The Waters - A Beta Squad Story (bxb)

30. Shells

"Do you wanna wake him? I think time by the sea will do him some good." Chunkz spoke softly, his hand resting on Niko's arm. The sun was casting a warm glow through the window.

Niko blinked, looking at Chunkz, before nodding. Chunkz got out of the car quietly, giving the two some space.

Niko watched Aj for a few more moments. He ran his fingers down the side of Aj's face and under his jaw, watching the boy on his lap twitch from the soft touch. He leaned in closer, breathing in the faint scent of his shampoo, and tentatively brushed his lips against Aj's forehead. The touch was so light it was almost unnoticeable, but Aj's body tensed beneath his.

He repeated the motion, pressing a bit harder this time, and felt Aj shift, turning his head into the touch. A small sound escaped him, somewhere between a whimper and a sigh, and Niko's heart skipped a beat. He moved back, running his hand through Aj's curls.

"Aj?" he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Are you awake?" Aj nodded slowly, still trying to process the situation. He felt a mix of emotions: confusion, uncertainty, and an inexplicable longing for this contact. He guessed the reason why it felt so good to have Niko's body warm against his or why the touch of his fingers on his face sent shivers down his spine.

Niko studied Aj's face, searching for any sign of how he was feeling. He wanted so badly to reach out and pull Aj into a hug, to tell him everything that was in his heart, but he was afraid. Afraid of what Aj might say, do, or think. He settled for brushing a lock of hair away from Aj's face.

"Are we home?" Aj whispered, still dazed from the long sleep. His voice was hoarse and raw from crying earlier, and he could feel the lingering ache in his chest. Niko shook his head. Aj furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. He lifted his body up to look out the window.

The ocean stretched out in front of them, its blue-green waves crashing against the white, sandy shore. The grass on the sandy hills swayed gently in the salty breeze, and the sun was out, painting the sky in a beautiful array of blues and gold. They both admired their own views. Niko was chuckling at the flattened hair that Aj had been sleeping on.

"You know you could have just let me sleep in your lap instead of on it." Aj grumbled, pushing his hair back. "I could have been so comfy." He smirked slightly, looking at Niko.

Niko chuckled, confusion clear on his face. "What?"

"Like this." He pulled Niko into the middle seat and climbed into his lap, wrapping his arms around Niko's neck and his legs around his waist. "Then my hair wouldn't be so fucked." He leaned into Niko, his cheek resting on Niko's shoulder. The feel of Aj's warm, soft body against his, the scent of his hair, and his breath against his cheek made Niko blush, his ears going a deep red.

"Get off me, you freak." Niko playfully laughed, pushing Aj off his lap. He looked at the boy sprawled out on the seat, messy hair framing his face, and couldn't help but smile. Aj glared at him before rolling his eyes, still smiling slightly.

Niko opened the door behind him and got out of the car. He pulled on Aj's legs, causing him to fly out of the car and tumble into his chest. Niko laughed as Aj pouted, rubbing his arms.

"Hey Aje, how you feeling?" Chunkz asked as they walked to the other side of the car. Aj shrugged, not taking his eyes off the ocean. He felt the warmth of the sun on his skin, and a soft breeze was blowing through his hair. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was soothing, and he could see seagulls flying overhead, their cries carrying on the salty air.

They left their shoes and socks in the car, and Chunkz found an old blanket in the boot. They headed to the sand.

"Race you!" Aj shouted, bursting into motion and sprinting towards the water. He felt the soft, warm sand give way beneath his feet as he ran, his lungs burning with the need for air.

The two held back watching Aj run off, both feeling lighter hearing Aj's laughter echo through the air. When they were sure Aj wasn't looking, Chunkz sneaked a glance at Niko. He could see the other man's gaze following Aj, his expression soft and almost wistful. Chunkz knew that look. It was the look of someone who was falling in love. He felt a pang of envy in his chest, but also a sense of relief. Maybe things were going to work out for the two after all.

They took their time walking to the water, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their skin and the softness of the sand beneath their feet. When they finally caught up to Aj, he had taken off his jumper and was already sitting on the wet sand at the water's edge, his feet dug into the sand and his legs splayed out in front of him. Chunkz placed the blanket down on the sand and sat down next to Aj. Niko took the opportunity to take a walk, exploring the beach and taking in the beauty of their surroundings.

"Aje, I understand if you say no, but do you want to talk about anything that happened today?" Chunkz asked gently, his voice barely above the sound of the waves. He glanced over at Niko, who was still walking along the water's edge, and then back at Aj. The younger man looked up at him, his eyes a little red, and nodded.

"She's got a dog." Aj said, surprising Chunkz. He nodded, not sure what else to say. It was one of the first things he heard Aj say since they'd gotten to the beach. It was quiet for a moment; the only sounds were the waves and the occasional seagull. "The therapist. Her name is Sara, and she's got a dog called Marley. She let him stay for the session."

Chunkz didn't know what to say. He'd never been in therapy, but he knew that it could be hard to talk about your feelings, even to someone who was just there to listen and help. He reached over and squeezed Aj's shoulder gently.

"We started by tryna talk about my current feelings. And I just couldn't do it. So we started from the beginning. From my childhood. We talked about how I felt when I was growing up. How I always felt different. She asked me how I thought I was different, and I...I couldn't really answer. I just knew that I was. I didn't fit in. I don't fit in. She asked about my parents." Aj paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.

Chunkz listened carefully, not wanting to interrupt. He could see Niko walking back towards them, his expression thoughtful.

Aj took another deep breath and continued. "I told her about my parents. My mum passing away when I was younger. How it affected me. How I felt like I had to be strong for my dad. Such a small area was covered, and it just hit me. I don't know what I expected. But I just...couldn't handle it. It was like a dam bursting. I didn't cry the whole time, but calling you up straight after, I just couldn't stop. I don't know why I didn't want to talk about it. I don't know why it was so hard."

Chunkz squeezed Aj's shoulder again, understanding all too well the emotions he was describing. He looked over at Niko as he walked back up to them, and then back at Aj. "It's okay to feel that way, Aje. Are you gonna carry on going?" Hopefulness was evident in Chunkz's expression.

"Yeah, I guess I owe it to everyone else." Aj said, looking away from Chunkz and out towards the ocean. Chunkz didn't miss the slight tremor in Aj's voice as he spoke.

"You don't owe anyone else anything. You deserve to do it for yourself, though." Chunkz said gently, leaning closer to Aj. He could see the younger man was struggling with his emotions, but he was also relieved that Aj seemed to be opening up more. It was a small step in the right direction.

He shuffled over to let Aj sit on the blanket so Niko could join the two. Aj glanced up at him with a small smile on his face. "Hey, Niko." The older man smiled back and sat down next to him. "How was your walk?"

"It was nice. I found some really cool shells." Niko held up a handful of different shells. "Here." Niko gently pulled on Aj's hands that were wrapped tightly around himself, handing him the shells to occupy his hands, eyeing the indents left on his upper arms from his nails and tight grip.

Chunkz looked out at the water, watching the waves roll in and out, their rhythm soothing. He glanced over at Aj, noticing the way he was trying to hold himself together and the way he was clutching at the shells as if they were a lifeline. He wondered if Aj knew how much he admired his strength and resilience.

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Everything seems to be going good, right?... right?

lol sorry.

Doesn't anyone else's head hurt, nose run and need to cough when they laugh too much? Or is that just me?

- B🎧