Narrator's P.O.V.
The weather in Rio de Janeiro was mild that day, but even with the scattered clouds hiding the sun, the city was as hot as ever. That certainly wasn't enough to keep Ipanema Beach from getting packed, especially since it was Saturday and the vast majority of people wanted to enjoy their well-deserved time off. The deafening sound of crashing waves mingled with the shouts of street vendors, and, of course, the chatter of dozens of people. Sweaty bodies, colorful beach umbrellas... everything was simply magnificent, typical of the Marvelous City!
The outing was so pleasant that Kael felt if his mood improved any further beyond how good it already was, something bad would probably happen to ruin his day. He loved that delicious feeling of the few sun rays hitting his skin, warming it, enhancing his melanin. He loved the smell of the sea breeze, and everything was only made better by being in such great company that day. The man took a few deep breaths, letting the natural freshness of the beach fill his lungs.
"Kael, come here!" Hearing that familiar voice call out to him made his heart race for a moment. The dark-haired man opened his eyes, standing up almost immediately, a radiant smile plastered across his face.
Kael ran into the water to meet Yuri, his... well... almost-something, who had excitedly called him over. Slim, fair-skinned, red hair in a buzz cut, and an energy that radiated pure chaos. Yuri was jumping the waves, and when he saw the older man approaching, he started splashing water at him, letting out a loud, delightful, and annoyingly childish laugh. The younger man's silly antics always made him smile.
He looked at Yuri with so much passion that his feelings were almost palpable, they were so real. When a stronger wave threatened to knock them over, Kael gripped him firmly by the waist, drawing a cheeky laugh from both of them. The two kissed, not caring about the opinions of anyone watching, because nothing else really mattered.
"You look so beautiful when you're all wet, you know?" Kael murmured, his body swaying with the movement of the waves.
"Hm... so you're saying you like it when I'm nice and wet, huh?" Yuri teased, making Ávila burst into laughter.
"You know I love it when I'm the one making you wet," he shot back with a wicked smile, pulling him closer by the waist.
"And then I'm the filthy one, right?" he said, giving Kael's chest a light slap. "But I love it."
"As for me, I absolutely love it," he whispered, bringing his hand to the back of Yuri's neck, pulling him into a slow, peaceful kiss.
In fact, Kael loved everything about Yuri. The fact that he was much shorter, the fact that when he smiled, dimples formed right beneath his eyes. He loved the younger boy's playful and idiotic demeanor, and he loved how good he made him feel, especially in bed. But, even loving all of that, the relationship wasn't quite mutual.
Yuri, on the other hand, didn't feel as strongly, and always brushed off Kael's advances when the older man tried to take their relationship a step further. He liked the attention, the comfort the other brought him, and the sex, but the feelings stopped exactly there. Unfortunately.
On the sand, just a few meters from the water, the contrast to the pseudo-couple's rowdiness was stark. Sitting on a beach spread next to Lucas, Samuel seemed to belong to another reality. At seventeen—about to turn eighteen—he possessed a calmness uncommon for guys his age. He was reading some random book while his friends had fun, completely oblivious to the noise around him. Or, at least, that was how it appeared.
Every now and then, he would lower his book ever so slightly, letting his gaze roam freely over the sand and the sea, until it locked straight onto its target. He wasn't explicit; he watched discreetly, yet he seemed very sure of what he wanted. The boy let out a contained chuckle when he saw Kael grab Yuri, right before both of them crashed hard into the water. He shook his head slightly, disguising his gaze when he noticed the man heading in his direction.
The saltwater ran gracefully down Kael's body, contrasting with his light-skinned complexion and highlighting his numerous tattoos. He ran a hand through his wet hair in an almost useless attempt to dry it a bit, and soon his attention turned to the duo waiting for him on the sand. He smiled gently at Samuel, but flipped off Lucas, his friend of many years, which made all three of them laugh.
"Get out of the water already, Yuri!" Lucas shouted, already standing up because it was his turn to hit the ocean while they watched over their stuff.
"Come make me, then," Yuri mocked, throwing himself against a small wave breaking behind him.
"Go ahead, man. I'll watch the stuff with Samuel," Kael said, and almost immediately, Lucas got up and ran to the water, cursing Farias non-stop.
The older man laughed at the way the two boys played and splashed each other, cackling loudly as they tried—and failed—to run through the sea. In his mind, he could only think about how much he loved them, though he couldn't stand how, being younger, they looked like two kids experiencing the beach for the very first time. Finally, Kael crouched down, grabbed his towel from his bag, and sat down, settling exactly next to Samuel. Their shoulders brushed lightly against each other, but neither made the slightest effort to pull away.
"At this rate, he's going to come out of there looking like an old man, all wrinkled," the curly-haired boy said without taking his eyes off his book, letting out a small laugh.
"Let him have fun. We needed this," Kael replied, wiping his face with the towel.
"He acts like a child." That comment made the older man laugh.
"You don't have much room to talk, do you, Novaes?"
"I don't get it. Are you throwing shade at me, Ávila?" For the first time, Samuel looked at the other man, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"Never. It's not my fault you're underage," he shrugged, which indignated the younger boy.
"And it's not my fault you're a senior citizen!"
"I'm only twenty-five, but I look nineteen, admit it," Kael bragged. And it was true; maybe it was his melanin or the fact that he took decent care of his face, but he didn't look like a twenty-five-year-old man. He had always appeared much younger than he really was.
"I'm not going to compliment you, otherwise it'll go straight to your head." Samuel returned his eyes to the book.
"You look cute when you're sulking, like a bratty kid," he blurted out suddenly.
"And from the looks of it, you like kids, don't you?"
Kael stared at Samuel, only to see that even with the book raised in front of his eyes, the younger boy's gaze was still fixed on him. Novaes's question sounded casual, but his drawn-out tone seemed to carry a subliminal intention. Kael stopped drying himself. His muscles tensed for a fraction of a second. They just stared at each other, holding eye contact without even blinking, a slight tension hanging in the air.
"Kids, no. But I like you; you're very direct. I like people like that," he shrugged, finally looking away.
The younger boy's smile widened a fraction. He had clearly enjoyed the answer. He knew Kael would be able to handle his advances; after all, he was older and more experienced, which only made everything that much more interesting. The boy leaned his body slightly toward the dark-haired man, closing the distance between them, and murmured:
"Interesting. Good to know..."