Okarito, 11

“Come on then.” Bevan took the plates from Tyler's hands and put them back on the table. “We're out of here, and quickly before they change their minds.”

Tyler nodded to his grandparents and followed Bevan out of the room. They exited the back of the house, crossed the road behind it and went up and over the small scrub-covered sandunes to the beach. For a well-known surfing area, it was not a great beach.

It was just a long slope down to the water where the dying waves raked at the edge of the land. The long, gray beach, presumably broken by the out of sight rivermouth, curved in both directions to the distant headlands to the north and south of them. No-one else was in sight anywhere.

They stumbled along for a few meters, and then sat together on an old log, lodged high-up at the back of the beach. The blue/gray water sparkled in the light of the setting sun and it was calm for a West Coast beach – too flat for surfing, but still too rough for skis.

“The sea's quiet today,” Tyler noted.

“It is,” Bevan agreed. “It's not often like this, it can get pretty rough sometimes.”

“I can believe that. All of the driftwood is heaped way up away from the water.”

“That's very observant of you, Cousin.”

“Maybe so,” Tyler replied. “But that's not what we came here to talk about, is it?”

“Right, it's not. Okay then,” Bevan sighed. “I'm being dead serious here and you won't see that very often. Usually I just cover-up my nerves with a barrage of bullshit.”

“But not now?”

“No, not now. This is way too important for that.”

“What's important?” Tyler looked closely at Bevan's earnest face – he was pale and nervous looking. He glanced down at the writhing hands in the boy's lap and, yes, they were trembling.

“Bevan! Loosen-up, Cus. Relax – it can't be that bad. There's just you and me, there's no-one else here and I'm not going to bite you.”

“I know that.” His voice was trembling too. He tried to force a smile, took a deep breath and continued. “I know I'm being silly, but I can't help it. I'm so nervous and this is important. I've never done anything like this before.”

“You've never done anything like what before?”

“This – opening-up and showing who I really am. You could rip my heart out so easily and, if you do, I think I'll die.”

“Would it help if I promise that I won't do that?”

“I, umm . . I think so.”

“Well then, I promise. Now talk to me.”

“Right. Tyler, this is not easy for me.”

“I can see that, but I don't know why. We're friends, aren't we?”

“Yeah. Well, I hope we are.”

“Of course we are! So stop being all melodramatic and just tell me what's on your mind.”

“Right. Tyler, I'm gay.”

“I know. We've already talked about that – you're gay and so am I. What about it?”

“Well, umm . . do you think . . is there any chance that you and I could, umm, get together, do you think?”

“Any chance? But we are together. We're sitting here and there's no-one else around.”

“There's not. But that's not what I mean. Is there any chance that we, you and I, could get together as a couple – as, well, boyfriends, maybe?”

“Boyfriends? You and me? Bevan, I think there's a very good chance if that's what you want.”

“There is? Tyler, that's exactly what I want. That's what I want very much. I've never met anyone like you, ever, and I think I'm falling in love with you.”

“Likewise,” Tyler responded with a grin. “I think I'm starting to love you too. No, I'm not starting, I am, I do love you, Bevan.”

“Oh, Tyler!” The colour and the life returned to Bevan's face and a big grin spread across it.

He wasn't moving, so Tyler did, he kissed him. - briefly, gently, at first, and then again with meaning. Bevan wrapped his arms around him and responded with passion. They broke apart and happily grinned at each other.

“Thanks,” Bevan breathed.

“Thanks? Thank you! You don't believe in mucking around, do you. I might've taken weeks to get us here.”

“Now we don't have to!”

Tyler was pleased to see that the nervousness had gone and his cheeky grin was back, but what Bevan said next floored him completely.

“So when are we getting married?”

“Married? Like, for real? It's a bit soon, don't you think?”

“Too soon? Why is it?”

“Bevan, we're too young to be making a decision like that. Hell, you're still at school, I haven't got a job yet and we're only just starting to get to know each other.”

“You don't want to marry me?”

“No. Yes. I don't know. Not yet anyway, it's too soon. There is not mucking around, but this is way too fast. When I get married I want to do it right because I'm only going to do it once and it will be for life with no backing out of it – ever.”

“Sounds good to me. So you've no problem, you do believe that 2 boys can get married and stay together for life?”

