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“Like a frog’s ass.”
Fucking Leo. “Then as long as there’s no lightning, I’m good with a sprinkle of rain.”
As we sat around the campfire, our conversation drifted between shared memories, inside jokes, and the occasional flirtatious remark. Each glance, each touch, felt charged with a new energy, yet neither of us dared to fully acknowledge it. Then the stars began to appear overhead, one by one, as if beckoning us to come closer, until we sat, amazed, under a field of stars.
Leo walked back from the tree we affectionately called ‘Old Piss Tree’ and cocked his head back as he stood near the fire, his gaze lost in the vast expanse above. “It always amazes me, how you don’t have to go too far outside the city to see the stars.”
“Right?” I chuckled, my gaze fixed on Leo’s relaxed and comfortable demeanor in the low light of the dying campfire. His dark auburn hair seemed to catch and reflect the fire’s light, like sparks were flying through it.
As the night progressed, the air between us seemed to grow thicker with nervous anticipation. We cleaned our dinner plates, our touches lingering longer than before, sending shivers down my spine. But Leo felt the same way, and that made this less scary and more inevitable.
“Benson,” Leo called out, and I realized I was looking at him again. He approached, standing right next to me with wide his eyes reflecting the same feelings that were inside me.
It felt as if he could look into my soul and see all the want and need there. “Yeah?” I replied, my heart pounding in my chest.
“What are you thinking ’bout?” Leo asked, his lips curled up slightly.
A smile tugged at the corner of my own lips. “You.”
Leo’s smile lit up his face. “Yeah?”
I nodded, unable to trust my voice. But before I could pull away from that penetrating gaze, Leo reached out and grasped my hand, our fingers interlocking like puzzle pieces, finally finding their match.
So, with a mixture of fear and longing, I took the plunge. I pulled Leo into my arms, our bodies pressed tightly against one another, and I tilted my face up to capture his lips in a tentative kiss. It was sweet, like the marshmallows we had roasted over the campfire moments ago, and it filled me with a promise of something more.
A flash of light in the distance interrupted our kiss. I pulled back, surprised. “Was that-”
“Looked like it.” Another bolt of lightning lit up the western sky. “What do you think?” Leo asked, wrapping his arms around me.
I shook my head, my eyes narrowed at the ominous clouds. “I still think we’re okay. It’s miles away.”
Leo considered the situation for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, let’s stay put. Maybe it’ll pass around us. We can reassess if that lightning gets closer.”
“Agreed.”
After putting out the campfire, we spread out Leo’s old, thick quilt onto the grassy hill where we had the best view of the sky and we lay down, side by side, our heads close together as the first shooting stars began to streak across the heavens, leaving trails of light in their wake. I closed my eyes and breathed in the sweet scent of the night air, feeling the warmth of Leo’s body beside me.
Leo turned to look at me, a smile playing on his lips. He placed his hand on mine. “This is perfect.”
I grinned and nodded, completely agreeing with him. We lay back together, just gazing at the stars. It was mesmerizing, the kind of beauty that could only be found outside. Time seemed to stand still as we lay there, entranced by the beauty of the night sky.
Then, suddenly, the darkness around us came alive with shooting stars. The first one streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of light in its wake. More and more shooting stars followed, filling the sky with their brilliance. “Did you see that one?” I asked, grinning as another star dashed across the sky.
“Hmmm.” Leo nuzzled against my shoulder, his contentment evident.
I groaned softly at the sensation, loving the feel of him. “I don’t think you’re paying these meteors much attention.”
“I’ve seen them before.” Leo raised himself on his elbow, his eyes fixed on mine, before leaning in for another kiss. My hand rested on the back of his head, fingers threading through his hair as the kiss deepened. Leo rolled onto his back, pulling me over him as my mouth found his throat, his beard deliciously scratchy against my cheek.
My hands slid under Leo’s shirt, and his body tensed up. Had I gone too far? “You want to go into the tent?” I asked, my hand sliding out and resting on his hip.
“Yes,” Leo’s voice was rough, huskier than I ever remembered hearing, and it sent a shiver down my spine. But this was a good time to slow things down, to check in on how Leo truly felt about all of this.
We retreated to our tent, anticipation hanging heavy between us, almost tangible. I glanced over at Leo’s sleeping bag. “Maybe we could...” I hesitated, gesturing towards the gap between our sleeping bags. “Bring these closer together? If you want.”
Leo’s cheeks flushed, but he nodded. “I do. I’m just...” He tugged his sleeping bag closer to mine.
We lay back down, side by side, our fingers intertwined. My thoughts were a whirlwind of emotions, my chest tightening with the intensity of it all. I reached out, my hand finding Leo’s in the dim light. “We can take this slow, one step at a time. Nothing has to happen if you’re not comfortable.”
