They sat, drinking and eating, a new light in the sun, the birds chirping and howling in the trees.
Gabe looked at Damian. “Fishing? We should check the net and those pools.”
“Mhm…” He swallowed that sweet mush in his mouth, trying to ignore his face burning each time Gabe opened his mouth. “Yeah… good idea…”
Gabe reached out and put his palm on Damian’s face, waiting for his eyes. “Hey, it’s still me.”
“I know…”
But not you… somebody else… looking at the world like a newborn…He just smiled, keeping his thoughts. “Good. I think I don’t hate you that much after all.” He winked, watching Damian blush above his laughter. “Ok, time to go and find some food. We could hunt tomorrow in the woods. Find some of those pigs.”
“Ok…” Getting up, finding their bags, a spear they had carved days before, and hardened on the fire. Messing it up three times, so they had had to start again, feeding the burning spears to the fire. “Clothes?”
Gabe shook his head. “No. I have nothing to hide anymore.”
Damian just shrugged, a bit thrilled, and followed Gabe’s lean form, wishing he had the courage to kiss him, but it was nowhere for now, that courage he had buried deep with his feelings back when he had been still young. Scared to the bone.
Crouching later near a tide pool, putting some small fish and crabs in his bag, tying it up when he’d filled it with seawater, the sun burning his back. A shadow.
Gabe licked the water off his shoulder, that sharp salt above his taste. “Mhm… Done?”
That tongue sent shivers down his spine. Damian turned to him with a smile, vaguely embarrassed, which was new, as nothing had embarrassed him before. “Yeah… not too much, but we’ll eat.”
“Great. Let’s go fix the roof. It looks like it’s going to rain tonight.”
They worked on the roof, walking back and forth to the beach, hauling the palm leaves under a lead sky. Dark clouds toiling, rumbling. Quickly pulling everything to safety, they only put the plastic barrels and containers out to catch the water. Cooking dinner as the sky darkened, the air sizzling around them. A gush of wind, tearing into the roof and the trees.
Gabe looked up at the sky. “It’s going to be tough, again.”
“The roof should hold now. More leaves and it will crumble.”
“We’ll see. We should do the gutters.”
“Tomorrow. No time now.”
Gabe watched him shave with that blunt razor they’d found. Even if it had scraped his skin off in places, he insisted, but the hair was growing back on his body, a soft black fuzz, and it thrilled Gabe to see what it would be, especially knowing he could get his hands on it. He packed their plates away to their washing up soak and tugged at Damian’s hand.
“Time to shelter.” Watching that light of fright in his eyes. “I won’t eat you, don’t worry… well, maybe… a bit.” A wicked grin, and Damian followed up to their hut, where Gabe stripped and pulled him to his bedding. Flinging the blanket over them, he snuggled close, pushing under Damian’s arm until he was wedged in his side, his head on his shoulder. Roaring thunder as the wind picked up, blowing the rain close. Hammering drops in that cooling air. Watching with bated breath as the roof held, tight, some rogue drops seeping through, but otherwise, they were sheltered, almost warm under that blanket. So tired, their eyelids fluttered despite the rumbling thunder and pouring rain.
Gabe pushed his thigh over Damian’s. “Sleepy?”
“A bit…”
Gabe reached up to his face and put his palm on it, turning his head to him, parting his lips. “Let’s sleep a bit… but first…” He kissed him, wide, pushing in, feeling Damian kiss him back, that birthing hunger there, barely. Gabe pushed him around a bit, letting his lips stray between his teeth, a small moan when they met his teeth. A slight push, until Damian got it, and bit down gently on his lower lip. “Ah…” Panting, letting him bruise his lips, suck his breath away. Parting then to breathe, just to kiss again, soft, licks and nips, their chests pressed together as they held each other tight.
Gabe broke it, almost floating. “I’m falling asleep…”
“Me too…”
One last soft kiss. The storm raged around them, but they felt safe, warm, laying in each other’s arms, letting sleep take them, maybe for the first time ever for real since they had been washed up on these shores.
Chapter 8
Theywoketotherain hammering the roof, more drops plummeting to the floor, a pale light in that morning air.
Damian sat up to peek out, pulling a face. “Looks like it’s rain all day.” A soft impatience in him, knowing they couldn’t do anything, that urge there to start the day with something to do. Maybe a slight fear there to be with Gabe too, who’d sat up, close to his back, his head on his shoulder.
“We still need to go down and piss and get a drink.”