“Sure I do, but not 2 boys, 2 men who know what they're doing.”

“And when are we men?”

“I dunno. It's a different age for everyone, I think. Some people are grown-up at 16, some are still boys at 30.”

“And some people never grow up.” Bevan nodded.

“Right. When we're ready, we'll know.”

“I'll wait then, but don't make it too long. I want to put my claim on you before anyone else gets a chance, plus I want to give my virginity to you.”

“You're a virgin?”

“A born-again virgin. I've had sex, lots of grubby unsatisfying little affairs , but no more. I decided that I'm not doing that again until I'm with the one I love and married to him.”

“Whoah! So we can't have sex until we get married?”

“No we can't – not all the way sex anyway. I want to make that commitment first, and then it will mean something.”

“Then it will mean a lot. I can buy that, but what do you mean by 'all the way sex'?”

“Let's go to bed and you'll find out,” Bevan grinned.

“We better go to bed real soon then.” Tyler stood up and grinned back down at him.

“Oh yeah!” Bevan stood and faced him. “Come to bed, Boyfriend.”

They kissed.

Hand in hand. They went back to the house and through to the front verandah where Bob and Kathleen were sitting, puffing on their smelly old pipes and enjoying the peace of the evening. Kathleen looked around and smiled.

“Everything all right, Boys?”

“Oh yes,” Tyler replied. “Everything is very all right, thanks. We just came to say goodnight; we're going to bed now.”

“Already?” said Bob. “It's dark, but it's still early you know.”

“In a tent, when it's dark it's bedtime. We'll be awake at daybreak, it's impossible to sleep once the sun comes up.”

“Okay then, I suppose you'd know, but you could fix that. Surely there must be some way of putting up a blackout curtain so it stays dark in there.”

“We probably could. We could fix up some sort of black inner tent, but that'd make it stuffy. Besides, I quite like living with natural rythyms.”

“You wouldn't need anything elaborate,” Kathleen said. “You could wear one of those black mask things they give you for sleeping on 'planes.”

“I'd never get to sleep with something wrapped around my face! We'll just go to bed now. That's the easiest way.”

“Okay then. See you in the morning, Boys. Breakfast will be at 7.”

“Grandmother! We can get our own breakfast. There's plenty of food in the tent.”

“There's plenty in the house too. I'll be cooking anyway, so you can come and breakfast with us.”

“Thanks but no thanks. I won't be around for lunch either and I'll get my own dinner.”

“There's no need for that.”

“Yes there is. Grandmother, I can look after myself and I want to. If the meals are going to cause arguments, then I'll just have to move away from here. There's a couple of nice-looking spots next to the road into town from the highway.”

“Oh no. Don't do that. Stay here – feed yourself if you must, but know that you'll always be welcome to eat with us.

“I know. Thanks and goodnight. We're going to bed now.”

“G'night, Boys. Sleep well.”

Tyler woke in the morning, stretched, smiled and looked at the naked boy lying next to him.

Bevan lay on his side, facing towards him with his hands together and pillowed under his head, naked and uncovered. Asleep, his face showed none of his usual cheekiness and other lively expressions. He was totally relaxed and breathing slowly, puffing out his pursed lips. It really was a beautiful face.

He hadn't realised just what a good-looking boy Bevan really was – he was totally gorgeous. His short but full-bodied hair, messy right now, was a dirty-blond colour with lighter blond tips and streaks through it.

Maybe it was high-lighted, maybe it was sun-bleached. He wouldn't know unless he asked him. His eyebrows were all-but invisible, but they were there and very blond. The mischievious blue eyes were closed, of course, and framed by long, dark, thick lashes. The nose was small and well-formed – the slight uptilt gave it a 'perky' look.

His lips were red and full with the upper lip forming a perfect 'cupid's bow'. It was a wonder that they weren't bruised with the workout they had last night, but they weren't.

Bevan's idea of sex 'but not all the way' seemed to include everything except anal. That was okay by Tyler, he could happily live with that.

Continuing down, the light tan of the boy's face went all of the way down his smooth and hairless body and legs to his feet without a break. There was no tan-line anywhere and his bum was the exact same clour as his belly. An interesting story there for sure.

On closer inspection, the legs weren't really hairless, they had a dusting of fine blond hairs even thinner and sparser than those on his forearms. The body was hairless, as far as he could see, apart from the small patch of dark pubes above his genitals.

