trade fic*)
- You know, it’s June, - Xander walked near Kevin, merely brushed their hands together.
- So what? - waves licked their feet with a soft murmur creeping up to them.
- It’s time for a meteor shower. And I’ve seen a star that fell on the deck of this ship.
It’s still dark on the beach. Far away, sounded the cries of the seamen and the faint signals of their boats.
- We should swim there and find this star, - Xander continued speaking when Kevin still remained silent.
- We have a flight to Seoul in 6 hours. And star must be huge - it can’t fall on deck and leave it unharmed.
- I’ll swim by myself, - Alexander took off his shirt and threw it on the sand, shinning because of the mica.
- Wait. It’s really stupid. Waves are strong and ship is far enough. And no one is there, see?
- You know… - Xander looked somewhere through Kevin, - it’s kinda… my private legend. This star should turn into fish - and now it’s hidden somewhere in the lower hold among the old maps and compasses. If I’ll catch this starfish I catch my fortune.
Kevin sigh.
- I’ll swim with you. But after this trip you will have no right to call me childish.
Kevin turned around and immediately started coughing - wave covered him.
- Be careful, ‘k? - Xander's voice was very close. So he swam along. Kevin spat water and clenched his lips.
Near a rusty frame of the old ship waves were even stronger.
Xander reached it first, he grasped the iron sheet which has departed from a frame, covered with sharp black bowls of mussels and a green sea mould. The salty tart smell of seaweed was almost intolerable. Xander climbed on a lower deck and gave Kevin a hand. In a minute Kevin stood near, panting and spitting out water.
Every ninth wave struck a ship board so strong, that splashes got to a lower deck. Kevin noticed a rusty ladder and began to rise on a main deck. Sharp steps wounded his bare feet.
The sun only started to appear from a horizon line. There were the first solar paths on tops of waves. Kevin laid down on a wooden deck. Xander sat near and took away wet strands from his forehead.
- Finally, we’re here. Thank you.
Kevin smiled a bit.
- Actually I was more afraid of being alone on that beach than swimming here.
Xander chuckled and lift Kevin up.
- We should try to find my starfish before manager notice that we’re not in a hotel this morning. And I’m really cold ‘cause we’re not moving.
Kevin instinctively squeezed Alexander’s hand. Xander shuddered - he didn’t know why - but he wasn’t cold anymore. They got down in a lower hold: sweet smell of rotting wood, green mould, and the level of musty water was near their knees.
- And how you supposed to find your starfish? - Kevin snuggled to Xander hugging him from behind.
- I have no idea…
At that moment they heard a splash in three feet from them and saw something like a spark. They dashed there, setting dead water in motion. Alexander got up on his knees near the upside down chair, covered with water, where was that splash, and began to fumble on a bottom. There was nothing. He sat still a few more minutes - but dead water became more dead as though.
- My starfish should be dead too. It can’t live in this musty water. Brilliants can’t live in dirt. I think, - Xander seemed to be really upset, when they left lower hold. And he did not notice how Kevin limped and winced from pain with every step.
- I hate you, Xander, - Kevin weakly sat on a deck.
- It’s not time for the rest. We need swim ba… - Xander became silent when he finally noticed blood: there was a deep cut on the right Kevin’s foot, - Woah… you’re ok?
Kevin shook a head.
- There was something on a bottom of lower deck. Some nail, maybe.
Xander looked confused:
- I’m really sorry for this stupid trip, - he gently touched the cut.
Kevin laughed weakly:
- It’s not stupid. It’s your fortune. Now we need swim back.
- You’re sure you can? - Alexander helped him to stand up.
- If you will be by my side.
Bright sunbeams crept on the crowns of the waves. There wasn’t any wind and a sea looked like a big deep-green mirror. Alexander insisted that Kevin would held on to his shoulders, while they were swimming backward.
Xander decided that a bright sun was guilty in everything - but it was impossible pleasantly to feel thin fingers on his shoulders and Kevin’s skin pressed to his back. He closed his eyes because sunbeams were hurtfully bright and all touches skin to skin became more distinct.
When his feet touched bottom, Xander unintended turn around and pressed his lips against Kevin’s. Then he stepped aside and looked in his widely opened eyes. Kevin kept silent. He just waited for an answer for his mute question. Alexander began to laugh. Kevin uncomprehendingly smiled and soon joined in with his laughter. Xander snuggled up his forehead to Kevin’s and finally started to speak:
- I think I caught my starfish all the same.
