He's sputtering, coughing, gulping for breath as his lungs expel the water that's clogging them, he's choking and gasping, and he never knew air could taste this sweet, this fresh, and the sunlight is blinding him, so bright, so cold, but he can breathe, if Chris would just stop pounding on his chest-
"Hey," he manages weakly, and Chris stops pounding and grabs his shoulders, leaning over him, his eyes wild like a fire's been lit inside him.
"Oh my god, jesus christ, are you ok, C, oh my god, fuckin' answer me, JC, oh my god, are you alright?"
Chris is babbling, and JC wants to reassure him that he's fine, but for some reason, he can't quite sit up, it's still too hard to breathe. He nods instead, and that seems to be enough for Chris, who lets out a strangled half-sob and closes his eyes, still gripping JC's shoulders as the water soaking his hair drips onto JC's face.
"Wha'-" JC tries to get some air behind the words, but they come out scratchy and hoarse. "What happened?"
"I don't fuckin' know, man, you were out there, you were past the buoy, and I was reading, and I looked up, I don't know, you weren't there, and I ran, man, I swam so hard, but you weren't breathing Jayce, you weren't fuckin' breathing when I pulled you out, and jesus, you scared the shit out of me!" Chris' eyes fly open, and they're bright with tears. "You fuckin' scared me so bad, Jayce, what the hell happened out there? You swim like a fish, man, what the hell happened?"
JC remembers - a lightning-sudden cramp doubling him over in the water, the accidental intake of water instead of air, the pain in his side and the salt in his mouth and the light dimming over his head - and he tries to tell Chris, but he's so cold, gooseflesh all over his arms and legs, shivering.
"Shit, JC, your lips are blue, man, we gotta get you inside. Can you stand up?"
"I . . . I don't . . . " JC starts to shake his head, but the motion makes the world and Chris go blurry, and his lungs are still screaming, and his stomach heaves.
Chris curses, turns him on his side on the sand, thumps his back as he weakly vomits up saltwater and bile. When he's done, Chris pulls him up with gentle arms, strong arms around his body, gathers him up into an embrace that's savage in its tenderness.
"You scared me so bad, man, don't scare me like that, not ever, not ever again, ok?" he whispers fiercely into JC's ear, his voice rough and unsteady.
The realization hits him - I almost died, and I never said anything, oh my God, I could have died and he'd never know - and JC's crying, hot frightened tears against Chris' shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chokes out, and Chris' hand is trembling at the back of his neck.
"Sssh, it's ok, you're ok now, ok? Just don't . . ." Chris sucks in a shuddering breath. "Just don't do that, you can't scare me like that again, ok? You can't - I was so scared, you can't fuckin' die on me, like ever, ok? I love you, man, you can't do that to me, ok?"
JC clings to him, his arms around his waist, and Chris' hand is stroking down his back, soothing, soft. JC's tears mingle with the salt on Chris' skin. "I'm sorry, I love you too, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Chris' hands pull on his shoulders, gently tug JC away from his body, pulls him right in front of him, their faces inches apart. Chris looks at him, looks right into his eyes, shining and serious. "I love you, JC. I mean it. I love you."
JC's shaking, but he holds Chris' gaze. "I mean it too. I love you too. I wanted to - for awhile, but - I love you too."
Chris' smile is like the sun bursting over the water, and Chris' kiss is like the kiss of life, filling JC's veins and lungs with a golden warmth, spreading through his body like a slow rolling wave. Chris holds him and kisses him, and it's like he's saving him all over again.
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Date: 2004-02-11 05:01 am (UTC)***************
He's sputtering, coughing, gulping for breath as his lungs expel the water that's clogging them, he's choking and gasping, and he never knew air could taste this sweet, this fresh, and the sunlight is blinding him, so bright, so cold, but he can breathe, if Chris would just stop pounding on his chest-
"Hey," he manages weakly, and Chris stops pounding and grabs his shoulders, leaning over him, his eyes wild like a fire's been lit inside him.
"Oh my god, jesus christ, are you ok, C, oh my god, fuckin' answer me, JC, oh my god, are you alright?"
Chris is babbling, and JC wants to reassure him that he's fine, but for some reason, he can't quite sit up, it's still too hard to breathe. He nods instead, and that seems to be enough for Chris, who lets out a strangled half-sob and closes his eyes, still gripping JC's shoulders as the water soaking his hair drips onto JC's face.
"Wha'-" JC tries to get some air behind the words, but they come out scratchy and hoarse. "What happened?"
"I don't fuckin' know, man, you were out there, you were past the buoy, and I was reading, and I looked up, I don't know, you weren't there, and I ran, man, I swam so hard, but you weren't breathing Jayce, you weren't fuckin' breathing when I pulled you out, and jesus, you scared the shit out of me!" Chris' eyes fly open, and they're bright with tears. "You fuckin' scared me so bad, Jayce, what the hell happened out there? You swim like a fish, man, what the hell happened?"
JC remembers - a lightning-sudden cramp doubling him over in the water, the accidental intake of water instead of air, the pain in his side and the salt in his mouth and the light dimming over his head - and he tries to tell Chris, but he's so cold, gooseflesh all over his arms and legs, shivering.
"Shit, JC, your lips are blue, man, we gotta get you inside. Can you stand up?"
"I . . . I don't . . . " JC starts to shake his head, but the motion makes the world and Chris go blurry, and his lungs are still screaming, and his stomach heaves.
Chris curses, turns him on his side on the sand, thumps his back as he weakly vomits up saltwater and bile. When he's done, Chris pulls him up with gentle arms, strong arms around his body, gathers him up into an embrace that's savage in its tenderness.
"You scared me so bad, man, don't scare me like that, not ever, not ever again, ok?" he whispers fiercely into JC's ear, his voice rough and unsteady.
The realization hits him - I almost died, and I never said anything, oh my God, I could have died and he'd never know - and JC's crying, hot frightened tears against Chris' shoulder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he chokes out, and Chris' hand is trembling at the back of his neck.
"Sssh, it's ok, you're ok now, ok? Just don't . . ." Chris sucks in a shuddering breath. "Just don't do that, you can't scare me like that again, ok? You can't - I was so scared, you can't fuckin' die on me, like ever, ok? I love you, man, you can't do that to me, ok?"
JC clings to him, his arms around his waist, and Chris' hand is stroking down his back, soothing, soft. JC's tears mingle with the salt on Chris' skin. "I'm sorry, I love you too, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
Chris' hands pull on his shoulders, gently tug JC away from his body, pulls him right in front of him, their faces inches apart. Chris looks at him, looks right into his eyes, shining and serious. "I love you, JC. I mean it. I love you."
JC's shaking, but he holds Chris' gaze. "I mean it too. I love you too. I wanted to - for awhile, but - I love you too."
Chris' smile is like the sun bursting over the water, and Chris' kiss is like the kiss of life, filling JC's veins and lungs with a golden warmth, spreading through his body like a slow rolling wave. Chris holds him and kisses him, and it's like he's saving him all over again.
***************
hmmm, that came out kinda funky. ah well.