-Sky-
"Did you know that there's three species of zebras?" I asked, grabbing a branch from the ground, adding it to the pile Max was carrying.
"Nope," Max said. "Did you know that in 1930, the Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world, but almost a year later it lost the title, when the Empire State Building was finished?"
"No. What's the tallest building right now?" I asked, gazing through the forest floor, trying to find more dry branches for our bonfire.
"Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Fun fact, it was finished 2010, and it's 2,717 feet tall. The second tallest building is in Shanghai, called Shanghai Tower, and it's only 2,073 feet tall, so it's almost six hundred and fifty feet shorter than Burj Khalifa!"
"That is tall," I said and looked up, trying to imagine a building that tall.
"Do you think we have enough wood now?" Max asked.
"A few more, just in case," I said and limped forward.
We had set up our camp already, and all we needed was to make the fire. We were exchanging facts about animals and buildings while we were at it. It was fun to learn new things, even though Max wasn't talking about animals.
I was walking without my crutches, and I was amazed how well I could move with the new splint on. It was easy to get around, even in the forest, and it didn't hurt much anymore. Soon we had enough wood for the bonfire, so we returned to our campsite.
While Max put the branches down, I turned to look at the barn. I could see the female owl up in her nest, but the male was gone, probably on a hunting trip. It was probably four o'clock, so we still had plenty of time before the nightfall.
"Are you hungry?" I asked and turned to see Max.
"Always," he chuckled.
"I can cook us something," I smiled, but then I felt a jolt inside me. "If I remembered to take my equipment," I added, gazing through our packs.
"You did, don't worry," Max smiled, and I relaxed when he grabbed a bag that contained my cooking equipment.
"Thanks," I smirked, but I couldn't move my eyes away from him.
He was crouching over the pile of wood, looking up at me, his chestnut hair flowing freely in the wind, and the sun was radiating in his eyes. I couldn't believe I was dating him. Max Peterson was my boyfriend.
He was still smiling when he stood up and stepped in front of me.
"You look at me like I'm some fascinating animal," he purred.
"No! I wasn't – I didn't mean to –" I stammered, but he silenced me with a peck on my lips.
"It's a good thing," he said softly. "I love it when you get excited about animals, so I'm honored to get that same look from you."
"O-Oh..." I muttered, feeling a faint blush rising on my cheeks.
"Besides, I'm Max the super stud!" he joked, and I burst into laughter. "So, I'm technically an animal."
"Goodness..." I hiccupped. "I'll kill my brother when I get the chance..."
"Well, they might be handy," he said, and my blush turned bright red.
"Someday," I said, stressing the word.
"Yes, someday," he agreed, and wrapped his arms around me.
I looked up at him, and he leaned closer, pressing his lips on mine. The kiss was gentle and amazing, like it always was, and I was melting in his arms. It continued for quite some time, before his stomach let out a demanding growl.
I laughed against his lips and pulled back. "Let's get you something to eat."
He grinned apologetically, but he wasn't in a hurry to let go of me. He looked around in the small meadow, taking a deep breath and hugging me tightly.
"I do love it here. It's so peaceful," he said with a warm look in his eyes.
"Well, maybe we can come here even after the project is done," I suggested, and he nodded cheerily.
"I'd like that," he said quietly, but his words almost got lost in the rumbling sound of his stomach.
"Food, now," I giggled.
We got the fire burning without any trouble, and I set up my pot. We had only canned food with us, but it was easiest to make.
"Grilled chicken," Max read out loud, holding the can in his hand. "I didn't know you can get this stuff in a can," he chuckled.
"City boy," I smirked.
"It's not my fault!" Max laughed.
I was about to say something, but then I saw the male owl returning to his nest. The female greeted him by snapping her beak.
"Look," I said quietly, and pointed at the pair. "He's back."
We watched in silence when the male planted a dead rat in front of his mate, and soon later he left.
"It must be boring, sitting in that nest all day long," Max muttered, and I continued cooking.
"At least she has a beautiful view," I said.
"True."
We talked about the project while we ate, what we still needed to do and when to come see the owls. There wasn't much left to do, except following the owls.
"We still need to do that interview," Max said.
"I know someone who might help us," I said. "When we were at the animal shelter, I saw contact info of some sort of bird specialist. He runs a small clinic for birds somewhere outside the city."
"Sounds cool," Max said and wolfed down the rest of his meal. "This was pretty good actually," he added.
"You can say if you hated it."
"No – I really liked it," he said reassuringly. "So, what's next?"
"Want to go for a walk?" I asked.
"Should you be walking around so much?" he asked worriedly.
"I'll take my crutches with me," I shrugged. "My leg is getting better now, and I'd hate to waste this opportunity."
