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Pure excitement fills Andrew's body.
He runs forward with eager feet.
Before he can stop, he trips.
He hears Garrett laughing;
it is not unkind,
and holds concern.
Andrew stands,
moving
still.
He ducks underneath heavy raindrops.
It had not rained here in a while.
Part of him wishes to stay -
to breathe in petrichor,
to see life renew -
but he must go
and be with
Garrett
now.
He reaches the car, opens the door,
and slides in with a content grin.
Being on the open road,
blasting hand picked playlists,
is an adventure
he is happy
to take with
his best
friend.
As they drive away from the city,
they pass two lovers holding hands.
Garrett points and Andrew knows
the words that will come out:
"Look Andrew! That's us!"
A common phrase
that always
makes him
smile.
The first night they stop, they share a room,
share a bed, as they have before.
They slip under the covers,
sapped of all of their strength.
Andrew slides closer
and falls asleep
in his friend's
secure
arms.
Garrett has a nightmare - they're both dead.
And though they still dance together,
bony hand in bony hand,
he longs to leave this dream.
He wakes up to feel
Andrew breathing
and he cries
happy
tears.
Garrett tells Andrew about the dream
as they are getting dressed to leave.
Wanting to comfort the man,
Andrew leans in to press
their lips together.
They step closer,
savoring
their first
kiss.
Garrett searches Andrew's face for tricks,
and finding none, he weeps freely.
His tears are kissed away as
Andrew says he loves him.
They have to leave far
too soon to
continue
on their
trip.
Back on the road, they shoot each other
covert glances, marveling at
the way the light from the sun
shimmers on their faces,
dances in their eyes.
The mood's changed; now
all is right
in the
world.
Finally able to take a break,
they share their night in a hotel.
Their kisses get more heated,
their clothes are quickly shed.
When they awaken -
their bodies flush
together
the next
day.
Garrett holds perfection in his arms,
brushing his red curls back to plant
a kiss onto his forehead.
Andrew feels feverish.
Alarmed right away,
he never wants
his best friend
to be
ill.
Andrew unintentionally snaps.
He doesn't want to slow them down
despite the clouds in his mind.
Garrett must remind him
to mind his manners.
He turns away,
playing a
stubborn
fool.
Garrett's twisted mind makes him wonder
if last night had been a mistake.
He considers this a good
opening to ask him
if their love is real.
He sees Andrew
silently
start to
cry.
Garrett pulls him into an embrace,
sorry he even questioned it.
Andrew sobs into his chest,
promising that it is.
Neglecting no part,
Garrett strokes him,
telling him
that he
knows.
Andrew confesses that he lashed out
because he doesn't want to cause
Garrett to spend his birthday
driving hours on end
instead of resting,
celebrating,
with those he
loves back
home.
Garrett swears that it does not matter,
that his health is more important.
Still, Andrew taps his shoulder,
tugs on his shirt sleeve to
lead him to the door.
He fails, picked up
and brought back
to the
bed.
Insisting that they stay for the day,
Garrett tucks Andrew in tightly
and promises to be back
with some coffee and meds.
He hurries to find
these things to help
care for the
man he
loves.
When he returns, Andrew is asleep.
He is clinging to a pillow;
he hates being left alone
and dreaded nightmares, so
he pretended that
the pillow was
his lover's
solid
chest.
It is silly to be envious,
but still Garrett wakes Andrew up
to give him his medicine
before crawling in bed
to stake his claim as
Andrew's pillow,
a loose arm
over
him.
The next morning, Andrew feels better.
They set off as the sun rises -
the sky has streaks of orange,
pink, blue, and lavender.
They hardly notice,
enraptured with
each other,
nothing
else.
They still have lots of ground to cover,
but that doesn't deter Garrett.
He talks about the cottage
they will be staying in.
It is bee themed and
he is so damn
excited.
Andrew
smiles.
He strokes the happy birthday boy's thigh.
"You are too precious," he tells him,
taking in his open face
and his signature grin.
Garrett thanks him then
for making his
birthday a
perfect
one.
Andrew reminds Garrett that he still
needs to be given his present.
Taking it out, he gives him -
coincidentally,
a snapback hat with
a bee on it.
Their laughter
forms a
song.
At a red light, Andrew hurriedly
points a Polaroid camera,
snapping a picture with flash.
The image develops:
Garrett in his hat,
bathed in sunlight.
Beauty that
he can
keep.
The sun falls down and they choose to stop,
finding a park to stargaze in.
Light stars begin to appear.
Pointing excitedly -
a bright star is seen.
Unknowingly,
both men make
the same
wish.
Garrett checks his phone, realizing
his family has been asking
him to give them calls all day.
One by one he calls them.
He accepts happy
birthday wishes
while holding
Andrew's
hand.
The next day, they drive the final stretch,
ignoring how long it took them.
They will arrive much later
than planned, but they don't mind.
Happy together,
they now cherish
the days that
they drove
slow.
The sun started its nightly descent
when Andrew catches sight of the
sign he had been looking for.
Giddy, he shows Garrett.
"Welcome to Spokane"
What blissful words.
Finally,
they made
it.
Their excitement only grows larger
and larger as they near the end.
The number of miles left
grows smaller as they drive
down long, winding roads.
Before long, they
pull up to
a small
house.
Garrett pulls Andrew inside, laughing.
Excited, they start to explore,
finding the bee filled bedroom.
They fall onto the bed,
hold each other close,
share sweet kisses,
and refuse
to let
go.