Chapter 32
THIRTY-TWO
“The Steller’s Sea-Eagle is native to far east Russia, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, so they island-hop on their way here,” I say as my eyes scan the treetops, my heart thumps, and my hands shake with excitement. I glance back at Trevor as we hike along the edge of the water, just outside of Trinity. “With a diet of mostly fish and various waterbirds, they stick to the western Pacific coastal zones and freshwater rivers and lakes close to the coast. So, luckily, there are some lakes up here.”
A rustling sound in the trees snaps my attention upward, and I instinctively raise my camera with hope… but it’s a Starling. Strange. Starlings usually gather in towns and cities, and we’ve been hiking outside town for a while now. I lift my camera and adjust the focus, bringing the Starling into view so its purplish-green iridescent feathers reflect the soft sunlight peeking through the leaves. As it looks up to its flock above it, I snap a photo. Then, as it mimics a Blue Jay’s call, I narrow my eyes at it and lower the camera.
They mimic whatever is around them, and they’re also harmfully invasive and often kill Blue Jays and other songbirds.
Which sucks, because otherwise, they’re an interesting bird.
“The Steller’s Sea-Eagle is one of the largest birds of prey in the world,” I say, glancing back at Trevor as he quietly watches me, and I get us back on track.
He just smiles, and follows me as I continue along the rough path.
“The feathers on their head and their beak reveal their age. The one that was seen here is thought to be seven based on its appearance. And they can weigh up to thirteen pounds and have a wingspan up to eight feet.” I pause, but my thoughts continue to rush ahead of me, tumbling over each other as they all try to get out of my head. “ And, the younger Steller’s are often confused with young White-tailed Eagles, but the Steller’s have larger bills, a unique wing shape, and a wedge-shaped tail.”
I look back at Trevor again to see him listening intently as he steps over roots and rocks in the path as he follows me.
Another rustle in the trees draws my attention to the branches above us, but it’s nothing. Probably a squirrel running between trees. My hands flap in front of me for a few beats as I shake off the surge of excitement. “We’ll probably see a Bald Eagle too because Steller’s are often in proximity to Bald Eagles.” Then I stop and turn to face Trevor as I remember the coolest thing ever . “Oh my god, and did you hear about the eagle on Vancouver Island that could be a cross between a Steller’s and a Bald Eagle??”
Trevor chuckles, stepping up to me and placing his hands on my hips. The moment his lips press to mine, the swirling thoughts and facts in my mind slows, and everything settles into place. His calm seeps into me, like he’s grounding me here in the middle of the forest, surrounded by bird’s chirping and the fresh scent of pine. This place, out here in nature, alone, has always been where I’ve felt most comfortable. But this… with him… nothing has felt better than this. It’s our world that we’ve created for ourselves.
“Firefox,” he murmurs against my lips. “You’re amazing. And I want to hear all about that hybrid eagle. But first…” He turns my hips towards the water, guiding my gaze towards hundreds of Puffins swarming the sky over rocky islands in the bay.
I smile, watching their bright orange beaks flash against the clear blue sky as they fly in every direction possible.
“I think that deserves a photo,” Trevor says. Then he chuckles. “And… we’ve been hiking for three hours. While you may be able to go all day, I need a break.”
I laugh softly, but my eyes remain on the Puffins. Bright green trees frame the scene, with the blue sky peeking through the fluttering leaves as the birds continue to swarm the sky. I lift my camera, framing the perfect shot with the rocky island at the centre, and snap a few photos.
“Closer?” Trevor suggests, and I nod, already reaching into my bag to swap out my lens.
We step through the trees and onto the rocky shore where the view opens wide. The Puffins are everywhere, diving into the water, darting around in the air, and nesting on the jagged cliffs of the small island. It’s breathtaking.
“They can dive one hundred and ninety-six feet,” I say, following one Puffin with my camera as it plunges into the water.
“Not quite as impressive as six hundred,” Trevor says with a soft chuckle.
