Song of Pebble Lake

[Hanale Noem]

Oh. That wasn't creepy or anything.

His neighbor was spying on him. Hanale waded to shore clutching a giant rainbow over-sized inner tube, splashing water noisily with each step. He'd been testing it out before Kylar arrived, in case it sprang an unexpected leak or something. (Definitely, definitely not because he couldn't wait to use it. No.)

A movement in the periphery of his vision caught his attention and he noticed the dark-haired young man who moved in several weeks ago suddenly disappear inside. But earlier he definitely had been leaning over the railing of his upper balcony, looking at Hanale splashing around. This wasn't the first time, either. Once or twice while lounging on the wide front porch, Hanale saw him peeking out. He even waved once but the guy vanished like smoke.

Too bad. He was pretty cute. Probably painfully shy since Hanale had never seen him actually step foot off of his property. Rumor had it he was Spanish-exotic. But! Since he was so horribly shy and Hanale was expecting a special guest, he was out of the picture. Smiling to himself and shaking his head, he dragged the inner tube up onto firm ground so that it wouldn't float off into the lake and headed inside to dry off and change before Kylar arrived.

He went about making himself presentable with low-simmering excitement bubbling inside. It'd been a while since he'd dated and those first-date fluttering butterflies were all over. Hopefully Kylar was as cute and funny and charming as he was over the phone. Hard to tell with people; some were painfully boring over the phone but magnetic in person. Others, the opposite. Rare to find someone interesting in both worlds.

Splashing a conservative amount of cologne on, Hanale examined himself in the full-length bathroom mirror. Hm. Good. Hair was crisp and well-maintained, nails not filthy (important!) and his blue button-up had tiny red polka-dots on it for interest, but not to be flashy. Dark slim-cut jeans and casual Italian loafers completed the look—douchebag lakefront property-owning party boy.

Nah! His friends joked about that but really he wasn't an asshole. He hoped. His parties never got the police called down! Hanale was polite to the neighbors! He had to be good—he was tied to a literal angel! Ah... he was nervous now, and justifying his appearance. Hanale turned on his heels as he heard a car pull up and forced himself to saunter outside, where he waved slowly but grinned in an obviously pleased way to the car rolling up the driveway.

[Kylar Sheridan]

Oh god.

As he pulled up to the lake house, all Kylar could think was that he was going to be so out of his depth. He'd grown up with a middle-class family of shifters. A father that handed his truck down to him--and the truck felt like it didn't belong here. It was an older model and a practical one, nothing cool or fancy. (But at least it was a four-wheel drive. And at least it was clean and maintained--he would have died a little inside if he showed up in one of the junkers some of the people in Hazleton rode around in.)

Still, this was a guy who had a weekend lake house. This was a guy who worked in realty. He had to be made of money. He was made of money. Look at him! Waving, casually handsome, looking just like a rich dude.

Now Kylar wondered if he looked okay in his fitted black tank top, artfully holey jeans, and red converse sneakers. Because he suddenly felt like he was way too casual, which was stupid because Hanale was totally casual, too. Just... a different kind of casual. Like effortlessly rich dude casual. No way. Kylar wasn't letting it get to him. Hanale wasn't a douchebag. He cared about the same things that Kylar did.

"Hey!" Kylar waved back as he jumped out of the truck and jogged around to the passenger's side. "Guess who can't wait to get out of his cage?"

He pulled the grey cat carrier out of the seat and held it up proudly. A pair of black paws held onto the bars of the cage. From this vantage point, he looked like any normal raccoon, but that was because his missing leg was a back leg, caught in a hunter's trap and snapped too badly to save it. Luckily, they saved his life.

[Hanale Noem]

Uh oh. Kylar was cute. And tall. Cute and tall, a deadly combination. Hanale briefly noted that the truck he came in was practical and clean, if not the latest model, before Kylar slipped out and the stars in Hanale's eyes blinded him to everything but the man. Too cute. The way he was dressed was country-casual but damn if he didn't pull it off perfectly. Kylar wasn't stuck up or trying to be slick and posh and that was very refreshing and attractive.

