"And you're sure you're ok with looking out for each other while I'm gone?" I ask for the millionth time. "I mean, what if one of the grandparents falls and needs help? What if Charlie gets hurt?" I turn to him. "Promise me you won't go monkeying around the factory while I'm not here?"
Charlie nods. "I promise, Dawn. Go with Will! You deserve a holiday!"
I give him a tight squeeze and then embrace Mum. "Charlie's right, we'll be fine."
"And if you do need anything, you h-"
"Yes! We have your phone number!" Mum smiles, making the edges of her eyes crinkle. I hug each of the grandparents, giving them individual goodbyes.
Will taps his foot good naturedly. "Dove, don't make me drag you out of here by your feet. They'll all be here when we get back, safe and sound, you don't have to worry."
I go to stand in the elevator beside him and our bags. "I know. I just..."
Will lifts my face with a gentle hand, his next words meant just for me, "You've just spent the last 20 years worrying about your family. I get it, and I'm not asking you to stop, I'm telling you that it's ok to stop. They are safe and warm and clothed and well fed. They have everything they need, now it's time for me to give you what you need."
He offers a mischevieous smile and I giggle. How does he know me so well? He practically read the anxieties on my face, and he knew the perfect way to assuage them.
"Then by all means, 'give' away," I respond with a laugh. We wave to our family and shout one last goodbye as Will takes us off the ground and into the air. The sun has just started to set, painting the sky in gorgeous rich shades of orange, pink, and gold. A warm blueish purple is edging it's way up from the east, ready to take over the sky when the sun finally disappears. As I see the factory get smaller and smaller and the clouds bigger and bigger, I start to realize that I don't know where we're going. Our honeymoon was kind of impulsive after this morning's fight. Will just kind of told me to pack my bags and I did. I neglected to even ask where we were going though.
Will and I sit across from each other on the floor, legs out in front of us, slightly cramped because of our bags on both sides. We sit in silence for a while, just watching the sky darken and envelop us in cool tendrils of night.
"So...do I get to know where we're going?"
Will ponders for a second and then shakes his head with a smile. "No."
I roll my eyes. "Do I even want to know?" I give him a suspicious look. "If you're taking me to a jungle, I'm out. Creepy crawlies and I do not get along."
He smiles again and takes my hand. "It's not a jungle. Think drier."
"I don't like deserts either." I watch him separate my fingers and play with my wedding rings.
"Not that dry."
I squint at him. Where could he be taking me? He definitely isn't the type to plan a normal honeymoon. I think of bright colors and interesting foods and laughter. "An amusement park?"
He looks up in horror. "Do you know how many children are at amusement parks?"
I giggle. "A lot?"
"A lot. And that's not even mentioning the adults. Where I'm taking you, there are much less people, trust me." He turns my hand over and starts tracing the lines on my palm.
"The top of a mountain?" I guess, looking down through the transparent floor at the buildings and barely visible people rushing home whizzing by. Droplets of water have started to form on the glass from the clouds and cold, but inside the elevator, we're warm and dry.
"Nope, much less altitude." He lets go of my hand and opens his arms.
I crawl forward and lean into him, still watching the darkened world go by underneath us. The last rays of sunshine are disappearing now, leaving everything cast in shadows of blue and grey. "Hm. The bottom of the ocean."
He chuckles. "The ocean is involved."
The buildings give way to a short stretch of yellow and then an infinite expanse of glittering navy blue. I bolt upright.
"The beach," I breath.
He smiles and touches the tip of my nose with a finger. "On the nose."
I crawl to the window and sit on my knees, pressing my face to the glass, trying to see as much as possible. I've never been to the beach! Wait, no. I've been to the beach. Will and I met on the beach. I turn and see Will has a self-satisfied smile on his face. "You remember."
I smile back. "How could I forget?"
We were both on vacation and it was very much happenstance that we met. We were both only children at that time and wanted someone to play with. It just isn't the same with adults. They don't have as much imagination and they don't understand or care to understand what kids are trying to communicate.
I was building a sand castle by myself with a little pail and shovel. When I went to get water for the moat, I collided with a boy on the edge of the ocean. We both fell down and spilled our water all over the sand, only to stand up laughing. It was an instant bond formed, and over the next few days, we played more and became fast friends.
We were extremely upset when we had to go home, but then overjoyed when we learned we live near each other. And we were inseparable until my father came along and ruined it.
Will sets down the elevator behind a large beach house, not having to hide our descent because the darkness gives us an effective shroud. I stand up, barely able to contain my excitement and am about to bolt for the water, when I come to my senses and turn to get our bags first. Will has an amused smile on his face.
"Don't worry about it, we can get them later," he says with a knowing look on his face. I bite my lip and look in the direction of the water. There's a part of a beach house and a fence in my way, but I want to get to the water. I look at Will again and he nods. "Go ahead."
I open the doors and take off down the cobblestone walkway. I don't even know who's inside the picturesque house beside me, but I don't care. I fumble with the latch on the gate, but eventually get it open and cross one more tiny stretch of cobblestone patio before hitting the sand. I suppress a giggle and run faster down the shore, kicking my shoes off as I go. I shrug off the dark green tailcoat with my shoes and let the flowing fabric of my dress billow behind me in the wind. The beach is completely abandoned because no one wants to be on the beach without the sun. Well...everyone except me.
