Angelos 'Heatwave' Series - #11
Apr. 7th, 2008 12:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
veiledndarknessReiko/James - Bittersweet Symphony
xx
Reiko swiped a hand over his forehead, a tired sigh passing his lips. He gathered the long, dark strands of his hair back, knotting it up and away from the nape of his neck. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek, the too bright sun beating down harder. He leaned back into the shade of the nearby tree and closed his eyes.
“You know, it’d be much easier for you to do that inside, y’know, where the air conditioning is running and its a few degrees colder than this blazing inferno of a backyard.”
“I can’t concentrate to do this inside,” Reiko murmured, strands of loose hair sticking to his neck. “The air conditioning, it hums too loudly, it’s a distraction.”
James sat down on the grass beside him, squinting in the afternoon light. “But how can you concentrate when it’s so hot that each breath feels like a mouthful of wet air?” he asked, grinning playfully.
“Years of practice,” Reiko replied, his eyes still closed. “Hush now, before I need to start anew.”
“My apologies,” James said. He peered at Reiko curiously, watching him sit in silence, his palms resting on his knees, his face blank and composed. He straightened his own long back, copying the position that Reiko was posed in.
“Are you doing what I believe you’re doing?” Reiko asked a moment later.
“Possibly,” James said with a grin. “I see you doing this all the time. There’s no harm in me trying, right?”
Reiko’s lips twitched in amusement. “I wonder if you could hold still long enough though,” he said, opening one eye and glancing at him.
“I most certainly can,” James said. “So, clearing the mind and letting it wander?”
“Don’t let your mind wander too far, you might not find it again,” Reiko said dryly, his eye closing again.
James chuckled. “Duly noted,” he said. He breathed out, focusing on the sound of the slight wind rustling the tree branches above them, the long leaves swaying slowly. He breathed in and out slowly, the stifling heat pressing down on his shoulders. He grimaced at the feel of an insect landing on his forearm, the ticklish sensation of something crawling up his arm breaking his concentration. He raised his other hand to swat at it, halted by Reiko's voice.
"Leave the butterfly, she means no harm," he said softly.
James looked down at his arm, his eyes widening at the sight of the small butterfly that was perched near his wrist, its blue and purple tinted wings flickering. He held as still as he could manage, admiring the way the butterfly moved, the wings as they flicked.
"She's grateful for the shade," Reiko said, his eyes closed. To a casual passerby, Reiko appeared to be asleep, albeit sitting up straight while doing so.
James licked the bead of sweat that ran down over his lips. "Have butterflies ever suddenly snapped and bitten someone?" he asked jokingly.
Reiko snorted, laughing quietly. "Damn you, you keep breaking my concentration," he said, opening his eyes again. "Alright, I give, I'll go inside with you, you pest."
James smiled and stood up, wiping his forehead off with one hand. The butterfly flitted away from him, gleaming in the sunshine. "I have a peace offering. I brought your favorite ice cream home," he said.
Reiko eyed him, smiling then. "Lucky for you," he said as he leaned against James's broad chest.
xx
xx
Reiko swiped a hand over his forehead, a tired sigh passing his lips. He gathered the long, dark strands of his hair back, knotting it up and away from the nape of his neck. A bead of sweat trickled down his cheek, the too bright sun beating down harder. He leaned back into the shade of the nearby tree and closed his eyes.
“You know, it’d be much easier for you to do that inside, y’know, where the air conditioning is running and its a few degrees colder than this blazing inferno of a backyard.”
“I can’t concentrate to do this inside,” Reiko murmured, strands of loose hair sticking to his neck. “The air conditioning, it hums too loudly, it’s a distraction.”
James sat down on the grass beside him, squinting in the afternoon light. “But how can you concentrate when it’s so hot that each breath feels like a mouthful of wet air?” he asked, grinning playfully.
“Years of practice,” Reiko replied, his eyes still closed. “Hush now, before I need to start anew.”
“My apologies,” James said. He peered at Reiko curiously, watching him sit in silence, his palms resting on his knees, his face blank and composed. He straightened his own long back, copying the position that Reiko was posed in.
“Are you doing what I believe you’re doing?” Reiko asked a moment later.
“Possibly,” James said with a grin. “I see you doing this all the time. There’s no harm in me trying, right?”
Reiko’s lips twitched in amusement. “I wonder if you could hold still long enough though,” he said, opening one eye and glancing at him.
“I most certainly can,” James said. “So, clearing the mind and letting it wander?”
“Don’t let your mind wander too far, you might not find it again,” Reiko said dryly, his eye closing again.
James chuckled. “Duly noted,” he said. He breathed out, focusing on the sound of the slight wind rustling the tree branches above them, the long leaves swaying slowly. He breathed in and out slowly, the stifling heat pressing down on his shoulders. He grimaced at the feel of an insect landing on his forearm, the ticklish sensation of something crawling up his arm breaking his concentration. He raised his other hand to swat at it, halted by Reiko's voice.
"Leave the butterfly, she means no harm," he said softly.
James looked down at his arm, his eyes widening at the sight of the small butterfly that was perched near his wrist, its blue and purple tinted wings flickering. He held as still as he could manage, admiring the way the butterfly moved, the wings as they flicked.
"She's grateful for the shade," Reiko said, his eyes closed. To a casual passerby, Reiko appeared to be asleep, albeit sitting up straight while doing so.
James licked the bead of sweat that ran down over his lips. "Have butterflies ever suddenly snapped and bitten someone?" he asked jokingly.
Reiko snorted, laughing quietly. "Damn you, you keep breaking my concentration," he said, opening his eyes again. "Alright, I give, I'll go inside with you, you pest."
James smiled and stood up, wiping his forehead off with one hand. The butterfly flitted away from him, gleaming in the sunshine. "I have a peace offering. I brought your favorite ice cream home," he said.
Reiko eyed him, smiling then. "Lucky for you," he said as he leaned against James's broad chest.
xx