He half-jogged down towards the truck, not wanting to be that guy who stood at the door watching everything unfold, like he wasn't part of the moment. Besides, Kylar had to have luggage with him for the weekend trip and his hands were full at the moment with Bandit's cage.

"It's Bandit!" Grinning, he wiggled his fingers at the furry raccoon inside. Two sets of front paws... so he was missing a back leg. It was really kind of sad how trappers and hunters treated these poor little things! "How cute!" Hanale reached out to give him an awkward one-armed hug—him and the cage. "And Bandit's adorable too!"

[Kylar Sheridan]

Bandit trilled curiously at Hanale and Kylar could feel him moving around in the cage, probably trying to press closer to the bars in a bid to get Hanale's attention. Oh! Hey, a hug! Now he wished he had waited to bring Bandit's cage out since it made it impossible to give Hanale a proper hug. Instead, he hugged him back with one arm, too. Damn it... dummy.

"Thanks! You too." He laughed at how that sounded. "You're cute too. Um, hey!" He held the cage out to Hanale. "Do you mind taking him? So I can grab my suitcase?"

Bandit was infinitely more fun than Kylar's luggage, after all, and it would be good for Bandit to familiarize himself with Hanale's scent. (Which was nice--Kylar caught a whiff of his cologne when they hugged.)

[Hanale Noem]

Oops! Clumsy first hug! This was getting off to a funky start but that was okay! Hanale laughed, feeling if possible more nervous now that he got a look at Kylar up close. Why was it always so hard to be suave around someone attractive? Even though he knew that he was attractive himself, being around a good-looking guy still made him feel jittery inside.

"Ah—well thank you! I—yeah. Sure!" He readily accepted the cage. "Oomph! He's heavier than he looks!" That was a well-fed raccoon right there! But as soon as he had it, a damp black nose poked out and started sniffing around. Hanale couldn't help but laugh again as the cage wobbled and wiggled unsteadily in his arms. "Friendly little guy isn't he?"

When Kylar had gotten his things, he started walking back up the driveway into the house. "I prepped a room for you facing the lake. Hopefully you like the view. Oh and guess who got us that giant inner tube!"

[Kylar Sheridan]

"Yep, both!" Heavy and friendly. Okay, he wasn't a fat raccoon but he liked his food and he was heavier than one might assume by just looking. One had to be careful with that missing leg--too much weight on it and it would really hurt the poor thing. But if Bandit had his way, he'd eat everything he could get his little paws on!

He still couldn't believe his luck as he followed Hanale to the beautiful lake house. It was the kind of place Kylar only ever saw in magazines and online--the kind of place his family longed for but didn't have the time or money for.

"Uhh how could I not like any view in this place?" No sugarcoating it--he was appropriately impressed. "And I'm gonna say... the only person here? Unless you're not telling me something!"

[Hanale Noem]

"For some reason I thought he'd weigh as much as a cat..." But obviously raccoons were larger and therefore, heavier. Hanale didn't know; he was a total novice where it came to pets and animals. There wasn't much time or room in his life for something that needed constant attention. Dogs needed to be walked every day; cats had litters that had to be scooped all the time. Too much work for someone who was out all day!

With his back turned to Kylar as he led the way, Hanale grinned. Very good—he earned points for selecting the right room. It was close to his own, too, so that they didn't have to go far to find one another. Ahem. If it came to that. Which now that he'd seen Kylar... he hoped it did, eventually.

"Excellent guess. It's the one with the super clean face." He grinned over his shoulder. "Which I washed before you got here, by the way." Winking, he laughed and then turned back to gently nudge the door open with his knee. Inside facing the door was a staircase leading upstairs, while a short hallway opened up to a tall-ceilinged living room.

"The bedrooms are all upstairs. This way, I'll give you a tour of the place once you put your things down. If I slip into realtor mode at any time, by the way, feel free to stop me."