- So what? - waves licked their feet with a soft murmur creeping up to them.
- It’s time for a meteor shower. And I’ve seen a star that fell on the deck of this ship.
It’s still dark on the beach. Far away, sounded the cries of the seamen and the faint signals of their boats.
- We should swim there and find this star, - Xander continued speaking when Kevin still remained silent.
- We have a flight to Seoul in 6 hours. And star must be huge - it can’t fall on deck and leave it unharmed.
- I’ll swim by myself, - Alexander took off his shirt and threw it on the sand, shinning because of the mica.
- Wait. It’s really stupid. Waves are strong and ship is far enough. And no one is there, see?
- You know… - Xander looked somewhere through Kevin, - it’s kinda… my private legend. This star should turn into fish - and now it’s hidden somewhere in the lower hold among the old maps and compasses. If I’ll catch this starfish I catch my fortune.
Kevin sigh.
- I’ll swim with you. But after this trip you will have no right to call me childish.
Kevin turned around and immediately started coughing - wave covered him.
- Be careful, ‘k? - Xander's voice was very close. So he swam along. Kevin spat water and clenched his lips.
Near a rusty frame of the old ship waves were even stronger.
Xander reached it first, he grasped the iron sheet which has departed from a frame, covered with sharp black bowls of mussels and a green sea mould. The salty tart smell of seaweed was almost intolerable. Xander climbed on a lower deck and gave Kevin a hand. In a minute Kevin stood near, panting and spitting out water.
Every ninth wave struck a ship board so strong, that splashes got to a lower deck. Kevin noticed a rusty ladder and began to rise on a main deck. Sharp steps wounded his bare feet.
The sun only started to appear from a horizon line. There were the first solar paths on tops of waves. Kevin laid down on a wooden deck. Xander sat near and took away wet strands from his forehead.
- Finally, we’re here. Thank you.
Kevin smiled a bit.
- Actually I was more afraid of being alone on that beach than swimming here.
Xander chuckled and lift Kevin up.
- We should try to find my starfish before manager notice that we’re not in a hotel this morning. And I’m really cold ‘cause we’re not moving.
Kevin instinctively squeezed Alexander’s hand. Xander shuddered - he didn’t know why - but he wasn’t cold anymore. They got down in a lower hold: sweet smell of rotting wood, green mould, and the level of musty water was near their knees.
- And how you supposed to find your starfish? - Kevin snuggled to Xander hugging him from behind.
- I have no idea…
At that moment they heard a splash in three feet from them and saw something like a spark. They dashed there, setting dead water in motion. Alexander got up on his knees near the upside down chair, covered with water, where was that splash, and began to fumble on a bottom. There was nothing. He sat still a few more minutes - but dead water became more dead as though.
- My starfish should be dead too. It can’t live in this musty water. Brilliants can’t live in dirt. I think, - Xander seemed to be really upset, when they left lower hold. And he did not notice how Kevin limped and winced from pain with every step.
- I hate you, Xander, - Kevin weakly sat on a deck.
- It’s not time for the rest. We need swim ba… - Xander became silent when he finally noticed blood: there was a deep cut on the right Kevin’s foot, - Woah… you’re ok?
Kevin shook a head.
- There was something on a bottom of lower deck. Some nail, maybe.
Xander looked confused:
- I’m really sorry for this stupid trip, - he gently touched the cut.
Kevin laughed weakly:
- It’s not stupid. It’s your fortune. Now we need swim back.
- You’re sure you can? - Alexander helped him to stand up.
- If you will be by my side.
Bright sunbeams crept on the crowns of the waves. There wasn’t any wind and a sea looked like a big deep-green mirror. Alexander insisted that Kevin would held on to his shoulders, while they were swimming backward.
Xander decided that a bright sun was guilty in everything - but it was impossible pleasantly to feel thin fingers on his shoulders and Kevin’s skin pressed to his back. He closed his eyes because sunbeams were hurtfully bright and all touches skin to skin became more distinct.
When his feet touched bottom, Xander unintended turn around and pressed his lips against Kevin’s. Then he stepped aside and looked in his widely opened eyes. Kevin kept silent. He just waited for an answer for his mute question. Alexander began to laugh. Kevin uncomprehendingly smiled and soon joined in with his laughter. Xander snuggled up his forehead to Kevin’s and finally started to speak:
- I think I caught my starfish all the same.