A Little Relief
Part 19
Meanwhile, out on deck, AJ and Howie sat on the deck of the boat looking out to sea.
AJ lay his head on Howie's shoulder, relishing the opportunity for the two of them to be alone, out in the open air, without having to worry about being recognised. Here there was no risk of that, and they were able to express their feelings for each other, without risk of being caught.
Howie tipped his head to the side, kissing the top of AJ's head softly, before resting his cheek on the top of his unruly hair. He also felt the freedom of the moment, and was determined to hold onto it for as long as possible.
The two stayed in silence like this for several minutes, simply enjoying the view, and each other's company, until AJ spoke.
"I love you Howie."
Howie lifted his head and turned it towards AJ, who hadn't moved.
"I love you too." AJ nuzzled his head into Howie's shoulder in response. Howie watched this, before deciding to continue.
"What's wrong?"
"Nuthin'"
"Alex?" Howie could tell something was wrong, and he wanted to know what it was.
AJ moved his head from Howie's shoulder, and sat up straight, not meeting Howie's eyes.
"Talk to me baby. I know something is wrong, just tell me."
AJ glanced at Howie briefly, before getting up and heading to stand on the back of the boat. Even from that brief glance, Howie had been able to see the conflicting emotions in his lover's eyes. It made him even more determined to find out what the problem was before it got serious.
He knew from experience that AJ could be insecure sometimes, and he had a feeling that AJ was having more difficulty dealing with what had just happened than Howie had thought. He quickly got up to follow AJ, but was only in time to watch AJ dive off of the back of the boat into the cool, blue sea.
"Alex!" Howie called after AJ, and rushed to the back of the boat. AJ was swimming away from him, towards the shore. Howie knew that AJ wanted to be alone, but he also knew that it was the last thing he needed.
When he was alone, AJ sometimes allowed his doubts to take over and play on his insecurities. Howie wasn't about to let that happen, and so he immediately dived into the water after him, his body slicing through the water with powerful strokes.