[Kylar Sheridan]

"I'm still testing that!" Kylar declared, looking over at Hanale critically, as if he could somehow find a speck of dirt on his face. But damn... Hanale was good looking. Like... Will never got it right ever. How the hell did he do it this time? He supposed even a broken clock was right twice a day, as they said.

"And I think you're already in realtor mode," he teased. A tour, though. He half wanted to see every inch of the place and half wanted to make good on his promise to test Hanale's... uh, cleanliness.

Kylar couldn't stop looking at everything but he also kept looking at Hanale. He wasn't very secretive about it, either. Should he be? There wasn't really a point, he thought, in hiding his interest. Why else would he even be here, if he wasn't slightly interested?

Hanale was right about the room, though. As soon as Kylar saw it, his eyes widened and he let out a low whistle.

"If this is where you put guests, your room must be really nice," he said, as he set his luggage down.

[Hanale Noem]

Oh, it was clean. Super clean. He'd obsessively checked it because he couldn't be found wanting, even by a stranger. There were standards to uphold around here. Hanale laughed and nodded resignedly—he was in realtor mode. Work mode was the default mode, unfortunately, which was why Will set him up but... damn. Will really struck gold this time. Nineteenth time was the charm, as they say.

The first thing he did was carefully set Bandit's cage down onto the bed, where even if his clever paws got the latch undone, he wouldn't fall and hurt himself. Then he straightened and spread his palms as he swept his arms across the room, as though showing it off. "I'm glad you like it!"

The room was tastefully furnished and decorated in a nautical theme—nothing obnoxious, of course. Pale blues, gentle creams and whites, light and airy. Little seashell decorations and tasteful pictures dotted the room and there was a glass vase of calla lilies on one of the dressers.

"My room, as luck would have it, is two doors down from yours." He smiled as he reached for Kylar's hand, now that they weren't occupied by cages or luggage. Hanale gently tugged him closer—nothing insistent or overly pushy. Just a little tug. "And I never lock my door, so you can visit me any time."

[Kylar Sheridan]

It was gorgeous. And he was pretty sure he never wanted Hanale to see where he lived. Like... ever. While he didn't live in squalor, he definitely didn't have this kind of aesthetic taste. No, no. He had the taste, he didn't have the means to make the taste appear. His place was what one would expect of a man his age: all posters and clutter and animal paraphernalia. The last part because of his work and education. And lineage.

Kylar smiled as he was gently tugged closer. His room was so close? And he didn't lock the door?

"That sounds like an invitation..."

[Hanale Noem]

"It's... partly an invitation."

He stepped into Kylar, since the tug of his hand met no resistance. Honestly it was hard not to slip his hands up to that handsome face and pull him down for a kiss right now. There was some kind of crazy attraction that he had no explanation for and it was mildly concerning but also... exhilarating.

"But also, it's a promise." Briefly he lowered his gaze to the space between them. "I won't come into your room unless you want me to. So you can trust me."

This was his home; he had the luxury of owning it, of knowing every room, every nook and cranny. But for Kylar it was a strange space. He came here in good faith, all by himself, for two days. It was far more important for him to feel safe and in control of his own space, and this way there could be no issues later.

[Kylar Sheridan]

"A gentleman," Kylar said softly, his gaze on Hanale, even when he looked downward. So he took it to heart, what Kylar said. Hopefully, he would have said the same even if Kylar hadn't. It was nice to know, though. That Hanale cared. That he wasn't going to creep on him like some of those questionable past guys. He wondered if they'd ever dated any of the same guys, since they had Will in common and all. If so, Hanale had to know what it was like.

"I trust you," he said, "or I wouldn't be here."

Nervous as he was on the drive over, he wasn't afraid. Hanale hadn't struck him as a creeper. Of course, Kylar had been wrong more than once in the past but! He liked to think he learned from those times. Besides, would a creep be so madly gentle and sweet? A gentleman, indeed.

Kylar touched Hanale's face, clean as he claimed it to be. Clean and fresh. He had nice skin. Nice tone. Nice... texture. They were so close now that they could have kissed if he just leaned in a little more.

"Not squeaking though," he teased. "I thought you said you were squeaky clean, mister."

