon his head. The chunkier of the trio informed them that he was not a juice machine, labeling himself as a much more sophisticated machine, such as a robot.
However, the playful group's fun was interrupted by a strange mess of what appeared to be brunette hair laying abandoned by the mouth of the lake. Being the curious children they were, they not-so-cautiously approached the deserted item. The straightforward question of "what is it" was on each of their minds, each of them handling the situation in their own and drastically different perceptions. The young boy with soft salmon-colored hair wanted to go nowhere near the possible threat, claiming that he was in-fact a juice machine in order to avoid approaching it. The simple-spoken boy named Clam just asked what it was, trying to figure out the answer from a still somewhat safe distance. But, Lazlo, being the bravest of the trio as usual, stepped directly up to the object, determining that it was a brunette wig.
Without giving the possible owner any thought, the Brazilian child placed the wig on his head, not knowing the aggravation it would soon pain him with. He and his two bunk-mates became enthralled in a tangled web of false predictions as "Madame Lazlo" became more known amongst the other campers. It didn't take much time at all before the little game that was intended for fun became an out of control disaster.
The day had ended and the night had fallen rapidly. The sky became a deep, velvet-shade of royal blue. Lazlo was frantically trying to dispose of the once joyful wig, in which he had written a prediction that he was certain would never come true in all of eternity. A large hole had been thoughtlessly dug into the sandy shore next to Leaky Lake, which was even more beautiful when reflecting the moonbeams than when it reflected the morning sun.
The young flower child wiped away the sweat from his furrowed brow as he tossed the troublesome hairpiece into the depths of the gaping opening in the ground. Just as his weak and tired hands were beginning to shovel the uprooted sand to hide any evidence that the horribly-crafted wig had ever existed, he was unanticipatedly surrounded by obsessive fellow Bean Scouts, who were demanding him to tell them what was going to happen in the future and what prediction he had written on the teensy paper tag inside of the chocolate-tinted hairpiece.
A long, exasperated sigh escaped from the weary child's throat, a very rare spectacle to behold. He was ready to give up his hard-fought battle and surrender to his demanding and overbearing friends. He had just begun to admit that the predictions were clearly phoney and that the "Madame Lazlo" charade was only intended to be for fun when the youngest scout at the dinky little camp shouted in a slightly deranged voice, quickly gaining the attention of all the onlookers present.
"Okay, Madame Lazlo," came the shockingly deep-toned voice of a short-standing scout, who appeared to be even shorter on the height scale as he stood in the pit that was dug into the moonlit sand. One of his frail hands was grasping tightly onto the prediction-holding toupee while his other hand was feverishly pointing to his contorted, pasty-white face. His gleaming pools of blue were widening more and more with each adrenaline-packed moment. "But, aren't you going to charge me a smile first? A big, ole smile like this one!"
The onlookers seemed to be a bit disturbed by their normally irritated and impulsive fellow camper in his current delirious condition. There he was, standing in a pit, desperately pointing to the ear-to-ear, toothy grin that creepily loomed onto his face, which reverberated the intense and elegant luminescence of the moon. He was laughing manically as though every drop of sanity in his mind had completely given out on him, causing him to go temporarily insane.
Edward continued to ramble on about how large and brightly he was smiling in order to obtain a prediction. He had earlier been declined the telling of his future due to the fact that he bluntly refused to give Lazlo the satisfaction of seeing him smile, stating that smiling was a form of affection that he did not and would never harbor for the creative Jelly Bean. In fact, the ill-tempered and short-fused blonde never truly forced happiness for anyone (well, except for when he would thoughtfully manipulate their scoutmaster into getting his way over certain things). In the darkest depths in the pit of his acid-filled heart, he honestly would rather dive headfirst into a vat of boiling hot lava than smile for any of these untamed, bozo campers.
And, yet, there he stood, a most disturbing smile beaming off of his moonlit face that stretched painfully from one ear to the other, a burning sensation consumed his entire face. The underused muscles that were required for giving off such a radiant smile were twisting and pulling to the brink of exhaustion. Maniacal cackles were releasing themselves viciously through his teeth as he lifted the brunette mop of hair up to his face, peering inside of the wig to read the handwritten prediction that awaited him and the rest of Camp Kidney. As swiftly as the wind would carry the autumn leaves away at the end of the season, Edward's mile-wide grin dropped into a somewhat shocked scowl as he read the telling of the future written upon the silky snippet of paper. 'Edward will smile for Lazlo'.
The sparkling emerald peace sign necklace dangling around his scrawny, nearly-sunburned neck grazed against the creamy chest of the shorter scout, the attempts to keep his hipbones from connecting devotedly to Edward's. These striving attempts were quickly beginning to become futile as the rhythm of his palpitating heart caused his entire body to shiver, including his most intimate and secretive of places. It was obvious that the mighty demons of temptation were raking their claw-like fingernails over the whole core of his well-trimmed, shuddering body.
