Vervaine couldn't hear Calla over the roar of the wind and the thrashing of the waves, and he honestly preferred it that way. The other boy was waving his arm and shouting directly up into the wind, which carried his voice far, far away from Vervaine. Perhaps somebody on the other side of the sea would hear him.

The wind also carried those tumbling tufts of ocean spindrift, which sprayed across his face while the sand bubbled up beneath his feet each time the water folded over them. With that wind, and with Calla's voice, the smoke from his cigarette, which would usually waft lazily in the afternoon sun streaking through the curtains in his bedroom, was whipped away without the chance to twirl in fantastic patterns. He didn't mind too much.

Vervaine took another drag as Calla waded his way up the beach. His shorts were soaked and his hair clung to the sides of his face, but he was sporting a pearlescent grin and a deep tan from spending all day in the sun. Vervaine could hear his erratic breathing mixing in with the roar of the wind and the thrashing of the waves as he neared, and, perhaps, Vervaine didn't mind too much.

If Calla was breathing like that, at least he wasn't talking.

The boy eventually reached him, splashing even more water onto him and adding to the many dark blue flecks on his shirt. Calla was doubled over, hands on knees, and chuckling softly.

"Did'ya hear me?"

Vervaine shook his head. "But I can guess it was stupid."

"It wasn't stupid. I said today was fun."

"That's stupid." Vervaine took the last drag from his cigarette and tossed the but into the ocean, immediately to be carried away to a far better fate by the wind.

Calla slung both arms over Varvaine's shoulders, and leaned onto him, making sure to get him as wet as possible. "You're stupid," he giggled into Vervaine's ear.

Despite the freezing temperatures of the wind and the water, Vervaine felt like he would get heatstroke from the close proximity of the other boy. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't mind at all.

Calla leaned his head on Vervaine's shoulder, and looked out at the distant sea with him. "What are you thinking about?"

The scent of seawater emanated from Calla, and Vervaine imagined being emerged in it. Maybe under the sea, there wouldn't be roaring currents or thrashing waves. Maybe smoke wouldn't be whisked away before dancing in swirls, and maybe cigarrete buts wouldn't be carried off to far better fates. Maybe they'd sink like tiny little stones. Slowly, like trails of smoke, making twirls and swirls in the rays of light piercing through the foaming curtains of the surface. Maybe he wouldn't mind that either.

"Drowning," he said, and pulled his cigarettes from his breast pocket. He tried to light one in the wind, but the flame wouldn't hold.

"Here, let me help you," Calla giggled, and turned Vervaine to face him. He made a shield against the wind with his body and Vervaine tucked his head into the calm between them. As he lit the cigarette, he flushed with the heat of the flame near his face. Maybe he liked it.

"Thanks," he muttered, straightening up again.

Calla nodded, and linked his arm through Vervaine's. "Planning on drowning sometime soon, then?"

Vervaine shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, if you do, I'd pull you back up. Promise."

With Calla's skin touching his, a warmth spread through his core. Maybe, just maybe, he couldn't make a flame like that in the deep depths of the calm sea. And, maybe, just maybe, he was fine with that. He much preferred his flame up here, on the shoreline.

***

AN: #UNLIMITEDPRIDE EVERYBODY AND ALSO FOREVER!