The Beauty of Silence

We met at a photographer workshop. He was sitting a row in front of me, two chairs to my left.

The cloths he wore where nothing extraordinary, some brown jeans, a white oversized shirt and a black leather jacket, along with some fashionable brown boots.

I didn't notice him entering the room, nor him taking a seat. My eyes just randomly locked onto him while my mind was shifting out of focus on the topic, but since that very first glimpse he just soaked up my attention completely. It is one of those weird random moments, where you just get fascinated by someone, without there being a specific explanation to it.

Though my mind was all over the place, I subconsciously rested my eyes on him.

Suddenly I got caught completely off guard as he stood right in front of me, holding out his hand. Apparently, while I was lost in my thoughts, the workshop leader had called for a break. The guy must have noticed my stares and decided to hit me up.

"And yours is?"

I still barely could make sense of what he was saying. My attention now was captured by his brown piercing eyes and his equally coloured curly hair. He had a small face, thing chin, a soft nose and perfectly healthy skin. The look he examined me with was direct, determined and stern, but yet friendly and attentive.

"Ex- excuse me?" where the only words I could string together.

His smile formed a smirk, as he repeated himself. "Will. That is my name. And yours is?"

"Oh, I'm Tanja", I blurted out, still not grabbing his hand.

His grinning turned into a soft, friendly look as he asked me to go outside with him during the break. Finally, being able to collect my thoughts, I nodded in agreement and followed him to the smoking area.

Will took a deep breath. "I love being outside. You can't keep me in a room like that too long. Makes my mind feel trapped." he stated.

"Yeah, same for me. My focus just starts to horribly decline when someone talks monotonous like our project leader, and a hot room like the one we have our class in kills my already dwindling attention span in no time."

"That is why I love it outside. The closer I am to nature, the more I feel free. Nothing that distracts you from thinking, no loud noises, no people wanting your attention. Just you and the nature."

I was still listening only with one ear. I still couldn't wrap my head around me getting caught staring at him. What must he think of me? What made him decide to just approach me?

Will was still rambling about the beauty of nature, and eventually pulled out his phone and showed me some of his photographs he took recently. They were all showing animals habitant in our nearby forest. Every single shot was breath-taking.

"You got a good hand for this type of pictures. They're stunning."

He smiled, obviously very happy about the compliment. "Taking these pictures is the purest form of freedom, emerging with the nature around you until you don't exist anymore, and wait for the beauty to unfold in front of you."

My look must have deteriorated a bit. I'm also into photography and understand the art behind it, but I'm not a great friend of the choice of words he used. They seemed too exaggerating and forced, as if he must praise his interests and address them in an almost philosophical matter to cover the fact that he just likes to wait hours at a time covered in dirt to take a couple of shots.

My thoughts must have been reflecting in my facial expression since Will seemed to sense my underwhelming thoughts. But instead of taking offense, he put on an almost provocative look, as if I had challenged him to something.

"I recon you don't believe my word. I want to change that. Come to my hideout and shoot a couple of pictures with me. You are a photographer too, at last. You'll end up enjoying it, that much I can guarantee."

Will handed me his personal card. Ashamed of me first staring at him and now coming off rude while he was talking about his interests, I decided to finally bring out the nice, openminded person I usually am.

"That sounds nice. I am all in. Here, I'll also give you my card, so you have my contacts too."

Happily, he put took my card. The thought of him being able to share his wonders with someone seemed to have brought him great joy. "Fine, I'll hit you up the next time I'll visit my hideout."

With a last friendly grin, he nodded a last time and headed inside. The break seemed to have been over long ago since the entire outdoor space was now completely empty. I didn't even had notice the people heading inside.

Since I did not want to be disrespectful nor find an excuse as to why I'm late, I decided to leave and go home. What had occurred today left me so confused and lost in thought anyway, I would not have obtained any information whatsoever.

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The days passed, and after a week I almost forgot about that afternoon, until about 15 days later, on a Sunday morning.

