The sky was painted with shades of pink and orange. The sun still pierced through a few sparse clouds, brightly lit from behind.

Everyone has seen one of these very beautiful scenes that couldn’t even be pictured in a piece of art without seeming unreal or cheesy.

Daniel couldn’t tear his eyes off of the window, couldn’t bear to look at the smaller boy laying next to him without breaking down.

Over the past few months they had come to a silent agreement. It had happened naturally, without them really thinking about it. They tacitly chose not to define their relation. If you never put a name to what you feel it has no beginning nor end, it is both finite and infinite at the same time.

It simply… is.

That way they didn’t fear rejection or separation. They didn’t fear time but embraced it instead. Their time together, the present moment, every second they could spend with one another.

And it worked beautifully until it became too much. Until they realized it had to end, no matter if they accepted it or not. Until they found themselves holding on to each other, for the first time laying on the same bed, trying to get as close within their hug as their physical bodies allowed them too.

Until the regrets.

The fear of time running out, of not being able to see each other anymore. Of not understanding what they thought if they were apart, of ruining the perfect ecosystem they lived in. Of not being able to feel the same toward each other when they’d find their way back together as Summer would end.

They didn’t talk but they knew, remained silent until Étienne fell asleep, until the sky lost its bright colors.

Daniel allowed himself a kiss on top of Étienne’s head, drying the younger one’s tears with the cuff of his sleeve, holding him as if he never would let go.

And now that Daniel was laying next to the only one who could pierce through his defenses, he cursed all that time they were too scared to act. All these moments when he could’ve kissed him, all of these moments when he knew Étienne would’ve kissed him back. This fear that stopped him from taking action before it was too late, that one chance he had at finally trusting someone enough to let him in.

Étienne felt some movement and opened his eyes shortly after falling asleep, finding Daniel breaking down, letting him see through the barriers that remained until their last day. Étienne softly turned around to face Daniel, his hand raising slowly from the older one’s chest to his cheek, swiping a few tears with his thumb. Daniel’s head followed the motion, closing his eyes to retain a few teardrops. Étienne carefully placed his hand behind Daniel’s head, letting his fingers through his hair.

Étienne then searched for Daniel’s eyes, searching for the answer he needed. When Daniel finally looked at him, Étienne blushed deeply and smiled lightly through his tears. He hesitantly reached for Daniel’s lips, stopped right when he could feel Daniel’s breath through his own, waiting for him to be ready to kiss him.

Étienne had waited for Daniel but couldn’t anymore. Not when he knew their whole world would collide in the next morning, not when he knew he’d maybe never get to kiss the one he loved if he didn’t act this very instant.

Daniel reached back, allowing Étienne to fully break through every walls that had been carefully set up around him. For the first time in what felt like eternity, Daniel felt alive.