Craig was anxious. His final exam of the term (and the year) was mid way through completion and he was only on the 2nd of 6 questions to be done. His hand was already cramping from the effort he was putting in. And the sunshine streaming in through the high windows was not aiding in ceasing his procrastination.
He took a minute to compose himself, stretching out his aching limbs before drinking some water. With his mind calmed for the time being, he returned to the task at hand.
2 hours later and he was heading home, after promising his course mates that he'd meet them that even for a session to celebrate the end of academic year.
The heavens had opened and a light summer shower had started. Not caring that he was gaining moisture, he relished in the water as it washed the stress of the past few weeks out of his system.
Returning to the flat, he found the door already open and a post-it stuck to peeling wood of the door.
It read: Go round back JPx.
Smiling to himself, he got inside the house, closing the door behind himself, dumped off his exam requirements as he thought of all the surprises that occurred during the previous few weeks. Every time he came home after an exam, he found a post-it stuck to the door frame with instructions. Usually, they led him further inside the house, usually the bathroom or their bedroom from some well required stress-relief.
Today, however, it seemed that John Paul had other plans. Craig moved through the hallway, the kitchen and out to the backyard. He found, what could only be described as a circus tent canvas, covering most of the garden. Music could be heard pounding from inside the tenth, what Craig could recognise as one of John Paul's own, personally made beats.
It took him some time to enter the tent, and once inside, he was surprised to find the theme inside; a boating theme. To one side was a paddling pool with two blown up dolphins, each wearing swimming hats and goggles. To the other side was a make-shift bar, with numerous bottles of rum and coke bottles.
Just to the left of where he had entered from, Craig found a set of speakers attached to an iPod, which he recognised to be that of John Paul's possession. And just before him sat his boyfriend, a captains hat, t-shirt and shorts and flip flops on as he sat at a collapsible table with two deck chairs, a large glass filled to the brim with what Craig could only assume to be a rum and coke, another set on the table before Craig's chair.
"Where'd you get the circus tent?" He asked, taking the empty seat and retrieving the glass from the table top.
"Borrowed it from the weekday DJ at work, he throws some major events throughout the year at his house in Clontarf. I asked if I could have it for the weekend." John Paul explained, toasting Craig, tapping his drink against his partner's before taking a sip.
"And what's it in aid of?" Craig asked, drinking some of his chilled drink before looking around once more, "And what's with the nautical theme?"
"Since it's the end of your exams and second year, and the summer is coming (even if it is raining), I thought we should celebrate. And, with you constantly listening to 'I'm On A Boat' for the last few weeks, driving me up the fucking wall, I decided to throw a party for us two with that theme... including the song."
And with that, he got up, moved to the MP3 player and started scrolling through the tracks before picking one. Soon, the beat of 'I'm On A Boat' by the Lonely Island and it wasn't long before Craig singing along, drinking his drink. John Paul moved towards the drink-table before, grabbing a bag from Primark from beneath it.
He tossed said carrier bag to Craig, who threw him a look asking what was this for, to which John Paul replied, "Just open it, you div!"
Smirking, Craig, opened the bag, upturning it on the table before him.
Inside, he found summer-wear – the same t-shirt, shorts, shades and flip flops that John Paul was wearing.
"So we can be twins?" Craig assumed, as the lyrics sang in the background rang out about 'wearing swim shorts, and my flippy floppy's,', to which John Paul told Craig to get dressed.
He took in the sight of his lover as he changed from the jeans, dark t-shirt and cardigan to the beach-wear, signing out of disappointment as the well toned flesh was covered back up.
"Wanna go swimming?" John Paul asked, finishing off the last of his drink.
"I just got dressed! Now you want me to change?" Craig complained, before smirking and gulping down the rest of his drink.
By the time he'd removed his flip flops and t-shirt, John Paul had shucked off his own t-shirt and flip flops and climbed into the pool, grabbing a dolphin and holding it firmly beneath his arm.
Craig leapt into the tiny pool, giggling loudly. He launched himself at JP, kissing him with a fire that burned from deep in his stomach through his chest and into his head, smouldering images that caused his arousal to tighten his shorts.
