For Nick

I'm lying on my back on a white-washed wood floor, my head tilted to the side, staring up through a skylight at the clouds passing by.  The sky is a clear, unblemished blue and the clouds look like color-less cotton candy.  I turn onto my stomach and you're sitting barefoot, strumming a guitar, with your eyes intent on the neck and your mouth pursed in concentration.  I crawl over, silent as a whisper, and I can feel you smile as I burrow my mouth into your neck, leaving leopard spot kisses.  You pull me into your lap, placing the guitar down gently to the side.  I'm facing you and we're cheek to cheek and my fingers pull through your curls as you hold me.

My hand is holding tight to yours and the ocean is slapping against our shins.  I can feel my cheeks prickling pink with the warmth of the sun and you're grinning like a little boy, pulling me out farther.  The water is cool and lapping lazily but I'm still scared, and I pull closer, closing the space between us until our arms are touching.  By the third roll of waves I feel better, and I flutter over them as you duck right in.  You pop back up like a dolphin and when you kiss me you're still smiling and your lips taste like salt.  You get my neck and shoulders wet and I gasp in mock outrage but I'm laughing as I throw my arms around you.

It's night and it's quiet and our heads are dipped back as we huddle together under the stars.  My hat keeps flopping down into my eyes but every time I push it back up, our blanket loosens its hold on us and the cold air snakes in.  Your breath comes out in silver puffs as you identify constellations with a nod of your head or a thrust of your chin; your arms too busy warming me to point.  We coo and gawk over every sailing meteor like fans at a basketball game.  We can't tell each other what we wish for in fear they won't come true, but I hope yours are about me because almost all of mine are about you.

My eyelids are drooping closed and you're murmuring a story to me.  I move the side of my face further up onto your chest so I can hear your heartbeat as you speak.  My right leg finds yours and wraps around it, serpent-like.  You're the Prince and I'm the Princess and I trace hearts across your stomach with my fingertip to make your skin understand how much I love you.