#aesthetic (bent to brush our blushing knees)

[progcnitrix]

Character Aesthetics !

001.    THE  FAIRY.

chipped nail polish.  glitter highlight. tall trees with smooth bark. tangled hair. the taste of sugar. talking too loud and too fast. overgrown flowers in your hair.   crumbling buildings reclaimed by nature.  flirting.   walking home at three am with no coat.   platonic hand holding. blowing smoke out of your nose.  dragonfly wings.   chaotic good.    freckles.  fairy rings.   secret meetings.  gender nonconformity.  leather.  smudged eyeliner.   forbidden fruit.

002.    THE  REAPER.

computer errors.   a shiver down your spine.   haunting beauty.   hard liquor. crowns of thorns.   shadowed alleyways.   decaying plant matter.   shattered mirrors and broken glass.   corrupted memories.   stopped clocks. the scent of stale cigarettes.  tattered black hoodies.  walking your friends home.  the crescent moon.   the sea.  a graveyard on a foggy day.  cold rings on cold fingers.   absolution.   looking out of the window of an airplane. soft kisses.

003.    THE  WITCH.

graffiti.   pretending to know what you’re doing.  worn paperback books. growing up too fast.    parsley,  sage,  rosemary, and thyme.   lace and combat boots.   moth wings.    candles on every surface.   a weathered deck of cards. turning the music up.   fireflies in jars. calloused fingers. drawing on your skin.   sunlight filtering through clouds.  petrichor. a dying rose in a jaw.   wearing a crystal pendant.   illusions of spells. black cats.  mint gum.  chapped lips. dirt under your fingernails. the cycle of life and death.

004.    THE  WOLF.

murders of crows.  frostbitten leaves.  wolves howling at midnight.  knocking on your door. leaving food out for stray animals. the twang of an acoustic guitar. honey.   tiny red buds on trees. claw marks on the walls.   golden eyes.   slightly too long stubble.  knitted finger-less gloves. sleeping on the forest floor.    always find your way back home.

TAGGED BY: @crlmetlme TAGGING: literally anyone who wants to do it!!! say I tagged ya!!

[dramionedaydream]

“Always Something” long, complete Dramione fic by diamonddaydream

Summary:  17 years into their unlikely marriage, Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy are tested by a magical accident that sets her memory back to age 18. Draco scrambles to hold together not just his marriage, but also the lives of his teenaged children: Pollux, who is shocked to find he is the inspiration for Griselda Goyle's Veela stories, and Castora, who, with the help of James Sirius Potter, confronts the possibility that she may be a squib. Complete, HEA

Read on Ao3 or ffn

Excerpt:

“Mother,” Draco said as he guided Hermione onto the sofa. “Hermione’s not feeling well. Can you bring her some refreshment?”

Narcissa smiled. “Certainly. Lucius, dear, on the trolley, if you please.”

“Of course, my dear.”

Draco frowned. His parents’ manner was odd, even for them. “On second thought,” he rushed to say, “we’ll have something later, thank you all the same.”

“Not at all,” Lucius sang. “We’ve got a lovely punch here -- so invigorating it’s almost a tonic, perfect for the nerves, brewed by hand by doting parents, now shared with their favourite daughter by marriage. Here you are Hermione. To your health.”

As she took the cup Lucius offered, Draco raised his hand to cover the top of it. “After you, father. Surely you’ll drink too.”

A low laugh rumbled in Lucius’s throat. “Of course, Draco.” He poured himself a cup of hot, tawny liquid, and sipped it rather loudly. “There we are, my loving but trust-issues-plagued son. Who can blame you? Your father still has so much to answer for, to be sure.”

“I apologize, father,” Draco said, with a slight bow. “Hermione’s health being what it is, I’m extremely particular about what she takes into her body. Even a well-meant health potion could be disastrous for us so -- pardon me, Father.”

“Of course, Draco.” Lucius set his glass tumbler on the trolley and crossed the floor to stand behind Narcissa’s chair, placing a hand on each of her shoulders. “Now let your dear wife drink.”