“Six hundred and ninety feet,” I correct him automatically, assuming he’s referencing the Thick-billed Murre’s record for the deepest dive that we talked about last night.
But when I glance at him and his lips quirk up in a lopsided smile, I wince. He wasn’t being exact, and I know people round numbers sometimes. But… it bothers me when numbers aren’t accurate. And I don’t understand why people would want to spread misinformation with inaccurate numbers. That seems reckless.
“Sorry,” I mumble.
“For being right?” he asks. “Don’t apologize for that.” Then he smiles. “I always want to learn from you.”
A smile spreads across my face, and Trevor’s eyes trace it as the corners of them crinkle.
Just as I’m about to turn back and take more photos of the Puffins, my phone vibrates in my pocket. Assuming it’s Mom checking in, I pull it out and glance at the screen. But it’s not from her.
Mike
Did you find the eagle yet? The anticipation is KILLING ME.
I stare at the screen, unsure what to do. Mike suggested we exchange numbers last night, but I didn’t think he would text me…
“What’s wrong?” Trevor asks, glancing between my phone and me as he steps closer.
I tilt my phone to show him the text. His eyes scan the screen, and then he smiles widely.
“I think you might be making a birdwatcher out of him,” he says with a chuckle.
My heart does a little flip at the idea, and I don’t know what that means. But I look down at my phone again and reread his message three more times as I let it sink in. He texted me . He wants to talk to me .
My thumbs hover over the screen as I think about what to say. The Puffins’ growling calls and splashes fill the air, and give me courage to just go for it.
Not yet. Watching the Puffins.
Immediately, he starts texting back. I look up at Trevor with wide eyes as a bit of panic settles in. This is his friend, should he be texting Trevor? Is it ok that I’m texting him? How am I supposed to do this?
But Trevor is just peacefully gazing out at the Puffins with an easy smile.
And my phone buzzes in my hand.
Dude, send a photo! I fucking love Puffins! Damn, I’m jealous.
My brow furrows as I read his text again. What is he jealous of, and why does he want a photo? Puffins are everywhere along the coast this time of year.
But I hesitantly raise my phone and snap a photo.
Trevor looks at me, then sighs with a roll of his eyes. “He wants a photo of the Puffins, doesn’t he…”
“Yeah…” I pause. Am I not supposed to send it?
But Trevor just laughs. “Having Mike as a friend can sometimes feel like caring for a toddler. It’s the simple things that keep him happy. You’ll see.”
I stare back at him as that sinks in. Having Mike as a friend … he’s my friend. I’ve never had someone try and want to be my friend before. Every attempt I’ve had in the past was forced, like I was trying to push my way in, until I finally gave up even trying. But Mike, Jason, and Greg… and even everyone last night… they chose me.
The weight of it all presses down on me for a moment as tears sting the back of my eyes, and I blink them back. A door I’ve closed long ago just cracked open… and I want to walk through it.
I look down at my phone again, and send the photo.
And Mike hearts it almost instantly.
Even on a phone your photos are awesome. Fuck yeah, man, thank you! God I love them so much.
They’re just so fat and weird. They’re seriously the best.
I chuckle as I read his texts, and Trevor glances at me again.
“He called them fat and weird,” I say, looking up at them as they swirl in the air playfully.
Trevor huffs a laugh. “Eloquent as always.”
We stand in comfortable silence as we watch the Puffins swirl aimlessly in the air, and their splashes send crystal droplets into the sunlight. Trevor wraps his arm around my waist, and I lean into him, feeling the warmth of the sun on my face and the soft breeze from the water brush across my arms. I close my eyes as I breathe it all in, and just feel him against me.
His lips gently touch my cheekbone, making me smile. I open my eyes and turn to take him in, his amber eyes glimmering with a mixture of joy and sunlight, like rich, dark honey stirred in the light.
I press my lips to his, turning into him as my hand rises to the side of his face. Our kiss deepens, gentle and slow, and the reality of him being here with me really sinks in. I never thought I’d be able to share this life with anyone, to find someone who would want to share the quiet, calm, wild places I call home. But he does.
