Landie- regular people
Kauri- New Zealand
Kyle - Australia
Everyone knew about the fireworks that popped over Sydney Harbour, even the merfolk. A week ago, Kauri had arranged to go to Sydney Harbour to watch them. Even though the risk of being spotted by landies was higher than usual, as long as they stayed below the surface of the water and hid in the darkness, he reckoned that they should be alright. Despite it being Summer at this time of the year, the waters of Sydney Harbour were quite chilly on the night of New Year's Eve.
"You OK, Kyle?" Kauri asked as Kyle rubbed his arms.
"Nah, don't worry, I'm good!" Kyle put up a big grin, though he was noticeably shivering.
Being from the colder waters of Kaikoura, the temperature wasn't that much different, so to him, it wasn't a big of a deal. It was a different story for Kyle though, as he was from the warm, tropical waters of Queensland.
"Here," Kauri put the seal pelt over Kyle's shoulders. "You can have this." Kyle smiled and rubbed the back of his head.
"Aww, shucks, Kauri! No need to be this kind!" Kauri smiled.
"True, but it wouldn't be neat if you get hypothermia," he added. Kyle shrugged and nodded.
"Makes sense." Kauri smiled. He raised his head towards the top of the water, streams of light rippling as they descended down. "Ready to go upwards?" Kyle nodded.
"Ready!"
Taking care to stay under a large shadow- likely a bridge- they rose above the water, taking in a breath of the air, the sounds above so much more clearer. The rolling cars, the wind, the sounds of the waves, all so much clearer above the surface.
Jasper shivered as he pulled the seal pelt around him tighter. "Brr! Who knew that the surface would be this much colder?" It was true, with the cold breeze, the surface was in comparison icy cold.
"The pelt has a hood," Kauri noted. Kyle reached behind the pelt and found a hood.
"Ah." He gave out a hearty laugh as he put it over his head. "Yep! That solves it!"
The fireworks took longer than they had expected, and the more the time slipped away, the more restless they became. The land dwellers had their fancy gadgets that they could use to past the time, but Kauri only had Kyle with him, not that he was complaining.
"It's... my time seeing fireworks!" Kauri said, attempting to crack the ice.
"Hm? Ah, me too!" Kyle replied with that big, goofy grin, visible even in the low light.
"Really now!" Kauri raised an eyebrow. "Huh. I thought that you'd be able to see more fireworks since you live round a popular landies meeting spot and all that." Kyle rubbed his head.
"Nah, I just hang around the coral reefs most of the time, don't really see the landies too much."
"... Oh." Kauri glanced at Kyle, who still floated above the water. Remembering something that Kyle told him, he huffed. "So much for swimming with the surfers, innit, Kyle?" Kyle whipped his head around, his eyes wide. As a sheepish grin stretched onto his face, he glanced to the side.
"Ah yeah nah… that was a lie." Kauri crossed his arms, amused.
"And you told me that when we met!"
"Nah, I was just messin' with ya!" He replied, winking. The two let out a laugh. Classic Kyle.
Though after that short banter, they lounged about and continued to wait. Finding nothing much to do, Kauri tapped his fingers on his arms, wondering how long it will take until the fireworks start. "Are you cold? Even a little?" Kyle asked. Kauri shook his head.
"Nah, in fact, it practically feels like a spa!" He teased. Kyle raised an eyebrow, a growing smirk on his face.
"Oi, at least tolerate regular tropical temperatures before saying that!" Kauri laughed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Alright, alright, just don't get frozen into the landies' frozen fish dinner!"
"And you," Kyle responded, patting Kauri's brown curls, "don't get boiled either, aight?" They laughed for a while, joking some more, teasing some more to burn through the time.
"Hey, erhm, by the way, do you have any resolutions?" Kyle asked. Kauri raised an eyebrow. The subject change had been so sudden that it caught him off-guard.
"What?"
"Resolutions! The landies have a tradition of making promises they're gonna complete within the next year. So…" Kyle swished around the water, taking care not to splash too much onto Kauri. "D'you have any?"
"Oh. Hmm... " Kauri rubbed the back of his neck, furrowing his eyebrows as he looked to the side. Thinking of nothing, he let out a sheepish grin. "Ah, I don't know. How about you?"
"Well, mine's to pick up more of the landie junk in the sea. Throw the buggers back onto land where they belong and such." Kauri grinned.
"Good idea! Make sure not to mistake the jellyfish for the plastic bags, alright?"
Before Kyle could answer, a whistle shot through the cold air and pierced the black, velvet sky. With a pop, it burst and spilt a brilliant pink upon its canvas.
Kauri widened his eyes as another one popped. So this was a firework! It was more beautiful than anything he had ever imagined!
And another one shot up, a green one! And another! And another!
The whole nighttime sky lit up with these beautiful, iridescent flowers.
"Wow! It's… it's beautiful." The fireworks lit up Kyle's face in flashes of pink, green, purple, red, all sorts of colours. Kyle's eyes were wide, looking up at the fireworks in a sense of wonder. Kauri smiled.
Kauri had to admit, his relationship with Kyle had always been ups and downs. Sometimes, he wondered what it would be like to be more than his friend, to… have a relationship with him, even. When enough time passed, however, that dimmed down, and he saw him as a friend again. Well, after reasoning himself that Kyle wouldn't see him in the same way and that friends can share intimate moments, too, and that friends can also find their other friend to be… attractive, but that wasn't the point.
So in other words, he put that into the backburner, something that should stay there. But as Kyle looked at the fireworks with wonder and excitement, butterflies tickled his stomach, coaxing out every feeling and every thought. As his breathing lightened, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. Should he tell him? Should he tell him right now? Well, he had held onto this for about a good couple of years now, so this is now or never. Kauri took in another final deep breath to ease himself.
"Hey. I figured out my resolution," Kauri mentioned. Kyle turned his head towards Kauri.
"Resolution?" He nodded. Did the waters around him get cooler? "You alright there, mate? You look like a boiled shrimp!" Did he?! Oh, no wonder. Kyle touching Kauri's forehead with the back of his palm. "Wow, you're boiling! Do you have a fever? Are you alright?" He nodded, letting Kyle put down his hand.
"Anyway! About my resolution, mine's that erhm…" Kauri rustled his hair. His cheeks were absolutely steaming right now. Kyle looked on, tilting his head, waiting for an answer. Alright, Kauri! He told himself. He will tell Kyle tonight here in Sydney harbour or not at all! "That I'll finally take you out on a date and such." Kyle tilted his head to the side.
"Oh! A date?"
Kauri looked to the side, conscious that a large blush was blooming across his face right now. "Y'know, courtship." He rubbed the back of his head. "Landie slang." Kyle nodded, letting out a silent oh in understanding. Kauri raised an eyebrow. That doofus! So much for swimming with the surfers! "I mean since we've known each other for quite a while now. And… I think you're neat.
Kyle didn't reply straight away. He made eye contact with him in a soft, gentle gaze, that gaze full of wonder and eclectic energy he had always associated with him. "Kauri…" He gave him a big smiled. "Wow."Jasper stroked Kauri's soft cheek, a soft smile blooming on his face. "You already have."
As the last firework burst across the sky, their lips touched, sealing their promise for the new year.
With that, as of the final day of 2018, I have successfully published 11 works in contrast to the 10 works published in 2015, 2016 and 2017 combined. I have also made 17 updates in total! Wow! For the readers, whether commentators or casual spectators, thank you all! Here's to a fruitful 2019!