[ONC2024] Everyone can read minds except for Ethan Langdon. And Ethan Langdon has the dumbest (and cutest!) thoughts Lukas Hoffmann has ever heard.
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Lukas Hoffman's life in Brambleburg is about as boring as you'd expect for a town where everyon...
I gasp as my body hits the chilly water. Even in summer, it's cool to the touch. I move my arms in slow circles, treading the surface.
Ethan splutters as he comes up, spitting out a fountain. "Lukas! What did you do?"
"ME?"
I huff at his audacity, propelling myself towards the capsized boat. Ethan flaps his arms violently, treading water in a way that would ensure he loses energy fast. He does a doggy paddle towards me.
We grab onto the side of the boat and push it over. I'm sure Ethan is pulling because it gets heavier once he starts to help me. Water pours off the side of the boat as we flip it over. The wicker picnic basket slides out from under the seat. It's soaked through.
"Do you think our sandwiches are wet?" Ethan asks, looking at the dripping basket. We must try to stay optimistic in the face of hardship.
"Most likely, yes."
He looks at it sorrowfully. "At least...we can pull this boat to shore now."
I sigh and start to steer the boat while Ethan propels it from behind.
"The water's not bad," I say as we tie up the boat at the dock. "Kind of refreshing, actually."
His eyes widen. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Sexy lake swim scene from like every romcom?!
"Er...I dunno. I guess we can swim around while our clothes dry off? We'll have to wait a while anyway." And no way am I sitting naked with him under a tree. No way. I'd rather be in the water.
"Oh. Yeahhh." Shit our clothes have to dry off. I didn't even think of that. Do I have to like...start stripping now?
I'm surprised Ethan's thoughts hadn't been pervy for once. They're actually...uncharacteristically shy. But once I pull of my soaking shirt, his mind is already there. Wow, Lukas has a really nice...chest.
I turn away, crossing my arms over my chest as he throws his shirt and jeans on the rock. My denims are heavy with water so I peel them off too, putting them to dry under the sun.
Soon I'm just in my briefs, and Ethan is thinking I'm a briefs guy, and I'm thinking it's way too early for me to know he's a boxers guy and we're both leaning against the river bank silently waiting for our clothes to dry.
"Hey Lukas."
I turn to him and a shower of water rains on my face. Ethan laughs and ducks away before I can react.
"Hey!" I object, splashing a big wave towards him. The spray catches in his curly hair and drips down his forehead. Heavy drops of water gleam on his dark lashes.
A full out water fight ensues. Ethan bobs out of reach before sending a flurry of water my way. My hair is soaked through and I'm losing so badly. And I'm laughing so hard that I can barely keep afloat.
"See, swimming was a great idea." Ethan splashes another wave at me. "Aren't you glad you fell in the water?"
"But our clothes are wet."
He instantly flushes at the reminder that we're both half naked. And I don't think I've ever seen him blush before. His cheeks turn pink as he chews on his bottom lip. He looks more innocent than ever, face forever at odds with the thoughts running rampant through his mind. Lukas is so...wet...with wet hair dripping...and glistening beads of water dripping down his chest.
"I didn't—I didn't mean it like that," he stammers out, meaning it exactly like that.
"Anyway, you made me fall," I point out, trying to change the topic before his thoughts make me blush as well.
"Those are just minor details." It wasn't reaaaally on purpose.
I stare at him, turning his vaguely guilty thought over in my mind. Did Ethan really make us fall on purpose? Or worse, did he try to make me fall and then accidentally fell as well?
A sudden grins cracks across my face and I splash a playful wave at him. "If you wanted to go for a swim you should've just said so."
Ethan turns even redder. "What you insinuating?" he demands. Oh my god, he knows.
He's so close I can count each freckle on his face and each droplet of water clinging to his thick lashes.
"Nothing, really." My voice comes out soft, barely audible.
His lips part as he stares at mine. I would've kidded myself into thinking he's only looking at my mouth to decipher what I'm saying—but I can hear every thought in his mind. Ethan is thinking what it would be like to kiss me. And he's imagining it so vividly, that I can almost feel it.
"Lukas?" Warm brown eyes melt like honey under the sunlight.
"Yeah?"
"Um." You're so beautiful and stuff, and like...I just wanna touch your hair? But you probably wouldn't like that. And then it would be weird. And you would think I was weird. And it's embarrassing. And I'm so sorry. But I think...it just hit me. And I feel so weird, dude.
"I'm like really hungry," he says.
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