Chapter 4 - Living Dead
The sun-light slid its annoying fingers between the curtains landing nowhere else but on Simon's closed lids. One moment he was in warm oblivion, the next, sleep scampered off on fragile little legs. Simon groaned. He buried his head in the pillow pressing it against his ears. He had no clue what time it was – definitely sometime between 'way too fucking early' and '5 more minutes, please'. Outside, the sounds of the street and the sea were in another world, yet somehow way too loud. With another groan Simon turned on his back. His hand instinctively searched for Kieren's body next to him but found the spot empty. The only thing his hands found was a nicely folded paper. That definitely woke him up. Wide-eyed and anxious Simon took the piece of paper in his hands, failing to notice the slight tremble. The note read:
At the hotel's restaurant
Socializing with our fellow adventurers
((You looked too peaceful to wake up))
Hurry
xx –K
Simon smiled with relief. For a moment he feared the worse but now his head was buzzing with adorable images of Kieren running around the island like a hyper 4-year-old or a very tall puppy. He chuckled. Three weeks had passed since they first arrived in Woolacombe, but Kieren's enthusiasm hadn't diminished one bit. Every morning he'd wake up and hurry to the beach. He'd say: "This month's almost over – I want to make the best of it while it lasts." So they spent their days at the beach, they met new amazing people – PDS and otherwise – and visited the vicinities of Woolacombe all the way to Ilfracombe ("This is-" Kieren stopped, staring at the 67ft bronze statue of a half-flayed pregnant woman, with a confused look on his face. "Verity – she's the truth, characterized by so many as 'ugly'." Simon explained confidently – amazed by the complexity of its meaning.), calling his parents every second day and asking about Jem. And just the day before, Saturday, they cruised to Lundy Island. Simon smiled to himself remembering the great plan they had for these days: a whole weekend of kayaking, coasteering, mountain-biking, learning to surf and climbing. Surfing was checked off the list, back at Woolacombe beach (Simon decided to sit out that specific activity), they mountain-biked as soon as they arrived, so their last day on the island would be all about kayaking and coasteering.
Simon got out of bed, and walked to the windows. He pulled the curtains away, squeezing his eyes a little at the brighter light. The view was breathtaking: an island buzzing with life, green fields and a restless sea. He rummaged through his luggage for some clean clothes and the ever ubiquitous bathing-suit. He took out the shirt (a blue sleeveless shirt that clung too tight to his chest and waist) Kieren bought for him to "match the new look" (that would be the forever-disheveled spiky hair and constant smiles to match his 'heart-eyes') and some jeans and hurried to take a shower. It was time to go and play with his adorable hyper puppy.
xXx
Kieren woke up just as the sun rose above the horizon, with the biggest smile on his lips. He untangled himself from the sheets and jumped to his feet. He could feel a new fresh energy bubble through his brain. Simon was fast asleep on the other side of the bed – sheet over his head, safe in his fortress of pillows. He tried really hard not to chuckle at the sight. He tiptoed to his bag. Bathing-suit, towel, jeans, shirt – he took them all quickly and tiptoed to the bathroom. In less than 10 minutes he was ready, morning routine and all (minus the application of the mousse and the lenses – North Devon, so Lundy Island too, were practically the definition of tolerance). He searched through the cupboards for a pen and paper. When he found them he scribbled a message for Simon and placed in on the pillow. Soon enough he was jogging down the stair into the restaurant.
People were already in the restaurant and on the shore when he arrived. They were just chilling with the instructors, talking about the plans for the day and socializing. He walked to the food buffet and picked some lettuce-lamb-egg-cheese-tomatoes submarine sandwich and dropped it on his plate, searching for some tea next. When he was pleased with his breakfast selection he walked to one of the tables where one of the people he met in Woolacombe was eating his classic British meal. Kieren smiled in his direction and the other man waved at him. "Kieren! Come, sit with me."
xXx
When Simon arrived downstairs, the restaurant was bursting with joyful people. Still, it wasn't too crowded and he easily spotted Kieren. Simon's brows creased with confusion. Kieren was chatting with the man they met on the beach – which was totally fine – but he was eating a huge sandwich. "What the-?" He genuinely seemed to have forgotten that he wasn't supposed to eat – again – smiling and chatting happily. Simon watched as Kieren and the other man shook hands, and then the man walked outside. Finally his brain snapped him back to reality and he advanced towards Kieren's table.