All-up it made a pretty damm fine picture of a beautiful young boy on the cusp of becoming a man.

'Gorgeous.'

Tyler stretched happily. He'd like to wake up like this every day. Maybe one day they would.

“Like what you see?” Bevan was awake, eyes opened and smiling at him.

“Yeah, I do. I like it a lot. You're beautiful.” Tyler leant in and kissed his lips, then recoiled.

“Phaw! You're beautiful, but your breath stinks!”

“You're not so sweet yourself,” Bevan grinned. “Morning breath is the pits. I've got no toothbrush, are you going to share yours?”

“Yeah, sure. Have this.” Tyler handed him a small red apple.

“A napple?'

“Nature's toothbrush. I've got heaps of them, I raided a roadside tree a couple of days ago.”

“Of course you did!”

They sat grinning at each other as they crunched their way through their apples.

“Okay.” Bevan put the core aside. “Let's see how that worked.

It worked fine. Apart from a quick dash to pee under the trees outside, they were busily occupied on the bed for another hour.

After they were dressed, Tyler made 2 instant coffees and that was all the breakfast they wanted. They sat outside, under the tent verandah, and looked out over the placid water in the lagoon.

“I'll never get tired of this view.”

“Yeah? I hardly see it. I've lived with it all of my life. Pretty cool though.”

“It is – very cool. So what are you going to do today?”

“I've gotta go home. I've got lawns to mow and, if they're not done soon, Mum's going to go ballistic.”

“And you don't want that.”

“Definitely not – it's not a pretty sight.”

“Do you want me to come and help?”

“No. It's okay. The mother's a bit precious about her lawns, they have to be done just right.”

“How hard could that be?”

“Trust me – it can be.”

“You make her sound like a monster.”

“Not really, except when it comes to her lawns.”

“When am I going to meet your parents?”

“Sometime, but not today. Not before the lawns have been manicured anyway. What are your plans for the day?”

“I was thinking of lying around in the tent all day, but that'd be a bit pointless if you're not here with me. I guess I'll go to town and check it out. I need to get myself a job and also, I want to see how much kayaks and gear are going to cost me.”

“You're going to buy a kayak? What for? Bob's got plenty of them here and they're not doing anything.”

“I know, but they are his. I want some of my own. I'm thinking about hiring them out to the tourists.”

“Aha. So that's the business you're thinking about? Could work, I guess. You still don't have to buy any – borrow Bob's he won't mind.”

“I can't do that. He said that they're for family.”

“You are family! If you don't want to borrow them, lease them off him. Talk to Bob, he's an accountant. I'm sure you could work out a deal that's good for everyone.”

“You might have something there. If I don't have to buy them, that could save a fortune in start-up costs. I could be in business next week instead of next year.”

“Talk to him, you've got nothing to lose and, if he's not keen all you have to do is appeal to a higher authority.”

“To my grandmother, you mean?”

“You're learning!” Bevan grinned. “Come over to the house and we'll see if they're still at home. If they are I'll cadge a ride to town. If they're not, I'll pinch a kayak to get me home.”

“You can't do that if they're not there!”

“Can't I? You just watch me, Boy. I'm family too y'know.”

“Bevan!” Tyler shook his head. “You really are incorrigible you know.”

“So they tell me – I'm not even sure what that means. C'mon, Cousin. Time's wasting, let's do it.”

Kathleen was heading out of the door when they got to the house. “Hello, Boys! Your granddad has gone to work, Tyler, and I'm heading there now. Is there anything I can get you in town?”

“No thanks. I'm fine. Bevan's going home and I'm going to town too. It's time I went and checked it out. I'll go on my bike.”

“Come with me if you like. But, I suppose you can come back when you're ready and not have to wait, if you've got the bike. How are you getting home, Bevan?”

“I'm hoping that my favourite aunty is about to offer me a ride.”

“Oh? Are you now?” Kathleen laughed. “Get in the car, you Monkey.”

“Choice. Thanks. See you later, Tyler – maybe tonight.”

“That'll be good. Bye, Bevan. Bye Grandmother – have a great day.”

Kathleen drove away with Bevan waving behind them. Tyler went to the barn, uncoupled the trailer from the bike, then he rode to town as well.