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Dakota was never the most observant person, but he noticed a few things about William that the boy did not notice about himself. This one was his favorite by far.
The park was empty, save for the three laying together on a blanket in the grass. Vyncent had been in dire need of a change in scenery after months of sleeping in the car, not that Dakota could blame him. He was quite a bit lankier than the other two, meaning it was much harder for him to get comfortable in the cramped winnebago.
Now, he has sprawled himself out completely over the fabric, staring up happily at the cotton candy sky and leaving Dakota and William to scoot onto each edge. William and Vyncent were talking about something, and Dakota was sure that he had been in that conversation at some point, but he had gone silent a while ago to admire William in the setting sunlight.
It started with his body reflecting the natural light; a shimmering blue sheen formed around his exposed features like a halo. His pale skin was normally thin, allowing you to see the purple veins up his wrists and lots of knobs where his bones settled; however, for some odd reason, it would become completely translucent in the last golden hours of the day.
It was hard to notice. When you looked directly at him, all was normal, besides that bluish hue that surrounded him. If you used the corner of your eyes, though, all you could see of him was the highest ridges and deepest valleys of his skin, highlighted by the glow that was equally as soft as his features. Otherwise, his surface was completely invisible, exposing the delicate webbing of his nervous system, and sometimes some organs if your eyes became unfocused enough.
It was a bit creepy to see right through your friend, yes, but Dakota couldn’t help but stare. He looked gorgeous. It was haunting and mesmerizing in all the same ways as William was.
William noticed the gaze at one point, because of course he would. He was the most perceptive person in the world, not that Dakota was trying to be subtle. He gave him a shy smile. “What’s up, man?”
“Oh, nothin’,” Dakota replied lazily. “You just look really nice today.”
His eyes widened a bit as some purple blush made its way across his face. “Oh. Uh, thanks,” he replied awkwardly, causing Dakota and Vyncent to both chuckle.
Another sideways glance, and Dakota could notice his heart beating a little faster. He grinned.