Midnight Swim

After getting rid of his shirt, Gabriel's hands descended further below, but just as they reached the waistband of his pants, a burning gaze fell upon him. He instinctively knew that his every move was being watched, if not scrutinized, making him feel like he had become prey to a dangerous beast. His body stiffened at the thought, and he froze on the spot.

'I swear, this one…'

With a light cough, Gabriel lifted his eyes to meet Misha's. The teenager was openly staring, a not-so-innocent grin on his lips. Maybe it was his imagination, but Gabriel felt he was looking at a starved beast instead of a teenager. 

"Mish', do you mind turning around while I undress?"

"What, why? Feeling shy?"

"No, not really…" Gabriel's mouth twitched.

The man wasn't shy per se. Before, he had never minded undressing in front of others, be it women or men. However, Misha's hungry stare made it hard for him to strip. He was ready to bet that Misha would devour him whole in a moment of inattention, even though this wasn't the first time they saw each other naked. But back then, Misha was still a cute little kid, and Gabriel didn't know it was a grown-up man inside. Now, Misha had aged, and his adult look started to show. His body was taller and more built, his face having lost most of its baby fat. Of course, that wasn't enough to put Gabriel ill at ease. No, he felt self-conscious for another reason: he had become all too aware of the teenager's morning problem these past few weeks. Whenever they slept in the same bed, Misha would inevitably wake up with a morning wood. It was impossible not to notice the hard thing pressed against his butt, and it was clear as day that Misha's unsatisfied desire was directed at him. The teenager was growing impatient, oh-so-very impatient.

As Gabriel started to strip, there was no need to be a genius to know what was going through Misha's head. Maybe the midnight swim wasn't such a good idea after all.

As if reading his mind, Misha burst out laughing, holding his side as mirth swirled in the depth of his eyes. He teased:

"Are you afraid I'm going to jump you? I'm not Stephan, you know!"

"You're not," Gabriel nodded before adding with a small smile, "but considering how unpredictable you can be, I wouldn't exactly be surprised if you were to… So, be a good boy, turn around, and don't look back until I'm in the water, hm?"

"Cheapskate!"

Misha pouted but did as he was told. He swirled on his heel and went into the lake, the coolness of the water making him shiver. Although the days were relatively hot in summer and heated the lake, it drastically cooled once nightfall came. There was no sun to keep his upper body warm, and the gentle breeze didn't help, giving birth to goosebumps all over his skin. On the bright side, this allowed him to get his mind out of the gutter and calm the beginning of an unwanted reaction down there, which Misha blamed on his teenage hormones and Gabriel's attractive body. The lean muscles of his abdomen made the man's supple body look so soft to the touch, especially with the dim moonlight cast over it…

Ah, for goodness's sake! He wanted to caress him, kiss him, and leave his mark on his skin so darn much it was becoming unbearable! His self-control was slipping away, eroding a little more with each passing day.

Ripples traveled on the water behind Misha, bringing him back to reality as they indicated that Gabriel had entered the lake. The man let out a discreet hiss as the coolness of the water hit his body but didn't complain.

"Alright, you can turn around now."

Gabriel didn't need to say it twice, and Misha fluttered around in the water so they could be face to face.

"You took your glasses off?"

"Well, I wouldn't want to lose them in the lake, would I? And it's not like my eyesight is that bad…"

"Oh, really?" Misha chortled. "Can you see my face clearly at this distance?"

"…"

"And now?"

Misha swam closer, but Gabriel responded with another silence. It was still too far away, and the teenager thus drew nearer again until only a few inches were left between them. Gabriel lifted his hands as if to say he gave up. Alright, he admitted it: his eyesight was terrible.

"You read way too many books! I bet that's why your eyesight grew this bad, and you can't see anything without your glasses."

"Then, considering how good your eyesight is," Gabriel bit back, "I'll say you haven't read a single book in your life."

"That's not true!" Misha faked being offended. "I read my school books and such! And cooking articles, too!"

"Do you, now?"

"..."

The shallow smirk on Gabriel's lips got on Misha's nerves, and knowing he couldn't win a verbal joust against the man if he didn't let him, he decided to get revenge another way. It was childish, but so what? All was good in a war! Without warning, Misha thus splashed water on the man. He didn't create a big wave, using just enough strength to wet his face; it wasn't even enough to dampen his hair. 

The tiny droplets on Gabriel's eyelashes twinkled under the moonlight, and some rolled down his cheeks, dripping from his chin. The somewhat comical but charming sight before him made the teenager lift his head high like a proud peacock, a triumphant smile blooming on his lips. But Misha's glee didn't last long, for the half-stoned, half-amused look on the man's face sent alarm bells ringing in his head.