Because we’re both wild.
His lips curve into a smile as he kisses me back, and he chuckles softly. “You know, there’s something neither of us have ever done out here…”
I pull back to look into his eyes. “What?”
He arches an eyebrow, but that does nothing to answer my question.
“Do you see something?” I ask, glancing around.
He laughs lightly and shakes his head. “Fuck, you’re adorable. But no… something a little more…” his hand trails down my body until his fingers graze along the waistband of my shorts, “private.”
My eyes widen as I frantically glance around. “Here?”
Trevor smiles and leans in, brushing his lips along my jaw in a slow, teasing kiss. “Hmm,” he hums softly so his lips tickle my skin, “right here.”
My heart pounds against my chest, and heat rises to my face… but I don’t stop him.
His fingers dip beneath the waistband of my shorts, just enough to brush against my skin.
“What do you think, Firefox?” he murmurs as he brings his lips back to hover over mine. “Want to?”
My chest rises and falls with deep breaths as I meet his gaze, trying to process the flurry of sensations flooding my body. I stare into his eyes for what feels like forever before I nod slowly.
I do want to.
Trevor grins, and immediately drops to his knees in front of me.
Oh my god…
I stare down at him as my heart riots, and my mind spins with the intensity of this moment, as every inch of me becomes hyperaware of his lips grazing my skin, and his hands on my hips as he gently pushes my t-shirt up to kiss my stomach. His fingers curl around the waistband of my shorts to pull them down, and?—
Wait.
What was that?
My head snaps to the right as movement catches the corner of my eye in the trees along the steep slope nearby.
“Oh my god,” I breathe out, grabbing Trevor’s shoulder as my eyes lock on the Steller’s Sea-Eagle, perched in a tree about two hundred metres up the slope.
“Hmm,” Trevor hums as he continues to trail soft kisses along my stomach and inch my shorts down.
But I grab his shoulder again and push him back, not taking my eyes off the eagle.
“What—” Trevor starts, but then he must see it too, because suddenly he’s on his feet next to me, staring up the slope. “Oh… my… god…”
It’s here. It’s here . A rush of excitement surges through me, lighting me up from the inside out. My body reacts before I even realize, and I start flapping my hands and bouncing on my toes as pure joy pulses through my entire body like an electric current, and I can’t keep still. My head is spinning with so much happiness that I don’t know where to put it all, like it’s too big for my body to hold, and is overflowing from every part of me. It’s right there . I’m looking at a Steller’s Sea-Eagle . I thought we wouldn’t see it until tomorrow, if we even saw it at all. But oh my god. It’s here, now.
“That’s amazing,” Trevor breathes out with awe in his expression as he watches this magnificent bird as it just sits there, watching the Puffins and completely unaware of the magic it’s creating down here .
Slowly, I take a deep breath and try to focus as I drop to my knees and open my bag to swap my lens for one with a longer focal length. Once it’s on, I lift it to my eyes… and there it is in perfect view.
I take a second to appreciate the sight through the lens, and to really see it. The bird is perched on a thick branch, framed by lush green trees which perfectly highlight the rich brown of its body, the snow-white patches on its shoulders, and its bright yellow beak. The way it’s sitting, watching over the water… it exudes so much power, grace, and beauty.
I snap photo after photo, the soft clicks of my camera the only sound between Trevor and I as he stays perfectly still behind me, being patient and understanding as always, and giving me the space I need to lose myself in this moment.
Eventually, the eagle takes off, flying to another perch just out of sight, but with a clearer view of the Puffins. I lower my camera as the energy still buzzes inside me, and take another deep breath. I can’t believe that just happened.
When I turn to Trevor, my smile is so big it almost hurts.
“We didn’t dip out,” I say.
Trevor’s smile widens as he steps closer, his hands landing on my hips as his nose gently brushes against mine. “I don’t think we ever dip out, Firefox.”