Sasquatch to the Moon

30: Lake Baikal

... hi mom. u know the drill <3.

MILO

I sit down on the corner of the bed we've been staying in, looking out the big window, over the lake, toward the twilight sun. It's just hovering there, not sinking below the horizon, not even really touching it, just waiting for the Earth to spin enough that it rises back high into the sky.

I'm nervous. There's a pit in my stomach and I know Håkon has things he has to do right now but the fact that he's not here is making it a little worse. But I want this. I want it. Not because I want to finally ruin that bit of my own innocence, not because I want to be able to say I finally did this, but because I want that next step with him. Only him.

The door creaks and then clicks shut. I turn slightly, he's holding a towel and pulling his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey," I mumble, awkwardly, not sure what to say.

He looks up, setting down his phone, then tossing the towel onto the side table. "Hi,"

"Why... why a towel?" I watch him take a stride and a half toward me, dress pants fastened but his belt is missing.

"Uh," one leg around my hips, the other planted on the floor so he can cradle me between his legs. "I know your only experience with this is me and then books, which, that's okay, but books tend to blur out that this is actually really messy." He settles his head on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Nervous," I let out a small laugh. "Really, really nervous."

He smiles into my neck. "Me too, but, it's okay."

I take a deep breath in, then press it out again between my lips, making it hiss.

"I'm gonna just," he wraps an arm around my stomach. "I'm gonna just say this, but, this is going to be awkward, and probably pretty awful, it's probably going to also hurt a lot for me, but, the first is always the worst and then we'll be okay. I just need you to tell me if anything is happening up there." He puts his hand on my head.

"I think it's gonna be fine up here," I lean into his hand. "You need to tell me if anything is wrong. I don't wanna hurt you."

"You too," he mumbles, kissing my shoulder. "Everything we need is on the nightstand, for now, at least."

I nod, then tip my head to the side, looking at him in the golden light from the window. Fuck he's beautiful. And calm and confident and completely at ease. I melt back into his arms, leaning forward to brush my nose on his. He circles back, eyes fluttering closed before tipping his head and meeting my mouth with his.

I stop again. "Teeth." I mumble. "Go take your teeth out. I'm not doing this with you and teeth."

That gets a good giggle out of him and he squeezes his arms around my ribs. "You picky little thing. I can't believe you want me with no teeth for this." I smile, letting him step out from around my back and walk to the door, hand in his mouth, I hear his footsteps to the bathroom, then all the way back. By the time he's at the door again, I'm laid out against a stack of pillows, arms behind my head, waiting for him to show up again.

"Look who got confident," he shuts the door again, tongue flickering over the gap in his mouth.

"Missing teeth," I reach out my hand for him. "Just like I like you."

He's smiling, looking down at his chest, fingers working on the buttons down his shirt. "Goofball."

I sit up, pulling at the back of his knee so he sets it down on the bed, eyes still focused on his shirt. He tosses his other knee up and over, sitting down on his heels, making it to the last button. I watch, mesmerized like a little kid at an aquarium, as he pulls his shoulders back and shucks off his shirt, tossing it toward the chair in the corner leaving him in a white undershirt pulled taught across his muscles.