A Grey Past

The Day Before

A/N: I suggest listening to "waves" by Luke Bryan at the end. It inspired me. You don't have to though! :)

***Two weeks later***

This routine sucks. Kiki thought as she turned and performed the next step of the routine.
"Switch, jump, down-" Evelyn spoke the routine as the others followed. "-and perfect."
Kiki ended with Vanessa standing on her shoulders.
"I know, this isn't the most ideal routine. But this is the last one if the semester, let's make it count!" Evelyn said.
"Hey V?" Kiki called. She couldn't move; Vanessa would fall. "You mind jumping off now?!"
My shoulders hurt.
"Yeah, yeah." V jumped off of kiki and leaned on her knees.
When Vanessa looked up to kiki, she was smirking.
Why is she-
Then she was picked up by her waist and spun around.
"Eric, put me down!" She tapped his arm.
He did as he was asked, stopping her when she faced him.
"God, what happened to your jaw?" She reached up and touched it.
His jaw was colored somewhere between a dark purple and maroon.
"Football?" It came out as more of a question.
"Not even a full two weeks and you're back to getting tackled." She hugged him when she was done.
"Gotta practice for tomorrow." Eric said.
"Practice getting tackled? You have to practice for that?" Vanessa butt in.
"I want to see you out there tomorrow. You will get to kick Avalon College students' asses, after all." He told her.
"Tempting, but I'll pass." V said.
"Then shut it." Eric ordered playfully.
"As entertaining as this is," kiki interjected. "Why are you here?"
"I came here to ask you if you had anything to do tonight?" Eric looked sheepish.
He's cute when he's nervous.
"I'm not sure. . ." She thought for a moment. "I have these plans to go out with a certain football player. . ."
His eyebrow raised, Eric played along. "Well, has he asked you if you'd like to eat outside tonight?"
"I think he just did." Her lips curled upwards.
"Very cute guys, now shoo. You're distracting everyone here." Evelyn said before winking at kiki.
"Guess we don't have to wait for tonight then." Eric stated.
"Come with me."

°•|~★~|•°

Eric lead her through the brush, stopping at an underpass of willow tree canopies.
Wait. . .
"You must really like this place." Kiki said, the memories of the last time they were here crashing into her mind.
It was the same; the beautiful lake and it's reflection of the sky, the trees overlapping the shore lines, the beautiful sand sparkling bright whether she turned her head a certain angle. . .
It all started there.
"I do, but only if I'm with you." He sat down on a rock that petruded from the sand.
Kiki saw a bead if sweat trail its way down from his forehead to his cheek. He was nervous.
But why?
As if reading her thoughts, he spoke up. "I wanted to ask you a question."
This is going to be big. She was worried.
Was he not interested in her anymore after finding out about her family? Had he found someone else?
"It's nothing bad." Again, he answered the question she never asked. "It's just rather serious."
She sat down next to him, higher up on the rock so she looked down to him.
"Jesus Eric, what is it?" She asked, exasperated.
"I. . . God. . ." He sucked in a breath "Seeingasitisthelastsemesterofbaysideiwasthinkingwecouldfindanapartment. . . Together?"
"I'm sorry. . . What?" She asked.
"Yeah, I'm rushing things, I'm sorry I shouldn't have-"
She brought a finger to his lips to shut him up. "No, what as in what did you say? Say it again, slowly."
"Do you want to live with me?" He asked, fast but at least it wasn't all one word.
She laughed.
No, she bellowed loudly so it echoed. Kiki was laughing so hard, her stomach hurt and she would've doubled off the rock if it weren't for Eric picking her up and seating her on his lap.
"I'm. . . I'm sorry. . ." She breathed. "You were that nervous? Oh god. Imagine you proposing."
"So that's no?" He arched a dark brow.
She was laying across his lap, her legs dangling off the edge of the rock.
Their eyes met. His dark, chocolaty brown, that brought her protection and love.
Her silvery eyes which he told her, reminded him of armour, able to withstand anything.
"That's a yes." She smiled as she brought her hands up to cup his jaw.
She didn't need to do anything; he leaned down and smashed their lips together.
"I didn't think you'd say yes right away." Eric said against her lips.
She sat up, slowly pulling away.
"I did, without hesitation. Because I love you." Her eyes searched his.
His eyes were sparkling with administration. And literally sparkling, looking like a deep wine color.
"I did bring you here for something else too." Eric said.
She tilted her head.
He laughed lightly at her response. "Go look around." He pushed her off his lap gently.
Kiki brushed off the sand from her white skirt and jumped up.
"What are the boundaries?" She asked arching and eyebrow, hands on her hips.
"If you need boundaries" Eric said. "You need to stay at Bayside for another year."
"Maybe I will, can't move in with you untill I graduate anyway. . ." Kiki smirked.
"Sure, you can share a room with some random stranger if you want. I won't stop you." He raised his hands in mock surrender.
Kiki rolled her eyes.
She turned around to face the lake, it didn't take long to find what she thought she was looking for.
Hidden in a soft bush, lay a box. Slightly smaller than a shoebox.
She lifted it carefully and walked back to where Eric sat.
"That didn't take long." Eric stated.
"Guess so don't need to stay at Bayside." She sat down on the sand and opened the box.
A light aqua material lay at the bottom, along with a smaller box.
Kiki lifted the material. It was two pieces; a top and bottom to a bikini. The bottom was no less than a stretchy skirt, the top was a normal bikini top; two straps and a strip of material with a deep V to cover her chest.
She laughed. Of course Eric's gift would be a bathing suit.
Kiki sat the bathing suit back into the box and looked to Eric who wore a mischievous grin.
"Do I even want to know what's in the box?" Kiki asked him.
"I would guess yes, but you'll have to open it to find out." Eric said, his legs dangling off the rock.
She opens the small black box.
Keys?
"What are these to?" Kiki asked as she held up the keys.
"Go lift those branches." Eric nodded to a bunch of drooping branches that showed nothing behind it.
She did as told, laughing as she found a large, white speed boat anchored at shore. It was attached to a wakeboard.
"No." She gasped, feeling hands wraparound her waist. "Did you know I've always wanted. . .?"
"I asked around." Eric answered as he rested his chin on her bare shoulder.
Bare? She looked to her shoulder. Oops, forgot to change again.
"What are you waiting for?" He asked her. "Go put that damned thing on in the truck and get on that water."
"I can't even begin to. . ." Her chest rose and fell as she took it all in. "I thought it was impossible to fall more in love." She kissed his cheek when she finished.
"That must be my magnetic charm working." Eric dramatically shook his head from side to side.
"Keep telling yourself that." Kiki said as she walked to his truck.

°•|~★~|•°

T

hat was amazing. Kiki said to herself.
Eric was so sunburned, kiki swore he was half-lobster.

She wrapped the towel around her tighter. The only reason she stopped wakeboarding was because it was dark. Her and Eric were on that water for six hours.

Kiki felt his arm snake around her, the other on the steering wheel. His gaze was on her, she could feel it.
"You ready for tomorrow?" She asked.
"I've been preparing for tomorrow since V was cornered." Kiki felt his grip tighten around her. "Tomorrow is the perfect opportunity I will have to beat their asses. I feel like I was born ready."
"You're always ready for everything." She curled up to him. "And you're always ready to do what you have to do. Your brave and bold."
And I love you for it.

_____