"Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has puzzled us before seems less mysterious, and the crooked paths look straighter as we approach the end."
- Jean Paul
Mix's body felt light like a feather floating through the air down towards the ground. It wasn't as fast as he imagine. And strangely it wasn't even painful.
When his last finger slipped from the rock Mix closed his eyes not wanting to see the last horrific moments before his death. But now he realized he wasn't falling, he never actually was. Before he could start falling, the strong hand grabbed his sweaty palm, pulling him up.
Once up, the other hand wrapped around his waist as Mix and his saviour both stumbled, falling onto a stony body of the rock. Mix fell on the hard chest of a person dressed in a white dress shirt. And then he realized, he looked up seeing Earth's wide, scared eyes looking right at him. Shock and relief both mixed on Earth's face.
Mix could feel his heart almost in his throat, it was beating so fast that if he wouldn't have Earth's arms wrapped around him right now, he would give it a second, worried thought. But not then and there, not in these circumstances.
"God, I almost lost you," Earth said, his voice cracking. He pushed Mix towards him, so Mix was laying completely on top of him, their bodies pressed together.
Earth's arms were wrapped around Mix so tight that Mix could barely move. But that didn't matter. How could it matter when they could finally touch? Mix could feel Earth's body pressed against his and it was perfect.
Their bodies fit together like a puzzle. It just felt right. It was right. Earth's strong arms and his intoxicating sandalwood scent...Mix could get lost in it forever. His heart was calming itself down even though it was really hard when he finally felt Earth's touch.
"You are holding me," Mix whispered into Earth's chest, his head pressed on the place where he should hear Earth's heart. But was only dead silence there.
"Angel, my angel...please tell me you are alright," Earth pleaded, caressing Mix's hair.
"This is going to sound crazy but...I'm perfect," Mix said, his palm touching Earth's cheek, slowly gliding lower to Earth's jawline and fingers lightly touching Earth's half-open lips. Mix moved his gaze from Earth's perfectly shaped lips to Earth's eyes. The intensity of Earth's eyes on him evoked a new feeling inside of Mix. He took his hand away from Earth's face, clearing his throat, "ehmm, sorry—"
Earth quickly shook his head, "I love you, gosh, I love you so much. Never scare me like this again," he said, his hand wrapped around Mix even stronger now and if he needed to breathe he would definitely take a few deep breaths.
Mix knew that he tried his best to hold on and that it wasn't his fault that the rock was slippery but for some reason, he still felt like he needed to apologize to Earth. "I'm sorry, I...my foot slipped and—"
"Shhh, it's alright, it wasn't your fault," Earth bored his head into Mix's shoulder, hugging him tightly. "But you are never climbing again. Especially not during weather like this."
Mix's eyes which were closed only seconds ago, enjoying Earth's close presence, now shot open, his body wanting to sit up but Earth's hold was too strong to fight against. "Never?"
"Never," Earth shook his head still bored into Mix's shoulder.
"But why? I promise I will only climb with rope and only on days when I know the rock is completely dry."
Earth hummed, he loosened his hold on Mix's waist and moved them both into a sitting position. Sitting opposite each other, their fingers intertwined, hands lying comfortably on Mix's lap. As if they already made a silent promise that now when they can finally hold each other they would never let go. That was to say, completely impossible and impractical but okay, ninety percent of the time they won't let go.
"Of course, you can climb. I'm just worried about you so I'm saying stupid things. It's not like you don't need to listen to everything that I say. It doesn't matter that I'm so much older than you so you should respect me..."
"Hey! Suddenly you are so much older? I wasn't the one who tried to persuade me that, 'oh Mix, I'm not so old, I'm only four years older than you, I swear.'"
They both burst out laughing. Their genuine laugh was the only thing that could be heard in the middle of the wast beautiful nature. And for every other person besides Mix, it was only Mix's laugh resounding through the tranquillity of the place. Strange for everyone else; yet the only thing that was making sense for Mix.
"Uhm, yeah, I'm taking that back," Earth stopped laughing, "but really, Mix, just promise me that you won't take such a risk again."
Mix eagerly nodded, "I promise. Besides, now I have you, to save me," he smiled.
That damn smile. Earth had been trying to hold it together in front of Mix. To not completely freak out that he could finally wrap his arms around the most beautiful boy in the world. That he could finally hold him and feel him in his arms. Play with his silky-soft hair, feel his tender skin; Mix's hands feel like a touch of a feather, like a soft, gentle feather dancing on your skin. It felt incredible to have his hand interwind with Mix. To hold hands like this with someone after so long. Earth never wanted to let go and above everything, he hoped that he would never have to.
"You will always have me," Earth whispered, leaning closer to Mix. Careful, he didn't want to pressure Mix into anything. Maybe Mix didn't even want to kiss a ghost.
But Mix didn't seem too alarmed if anything, there was a small excited smile as he was leaning in.
"Mix? Is that you? What are you doing here all alone?" The voice of sheriff LeBlanc sounded from the bottom of the rock.
Mix stood up faster than he intended, startling Earth and even himself. His eyes found the sheriff and an innocent smile appeared on his face. "Oh, sheriff, good to see you. Umm," he scratched the back of his head, "I have found old diaries of my grandma. She wrote a lot about this place and that there is a breathtaking view from here so I wanted to see it."
The sheriff nodded, surprisingly believing every word that left Mix's mouth, "your grandmother was right. This place has one of the best views around here but, it's almost dark you should go home, Mix."
Only after sheriff LeBlanc's words did Mix realise that the sun has set, and now the darkness was slowly but surely creeping in. "You are right sheriff, I'm going. Have a good time at work."
"Thank you, do you want me to accompany you back to your cabin?"
"Oh, no. There's no need, thank you." Mix said, slowly starting to go down the rock but this time from the other side which was actually even children friendly.
"Alright then, goodbye for now. See you on Monday," the sheriff said, waving his hand he turned away from the climbing rock.
Earth was a few steps in front of Mix, he stretched his hand towards Mix, letting Mix intertwine their fingers once again. "On the scale from one to ten how awkward it would be if sheriff Leblanc caught you kissing the air?" Earth chuckled.
Mix interwind his fingers with Earth's and resumed their walk down the rock, "who said I was about to kiss you?"
"Weren't you?" Earth asked, a cocky grin on his lips.
"No!" Mix said, but his lips curved into a smile.
To be continued...
P.S. The fact that Mix had to almost die for them to be able to touch...why am I making it so dramatic...?😀
To kiss or not to kiss...that is the question...