Chapter 4 Playing Hookey
Tom raced along the worn path toward the schoolhouse. Partly to beat up Sydney, partly to look for Huck. If anywhere could be determined as specific to Huckleberry Finn, in Hannibal, Missouri, it was either beside him or in a field. There was a field in front of the schoolhouse.
Tom stopped and looked off into the tall yellowed grass. Spotting a clump of brown, he trotted over, grinning, "Hey, Huck." Huck looked up at him, smiling around the grass stalk in his teeth.
"Hey, Tom..." A soft pink tinged his cheeks. "Feelin' better?"
"Yah." Tom was crouching to a sit when his cousin called out in a sing-song voice, "Oh, Tom!" Tom rose out of the grass and looked at him. Sydney made whipping motions with his hand. Of all the class, Tom was the most often caught troublemaker. Tom's fingers curled into fists as he shook in his restrained anger.
"That little sonuva..." Tom's mutterings turned to a growl. If he'd been next to anyone but Huck, he would have lobbed a good sized rock at Sydney's head. As it was, he couldn't find one.
"Don't lis'en t'im, Tom..." Huck's voice was in his ear. When had he stood? Tom hadn't heard the slightest rustle of grass. The back of Huck's hand rubbed against his. Tom felt his heart quicken. He glanced at the hand on his, then up at the dark eyes. He smiled slowly.
"Thanks, Huck." Huck returned the look, plopping back down in the tall yellow grass.
"Sit with me?"
" 'Course." Tom sat. "I'd rather be here than in some dumb ol' school."
"I'll tell Aunt Polly!" Sydney yelled before running to the school.
"Dumb cracker," Huck muttered. Tom tilted his head.
"Wha's a cracker?" He shrugged, as if immediately putting it out of his mind, and lay back in the grass. He slid his hands behind his head, watching the clouds scuttle by.
Huck followed suit, crossing a leg on his knee, smiling and chewing his grass. Probably the most peaceful person in the world at that moment. Tom glanced over at him and immediately felt the effect. His arms turned to noodles; jelly was more stable than his legs. He looked away. The still air was shattered by a shriek.
"THOMAS SAWYER!" Tom went pale. The schoolmaster. Huck bolted up.
"Come on! We gotta hide!" He grasped Tom's hand and took off. Tom pelted after him, almost dragged off his feet. One hand held his wide brimmed hat down on his head. AS they reached the first of the wood's trees, Huck started to laugh. Tom was soon infected by it. Racing along, Tom didn't notice the root until it had caught his foot, sending him crashing into Huck. "Agh!" Huck toppled over.
Tom opened his eyes, one before the other. He was sprawled on top of his friend, flat between his legs. He looked up at him sheepishly.
"Sorry, Huck." Huck smiled, then leaned down and kissed him. Tom felt his body go weak again as he kissed back, eyes fluttering. Huck closed his own, hands cupping the smaller face.
Tom crawled a little closer to his face, straddling him slightly, hands on either side of him. Huck panted, gazing into his eyes.
"Tom Sawyer, I love you. And I don' care if'n the whole world hears me say it."
Chapter 5 In the Woods
Tom stared. His breath came and left him in gasps. His lips brushed against the other's as he spoke.
"Wh-when y'say it, Huck..." When he said it, his head rang, his heart felt like it would burst. "Say it again... Please..." Huck smiled, chest rising and falling quickly. He obliged.
"I love you..."
Tom's breathing hitched as he threw his arms around Huck's neck, not for the first time.
"Oh, Goddammit, I love you too!" Neither of the two really knew when the tears had started rolling, but they had, and Tom was sobbing, his face buried in Huck's shirt. "I dunnow why...I just..." Huck nuzzled him, petting his head.
"Shhh... Don' cry..." The sobs soon died down to hiccups.
"Dammit, Huck..." Tom's fingers curled into his shirt. "Don' lemme go...just don'..." It was as if every time Huck had left had come flooding back to him. He raised his head and shook. "I dunnow why I'm feelin' this way..." he snorted a laugh. "Y'make me feel like water, Huck... I can' stand 'round ya... Then I go 'n' think how great it'd be if'n y'caught me..."
Huck wrapped his arms around him.
"I love you..." Toom nuzzled into his hold.
"I love you too, Huck Finn." Huck looked at him. His face softened, and whatever the girls said was boyishly charming about him faded as he kissed Tom gently. Tom kissed him back. Huck smiled. The smaller teen returned it, pulling away long enough to rub his salty eyes before coming back for more. Huck held him more securely.
"I'll never let ya go..." Tom pressed his head under his chin, closing his eyes.
"I cou' just lay here...and I'd be happy...'cause I'm with you..."
"Then why don' we just lay here?" Huck smiled. "There's no harm in it..."
"Okay..." Tom settled, listening to the beating below him. They stayed that way for awhile. Then,
"I never knew love 'fore I met ya, Tom..."
"Y'didn'?" Tom shifted, sliding down next to Huck, curling up against him with his head on the other's arm. Huck turned on his side to face him.
"Nope..." He continued after a moment, "I just wanna spend my life with you..."
"Why wou'd'n' y'be?" He snuggled into Huck's chest.
"Tom...I wanna spend my life with you..." Tom twined his fingers with Huck's.
"Y'do?" He stared into Huck's eyes, trying to see if he was just funning.
"Yah...'course I do..." Huck squeezed his hand. Tom swallowed.
"Huck..." He'd always had Huck in his life. Now this... He couldn't imagine the rest of his life, but he knew Huck was there. For once, no matter how many times he opened his mouth, he was speechless. Huck pressed against him, nuzzling and petting him gently. Tom blushed softly, finding his voice. He kissed his cheek, murmuring, "Who knew...Huckleberry Finn...would..."
"Would what?" Huck asked when he didn't finish, running his fingers through Tom's hair. Tom smiled, leaning against his hand and closing his eyes.
"Would come back...fer me..." He opened his eyes. "Is that why y'came back?" Huck looked to the sky in exasperation.
"Tom, I don't know why! But hell, I'm sure glad I did." He grinned. Tom grinned back mischievously.
"Hey, Huck, know wha'?"
"Wha'?"
"Yer still slower'n me!" Tom was on his feet and running, grinning back over his shoulder.
Chapter 6 WIP shall be posted soon. mrgreen Have fun with this till then.
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