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They decided when summer came to spend it in one of the vast forests in Europe. Staying in the forest was so different from all the sand you could find in the desert, with its big trees reaching up to the sky. For days, they had followed in the tracks of a pack of deers with fawns. Not to hunt them but to see where they were going. They also did that back in the Maghreb with a group of camels.
Yesterday, they passed an old cave hidden behind branches. They decided to let the deers be deers and explore the cave instead, where they discovered cave paintings. Nicolò then suggested they camped in the cave so Yusuf could study and draw the cave paintings. It was only fair to offer that because Yusuf had spent weeks in a bakery when Nicolò wanted to learn how to bake a new kind of bread called focaccia. So, while Yusuf studied the cave paintings, Nicolò made sure that they wouldn't go hungry or freeze at night. When they sat down to eat dinner at the fire, Yusuf would show Nicolò his latest drawings and tell the stories he imagined they told. And before sleep, they would make love. It was indeed a perfect summer in their opinion.
When Yusuf woke, it was to an empty bedroll. Looking to his right, Yusuf saw Nicolò standing out in the rain and admiring the sight in front of him. Nicolò was standing naked in the rain, letting the water run down his body with his hands behind his back. And Yusuf once again felt like the luckiest man alive, that faith had granted him such a beautiful man as his lover.
"I can hear you," Nicolò said without looking at Yusuf. "Come join me."
Yusuf got up and walked out to Nicolò, also naked. When Yusuf stood behind Nicolò, Nicolò removed his hands so Yusuf could wrap his arms around him.
"Close your eyes, Yusuf," Nicolò said. "And take in the smell of the flowers and nature. They smell so exquisite in the summer rain. And listen to the birds singing to greet the new day. It's such a beautiful song."
Yusuf did it, and he understood now why Nicolò had stood in the rain. The smell was indeed so exquisite, and the bird song was beautiful.
"Thanks," Yusuf said when the rain stopped and placed a kiss on Nicolò's cheek. "For sharing this moment with me."
"Anytime," Nicolò replied as he turned around so he could face Yusuf. "I just love the early mornings. It's like the world is waiting to take its first breath."
Yusuf caressed Nicolò's cheek.
"You my love is also a poet, but in a different way than I'm," Yusuf said. "Where I use words to make poetry, you use what you see."
"Thanks for those kind words," Nicolò replied as he put his arms around Yusuf's neck. "Does that make us both incurable romantics?"
Yusuf laughed.
"Yeah, I guess so," Yusuf replied. "And I don't mind it at all."
"Me neither," Nicolò replied. "Now, it's past dawn, and you haven't kissed my lips yet."
"Totally my fault," Yusuf replied. "Let me do something about it."
Yusuf pulled Nicolò closer to him before they kissed until they were out of breath.
"Come, let's go bath in the lake before breakfast," Nicolò suggested. "And while you paint, I can read my book."
Yusuf agreed to Nicolò's plan, which became another perfect summer day for them both.