Autumn Leaves
Autumn Leaves
Jack has always loved autumn, ever since he was a child, and now, as a photographer the colourful season tends to enchant him even more. It is something magical about the way the sun hits the leaves, giving them that golden glow. It is safe to say that autumn is Jack's favourite season; it fills him with that happy, glowing feeling that most other people get in the spring. Most of Jack's friends think he's crazy and often ask how he can love autumn when it's just a gray, cold and rainy foretaste of an even colder winter that is yet to come. But Jack doesn't see it that way, even on a cold, rainy day there's still beauty to be found; the beauty of the rain tapping on his window or how the leaves float like colourful boats in the dark puddles.
It is because of all of this that Jack finds himself strolling through a deserted park a sunny Saturday afternoon. His camera is hanging around his neck and every now and then he stops and snaps a photo of something that's caught his attention. He loves the feeling of the crisp, clear air caressing his cheeks and the fresh feeling he gets from the smell of wilting leaves. There couldn't be anything more beautiful than this, it wasn't possible.
---
A few hours of strolling later is when Jack sees him, the one that proves Jack wrong. He is lying on the ground under a huge willow tree surrounded by red and golden leaves. The sun shines down on him, making his skin glow. Everything about the scene is beautiful and Jack really wants to take a picture to make the moment last.
His hair is a caramel brown shade that glows golden in the sunlight. From where Jack is standing he can sees that his eyes are closed, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks. The expression on his face is breathtaking, a crooked smile painting his features. He looks relaxed and unbelievably happy and Jack thinks it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Jack's fingers start to twitch and inch closer to his camera, something that always happens when he sees something beautiful he wants to eternalize, but he knows he can't fulfill his desire. He has to ask the boy first and then the moment will be ruined and gone forever. To say Jack was conflicted would be an understatement. He's been standing frozen to the same spot for an eternity, unable to take his eyes off the beautiful boy.
Jack is jerked out of his thoughts by an angelic voice cutting through the crisp air. "Are you going to stand there staring forever or are you going to take the picture already?"
Jack chokes on the air and stares at the boy, who has opened his eyes and is now looking at Jack with a smirk. "Wh-What?" he stutters, unable to believe his ears.
"I know you've been standing here for a while, with your hands twitching towards that camera of yours. Take the picture if you want, I don't mind." The boy says with a smile that makes Jack's heart flutter.
"Are you sure?" He asks, still unable to grasp what is happening.
"Of course, but only if I get to see the picture later." The boy bargains, to which Jack nods eagerly.
"Yes, of course." He says before going into photographer mode. "Lie like you did before you started talking to me, with your eyes closed." He tells the boy, who complies immediately. Jack smiles and snaps a few pictures. "Just like that. Beautiful." He mumbles as he gets closer, taking pictures from different angles. He's just a few meters away when he realizes just how beautiful the boy actually is. Now up close he can see everything; he can see the dimples when the boy smiles, he can see how perfectly styled his hair is. He can see how good he looks in black skinny jeans that make his legs go on for miles.
As if feeling his presence, the boy suddenly opens his eyes and looks up at Jack with a wide smile. "How's it going?" He asks. Jack, who had gotten lost in the boy's deep brown eyes, quickly looks up with a slightly nervous smile.
"Good, fantastic actually. Can I take a few close ups too?" He asks shyly.
"Yeah sure, do whatever you want." The boy says, smiling that beautiful smile again.
Jack moves so that he is standing with his legs on either side of the boy. "Close your eyes again." He instructs the boy, who once again does what he is told. Jack snapped a few more pictures while admiring the boy.
"Open your eyes again, please." The boy opens his eyes and Jack takes more pictures, capturing the way the sun is reflected in his eyes.
When he is done taking pictures, Jack sits down on the ground and messes with his camera for a while before he looks over at the boy beside him. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" He blurts out, eyes widening t his own words.
