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“J.T., c’mon,” Tyson said, grabbing J.T.’s hand and dragging him through the woods. Bushes and tree branches were whacking Tyson in the face and abdomen as he went, sticks and leaves crunching underfoot. “I don’t want to miss this.”
“We still have at least an hour,” J.T. chuckled. His foot caught in a rut on the forest floor and he stumbled a little which jerked Tyson’s shoulder socket. Tyson swore and glared brief daggers at J.T. as the pair continued to book it through the foliage.
“Sorry,” J.T. mumbled.
Tyson’s only response was to grip J.T.’s hand tighter, almost to the point that he was crushing J.T.’s bones. J.T. tried to wiggle his hand to loosen the hold Tyson had on him but Tyson just tightened the vice-like grip as much as he could. J.T. glanced at Tyson, a concerned look on his face. All Tyson did was smile innocently.
The pair ran through the forest for a few more minutes before they came to the clearing they were looking for. When they emerged from the foliage, J.T. and Tyson were covered in scrapes and bumps from where they had been whacked by the branches and bushes. Tyson released J.T.’s hand and ran a finger across one of J.T.’s scrapes. J.T. recoiled a little at the feeling but didn’t ask Tyson to stop.
“This had better be worth it,” J.T. mumbled, licking his thumb and wiping away a smudge of dirt on Tyson’s cheek.
Tyson smiled, patting J.T.’s cheek. “Trust me; it is.”
J.T.’s eyes crinkled at the corners as his lips turned up to the smallest smile. J.T. grabbed Tyson’s hand and dragged him to the middle of the clearing. J.T. pulled Tyson to the ground and they laid down next to each other, J.T. cuddling up to Tyson’s side. Tyson graciously slung his arm around J.T. and slotted his head atop J.T.’s.
J.T. pointed up at the stars, smiling. “I think that one’s the Little Dipper.”
Tyson kissed the top of J.T.’s head and squeezed J.T. closer. “I think you’d be right.”
J.T. hummed and nuzzled his head closer to Tyson, slotting his head directly over Tyson’s heart. Tyson’s heartbeat was steady, soft, rhythmic. Listening to it was peaceful against the sounds of nature. There was a stream bubbling somewhere in the distance that sounded both serene and angry. An owl was hooting from the forest and some crickets chirping from the grass around them. The sounds were bringing J.T. a sense of calmness. J.T. was used to living in Denver most of the year. Being in nature again was refreshing and made him feel at peace with himself.
“J.T., look,” Tyson said.
Looking up, J.T. followed Tyson’s gaze to the left and saw a deer grazing on the grass. It appeared to be a baby based on how small it was. J.T. reached carefully into his pocket to grab his phone. Opening his camera, he took a quick picture. When the flash blinked, the deer froze, staring at J.T. like the classic ‘deer-in-the-headlights.’ J.T. felt a little guilty as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, ducking his head against Tyson’s chest.
Tyson rubbed his hand along J.T.’s upper arm and kissed the top of J.T.’s head. “There’s no need to be worried. We’re in a meadow. No car is going to run it over.”
“Alright,” J.T. mumbled against Tyson’s chest.
A moment later, J.T. felt Tyson jostle him. J.T. looked up at Tyson and saw him pointing toward the sky. Looking up, J.T. saw the sky beginning to fill with the green, pink, yellow, and blue lights the pair had come all this way to see.
As J.T. laid there, watching them dance across the sky, he felt Tyson’s heartbeat starting to quicken ever so slightly. J.T. looked over at him briefly and noticed that Tyson was still looking at the sky. J.T. thought nothing of it and looked back to what was unfolding in front of him.
“You know,” Tyson said after a few minutes of silence, “the Northern lights have got nothing on you.”
“What?” J.T. asked, a little confused. He was still focusing on the sky so he couldn’t see the way Tyson was giving him practical heart-eyes.
“Every time I look into your eyes, they shine brighter than the man in the moon.”
“Tyson…” J.T. trailed off, looking away from the sky to focus on Tyson. J.T. noticed that Tyson was staring at him with the softest, most loving expression he had ever seen.