"Mornin' sunshine!" Simon said with a charming voice. Upon seeing Simon Kieren's smile widened and turned into a grin.
"Hey!" Kieren greeted him. He stood up and threw his lean body in Simon's arms, holding him in a tight hug.
"You seem awfully happy." Simon said once Kieren let go of him. As a confirmation to his statement Kieren captured Simon in a quick kiss. "So I take it you like this place?" Simon's gaze moved from his lover to the sandwich on the table. "What's with the-"
Kieren talked over him. "I can't wait to go kayaking!" He was beaming now. Sitting down he took Simon's hand and tugged him down on the chair in front of him. "Do you have your bathing-suit on?" He asked. Simon nodded. "The instructors said we would leave soon." After a little pondering Simon decided to tell Kieren that he was eating and he should stop. But it was so hard. Kieren went on about how awesome kayaking would be, blurting facts about kayaks and kayaking he probably got from interrogating the trainer. ("Did you know they have tandems – like, kayaks designed for two paddlers? They're longer with two cockpits.") Simon watched him affectionately. He had to tell him about the food before it would make Kier sick.
Eventually Simon interrupted his boyfriend's excited talk, by putting his hand over his moments before he was about to take another bite from his half-eaten sandwich. "Kier – don't." He said with gentle voice. Kieren stopped and watched him uncertain of what he meant. "If you eat you're gonna be sick." An uncomfortable moment of silence passed with both men frozen in place, until Kieren snapped back. He let the sandwich fall on the plate and removed his hand from Simon's. His eyes were opened wide but he was unable to look Simon in the eyes. He couldn't understand how he forgot about it again. It was so frustrating and embarrassing. He stood up from the table and rushed back to their room. "Kier!" Simon called softly, but Kieren didn't stop so he let him go. He sunk into his chair watching his lover rush away. Now he could only wait until the blond came back.
Kieren fumbled with the keys, his hands starting to tremble suddenly. After some frustrating seconds he managed to push them in the lock and open the door. Not sure if he closed the door behind him, he rushed to the bathroom and leaned against the sink. This was going to be a terrible experience. He already started to feel sick – not the human kind of sick, but the kind where your viscera are so heavy that they pull you to the floor and then it gets messy.
xXx
Simon and the rest of the kayaking group were already on the shore around the scheduled area. He was restlessly looking around for any sight of Kieren. The first people have already picked their kayaks when the blond appeared in Simon's visual field. "Here you are!" Simon waited for him to come within touching distance then wrapped his hands around his shoulder squeezing him reassuringly. "How do you feel?" He asked carefully, even though Kieren was looking even much better than before.
When Kieren talked his voice was steady. "I'm fine, Simon." He smiled. "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Simon was confused and it showed, so Kieren explained: "I felt sick like usually when we eat, but the food-" he looked around at a couple watching them and lowered his voice. "- the food 'stayed in'. It felt weird… like a bad hangover or something. But that's all." His voice was calm and cheerful enough for Simon to stop worrying.
He nodded. "Okay." He gave Kieren's shoulder another squeeze then let his hand slide down and took his hand in his. "Come. We still have to pick a kayak." He said, the relief obvious his voice.
"You didn't pick a kayak yet?" Kieren asked in mock-anger and a pitched voice. "You had one job!" He chuckled as Simon pursed his lips and simply tugged him away. He couldn't be happier that Kieren had kept his humor.
They managed to pick a tandem after all, Simon activating his mystic mode to distract the couple that wanted the last tandem too. "Christ, Simon… you're getting better at this." Kieren said with genuine amazement after he assured the kayak with two cockpits was theirs. They put on their 'shorties' (fancy kayak-y name for short sleeved paddle jackets), life jackets and helmets and were ready to go. "Jump in!" Kieren walked in front of the kayak. As soon as Simon was in his cockpit he jumped in too. Sliding in his seat he cursed under his breath. The others were already moving and he was still having trouble with attaching his spray skirt* (since he missed the part where the instructor explained how to use it).
"Need some help with that?" Simon asked in a mock-macho voice. Kieren shot him his best too-adorable-for-you face and kept trying to push the straps over his shoulders.