"I... I know, but I want you to smile for me because you're happy," Lazlo shakily spoke, his voice quivering in time with his anatomy. His fingertips continued to hover over the waistline of the furiously blushing teen's shorts, which were probably going to be ruined and faded in color due to the absorption of the swampy water. The tiny fireflies of light continued to swirl around the both of them, encasing them in an invisible, limited-spaced circle. "Not because of some dumb prediction."
With a sharp sigh of surrender, Edward gave up in his futile attempts to swat the stronger male's hands away from his boney hips, his crimson-blushing face leaning down to glare at the sparkles on Leaky Lake's cloudy surface. He was almost thankful for the muddiness of the water at this point, seeing as how it was the only thing blocking his baby-blues from viewing the sight of the other teen's growing manhood.
"You think this is going to make me happy? Standing in the middle of this swamp with you? Well, don't flatter yourself."
Another blindingly auroral glow glistened from the paler-fleshed boy, radiating from the inside of his quickly beating heart through his shimmery azure eyes. The stronger of the two looked into the depths of those blue orbs, past the false mask of hatred and into the flustered soul, as he lifted the Pinto Bean's chin. Even though the sullen camper couldn't reciprocate the affection as fluently and lovingly as the peacemaker, it was still clear that the powerful feelings were returned just by looking into those crystal-clear pools of blue.
Lazlo gently tilted his swimming head forward, pressing his forehead against Edward's, causing both of their faces to grow even hotter, a few more blood vessels beginning to burst behind their different-colored skins. A wave of peace and contentment washed over them both and the feeling of the cool water mixed with the heat of the blazing sun, which now loomed directly over them, causing the water droplets coating their bodies to flash. Their breaths grew more speedy and shallow, mixing together as their faces hovered closely, perspiring foreheads connected.
"Please, Edward?" The redhead softly murmured as he lowered his head onto the shorter boy's cadaverous shoulder, burring his face into the invitingly warm neck. Any of the sparkling drops of liquid that resided in the area were transferred onto the tangerine flesh. In that glorious moment, surrounded by his two greatest loves (Edward and nature), all thoughts were irrigated from the Jelly Bean's mind, including the thought that was holding his hips away from the blonde's. His hazel eyes flew open with slight shock as he felt his rather lanky hips connect with his crush's, his exposed nether regions grazing against the silky fabric of Edward's swimming-shorts.
Edward's eyes, too, grew in size and emotion as he felt the sudden pressure of Lazlo's groin ghosting over his own. His brows tried to furrow in anger, but he found that they could only twist into an undesired expression of panic and slight longing. What was wrong with him today? Why couldn't he feel his normal over-boiling rage seething in the pit of his soul as he usually felt on a daily basis? The blonde could feel his throat beginning to clog with an imaginary lump, his breathing dipping to an almost critical point of hyperventilation. Absentmindedly, his suddenly clumsy hands found their way on the barely-defined muscles of the fellow camper's upper arms, fingernails nearly puncturing the sensitive flesh. However, he wasn't doing this action because he received pleasure from the new-found tingling in his groin muscles. He was clutching onto the older teen in order to regain control of this chaotic situation.
"T-that better be a rock you're rubbing on my shorts, Lazlo," Edward roughly spat, however, his voice came in the form of an almost inaudibly-hushed tone. With the feeling of the normally hyperactive male's fingers returning to his hips, his curved frame squirmed out of tiny bouts of anxiety. Frustrated translucent tears began to form in the outer corners of his eyes, causing him to become even more frustrated with the sudden and unfamiliar emotions that were pushing him to his breaking point. He wasn't scared of the taller, more-muscular scout that was holding him by the hips; he was just frustrated with himself and the racing palpitations of his usually icy-cold heart.
The fair-complected camper's hands shook as they gripped tighter to the flawless flesh beneath their sweaty palms. The friction of the nature-enthusiast's hips against his own was causing his compact, water-painted body to react involuntarily, which made him even more furious with himself. How could he possibly smile when he couldn't even control his own body, which was growing warmer by the minute? The whole thing was ridiculous, however, there was something enticing about it all. Another gleam of light consumed his flesh, seeming to cause the sparkle ballet that was performing around them to grow stronger.
Before either of the young teenagers could fathom what was happening, Lazlo's hands absentmindedly clutched against the silky black fabric of the sadistic camp-loather's shorts, tugging them downward along the smooth flesh of Edward's thighs. Their breathing patterns were growing more unstable and their anxiety levels were increasing with each frantic beat of their hearts. The unaroused animals inside of them suddenly became alert and bloodthirsty, causing every touch, every scent, every vision to become helplessly intoxicating.
