Tuck Sinn

23

Tom tripped over his own feet, and tripped over knotted roots and his own shoelaces. Despite how rough the ground would be, Tom took off his shoes. He knew the ground better when he was against the earth, feeling it. And the leaves and twigs scratched at him and poked into his feet, keeping him present.

He continued, and lights and voices of the lingering fair nearby all faded to silence and breezes and his own breaths. And then Huck's breath, a few feet away.

"Hey." Tom said. He could hear Huck sit up from where he was against the ground.

"You're back." Huck said. Tom couldn't tell what was in his voice, but just hearing it at all brought a nervous tinging warmth to Tom's breath.

"You're back." Tom said. He leaned down, feeling the ground and then sitting on it beside Huck.

"You enjoyin' the fair?" Huck asked. Leaves fell and scattered around them. The forest quieted around their words.

"What? Yeah-- Huck, you're back. This is news!"

"Yeah, Tom, I am. But that ain't news to me; I've been back a while." Huck said.

"Well... I didn't know about it! How've you been faring out there?" Tom said. He took a step closer to Huck to see him better in the darkening air.

"...You really didn't know t's me?"

"How could I? It's been black out every night-- I can barely see you now, Huck!"

"I guess so." Huck said. Tom stared at him through the dark.

"This is really weird, Huck. Everyone knew you were back. Everyone. And I didn't." Tom said. "I should've known first."

"You did, Tom. You's the first one I talked to." Huck said.

"What?"

"That first talk in the woods. When I ran into ya' and you had some girl troubles."

"But that doesn't count. I..." Tom ran a hand through his hair. He didn't know what to say.

"It's 'aight, Tom. You've been preoccupied." Huck said. "And it's all done anyway. I'm here and y'all know now."

"...Why's everyone expecting me to be calm about this? You expect me to be calm. It's been five years without you." Tom said. "I should've known."

"It's alright, Tom." Huck said, taking a step closer, resting his warm hand on Tom's shoulder. "...It's all workin' out with Becky and Amy?"

"...Yeah—Yeah. Thanks to you, Huck." Tom could see the glint of Huck's eyes through the dark, and it made a swirl catch in his chest. "You really are here." Tom whispered. Huck nodded. He listened to Huck's quiet breaths, as deep and calm as his voice. Huck's hand fell back to his side.

"You've really been gone a long time... How have you been faring, out there?" Tom asked, a hand coming up to his hair. Huck sighed a breath.

"...Tom, 'f I'm honest, I ain't wantin' to talk about the past. I just wanna pick up from here." Huck said, but Tom shook his head.

"But... Five years of travel, there must've been something you wanna talk about--"

"I ain't in the mood right now." Huck said. He sat abruptly on the rough ground. "I'd rather talk about you, Tom. You seem different." Huck said. Tom met him on the ground.

"No, I don't think so. Just happy with Becky is all, Huck. If anything, it's you." Tom replied. He ran his hand through his hair, then let it fall. It landed right next to Huck's-- he could feel the warmth of their fingers together. "You've been gone so long... You, uh, seem a lot more reserved."

"Oh, nah! I'm just tired." Huck said. Tom could hear the ruffle of Huck's clothes, of him moving to lay down.

"Are you still sleeping out in these woods?" Tom asked.

"Yeah. Used to it, though."

"...You can sleep in my house, if you want. I'm sure Aunt Polly will be peachy with it." Tom looked to his laying figure. He could see the faint smile on Huck's face.

"Boy, that's a thought! But it's alright, Tom. Staring at the stars'll let me adjust to this. Being back in one place."

"Is that why you came back? A place to stop walking for a while?"

"Nah, Tom. Came back for home n' all you guys." Huck said. Tom laid down next to him and looked at the stars, too.

"You're staying?"

"Yeah. I'm sick a' running." Huck said. Tom didn't question him further-- he seemed like he'd just tell Tom off again. Maybe tell him to go home, but he just wanted to be with Huck, so Tom quieted himself.

They looked up past the trees together. Kept staring at the stars.

"Like old times." Tom said quietly. He could hear Huck shaking his head slowly.

"Better. Like these times." Huck said. He turned his head to Tom. "I don't wanna talk much a' the past, but I'll talk otherwise. I wanna get ta' know you again, Tom." Huck said, and hearing his name in that warm voice made Tom's eyes meet Huck's.

"Alright. But Huck, you already know me-- I'm the same. And I still know you. You're Huckleberry Finn!" Tom said, and Huck shook his head again.

"I ain't goin' by that no more. Just Huckleberry."

"Oh." Tom said. "Well, alright, Huck. You're still my friend no matter your name."

"Thanks." Huck said. And they went back to watching the stars.

Tom eventually got up to go home when the moon grew high and the stars seemed to be pinning themselves new holes in the sky, and he could see and feel them all up there, even the ones behind his sight. Huck was still up, staring, when he left.

"You going to school, Huck?" Tom asked.

"Yessir. I been there."

"Oh. I..." Tom sighed, closed his eyes. He missed so much.

"It's alright, Tom. I'll see you there?"

"Yeah. Bye, Huck."

"Bye, Tom."

Tom walked home, stumbling through the dark again. He felt it all so sharply on his skin-- Huck's deep and soft and tired words lingering warmly in his ears; the twigs and dirt and leaves against his feet; the night air, increasingly cold, blowing against him.

The gas lamps lit his way once he got out of the woods, and their lights were orange and sharp in his eyes like he was still at the fair.

A swirling feeling had formed in his stomach, and a tenseness was in his heart, and it stayed. It lingered as he walked home. Everyone else in town was already asleep.

He opened the front door slowly, slowly-- quietly, quietly-- and closed it just the same. He set his shoes down, and he walked through the house. Saw Aunt Polly sitting in the living room, her eyes closed. An ache came to Tom's heart, seeing her laying there, her head tilted down towards him, and so he walked to the closet and got a blanket.

"Sorry, Aunt Polly. I'll be back sooner next time." He whispered, hoping he wouldn't wake her, and set it gently down onto her. He walked away, back up the stairs, his feet cold and numbed against the worn wood. He could hardly see, but still he went up the right number of steps and turned at the right spots and reached his hand out, grabbing his room's doorknob in just the right place so that it was silent. Tom went to bed quickly, despite his unevenly rhythmed heart and the upside-down feeling in his chest.

Huck was different in some ways. It changed things. But either way, he didn't need to see that drawing anymore; he had the real Huck back.