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“You’ve lost it. Just leave me alone!”Snaps Kai at the brunette boy
“Wait, listen” says Adam whilst reaching out for the other boy’s shoulder
Kai turns to look at Adam's eyes.“Don’t touch me! I’m done listening to you!” He shouts, as he shoves Adam from both shoulders, forcing him to take some steps back ”She’s gone and it’s all your fault!” as he pushes once more.
Kai marches towards Adam, as he puts up both his arms in self defence. The red-hair grabs onto the other's forearms. Both boys struggle.
“Stop!” Shouts Adam as he pushes Kai, losing control over his force.
Kai flies through the air, head first into a tree, alongst with a loud grunt coming from the red haired boy. Adam, visibly worried, rushes over to where the other now layed.
“Oh my god, I am so sorry Kai..” Says, but gets no response.
“...Kai, are you ok?” Adam, now with a slight nervousness on his voice. He reaches down to Kai in order to take his pulse, thankfully still beating. Adam figured he was unconscious and so he decided it was best to take a rest.
An hour had already gone by and Adam could not get the boy’s words out of his head. “You killed her!”. And the worst part? It was true, or at least that’s what Adam thought. If he had stayed still, none of this would’ve happened. Mira wouldn’t be metres deep in water and Kai would be most probably screaming at him, whether it was for killing Mira, ruining his machine or not knowing where the heck they were. Adam was, indeed, beginning to freak out. But this was no trait of a leader, no no. He needed to keep calm.He sat next to the red haired boy, back against the trunk of the tree in which the boy, who now laid his head on Adam’s lap, had been struck against.
He chose to reflect on everything that had happened until now. Why were they there? WHERE even were they? Was it really a parallel universe? He had so many questions but so little answers. He had issues remembering his own name, how was he supposed to make a good leader in such conditions? The truth is he couldn’t. He could feel the guilt eating him, inside out. His pupils were dilated. He suffered from a mix of some weird and unidentifiable emotions. He only wanted to get out of this unknown place, dimension if you will.
Just as his heart seemed to almost break out from his chest, Adam felt a change of heat in his legs. Kai had shifted into a more comfortable position, laying on his side, hands tucked under in between his head and Adam’s left leg. This made Adam slip out from his trance allowing him to notice it was already dusk.
“Wake up sleepy-head” Said Adam in a semi-mocking tone.
“Wha…” Began the red-head as he slowly flickered his eyes open.“Just five more minutes mom-” and then he realised. “WHAT-!” He shrieked as he sprung into a seating position, slightly startled back.
“You went out cold for a few hours back there dude.” Laughed Adam.“Hey…” changing his expression to a more comprehensive one “I’m so sorry for everything. I promise tomorrow morning I’ll look for Mira and bring her to the surface ALIVE , if it’s the last thing I do”
“...”
Kai’s silence was suddenly broken, to Adam’s surprise.
“Look, I know I might be a little younger,... and act a little dumber, but I think I can add two plus two and come to the conclusion that Mira's chance of survival is, … well,... very, very , low.” Said Kai who, despite his irritated look, had tried to lighten up the mood
Adam, who caught up to the tone of the comment, smiled.
“Here, let me help you up” Said Kai as he stood up before extending his right hand to Adam, signalling for him to grab onto and stand on his feet. Wobbling a little from the sudden movement of muscles but being able to keep balance for a few seconds, making it clear that he was now a-okay.
As Adam reached for the younger’s hand, he felt his whole arm sore, probably from the extensive force he had been using for the past… days? He couldn’t really tell how much time had passed by, but he knew it had been too much for him to handle, even with his super-strength. This on top of all the stress had officially caused a physical manifestation and sucked his force dry. Having concentrated his mind on other things, as well as his still position, had probably kept him occupied from noticing the pain.
“Argh- It’s impossible. All my body hurts.” Sighted Adam as he let his arm fall to his side.
Kai looked in as much disbelief as compassion towards Adam’s state. He decided to sit back down next to the brunette.
“Pass me your arm” Said Kai, to which he received a confused look from the older. Still Adam complied and did as he was told. “I think this might help” Said the boy as he began to massage Adam’s left bicep.
Adam felt a sudden rush of heat, one that spread fast like a wildfire all the way through his arm up to his face and to the rest of his body. The boy turned his head away from the younger one in embarrassment. An action the other did not notice due to the intense focus he had on the older’s arm. Kai’s hands felt hot despite there being a cool breeze in the air. Adam could not concentrate on anything but Kais soft caresses on his arm. From his bicep, down to his forearm and to his hand. Enough pressure to make him feel every stroke, yet soft on the skin, almost as if he was brushing a velvet sheet.
