It began in the spring, with nothing more than a simple introduction.
"Hello, I'm Toris," the young Lithuanian said, outstretching his hand towards the shy Polish boy, who appeared to be about his age.
"I'm Feliks," the Pol replied. He never did like strangers, but wasn't about to let that show. He reached out and shook his hand.
Neither one imagined that day that they would fall in love. But, though their first meeting was a bit uncomfortable, they quickly warmed up to each other, and it wasn't long before they were in a steady relationship. They moved in together, and by summer of the following year the two had intentions to marry. Though some insisted it was too early, and that they were too young, they believed otherwise. In any case, they felt in no rush; they would wait until the next spring to have the wedding. In the meantime, they made each other happy. That was all that mattered.
One sunny afternoon, the newly engaged couple sat aside a lake, at a private little spot they had discovered when they had just begun seeing each other. The trees around them were lush and green, and just full enough to shield them from the eyes of people on the main beach. Only a few clouds dotted the otherwise clear sky. A light, warm breeze picked up and created tiny ripples on the dark blue water's surface. Both individuals inhaled deeply, hoping to take in as much as they could of what they considered a perfect summer day.
Beneath them, an old white sheet served as a picnic blanket, and between them sat a picnic basket. The two had just finished their lunches and were now letting their minds wander. Toris reached out to the side and ran his fingers through the grass as he did this; he had always loved the feeling of summer grass. His thoughts were only broken when a dragonfly whizzed past his face, causing him to snap his head in its direction.
The insect flew off before he truly had time to realize what it was, but did manage to draw his attention in Feliks's direction. Had it not, he would not have noticed the Pol eyeing the rope swing dangling from the nearby oak.
"It's too bad we didn't bring changes of clothing," he said. He tried to be cautious of his word choice because on one hand, it looked like a lot of fun, but on the other, he had to question its safety.
"I wouldn't mind being wet for a little while," Feliks replied. "It's warm out so I'll dry fast, and I'll take off some of my clothes so not everything gets like, completely soaked. I just have to try it once." He removed his shirt and socks and tossed them aside, and then slid his engagement ring (to which Toris wore a match) off his finger and placed it in the picnic basket for safe keeping.
He had to step a few inches into the water to reach the rope, then backed up onto the shore as far as said rope would allow. If he was going to only do it once, it had to be good.
"Please, do be careful," Toris said.
"Don't worry, this rope is totally sturdy."
Feliks jumped into the air and grasped the rope with all his strength, holding it with his elbows and knees for extra support. It swung over the water like a pendulum, until it slowed to a stop when it reached its limit. At this point, the Pol should have let go and jumped into the water, but he failed to do so and began to swing back towards the shore.
"Jump!" Toris cried, though he knew it was already too late. What happened next, however, he could never have predicted.
Feliks planned to land back on the grass and try again, paying closer attention to the rope's momentum so he would know when to let go. Unfortunately, he put his foot down too early and stepped on an uneven slope right at the water's edge, causing him to be off-balance. In a panic, he grabbed on to an unsuspecting Toris for support. This caused them both to stumble into the water, only to hit a drop-off and go tumbling in. The two landed with a dramatic splash, and then for a brief moment the water fell silent.
Toris came up for air first, followed soon after by his partner.
"FELIKS!" He screamed, unable to express the plethora of different emotions he felt. He was honestly not sure whether to laugh or be angry. On one hand, he was now soaking wet when he had not intended to be and lacked anything to change into; on the other hand, the whole situation was so ridiculous he couldn't help but be amused. Nevertheless, he picked himself up and helped Feliks out of the water.
"That…wasn't exactly what I wanted to happen," Feliks said.
"That's okay," Toris replied, putting an arm around him. "It will make for a good story to tell our friends, anyway."
"Thanks for being so cool about it. I didn't mean to like, drag you down with me, but I wasn't really thinking."
"Hey, where would we be if we couldn't forgive each other for stuff like this? It's just what couples do."
Feliks grinned in agreement.
"Yeah."