I Told The Moon About You

22: Under The Moonlight

as a treat!

hello everyone life update: looking for jobs, going to college in the spring finally after a gap year to pursue psychology, and i have a partner (: they r so cute and pretty and stunning and lovely and smart and creative and incredible i like them so so so much

i have found myself a roman! (: i've never liked someone so much before. i'm v happy

also i turn 20 soon..... spooky.....

Elias had to keep himself from falling onto the bed as soon as they got back to the hotel room. He didn't want to get sand on the sheets and feel like his legs were getting forcefully exfoliated as he tried to sleep.

So, instead, he dropped down into the armchair in the corner of the room. His eyes followed Roman as he grabbed a change of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom to shower first.

They laid there for a while. On the beach, that is. Thankfully the crabs decided they were equally as scared of Elias as he was with them and didn't come out again. It was quiet most of the time, probably because they were both getting tired.

But they did talk. About small things, like guessing how much Marco had either won or lost already. Or about Mars, and even tiny things about themselves that weren't that important but wanted to share regardless.

For example, Elias discovered Roman used to have a cat named 'Socks,' which was generic, but Roman insisted it was fitting because he was an all black cat with white paws. Apparently the cat ran away at one point and Roman hadn't seen him since.

In return, Elias mentioned that a rabbit decided to claim him as its mother when he was younger. Roman laughed at that, and Elias could feel the rumble against his cheek. It was a nice sound.

Elias wanted to hear him laugh more.

He was pretty sure he'd never been this close to someone before since Kris. Maybe he hadn't allowed himself to be. Well, now this was a different type of close, he supposed, but close nonetheless.

It made him wonder how his younger siblings were doing. He hadn't spoken to them in years — they had to be in their twenties by now. It was crazy to think about. He didn't even know what they looked like anymore, or what they sounded like. Where they were or what they did for a living.

He didn't think about them that often, but when he did, he couldn't stop his mind from wandering for hours.

Elias sighed, closing his eyes momentarily. He didn't want to think about it. Not while he was supposed to be relaxing.

Luckily, he had a short distraction when Roman came out. His hair was plastered to his forehead, wine red against tan skin. This was Elias' first time seeing him in casual clothes you'd wear at home. A black shirt that hung loosely on his form and sweatpants the same color. He looked simultaneously comfortable and uncomfortable — he was definitely thinking about the one bed thing.

"Um, you can use it now," Roman said, gesturing toward the open door. Elias nodded, getting up to grab his things. "Sorry if I took too long."

"You didn't," Elias mused. It was kind of funny to see Roman go back and forth between comfortable, to awkward, back to comfortable, then awkward once again. It was like his mind was let free until one little doubt came up. Elias wasn't sure how to help with that.

When he was done with his shower, he came out to see Roman sitting at the edge of the bed, stiff. Elias sighed. "You're gonna get knots if you sit like that all the time."

Roman blinked. "Huh?"

"You're so tense. Don't tell me I have to give your back a massage this time."