Their hormones and senses were heightening at such a rapid pace that their logical minds couldn't even begin to compete. While the blonde-haired adolescent wanted to reestablish control of his body, mind, and the whole situation, the older male wouldn't prefer the motions to be any other way. All these impulses that were sending waves of shock through every nerve in their body, leaving no area untouched, were just natural responses to the fondness they held for one another.
The Brazilian male's caramel eyes began to become slightly unfocused as he let the removed undergarments of his partner float away from his hand, leaving them to drift on the surface of the water a few inches away from him and the blue-eyed beauty. The warm sun mixing with his inner heat began to cause more sweat to appear on his tranquil face as his natural instincts began to run on full throttle. Both of the Camp Kidney occupants knew that their bodies were crying out for each other, begging for their minds to lose all train of thought and just go where the wind would take them.
"A smile," Lazlo repeated softly against his shorter counterpart's clavicle bone, which was lightly defined and visible. As the words left his slightly parted lips, he raised his head a bit to glance over Edward's ruby-red face, noticing the confused, yet lustful, expression. He also took notice to the translucent tears that caused the turquoise coloring to shine even more radiantly. With a gentle caress of his thumb, he wiped away one of the tears that had escaped onto the rosy cheekbone. "For me?"
The Pinto Bean scout was furious with himself, unable to regain any control over his hormonally-crazed body. He never was the type of person to just set himself free and give into temptations. Yet, there was always something different about himself when he was around Lazlo, something that made him feel like he was losing all sense of control. Slowly, his hands fell away from the redhead's upper arms, resting down against the thoughtful boy's chest. He delicately wrapped his petite fingers around the jade peace sign necklace that dangled down from Lazlo's neck, holding onto it for just a little ounce of authority.
"I h-hate you," Edward mumbled, trying with all his might to convince himself that the statement was true. However, the way that his mind was growing more clouded than the lake water surrounding him and the way that his heart was racing to the point of combustion was telling a very different story. The tiny butterflies in his stomach were tearing their way through his digestive system, causing his fragile body to quiver against the taller camper's.
The Jelly Bean's body began to shake as he wrapped his loving arms around the younger of the two's frame, pulling their hips together once again. Lazlo flinched just slightly at the feeling of his somewhat erect member coming into contact with his partner's. Both the boys were starting lose grip with the reality surrounding them, only being able to see the person in front of them. Edward quickly nuzzled his face into the orange-tinted shoulder that was provided to him, trying to hide the lustful expression that took over his face. He used the flesh that his face was buried into as a way to muffle the sound of a small gasp-like moan that escaped him.
Blonde hair slowly fell to sweep across his face as he pulled back to look at the older male. His shaking, clumsy hands gripped tighter onto the necklace as his hips began to absentmindedly move for themselves. He shuddered a bit more as he released the necklace and moved his arms to latch securely around the Brazil-native's neck.
"I know," Lazlo replied tenderly with an involuntarily smirk appearing on his well-framed face. He lingered his mouth just over his love interest's for a brief moment before connecting their lips in a passionate kiss. His sparkling eyes stayed locked on the other scout's for only an instance before they began to flutter closed, panting breathlessly as their lips formed perfectly with each other. The inconspicuous kiss was almost enough for their inner animals to have their fill, but they still begged for more. Every nerve ending in each of the Bean Scouts' bodies were screaming to be caressed and pleading for a release.
The deep pools of turquoise that the shorter boy was blessed with began to grow in size and become misty with nervous sparkles of tears. His entire lanky body was shuddering at every faint touch from the older scout, whose hands were now tickling against his spine as if his tender fingers were made of fine feathers. His mouth trembled as he felt Lazlo's warm, moist lips form over his own, causing his heart to race into an almost dangerous arrhythmia. A feeble noise escaped from deep within his soul when the passion-filled kiss broke with a barely audible smacking sound.
"L-Laz," Edward managed to strain out as his voice left his lips in the form of a shaky gasp. He quickly tried to hide the fact that he had been reduced to making such a sound from the tangerine-complected camper's presence. The lower region of his body was beginning to take over his mind, causing his self-control to fade into a puddle of worthless gunk, leaving him vulnerable to whatever the other had in mind. "T-the other scouts are probably going to be here a-any minute. I don't want those losers to see... this."
A seductive chuckle forced its way up from Lazlo's quickly expanding and deflating lungs as his breathing grew more rapid. The redhead ghosted his fingers against the Pinto Bean scout's spinal cord and across his shoulder blades, slowly dragging his strong yet gentle hands around Edward's upper arms, trailing them down to trembling, cream-colored hands. He formed his hands with the younger teen's once more and began to wade backward in the murky water, tugging the other along with tender and thoughtful direction.