Hermione hadn’t wanted anything to drink, but after the Malfoys had made such a fuss over it, she felt she had to accept what was offered. Nothing was simple in this house. That much was clear already. Her first sip was conciliatory, her second was polite, her third, curious, and her fourth and final one, ravenous.

Lucius chuckled, his hands working at Narcissa’s shoulders.

“It’s not much like tea, is it?” Hermione mused. “More like -- a warm gin.”

Draco lifted the empty cup, sniffing at it.

“Would you like some, Draco?” Narcissa asked, now that Lucius did not seem interested in serving anymore. With long, white fingers, he was brushing Narcissa’s hair away from her neck and ear, eyeing it like a peckish vampire.

On Draco’s arm, Hermione had ceased her stiff clinging and was softening, settling into him, her head against his shoulder, nestling her cheek against his arm. He pulled his head back to look at her. “Hermione? Are you sleepy?”

She hummed a reply, a sound almost like a purr, a sound he hadn’t heard in weeks. He blushed at it.

Lucius saw it, laughing.

“It wasn’t a calming draught, was it?” Draco asked.

“Nothing so potent,” Lucius drawled.

Narcissa looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes wide. “Bring me the bottle, Lucius.”

He groaned a protest, pressing his face into her neck.

“Lucius!”

“There’s been a mistake, Draco,” Lucius said, crossing the floor and lifting the bottle from the tea trolley. “I didn't want to alarm anyone by mentioning it, but I’m afraid the drink I gave Hermione was our own special blend, mine and your mother’s.”

Narcissa laughed. “Lucius, you didn’t.”

Hermione bent one leg over Draco’s knee, snaking an arm inside his jacket, against his stomach.

“Special blend?” Draco roared.

“Yes, reserved for loving, married couples.”

“A love potion?”

Narcissa laughed. “Heavens, no. Why would your father need that?”

Both of Draco’s parents, a pair of sixty-year-olds, were laughing now as Lucius climbed into Narcissa’s armchair, displacing her and sitting her on his lap as she tried to maintain a bit of her prim dignity.

“This is an assault,” Draco said, pulling Hermione’s hand out of his jacket as she murmured a complaint. “A breach of trust.”

“An honest mistake,” Lucius argued. “All the bottles on that cart are nearly identical. It’s a sound aesthetic choice, but a risky one when it comes to food safety. And it’s not a love potion, Draco. Stand down. It’s merely a disinhibitor, a loosener of pre-existing affections. Hermione won’t do anything she isn’t naturally inclined toward.”

Narcissa said. “Take her somewhere safe and wait it out. The effect won’t last more than an hour, or so. And it might do you both some good.”

He looked at Hermione’s face, pressed against his chest, eyes closed, smiling. “I am so sorry,” he told her. “This was not the effect I had in mind when we came here.”

“Mm, it’s alright,” she cooed, turning her face to openly breath in his scent. “Rather nice,” she sighed.

Narcissa cocked her head, “Lucius, look at them. So lovely.”

“She doesn’t mean it,” Draco spat. But his parents were ignoring him now as Lucius set about tracing the angles of Narcissa’s face with his fingers. It was time for them to leave the library.

“Of course I mean it,” Hermione said as Draco hoisted her off the sofa and onto her feet. She draped her arms around his neck. “Carry me away, Draco. I don’t remember a thing about our honeymoon. Carry me.”

With a snap, he disapparated them from the library, reappearing in his bedroom upstairs. Still holding his neck, she looked about the room, laughing. “It’s Draco Malfoy’s childhood bedroom. Have I snogged Draco Malfoy in his childhood bedroom?”

“Yes, it’s old news,” he said, disentangling her arms, stepping to the bed to pull down the covers. “You have snogged Draco Malfoy just about everywhere. Now,” he said, “lie down and go to sleep until you’re -- feeling better.”

“I’m not tired,” she said, swaying on her feet.

