COMPLETED // i don't want to hurt anymore - enoch o'connor x reader

Chapter 23 - Swim

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

We traipsed down to the beach, walking in pairs, with our swimming costumes underneath our clothes. My hand was in Enoch's, and ever so often he'd look down at me and smile like I was the most beautiful thing in his life. I would squeeze his hand back and attempt to reach up to kiss the tip of his nose, only unsuccessful when he refused to bend down.
I could feel Miss Peregrine's disapproving gaze on the pair of us. I knew she didn't want us together after that dream, but... She couldn't rule over us. It wasn't fair, and I knew that Enoch would flip out if she ever tried to break us up. That thought reassured me as we reached the beach.

The water was a clear blue, lying flat and still in the early afternoon sun. The younger ones, Claire and Olive, simply ripped off their clothes and ran, limbs flailing, as fast as they possibly could to the sea. The rest of us, me included, carefully unclothed and hung them on low tree branches or laid them out on the sun-soaked rocks.
I covered my body with my arms when I had finished undressing. I was wearing a swimming costume, of course, a navy halter neck one of Emma's, but still, I was self-conscious. I hated my body. Everything seemed to large, or too wide, or too flat in the places where you should be curvy. I guess growing up in the modern world, seeing models on the Internet every other day makes you feel... Worthless. Ugly. Fat.
I was just wallowing in my self-hatred when I felt two fingers stick into my sides. This could only be Enoch, of course. I turned to face him, finally uncovering myself, as I felt that I didn't have to hide my insecurities when I was with him. Enoch was wearing some old-fashioned, black board shorts which, of course, meant that he was naked from the waist up. I blushed slightly, and he raised an eyebrow. He wasn't so much muscly as he was just slim, and his skin was actually very pale... Paler than I'd thought.
"You look... I mean, you look... Really amazing." he told me, for the second time today. This time, however, I knew it was sincere, as there was no-one else to hear him.
"So do you," I said, blushing again as he, probably without meaning to, stared at my body. I resisted the urge to cover up again, and instead grabbed his hand and pulled him down to the water.
"Come on, let's join the others!"

I ran at full speed into the now not flat (due to the other children splashing around) sea. Before long, I was diving, twisting, spinning and laughing as the salty water touched my body.
"Hey, Enoch!" I yelled, and he doggy-paddled over to where I was treading water. I laughed happily and splashed him in the face, watching amusedly, if not slightly guiltily, as he coughed and spluttered. However, any feelings of guilt dissolved when my face had a similar meeting with the cold water. I regained my composure and looked up at Enoch, who was grinning evilly. "You're so going to get it this time, O'Connor."
"I was just about to say the same thing for you, (Y/L/N)."
He dived underwater and pulled at my leg, moving his hand slowly up my thigh. I twisted, slightly nervously, and kicked out of his grip, before diving underwater to join him. And so began an epic water fight.

And hour later, Enoch and I emerged from the water, hand in hand. We were both exhausted, but the pair of us would agree that today had been one the best days of our lives so far, despite the fact that it wasn't even lunchtime.
Lunchtime. The thought made my stomach rumble hungrily, causing Enoch to throw his head back with laughter, only stopping sheepishly when his did the same.
He pulled me in the direction of the picnic blanket, where Miss Peregrine was seated, looking awfully Victorian and pride as she sat, squinting in the sun, dressed in her usual black attire. She looked up as we neared. "Can I get you anything, children? A sandwich, perhaps? Ginger beer?"
Enoch grabbed two glasses and started to fill them with the (non-alcoholic, despite the name) liquid, and I was just about to pick up a couple of sandwich triangles when a scream pierced the air, causing the pair of us to stop in out tracks. My head jerked up to find the source of the noise, which turned out to be Emma, standing about 200 metres away, gesturing to a point just ahead of us. I followed her gaze, and tried to see what she could see. An invisible creature stamping through the undergrowth, knocking trees, rocks and blankets out of the way. However, I could see much more.
"Hollow!"