Luis didn’t know. Greater than him, somehow. He felt unworthy of it all.
“Uh huh,” Karim said, as if he heard the words Luis didn’t speak. He nuzzled Luis affectionately. “Jules is better with words, so let’s go back. C’mon.”
Karim loosened his grip. Luis missed the touch immediately when the cold water rushed back in.
“Jesus, still cold out here,” he said, and started rubbing at his arms again.
Karim laughed. “Come on then, I’ll race you to the shore.”
Without warning, Karim took off. Luis hurried to follow.
Despite his speed on land, Karim wasn’t as agile in water. Luis caught up and took the lead, which surprised even him. Just as he got to the shallows, he was swept up off his feet. Karim lifted him out of the water, as though he weighed nothing.
“Ack! Put me down!” Luis squawked, flailing. A wave hit at the same time and they both yelled as they tumbled back into the water. Luis came up sputtering, and splashed Karim’s open, laughing mouth for good measure.
At their camp, they both collapsed onto the blanket, breath heaving and soaked from head to toe.
“Have a good swim?” Julien asked, teasingly.
“Yeah,” Luis said, waterlogged but smiling. He felt like laughing, like he was made of bubbles.
“Karim?” Julien prompted.
“Hardly the Mediterranean, but still refreshing,” Karim said.
Clearly not the answer he was looking for, Julien nudged Karim’s foot. “Anything to report besides the status of the water?”
Julien’s gaze flicked to Luis, who, despite the cold shivers, was warm down through his core.
“Mm, maybe,” Karim said, just to get another nudge. “What? If you want to know what he tastes like, try for yourself.”
He got a less affectionate nudge for that, and the look that he gave Luis was long-suffering. “You’re always so crude,” Julien said. Then, to Luis, “Come here.”
Luis was quickly back on his feet, forgetting that he was cold and dripping as he walked around Karim to the chair.
Julien held out a hand and Luis took it, and was promptly tugged down into Julien’s lap.
“There, better,” Julien said, wrapping one arm around Luis. He didn’t seem to mind that Luis was dripping wet. “Now, tell me, how’re you feeling right now?”
“Nervous,” he said honestly. “Confused?”
“Confused?” Julien asked.
There was the sound of Karim rolling over onto his side. “He doesn’t understand why him,” Karim supplied.
Luis flushed, and must have shifted in discomfort, because Julien’s hand on him tightened reassuringly.
“Why not you?” Julien asked gently.
Luis looked down at his own lap. “I’m just not… anything special.”
“Oh, that’s not true at all, sweetheart,” Julien said. “I’ve seen you to be brave, even when you’re scared, loyal to the point of putting yourself in danger. You’re sweetly earnest with enough spine not to let Karim step all over you. And it’s the intangible things too we’ve grown to love about you. I didn’t fall for Karim for his kitchen prowess or his dashing good looks.”
“But neither hurt,” Karim added.
“I fell for him,”Julien went on with emphasis, “for the intangible reason anyone else falls in love. You’re drawn, inexplicably, to someone, and then day after day, year after year, it keeps working out. It’s not about special, or about deserving it, it’s about connection. About that ineffablesomethingthat happens between people.”
Luis could barely breathe. “But I’m human,” he said helplessly.
