#barright

“Look at me.”

Syd does, and even after all the time they’ve been together, Rick still marvels at the way Syd looks at him: as if Rick is the only person in the world for him.

Leaning in, Rick brushes Syd’s cheek before kissing him, a slow kiss that allows Rick to enjoy the smooth and gentle caress of Syd’s lips.

Syd sighs, murmuring, “I love it when you kiss me like this.” He pecks Rick’s nose and adds, “It reminds me of our first kiss.”

Yes, Rick thinks, but doesn’t say it out loud.

Syd loves kissing Rick’s jaw. Or, to be more specific, he loves teasing Rick until he finally gets to kiss his jaw.

Rick loves it too, although he likes to pretend he doesn’t. “Oh no,” he says, catching the look in Syd’s eyes.

“Oh yes,” Syd replies, burying his face in Rick’s neck, kissing the delicate skin, finding the sensitive spot just under Rick’s ear, nuzzling it.

Rick lets out the breathless laughter Syd knows well, and he makes his final move, slowly roaming his lips over Rick’s jaw.

“You’re a menace, you know that?” Rick murmurs.

Syd is about to pick up his brush to resume painting when Rick puts his arms around his waist. His lips caress the skin of Syd’s neck, barely touching it.

“Don’t do that.”

“Do what?” Rick asks, feigning ignorance, his lips brushing Syd’s skin again.

“You know what,” Syd murmurs, a shiver running down his spine when he feels Rick’s breath on his neck. “Don’t tease me with those light kisses.”

“And how are you going to stop me?” Another brush of his lips.

Syd kisses Rick on the cheek, making him smile. The crinkles at the corners of his eyes appear, as they always do.

He kisses him again, just so the lovely crinkles don’t disappear from his face.

“Are we celebrating something?” Rick asks.

“No, I just felt like kissing you.”

“That’s a wonderful reason.”

Syd leans in again, but this time he presses his lips to the crinkles he loves so much. How could he not love them? They are always there when Rick is cheerful.

As he is now.

“I love seeing you happy.”

The wind rustles the tree leaves above Syd, allowing sunlight to peek and caress his face. He lies down on the grass again and Rick’s hand finds his, interlacing their fingers.

Syd feels Rick lifting their joined hands, kissing his fingers one by one. Then, Rick’s lips are on Syd’s inner wrist, barely brushing it but sending shivers down his spine. He opens his eyes in time to see Rick pressing a gentle kiss to the palm of his hand before interlacing their fingers again.

The look in Rick’s makes words unnecessary.

Syd is lying flat on his stomach, his back pale under the summer sun. He’s so still on his towel that he looks asleep, but Rick knows better.

Delicately, Rick lets his fingers run over Syd’s spine, tracing its curve.

“I was expecting that,” Syd says, his eyes still closed.

“Of course you were expecting it; you’re like a cat.”

“Look who’s talking, the one who loves to nuzzle my neck every time we’re in bed.”

“Like this, you mean?” Rick replies, pulling Syd into an embrace and burying his face in Syd’s neck.