Denver passed his boyfriend a cup of coconut chai and joined him up on the bar stool.
“Thanks babe.” Hector kissed him on the cheek.
“Of course.”

Denver kissed him back. He could smell his rosemary mint shampoo and his sandalwood body oil. He picked his own mug up off the counter. “So did you have fun with the guys?“
“Sooo much fun. I thought it’d be a little boring actually, because the wood for the fire ran out a little too fast. But we raided another camp site after they left for scraps, and with them, we got enough fire going to cook some s’mores after our hotdogs.”
“How many s’mores did you eat?”
Hector giggled. “Five.”
Denver chuffed air through his nose. “You’re adorable.”
“I couldn’t help it. They’re sooo good. Don’t worry, I burned off all the sugar. We went swimming and wrestled in the surf, and after when the tide went down, we walked down the beach a bit to some tide pools. I saw an urchin! And some anemones and some crabs. There were so many crabs.”
“Sounds like you had a great time.”
“I did.” Denver sighed. “I was tired of being inside all the time cause of the heatwave, so spending an evening on the beach was heaven. Thanks for letting me spend time with my college friends. It was so nice to catch up and just be dorks.”
Denver raised an eyebrow as he took a sip of his tea; he set it on the counter. “Why are you thanking me? You don’t need permission from me to hang out with your friends.”
“Yeah but like, you’re cool about it. My last boyfriend used to get jealous. Especially cause I used to date Mark for a bit my sophomore year.”
Denver bumped Hector’s ankle with his foot. “Well unlike your last boyfriend, I’m secure enough that I don’t think your friends are a threat. Mark’s married, the rest of your friends are straight.”
“Well…well, yes. Those things are all true.”
“Also, it’s healthy to have friends you spend time with, without me.

And one little beach trip with the boys isn’t going to change the fact that I’m still the one who makes you scream in ecstasy at the end of the day.” Denver looked pleased with himself.
Hector’s eyes widened a little. “Damn, it’s hot when you talk like that. Wish I wasn’t exhausted and it wasn’t so late. You’ll have to wake me up with that big dick in the morning instead.”
Denver raised an eyebrow. “It still boggles my mind that you think I’m big. I’m barely four inches.”
“Honey it does not feel like four inches.”
Denver grinned. “I am definitely keeping you.”
Hector gave him a kiss with tea-warmed lips. “Good. By the way, tomorrow morning, can we do that roleplay thing where you’re the king and I’m your new, shy, bed slave and you wake me up for sex cause I’m there to serve you?”
Denver groaned. “Fuck, I love that roleplay. I need to buy a crown.”
“I don’t think they kings wear their crowns in bed. Especially if they’re naked. I think it’s ceremonial.”
“Maybe I’ll wear a cape.”
“Why not add some royal trumpeters?” Hector suggested.
Denver laughed and mimicked a trumpet sound. “Here ye, here ye! I hearby decree – the king is hard.”
It was Hector’s turn to chuckle. “Spread the word through out the kingdom!”
”Bring the royal lube!”

They joked and drank tea until Hector grew tired and began to lean upon Denver for support. When Hector’s eyelids drooped, Denver took the mug out of his hands and helped him off the stool and off to bed.
Once his boy was asleep, Denver walked over to the mud room to find Hector’s sandy, wet clothes and take them outside to clip them to the line. The sand could be shaken out better once they were dry. One they were up, he picked up the last thing from the duffel bag, Hector’s damp hoodie, and pressed it to his face.

It smelled like fire and wood and smoke and toasted sugar and roasted meat and sea mist and salty waves and well…Hector. It sent an ember coursing through his body. Denver had not known it was possible to love a man like this.
Before summer was up he was going to need to have his own beach trip with Hector. Only this one would end with them making love under the stars, their bodies only lit with the light of a fading fire and a waxing moon.

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Captions are fictional.