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Bobby pursed his lips and spread out some wood chips around the base of a large tree just off the main path.
"What are you doing?" Mikhail asked, already crouching to help pull the pile of chips away.
"The tree doesn't like it," Bobby was careful not to get splinters as they worked. "These wood chips have been retaining water, which makes the wood and bark of the tree get all soft and can cause wood rot. Plus, it makes a perfect hiding place for wood eating bugs, and that can make the tree really sick really fast. She's not too sick right now, but it was uncomfortable. Does that feel better?"
Bobby rubbed the bark of the tree gently and smiled when he got a response. "There we go. Anytime, really! And your flowers look lovely today!"
Bobby and Mikhail sat on a nearby rock and kept talking, this was really the perfect spot to sit, cool and breezy, nice shade, but it wasn't chilly. You could hear the river, and you could hear the birds.
Bobby chuckled and bumped his best friend with his shoulder. "So, how's it feel? Finally being in the double digits?"
Mikhail grinned and shrugged. "Is hard to describe. You will find out when you are older."
Bobby laughed and held his sides until they heard someone else coming up the path. Before long, they saw Milla and Sasha walking arm in arm. They were talking too softly to be understood, but it sounded like a goodbye. When they turned towards each other, Milla cupped Sasha's cheeks and smiled as she leaned in to kiss him.
They both went their separate ways, and the boys made sure the counselors were out of earshot before they glanced at each other and started to laugh.
"Why do grown ups DO that?" Bobby shook his head, scrunching his face up in play disgust as he giggled.
"Not just adults," Mikhail shook his head, pretending to gag. "My teenage sisters too."
"Ewwwww!" Bobby laughed, nose wrinkled. "I mean, what's even so special about kissing? It looks gross! You haven't kissed anyone before, have you, Mikhail?"
Mikhail shook his head quickly. "No, no kissing before."
"Good! Me neither," Bobby pursed his lips. "It is weird though, right? Like there's gotta be something special about it?"
Mikhail nodded, neither of them looking at each other until Bobby chuckled.
"If you want, maybe… we could kiss? Just to see if it's actually weird!" Bobby looked away and Mikhail flushed red.
"That would be… okay."
Bobby glanced at Mikhail, flushing just as much as he turned to the older boy. "Yeah, plus, I mean it's gotta be a good idea to practice so that when we do get older, we don't freak out when we have to kiss someone for real , right?"
"Da," Mikhail inched closer, but it was Bobby that leaned in and pressed their lips together gently.
It was strange and unfamiliar, and neither boy would admit it, but it was nice, and both felt a gentle stoking of the embers they'd been carefully ignoring.
Bobby finally, reluctantly, sat back and laughed shyly. "P-pretty weird, huh?"
Mikhail just nodded and bit his lip. "You know… it often takes more than one try to… get used to something."
Bobby looked at him in surprise, and Mikhail looked away as Bobby nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. And I mean… practice makes perfect, right? And who better to practice with than a best friend?"
"Exactly," Mikhail nodded, sighing and turning back to Bobby. "So, we practice?"
Bobby laughed nervously and nodded, and both leaned in this time.
xxxxx
Bobbi couldn't help laughing as she buried her face in Mikhail's shoulder. He put his arms around her and grinned, flushing as she made herself comfortable.
"Guess all that 'practicing' we snuck away to do that summer came in handy, huh?" Bobbi couldn't stifle her giggles. "I was so dumb back then, oh my god. I don't know how I didn't realize then how much I liked you."
Mikhail chuckled and hugged her tighter. "I knew… that I liked you , I mean."
"Oh yeah?" Bobbi nuzzled into his neck.
"I knew from the moment you grabbed my hand, the day we met," Mikhail smiled softly and rubbed her back. Bobbi sighed and melted in his arms, snuggling as close as she could get.
"I think… we should just stay like this for a bit. I could actually use a nap…"
"Me too," Mikhail smiled, using TK to make sure they were safely and fully seated on his bed as he leaned on the wall and held her close
Bobbi smiled and flushed.
She finally understood what 9 year old her hadn't.