Two Weeks In Hawaii

Day Twelve

This time, Ryan did go downstairs, bypassing the kitchen and heading straight for the living room. The television had been turned off, the light too, and only the sound of soft snoring filled the large space. Ryan found his boyfriend passed out on the couch; falling half over the edge. Brendon's left arm dangled to the ground, his face barely on the cushion, and his feet over the arm in what Ryan imagined to be a very uncomfortable angle. A blanket hardly covered him, it too slipping off, exposing some of Brendon's lower back where his shirt slid up.

William was nowhere in sight.

A smile and a giggle escaped Ryan, a hand lifting to cover his mouth before he went into full blown laughter. He didn't want to wake Brendon—especially since that could end badly in several ways. What he wanted was a camera because it was definitely a Kodak moment. Something Ryan would frame and keep forever to look at whenever he needed a pick-me-up. He'd frame and keep Brendon forever if he could too.

Ryan stood staring, secretly wanting Brendon to fall just to get a good laugh, until a warm breeze tickled his skin and moved his eyes from Brendon to the backdoor that was cracked open a tiny bit. Leaving Brendon to sleep, Ryan left the living room to go to the door. The sun was starting to get brighter, the ocean down below sparkling invitingly and drawing down to it.

Walking the warped path down to Brendon's private section of beach, Ryan saw a figure sitting close to the water's edge. As he drew closer, he realized it was William, that made perfect sense, and Ryan walked faster towards him. William had his knees pulled to his chest, chin resting on top, and arms wrapped tightly around them. He stared out into the ocean, waves slipping up and crashing right beneath the tips of his bare toes in a calm, soothing rhythm.

At the end of the semi-paved walkway, Ryan veered into the mix of grass and sand, feet sinking in the moveable ground with grains of sand poking the skin between his toes. He debated calling out to the man, but William looked lost in thought so Ryan decided to just remain quiet and move in strides. Ryan was sure that William knew he was there as he got a few feet away, though he made no acknowledgments to Ryan's presence. Accepting that William probably just wanted silence, Ryan sat himself beside the other man and mirrored his position, staring out at a sail boat in the distance.

A warm breeze swirled around them, teasing Ryan's hair and making William's look like butterflies floating around his face. Ryan watched the little white sail move around for a few minutes before he got bored and moved his focus to the water stretching up to his feet instead. He smiled in amusement when the water fell just shy of touching him because it was a game, and he was winning.

The sun kept getting warmer and higher, making the land brighter and brighter. The rays reflected off the ocean to make it sparkle, looking somewhat like a twisted disco ball. Seagulls squawked and flew overhead, searching for any edible morsel they could scavenge to eat. Ryan watched one of the winged rats circle around, stupidly thinking he had food, only to abandon them after a few minutes to try somewhere else. Another bird came down to the beach and walked around, a safe distance from Ryan, trying to find maybe a hidden scrap the others missed.

Ryan practically forgot William was there until he finally spoke; all the sights and sounds around him having taken his mind somewhere else. "I understand if you're mad at me too," came the quiet, tired voice from Ryan's left.

Confused, Ryan turned his head to find William still staring into the distance; eyes red and worn. "Huh?"

"Last night." Bill's lips barely moved. "I kept Brendon from you. I understand if you're mad," he clarified.

"I'm not mad," Ryan said simply. "You needed a friend. Brendon's your best friend." Ryan frowned.

"I was selfish," William said back. Silently, Ryan agreed. But then again, he was selfish too. "We didn't even do anything. Just sat there. He fell asleep around two." He sighed. "I couldn't sleep though. No matter how hard I tried," he mumbled.