Part 2
The next morning, I had woken up early to prepare the boat and hook it up to the truck. I examined my poles and decided which was best fitted for Yuki, and one that was easy to untangle. I knew he'd probably get snagged in a tree or a dock at least once, so I tossed my pliers and tools in as well. Better to have them than to not have them.
I took time to shower and go to the store, picking up groceries and fresh bread, milk, eggs and butter, and got home to make a scrambled-eggs-and-bacon breakfast. I placed the plates on the counter along with two glasses of orange juice and milk, and stood in front of Yuki's room to make sure it looked perfect.
Yep, looks pretty good to me.
Another small smile crept its way to my lips, and I gently knocked on the door with my knuckles before opening it. Yuki shifted before rolling over, his eyes narrowed from the light. He blinked a few times.
"Nnh... Natsuki...?" Yuki mumbled groggily, and I laughed, stepping into the room and opening the blinds slowly as Yuki stretched and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes with the back of his hand. His mouth stretched open in a yawn, and I couldn't help but to stare. He was like a baby kitten, the way he yawned...
I stepped over Yuki's clothes from yesterday and turned off the fan, and noticed Yuki's soft-looking, gray colored pajamas. If only I could cuddle him right now...
"Breakfast is ready, so come in the kitchen," I told him, but he swung his legs over the edge of the bed.
"Can I shower first?" Yuki looked sleepy, and I hated to wake Sleeping Beauty, but he couldn't sleep all day...
"Sure," I smiled, "Hold on, let me get it ready." I rushed to the bathroom, pushing my things aside and getting a clean towel, folding it up next to the shower and laying another clean one on the ground. I turned around to see Yuki standing there, his clothes in his hand, his sleepy eyes meeting mine. He was so precious, and I wanted to just pull him close, kiss him deeply and even... pull him in the shower with me...
But, that was too weird of a stunt to pull, especially now, so I ruffled his hair again, just to make him blush a little. "I'll see you in a bit. The hot water runs out fast, so use your time sparingly." Yuki nodded, looking at me before closing the door. I could've sworn he had that same look in his eyes as I did... or maybe I'm just loosing it. I rolled my shoulders back and looked at the perfect breakfast on the counter. Though, my thoughts were distracted as I heard the shower water running, and the adorable, nearly silent hums of Yuki's voice as he stood in the shower. Well, it's a relief to know I'm not the only one who actually sings in the shower, and not just cartoon characters and people in movies.
I leaned against the wall near the bathroom door, listening to everything. Yes, maybe this was a bit creepy. But I couldn't think of anything else but Yuki, or anyone else but Yuki. Once I heard him brushing his teeth, I went over to the counter, checking up on the food, finding it was at a perfect temperature. Not cold, but not steaming hot, either. Nice and warm. Yuki stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a loose, navy blue t-shirt and khaki shorts that went to his knees. He looked up to me before stepping over, siting on the chair next to me and looking at the food before taking a cautious bite. I noticed his eyes light up as he ate more.
"Natsuki... this is really good," Yuki commented, and I smiled, turning back and eating it myself. It was pretty food. But, that's only because I was thinking of you, Yuki.
"I could do better," I sighed a little as I drank some orange juice, peeking an eye open at Yuki, who stared at me before shaking his head.
"That's hard to believe," He murmured, now taking the bacon and eating more.
Once we were finished, Yuki agreed to going out on the boat. We hopped in my old Suburban and took off down the road. Yuki was staring out the window when I cranked up the volume on the radio, and I tapped my hands against the steering wheel. I rolled down the window and poked my elbow out the side, watching the yellow dashes on the road slip under the tires. Yuki then pressed the button on the arm rest, rolling down the window himself. At first, he only pushed it down slightly, curiously sitting up as high as he could to see how strong the wind was. I smiled a bit as I watched him inch the window down until he finally held down the button until the window vanished into the car door. The wind ruffled Yuki's hair, and he smiled, which caused my heart to skip. Beautiful, this boy was beautiful. His honest, happy smile was prettier than the ocean and the sky combined, and man, do I love the ocean. I honestly missed seeing it every day, smelling the saltwater and seeing shells line up on the ocean shore.
But places like Three Lakes, Wisconsin held their own beauty. A wild kind of beauty, where the sharp smell of pine trees and the mild scent of the freshwater lakes really makes their way into your heart. Where the heavy layers of snow in the winter would welcome you to take a stroll and admire the frost on the frail branches of an oak tree. Places like Three Lakes were beautiful in their own way, that's for sure.
