Chapter Text
George sat crosslegged on the wooden porch, eyes searching the expanse of land laid out before him. Day was just giving way to night, and the brittle summer grasses that were tall and damp during any other season were bathed in a bluish shadow, obscuring any creatures who had made that grass their home. The elderly lemon tree which had been planted many years before by the previous owners of the house stood tall against the darkening sky, leaves left unmoving due to the lack of wind. The dry heat that had occupied sunlit hours did not retreat when the sun went down, leaving the earth with cracked skin.
A hand reached out to grasp George’s, holding it tight. George turned to look at his companion, squeezing his hand back.
“Let’s go for a walk.” Bob said, standing up and pulling George with him.
They stepped off the porch, bare feet hitting the dirt. The ground was cool beneath then, albeit dry from the absence of moisture in the air. Bob clutched George’s hand tightly as they made their way further down the path, occasionally stepping on stones embedded within the land or veering too far off the path and into the crisp, sharp grass. They walked in meditative silence, eyes drifting to the many curiosities the land had to offer.
They reached the aging lemon tree, and Bob guided George towards it. George was gently pushed up against the trunk. Bob brought his hand up to caress George’s face, drawing his finger over his brow, his nose, his cheek, his lips. Bob kissed him, tenderly, adoringly, decisively. George parted his lips for his companion, feeling Bob’s hand breathe against his side through his loose linen shirt. They stayed like that for a moment, catching their breath between kisses.
Bob pulled away first, slipping his hand into George’s again. They walked back to the house, climbing up those wooden steps and walking through the door of their home. Their bedroom smelled like nag champa. George turned on the embellished golden lamp near their bed before Bob gently pushed him onto it. George lay back, brown hair splaying out in a circle around his head. Bob had always thought he looked holy.