"Why do we even need these?" Eventually Kieren defeated the evil spray skirt and seated himself victoriously and comfortably in the front of the kayak.
"We'll explore this side of the island, isn't this great?" He beamed at Simon. They started paddling. In the beginning Kieren cringed every time a small wave hit the kayak making it rise and slip graciously on a foam trail. Simon placed his hand over Kieren's arm and squeezed it tight until the first waves passed. "Is this thing supposed to shake like this?" His voice was adorably high-pitched. Still, Simon couldn't bring himself to laugh: he didn't feel the rise and fall of the kayak, but Kieren did. That was weird, and it also meant that Kieren was having another episode of human feelings and sensations. It was fascinating, if not a little scary. So he just comforted his boyfriend with quick scientific explanations the instructor gave them earlier, not mentioning anything about what might go on in his body. Soon Kieren got used to the new sensation of being pushed and pulled at the same time, and went back to his beaming hyper-puppy self.
The wind was grazing the surface of the water lifting it in tiny shivering waves, like goose bumps, glistening under the hot rays of the summer sun. Under all the layers of clothes, Kieren was starting to feel too warm, but he didn't seem to notice. Instead, he paid great attention to the surroundings. The shore was further behind them with every thrust of the paddle and soon the noises of the beach were replaced by the squealing seagulls carelessly flying in the azure sky. Kieren looked behind at Simon. They smiled.
xXx
They came back to the shore just around 3pm – the official lunch time in the hotel restaurant. Kieren and Simon used that time to explore the island. They meet more PDS sufferers they befriended and toured with for a while, until their next scheduled event: climbing and coasteering. Simon kept a close eye on Kier and every change in him. The instructors took the enthusiastic students to the west side of the island that could mainly be described as: Cliffs. Cliffs everywhere! Although Kieren was beaming and excited Simon's smile was a little reluctant – until Kieren fixed that with a kiss. Simon did have a hidden motive to follow Kieren up the climbing-wall, though: when Kieren leaned for the kiss after putting his equipment on, his was slightly out of breath. His breathing was irregular and heavy, as if he held his breath for far too long.
xXx
The sun was ready to sink below the horizon when they finally returned to the hotel. The clouds appeared lit with the vibrant orange of the sun – like neon lights – making the water look like whiskey whirling in the immense glass of the world. After their adventure on the blue sea and gray cliffs the vessel was ready to pick them up and bring them back to Woolacombe. The restaurant was incredibly cheerful and friendly around dinner and everyone was chatting with everyone, music filling any silence of the background. The atmosphere enveloped the two lovers in euphoria. For two more hours they forgot about all their problems and troubles, and in the golden-orange lights Kieren's cheeks seemed on fire. On the ship the ecstatic mood continued, until they reached the harbor. They said their goodbyes then Kieren 'magically' gravitated closer and closer to the beach instead of heading toward the hotel. "Oh look, we're close to the beach." Kieren said in mock-surprise, not even trying to hide his desire to be close to the littoral again.
"I wonder how that happened." Simon chuckled.
To which Kieren had a suggestion: "Why don't we take a walk on the shore?" Soon they found themselves on the sandy road. They walked barefoot close to the water, drunk with each other's presence and the idyllic sight of the sea, hand in hand and swaying carefree. Their lengthened shadows reached the water, creating a marvelous show of silhouettes. Suddenly, Kieren stopped talking and dropped in a squatting position. He brushed away some layers of sand, feeling its wetness under his finger, and then picked out something. "Shells." He had that creativity-mode: activated spark in his eyes. "Let's see if we find more pretty ones."
Simon's lips curled into a smile. "Sure." Walking down the shore they searched for shells, throwing the 'declined' ones back into the sea.
It was dark now, and the only lights were from the moon and beach houses. They were still walking further away from the hotel, each bragging about their shells. "My shells are prettier." Kieren waved his hand in front of Simon's eyes, showing that the 'debate' was over before it began – a smug smile on his pale lips. "I'm better at collecting shells – Simon, give up already." Kieren laughed, bumping into Simon as the dark-haired man picked another shell from the shore. His hands sank into the wet sand dug out a black and white shell from its hiding place.