I turned down a small road to the boat launch, and told Yuki to wait on the dock. He nodded, scrambling out and rushing to the dock, standing tensely as he noticed a few little kids staring at him. How could you not stare at Yuki, though? He was so different from an ordinary person, so cute and so delicate... I find myself staring all the time.
I backed the boat into the water, then hoped out of the car to detach it from the trailer. I then got into the boat, cranking up the engine and backing it up to the dock and tying it to one of the hooks. After that, I jumped onto the dock and back to the truck, driving it away and parking it. When I returned, Yuki was still on the dock, looking at the boat curiously, as if he was contemplating whether or not he should get in or not. I laughed a little, not caring that the kids where right there as I got into the boat. The kids watched blankly as I fell to one knee, holding out my hand majestically to Yuki, as if he was a high-class princess.
"I offer you my hand, your highness," I gazed up at him, and tried not to laugh as his face flushed red and his hands started to shake. "Wh-what!?" he squeaked, staggering slightly in embarrassment. He gets flustered so easy. I couldn't hold back any longer, so I burst out laughing, especially when he slapped the back of my head.
"Natsuki! There are people watching!" He scolded, his shoulders tense and shaking. He was so flustered, and it was beyond amusing to watch. The kids were beyond confused, considering we were speaking Japanese, and it looked as if I just proposed to Yuki and got turned down.
"Get in, goofball," I teased, and Yuki huffed, then stood at the edge of the dock, swaying before leaping in too far. I stood up, quickly catching him and holding his shoulders as he collided into my chest, face first. My heart started to pound, and he yelped, regaining his balance and looking up to me. I gazed at him, our noses close to touching as he stared back at me, and the urge to close that space was growing...
Yuki stepped back, though, his face deeper red as he plopped onto the seat next to mine. "Th-thanks..."
"Sure," I laughed, stepping over and untying the boat from the dock. I tossed the rope into the boat and sat down in front of the wheel, reaching under the windshield and grabbing my sunglasses, slipping them on and handing Yuki my other pair. He put them on, and I smiled a little. He was still so cute, especially when he leaned over and looked into the water. The sunglasses were polarized, meaning he could see the fish under the water, though it was a bit hard since the water was fogged up with sand from the propellor in the back of the boat. I turned the boat and went slow for a few moments before turning to him.
"Hold on, we're going fast," I smiled, and Yuki nodded, looking in front of us as I stepped on the pedal, enjoying the roar of the engine as the boat's front lifted and it started up. It was not long before the wind was whipping through my hair and the engine was growling. Yuki started to smile, and it was not long before he was laughing, sitting up straighter and looking around as I swerved the boat to the left. We bounced over some heavy waves, and he squeaked, gripping onto the seat as we hit a particularly high one, but it wasn't long before he laughed and sat up again, loosening his grip once more.
I spotted some particularly shady docks, with multiple wide, wooden pillars. Perfect for smallmouth bass. I turned the boat slowly and got closer to the docks before slowing down and causing the boat to slide back down and be level. Yuki was still laughing a little, and he ran his fingers through his hair to untangle the knots.
"That was fun," He chirped, and I smiled at him before turning off the engine and stepping to the front of the boat, dropping the small propeller in the front into the water. I stepped on the petal to angle the boat towards the docks, and once we were a cast-length's away, I came over to Yuki, handing him a pole and sitting down in front of him. I rigged a bait of a worm onto his line, and then had him stand up.
"Alright, dock fishing is a bit challenging," I explained. "The reason for that is because you don't want to cast onto someone's dock or boat, or else your bait could get snagged and ruin someone's property or you could break the line." Yuki nodded, looking at the dock we were near. I eyed the underside of the dock, seeing the dark, shady areas.
"Bass like to hide under the docks, in those shady spots," I pointed out. "The reason for that is because bluegill live around these shallow areas where the pillars are, and the bass like to wait for the bluegill to come venture under the dock for minnows before ambushing them and taking them as prey. So..." I flicked my wrists forward, tossing a trigger bait under the dock lightly. "You wanna toss the bait under the dock. If there's a bass there, it will most likely see the movement and attack." I reeled the bait back in. "Underhand casts are the best, because if you do overhand, you may get over the dock and get your line caught in between the wooden planks. Try it."
Yuki looked closely at the dock, and I could tell he was trying to pinpoint a good place to cast. He held the rod tightly before gently tossing the bait, but hitting it against the dock before it fell into the water with a small 'plop.'
Yuki sighed, but he tried again, and after a few tries, he got it under the dock.
"There you go!" I smiled at him. "You're getting the hang of it. Keep trying that. With the worm, you're gonna want to let it sink for a few seconds. Make sure to keep the rod low and close to the water, and twitch it slightly. That way, the worm will wriggle realistically under the water. Can you see it?"
