Theresa "Tess" Servopoulos (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dog_eat_dog) wrote2013-10-10 08:16 pm
dog_eat_dog) wrote2013-10-10 08:16 pm
Entry tags:
FICLET 020
Tess sighs, comfortable as can be and breathing in deeply. Joel smells like cologne and fresh sweat and the faintest trace of laundry detergent, and nose pressed against his chest Tess drinks it all in. He's warm, she's warm, the sun beaming down on them is warm, and the sea breeze is all the air conditioning they'll ever need. Joel runs a hand over the back of Tess's head, settling at the nape of her neck so his fingers can fiddle with the short, soft hairs there. He sighs, too, sleepily.
Happy. This is what happy feels like, just her and Joel stretched out on a beach towel. The people they care about within earshot, a dozen empty bottles of wine stashed in the sand around them, not a care in the world.
"I could nap like this all day," Joel murmurs.
Seagulls circle overhead, the shore sings its endless rush of wave on sand. Somewhere up the beach, a little girl shrieks when the cold water hits her thighs, and there's the older kids laughing and the other adults talking…
Joel's fingers run through her hair again, and Tess turns her head to rest her cheek against his shoulder.
"Joel?" Tess says, looking up at him, squinting in the sunlight.
"Babe?" Joel replies, eyes still closed.
"I love you," she says.
Joel's quiet, and that's okay. His arm around her tightens just a little, the hand in her hair pauses. His eyes open just slightly, and he looks at her through his eyelashes with the vaguest look of understanding. Tess runs a hand along his chest, rumpling the fabric of his t-shirt.
"Yeah," Joel replies, sleepily. He leans his head down to kiss her forehead. "Love you too."
Tess drapes a long leg over one of his, just to cuddle up closer.
And then Tess screams and Joel hollers when Ellie dumps a bucket of sea water on them. Lee and Carley's laughter follows shortly after. Tess and Joel look up at Ellie with an incredulous look.
"This is a family friendly beach day," Ellie announces, before the expletives start tumbling and Joel sends her skittering off back to Ben.
Happy. This is what happy feels like, just her and Joel stretched out on a beach towel. The people they care about within earshot, a dozen empty bottles of wine stashed in the sand around them, not a care in the world.
"I could nap like this all day," Joel murmurs.
Seagulls circle overhead, the shore sings its endless rush of wave on sand. Somewhere up the beach, a little girl shrieks when the cold water hits her thighs, and there's the older kids laughing and the other adults talking…
Joel's fingers run through her hair again, and Tess turns her head to rest her cheek against his shoulder.
"Joel?" Tess says, looking up at him, squinting in the sunlight.
"Babe?" Joel replies, eyes still closed.
"I love you," she says.
Joel's quiet, and that's okay. His arm around her tightens just a little, the hand in her hair pauses. His eyes open just slightly, and he looks at her through his eyelashes with the vaguest look of understanding. Tess runs a hand along his chest, rumpling the fabric of his t-shirt.
"Yeah," Joel replies, sleepily. He leans his head down to kiss her forehead. "Love you too."
Tess drapes a long leg over one of his, just to cuddle up closer.
And then Tess screams and Joel hollers when Ellie dumps a bucket of sea water on them. Lee and Carley's laughter follows shortly after. Tess and Joel look up at Ellie with an incredulous look.
"This is a family friendly beach day," Ellie announces, before the expletives start tumbling and Joel sends her skittering off back to Ben.