-Mark's POV-
"I don't tan. I melt."
"You'll be fine," I said, trying my best not to imagine Jack actually melting like a pale candle at the beach. "Besides it's been forever since we did something with just the two of us."
Jack opened his mouth but I interrupted him just in time.
"Sex doesn't count."
He gave a small frown as he crossed his arms and huffed in the passenger seat. It was really adorable to see him so put out by my date.
"I thought you loved the beach."
"I do, but not in the middle of the summer. My skin is a delicate mixture of wild hair, gruff charm and Irish white clay. The sun is my mortal enemy. If you loved me you'd take me to a water park. Much less dangerous, plus more ice cream vendors."
I shook my head as we drove to the exit to the beach side, trying my best to cheer him up. Between missing Felix and the the wedding coming up, I thought a trip to the beach would be a wonderful way to spend the day together. Jack face was scrunched up as if he might never forgive me for taking him out in the daylight.
"You're acting like a vampire, babe. Seriously, just try to relax. I think that we're going to have a wonderful time here."
The look on his face begged to differ, but at least he hadn't tried to jump out of the car.
"I thought that you hated the ocean," he grumbled, turning his face to watch other cars out of the window.
"I'm not a fan of getting killed by sea creatures," I corrected. "But taking a walk on the sand with the guy of my dreams is worth being potentially eaten by a shark."
I just was able to see his face turn pink at what I said before his face softened into a smile as we pulled into a parking lot. His slender fingers grabbed at my thigh as he squeezed.
"Your charm is my weakness," he chuckled. "Those compliments make it so I can never stay mad at you."
I laughed as we got out of the car and headed to the surf to put out our towels and umbrella. It always amazed me how California was always so gorgeous in the summertime. The sparkling white sand and bright blue water painted such lovely pictures no matter which way that you turned. Jack was already stripped down to his swimming trunks and under the protective shade of the giant umbrella. His beautiful eyes looking at me with slight jealousy as I stood in the sunlight completely unconcerned with melting into the surf.
"Could you help me at least survive for a few hours?" he asked, his hand holding up a bottle of sunscreen.
I squirted a liberal amount of sunblock into my hand and rubbed his back and his shoulders as we sat on the beach towel together. His engagement ring necklace hung low on his neck, and even with the thick shade surrounding us, the ring glimmered on his chest.
"I love you," I muttered as I kissed the back of his neck, and he giggled.
"You're pretty wonderful yourself," he replied.
We both laughed as I wrapped my arms around him as we sat and watched other people at the beach. Mothers chasing after their small children, couples of all shapes and sizes walking hand in hand and the occasional dog playing catch with their human.
"We should have brought Chica," Jack sighed as was watched a black Labrador dive into the ocean after a Frisbee. "She would have loved it out here."
"Yes she would have," I agreed, "But today is about us, Bright Eyes. I'm sure that the puppers will forgive us this one time."
He shuffled in closer to me and leaned back so that his back was against my chest as we sat a bit closer and he turned his head slightly so that our lips could meet. His soft kisses could always make my heart flutter in ways that still surprised me. Quiet moments like this were so worth all the craziness. To have him in my arms and giggling in my ears was better than anything in the world.
"You need to stop crying when we kiss," he chuckled as he wiped away a few of my tears with gentle thumbs. "I'm going to start to get self conscious."
"No need to think my blubbering is anything but happiness, babe," I sighed as he turned over to face me, our foreheads touching. "I just really love you. One of the best things that ever happened to me was meeting you."
He sniffled, and it was my turn to wipe away tears.
"Damn it Fischbach," he mumbled. "I don't want to be sweaty and balling my eyes out. What if some viewers were to see me in this state?"
"Just tell them that I dragged you out of a lovely air conditioned house, forced you to melt away into the shore, and refused to get you ice cream until we made out under our beach umbrella. That type of cruelty would absolutely be worth a few tears."
Jack giggled so loudly that it felt like my heart was burst at the sound. He leaned in again as he pushed me onto my back.
"That last kiss barely counted as making out, but if that's what is needed to get my ice cream, there are worse things to demand."
Then we were kissing again as the ocean waves crashed only feet away from where we were. Our engagement ring necklaces rubbing against each others chests as we kissed again and again in the most perfect place in the world.
In each other's arms.