The boy's eyes snap open and he looks over to Jack with quickly reddening cheeks. He bites his lip and looks down, shaking his head ever so slightly. "No, I don't think so." He says quietly before looking up at Jack again with wide eyes, partly hidden under his hair.
Jack finds himself leaning forward to gently brush the hair out of those beautiful eyes. "Well, you are, at least I think so." He says softly with a small smile. He doesn't know where the sudden confidence comes from, but he's glad it did because the way the boy's face lights up is absolutely breathtaking.
"Thank you, uh..." He says and looks at Jack, tilting his head slightly to the side.
"Jack. My name is Jack."
The boy smiles again. "Thank you, Jack. It means a lot." He says before reaching out his hand towards Jack. "I'm Alex, by the way."
Jack smiles and takes Alex's hand and shakes it. "It's nice to meet you, Alex." He says softly as he squeezes Alex's hand gently.
"It's nice to meet you too, Jack." Alex says, smile ever present on his beautiful features.
---
Jack stands up after a while and brushes off his pants. "I think I'll continue my walk before the sun sets." He says while looking down at Alex.
A look of disappointment flickers over his features, gone as suddenly as it appeared. "Oh, okay." He says quietly as he looks up at Jack through his fringe.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, maybe I'll see you around." Jack says as he turns around and starts walking away. “Yeah." He hears Alex whisper.
When he's walked for a while, silently cursing himself for not asking for Alex's number, he hears the sound of footsteps coming towards him from behind.
"Jack, wait!" Alex yells, making Jack stop dead in his tracks. Alex soon catches up with him. "I never go to see the pictures, Jack, you promised I would." Alex pants, looking up at Jack with playfully accusing eyes. "And...and I was thinking, maybe if you want you could take more pictures of me. You don't have to, of course..." Alex rambles before trailing off, finding sudden interest in his shoes.
Jack smiles at the embarrassed boy in front of him. "Yes, of course Alex, I'd love to! Come with me and we'll see what we can come up with." He says with a smile, reaching out his hand towards Alex, who hesitantly takes it.
They walk through the park until the sun sets, Jack occasionally stopping to take a picture. When they eventually part ways, Jack can't help but smile widely. This is the day when Jack was proven wrong; there actually exists something, or rather someone, more beautiful than autumn, and his name is Alex.
It is because of all of this that Jack finds himself strolling through a deserted park a sunny Saturday afternoon. His camera is hanging around his neck and every now and then he stops and snaps a photo of something that's caught his attention. He loves the feeling of the crisp, clear air caressing his cheeks and the fresh feeling he gets from the smell of wilting leaves. There couldn't be anything more beautiful than this, it wasn't possible.
---
A few hours of strolling later is when Jack sees him, the one that proves Jack wrong. He is lying on the ground under a huge willow tree surrounded by red and golden leaves. The sun shines down on him, making his skin glow. Everything about the scene is beautiful and Jack really wants to take a picture to make the moment last.
His hair is a caramel brown shade that glows golden in the sunlight. From where Jack is standing he can sees that his eyes are closed, long eyelashes brushing his cheeks. The expression on his face is breathtaking, a crooked smile painting his features. He looks relaxed and unbelievably happy and Jack thinks it is the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Jack's fingers start to twitch and inch closer to his camera, something that always happens when he sees something beautiful he wants to eternalize, but he knows he can't fulfill his desire. He has to ask the boy first and then the moment will be ruined and gone forever. To say Jack was conflicted would be an understatement. He's been standing frozen to the same spot for an eternity, unable to take his eyes off the beautiful boy.
Jack is jerked out of his thoughts by an angelic voice cutting through the crisp air. "Are you going to stand there staring forever or are you going to take the picture already?"
Jack chokes on the air and stares at the boy, who has opened his eyes and is now looking at Jack with a smirk. "Wh-What?" he stutters, unable to believe his ears.
"I know you've been standing here for a while, with your hands twitching towards that camera of yours. Take the picture if you want, I don't mind." The boy says with a smile that makes Jack's heart flutter.
