WARNING: Contains subject matter not suited for younger audiences but I promise it's not the "s" word, if you know what I mean. It's totally SFW. Still, viewer discretion is advised.
The sky shon pink, orange, hues of purples, reds, and soft blues here and there, a beautiful sunset. The sun, now dipping beneath view like a child ducking beneath the covers, gave its brilliant glow out for the last time that day, the heavens glimmering with spectacular light up into the stratosphere and the sun, a giant golden eye, gleamed in all its glory in the Eastern sky. Rocky loved this time of day; the quietness, stillness, peace of mind, tranquillity. It gave him the greatest focus, the most soothing state of mind he could ever even hope to muster, the courage and bravery to face challenges and obstacles in life because this, this magnificent splendour adorning the Western Canadian prairies and hills, made him feel unstoppable.
And then came the questioning, the self-doubt. He knew he felt unstoppable, but was he really? Could a spiritual strength, the fierce roaring of his soul empowered, really dull the potential pain and heartbreak he could potentially contract from confessing his feelings? He was nervous, he knew. He'd obviously never done this before. And the fact that he was gonna ask a guy and not a girl would make Ryder crawl with mortification; the boy had been raised by homophobes, he had determined. He looked down at his grey and white paws, the sun's light casting wide, conjectured shadows down the cliffside at which he sat, the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies spread all around him but in front, where the expansive Albertan prairies seamlessly stretched on and on into infinity. He sighed. The butterflies in his stomach were becoming increasingly intense, and he slowed his near-shaky breathing to keep from hyperventilating. He knew Zuma would come; that was undoubted. Zuma wouldn't, no, simply couldn't be late for anything if he tried. And he never got a wrong address or took a wrong turn; not that there was any navigating required. Zuma's tent was two tents away from Rocky's anyway, between Skye's and Marshall's tents. There was no doubt in his mind Zuma would appear from his tent any moment now. He was sure of it.
Speaking of their tents, the Mix glanced back behind him to his little tent on the outskirts of the small campsite the Paw Patrol had set up, high up on a rocky cliff (no pun intended), away from civilization. The perfect hideout for Ryder and his team of pups to take a restful vacation out in nature. Rocky loved it. Zuma did too. Rocky smiled, remembering earlier that day when he and Zuma had been playing out on the steppe that extended out from their cliff inwards, away from the cliff, and Rocky had tripped and landed , naturally, in a small puddle of run-off water from the previous day's wet snow. He hadn't been too happy about it but Zuma's smile and giggle made all the difference.
Rocky heard soft rustling from the campsite area, and then the zipper of the tent. Out stepped Zuma from his tent, the time five minutes before their expected meeting time. "Never late." thought Rocky, chuckling to himself. Zuma's punctuality was almost humorous at times. Zuma strode over to his friend, and sat down next to him on the ledge, the world bright before them in illustrious opulence. Rocky cleared his throat and Zuma looked over at him expectantly.
"Okay Rocky, this is it. Confess!" He was nervous and jittery but he breathed and began to stumble his round-a-bout way to the point.
"Hey, uh, Zuma. I w-wanted to t-tell you something real quick." Rocky stuttered, heart fluttering like a Swallowtail in July. "I, uuhh…I've been meaning to tell you this, b-but I kept cheesing out. But I-I-I'm gonna try now." Rocky could have just face-palmed himself right there. "No shit, really? You're gonna talk to him? Oh wow, I totally didn't see that coming!" Rocky was very sweaty now, patting his paws anxiously on the gravel beneath his toe pads, and was blushing hard. "U-ummm….."He lost his whole train of thought as he tried desperately to find something to say that would keep this conversation going in the direction he intended it to. "I-I just…I don't know how to say this…I-I-I-...ummmm….." He was a sweat bucket now, so embarrassed he was about ready to throw himself off that cliff next to him. He no longer wished to be there, it was too much. Maybe he could try another time, right? There was bound to be anoth–
Zuma suddenly pulled Rocky close and hugged him tightly, then kissed him on the cheek, a gentle touch that nearly put Rocky into a state of euphoria. He was already entranced by his crush and he had no idea what just happened.
Zuma was still hugging him, the biggest smile enriching his face. He held Rocky at arms length, and they looked deep into each other's eyes, like a spell that froze time. It took Rocky's breath away, seeing Zuma's chocolate brown eyes gazing endearingly into his own. It was magical, perpetual love that could never die, a flame in a window, candlesticks alight that would shine forevermore. They brought each other's faces closer, holding each other's heads as they continued to stare into those pools of hazel and beige. Their heads turned, each to the right, their eyes still locked as they could feel each other's breath on their faces, jaws hanging open, waiting for the inevitable.
Zuma's whisper was the one thing Rocky had waited his whole life to hear.
"I love you too."
And then there was passion, lips interlocked, tied by some invisible force, tongues swirling as the sun finally descended below to sleep, the night enveloping them, two crimson silhouettes against a maroon-brushed sky.