The crew's ship gives a nice silhouette on the dock, Tristan thinks. The salty ocean splashes up against the sharp rocks lining the beach. There's sand underneath him, the grainy texture nice against his fingers and pleasantly warm to the touch. He pulls a small, round shell up off of the sand and rubs his thumb over the surface, feeling each individual little notch and bump. He hears sand crunch from beside him and a shadow falls over him. He turns and looks up to see Viktor, black boots in one hand and the other running anxiously through his hair.
"You okay, Vik?" Tristan asks, tone bubbly. Viktor's hair is black and messy, and tumbles over his face in that 'natural bedhead' kind of way that Tristan can't help but love.
Viktor's eyebrows furrow and he shakes his head, shifting from one foot to another. He keeps looking out into the distance, over where the ocean-side town sits.
Tristan sits up straighter and his face turns to one of concern. "What's wrong?"
Viktor looks around at the rest of the crew scattered across the beach. There are various bottles and cans in their hands, foldable tables and chairs littered around. Everyone's laughing and joking together. Viktor glaces back over at the town and then returns his gaze to Tristan's face. "...Come with me?"
Tristan nods without a hint of hesitation and stands up, following quietly behind Victor as they head towards the cliff face at the edge of the beach. Viktor hops up onto a rock and seems to move purely from memory as he climbs, hands and feet making easy work of the small ledges. Tristan follows Viktor as best as he can, although he's never been quite as quick as Vik.
He finds himself standing in a cave once he's back on solid ground and is able to actually look around. He wipes sand and dust onto his pants and looks at Viktor. The shorter man visibly relaxes, his shoulders dropping from their previously tense position. He lets out a sigh and spins in a slow circle as he takes the cave in. He runs his hand over one of the walls, tracing the lines that are scratched into the stone. Tristan stays stood behind him. He raises his hand, hovering over Vik's shoulder before hesitating and dropping it back down to his side.
"This uh..." Viktor pauses for a moment. His voice is soft, softer than Tristan has ever heard it before in their time on the ship together. It's barely above a whisper, and for a moment Tristan isn't even sure if he'd heard Vik speak at first until he continued. "This is my home town. I used to live in one of the ocean-side townhouses. My parents are still there, I think. I... Haven't spoken to them for a while."
Tristan doesn't know what to say to that. Vik turns around and presses his back against the wall, the coldness of the stone seeping through his skin and offering a nice reprieve from the warmer summer evening. His lips curl up into a small smile as he looks out of the mouth of the cave, gazing out into the sparkling blue of the ocean. The sun has gotten lower in the time they've been there, the sky slowly turning a pretty mix of pinks and oranges. Viktor stares at the colors with a fondness in his eyes that makes Tristan's heart skip a beat.
"I used to come out here when I was younger. I'd grab a sandwich from the local bakery, or an ice cream if it was warm enough for it, and I'd sit up here and watch the ocean." Viktor moves to stand near the cave entrance. He waves his hand out at the water. "I'd watch the ships pass and I'd be jealous that they could be out there. I always said I'd give anything to be out there too."
"The view is beautiful. I see why you like it so much," Tristan says quietly.
Viktor turns to him and smiles. "It is, isn't it?"
He takes Tristan's hand and pulls him towards the back wall of the cave. He sat down, Tristan sitting beside him. Viktor tucks his legs under himself and curls against Tristan's side. Tristan prays to the Gods that Viktor can't hear the way his heart is racing. He's giddy.
"...Some nights I'd stay out here instead of going home. My parents didn't care too much about where I went," Viktor whispers. "I'd fall asleep to the sound of the waves. It was nice."
"You've never talked about your parents before," Tristan says.
Viktor nods and hums. He loops an arm around Tristan's. "I guess you must feel pretty lucky then, huh?" He jokes with a small laugh, although something in it sounds so distant. He's silent for a moment before continuing. "They aren't worth talking about, really. Neither am I though, so I guess I have that in common with them."
Tristan frowns and turns to Vik. "I think you're worth talking about," He says. "I'd love to hear more... If you want to share anything, obviously."
Viktor smiles back only slightly and looks down to hide it. His hair falls into his face. Beautiful, Tristan thinks. "Thanks."
They sit together quietly for a while watching as the sun continues to set, admiring the shifting colors of the sky. Viktor takes hold of Tristan's hand and intertwines their fingers. Tristan looks away from the sunset to focus on Viktor. The way his hair falls into his face casts a small shadow over his skin. The warm light of the sun lights up the already amber color of Viktor's eyes in a way that makes Tristan love him even more. His lips settle into a comfortable smile.
Viktor seems to feel eyes on him then and turns to look at Tristan. Their eyes lock, and for a moment time stops. Tristan's eyes flicker between Viktor's lips and eyes as his cheeks heat up. Vik shifts slight and lets go of Tristan's hand, resting his palm against Tristan's cheek. He leans in and pauses just as Tristan could feel the warm breath on his face.
Tristan nods and Viktor smiles as he closes the gap between their lips. Tristan runs his fingers through Viktor's hair as he kisses back, melting against the soft warmth of Viktor's body.
"Viktor? Tristan?"
The sound of Renie calling their names make them break apart. They look at each other in dead silence for a few seconds before busting out laughing and leaning back into each other.
