Eroda Sunshine

Kricket

The silence hung in the air like a toxic cloud. Neither wanted to be the one to break that silence, so they waited for the "elephant in the room" to dissipate on its own. It took some time – maybe an hour. But even then it didn't vanish altogether.

Harry sat there combing his hair and Louis flossed his teeth with a long string procured from a palm leaf frond. The sky began to darken, but Louis didn't feel at ease going to bed just yet. Silly, he thought. Not going to sleep while things remained unresolved sounded too much like a married couple.

Louis got to his feet. "Well? I'm stood here waitin' for an answer," he snapped, giving off a lazy, who cares vibe and a false languid air as he fixed himself at the entrance to the hut with a casual lean. An obstinate smirk on his face told Harry that budging him would be impossible.

Why do you like it with just the two of us?

Harry had been hoping Louis had forgotten, but he should have known better.

Ïf I have to answer, so do you," Harry retorted. Änd I thought the subject was closed," he added.

Ïgnoring Harry's remark, Louis huffed. "Is it just that you like me company?"

Harry was tentative, leery of a trap. "Yeah," he half-whispered. His hands quivered slightly and he clasped them behind his back. He wasn't afraid of Louis – just of giving an enigmatic answer that would be misconstrued.

Änd I like yours too. So if I had me druthers, I'd prefer to drop the whole thing now, and leave it at that." Louis drawled, holding onto his phony relaxed attitude.

"That's what I thought we agreed on some time ago. Were you playin' with me?"

"Yeah, I've been told me motives can be questionable," admitted Louis. "I wanna talk, but I don't. I have qualms about more discussion."

Harry sighed, clearly antagonized. Ï'm all over that. Ï'm tired of this. Sometimes you really irk me." he muttered.

"The feelin' is mutual."

So they enjoyed each other's company, yet were annoyed each other. What a contradiction!

Well, so much for going to bed with a feeling of reconciliation. Louis decided now was not the time to bring up his unsettling feelings for Harry.

Kneeling just inside the tree line amongst flora as they had last time, Harry and Louis kept their eyes peeled. They'd done their laundry, gathered and cut wood and hung fish and sea life out to dry yesterday so they could spend as much time here as possible today.

Their differences and points of contention, for the moment, were forgotten. All their awareness was centered on the area where they had seen people two days before.

"Who was with you on the cruise?" asked Louis, wanting Harry to think he was just making conversation, and perhaps slightly curious when in fact, he was more than just a little curious.

Harry turned wide eyes to his. "I was alone, why?"

"Just wanted to know, since you hadn't told me before."

"You didn't ask."

"Why were you on a cruise alone? That's a little unusual, yeah?"

"I wanted it that way. I needed a holiday."

Louis nodded, not asking for more of an explanation.

After a while, he couldn't hold out anymore. "I thought you might take a boyfriend along."

Harry's head darted back to Louis' face from where he'd been watching the area where they'd seen people.

"What? No, I wasn't . . . datin' anyone . . . at the time." He flushed a deep, hot red.