My bare feet sink into the cool sand a little, but not enough to slow me down. The people in the house we landed near must be annoyed with me, but what are they going to do? The beach is a public place. I take the final few steps on thoroughly wet sand before splashing into the shallow waves that come up to meet me. I laugh, not even bothering to suppress it this time. The water's cold and clear, sparkling the reflection of moonlight up at me. I wade in deeper so the water reaches my knees. My pale mint green halter dress comes down to about the same point and the ends are getting wet but I don't mind. I don't mind the cold. I don't mind the chilly breeze coming off the water. I don't mind shivering a bit because the water makes me feel free. It goes on forever and it's like I'm touching a bit of the ends of the earth by just feeling the way the water seems to be alive and swirls around me like a curious animal.
I take a few steps forward and the water's at my thighs, the fabric of my dress getting wetter and moving with the water. I feel the waves push me back and pull me in, but I temper it carefully and use my hands to guide the water around me. I'm nearly soaked all the way up to my chest simply because of the splashing and lift of the waves. My hair was in a simple French plait, but tendrils are falling around my face now and curling in the salty mist breaking over my face every time a new wave comes in.
I hear a soft chuckle behind me and turn to see Will also stripped of his coat and shoes. He stands with his feet in the water wearing just his pants and shirt, looking more human than ever without his entire ensemble. I smile in response and splash a hand into the water towards him. I only manage to get a few drops on the bottoms of his pants, but he takes the playful challenge with a grin.
He wades in further and kicks a little wave at me. I squeal and splash right back, moving parallel to the shore to avoid his attacks. I cup water in my hands and throw it at him as best as I can without losing any. It lands square on his chest, wetting his shirt and spraying his face. His jaw drops in mock offense. "Oh, now you've done it."
I giggle and slowly back away, warily watching him struggle to pull his wet shirt over his head. When he finally manages to get it off, he throws it near where his other articles of clothing are. Then he rounds on me, and I get a full view of his bare chest.
Will notices my distraction and uses it to rush forward and pick me up. He effortlessly sweeps me off my feet, bride-style, which was made extra easy by the natural weightlessness of being in water. I thrash and laugh as my efforts dampen his hair.
"Put me down!" I wheeze in between laughs. I arch my back and try to roll out of his grasp, but he only increases the incline of his arms and holds me tighter. Then he carries me a few more feet deeper until the water's at his shoulders.
"I want you to think about where I'm standing and how tall you are," he says. I stop thrashing and still in his arms. If he puts me down now, I'll be in over my head. "Do you really want me to put you down?"
I give him a devilish grin and fold myself at the waist so I slide right through his arms, taking a deep breath as I do so. I slip into the crystal clear water silently. It stings a little when I open my eyes, but I can see rather clearly as I circle his legs, swimming as smoothly as the water. I grab his waistband and yank him under with me as I resist the urge to open my mouth and laugh.
He topples and I swim underneath him directly parallel. I'm facing up, he's facing down, and I can see his form outlined by the bright moonlight above him, but I doubt he can see much of me besides tendrils of hair and flicks of my dress when the waves carry them out of the shadow he's casting and into the moonlight. I do a big stroke with my arms to the side and up to the surface for a breath. Will comes up behind me and scoops me into his arms once again. He doesn't hold me nicely this time though, instead allowing me only a few seconds to get another breath before throwing me a little ways away.
There's a satisfying loud splash as I go back under. Bubbles erupt around me and I can't see anything for a moment because of them. When they clear, I see Will swimming closer to me. I kick fast and dart around him before his hand can close on mine. I blurted out a lot of bubbles when he first threw me in, so now I need air again. I paddle up and tread water for a moment, laughing and pushing hair out of my face. When I feel Will's hand on my waist, I shriek and dive back down, heading for shore this time. I swim backwards, face up to the distorted moonlight until I feel sand on my back.
I sit up giggling. The water's only about a foot deep with me sitting, but the waves still rise to my chest and I have to actively resist their attempts to knock me down. My soaked mint green dress dances in the water almost like a live animal. I catch my breath and bury my fingers in the wet sand at my sides while I watch for Will.
When he realizes I've returned to shore, he comes up for air and paddles in close enough so he can put his feet down. He tosses his head back and runs a hand through his hair, combing it out of his face and tousling it handsomely. Will walks toward me, rising out of the water like Poseidon himself, shirtless and glistening as the moonlight illuminates every drop of water on his bare torso and arms. He stops about a foot in front of me and leans forward, planting his left knee beside my legs and gently pushing me down by my shoulder with his right hand.
I go with him willingly, my head pillowed by the wet sand, and let him lean over me, supporting his weight with his knees, straddled around me, and left hand which is on the sand next to my head.
I smile kittenishly, hiding the tumultuous butterflies in my stomach. "Hey."
He caresses my face and runs a thumb across my lips. "Hey."
I part my lips and taste the salt of the ocean as his thumb comes to rest on my tongue gently. He smiles and bites his bottom lip subtly before murmuring, "Not yet, my moon princess. Not yet."
He twirls a strand of my hair around a finger before shifting to the side and rolling onto his back to my left. Our feet are still underwater, but our heads are about as far up as the waves reach and the water is never above our faces. A wave rolls in now, covering us like a blanket and just barely getting the top of my head wet before pulling back.
We gaze silently up at the night sky just like we used to when we were kids. I turn my head to find that instead of looking at the stars, Will is looking at me.
!!! Please let me know how graphic you'd like me to get in the next chapter!!!
I could go very in depth about what they do in bed, but I don't know my audience age range or what you guys would like to read, so leaving a comment telling me how much detail or even what you want to see happen would be very helpful. Thanks!
Yeah, I really don't have an excuse, this was way too long of a break. School's beating the crap out of me and I don't always have access to internet. All that aside, I really hope you guys like this chapter. I love you all, your support means the world to me and the amount of people reading my story is insane, so thank you all.
xoxo, Tilly