"Opportunity?" he frowned.
"Well, if you think about it, this is kind of a date. I mean, I took you out to eat," I chuckled and pointed at the bonfire. "So, next we should go on a romantic walk."
"I think you're right," he said, and stood up, offering his hand for me.
He helped me up and fetched my crutches. Then he gestured for me to lead the way.
"After you," he smiled.
*****
It was fun to spend some time in the forest. We didn't talk much, but I didn't mind. I just enjoyed the sounds of the forest and his company. We couldn't go too far, since it became clear to me that my poor ankle wasn't fine just yet. It started to ache after half an hour.
Later that night, we were sitting side by side next to the fallen tree, leaning against the side of it, making jokes and talking about pretty much everything. I had my camera ready, and we both kept an eye on the barn.
When the sun started to set, Max rested his head on my shoulder. He was getting sleepy. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and he snuggled closer. He yawned widely and rubbed his eyes.
"It's not even seven yet..." he muttered. "How can I be this tired?"
"It's been a long day," I said and kissed his temple. "We've spent the entire day outside – it's not the same as being indoors."
"I guess so," he muttered and turned to look at the barn. "What if he's not going to show up?"
"I have plenty of pictures of the mommy bird," I said. "It's fine if he's a no-show."
"Okay..." he mumbled, closing his eyes.
"If you want, you can take a nap," I told him quietly.
"No..." he said and sat up, opening his eyes again. "I'll wait with you."
"Okay then," I chuckled.
Soon enough, he started to doze off. He looked cute while trying to keep his eyes open. I stayed perfectly still and didn't say a word to him. When he finally seemed to lose the battle, I gently pressed his head back on my shoulder. Caressing his hair, I waited patiently until he was fast asleep before I tried to find a better position on the ground. I couldn't stop smiling while I stared at him.
It felt like an amazing dream, but it was an amazing reality. How could I have been so lucky to find someone like him? A guy who didn't mind listening to me while I babbled on and on about nature. A guy who didn't think I was a geek. A guy who was so ridiculously hot.
There were butterflies in my stomach. I felt so happy that it almost scared me. Max was so kind and cool and gorgeous, and he liked me! How?
I almost laughed out loud, that was how happy I was. I brushed his long hair out of his face. I kind of wished that he was awake so I could see his eyes. I had never met anyone with such beautiful eyes. I was obsessed by their beauty, but now it was important that he could get some rest. He hadn't had much time to rest during the past week with all the football practices and schoolwork.
I forced my eyes off him and checked the barn. I didn't see the male there, but I had the feeling that he would return soon. He was probably sleeping somewhere close by, but it was starting to get dark. I wished that he would return to his mate before he started his hunt for food.
Thinking about the word 'mate' reminded me of something else. About Luke and Troy. I wondered how things were going with them. Troy hadn't sent any messages to Max, so I hoped it meant that they were having fun.
Those two deserved to be happy, and in my point of view, they made a really adorable couple. It was funny how two so different people found each other attractive. Well, Troy was still one big question mark, but a guy didn't go out on a date with another guy if he wasn't attracted to him. Troy was too kind to be joking around.
I wasn't sure if I could stop smiling anymore. I had an amazing boyfriend and great friends, and the only times I had to be alone anymore was when I was asleep, or when Max and the others were practicing. It wasn't that long ago when I had no one.
Max snorted in his sleep, and I continued petting his hair. He seemed pleased and continued sleeping silently. Once again, I found myself staring at him. I forgot the owls and the nature and the entire universe while watching him sleep. I was lost for a while, but then I forced myself back into my body. I rested my head on Max's and turned to look at the barn.
The female was still alone.
*****
It took almost an hour for the male to finally show up. It was dark, and I had to use my binoculars to see the nest. When I saw a glimpse of the male owl, I grabbed my camera and started recording.
Max woke up when I moved so suddenly, and stared right in front of him for a moment, like he didn't recognize his surroundings. Then, he turned to look at me, and seemed to remember where he was.
"What time is it?" he asked groggily.
"I have no idea – look, the male is here!" I whispered in excitement and gave him the binoculars.
He peered through them for a moment before he yawned and put the binoculars down. "You taping this?"
"Yeah," I muttered.
"Okkay, I'll shut up now," he mumbled and leaned back against the log.
We watched the owls in silence while they were up in the nest. The male seemed to be guarding his mate while she ate, or then he was just resting. I liked to think that he was keeping an eye out for any dangers.
Max leaned back against me at some point, and I almost forgot about the owls again. It didn't take long before the male flew away again. I put my camera down and turned it off.
"I think we're done for the day," I said. "I got some nice footage."
"Nice," he said and turned to face me, wrapping his arm around my stomach. "What should we do next?"