I was drinking my first coffee of the day and was going through my mail. A random post card showed up in between the bills & magazines. The only text on it was an address, and below it said "Bring appropriate clothes. 03.09.2020".

Weirded out I thought to myself, that someone probably just threw the card into the wrong mailbox.

I just was about to throw it into my bin, as I flipped the card around. There was a beautiful picture of a squirrel, dabbling in the snow, desperately looking for their nuts.

A flashback suddenly hit me, and I recalled my talk with Will and the promise I had made.

So, this was his invitation to meet him in his forest hideout. Today.

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According to my phone it was quite the walk from the bus station to the requested spot, but I welcomed that. It meant that I had some time for myself to think about how I would handle things different today so that I would not embarrass myself again.

I plugged in my earphones and went my way, listening to Slander's magnificent beats soothing in my ear. I must have lost myself in my thoughts once again, cause suddenly someone grabbed my arm from behind. I immediately turned around, and once again stared at Will's face.

"I waved and called you and everything, but you didn't notice me. So instead of scaring away every living soul in this forest by shouting my heart out, I decided to catch up to you" he said. "Sorry if I was harsh just there."

This time, my thoughts collected a lot faster, and I replied with "Don't worry. I probably would not have heard you anyways."

It indeed was quite harsh though, the way he brought me to a halt. I examined him thoroughly, something about his presence was still bugging me. Maybe it was the fact that his presence constantly made you feel like he was in control of everything around him. The fact he seemed to be aware of that kind of affection he has on his surrounding just intensified that feeling.

Will wore the same clothes as the last time I saw him. But this time, he had a black steel necklace, and an iron ring attached to it. Through the middle of that ring there was a black leather cord engraved.

I personally was wearing a pair of jeans, some really warm and comfy boots, a black pullover, that was not to thick yet never let any cold through, and a black down coat.

"I don't understand how you can favour your music over the beautiful sound of the wildlife around you." He seemed not mad, but genuinely surprised.

"Look at it as my personal way of reaching complete freedom", I replied.

"I can respect that."

Silently we walked through a quiet autumn forest. Our footsteps got accompanied by the sound of the fallen leaves rustling as we walked, and the cracking of all the branches we stepped on.

Eventually we reached his hideout, which was a small shelter built out of logs. It was covered in leaves and sticks, very well disguised. From the outside it seemed small, but once Will opened the small door leading inside, one could see that the floor was dug out and there was enough space for two people to sit comfortably aside each other.

Will had put blankets on the floor. There were lanterns hanging on each wall. In between the blankets was a thermos can and two cups, and the scent of sweet vanilla rose from them.

All the walls where covered shut and did not let any light through, except the front, where the lookout was located. It was covered by a green net, which had a hole in the centre, where Will shoved his camera through. It was a Canon EOS 5DS, with attachments I have never seen before, let alone would have known how to operate them.

I got inside and made myself comfortable. Will followed me and shut the door.

"Your coat." He reached his hand out.

"Oh, no thanks, I get cold really fast. I'd rather leave it on."

Will did not faze. "Your coat", he repeated, determined to not let his reached-out hand getting ignored by me a second time. His look was stern again, as if he wanted to make clear that any further argument would just get ignored the same way.

Hesitant, I pealed myself out of my comfortable coat and passed it to him. He hung it up aside his own leather jacket and sat beside me.

"Thanks for coming", he said now in a calm, warm voice.

It seems that his natural aura was self-aware, but friendly and welcoming. But when challenged, the welcoming part gets replaced by a frantic need to push things the way he foresees everything to happen. Still, I never felt uncomfortable near him, rather insecure and unable to think straight.

"Sure", I replied.

We sat down, and he offered me some of the sweet tea. Will started a conversation, and for the first time he took interest into what I have been doing as a photographer. I told him about how I always have been fascinated by the art of taking photographs, but just now, at the age of 25, felt the confidence to pick it up myself.

