Re: [Climbing: Patrick & Newt]
The dude crouched. It was the first time he had an opportunity to truly watch Newt climb without his own focus distracted by his own ascent. He pulled up his shirt, and this was not deliberate, since he knew Newt was still focusing on hand and footholds. The dude wiped his face on ribbed white, and then he pulled the rounded collar over his head and looped it behind his nape. This left the white fabric bunched under his armpits and thick across his shoulders, and it left his sweaty chest and stomach bare.
When Newt reached the top, Patrick glanced over. Newt was to the side, and Patrick did not need to move in order to get clear of Newt as he dragged himself upward. The dude (Newt) was panting and rolled onto his side, and Patrick watched as ginger fringe flopped damply forward against Newt's freckled forehead. He was still watching when Newt dragged up his shirt to wipe his face. Patrick (who was sometimes naive) did not realize there was any deliberateness to this act, despite his own blatantly similar action before the climb began.
Make no mistake: the dude stared.
Seagreen attention lifted to find Newt smiling, and Patrick could not help but chuckle. Caught out, man. The dude was caught out, and he knew it. On the tails of that laugh, he flopped back onto the flat surface that they shared with no one. It was taller than any of the surrounding climbing spaces, which meant only the ceiling could witness this flop. The ceiling, and Newt, and Patrick bent one arm behind his head. His knees were up, and his breathing was beginning to calm sufficiently to allow for speech. "All right. Perhaps you lift the occasional heavy book in your academic suitcase pursuits." He turned his head, cheek to the flat surface he was reclining on, to look at Newt.