Ethan/Xuan - #31: The Library; Bookshop
BABY STEPS. BABY STEPS. ;_;
*
Xuan was always tired these days, and Ethan was always busy. They rarely got any time alone together, which was why Ethan finally shoved aside a stack of essays, capped his red pen, and said, "We're going to do something today."
Xuan asked, "Do what?"
"I don't know. Let's go to the beach, ride our bikes. We haven't done that in a while."
"Maybe..."
Ethan hugged Xuan. "Please, Xuan? I want to spend time with you."
"Okay," Xuan said, giving in. He sighed, but smiled. "Whatever you want, Ethan."
*
The ocean air was salty and brisk, and Xuan got back some of the color he had recently lost as he pedaled along the sidewalk with Ethan. They got some ice cream, and ate it on a stone bench. "You've got something on your face," Ethan murmured, kissing a bit of mint chocolate chip off the corner of Xuan's mouth. Xuan swatted Ethan's hand lightly, but he was a long way away from the boy he had been when he first kissed Ethan, and the only embarrassing thing was that they were too old for this now.
Later, Ethan dragged Xuan into a used bookstore. "I want to see if they have anything good about the French Revolution. My class is studying it, and I want to get them interested."
"Why don't you try A Tale of Two Cities?"
"Hell no, they'd fall asleep."
Xuan shook his head and wandered into a small space between two bookcases groaning with hardcovers. A window spilled light onto the floor and illuminated dust motes drifting through the air. He picked up an ancient tome and flipped through it.
Quietly, Ethan came up behind Xuan and wrapped his arms around him. "Enjoying yourself?"
"Mhmm... It's really relaxing." Xuan leaned back against Ethan and looked out the window. The sunlight glinted off the ocean's surface; the distant cry of seagulls drifted to his ears; and Ethan's arms around him were warm, and comforting.
![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
omk_mal_hae) wrote,
cheerful
