IncuBUST

Live-Well

I awoke the next morning to blinding sunshine slanting through the east facing panel of mesh. I squeezed my eyes shut and shivered, reaching for a blanket and finding none. I then remembered where I was and who I was with. I opened my eyes and looked down at Barapha's arms curled around me, his bare chest flush against my back, his icy breath stirring my hair as he slept.

I lay there for several minutes listening to the breeze in the trees, the birds squawking, the waves crashing and the fire crackling. You would think that it would have burned out by now. There was movement outside the tent, and I understood why it was so frigid in the tent. Quetz was outside. He had woken the fire.

I wriggled around so that I was facing Barapha and blew gently on his nose. He moaned softly and his eyes opened. They shown a clear, vibrant blue in the light of the sun shining through the mesh window. I sighed and murmured, "You've got gorgeous eyes, you know." He smiled and retorted, "Not as gorgeous as yours." He leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. It was a tender kiss that only lasted a few seconds but left me breathless.

He pulled away and smiled releasing me from his grip and sitting up. I sat up as well and said, "Quetz is outside. I'm not sure when he got up." Barapha smiled and replied, "Yeah, he's an early riser. Drives me crazy when I work evenings. Come on." He unzipped the mesh in the entrance and grabbed my hand pulling me out onto the sand.

Barapha yawned and stretched his arms above his head before removing the elastic from the end of his braid. He shook out his hair and scratched at his scalp muttering, "I hate salt water." I glanced at him and said, "Makes your hair look great though." I bent over and unzipped the insulated bag Quetz had brought removing two bottles of water. I held one out to Barapha and he took it.

"Where's Quetz?" I asked cracking open the water and taking a long drink. There was a camp chair set up by the fire. Our wet clothes from the night before were draped over it.

"Out there," Barapha replied after drinking down half the bottle of water. He pointed at the ocean, and I saw Quetz standing about ten yards out. He had changed into a pair of ratty swim trunks. The clear blue water came halfway up his thighs. I tilted my head to one side and asked, "What's he doing?" Barapha shrugged and said, "I don't know. Meditating."

We watched Quetz for a moment standing still as a statue staring intently at the water. Suddenly, he moved so quickly I almost missed it. He turned and pitched something onto the shore. I shrieked and leaped back as a sleek, silvery blue spotted trevally nearly two feet long landed near my feet.

Barapha laughed out loud and I shot him a look. He laughed again and knelt down several feet away from the shoreline. He began digging a hole. I skirted around the flopping fish and approached him asking, "What are you doing?"

"Digging a live-well. He'll probably be a while," Barapha replied. I knelt down beside him and started digging asking, "Why is he fishing?"

"He's probably hungry," Barapha replied, and I gaped exclaiming, "Already?" Barapha laughed and retorted, "Like I said, he's got a crazy fast metabolism." I set aside a handful of sand and asked, "Why is he in human form? Why doesn't he just 'flame on' and swallow another whale?" Barapha chuckled and heaved aside another pile of sand saying, "Sometimes a man likes to actually taste his food. This should be big enough. Go get that fish."

I grimaced and mumbled, "Okay." I walked over to where the fist was flopping weakly covered in sand and gasping for oxygen. I frowned and bent down to grab it when something cold and wet smacked me on the backs of my bare legs. I yelped and jumped several feet in the air whirling around to see another trevally flailing in the sand about a foot away from the first one.

Barapha cackled and over the crashing of the waves I heard Quetz laughing. For a moment I tried to be angry, but it was impossible. I shook my head and smiled grabbing both of the fish and carrying them over to Barapha who had filled the large pit we had dug with sea water.

I dropped the fish in the pool and walked over to the water to rinse off my hands and legs. I then strode over to the camp chair and grabbed yesterday's jeans. They were stiff with salt, but dry so I shimmied them on and sat down in the sand next to Barapha. He looked at me with a bright smile and asked, "So, what do you want to do today?"

I shrugged and looked at the sky replying, "I don't know. What time is it anyway?" He glanced at his watch and squinted asking, "We're six hours behind home, right?" I nodded and he said, "Few minutes after seven." I sighed and leaned back on my hands watching as Quetz stabbed his hand into the water quick as lightning.

A snapper went sailing overhead. Barapha flicked his finger at the fist, and it froze in midair. He sprang to his feet and caught the fish. He knelt and unfroze the fish as he slipped it into the pool. It wriggled out of his grasp and my eyes widened.

"It's still alive," I murmured, and he nodded saying, "It only works with cold-blooded critters, and I have to be quick." I stared at him for a moment before saying, "That's awesome." He smiled.

I observed the fish in the live-well and thought for a moment before saying, "We can chill here for a bit, but I really want to go to this zoo in Omaha called Henry Doorly. It was recently voted the best zoo in America." Barapha smiled and said, "Alright. What are their hours?"

"Nine to five and it's currently a little after twelve in Omaha," I said and Barapha nodded replying, "Cool. We'll leave once Quetz has had his breakfast. Do you wanna camp out here again tonight?"

I grimaced and said, "As much as I enjoy nature, I find myself craving a shower and a clean set of clothes. He laughed and said, "Okay. Let's start packing up. Once Quetz is done we can pop back to my place and grab a shower and some clothes. Then we can head to this zoo."

I grinned and climbed into his lap throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him right on the mouth. After several seconds, I pulled away and murmured, "I love you."