I have dabbled in different types of photography, but I still wasn't sure where to set foot in the industry, if even at all.

The smalltalk continued for about an hour. He then proceeded to explain the forest to me, described the animals we spotted, the plants that grew outside, and how everything was in a unison with each other. This time though, it didn't felt like a justification for an obsession. I mean, he was obsessed with everything around him. But what he said was actually interesting, fascinating, even to me.

I started to feel bad for having looked upon on him at the workshop and could feel the weird tension inside me dropping by the minute. I started to enjoy myself, and Will noticed. He seemed relieved too, that I indeed enjoyed my time with him as our talk got more and more light-hearted.

Time flew and I got stiff sitting in the same spot for such a long time. I tried to move a little, but even though there was room for two people, I couldn't stretch my limbs without invading Will's space. I tried a couple of small adjustments to my posture, but they did not end up adding much to my comfort.

However, it must have been pretty apparent as to what I had been attending to do. Will noticed me getting uneasy.

Before I really noticed what was happening, he moved his body into an angle, where he faced me instead of the lookout. Will stretched his legs left and right aside of me, grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, so that I was leaning onto his chest, my body tucked in between his thighs.

I blushed, not sure as to how I should feel about that sudden contact of our bodies. His chest was well trained, and I could feel the arch of his muscles slightly push against my neck.

Even though the motion of him pulling me in was so quick and resolute, he was very thoughtful of not touching my private parts. I wondered if he intended to keep it that way.

By the time I fully processed what happened, it was already too late to avoid the position he dragged me into without forcing things to get awkward.

The more I submitted to the situation though, the more I realised how good it felt. The warmth of Will's body, his steady heartbeat, the sudden expression of the need to be close to me, the dreamy sent of the vanilla tea still accenting the air, it all combined to an overwhelming feeling. Once you experience what you have forgotten, you realise how much you missed it. That was definitely the case for me right there.

A state of almost surreal relaxation overcame me. It felt like a dream, everything was so unlikely to happen, so far from where my expectations where going.

Whilst we would just sit there in silence, time flew, and afternoon turned into evening as the sun started to set.

Out of nowhere, Will's calm heartbeat started to increase noticeably. His body got stiff, and his breathing lost its relaxing rhythm.

I didn't mention it, out of fear to break the atmosphere of this moment I desired to last for an eternity.

But I wouldn't even have had that much of a chance to address it. Will shortly after broke out of our comforting position and indicated me to shift my weight back forth so I would sit on my own.

Disappointed and confused, I sat up and tried to find any signs as to why Will all of a sudden was in such an upset, but his face didn't reflect any of the signals his body language just sent out. He played it off as cool as possible, as he reached for his jacket and handed me my coat.

"I want to show you something."

Will left the hideout, and for a moment I was alone with my confusion and disappointment. Eventually, the curiosity about what he wanted to show me caught up, and I put on my coat and crawled outside.

Will was waiting outside, gazing into the woods. When he noticed me climbing out the shelter, he gave me a helping hand until I was steady on my feet again. It took a minute or two until I could fully feel them working again. He patiently observed me. Once I gave him a confirming nod that my limbs were properly functioning again, he gently reached for my hand and lead the way through the woods.

I have never been wandering around in this region, so my sense of orientation was hopelessly lost within seconds. Will however was thriven by what seemed like an inner compass, taking an invisible path he must have travelled hundreds of times. He had changed. His dominant side seemed to have vanished and by that uncovered a whole other part of his persona. The way he held my hand, the constant looks he where giving me, Will seemed to be trying to make me as comfortable as possible.

We silently walked aside each other for about six minutes, but it felt like an endless hike, and the anticipation was killing me. Finally, we arrived at a wooden observation tower, and started climbing up the stairs. The structure was aching under our pressure but seemed stable enough to hold the both of us.

