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Wave wiped his sweaty palms on his shorts and took a deep breath as he squinted against the bright rays of the sun. He'd been living on the island for over two months, and he still wasn't used to such high levels of heat. He didn't know where he came from before he lost his memories. Wherever it was, it was surely cooler than this.
But today, his sweating wasn't entirely caused by the miserable heat. He elegantly wiped away the sweat from his forehead, wanting to look his best. He wasn't usually this high-strung, but his nerves were getting the better of him.
Lava had asked him out on their first official date.
They were no strangers to being affectionate within the confines of Lava's bedroom. Seldom a night passed without Lava's arms wrapped snugly around him, and Lava's nose pressed against his neck. Even though the close quarters made him feel too warm for comfort, he didn't discourage the cuddling.
But they hadn't told anyone about their relationship yet. And they hadn't gone on any actual dates, unless doing chores together counted. They’d only recently labeled this weird tension that had been building between them and agreed to be boyfriends.
There was only so much they could chalk up to their petty rivalry. The heated glances they shared across the room held a secret fondness in them. The quarrels they frequently got into were a result of the mounting tension between them, not actual animosity.
Lava still teased him to get on his nerves. But he switched from wanting to shut Lava up with a punch, to wanting to shut him up with a kiss.
That was something else they'd been doing plenty of. Kissing. But again, only in the safety of Lava's bedroom.
So, to meet in public with the express purpose of having an actual date… made him nervous.
He didn't know how to act on a date. He didn't even remember if he'd ever been on a date before. Was he supposed to act nicer? No, that wouldn't feel right. Was he supposed to be affectionate? He wasn't sure, because they hadn't discussed whether they were okay with people finding out about their relationship.
Oh. He knew he was forgetting something. He definitely should've asked beforehand if they were allowed to show their true feelings in public, or if he was supposed to act like this was some sort of friendly excursion if they were caught.
Since Lava had never tried to kiss him outside of his bedroom, he probably didn't want their relationship to be public. They were slowly exploring the bond blooming between them. Lava might not want anyone else to be in their business as they figured things out.
Nobody would expect them to be together. He was soft-spoken and polite, while Lava was loud and foul-mouthed. He contained his emotions, while Lava let them burst out of him like a volcanic eruption. Even if it meant causing collateral damage.
Going public would only cause them to be swamped with questions.
He felt a headache coming on. But it was too late to do anything about that, because he was already approaching the area of the beach where Lava was waiting for him. He spotted the man in question, looking off into the distance as if he was the main character in a TV series.
He often did that. Lava acted larger than life, like he was the main event that everyone came to see. He drew attention to himself in everything he did.
That was another major difference between them. Wave preferred being quiet and not having all eyes on him. He didn't know if that was residual social anxiety from his past life that he'd forgotten, or something he developed along with his new persona. Either way, the only person he wanted looking at him was Lava.
When he got closer, he noticed something else. Lava was wearing… overalls. Tan overalls.
Just like that, all of the tension drained out of him. His laughter bubbled out of his chest before he could stop it.
That captured Lava's attention, and he turned towards Wave with his usual scowl. “What's so funny?”
“Lava, what are you wearing?”
Lava looked down at his outfit with the expression of a clueless dog, like he didn't understand what the big deal was. “What's funny about this? I'm dressing for the occasion.” He scoffed as he looked Wave up and down. “You're the one who's going to suffer. Someone as neat as you won't be able to handle having dirt all over your pretty clothes.”
“What kind of date includes getting dirty?”
Lava smirked, like he'd been expecting that question. Like he had Wave completely figured out, and knew him better than Wave knew himself. Which might be true, considering Wave didn't know much about himself in the first place. "All the fun ones do."
Then he was leading Wave off to who-knows-where. Lava certainly brought entertainment to his life. Wave could never guess what his next move would be. Being Lava's partner meant he had to expect the unexpected.
But he would follow Lava to the ends of the Earth, if need be. Trailing after him on the beach was easy compared to that, even if it meant sand got all over his legs.
Lava took him over to an easel that was set up on the sand. There were tubes of paint and paintbrushes resting on a small shelf just below the canvas. He wondered where Lava had even gotten such a thing.
“We're trying to jog your memory, right? Let's see if your past self liked to paint.”
“Right here? What if sand gets on the canvas?”
Lava tutted while wagging his finger in disapproval. “Live a little, why don't you? It will add character.”
That was how they ended up sitting on the sand and sharing one canvas. Indeed, his clothes got very dirty. Usually, he would hate that. But with Lava smiling so brightly beside him as he painted hues of yellow and orange for the sky, he couldn't be mad at anything. All he felt was an overwhelming happiness warming his chest.
“Are you painting the sunset while the sun is still out?”
“Sure, why not? You like the sunset, right? Use your imagination.”
