The Search for Serenity

14 - Quite the View

As the moments go on and we climb higher, my nerves are left behind on the ground below us while a soft breeze brushes past me. I carry myself further up the tree before coming to a point of stopping, casting a quick glance toward Toby when he reaches a branch beside mine.

He looks at me, an eye squinted closed from the bright sunlight in his eyes.

"Do we need to go any higher?" I ask, clinging tighter to the branches I'm holding onto, avoiding looking toward the ground entirely.

He looks around before shaking his head. "I'd say we're good from here."

I move to sit on one of the thicker branches, tensely leaning against the scratchy bark of the trees' trunk, still adjusting to the height. Toby climbs to my level and sits on a branch beside my own. I look at him and let out a small breathy laugh.

"Well, we're alive." I confirm. His lips quirk up in a way that shows off his dimples.

"What did I tell you? Not so bad, right?" He hums.

"Right." I nod, loosening my grip on the branch ever so slightly as I try to relax.

My grip returns just as fast and my back presses further into the trunk when I make the mistake of shifting my eyes to the ground for a second. I'm hit with the realisation of just how high up we are. I tremble on my next exhale.

"Okay, we're really high up." I chuckle nervously, looking towards Toby who's perched comfortably as he looks at me, pulling his sketchbook from his backpack and placing it to lean on his leg as he, too, sits pressed against the trunk of the tree.

"It'll be worth it, trust me." He opens his sketchbook, tapping a pencil on the page, deep in thought. The fact that he's so casual about this encourages me to relax.

"Easy for you to say. How often do you do this anyways?" I ask, genuinely curious.

"I used to make a hobby of climbing trees as a kid. Going out and about pretending I was an explorer in my neighbourhood was basically my main source of entertainment next to drawing." I smile at that. "When I moved here, though, I started climbing this tree so I could watch what we're about to see." He nods ahead of us.

It's then that I notice we're facing the horizon where tall hills fade into the background. Trees, meadows and houses cover the blank space, presenting us with a view like that of a holiday advertisement you'd see on the front of an enticing travel brochure.

I look in the direction he's facing, a little confused to what he's hinting at. "It's a beautiful sight for sure, but what are we meant to be seeing?"

"So impatient." He tsks playfully. "Give it a few minutes. You'll see."

I look at him with a hint of suspicion as a humoured look passes over his face. I pick up my camera nonetheless and begin taking photos of the distant scene before me, the height giving me a new perspective. Mom will love these.

The birds dive from tree to tree, their songs echoing into the afternoon air as they go by. The green leaves and the pink flowers of cherry blossoms are carried by the breeze while a golden hue begins to take over. I remove the camera from my face, gasping at the sight of the sun dipping behind the hills.

The light scatter of clouds around the sun glow warm oranges, while others further away are stained shades of pink. I stare in awe at the heavenly sight, watching the sun as it slowly settles behind the mountains. The scene before me was stunning before, but now it's purely ethereal and transformed into something of a dream. The warmth beams through the trees of the woods, casting everything in gold and highlighting the beauty often missed.

Everything I look at seems to be softly kissed by the new light, basking in its last moments of warmth before night falls.

I close my eyes, letting the warmth soak into the skin of my face and feel the wind gently blow through my hair. I inhale a deep breath before opening my eyes again, trying to imprint this snippet of a memory into my mind.

I smile widely as I speak, "Toby, this is-" I pause, trying to think of a word that serves justice to the ethereal sight.

"Beautiful."

I turn to look at him as he quietly finishes my sentence but he's already facing me, paying no mind to the sunset in front of us. The power of his gaze and the rays of the sun make my face heat up and I blush under his stare.

His green eyes are saturated in the radiance of the sun as they lock onto mine. His features are settled, sweet and serene, as he watches me. Even with that bruise on his cheek that makes my heart clench every time I see it.

"I knew you'd like it."

The emotions that build up inside me clog my throat, my next words quiet. "This is incredible, Toby."

He clears his throat as he trails his eyes away slowly, snapping himself out of his daze. He faces the direction of the sunset. "No matter how many times I come up here, I'll never get used to it." His voice is a rasp. "It's nicer to share it with someone else, though, especially when they admire it just as much."

I can't help but relate to his words, thinking of the number of times I've seen something beautiful and wished to share it with someone who'd appreciate it too.

I smile even wider. He goes back to his drawing, his knees drawn up to his chest as he leans his book against them. He looks so... comfortable. Every time I get to see the version of him under the tense and closed-off version he often wears, I'm grateful that he trusts me enough to be his raw self. Especially after last night.

We haven't talked about what happened or anything more about how he got that bruise on his cheek, but I have a feeling the reason he brought me here today was a way of silently thanking me somehow. So I won't insist, I'll let him talk at his own time.

"Hm, I suppose you're right." I lift my camera again, taking a few photos before allowing myself to just live in the moment and watch the sun continue its path behind the hills in the far distance.

At least we got to see this together.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A/N -

As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts. Thank you so much for reading, it makes my day seeing your comments <3