"Never." He said in a smoky voice. "Besides -" he rose to his feet with his new trophy. "- mine is bigger." He smirked as Kieren rolled his eyes and turned his back to him. He watched Kieren bend and search for other shells.
"A-ha!" Kieren shot back up to his feet. He was holding two small shells in the palm of his hands. Simon came closer to observe them and immediately knew what his lover intended to do with them. "Souvenirs. Here -" Kieren took Simon's hand in his, opening his palm and placing one of the shells. "- the dark-blue and grey will bring out the blue in your eyes… or lenses." He grinned, but Simon just stared at his eyes like he was frozen in place. Kieren frowned for an instant then resumed his idea. "They already have tiny holes – we just have to string them on a chord and we'll have custom made necklaces."
Simon contemplated, still observing Kieren wide-eyed: "Matching love necklaces." He pulled himself out of the deer-in-the-headlight state and chuckled. "Imagine how thrilled Amy will be to see them." He observed his pendant-to-be: it was about the size of a fingernail, with gorgeous wavy designs and spiky texture.
"Yeah, she'll talk about it for hours." They both beamed upon talking about Amy – the beautiful genius. "We should search a moregeous shell for her!" Kieren exclaimed with excitement. Laughing lovingly they looked through their shells for the one shell worthy for their BDFF. ("Best Dead Friend Forever!" They said in unison, chuckling.)
At last they found the most beautiful and unique sea shell they saw the entire evening: it was half the size of Kieren's hand, and it spiraled down in a wavy shape to a point where it was bulky with a small opening and with lots of small pikes at the very top. Its colors were mesmerizing: about three shades of dark-red mixed with the purest white and an alluring pink. It looked so lively and special.
Eventually they noticed it was getting too dark and decided it was better if they headed back to the hotel. They reached the bus station just as the bus came to a halt. They jumped in and chose the last seats in the back. Kieren took the seat next to the window, as eager as always to see more of the surroundings, and Simon sat as close to him as possible. With their hands entwined they started to talk with quiet voices. Kieren sighed: "I wish every day would be like today." He leaned his head against Simon's shoulder, nuzzling into his neck.
Simon kissed the top of his head, and then spoke lovingly. "What if it could?"
Kieren lifted his head to look his boyfriend in the eyes. "What do you mean? Like, come here every summer? He contemplated the idea for a moment. He nodded. That would be awesome." He smiled.
Simon shook his head. "What if we bought a house here?" He spoke every word carefully, paying huge attention to his boyfriend's reactions. Kieren's eyes widened in surprise – he hadn't thought about it. "Imagine living in one of the houses on the beach:" he spoke faster and faster now "waking every morning to the sight of the sea, ready to walk out and dive into the clear water, bathe in the sun, step on the burning sand-"
"- alone with you and no bothers." Kieren completed the other man's mini-list with a steady dreamy voice on his slightly trembling lower lip. He rushed towards Simon's face, his smiling lips capturing the other man's lips in a long chaste kiss. His hands were just as quick, wrapping around Simon's neck and pulling him in a tight hug until his palms hurt like thousand tiny needles under his skin – but he didn't seem to mind them. When they pulled away, Kieren was beaming – biting his lower lip to keep him from smiling too wide. He felt as if the corners of his mouth could rip his flesh open if he didn't stop his grin from widening.
After Kieren pulled away Simon was frozen in place. His hand was still raised mid-air, cupping the air where Kieren'sface was instants before, his eyes closed and lips puckered. He needed a moment before he composed himself. "So… I take it as a yes?" He resumed, trying to fish another kiss. Kieren just rolled his eyes.
"I'd love it." He said quietly. Their gazes were locked into each other, unable to look away – for more than just one reason. "I more than love you." Kieren reached for Simon's hand at the same time as the other man tried to do the same. They held hands all the way to the hotel: in the bus, on the street, in the hall of the hotel, in the elevator, on the corridors, and in their bedroom. Well, they did more than hold hands once the door of their honeymoon suite was closed behind them – Do Not Disturb sign on the handle:
Simon pushed Kieren against the wall, pinning him with his hipbones and hands. The blonds' eyes lost their paleness completely now, and the pupils restarted their dilatation and contraction. "I knew it…" Simon whispered with amazement. Saying that Simon was amazed would be an understatement. In the past hours he watched as Kieren's eyes got darker and darker until they slowly went to their original color. Now his eyes were lust-blown. Simon took another moment to examine the changes in his lover's body, unable to fully believe it quite yet. He was filled with an ecstatic admiration. He cupped his lover's face, observing every detail of the effects of the change – Kieren was so beautiful.