“Maybe not, but you are enchanted. So sleep.”

“Lie down with me, Malfoy.”

“Bad idea.”

“Please -- ”

“Hermione -- ”

“I trust you,” she said, staggering slightly as she moved toward him, sliding both of her arms around his torso inside his jacket now. “I do. You said you’re extremely particular about what I take into my body -- “

“Hermione!”

She was laughing at him, her face against his collar, her breath on the skin of his neck. Without words, he voiced his frustration, groaning as he pulled her hands free of himself, folding them against her sternum, lowering her onto the bed, tucking the blankets tightly around her, pinning her arms and hands against her body as he knelt on the rug. His jacket appeared to be a problem so he took it off, loosened his tie and collar, and accio-ed an ottoman to sit on as he watched over her...

[cap-cavern]

Title: Our Night

Summary: Gold and Crystal’s date in a fancy restaurant with a little surprise.

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19815436

FFN link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13337863/1/Our-Night

Commission done for @republicempire! Thank you so much for the commission!

Crystal's eyes wandered around the aesthetically pleasing restaurant. The walls and the floor looked like it was made from the finest marble money could buy. The smell of the restaurant was so captivating that it felt like she was in a different region. Maybe Alola, perhaps, or maybe even Galar. She couldn't tell, but this restaurant gave that sort of vibe to her, and she liked it.

She took a deep breath, her eyes dropped at her boyfriend of three years sitting in front of her. His gold-like eyes shimmered like a sparkling gem, and she couldn't help but get lost into it. She looked at her lap.

She was wearing a light-blue sundress whilst Gold was wearing a dashing tuxedo. She gulped at the thought of their date which was happening right now.

Was it just her or Gold looked absolutely flawless today? Did their junior, Ruby, helped him get dressed? She knew Ruby wasn't fond of Gold, so whatever her boyfriend did to bribe Ruby was somewhat impressive.

She guessed he convinced him about something personal or probably embarrassing the

Charmer in front of the Conqueror, but she digressed; Gold wasn't like that. Well, he wasn't like that all the time nowadays.

He had changed, even if it's just a little.

"Hey, Crys," Gold called, snapping Crystal out of her trance. "You alright? I know I'm the most handsome guy you've ever seen," he chuckled at that. He always loved to take pride in it, and thank goodness Crystal was alright with it. It was his way of boosting his own self-esteem, after all.

Crystal rolled her eyes at her boyfriend but stopped to giggle. She placed a hand on her mouth to cover it. "Whatever, Gold."

Gold chuckled along. "I was just joking," He reached his hand out for her and interlocked their fingers together. His thumb brushed the back of her hand. He smiled. "Tell me what's on your mind."

Crystal took a deep breath. The blush on her cheeks increased immensely at his warm hand on hers. She sighed. "Nothing, really," she replied, smiling, but Gold didn't seem to buy it. "I'm just surprised that you managed to book a seat in this fancy restaurant. It looks expensive."

Gold chuckled. He held onto her hand tightly, squeezing it, before letting it go. He leaned his back on the chair and rubbed his nose. "I had help," He chortled, making Crystal tilt her head. He sat up straight and coughed to gather his voice. "Well, I am a hard worker, after all, and I put all of that effort to reward you!"

Crystal's smile returned. She loved the sound of that. She appreciated Gold's efforts throughout their relationship and never in her life that she regretted about saying 'yes' to his first date offer. Gold made her feel all sorts of emotions, especially the positive ones. She liked him at first, and she didn't know why she would like a guy who was so irresponsible, but she guessed science couldn't explain these feelings she had for him.

Throughout the years their dates were fine. Nothing too fancy, nothing too boring, it was just right. It's the thought that counts, after all, and she appreciated that very much. She loved Gold and every second of her time with him would always be magical.

She didn't need to stop and think about it, though. She knew she loves Gold. She figured her feelings out when she was with Blue last month. Who knew that a super serious girl like her could fall for a snotty, irresponsible boy like Gold?