And so, he did. He joined Lava in his quest to paint the perfect sunset, which was a direct contrast to how bright and blue the sky actually was at the moment.
He didn't know Lava could paint so well. He didn't know he could paint so well, either. Somehow, his hands knew what to do, even if his brain didn't. One might think two people working on one painting would make it messy and uncoordinated. Especially people as different as they were. But their strokes blended perfectly together, as if there was only one artist all along.
“Wave, I think you must've been a painter before.”
He smiled at the idea. He could imagine himself spending all of his days like this, painting with Lava by his side. Whether it was indoors or outside, it didn't matter. As long as Lava was with him.
“It feels familiar. I think I've painted before.”
Lava gave him a big grin and patted his shoulder. “See? I told you I would help you get your memory back.”
Then, Lava grabbed a fistful of sand and threw it at the canvas. Some of it ricocheted off and hit Wave in the face. Luckily, he managed to close his eyes in time. “Lava! What are you doing?!”
“What? The paint is still wet, I'm giving it texture.”
Hesitantly, he opened his eyes. Lava had aimed the sand at their painted version of the shore. The particles stuck to the wet paint, making it look more like real sand.
Lava wasn't one to be overly sentimental about things. He lived in the moment and didn't try to preserve anything past its prime. If he wanted to dirty something, he did it. He didn't think twice.
He was a loose cannon. Wave liked that about him. Something told him that his past life had him tied down in many ways. He had to act a certain way, maybe be someone he wasn't. But he never had to do that with Lava.
Lava was impulsive. Which allowed Wave to break out of his chains and be impulsive, too. So, he was the next one to throw a handful of sand at their beautiful painting. After all, they weren't ruining it. They were making it special. Marking it as their own.
They took turns covering the bottom of their painting in sand, until the whole beach was covered. Some sand particles landed in their painted ocean, covering up the deep blue they'd used. Wave didn't mind. The imperfections only made it more beautiful.
“Hey, look at me.”
Wave didn't even think about denying the soft plea. He turned his head, only to be greeted with Lava's paint-covered finger poking against his cheek.
Wave pulled away with a huff. “What are you doing?”
“Perfecting my masterpiece.”
Wave's heart stopped for a second. Though Lava was teasing him, his smile was soft and his eyes were even softer.
“I just put a little red on your cheek to match how you blush when you look at me.”
Wave huffed again and grabbed the tube of green paint. Before Lava could react, he squeezed a glob of it onto his overalls.
“Take this green for how your words make me want to puke.”
“That's how you want to play?” Lava covered his hand in red paint and tried to cup his cheek with it. Wave resisted, but he was laughing. What followed was the messiest paint fight Wave could ever imagine. Not that he'd ever imagined one in the first place. Lava was always shoving him into strange situations. He never wanted to stop experiencing new things with Lava.
By the end of it, both of their clothes were covered in paint. Their faces weren't spared either. Wave was proud that he'd managed to slather blue onto Lava's cheek; retaliation for the red that was blooming across his own. There was a smear of yellow across Lava's forehead and a dot of orange on his nose.
Wave didn't even want to think about what else made it onto his face. Judging by Lava's smug smile, he was just as much of a mess.
Once the paint tubes were empty, they had to catch their breath. Wave took this time to openly admire Lava.
He looked kind of cute in overalls, especially with random splotches of colorful paint covering them. Usually, he would walk around trying to look cool. It was nice to see him drop his surface-level bravado.
Not to mention, his smile was so pretty. With freckles dotted artfully over his cheeks and the sun settling over his skin in shades of honey and gold, he was more beautiful than any painting.
He reached out to grab Lava's hand. But he hesitated before the touch landed. He didn't know if it was allowed. Did having a paint fight on the beach count as showing their relationship in public? Would one do that with a friend? Wave didn't know much about how friends acted.
He dropped his hand to his side instead. That felt safer.
Lava noticed the movement and raised a singular eyebrow. “What's wrong? You aren't shy like this at home.”
At home?
Did Lava consider his bedroom to be Wave's home? The thought filled him with warmth. So much that he felt heat creeping across his cheeks, pinkening them. Lava's eyes softened at the sight, and he smiled as he gently grabbed Wave's hand. Their hands were covered in paint. But that just meant they were leaving their marks on each other.
He should've known. Lava wasn't the type to overthink things like that. When he wanted something, he just reached out and took it.
That was why he completed Wave so perfectly. He didn't hesitate. He didn't consider a million different scenarios before acting. He simply followed his heart and decided to deal with any possible ramifications later.
If he wanted to hold Wave's hand, then he did. It was really that simple.
“Relax, why are you so tense? You don't have to impress me, we're already dating.”
“You're so not romantic.”
“Oh, you want romantic?” Lava pulled Wave's hand up to press a kiss to the back of it, where no paint stained his skin. “Let me be the wind to your wave. I'll hold you close and guide you towards the safety of the shore.”