Yuki looked a bit closer, then nodded. The polarized glasses helped with that. Though, Yuki's rod still rode high. I was noticing this, and he wasn't having an easy time holding it down.
"Yuki," I called his name, and he looked over to me. I held my rod downwards. "Like this."
Yuki looked too closely at my hands and twisted the rod slightly, lowering it but not angling it correctly. I shook my head and placed the rod onto the boat, stepping over to him. "Let me show you."
Yuki's breath hitched in his throat as I stepped behind him, placing my hands over his and pressing my body against his back. He was so small and meek under me, his shoulders round and narrow, his waist thin and hands smooth. Yuki even seemed to lean against me, just a little...
"Like this," I murmured behind his ear, moving his hands down slightly so the tip of the rod bobbed right above the surface of the water. Yuki nodded shakily, and I caught a glimpse of his red cheeks before I stepped back, trailing my hand along his back and shoulder before patting him and stepping back to my side. He was still blushing and frozen in the spot, and I smiled, flicking my wrists to the side and getting the bait under the dock again, twitching the bait gently.
We practiced around a few docks before I got a small bass on my line, and I was able to show Yuki the markings of a smallmouth- a bit brownish with a spot-like, horizontal pattern down its sides. Yuki tried to hold it, and he was a natural at it, gripping the lip hard enough and smiling. I admired his innocent grin, and allowed him to toss the bass back in the water.
"Ah, Yuki," I remembered after we were on the lake for about 45 minutes. Yuki looked at me over his shoulder. "We forgot sunscreen."
"Oh, right," Yuki nodded, putting his rod onto the boat and holding his hands out for some of the sunscreen. I smiled and shook my head. "Let me put it on," I offered, pouring a bit in my hands. Yuki's eyes widened a little as I stepped behind him and reached around him, rubbing it into his neck and collarbones. He was tense for a bit, but he loosened up, becoming a bit limp in my arms. He tilted his head to the side as I got the other side of his neck.
Oh, how I wanted to lean down and plant a kiss right in that spot.
Instead, I glided my fingers along his skin, breathing in the scent of his hair. It smells like my own... oh, right. He used my shampoo this morning. Something about that made me smile, and I didn't notice that I had stopped rubbing his skin and was burying my face in his thick, red hair.
"N-natsuki?" Yuki whispered, and I jerked back, my cheeks flushing as I continued to rub it in. "S-sorry," I murmured. "I got distracted."
I kneeled down and rubbed it into his skinny legs, occasionally glancing upwards at-
Yuki blushed a dark red and turned around, and I could see his glasses pushed up in his hair and his eyes wide and humiliated. "I-I can put it on from here."
"S-sure," I agreed hastily to hide my blush, and I handed him the bottle, going over to push the boat onwards. I glanced over my shoulder at Yuki, who was focusing a bit too hard on rubbing the sunscreen into his shin. I coughed a bit as I turned around, trying to get the heat in my cheeks to leave. Calm down, maybe it's just the sun.
I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose and cast again, trying to dismiss the thoughts running through my head. Yuki and I cast in silence before I pulled the small propellor up onto the boat.
"I'm gonna go a bit further up. Reel it in," I told him, and he nodded, placing the pole on the boat before hopping in the seat. I started up the engine, and we took off, speeding down the chain of lakes before getting to the thoroughfare, which was plentiful in weeds.
There, we caught about 3 bass before the sun started to angle towards the west. I checked the clock, seeing it was 12:45, and a good time for lunch.
"Are you hungry?" I asked Yuki, setting my pole down onto the boat next to the others. Yuki gazed at me before, glancing to his toes.
"A little," he hesitated, but his stomach growled loudly and told me otherwise. He blushed and turned away. "... Yeah, pretty hungry," he admitted. I chuckled and sat down, opening one of the compartments and tossing him a ham sandwich. Yuki pulled it out of the baggie and took a bite, chewing thoroughly before looking up at me.
"Honestly, I could just live on your food every day," He spoke fast, and I looked up at him. "Not only do you cook good, but even this sandwich is awesome." A small smile appeared on his lips, and I blushed a bit, biting into my sandwich and staring at the water.
"Thanks," I murmured once I swallowed, honestly embarrassed by his compliments. Yuki eagerly ate his sandwich, and I then handed him a water bottle and a bag of chips for a side. We ate our lunches and I explained to him the kinds of tournaments I fish in. He listened with interest as he ate his chips, and I couldn't help but to lean forward, brushing off chip crumbs from his cheek. In response, he blushed deeply, staring at me and freezing as I brushed them away. I only smiled at him and continued my story. Little moments like those are what made the day even better...
