Northern Lights

8. Cielo

The warmth of the cabin was pervasive and settled deep into me as I curled up against the back of the couch. The work was still as difficult as ever, but I found I didn’t mind it as much as the days went on. Either my mind was getting better adjusted to the struggle, or my body was somehow acclimating to the effort. Either way, I was finding myself less exhausted at night.

The downside to that, however, was that I was also less likely to nod off early or spend most of my mental energy trying to fight off the onset of sleep. I tried my best at night to not pester Dominic too much, who seemed to enjoy his peace and quiet. I was of the belief that the more I kept myself occupied, the less likely I was to annoy him too much.

It didn’t help when he grew more comfortable with the passing of the days. To the point that he seemed to have forgotten all about the incident from the first night. The first time he had walked out of the bathroom with nothing more than a small towel around his waist, I had thought I might fall off my chair.

If Dominic hadn’t been preoccupied with the thermostat in the hallway, he might have very well spotted my attention on him. The light of the fire had spilled into the hall, bathing his tanned skin in a warm glow. I had watched as beads of water worked their way down his chest, catching in the hair and glistening like stars. Just about every line and curve of the man’s body was in full display as he frowned at the dial on the wall, and I wished I could have a chance to run my hands along it.

Thankfully, that incident had been the only time I had been caught off-guard.

The next morning, when Dominic had wandered about in only a pair of shorts, I had been much better prepared. It had been a less than arousing sight, especially when I spotted the front of his shorts bouncing around. It was all I needed in order to know that he was probably large in every sense of the word. I however, had appeared to hardly bat an eye, excusing myself to the bathroom to take a quick, but cold shower.

The sound of the shower was mingling with the crackle of the fire, and I knew I didn’t have long until Dominic emerged. There was a good chance the guy would come out with little on again, apparently having forgotten completely that I would have happily jumped him given the chance.

In the interest of trying to stave off the pervasive and persuasive thoughts, I went hunting for something to do. There wasn’t much to offer in the way of entertainment lying around the house. Even the few books that lay around weren’t something that was going to keep my attention. Instead, the best I could come up with was a pad of paper and a pencil.

It had been a while since the last time I’d drawn on actual paper, instead of doodling away on a tablet. I’d never quite let go of my childish style of drawing when I could get away with it. The style I’d had since I was a boy remained solely for drawings I kept locked away in a folder far from where anyone would snoop. Seeing as I was in the middle of nowhere without anyone else to see, however, I felt content to curl up on the couch and allow the pencil to do its thing.

As I expected, the drawing swept me away from the moment. By the time Dominic came thumping out of the shower, I was lost in the world of doodling away on the page. Various cartoon figures sprung to life, some basic, while others became more developed, their facial features a caricature of real emotion. They made me smile and I began to refine some of my favorites as the fire crackled merrily away before me.

“What’s that?”

Dominic’s voice pierced through the fog of concentration I was lost in, making me jump. The pad spilled out of my lap, clattering to the hardwood floor along with the pencil. I hadn’t been paying attention and hadn’t heard him come into the room. He was peering down at me from the side of the couch, eyebrows raised before bending to pick up the pad of paper with my doodles.