“Damn, this place is better than I remembered,” Kris said, nudging Eric with his elbow. When Eric didn’t respond, Kris turned to look at him. Eric stared over the water, a vacant expression on his face. “Babe?”
Eric blinked at him. “Sorry, just thinking about our camping trip here.”
“Which one?”
Eric gave him a disgusted look. “You know which one. The one before college, when you got sunburned and stripped down in the tent and had me rub aloe all over you. The one where you begged me to fuck you.”
Kris snorted. “You make it sound like I was the instigator.”
The look grew even more disgusted. “You are always the instigator.”
“I know. And you love it.” Kris gave him a cheeky wink and kicked off his shoes. “C’mon, let’s go for a dive!”
He stepped back to get a running start, and leapt from the rock, bellowing with delight as he dove into the deep, deep water, Eric right behind him. He hit the surface with a stinging slap and his clothes dragged him under as he struggled to reach air. His body was half-numb by the time he surfaced, but the icy water and adrenaline-fueling dive made his blood sing for the first time in far too long.
“You look happy.”
Eric bobbed in the water a few feet away and he swam closer.
“I am. I’ve missed stuff like this.”
“Me too.”Eric leaned in and stole a kiss. “Do it again?”
The hike to the top of the rock warmed them and they dove again, repeating it so many times Kris lost count. Finally, exhausted and starving, Kris collapsed on the sun-warmed rock and pulled Eric down with him.
“Let’s eat.” He dug in his backpack for the lunches he’d packed. Eric smiled as he handed him a peanut butter and banana sandwich. They ate in silence and it wasn’t until they packed away the trash that Eric spoke.
“I’m glad you instigated, you know. I never would have.”
Kris shrugged. “Why would you have? You had a crush on me, but you had no idea I was attracted to you at all. Hell, I didn’t know it until that trip.”
“No one thought we’d still be together four years later.” Eric inspected a small rock, turning it over and over in his hands.
“It was a long-shot, I guess,” Kris said. They’d had their share of struggles through college. Eric’s insecurity about Kris’ hot, female lab partner. Kris’ jealousy of the new friends Eric made.Living together. But they’d managed somehow. And now they were graduated and about to start their adult lives. “I mean, best friends to boyfriends doesn’t always work out. And we were eighteen. Eighteen-year-olds are idiots.”
Eric gave him a fond smile. “You’re still an idiot. But I love you.”
“Hey!” Kris tackled Eric and they rolled together on the hot stone, kissing and laughing.
A week of vacation stretched out before them, full of promise, like the rest of their lives together.
If the characters seem familiar, it’s because they are. The minute I saw this picture I thought of Kris and Eric from my short story “Sunburns & Sunsets”. I dislike the term Gay For You, because it contributes to bi-erasure. But I enjoyed exploring the idea of a character who had never been attracted to a guy until he takes a camping trip with his best friend and realizes there’s more than friendship there. Kris is an open, easygoing guy and he’s willing to take that leap. He was a joy to write.
I couldn’t resist visiting them four years later and seeing where they ended up.
If you haven’t read “Sunburns & Sunsets” and would like to, here are the links:
Please visit the flash fic group on Facebook and check out the links to the other authors’ flash fics.
I look forward to seeing you next Monday!
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