Justin hummed to himself as he opened his dresser drawer and reached inside for a shirt. Finding the one he was looking for, he pulled it out. Something fell to the ground and he glanced down, noticing his planner laying there. It had been tucked in the drawer and he’d forgotten about it. Picking it up, he flipped through it idly for a moment. And then suddenly, the date lay before his eyes. Two weeks. Two short weeks until he had to return home, until he had to leave this beach house. Two weeks until he had to leave Josh.
Snapping the planner shut quickly, he stuffed it back into the drawer. He wasn’t going to let himself think about what would happen then. He wasn’t going to ruin their last two weeks together by moping about the short amount of time they had left. It made things easier for him, to just not think about it.
Slipping the shirt over his head, he grabbed his wallet off the dresser and slipped it into his back pocket as he made his way out the door to the deck where Josh was waiting.
Their lips met softly in greeting, sliding against each other. Justin’s hand found Josh’s and their fingers intertwined automatically between their bodies. Josh tilted his head, capturing Justin’s bottom lip between his own and sucking deeply before biting down with the slightest of pressure. Justin moaned into the kiss and Josh pulled back, smiling widely, satisfied with the way Justin’s lip had filled out, turning a deeper shade of red from the kiss.
Their eyes met and they both smiled, eyes crinkling in happiness. Without saying anything, without a word, they both knew the love that was felt for each other. It was as obvious to them both as if it had been yelled along the beach. More obvious, even. Their actions spoke louder than any words that could be shared between them. Love was professed in every kiss, their lips telling a tale, whispering the words across soft skin, hot breath spelling it out. Love was given and accepted with each caress of their hands, sliding along smooth muscle, touching nerve ending, fingertips dancing lightly. And that meant more to them than words ever could.
*****
Josh parked and turned to Justin whose eyes were wandering over the pier intently. Rides and games were spread out before them and a smile hit Justin’s face. He loved carnivals, loved the food and games and atmosphere of it all. Josh’s eyes crinkled with a smile as Justin leaned across the seat, pressing a soft kiss to his lips before reaching for the door handle.
They spent the afternoon walking up and down the pier, sharing funnel cakes and cotton candy. The crowd around them swelled with excitement and it was contagious. They played some games, Justin winning a stuffed basketball on a game where a baseball was thrown to knock over bottles. And when they sat down to see which of them could fill up their balloon fastest with a water gun, Josh turned the spray on Justin when he was in the lead. Justin laughed loudly, almost falling off his stool as the water hit his face.
Josh talked Justin into getting a caricature done. So they sat together on a bench, the artist letting his paints slide across the canvas. He did such an incredible job that Josh paid for a second one, just so they’d both have one. It was a reminder of the day, of the summer. It was a reminder of their love.
Justin got lost in the funhouse, the mirror maze confusing him. Josh, who’d taken off ahead of him, had to follow Justin’s voice to find him again and when they finally made it through, they both hit the wooden planks of the pier laughing.
The Ferris Wheel stood at the end of the pier, looming up over them, spreading out over the water. Josh looked at it with slight apprehension. He’d never really liked Ferris Wheels. They scared him a little bit. It was just something about being up that high, and the possibility of something going wrong. He knew they got check every day, more than once, and there’d never been a problem, but it was a feeling he couldn’t shake. But Justin had stared, opened mouth at it when he’d first seen it. Josh knew he wanted to go on it. And for Justin, Josh was willing to put his fear aside and climb in the small bucket.
His hands gripped the bar in front of them as they started to ascend, his knuckles turning white from the tight grip. Justin slid his hand over Josh's, squeezing lightly before resting his arm over Josh's shoulder, pulling him against his own firm body. The simple gesture calmed his nerves, allowing him to focus on Justin. He saw the soft smile Justin sent his way, saw the reassuring look in his eyes. Justin was reassuring him the same way he’d reassured Justin on the sailboat. Everything would be fine. Nothing bad would happen.
When he finally relaxed, leaning into Justin’s chest, he let his gaze wander over the scene before them. Water stretched as far as either of them could see. Boats pulling skiers crossed the water, leaving waves in their wake. Parasailers hovered over the sea, gliding in the wind. Off in the far distance, they could see what looked like dolphins, jumping in and out of the waves.
When the ride was finally over, their bucket sliding against the loading dock, Josh didn’t want to move. He was comfortable pressed against Justin, resting with the warmth of Justin’s body sliding over him. But he reluctantly climbed out, reaching out a hand for Justin once he was on the ground.
As night crept up on them, the neon lights lit up the area, blinking in the darkness. They walked slowly back up the pier, Justin buying a couple ice cream cones that they licked slowly as they made their way back toward the car. Josh glanced over, catching Justin’s tongue peaking out between his red lips, licking at some ice cream that had slid down his hand. But as he did, the cone hit his face, leaving a small trail of ice cream along his cheek, right next to his lips. Justin’s eyes sparkled in amusement as his tongue came out again, reaching for the ice cream. But it was too far away for his tongue to reach.
His hand came up, heading for the ice cream, but Josh stopped him, pressed him against the side of a stall selling souvenirs, hand coming up to rest beside Justin’s head. And there, hidden in the shadows, the darkness of night surrounding them, he leaned in and licked at the ice cream, letting his tongue trail over Justin’s skin, moving to his lips, sharing the cool chocolate with Justin. When he finally pulled away, Justin’s eyes bore into his, telling him, without words, every thought, every emotion he was feeling. The love Justin felt for him was as obvious in that moment as if it had been shouted out loud, and it wrapped around Josh's heart, pulling him in. He loved this man completely and he never wanted to let him go.