"Don't worry, Ed," the older of the two spoke in a loving tone that was just above a ghostly whisper. His still saliva-dabbed lips placed a delicate kiss to the more-petite boy's ear lobe, the moment soft enough to cause fragile heartstrings to flutter and melt. "Nobody will see us. I promise."
"H-how can you be so sure about that? Huh? How do you k-know one of your stupid friends won't just show up out of nowhere?" The blushing blonde, whose breath had fallen into a rhythm that couldn't possibly be healthy, shakily suggested. A sharp gasp rang through his throat as he felt his exposed and water-painted body being lifted out of the water. He quickly scrambled his delicate hands to grab onto the closest thing to keep his balance – Lazlo's shoulders. The embarrassment and frustration was too much for Edward to handle at this point, causing him to furiously hide his face in the taller teen's finely-toned chest, passionate and somewhat lustful tears streaming into said muscles.
"Edward," the scarlet-haired Bean Scout smiled with an almost nervous chuckle, holding the emotionally-wrecked boy in his arms as he carried him out of the lake and onto the shore (the camp where they started their journey now being on the opposite side of Leaky Lake). They stood at the mouth of the mucky lake, which was still hosting its light-beam ballet, in front of a vast amount of forest. Beautiful trees with fresh green leaves stood mighty, little woodland critters scurried and scuttled along the moist soil, even the birds were singing their songs of freedom and peace in the background of this surreal moment. "Trust me."
"You ignoramus! You idiot! You stupid, nature-obsessed, mentally-insane, overly-happy... amazing person," the pale-fleshed, shuddering boy muttered as the realization of his true feelings were forced to the surface. His forehead was very gently bouncing against Lazlo's chest as the taller of the two walked them through the thick nature surrounding them. The emerald peace sign necklace was once again taken into Edward's tiny hands, his fingers curling around it as he held it close to his moist lips. In a gentle and loving whisper, tears still silently rolling down his flushed cheeks, he spoke into the necklace. "Damn you, Lazlo."
The two stark naked campers had finally became engulfed by the many trees of the forest, hiding them from sight of anyone in all of Camp Kidney. The blazing sun was now blocked by the nurturing and shading tree branches, causing a cooling shadow to fall upon the lovers. Lazlo thoughtfully knelt down onto the ground, his knees instantly becoming covered with dried dirt and leaf fragments. The caramel-eyed flower child laid his sadistic partner onto the ground, hovering over him with a longing, lustful animal showing itself in his facial expression and motions.
"I really do love you, Edward. And I want to make you the happiest you've ever been," the older of the scouts spoke in an almost raspy whisper as he ran his trembling hands down the perfect concave dips in Edward's slender waist.
"Well, then," the turquoise-eyed beauty seductively whispered, a smug smirk forming on his tear-splattered face, his damp blonde locks plastering to his flawless forehead. As his confidence began to climb steadily and his inner animal grew more bloodthirsty, he hooked a fragile, slender arm around the Brazilian teen's strong neck, pulling him into a personal space that was rarely broken. "Do what you said you wanted to. Make me smile, Monkey-boy."
"Whatever you say, Ed. Whatever you say," Lazlo chuckled, his ghostly whisper brushing the lobe of his lover's ear, causing it to glow a fiery shade red. While his partner still had a few translucent tears of frustration in his eyes, his heart had finally released the glorious beast of love from its rusty, bolted-shut cage. Finally, their two hearts could beat as one on a level of intimacy that neither of the Bean Scouts would have been able to comprehend only moments ago.
And on that unbelievably scorching summer day, in the middle of a Summer camp ground's vast amount of nature, two young boys found their inner most peace and found the skills to listen to their instincts. As their two bodies lined up with such swift perfection, so did their souls and their hearts. It seemed as though the unforgiving and usually miserable universe had finally aligned, placing the two campers at the center. On that day, it was just Lazlo, Edward, and nature. Nature, Lazlo, and Edward. Just as it was always intended to be. And on that day, Edward smiled out of joy. He smiled out of love. He smiled out of excitement and sheer passion. On that day, Edward smiled for Lazlo.
–
Author's Note: Well, I've been working on this story since the end of August or the beginning of September. I wrote it for my girlfriend's birthday, which was on September 15th. I really wish I had gotten it done before her birthday, but my personal life just went completely insane for awhile there. I did finally finish this though. Sorry if it's really out-of-character. I haven't written a 'Camp Lazlo' based fanfiction in about five years and I haven't seen a decent amount of episodes in forever. I did, however, watch a few episodes to get into the swing of things again. Also, I apologize for any typos you may find, just try to overlook them. I realize that I had Edward calls Lazlo many things that would relate to him being a monkey, but I really suck at writing characters as animals, so I somewhat humanized them in this story. Just pretend that Lazlo's favorite animal is a monkey. Or, I don't know. Let your imaginations wander with this. Just go crazy!