Page 167 of Something Like Winter

They passed a boat overloaded with drunk passengers, one of whom shouted “Whooooooooo!” before they heard a loud splash. Okay, so maybe he could understand why Nana got sick of the boats, but soon the party had gone its way, leaving them in the evening’s tranquility.

Tim put an arm around Ben’s shoulder as they faced the water together. “So you love me, huh?”

“Love doesn’t even begin to describe it.” Ben exhaled. “And you’re right. Jace was worth it. And so are you. Just keep that promise, okay?”

“You got it.”

In the far distance they could hear amariachiband. They had their own boats too, roving musicians who would play for money, and while Tim normally found that music annoying, the way the songs floated ethereal through the evening air made them sound beautiful.

Tim pressed his nose against Ben’s neck, kissing him there. “Come back to the table. We have to eat some of this food or Nana will never forgive us.”

They picked at the leftovers, offering the rest to the boat owner to take home. Hopefully the guy had a huge family. Then they sipped beers, looking out across the water as the boat slowly brought them home again. They were dropped off at Nana’s house directly, where they squeezed through a gap in the old fence.

Tim held up two bottles he’d grabbed on the way off the boat. “Want another beer before we go in?”

Ben didn’t answer, looking at him with an expression that probably matched Tim’s own. He saw lust there, but it was more than that. Interest. Longing. Love. Tim set down the beers.

“We’re starting over,” he said. “This is the first day we met.”

“Strange place to meet,” Ben replied.

“Not right here,” Tim said “I met you earlier in the day. You were wandering the streets and looking sad.”

“Why was I sad?”

“That’s the first thing I asked you.”

“In Spanish?” There was a glimmer in Ben’s eye.

Tim grinned in response. “You like that, don’t you?”

“Well,” Ben said coyly, “I figure I’m a lost tourist. You’re the helpful native.”

“Okay. I came up to you and said, ‘¿Por qué estás tan triste, mi hermoso muchacho? Déjame que ahuyente esas nubes que ensombrecen tu rostro.’”

Ben leaned against the wall of the house. “And I said, ‘Huh?’”

Tim laughed. “So I tried again in English. ‘Beautiful boy, why do you look so sad? Let me chase away those clouds from your face.’”

“How will you do that?” Ben asked.

“Con un beso.”

Before Ben could ask what this meant, Tim stepped forward to show him, placing one hand against the wall and gently pressing his lips against Ben’s. Then he pulled back, basking in the resulting smile. “See?” he said. “There it is. The sunshine, even in the middle of the night.”

Ben took a deep breath. “I was sad because I was lost. That’s what I would tell you. But now that you’ve found me, maybe you can take me home with you.”

“And that’s how we ended up here.” Tim gave a nervous chuckle. “Apparently we took a boat home. Let’s go inside.”

Ben nodded.

The house was silent, with only a single light on in the living room. Tim glanced at the note Nana had left. They were to sleep in the sewing room. Taking Ben’s hand, he led them through the house and up the stairs, relieved when they arrived in the room without waking Nana. Holding his breath, he shut the door as quietly as possible and turned to Ben. Then they both smiled. Sneaking upstairs to a bedroom sure brought back memories.

The small bed in the corner was freshly made. Ben sat on the edge and took off his shoes. Tim kicked off his own impatiently, desperate to be near Ben, but he also knew what this moment meant. The last time Ben had shared a bed with someone had been his final moments with Jace.

Tim turned off the light and opened the window, letting in the sounds of the night—traffic, insects, voices, and the lapping of water on the shore—all reminders of the different world they were in. Hopefully this would keep painful memories away. Then he moved to the bed where Ben still sat.

Tim ran his fingers through Ben’s hair and bent down for a kiss. Ben took hold of him, leaning back and pulling him in. They shifted and scooted, lips never parting as they maneuvered the rest of the way into bed. Tim stripped off Ben’s shirt, then his own, as Ben worked at their pants. Before he could get too far, Tim wrapped his arms around Ben and rolled over, kissing him deeply, wanting nothing ever again but this.