pairing: NashPunk | College | Hall Pa$$
summary: The group of friends heads out to California for the summer and spends their time in a summer home, courteously of Adelaide. It's then that Nash discovers something very important. | Fluff
words: 998
notes: wowie
"Like the Dead Sea, you told me I was like the Dead Sea. Yyou'll never sink when you are with me. Oh, Lord, like the Dead Sea."
- Dead Sea by The Lumineers
The group of friends sat in the California beach house, it was storming that night, they had lost all power.
Nash was sitting by the screen door watching the storm battle with the sea.
On the couch sat a lively bunch. Air was sitting on Addie's lap, they had been sharing stories for hours now and lovingly teasing one another. Air was now using Addie's small shoulder’s as a head rest. Next to them was a man with light pink eyes, Nikolai, Nash’s best friend for years. He had Chili on his lap and would ever so casually stroke her blonde hair while she drifted in and out of sleep. Nash could hear Nikolai hum soft Russian lullabies to the girl every so often. Punk was in the kitchen looking for flash lights, and drinks, he had been gone only five minutes.
On the floor, in front of Nikolai, who’s legs were crossed and his back was against the arm rest of the couch, sat Luka. A tall, nappy haired Russian with the strangest ruby eyes. He wore some serious battle scars over his entire body, and had a child-like understanding of most things. He and Nikolai had been speaking to each other in their native language together on and off. Next to Luka sat a very short girl with brown hair, Nina. The two were intently playing Pokémon together on their handhelds, and flirting playfully. Claire, a spunky ginger with wild curly locks, and a face framed with glasses, nestled close to Nina. She was watching the two play on their handhelds. Daniel had his head on Claire’s lap and demanded for her to run her fingers through his hair. He would occasionally throw a few snarky remarks at Adelaide who would shoot them right back in good fun.
Signal sat across from Nina. He still wore the television on his head and spoke little to everyone else. The reflection of their games could be seen on his screen. Behind Signal on a recliner was where Elwood had resided and was clearly sound asleep.
They all had been talking and teasing one another as they waited for the power to turn back on. Nash didn’t see even one person who seemed to mind.
“Nash come over here with us!” he heard Addie call over to him.
“Nah, ’m gonna go upstairs. Lay down or somethin’,” he mumbled before standing up. Walking up the old stairs he listened to their voices turn to soft whispers then murmurs. Sitting on the bed he ran his fingers over the wrinkled sheets, Punk and himself had slept there the night before and had been so excited to start their day the bed was left unmade. He laughed, seeing his partner so carefree eased his soul. He loved how Punk carried himself when he felt free.
In his duffle bag there were now three bottles of pills, he was supposed to take them...but again he skipped out. Thunder crashed and his attention pulled from the red bag to the windows that were hardly staying shut as they fought with the wind. Nashville walked to the window and stared at the violent storm.
“They said you went up here,” a familiar voice said, hardly audible over the the heavy rain that danced over the tin roof. Nash turned and smiled lightening struck in the distance and lit up the room. Punk’s eyes light up like fireworks with the flash. The tanned male had on one of Tyler’s shirts and a pair of swim trunks.
Nash looked back at his own attire and smirked. He had on his favorite black swim trucks with the bright blue stripe going up vertically on both outside legs and like usual, Nash was shirtless his back warm from the sun they enjoyed earlier that day.
“Yeah, uh, wanted a better view of the sky,” he said before looking back out the window.
Punk walked over to the other window next to Nash and nodded, “It’s getting dark, huh?”
Nash nodded in response. The large waves slammed over the sand pulling back the the grains as the water washed away. He watched them and felt for the sand. The chances of some of those grains ever seeing the land again were so slim. Nash could understand that feeling, but on the other hand he rolled his eyes. Sand didn’t have feelings anyway.
The two stood in silence, now facing one another, Nash could feel his increased heart beat and shaking hands. The lightening struck and would make everything in the room glow briefly. Thunder roared and shook the house. “What are you think-,” Nash had been cut off by a powerful gust of window that threw the windows open and allowed cold rain to hit them.
Nashville laughed, as the water hit him, facing it he closed his eyes and let the wind messy up his wild locks and allowed the cold, water mixed with salt from the ocean wash over his tanned skin. When he turned and saw Punk, who was just watching him. Smiling he saw a new look in his partner’s eyes.
Nash’s mouth opened slightly and he leaned forward, separated by only a few feet he saw his entire life, every choice, trouble, and ache lead up to this moment. Pulling Punk close he held him as the wind blew pages from the desk out the window and soaked them and the room. He just held him tightly and smiled.
- - -
“It was in that very moment that I knew. I knew everything I had ever needed to know. I knew what I needed, and I knew what mattered....but most importantly, in that moment, with the angry storm and cold rain. The way the lightening shocked the ground and thunder shook our house...in all of that I realized I was in love with Charlie. I realized I had loved him from the start, and plan to love him even past the end.”