It wasn't long before the dolphins were tossed from the pool and both boys sank deeper into the luke-warm water. John Paul's legs wrapped around Craig's waist, pulling Craig's arousal tight against his own as his hands ran through his hair.
They broke suddenly, as Craig's arms came to rest on John Paul's chest.
"You remember what day it is?" he whispered, leaning in to place a chaste kiss.
"I recall a lot of things that happened this day... which one are you referring too?" John Paul smirked, smiling up at his boyfriend.
"Well, name some of 'em, and I'll tell you when your close," Craig replied, kissing the corner of his mouth as he waited for a reply.
"I remember drinking sherry... I remember dreaming of sleeping with the boy with chocolate-chip eyes; I remember a tanned lad arriving on my doorstep, snivelling and crying... covered in snot. Am I getting close?" he stated, tongue-in-cheek as the older man laughed at his prim and proper voice that he had assumed for his delivery of his memory of the day.
"I was think of that 'tanned lad' arriving on your door step, repeatedly stating that he wants you, that he can't stop thinking about you, and then leading you up the stairs to your bed for the best sex of either your lives. Ringing any bells?" Craig replied, rubbing his heated crotch against John Paul's own, moaning into his mouth before he kissed him hard.
Soon afterwards, neither of the boys were wearing any form of clothing, having stripped each other of their swim shorts and sunglasses. Craig had taken the initiative, gabbing both of their hardnesses into his hand and stroking in a motion that was drawing a cacophony of pleasure in the form of groans and moans and panting and platitudes to each other and to any higher being that was watching over them.
In the process of their frantic kissing, somehow they had been overturned, with Craig now beneath John Paul, who had moved their hands off of their dicks.
Craig was, for all intents and purposes, close to explosion. So when he felt John Paul's fingers tease his entrance, he willed his mind, body and spirit to calm the hell down.
His breathed calmed, as did his heart rate, and once John Paul had felt he was ready, he raised his body to allow John Paul greater access.
With a slow, steady push, John Paul entered him soundly. The water rose, creating waves as a result of their movements. They smiled at each other, kissing sporadically, as their lovemaking reached fever pitch. It wasn't long before they each reached their breaking point, crescendoing in an epic illustration of their love for each other.
When all had fallen quiet, they made only slight changes to their positions to ease their aftereffect of their coupling.
"I love you," the younger man mumbled into his lovers neck, kissing the skin, tasting the flesh.
"I love you more," replied the elder of the two, breathing in the passion of his lovers scent.
Regrettably, John Paul extracted himself from Craig, removing his limbs from John Paul's grip. And Craig groaned at the loss of touch, at the loss of feeling. John Paul stepped from the pool, retrieving two towels that had been discarded across the back of his chair for the evening.
He tossed the other at Craig, using his own to dry off his body before jumping back into his normal clothes. He watched as Craig followed suit, asking what else John Paul had planned for the day.
With the explanation that he had prepared a home cooked meal for them earlier in the day, and had it cooking in the oven since Craig had arrived home.
Once they were both in a presentable fashion, they made a move to retreat back inside the house. As they were midway from the make-shift gazebo and the back door, as they exited into the rain, Craig grabbed a hold of John Paul's arm, gently twirling him around in a circle.
"Hey," he started, rubbing his thumb over the exposed skin below the armhole of John Paul t-shirt. "I loved this... I can't believe it's been two years already."
"I can," John Paul replied, staring at his soul mate with a love so brazen it burned as brightly as the sun. "It was my one dream, my only wish – to be with you, and when it finally did happen, it's like I've been living my life out by following my heart, and each time it's lead me somewhere, it's always been to you. Even the universe was leading me to you, with your tragic jacket shining so bright – it was my own guiding star." He chuckled at his metaphor, before leaning forward and kissing the love of his life soundly.
And as they kissed, they twirled, circling on the spot as the summer sun shone down through the light shower of raindrops. And the world was, once more, corrected on it's axis.