As Kai finished with both Adam’s arms, he went for the legs. This took Adam for surprise, making him flinch at the burning sensation of heat on his right calves.
“Hey-! Watch where you touch.” Exclaimed Adam, his face completely red, yet covered by the lack of illumination but for the moon and stars in the night sky.
“Relax, I’m only trying to help. Geez…” Complaint Kai, taken aback by the older’s reaction.
“Yeah, sorry. It just took me by surprise, haha…” Said Adam, avoiding eye contact.
Despite it being dark out, Kai could still see a sparkle on Adam’s eyes, eyes that were apparently focused on a very pretty patch of grass .
“Did I do something wrong?” Asked Kai, slightly annoyed yet audibly worried.
“No, on the contrary. Your massages are really effective.” Said Adam, noticing how light his arms felt compared to minutes earlier. He whipped his arms up and down, to the side, as one does during warm up, as if to prove to the other his marvellous work. “Where did you learn this? Don’t tell me it’s engineering 101” said as he let out a little chuckle.
“I… really don’t remember. I just have this vague memory of someone ‘teaching me’ how to do so” stated Kai, grabbing the back of his neck with his right hand and looking at the ground whilst he tried to remember the face of this mystery person.
They both sat in silence for a second, as Kai made space for him on the brunette’s side. He grabbed the other’s hand and started rubbing circles with his thumb, as he inspected the palm of the older. Then, for a few moments, he looked up at the dark blue tint in the sky.
“...You good?” Asked Adam, turning his head to look at the other’s direction.
“Yeah,...” Began Kai, still looking up to the night sky “just, looking at the stars. We humans look and think of them as wonderful pieces of art, whilst in reality they are just gigantic balls of hot gas.”
“...Yeah, I guess you are right.”
Silence
“Where were you headed with this information?” Asked Adam, confused yet slightly intrigued.
“I don’t know. Just admiring the- big balls of gas in the sky.” Said Kai playfully.
“...We focus so much on the details and get so riled up on the small mistakes we make on the passing of the years, whilst when looking at the big picture, we are mere particles in the whole that is the universe.” Said Adam as he copied the younger’s behaviour and tilted his head up.
Kai looked at the brunette sitting besides him, noticing once again the spark that he thought had reflected from the whole moon. A small grin had formed in his friend’s lips whilst his eyes looked as if he had wandered to another place far away.
The red-hair imagined Adam floating through the sky, the stars and the moon. He shined the most out of all these. His floating, nonetheless clearly ‘improvised', looked like a gentle caring dance, as he avoided crashing into the different bodies of light. This strong and tough idea Kai had made up of him had changed into a more tender and comforting leader- No, friend . Kai let his eyes close, his head resting on top of Adam’s shoulder. He felt the hot sensation in his entire face.
Kai was now in the sky with his friend, amongst the sparkles of light. He reached for Adam, as the other kept swaying away. His body almost fluid-like, as he changed the position of his torso, then his legs, then his torso again. At one point Adam stood in place, only to turn around, as he waited for Kai to reach up to him. He sat on the now solid star, one leg on top of the other, hands behind his back supporting his whole body. Kai went up to him, and kept getting closer, and closer, until his face was inches close to Adam’s, his own legs apart from one another standing on each side of the brunette’s own. His hands were holding his friend’s face-cheeks, brushing strokes of Adam’s hair that had displaced themselves and tucking them behind his ears. One, two, and- his lips now one on top of the other.
He suddenly jumped from his position, only to find himself in an even more embarrassing situation. Both boys were laying on the floor, on top of dried leaves and dirt. Their bodies pressed together, his arms wrapped around Adam’s torso whilst the other’s left arm went under the red-hair’s neck, holding onto his hair; and his right arm went around Kai’s waist, reaching his spine. Kai could see the red in his face, as he squinted tightly as if that would help him forget the sensation of his head pressed against Adam’s chest.
He decided to sleep it out and figure it out in the morning. And by “it” he meant not only how to get out of this situation without causing a great scene, but also some troubled feelings, which by the gravity of the sensation he could deduce it was not the first time he felt this way towards this brunette, ‘hella-good-looking’ boy.
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The next morning, the boys were woken up not by the beautiful sounds of nature, but rather by an obnoxious fake coughing. It was Mira, she had planned on telling them how she managed to survive her near-death experience, but she had now more important matters to discuss with her clearly worried friends.