Kieren kissed his boyfriend's pale lips, and a sudden jerk shook his whole body as shivers of pleasure pressed against his tongue and lips. His hand grabbed the nape of Simon's neck, pushing the dark-haired man and deepening the kiss. He could feel Simon's smile on his lips.
Simon's hand slipped into the blond hair, pulling softly and moving his hand caressingly. The kiss was wetter and more heated with every passing second, but eventually Kieren pulled away: his lungs were burning – he needed to breathe. Simon took advantage of that, gently pulling Kieren's hair and angling his neck so he could better kiss it. His cold lips touched the heated skin, kissing the collarbone and moving all the way up to the jaw. He nipped, kissed and suckled, leaving Kieren a whimpering mess. His hand moved under Kieren's shirt, stroking the lean torso. He pulled it up, allowing his eager hand to go straight to the nipples and fondle them. Kieren threw his head back, enjoying the endearments and urging Simon through rhythmic moans and wavy movements of his hips to touch more.
"Can you feel this?" Simon's hand moved to the other blonds' groin, tenderly stroking it until he reached the bulge in his pants.
Kieren moaned weakly. "Yes." Pushing both his hands under Kieren's shirt he tried to get the garment out of the way, while the blond worked his thin fingers around the zipper. Once the shirt was out of the way, Simon brought his hands back to Kieren's head, burying his fingers in the soft hair. His lips placed kisses all over the neck, leaving a cold trail as they reached the lush lips once again. Abandoning his mission to unzip his jeans, Kieren stroke his lover's strong arms, chest and shoulders, trying to touch and actually feel as much of him as possible.
Breaking the kiss, Simon made a quick job of taking off his pants, throwing them haphazardly in the room. Then he cupped Kieren's face again, chuckling at the sight. His cheeks were fiery red, his lips swollen and red, partly open as he tried to suck in more air. Leaning towards Simon for another kiss, Kieren's hands tugged at his shirt, fumbling with it for a while before finally succeeding to take it off – sadly breaking the kiss. Simon intruded in the tight space in Kieren's jeans, reaching for the swelling bulge he could see through all the layers. A loud whimper escaped Kieren's lips as he pulled the waistband away, exposing his shaft to Simon's cold fingers. From the base to the tip, his skilled fingers stroked and fondled Kieren's member leaving him breathless and making him lean against Simon's strong body for support. The pleasure was great, mostly because Simon was touching him, and because it was sensual and pleasuring, but also because he was turning and now he could feel. He moaned. Still holding him against the wall, Simon wrecked Kieren's body with passionate kisses and hungry lips. His lips reached Kieren's chest biting softly in the sensitive flesh and soothing it with more kisses and grazes of the tongue. His hold around his lover's shaft tightened as the strokes picked a faster pace. Reaching the nipples, Simon licked them both, savoring the pretty noises that elicited, then carefully biting and suckling them with almost vulgar pops of the lips.
When he saw the sticky trails of pre-come over his hand shine in the dim light Simon slowed down. He brushed his lips against Kieren's earlobe, and the blond tighten his grip around his lover's back. "The bed" Simon commanded just above a whisper in Kieren's ear. The blond nodded and Simon pulled them both towards the bed. There, Simon pushed Kieren by the shoulders on the soft mattress and waited until he crawled into a comfortable position on the bed. When he was ready, Simon slipped after him, positioning himself between his legs, having an excellent view of Kier's hardened leaking member. His hands went up and down Kieren's legs caressing and soothing him, then he dropped on his elbows with his head landing just in the right place: between his boyfriend's tights. He kissed the inside of those tights slowly, suckling the skin between his lips for long tormenting moments – every kiss making Kieren's heart beat faster. After having kissed both tights he moved confidently towards the base of the cock – encouraged by Kieren's short pitched breaths to wrap his mouth around the cockhead and swirl his tongue. He sucked hard on the head and swirled his tongue which cause Kieren's body to jerk forward. The moans never stopped from that moment on, and Simon brought his hand near the base of Kier's dick playing with his balls. His other hand slid down Kieren's hips and tights, fondling the meat until he reached the entrance to the perky ass. Kieren whimpered when a cold finger pocked the puckered entrance.
