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“Is it deep enough, d’you think?”
“Sure it is. It’ll make a great news headline if it isn’t, though.” Damon winked and began to climb the tree with a surprising amount of ease considering how much they’d had to drink already today.
Graham scoffed and rolled his eyes. “‘Rockstar left hospitalised after jumping from tree into shallow water like a wazzock’ Yeah, that’ll get ‘em all buying our records.”
Damon laughed and continued to climb. From where he stood on the bank of the lake, Graham thought he looked like a monkey, swinging from branch to branch. The thought amused him and he let out an involuntary giggle.
“Enjoying the view down there, are you?”
“Not really. Can you hurry it up a bit so I don't have to keep staring at your bony arse?”
He really did wish Damon would hurry up. The shade of the tree provided some relief from the blazing hot sun but he could still feel the sweat beading on his forehead. Cool water called out to him like a siren song.
It was the height of summer and they were on tour in Europe again. Graham couldn't really remember where in Europe they were right now but wherever it was it was hot. The hotel seemed to be built like a furnace and the heat on the tour bus was completely intolerable so they took to the streets of the town they were stopping in. They’d asked around to find out if there was a body of water nearby they could go for a swim in. After a lot of miming and stringing together the odd foreign words they knew, a few locals pointed them in the direction of a beautiful lake. Alex and Dave were off god knows where so it was just Damon and Graham and a sunny afternoon by the lakeside.
Damon tutted. “Yeah, alright, I’m almost there.” He swung his leg over the branch he had been trying to reach and pulled himself up. It stretched out over the water and was the perfect natural diving board. Graham watched as he held out his arms on either side for balance and tiptoed along the bough with all the physicality of a circus clown, smirking as he wobbled from side to side acting like he was about to fall.
Graham cupped his hands to his mouth. “Get on with it, you drama school dropout!”
After a bit more theatrics, including bouncing up and down on the branch to test how sturdy it was and licking his finger and holding it up to check the wind direction, Damon took a deep breath and cannonballed into the water. Graham held his breath as he waited for him to resurface. Seconds went by. A few bubbles rose to the surface and panic started to grip Graham like a vice. He was about to dive in himself when Damon popped back up, spurting a stream of water from his mouth like some sort of incredibly annoying water fountain.
“You bastard! You did that on purpose.”
“Can’t believe you didn’t plunge into the icy depths to come and save your best mate.” Damon pouted.
“Right, that’s it.” Graham grabbed onto the lowest branch of the tree and pulled himself up. He was nearly to the branch Damon had just jumped off of when he heard a snapping sound and was suddenly falling through the air.
“Shit! Gra, are you alright?” Damon swam to the shore and heaved himself out.
Graham tried to make sense of what he was seeing as he watched Damon run over to him. “The world’s turned upside-down.” He tried to turn his head the right way up and saw his ankle caught in a nook between two branches. “D, my foot’s stuck in the tree! How the fuck am I gonna get down?”
Damon took a moment from pissing himself laughing to respond. “You’re not that far from the ground. I could climb up and try and get you free.”
“If I fall I’ll land on my head and then what?”
“I could run and get someone to catch you.”
“We had to walk half an hour to get here! You’re not leaving me hanging upside-down!” He could already feel the pressure building from the blood rushing to his head.
Damon stood for a moment, considering their options. From where Graham was hanging, he was just below eye level with Damon but he could tell from his face that a strange idea had popped into his head. He started walking slowly towards Graham, who was still freaking out over his current predicament.
“Damon, what the fuck are you doing? How are you going to get me down moving at a snail’s pace? Oh god, why did I agree that jumping from the tree was a good idea? Christ’s sake, what are we going to- You’re enjoying this way too much!”
“Shh…” Damon whispered as he held Graham’s face in his hands. There was a sense of anticipation in the air and Graham momentarily forgot he was hanging upside with his foot stuck in a tree. And then he forgot everything as Damon’s lips met his. They had kissed before, of course, but this was different, unlike anything else he had ever experienced. This was passionate and intense. A feverish exchange that deepened further and further until they both had to come up for air.
“Your mouth tastes like pond scum.” Graham breathed and an endearingly cheeky smile spread across Damon’s face.
“Only the best for you. I’ll get you down now, shall I?”
Before Graham could say yes, the sound of more snapping came from above and he found himself tumbling through the air again, landing in a pile on the floor. He looked around to see what had broken his fall before releasing he had landed on top of Damon.
“Sorry.” He winced as they both pulled themselves up off the ground.
“‘S’alright. I don't mind being a human crash mat”
Graham tried to shift his weight onto the foot that had been trapped but he yelped in pain and raised it back up.
Damon shook his head and picked him up in a bridal carry “Come ‘ere, you.”
“Where do you think you’re taking me?”
He carried him over to the bank and sat him down on the edge. “We can just dangle our feet in the water if you can swim.” Damon plopped himself down next to him and stared across the lake.
The cool water felt good against his throbbing ankle and Graham sighed in relief. He scooted a bit closer and rested his head on his shoulder. “Thanks, Dames.”
Damon turned and planted a kiss on top of Graham’s head.
“You still smell like a wet dog, though.”