We continued to fish in the thoroughfare for a while before making our way back, fishing along some fallen trees and stray islands. I looked at the time, seeing it was about 2:30. Yuki had gotten tangled in the tree branches plenty of times, and the fish weren't really biting today, but we caught some walleye and pike now and then. I decided now would be a good time to go back and practice fishing in the small lake behind the cabin with live worms.
"Did you wanna head back and fish in Briard?" Yuki stared at me blankly, and I then remembered that he didn't know what Briard lake was. I smiled. "The lake behind the cabin. Briard Lake. We can catch some bluegill and crappies."
"O-Oh!" Yuki nodded. "Sure."
Once we returned, I told Yuki he could do whatever he liked for a bit while I put the boat back in the garage and got the poles ready. Yuki took the chance to wander around the cabin, looking closely at the anthills and the various flowers I planted. I was bringing the poles to the dock when he was curiously bent over some plants. I smiled and stopped in my tracks.
"Once in a while, some deer will come over and nibble at the petals of those flowers," I pointed to them, and Yuki slipped his finger under the petal, seeing it was half eaten.
"Ohh... I can see that!" He said in awe, tilting his head to the side to examine it closer. "Are they sweet, or something?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," I answered. "Watch out, though. Sometimes they poop around here. You don't wanna step in that..." I warned, and Yuki hastily looked around him. I laughed a little as I walked out to the docks, placing the poles against the two lawn chairs nailed into the wood. I saw the little bluegills swim around the dock below me, and the small leopard frogs sitting in the mud. Maybe we could catch frogs later in the week...
Yuki and I took a ride to the bait store, getting our worms and going back to the dock. I showed Yuki how to rig live bait before pushing the row boat into the water and attaching the electric motor to it. Once we were ready, we headed out to the middle of the lake.
"It's a little harder to cast while sitting," I told him once we were out there, "So use one arm- I find that a bit easer- and cast towards the weeds. Try and get right on the edge, because that's where the crappies like to stay."
Yuki had some troubles casting far away, but he was getting the hang of it, and he was able to catch a bluegill. Once he reeled it in, I took the line.
"Okay, bluegill are smaller than things we normally catch, so they're a bit harder to handle," I explained. I then gently stroked the bluegill's back, flattening its dorsal fins before squeezing it. "They have spikes on their back, so you wanna push them down before holding them, or else they'll spine you." I gripped it tightly and moved the hook around. "Now, you wanna hold them tightly, or else they'll feel the lack of tension and spine you before flailing around. You won't hurt them; they're strong little fish." I started to twist the hook backwards. "What you wanna do is angle the hook away from you to pull it out- that way, it'll come out a lot easier than if you try to rip it out as it is." I twisted the hook until I heart a pop, and I pulled it out from the fish's nose. "It seems painful, but these guys heal fast." I held it out to Yuki. "Wanna touch him?"
Yuki nodded with fascination and leaned forward, gently trailing his fingers along its side. He giggled slightly, and our fingers touched. We both froze, and almost simultaneously, our faces flushed red. I would have stayed like that if it weren't for the fish wildly flailing and falling out of my grasp and into the bottom of the boat.
"Ah, crap!" I waited for the little guy to calm down before grabbing him and tossing him in the water. I glanced up to Yuki, still blushing a bit.
"See, thats what happens when you loosen your grip," I laughed nervously, and Yuki did as well.
We both fished on the lake for a few hours before the sun started to dip too low. Exhausted, we headed inside and washed up before I glanced to the little redhead.
"Would you like to go out to eat tonight?" I offered, and Yuki nodded, smiling a little- smiling that cute little smile that I could die for.
We went to my favorite place, known as Alexander's Pizza. We ordered a medium sausage pizza, and while waiting, I noticed Yuki staring curiously at the games to the right of us. I cocked an eyebrow up and smiled a bit.
"Do you wanna play?" I asked him, and he locked eyes with me before nodding anxiously. I laughed and sat up, and Yuki chose the race car game. He hopped in the seat, and I got in the one next to him.
"I'll win," I said teasingly, and Yuki glanced over to me.
"We'll see about that!"
We battled in a heated racing game, my blue car slamming into his red one every time we met on screen. Yuki would jerk the wheel away, dodging me and speeding down the road. I would drive over someone else's car and get up on his tail, bumping into him from behind. Though, every time, naturally, I let him win.
By the time we were in the 4th race, our pizza was ready, and Yuki reluctantly was dragged away to eat, like a little boy.
"This is..." Yuki spoke between bites, "The best pizza ever, by far. Oh my god." He ate like a hyena, and I held back laughs as I ate my own pieces. I did love the pizza, here, though, so I couldn't blame him.
