Here Comes the Sun (Complete)

Early Morning Sunshine

The final time Toby was sure -- absolutely, positively sure -- was the kiss. It was supposed to be just another morning walk with Tim; and Brian, of course, who hadn't been able to sleep the night prior and decided to join them. It wasn't like Toby minded. He actually quite enjoyed Brian's company. He kind of considered him a close friend, though was too intimidated -- or shy -- to outwardly ask Brian if that were the case. He didn't want to spoil things between them, so he kept his mouth firmly shut about the matter.

The morning was still dim as the sun had yet to slowly start rising above the horizon; shimmers of light only barely cresting over the distant woods and mountains. The air was chilled. Not too cold as to make one shiver, but enough so that the jackets -- and hoodie -- that they wore were rather glad they thought to bring them. Their voices were moderately audible as they clambered along the trail; Tim and Brian walking side by side with Toby following shortly behind with his hands deep in his pockets. Even he couldn't help the smile that crested under his mask, glad for once Tim actually seemed to do more than tolerate his company. Tim even seemed to try to include him in he and Brian's conversation, often joining his counterpart in looking back every so often to include him so.

It was soon that they came upon a clearing in the woods; the ground covered with grass with a portion of the area making the sun that was beginning to crest the horizon; shades of red, yellow and orange dancing in the sky and creating a beautiful array of colors. Toby found himself pausing to look at the view as they passed through, not even noticing the other two were gaining distance between him until they had noticed. Tim and Brian paused several feet ahead of the ticking young man, Toby also not noticing the strange look they gave him nor the shared look and hushed words before returning their attention to him.

"Hey, Toby!" Brian called with a half chuckle as he made his way back to Toby, Tim slowly following behind him. "You alright?"

Toby jumped at the voice, so lost in the beauty before him that he had almost forgotten that he was walking with them. Toby gave a curt nod as he went to meet them halfway.

"Y-yeah, sorry," Toby muttered, gaze locked on the ground. "I-I just got di-distracted."

"By what?" Tim asked in annoyance; the mask having been removed once they were far enough away and shifted to where it sat atop his head with the string still clinging to his head. Brian glared at the raven haired man as he moved to stand next to Toby, gazing where he had once been a few yards back.

"Huh," Brian said after a long moment as Tim slowly joined him, Toby raising his head to glance back at what had caught his fancy, "pretty sunrise." Tim hummed in what Toby could only assume was agreement.

"Th-that's what I th-thought," Toby nodded with a smile before turning his attention to his companions. "Th-think we can st-stay and wa-watch it come up?" Toby went on hesitantly after a moment. Brian and Tim seemed to share a look between each other before Brian looked back to Toby with a nod.

"Sure. Just find a place to sit, yeah?"

Toby found himself being almost surprised at what he heard; yet didn't decline and squealed happily before swiftly turning and darting back to where he had originally stood. If not for his eagerness to watch the rising sun, Toby might have noticed the shared, soft spoken look between the other two as they watched him go before following suit. Once at the spot, Toby plopped down as he slid his goggles on his forehead. Instead of simply sitting down, the young man instead obliged to lay back with his hands behind his head; getting comfortable just as Tim and Brian reached him and began to make themselves comfortable with Brian having removed his own face mask.

Toby half expected them to lay alongside one another as they joined Toby on the ground to gaze at the rising sun. To his surprise, however, Tim lay seemingly by himself on Toby's left side; Brian having taken up the empty space to his right. The goggled young man was glad he decided to wear his mask even though the other two weren't wearing any face coverings at the moment; otherwise they might have seen the mixture of confusion on his face and the blush forming on his cheeks. The two talked in somewhat quieted for a while as the sun rose until the better part of the burning ball was over the horizon with just part of it still stuck behind the rolling hills in the distance, Toby almost mute as he focused on the view.