Pre-Slash with The Ocean and A Rose
I wrote something! It's cute! Thanks to 
firstlightofeos for the prompt.
Almost slash if you squint:
The book is engrossing, really. Unfortunately, there are two problems. (1) Sand is getting everywhere, especially certain places where it is extremely uncomfortable and cannot be picked out in public and (2) Jon is dancing in the freezing ocean water, white-blond hair plastered to his forehead, cheeks hectic with color. Try as it might, Paradise Lost cannot hold a candle to the fire Edward sees in Jon’s eyes with each successive wave over which he unsuccessfully attempts to jump. Jon’s navy school trousers are rolled up to his knees, and Edward worries all of a sudden that he will be lost under a wave and Edward will never see him or his trousers again.
Jon has always been drawn to the sea. Edward remembers the first time they visited together with their mums, how he thought with a five-year-old’s logic that since both Jon’s and his mum’s eyes matched the water, his mum must be Queen of the Ocean. Now that he is fifteen and a grown man, Edward realizes his folly. Nevertheless, whenever the two go to the sea-too old to go with their mothers now-Edward is gripped by the fear that Jon belongs with the waves and the sea foam.
This terror grabs hold of his stomach now and shakes him until Jon suddenly turns around, as if aware of Edward’s gaze. He grins, throwing his hair out of his eyes.
“Ed! Put that silly book down and come down here! It’s brilliant!”
Edward laughs, both at Jon’s standards of brilliancy and at his own fears, suddenly so far away now that Jon is with him again.
“Not likely! It’s freezing.” Edward calls back. Of course, Jon comes out of the water and toward him then, lips and fingertips purple with the cold that he never seems to feel.
“Give us a hug, Ed.” He smiles, coming forward with arms outstretched. He brings with him the heady, salty smell of ocean spray.
Edward runs for his life.
It is a short chase, despite Ed’s greatest efforts. Jon has always been and always will be stronger, despite his slight frame. Ed’s doting, silly mum tells him it’s because Edward was terribly ill for a long time as a baby, but he can’t help secretly wondering if maybe he always wants to be caught-for caught he is, and easily. Jon hauls him to the ground, laughing, arms wrapped tight around him.
“Ugh, you smell like fish,” Edward protests and Jon only laughs harder, though they both have sand in their hair and under their nails and Ed knows his mum will throw a fit.
After a while, they lie quiet, staring up at the cloudy sky. Without thinking, they both begin pointing out shapes and making up poems about them, lapsing into their old games. Ed is better at this than Jon, not because he knows more words but because he has more patience to think about silly things like rhyme and meter and consonance.
Eventually, Jon sits up, staring out at the water again. Suddenly, he jumps up with a cry and races toward the waves.
“Jon, what is it?” Edward scrambles to his feet and runs after him.
Jon is kneeling at the water’s edge, holding something that looks like a wine bottle. As Edward nears, he sees something white inside, which convinces him that at least some pirates haven’t lost their rum and will be coming after them to take them captives and make them scrub the deck and…clean the latrine, or whatever it is that pirate’s hostages do.
“What is it?” he asks again, bending over Jon’s shoulder.
Inside the glass bottle is a perfect white rose, still in full bloom, although Edward can’t tell how long it’s been out to sea.
“Wow,” he breathes.
Jon grins at him. “This is brilliant.”
For once, Edward agrees.
They leave the beach fifteen minutes later since Jon has football practice and Edward has a piano lesson. At the gate to Edward’s house, Jon digs through his pack and pulls out the rose in the jar.
“Here,” he mumbles, thrusting it into Edward’s hands. “See you tomorrow.”
Jamming his hands in his pockets, he hurries away, leaving Edward with the rose and a confused expression.
So yes. That's all. But once again: THERE ARE PEOPLE who are watching this community! I'm so excited!!
firstlightofeos for the prompt.
Almost slash if you squint:
The book is engrossing, really. Unfortunately, there are two problems. (1) Sand is getting everywhere, especially certain places where it is extremely uncomfortable and cannot be picked out in public and (2) Jon is dancing in the freezing ocean water, white-blond hair plastered to his forehead, cheeks hectic with color. Try as it might, Paradise Lost cannot hold a candle to the fire Edward sees in Jon’s eyes with each successive wave over which he unsuccessfully attempts to jump. Jon’s navy school trousers are rolled up to his knees, and Edward worries all of a sudden that he will be lost under a wave and Edward will never see him or his trousers again.
Jon has always been drawn to the sea. Edward remembers the first time they visited together with their mums, how he thought with a five-year-old’s logic that since both Jon’s and his mum’s eyes matched the water, his mum must be Queen of the Ocean. Now that he is fifteen and a grown man, Edward realizes his folly. Nevertheless, whenever the two go to the sea-too old to go with their mothers now-Edward is gripped by the fear that Jon belongs with the waves and the sea foam.
This terror grabs hold of his stomach now and shakes him until Jon suddenly turns around, as if aware of Edward’s gaze. He grins, throwing his hair out of his eyes.
“Ed! Put that silly book down and come down here! It’s brilliant!”
Edward laughs, both at Jon’s standards of brilliancy and at his own fears, suddenly so far away now that Jon is with him again.
“Not likely! It’s freezing.” Edward calls back. Of course, Jon comes out of the water and toward him then, lips and fingertips purple with the cold that he never seems to feel.
“Give us a hug, Ed.” He smiles, coming forward with arms outstretched. He brings with him the heady, salty smell of ocean spray.
Edward runs for his life.
It is a short chase, despite Ed’s greatest efforts. Jon has always been and always will be stronger, despite his slight frame. Ed’s doting, silly mum tells him it’s because Edward was terribly ill for a long time as a baby, but he can’t help secretly wondering if maybe he always wants to be caught-for caught he is, and easily. Jon hauls him to the ground, laughing, arms wrapped tight around him.
“Ugh, you smell like fish,” Edward protests and Jon only laughs harder, though they both have sand in their hair and under their nails and Ed knows his mum will throw a fit.
After a while, they lie quiet, staring up at the cloudy sky. Without thinking, they both begin pointing out shapes and making up poems about them, lapsing into their old games. Ed is better at this than Jon, not because he knows more words but because he has more patience to think about silly things like rhyme and meter and consonance.
Eventually, Jon sits up, staring out at the water again. Suddenly, he jumps up with a cry and races toward the waves.
“Jon, what is it?” Edward scrambles to his feet and runs after him.
Jon is kneeling at the water’s edge, holding something that looks like a wine bottle. As Edward nears, he sees something white inside, which convinces him that at least some pirates haven’t lost their rum and will be coming after them to take them captives and make them scrub the deck and…clean the latrine, or whatever it is that pirate’s hostages do.
“What is it?” he asks again, bending over Jon’s shoulder.
Inside the glass bottle is a perfect white rose, still in full bloom, although Edward can’t tell how long it’s been out to sea.
“Wow,” he breathes.
Jon grins at him. “This is brilliant.”
For once, Edward agrees.
They leave the beach fifteen minutes later since Jon has football practice and Edward has a piano lesson. At the gate to Edward’s house, Jon digs through his pack and pulls out the rose in the jar.
“Here,” he mumbles, thrusting it into Edward’s hands. “See you tomorrow.”
Jamming his hands in his pockets, he hurries away, leaving Edward with the rose and a confused expression.
So yes. That's all. But once again: THERE ARE PEOPLE who are watching this community! I'm so excited!!