Wave could feel himself soften all over, like butter placed on a hot pan. Lava was ridiculous and over the top most of the time. But he could be really sweet, when he wanted to be.
The next thing he knew, his cheek was getting poked again. Right where his dimple was no doubt dipping into his skin.
“You liked that, huh? Smiling so wide.”
“You ruined it. We were having a moment.”
“Every second with you is a moment.”
Oh, he was good. Good enough to have Wave blushing to the high heavens.
As fun as this was, he was starting to feel sticky where the paint clung to his skin. And it didn't stop there, because sand had embedded itself into the wet paint. Just like their painting. His body was a canvas, and Lava's love was painted all over him.
But he really wanted to wash his hands, at least. Before the paint stained his skin and became impossible to scrub off. So, he stood and brushed the sand off his shorts.
He could hear Lava shuffling about, though Wave wasn't looking in his direction. He was watching the slowly rolling waves, wondering if he should go all the way to Lava's lodging to wash his hands or just rinse them off in the sea.
A set of arms wrapped around his waist from behind, and a solid chest pressed against his back. “Hey, where are you going?”
His body's natural instinct was to tense up, in case he was being attacked. Once he realized he was safe, he melted against Lava, allowing his lover to support all of his weight.
Lava's warmth seeped through their layers of clothes, heating Wave up. At the same time, his heart sped up in his chest, warming him from the inside out.
He never would've expected Lava to be such a clingy boyfriend. He also wouldn't have expected to like it so much.
A curious nose traced along the side of his neck, inhaling his scent. He had it on good authority that Lava loved the way he smelled. He was proven correct when Lava sighed in contentment. “You smell so good, babe. How are you so perfect?”
Wave smiled widely. The type of smile that caused his dimples to carve into his cheeks. Only because he knew how much Lava liked looking at them. “Of course. I smell like roses and taste like candy.”
“Someone's cheeky. Hah, take this.” Lava grabbed onto his shoulders to turn him around, only to press a kiss to his left cheek. Then, he kissed his other cheek. What followed was a full-on kiss attack where Lava was determined to touch his lips to every inch of Wave's face that wasn't marred by paint.
It only took a few kisses for Wave to start giggling and attempting to squirm away. “Lava, people can see!,” he stated, but he didn't really care about that. Being with Lava was never a shameful thing to him.
“Let them look. They can be jealous all they want, you're mine.”
Wave's hands landed on Lava's cheeks, softly caressing the skin with his thumbs. “Fine, I surrender. I'm yours."
It took ages for them to scrub the paint off their bodies and out of their hair. Wave didn't like how itchy and irritated the scrubbing made his skin. But if someone were to ask if he regretted his decision to go along with Lava's whims, he'd say no.
He liked letting loose with Lava. He wouldn't allow some societal norms to stop him from having fun with his boyfriend.
As they lay in bed that night, Wave was the little spoon. As usual. Lava liked holding him close, to protect him throughout the night. He insisted his cuddling skills were the only reason Wave's sleep wasn't plagued by nightmares.
Wave didn't know if he was one to have nightmares before he lost his memories. He hadn't had any during his time on the island. But he didn't protest. He couldn't. He saw the love reflected in Lava's eyes every time he told Wave to turn around so he could be hugged.
He suspected Lava liked having proof that he was right there, sharing warmth with him. That Wave's presence wasn't some elaborate dream that would slip through his fingers at a moment’s notice.
With Lava's arm and leg draped over him, he felt safe. Nobody could touch him as long as he was locked in Lava's embrace. He could allow his mind to wander without any worries.
Those who would judge them for being too different didn't know Lava like he did. Lava was just as sensitive as him, he just didn't show it. He'd built up walls around himself to feign nonchalance and act like his existence was a joke. He painted himself as obnoxious before anyone else could label him as such.
Buried underneath layers of false arrogance lay a man who was soft and gentle. Who was poked and prodded by every insult thrown his way. Who forgave but never forgot. Who didn't know how to love himself because nobody had ever taught him. It was easier to play the part of a loud-mouthed fool than to admit that he was in pain.
Every time Lava helped someone, it blew up in his face. But that never stopped him from trying to help. That was the kind of person he was. He couldn't stand idly by as someone was struggling or taken advantage of.
Wave didn't know who he was. But he knew one thing for sure. He was sent by some higher power to meet Lava on this island, so they could complete each other in ways they never imagined.
He rested his hand on top of Lava's to get his attention. “What if I want to hold you this time?”
He wanted to make Lava feel as safe and loved as he felt. He wanted Lava to know that Wave wouldn't let anything hurt him anymore. They were meant to protect each other.
Lava grabbed onto his shoulder and gently turned him around, so they could lay face-to-face. The room was dark, but the moonlight peeked through the blinds, casting its glow on Lava's face. The light was enough for him to make out that Lava was smiling.