"We can go to bed, if you want," I replied. "I made some sandwiches for us, if you're hungry."
"Like I said – I'm always hungry," he laughed lightly.
"I need to remember that," I said, and gestured for him to get up, but he didn't move. Instead, he pushed himself upwards just enough to kiss me on the lips. I let out a small giggle when he parted our lips. "What was that for?"
"You looked so kissable," he purred. "And for feeding me. I wouldn't survive here without you."
"Well, you wouldn't be here, if you didn't have me as your partner, so it's only fair that I keep you alive," I said.
"Fair enough," he laughed and stood up. "Where's the food?"
I laughed and pointed at a brown bag by the tent. He went to get it and returned to me.
"Food," he breathed when I gave him a lunchbox. He opened it and grabbed two sandwiches before giving it back to me. "I'm starving."
"That happens when you stay so long outside," I explained.
We ate, washed our teeth, and put out the fire before crawling into our tent. It took a long time before we were ready for bed, but we had been smart enough to make our beds ready, so all we needed to do was to change our clothes.
I was feeling a bit shy when I was taking my pants off in front of him. He didn't seem to have any problems with undressing while I was watching. I tried to keep my eyes on the ground, but I had to steal a few glimpses. He had a really nice body, and I saw almost everything, since at one point he had only his underwear on.
I took my splint off before wiggling out of my pants, and I saw him taking a few looks too. I was blushing slightly while putting my pajamas on. I pretended to get something out of my bag, so I could turn my back on him while I undressed my hoodie and T-shirt, and put a clean shirt on before I turned around to face him again.
"Are you cold?" he asked, while I was putting my woolen socks on.
"It's going to get quite cold in here," I explained. "It's not summer anymore."
"So, I should put on more clothes then?" he joked – he was still wearing only his underwear.
"I do recommend that," I chuckled, trying not to look directly at him.
Max was silent for a moment. I saw from the corner of my eye that he was staring at me.
"Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked quietly.
"I... No? I..."
"I'll put clothes on, if this bothers you," he said reassuringly, and grabbed his pajamas.
"It doesn't bother me," I said, and looked carefully at him. "I just... wasn't sure... if I should look... I mean... We haven't been together that long..."
"You're allowed to look," he said with an encouraging smile. "I'm used to seeing naked guys, so it's not that big deal for me."
"No wonder you all turn gay," I joked, and he laughed.
"You know what? I think you have a point," he said playfully.
I moved on my bed that was right next to Max's and pulled part of the sleeping bag onto my legs. "You should get dressed – I'm getting cold just by watching you."
"Sure," he said.
I watched him getting dressed in his pajamas. Once he had his T-shirt on too, he lay down next to me. I followed his example, lying down next to him, and snuggled closer. He wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. I was partly inside his sleeping bag and pulled my own on top of us to give us some extra warmth.
"Are you comfortable?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah," I breathed out with a happy grin on my face.
"Good," he murmured and kissed me.
It was nice. It was really nice. His hand was moving slowly on my side, and our legs were tangled together. The kiss was slow and gentle, and I enjoyed the taste of his lips. Even after spending the entire day outside, he still smelled good. I guess a football player really knew how to cover up the smell of sweat. Weird thought.
I got my mind back to the moment when his tongue pressed against my lower lip. I didn't even think about doing it before I opened my mouth just enough for him to enter. I was still new in the whole kissing thing, but I guess that made it even more exhilarating. Max pushed my hair back and left his hand resting on my cheek. The kiss felt more intimate than ever before, and we were not in a hurry to end it.
It was getting hot under the two sleeping bags, so I pushed them both down. Max used the opportunity and pushed me on my back without parting our lips. I lifted my hands on his neck and back, pulling him closer. He felt so big, safe, and warm when he was on top of me. His long hair tickled my skin while hiding our joined lips like a veil made of silk. His left leg was between my thighs, and the pressure was giving me weird shivers. Good shivers.
I was in a hazy state and couldn't quite understand anything at that moment. I was too deep in the kiss to even care that he pushed my shirt upward, caressing my stomach. I hardly even noticed that I had my hands under his T-shirt already. The kiss was growing hotter by the second.
It was sad that we needed to breathe. Max was the first to break the kiss when he gasped for air. I was panting too. He was still hovering over me, leaning on his elbows, and looking down at me with a great smile on his face.
"I love you," he said, and my stomach turned three times around in happiness.
"I love you more," I whispered, and brushed his hair away from his eyes.
He pecked my lips shortly before he rolled back on his side next to me, pulling me tightly against his chest. I pulled the covers back up on us and hugged him, resting my head under his chin. I couldn't stop smiling for a long time. I wished he couldn't either.