But ah, she knew Gold matured throughout the years. She'd seen it. She had experienced it.

"I miss the good old days," Gold spoke out of the blue. Crystal perked up at this, giving him a confused look. He chuckled. "I just miss our younger days, ya know? It's weird seeing our juniors grow up and get married. I mean," He laughed, and that was music to Crystal's ears. "Ruby and Sapphire got married before us? Like, damn those two just couldn't resist each other." he stopped to look at her reaction. His sincere smile returned.

Crystal was flushing furiously. Her cheeks were redder than a Tamato Berry and her eyes—oh, her eyes were so beautiful. They shimmer like crystals in a cavern, and it was gorgeous to look at.

Gold gulped at this. His hand slowly reached for his pocket.

Crystal coughed before Gold could do something else. She tucked a loose hair behind her ear and giggled once again. "Y-Yeah," she stuttered. "But I guess those two are childhood friends to begin with—nothing can bring those two apart."

Gold lowered his eyes, looking at the plate in front of him. "Yeah," He sighed. "But it's not just those two lovebirds though. I heard our juniors from Kalos are dating."

"Ah, really?" Crystal asked in an excited tone. Gold just nodded. "I'm so happy for them!" Gold grinned. "Yeah, me too," he paused and took a deep breath. Crystal furrowed her eyebrows.

"Gold, are you okay?" she asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied quickly, waving his hand in the air. He took a glance at his pocket. He bit his lip. "H-Hey, Crys," he stuttered, and this caught Crystal's attention.

Gold doesn't stutter, and if he does, it meant he was nervous about something, but what was it?

She reached his hand out for him, placing hers on top of his, and held it gently. She smiled. "Come on, Gold," she said, squeezing his hand. "You can tell me anything." And that's what all Gold needed to hear.

Taking a deep breath, he stood up and approached Crystal. He grabbed her left hand, bent down on one knee and took out something from his pocket.

Crystal gasped at this with her eyes widening in shock.

What lies in front of her was a black, velvet box and when Gold opened it, it revealed an expensive diamond ring. She looked at Gold and saw how serious he was with his decision.

She couldn't believe it. Gold could make her feel numerous amount of emotions, but she never expected she couldn't be any happier now that she saw this ring in front of her.

"Hey, Crys," Gold smiled, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "will ya marry me?"

It took moments or even forever for Crystal to reply, and Gold was getting nervous. He didn't know how long she was staring at him, but when he opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, she squeezed their linked hands.

His eyes widened at that. He looked at her and saw her reply:

"Yes, yes, I do. I love you Gold."

Gold smirked. "I know. I do too."

[buckyscrystalqueen]

Into The Ocean: Part 1

Pairings: Seb Stan x Reader

Warnings: Swearing, fluff

Word Count: 5,418

Aesthetic by @sorenmarie87

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bright, Hawaiian sun was warm on your tanned skin as you prepped your boat for the day. You never knew if you would get a full tour or even a straggling couple in the off season but you were always hopeful. If no one showed up? Well, you got a free day to enjoy the open waters.

You had moved to Maui six years ago, after the death of your husband in Iraq. Despite the fact that the United States offered 2.3 billion acres of land, it still felt claustrophobic. The open ocean was the only place you felt free.

“Is this the Mare Liberum?” You smiled at the mispronunciation and nodded. You flipped your long, thin dreads back over your back and stood up to look at the man behind the voice.

“Mar-eh Lee-bear-um.” You corrected with a smile as you squinted into the sunlight. “It’s Latin for Ocean of Freedom.” You couldn’t stop your eyes from trailing over the Adonis before you as you stuck your hand out. “(Y/N).”

“Sebastian. Seb.” He said as he gripped your hand tight in his. You bowed your head as you used his hand to pull yourself out of your boat and on to the dock. You smirked as his eyes wandered down your bikini clad body.

“So what can I do for you, Seb?” You asked as you rested your hands on your hips. His eyes snapped up to yours and a slight blush crept up his cheeks.