"Are you sure?" He asks, still unable to grasp what is happening.
"Of course, but only if I get to see the picture later." The boy bargains, to which Jack nods eagerly.
"Yes, of course." He says before going into photographer mode. "Lie like you did before you started talking to me, with your eyes closed." He tells the boy, who complies immediately. Jack smiles and snaps a few pictures. "Just like that. Beautiful." He mumbles as he gets closer, taking pictures from different angles. He's just a few meters away when he realizes just how beautiful the boy actually is. Now up close he can see everything; he can see the dimples when the boy smiles, he can see how perfectly styled his hair is. He can see how good he looks in black skinny jeans that make his legs go on for miles.
As if feeling his presence, the boy suddenly opens his eyes and looks up at Jack with a wide smile. "How's it going?" He asks. Jack, who had gotten lost in the boy's deep brown eyes, quickly looks up with a slightly nervous smile.
"Good, fantastic actually. Can I take a few close ups too?" He asks shyly.
"Yeah sure, do whatever you want." The boy says, smiling that beautiful smile again.
Jack moves so that he is standing with his legs on either side of the boy. "Close your eyes again." He instructs the boy, who once again does what he is told. Jack snapped a few more pictures while admiring the boy.
"Open your eyes again, please." The boy opens his eyes and Jack takes more pictures, capturing the way the sun is reflected in his eyes.
When he is done taking pictures, Jack sits down on the ground and messes with his camera for a while before he looks over at the boy beside him. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" He blurts out, eyes widening t his own words.
The boy's eyes snap open and he looks over to Jack with quickly reddening cheeks. He bites his lip and looks down, shaking his head ever so slightly. "No, I don't think so." He says quietly before looking up at Jack again with wide eyes, partly hidden under his hair.
Jack finds himself leaning forward to gently brush the hair out of those beautiful eyes. "Well, you are, at least I think so." He says softly with a small smile. He doesn't know where the sudden confidence comes from, but he's glad it did because the way the boy's face lights up is absolutely breathtaking.
"Thank you, uh..." He says and looks at Jack, tilting his head slightly to the side.
"Jack. My name is Jack."
The boy smiles again. "Thank you, Jack. It means a lot." He says before reaching out his hand towards Jack. "I'm Alex, by the way."
Jack smiles and takes Alex's hand and shakes it. "It's nice to meet you, Alex." He says softly as he squeezes Alex's hand gently.
"It's nice to meet you too, Jack." Alex says, smile ever present on his beautiful features.
---
Jack stands up after a while and brushes off his pants. "I think I'll continue my walk before the sun sets." He says while looking down at Alex.
A look of disappointment flickers over his features, gone as suddenly as it appeared. "Oh, okay." He says quietly as he looks up at Jack through his fringe.
"Well, it was nice meeting you, maybe I'll see you around." Jack says as he turns around and starts walking away. “Yeah." He hears Alex whisper.
When he's walked for a while, silently cursing himself for not asking for Alex's number, he hears the sound of footsteps coming towards him from behind.
"Jack, wait!" Alex yells, making Jack stop dead in his tracks. Alex soon catches up with him. "I never go to see the pictures, Jack, you promised I would." Alex pants, looking up at Jack with playfully accusing eyes. "And...and I was thinking, maybe if you want you could take more pictures of me. You don't have to, of course..." Alex rambles before trailing off, finding sudden interest in his shoes.
Jack smiles at the embarrassed boy in front of him. "Yes, of course Alex, I'd love to! Come with me and we'll see what we can come up with." He says with a smile, reaching out his hand towards Alex, who hesitantly takes it.
They walk through the park until the sun sets, Jack occasionally stopping to take a picture. When they eventually part ways, Jack can't help but smile widely. This is the day when Jack was proven wrong; there actually exists something, or rather someone, more beautiful than autumn, and his name is Alex.