“Let's hold each other, then.”
He found himself smiling too. Then, there was some force pulling him closer to Lava. Some ancient instinct tugging at his body, telling him to hold Lava close and never let go. To drown him in love until he couldn't possibly feel like he was unlovable.
That very same force led him to press their lips together in a tender kiss. It was soft and unhurried. An inevitable union, driven by their intense feelings for each other and the thrill of their first official date.
Lava tilted his head slightly, deepening the kiss. Overwhelming Wave, as he always did. But it was a good kind of overwhelming. The kind that made him feel like every second spent with Lava was setting him up for the rest of his life. A life filled with so much love that he didn't know what to do with it all. It poured out of him in droves, enough to fill an entire house. He could only hope that Lava felt his love in every motion of his lips.
Lava had told him he'd gotten better at kissing. That was something he had to relearn, if he ever knew how to kiss in the first place. Lava was nothing if not an eager teacher.
The kiss broke, and their breathing was the only thing that interrupted the comfortable silence that fell between them. He loved the way Lava looked at him during charged moments like this. With fondness shining in his eyes and love curling about his lips, he knew what Lava was going to say before he even said it.
“I love you, Wave.”
Lava was one to show his feelings instead of telling them. But he knew Wave liked to be reassured with words. So he was learning how to use his words, just as Wave was learning how to express himself with actions.
Even though he expected it, that did nothing to quell the thunderous beats of his heart. His heart was beating so fast, he was sure Lava could hear it too. He traced his fingertips over Lava's cheeks, drawing imaginary lines over those constellations that he adored.
“I love you, Lava.”
Lava caressed his hair, then guided his head closer into a more comfortable position. With his face buried in the warmth of Lava's neck and their arms tucked securely around each other, he knew: this was his home. Not wherever he lived before he lost his memories. Not even the island itself.
His home was in Lava's arms.
~🌋🌊~
The next morning, Wave was about to start the laundry when he noticed their dirty clothes hamper was suspiciously empty. He turned to Lava in slow motion. He was still lying in bed. If he didn't get up soon, Peng would come bursting down the door, yelling at him again.
“Lava… did you throw the paint-covered clothes in the washing machine?”
Lava lazily cracked his eyes open. “What else was I supposed to do with them?”
Wave pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He was going to hand-wash those to make sure the paint didn't run off into their other clothes. “Tell me you waited for the paint to dry, at least.”
Lava groaned as he sat up, throwing him a look that said: I'm too tired to answer all these questions.
“I threw them in the wash while you were getting ready for bed last night. You would've noticed if you didn't have that ridiculously long skincare routine.”
Wave narrowed his eyes. “You love how soft it makes my skin.”
Lava grinned and finally got up, only to come closer and nuzzle his nose against Wave's cheek. “I never said I didn't.”
After he managed to escape from the clutches of his clingy puppy of a boyfriend, he made his way to the washing machine. He steeled himself before opening it. He wasn't expecting a good result.
The smell of mildew immediately hit his nose. Not only had Lava thrown the clothes in the washing cycle without waiting for the paint to dry, but they'd also sat in the machine overnight.
One look was enough to determine that the paint had indeed seeped into other unsuspecting clothes. Their floral shirts and flowy shorts were stained with shades of blue, red, and every other color one could think of. There was also sand covering the clothes. Lava hadn't even wiped them off first.
With an incredulous sigh, he closed the machine again. “Looks like somebody is taking me shopping for new clothes.”
While this would have caused a full-blown argument a month ago, it didn't seem like that big of a deal now. He wasn't filled with anger, as he might've been in the past. He knew Lava hadn't done it on purpose. He was just a bit clueless. And Wave wasn't the best at doing the laundry either, so who was he to judge?
Lava came up behind him, settling his hands on his hips and burying his nose in his neck. “I'll take you today, okay? Don't get mad. It was an honest mistake. You look good in anything, you know?”
Wave got the urge to smile and laugh. Lava had transformed into someone who would ask for forgiveness rather than push the blame onto someone else. What a difference a few weeks made.
But he held off on acting pleased. Instead, he turned to face Lava with an unimpressed look. “You have to let me pick from the expensive rack.”
Lava's eyes were earnest when he grabbed both of Wave's hands and nodded. “Anything. Just don't be mad at me, okay?”
Now, Wave allowed his smile to slip out. He pressed a small kiss to Lava's lips. “I’m not mad. Next time, don't throw paint and sand in the wash. What would Khun Peng do if the machine broke?”
Lava leaned in to kiss him again, his lips slightly pouted from the soft scolding. “I won't. Let's go clothes shopping before he finds out.”
As Lava led him away by the hand, he couldn't stop smiling. Lava brought so much excitement to his life.