Summer looked up, making her eyes big and round and innocent. “Is there something you want?” She tried to dig a channel from her castle’s makeshift moat to the sea, and frowned as the sides kept collapsing or melting inward. Every wave eroded a little more of the outer edges.
“Mmm, I’m not allowed to do naughty things in public, remember? People are watching,” Isaac protested with a crooked smile and fought the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss away the expression on her face. Watching as her hard work was ruined by the sea, his eyes narrowed and he lay down on the ground, attempting to arrange his body to become a barrier against the waves, allowing her to work freely.
“Mmmm, depends what kind of naughty — Isaac, what are you doing?” She gave him a very puzzled glance, a handful of sand balanced in the air. “You know it’s just going to seep under you, right? Or there’ll be a bigger — ” A bigger-than-usual wave broke over his hip. Biting at her lips to keep from laughing, she added, “The tide is coming in.”
“Oh, well, if you have other things in mind, I can wait.” She shrugged, carelessly, but the sparkle in her eyes matched his. Dismounting his body, she moved another foot or so up the sand and began again to play, constructing a swirling, slightly sloppy sand castle and checking pretend-sneakily on him every few minutes.
Huffing playfully as she moved away from him, the cold air replacing her suddenly not welcome on his bare chest, Isaac kicked his way out of the sandy confines and shuffled over to join her. Dropping into a crouch, he watched her fondly, tilting his head to the side.
Summer looked up, making her eyes big and round and innocent. “Is there something you want?” She tried to dig a channel from her castle’s makeshift moat to the sea, and frowned as the sides kept collapsing or melting inward. Every wave eroded a little more of the outer edges.
She narrowed her eyes and contemplated him, up and down. “Hmmm. Are you sure you’re not too small? I might need to do a full inspection.” She wriggled, as if in anticipation.
“You said we couldn’t do things like that on the beach,” he stated in a deadpan tone, amusement dancing in his eyes as he shifted at her roaming eyes. “But I wouldn’t say no to that?”
“Oh, well, if you have other things in mind, I can wait.” She shrugged, carelessly, but the sparkle in her eyes matched his. Dismounting his body, she moved another foot or so up the sand and began again to play, constructing a swirling, slightly sloppy sand castle and checking pretend-sneakily on him every few minutes.
She faked a growl at him, scrambled up in the shallow water, and pushed him over, giggling. “I will capture you this way! Muahaha.” Sitting on top of him, she leaned forward and pretended to bite him. “Hmm, this one might be too small. I might have to throw it back.”
Faking a gasp as he lay back on the wet sand and gazed up at her, he eyed her with fond amusement and allowed his eyes to darken slightly, to show that two could play at that game. “Small? Me? You are joking, right?”
She narrowed her eyes and contemplated him, up and down. “Hmmm. Are you sure you’re not too small? I might need to do a full inspection.” She wriggled, as if in anticipation.
Archly, she replied, “Oh, really? Behaving? What’s /mis/behaving then?” She piled more sand up his leg, shaping it to the curves and swells, licking at the side of her mouth as she contemplated her next step. She scooped a big hole next to him, piling the wet sand over his knee, and then shrieked grumpily as a bigger-than-usual wave came in and washed most of it away.
“Maybe I’ll let you find out later on,” he stated with a wink and then shifted as best he could under the sandy confines, grimacing as the wet sand gathered in between his toes and behind his knees. Cracking up with hysterical laughter as the waves washed over her work, he reached to pat her consolingly on the shoulder.
She faked a growl at him, scrambled up in the shallow water, and pushed him over, giggling. “I will capture you this way! Muahaha.” Sitting on top of him, she leaned forward and pretended to bite him. “Hmm, this one might be too small. I might have to throw it back.”
“Yes,” she said with relish. She sat up and poured sand over his other foot, making a moue when the waves washed some of it away. Busily she added more, piling it high, and grinned up at him. “I have figured out how to catch a werewolf. You are my prisoner.”
“Oh no, whatever will I do,” he murmured sarcastically, eyes glinting with amusement as he lay back on his elbows, watching her curiously. “You know — I could break free with just a twitch, but I’m behaving myself right now.”
Archly, she replied, “Oh, really? Behaving? What’s /mis/behaving then?” She piled more sand up his leg, shaping it to the curves and swells, licking at the side of her mouth as she contemplated her next step. She scooped a big hole next to him, piling the wet sand over his knee, and then shrieked grumpily as a bigger-than-usual wave came in and washed most of it away.
“/I/ scared me.” She brushed her fingers over his mouth again, smiling more. “I’m fine. Promise.” Rolling over a little more, she scooped some sand over his foot and giggled. “I’m going to bury you in the sa~and!”
“Do you need me to heal anything?” he demanded fearfully, eyes slowly turning back from golden to their original blue, his expression softening at the sound of her laughter. As she buried his foot, he arched a single eyebrow and shook his head fondly. “Having fun?”
“Yes,” she said with relish. She sat up and poured sand over his other foot, making a moue when the waves washed some of it away. Busily she added more, piling it high, and grinned up at him. “I have figured out how to catch a werewolf. You are my prisoner.”
Now that she wasn’t having to split her attention between two different potentially life-threatening things, she could clear her lungs and sinuses and /breathe/. She lay on the sand, panting, feeling the waves ripple over her toes. Rolling over onto one shoulder, she smiled at Isaac. “I’m okay now. Relax.” She put her hand up to his mouth.
“You scared me!” he whispered fiercely and kissed the palm of her hand as it neared his lips, finally relaxing enough to slump down and sit in the sand, uncaring that he was wet and that it was sticking to his flesh. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”
“/I/ scared me.” She brushed her fingers over his mouth again, smiling more. “I’m fine. Promise.” Rolling over a little more, she scooped some sand over his foot and giggled. “I’m going to bury you in the sa~and!”
She stroked his back, occasionally making shushing sounds. Eventually the water began to get cold. “Isaac, we need to get out now. You’ll get a chill.”
He didn’t want to tell her that he was used to being cold, that the rapidly cooling temperature of the water was nothing in comparison to the old freezer that he’d spent hours in as a child. So instead, he nodded and clutched at her, trembling slightly as he turned to clamber out of the tub.
Helios came back in and bent to lick Isaac’s foot dry, chasing beads of water up his calf. “Good boy, fluffy man,” Summer murmured, wrapping a towel around Isaac’s shoulders. “Good boy.” The werewolf was so /passive/. It frightened her; she thought he would be a little better by now but he was still turned in, still almost silently crying. “Come lay down with me,” she whispered.
She couldn’t tread water and cough, so she kept trying to balance herself on him. “Shore, please, Isaac.”
He reached for her and scooped her up into her arms before wading quickly back to the shore and then gently lowering her to the sand. Turning her onto her side in case she should cough up some water, he dropped to a crouch beside her and rubbed the back of his neck in concern.
Now that she wasn’t having to split her attention between two different potentially life-threatening things, she could clear her lungs and sinuses and /breathe/. She lay on the sand, panting, feeling the waves ripple over her toes. Rolling over onto one shoulder, she smiled at Isaac. “I’m okay now. Relax.” She put her hand up to his mouth.