Arriving at the top plateau, which was about a total of eight meters high, the view was breath-taking. In front of us, my hometown unfolded, a maze of streets and little houses, concrete blocks, and a big park in the town centre. Chimneys releasing smoke that formed to small clouds which graced the light red, almost purple sky. Branches of trees without leaves that caught the last rays of sunlight, seeming to glow.

And then, not too far from where we were standing, the nature started taking over and emerged into an endless view of trees and hills, a completely different world from the one I had been living in all my life.

Will started to grab me from behind. He laid his arms around my belly and waist, brought his face close to mine, and admired the view just like I did, without saying a word.

"You like it?" Will asked eventually, breaking the silence that had been between us since we left the hideout. I nodded, still mesmerized by the view.

Once again, Will's entire body language started to transmit a feeling of control and superiority as his hands started to wander.

"Do you now see the wonders I was talking about? The immersive feeling of being caught in a moment of pure beauty?"

As Will spoke, he proceeded to unzip my coat, and work his left hand under my pullover, fondling my breasts. The other hand started to gently move along the waistband of my jeans.

"Do you now understand the thrill of being alone?"

He released his grip on my tits and took both hands to unbutton my jeans one button at a time.

I was so in shock at what was happening, that I could not do anything else than tighten the grip around the reeling I have been holding onto since we arrived at the top.

"Can you now see the wonders of being all by yourself, yet on top of everyone and everything? Do you feel it?"

With these words he pulled down my jeans and underwear in one single move.

I was unable to do anything against the irrational sensation trembling through my body.

Gently and slowly, but with an unescapable grip, he lifted each of my legs to completely remove my pants and then went on to lower the coat off my shoulders. He took my hands into his own as he removed the coat.

Entirely unable to grab any thought or execute any kind of motion on my own, I clawed my hands into his. He looked me in the eyes and waited patiently, until I softened my grip on him, and then lead my hands back onto the reeling.

I now was standing on top of an observation tower, from my waist down fully naked (except my shoes), on display for anyone who would have crossed our path.

But there was no one around, except Will.

He once again reached under my bra, and locked his grip on my breasts, which, through the cold, now were incredibly sensitive.

I gasped. Will went on and touched my ass, moving his hand in between my cheeks and then grabbing my vagina from behind. Gently, he ran a finger in between my labia.

I already was wet because of the way the tension I felt the entire time between us now has transformed into an act of lust and affection. But him actively touching me there made me drip as if someone had melted dozens of ice cube inside of my guts.

"Now remember, we do not want to scare away the residents who live in this place, so be quiet."

The second Will spoke out the command, he started thrusting his fingers inside of me. I could feel him, rhythmically hooking his fingers in and out of my vagina, stroking along the rough parts of my inside.

I gasped at the intense feeling and started to shiver across my entire body. His presence, his touch, me being exposed in the open, the atmosphere of this place, and even his order to not make any noise, it just all started to collapse inside of me.

I felt my legs losing the ability to hold my own weight. I succumbed to the sensation that build up in me and just let myself drop. Since Will was fingering me from behind, my body now entirely rested on his underarm, and his hand on my breasts was holding me back from falling over.

Will was strong enough, to keep me in the air in that very position. I could feel his tense muscles working under my butt, and due to me just letting myself fall, his fingers forged even deeper into me.

All hope was lost, as loud moans escaped my throat. As he kept thriving his fingers inside of me, I lost all concept of time. I only do remember that at some point, my body just erupted into one big orgasm as I squirted. My fluids covered Will's entire hand and underarm, splattered onto the wooden planks which held the reeling and made a huge mess onto the floor of the plateau. I was breathing heavily.

We wouldn't change our position for quite a while. Will seemed to have no effort holding me up.

Once my body lost some tension, he started to gently put me back onto my feet, but not letting go of me. Instead, he stopped groping me, and made sure to fix me with both hands around my upper body, so I wouldn't fall over. Will then started to squad down, giving me the chance to sit down.