“I could be looking up there,” Tyson said, motioning in the direction of the sky. “But the Northern Lights just don’t compare to how you look tonight.”
J.T. swallowed thickly as he looked at Tyson. His expression didn’t falter, staying firm with soft and loving. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to J.T.’s forehead, brushing a piece of J.T.’s hair aside as he did so.
“When we were driving here,” Tyson said, pulling back. “It was amazing listening to you sing to the radio as the sunset. You were a little off-key, but your singing voice is really sweet.”
J.T. felt his stomach and heart swoop happily at the compliment. He brought his hand up and cupped Tyson’s cheek, rubbing his thumb across it. Tyson hummed, leaning into the touch.
“I loved running through the forest in the dark,” Tyson continued. “The stars being overhead as we lost track of time.”
“Did you like it when the sky opened up with the lights themselves? When the colours danced across the sky?” J.T. asked, breath hitching as he spoke.
Tyson nodded and smiled. “I did. But the Northern Lights still have nothing on you.”
J.T. felt his stomach swoop and his heartbeat picked up significantly. Tyson saying all of this was making J.T. wonder if he was in a fever dream.
“As beautiful as the Northern Lights are,” Tyson said, “I ain’t ever seen anything as beautiful as you.”
“Tyson…” J.T. trailed off on Tyson’s name for the second time, unsure of where he was going with that thought.
“I can’t believe I get to be here with you tonight.” Tyson placed a kiss to the tip of J.T.’s nose as he ran his hands across J.T.’s back soothingly. J.T. shivered into the touch, dropping his head against Tyson’s shoulder.
The pair sat in silence for a few moments, watching the Northern Lights dance across both of their skins. It was J.T. that broke the silence, lifting his head to look into Tyson’s eyes.
“You know how you said my eyes shine brighter than the man on the moon?” J.T. bit his bottom lip nervously. Tyson nodded, raising a questioning eyebrow. “So do yours. The Northern Lights don’t compare to you either. You look so much better than they do, Tyson…”
J.T. left the statement somewhat open-ended, hoping Tyson would catch the hint he was trying to give him.
“I asked you here because I have feelings for you,” Tyson blurted, face displaying an awkward expression.
At that moment, J.T. dragged Tyson’s face into his own and connected their lips. J.T. felt Tyson smile before he started kissing back.
As the pair kissed, J.T. saw the reflections of the Northern Lights dance across Tyson’s skin. The way they illuminated everything made J.T.’s stomach feel fuzzy and warm. They made Tyson ten times prettier in J.T.’s eyes.
When Tyson pulled back, he rested his forehead against J.T.’s. He puffed a breath, causing it to ghost J.T.’s kiss-slick lips. J.T. shivered, wiggling closer to Tyson for comfort. Tyson smirked, wrapping his arms around J.T. tighter than they were before.
“I have feelings too, Tyson,” J.T. said, voice soft and vulnerable.
“Be my boyfriend?” Tyson asked, his voice nearly as soft and vulnerable.
“Yes,” J.T. responded.
Tyson pulled J.T. in for another kiss, holding nothing back this time. It was passionate and had feelings behind it. J.T. could feel that Tyson had serious feelings for him and J.T. hoped Tyson could feel the same energy from him.
When the kiss was over, the pair directed their attention to the sky again. The Northern Lights were still dancing rhythmically and vibrantly, lighting up a small area of the ground underneath them.
J.T. nuzzled in closer to Tyson, who squeezed J.T. tighter. J.T.’s head was directly over Tyson’s heart and J.T. listened to the steady beats it was producing. The longer J.T. listened to it, the sleepier he became.
A soft yawn escaped J.T.’s lips a few moments later as he snuggled as close to Tyson as he could manage. Tyson didn’t protest; all he did was try to make their positioning more comfortable.
“This was the best first date ever,” J.T. mumbled, voice thick with sleep.
J.T. fell asleep right after that, not getting the chance to hear Tyson’s reply.
“Any date with you will be the best date ever.”