Right, Gabriel was petty; he just rarely showed it. How could Misha forget?

Before the teenager could even attempt to flee, Gabriel had already doused him in water. He was less timid than Misha and used both hands to cup as much water as possible, drenching the teenager's head. Had Misha dove into the water, the result would have been pretty much the same.

Locks of blond hair stuck to Misha's face as he stared at the man in disbelief. He was startled by Gabriel's mischievous grin and took a second to take in what had just happened. Before long, though, mischievousness sparkled in his eyes. Of course, he had to pay him back! And, yes, he conveniently forgot that he was the one who had started it…

"You want to play it that way, huh?"

As the words left his mouth, Misha half-swam and half-walked to Gabriel. The water wasn't too shallow, and his toes touched the lakebed. It helped him pounce on the man as he tried to make him fall into the water, hoping to get him as drenched as he was.

"Oh no, I don't think so!"

Gabriel wasn't about to let him have his way, so he fought back. They soon wrestled, and laughs, cries of surprise, and splashes resounded throughout the otherwise calm forest. Although Gabriel wouldn't say it aloud, he was floored by Misha's flexibility. It was like trying to grab an eel. Meanwhile, he was like a rock, and no matter how much Misha pushed and used dirty tricks, Gabriel didn't move. He seemed anchored there.

With each passing minute, Misha's competitive spirit grew more agitated. However, all he could do in the end was to exhaust himself until he lay limply in Gabriel's arms. With his cheek pressed against the man's shoulder, he grumped:

"How come my stamina is still shit compared to you?"

"Well," Gabriel chuckled before taking the tone of a teacher, "I focus more on endurance and cardio when I train, while you're more focused on increasing your strength and flexibility. You should jog sometimes."

"I hate jogging!" 

It was said in a sullen voice, drawing a genuine laugh out of Gabriel. Misha observed that smile until it faded, a warm feeling bubbling up in his chest. Then, he opened his mouth without thinking twice before speaking. The following words were blurted out, and even he, who spoke them, was taken aback.

"Can I kiss you?"

Gabriel almost choked on his saliva. He was left speechless like he often was when this little devil was out and about doing whatever he wanted. Misha's straightforwardness would never cease to amaze him… And it might just give him a heart attack one of these days.

"No," Gabriel coughed, averting his eyes before adding softly, "Not just yet."

"You're so darn frigid."

"One of us has to be."

A pout pursed the teenager's lips as he looked at the man with puppy eyes. It made Gabriel inwardly sigh. Didn't Misha say he hated acting cute? The man held his doubts as he stared at Misha's face and fluttering eyelashes. Stephan's shamelessness was definitely rubbing on Misha, much to Gabriel's dismay. In the end, whatever method was good as long as he got what he wanted.

"A peck," Gabriel ultimately gave in, though only halfway. "On the cheek, and nothing more." 

The next second, warm lips were pressed against Gabriel's cheek, and he suddenly felt all too aware of the hug they were sharing and their naked bodies against each other. It was a gentle touch, so gentle it startled Gabriel. It was the kind of soft kisses that carried a thousand words and warmth so deep it drew out emotions Gabriel had thought had long died inside of him.

But Misha's lips didn't linger, for it was supposed to be a peck and nothing more. He leaned back on Gabriel's shoulder, staring at the man with tender eyes. The emotions flickering in their depths were so different from the usual fiery ones that it rendered Gabriel unable to react. Although he'd figured that Misha loved him, it wasn't until tonight that he realized just how deep that love was. 

"On my eighteenth birthday," Misha smiled a bit devilishly, a bit sweetly, "Will you let me kiss you? I mean, a real kiss."

Gabriel nodded.

"And…" Misha hesitated, pausing to bite his lips. He took a second to muster his courage and finally put a word on what he wanted their relationship to be in the future, "Will you become mine?"

A small laugh echoed as Gabriel pressed his forehead against Misha's. Tonight, he broke the status quo they held for years and whispered only for Misha's ears, "Mish', I'm already yours, though I guess we could finally make it official."

It was Misha's turn to be at a loss for words. He had never seen such a dotting expression on the man's face. It made him blush: showing his affection to others was easy, but when it came to others showering him with it, he turned into a puddle. It made him feel embarrassed just as much as it brought him joy. 

Tonight, the impatience messing up his stomach and twisting his belly finally calmed down at the promise of a future together. Waiting two more years was nothing if it meant spending the rest of their lives together.

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Edited by Clozed! ♥

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