"Simon-" Kieren tried to speak but Simon sucking him off for dear life wasn't exactly helping him concentrate. "S-Simon!" Kieren's grip around his boyfriend's hair tightened, pulling him back to get his attention. Simon released a low groan that Kieren felt echoing throughout his entire body – starting with his cock – then moved away. Seeing that he caught Simon's attention Kieren spoke with shaky yet excited voice: "I don't want this yet. Please wait? You still can't-" Kieren watched his lover with apologetic yet lust-blown eyes.
Simon's finger retreated. His hands went back to their previous caressing and fondling of Kieren's body. "Okay. If this is what you wish." He said understandingly in a husky voice. He smiled attractively and chuckled.
"What?" Kieren asked, still trying to even his breaths.
"Yeah -" Simon started kissing Kieren's body from the knee to his hipbones, his lips softly grazing the skin as he talked. "You're definitely a tease." Simon said in a deep seducing voice. Kieren chuckled and let himself fall back on the bed, but his body was lightly jerked back as soon as Simon's lips resumed their licking and kissing - this time on his painfully-hard member. Kieren tried to take shallow breaths between the moans and whimpers, trying his best not to thrust his cock into Simon's mouth, even if it wouldn't hurt him. Simon continued to bob his head, faster and faster. He moaned deeply in his throat, more for Kieren's pleasure than anything, sending hot cold shivers of pleasure throughout Kieren's entire body, making his toes curl tight. "Ugh, fuck! Simon-"Digging his fingers into the sheets and clenching them tight until his knuckles whitened, he pushed his head deeper into the mattress. His shaft was twitching into his lover's mouth and soon he couldn't control himself anymore – he was out of practice after all, and Simon was more than good. Bringing the back of his hand to his mouth, trying to muffle the moans – and failing – Kieren felt his groin warm up, his legs curled around Simon's back and he thrust involuntarily in Simon's mouth. He came hard with moans and heavy pitched breaths. Simon moved away, replacing his mouth with his hand and milking his lover through his climax. As the spurts of hot sticky substance ceased, Kieren's tens body started to relax. The skin over his member was very sensitive now and he involuntarily twitched when Simon's hand took a firmer grip. The black-haired man noticed and stopped. Instead, he slipped next to Kieren's heaving body, using his hands to embrace him and soothe him.
"Shhh –everything's gonna be alright now." Simon soothed him in a deep loving voice. "This is fantastic, Kier!" he added a little later when Kieren turned to a side, a leg wrapping Simon's tights and pulling him closer, his head under Simon's chin. Noticing how Kieren's breaths became completely even now, Simon caressed his back, allowing him to rest. "Sleep now. Everything is fine, love." He whispered. "I love you, Kier."
Assuming that Kieren was already asleep, he didn't expect a reply, yet the fickle and cheerful voice answered: "I love you too, Simon." Simon's lips curled into a huge smile and although his body couldn't feel anything, he was damn sure that Kieren made his brain orgasm with those words. "I think I'll grow a beard." Kieren mumbled half asleep. Simon was silent for a moment then he chuckled himself to sleep. Kieren with a beard – yup, he would love to see that.
He too fell asleep soon after that, slipping into the dream world where his little adventures with Kieren continued. For Simon, this had been the amazing ending for an amazing day.
A/N: Holy fuck, it didn't stop raining two days in a row and I just couldn't get my happy-summer-beachy-love mood on, but somehow I managed to write this chapter thanks to some amazing playlists on 8tracks (hence the title of this chapter after a Marina and the Diamonds song - wow not over-used and obvious at all. Good job me!). Can I get a hells yeah! (Okay, sorry for being so whiny!) :3 Anyways, stay tuned for next chapter where a) the boys visit the beach houses to see which one they want to buy or b) I think of something else and stuff happens. Idk. Reviews or ideas are gladly welcome! Ily'all!
Mini-glossary:
*spray skirt - skirt-like gear fastened onto the cockpit, with straps to wear over shoulders to seal and prevent water from entering the cockpit area