[Hanale Noem]

A gentleman. Hanale couldn't help but smile at that, looking up again once Kylar spoke of trust. That was important. Trust. Even between friends, there had to be trust. For strangers who had never met, staying in the same house for the weekend, it was even more important. It was just who he was and who he was raised to be—trustworthy. Good. He wasn't always this way, though. That part of his past had long remained untouched and hopefully it would stay buried.

The squeaky clean face though, that brought out a soft laugh. Nice way to break the ice, just a simple touch. Like their hands together, Kylar's touch felt nice. Warm. Soft. "Ah..." He cleared his throat a touch dramatically. "Squeak!"

So not an actual squeak—that would be slightly alarming—but he was making good on his bold claims! He reached up to lightly tap the tip of Kylar's chin. "Told you." Then, laughing, he stepped back and tugged Kylar out of the room by the hand. "Come on, let's get this weekend underway! House tour, then we make some drinks and go out onto the lake. There's going to be a beautiful sunset, we shouldn't miss it!"

He pointed out his own bedroom as they approached—inside it was decorated in a more austere color scheme, navy and gray but with a pop of lilac here and there. The open window let in a soft breeze which stirred sheer white drapes, and outside...

"Oh... that's my neighbor!" The guy was timidly tip-toeing towards the inner tube that he'd left out. It didn't look like he was stealing it, though, just... looking at it. Hanale let out a burst of laughter as he drew Kylar over to peek down at his strange, shy neighbor. "You think he's going to take it?"

[Kylar Sheridan]

A laugh escaped, despite himself. It was such a silly thing to laugh at but he couldn't help it. It was... cute. And he didn't expect it. And so was Hanale. Unexpected. This whole thing felt like some kind of strange fever dream, too good to be true. Yet here he was, standing there with Hanale in his beautiful lake house.

That was not his intention in testing the squeaky cleanliness of Hanale but... He thought it might be a bit too soon to jump onto that train. They had just met and it was true, what Kylar said. It took a little time for him to warm up. Maybe later, though. Once they settled in and relaxed and everything was more about the two of them and less about the newness of the place and the meeting and... all that.

Kylar happily took the tour and when they spied the neighbor edging up to the hilariously kitsch inner tube, Kylar had to press a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing aloud and alerting him to their presence.

"What's he even doing there? Is he going to get in it?" Kylar pressed his hand to his mouth again and turned away, doing his best not to burst into peals of laughter. It was just too funny, that serious looking man tiptoeing up to a gaudy, rainbow inner tube.

[Cristoval de Azcarate]

Cris told himself he was only there to get a look at the giant thing. It was gaudy and eye-catching and anyone within six miles of the place could see it, with its rainbow arching into the air and the massive white, round inner tube supporting it big enough for maybe four or five people. Where did his neighbor get it? Who sold it? Cris wanted one for himself.

Not that he could afford a thing like that, with his father's finances in a mess and his mother suddenly—and conveniently—nowhere to be found.

But it didn't hurt to look. Since his neighbor was inside with the man who came to visit him, Cris felt emboldened to sneak up to it. He half-smiled as he touched the side of the inner tube, imagining floating out onto the lake in it. Then another face popped into that mental image, a familiar face who was about to arrive... The smile vanished and he gave himself a mental slap.

"Shit." As he looked up he noticed his handsome gay neighbor peeking from one of the windows and he was laughing and looking right at Cris! Then he pulled another man—his... special friend perhaps—into view too, and that man also looked amused. His neighbor waved and popped his head out of the window.

"Hello! How's it going?"

Cris could have died. He smiled—a strained smile—and waved a little. "Hola—hi!" Shit. They didn't speak Spanish, no doubt. And his English was deplorable at best.

"What's your name? I'm Hanale and this is Kylar! Nice to meet you!"

"I'm Cris!" Another strained smile. "Nice to meet you!" Yelling across the yard was kind of embarrassing but he wasn't getting close to the house! Not for the first time, he wished Jen was here. She would've gotten him on that inner tube faster than he could blink...