Once we were finished, we drove back to the cabin, and I knew...
Tonight is the night.
I knew as I stepped into the backyard with my lantern, I knew as I started up the fire and tossed multiple dead leaves and twigs and logs into the pit. I knew as I stopped to look at the stars twinkling above me through the branches of the tall pine trees that tonight, I would confess my love to Yuki, and nothing would stop me.
"Yuki, it's ready," I called into the house, and smiled a bit as he scrambled out from the kitchen, holding a box of graham crackers, 2 chocolate bars, a bag of marshmallows, and a blanket.
"Coming!" He followed behind me as we made our way to the fire, petite footsteps padding alongside me. Yuki laid down the blanket by the flames, but not too close, and he sat down, opening his ingredients and preparing a s'more. It was then he grabbed a large stick, stabbed a marshmallow to one end, and held it near the flames. I observed his face as he did- slightly interested, a bit cautious, and another emotion I couldn't quite detect. Embarrassment? No... maybe?
Yuki yelped as the marshmallow caught fire, and he hastily pulled it towards him, blowing it out. But, he smiled after that.
"Perfect," he whispered as he pulled the marshmallow from the stick, and he turned to me, smile widening. "I love it when they burn for a moment. You get that little touch of charcoal that you can't get if it's only brown." He then smashed the marshmallow in between two graham crackers and pieces of chocolate, and bit down, causing the marshmallow to gush out of the sides. A bit of it fell onto Yuki's fingers, and he was going to lick them off.
But this time, I couldn't hold back.
I grabbed his wrist, and Yuki froze, looking to me questioningly. I only glanced at him before pulling his hand towards me, hesitating before licking the marshmallow remains from his fingertips. I did it slowly, wrapping my tongue around each digit and savoring every sugary drop. Yuki's cheeks flamed a dark red, nearly as red as his hair, and his mouth was opened slightly in dumb shock as he stared at me. I pulled back, smiling slightly before sitting closer to him, wrapping my arm around his thin waist and smiling more as he squeaked in surprise.
"Yuki..."
The small red head looked up to me, his silver eyes wide and confused. I met those eyes, my heart beating steadily as I pressed our foreheads together.
"I love you, Yuki..."
Yuki was silent for only a few moments. During those moments, I listened to the soothing coo of the crickets, the cracks from the fire, the ruffling leaves in the wind. It was then I felt nimble fingers slide over my own, and I looked down, surprised to see Yuki sliding our hands together.
"I..." a small whisper passed Yuki's lips, and the s'more was placed onto the plate next to him. He then raised his eyes to meet mine, his cheeks dark pink. "I love you, too, Natsuki..."
To actually hear the words was a miracle. It was the first time a dream literally came true, the first time I felt I wasn't even on earth anymore. I felt... surreal, my heart swelling and racing and flying all at once, and the smile that was on my face must have been the most ridiculous, goofy smile I could muster. And it was the seconds following that smile when my body moved on its own, and I had placed my lips over Yuki's own.
It was a soft, heartfelt kiss, gentle and loving, and I pulled back before it could get any different. It was enough for Yuki to flush and stare back at me, and for him to raise his hand and gently graze his bottom lip with his thumb.
"... first kiss..." was all I heard from his mumbles, and his face flushed an even darker red. I laughed and pulled him closer, kissing him again, a bit deeper and harder. Yuki groaned a little, leaning into me, tilting his head so our noses didn't crash together. He squeezed my hand, kissing back passionately before splitting with gasps and pants. A smirk spread across my lips.
"Yuki," I whispered, ruffling his hair again. "You still have to make more s'more's. I want some, too."
For the rest of the night, we sat there, simply toasting marshmallows and getting our hands sticky with melted marshmallow goo and melted chocolate. We laughed and smeared the goo on our faces to look like we had mustaches, and Yuki even gained the guts to lean forward and lick some off of my cheek. I laughed and kissed him on the lips in return, making him blush before leaving him again and giving him a teasing wink.
Yuki was starting to drift off on my shoulder, and the fire was dying out. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder, rubbing his arm gently before nuzzling my nose into his hair, smelling my shampoo.
"Hey," I whispered, kissing his forehead as he looked up at me. "Unless you wanna get eaten by mosquitoes, we should head in..."
Yuki nodded groggily, allowing me to hold his hand and guide him inside, covering him with the blankets as he fell into the bed.
Naturally, I fell in as well, pulling his small figure close to me as we both closed our eyes, simply enjoying each other's company as we fell asleep, not thinking of anything or anyone else...
And this is how it should be...