“My, um… my hotel told me that you were the girl to see for the best scuba spots.” You nodded with a smile. You were known for your tours because you always went to far out reefs that weren’t popular with the local tours. Mostly because they tended to draw a curious shark or two.

“That would be me. Half day trip or whole day?” He shrugged as he ran his hands through his long brown hair. “Let me ask you this. Have you ever been scuba diving before?” He nodded as his blue/grey eyes darted over to your boat.

“Few years ago. Never in Hawaii before.” You nodded as you bent down and pulled open one of the seat cushions to grab your wallet from your bag.

“Just you?” You stood back up and looked at him with a smile. He huffed a laugh.

“My girl would have been here but she thought it was a better idea to fuck my friend.” You couldn’t help your snort of laughter and you quickly covered your mouth.

“Shit, I am so sorry. That’s not funny.” You said as you tried to compose yourself. He shook his head as you gestured for him to follow you.

“Don’t be. It was a long time coming.” You nodded as you paused in front of the door to the sub shop at the end of the dock. You pulled the bandana off your wrist to tie your hair back as you gestured to the door.

“Sub’s on me for laughing. Tell them what you want, then grab anything you need from your hotel slash car and meet me at the boat. I’ll take you to the best places off the island for the day.” He smiled, and you wanted to melt into a puddle right there.

Now that you were in the shade you could see the sharp lines of his jaw and you could swear that if you were to look up the definition of perfection at that very moment, his photo would be the only definition you needed. Your eyes landed on his lips, his bottom lip a little fuller than his top and you realized he was talking to you.

“Wait, shit sorry. Lala land. What now?” You asked as you tucked your wallet between your knees and tilted your head back to tie back your dreads to conceal your blush. He chuckled as he took the opportunity to check you out once more.

“Do you know what time we’ll be back? I gotta let my assistant know.”

“Full day I usually have you back at 5, 5:30 at the latest.” You said as you tied the ends of the blue bandana on top of your head. He smiled in acknowledgement as he pulled the door open for you and headed inside behind you to put in his lunch order.

——

“So do you remember the drill?” You asked as you peered over the edge of your boat and dropped the anchor; guiding it so it would land in sand and not on the reef.

“Breathe in, breath out. Not rocket science.” You laughed as you stepped down onto your seat to grab your gear.

“You’d be surprised. You gotta remember, I deal with tourist for a living.” He smirked as he leaned over the side of the boat and plunged his flipper into the water to make the rubber easier to put on.

“How long have you been doing this?” You shrugged as you tied your hair up in a loose pony tail as best as you could.

“Something like six years. I’m from the mainland originally but I moved out here when my husband passed away.” He glanced up at you as you checked the air gauges on the two tanks you had pulled for the morning trip.

“Shit, I’m sorry…” You brushed him off and shook your head.

“Don’t be. He died in Iraq for our country. It’s an honor to be a military widow. This was our dream. When he came home, we were gunna move to Hawaii and scuba dive everyday. So I did it for him.” Seb nodded as he took the weight vest you handed to him.

“Well thank you for your sacrifice.” You gave him a tight lipped smile as you dropped a couple weights in the side pockets of his vest.

“No problem.” As you got him all set up, you ran through a list of hand signals to use to communicate under water. He repeated each one back to you as you climbed up on the side of your boat and raised your ‘diver down’ flag. When you were sure he was ready, you slung your gear over your shoulder, knowing it was always set up and ready to put on in the water and walked him backwards to the cut out.

“You ready?” You asked as you pushed the gate open. When you received a nod in response, you reached out and shoved him backwards into the warm water.

“Yo!” He shouted as you tossed your flippers in the water next to him with a laugh. “So not cool!” You nodded as you flipped down the stairs and jumped in beside him.

“Yep. I know it is and that’s one of my favorite parts of the job.” You teased as you dipped your mask in the water. You threw it on and pulled the other strap of your buoyancy compensator over your shoulder. “Now, stay with me. We’ll go down slow to get your ears to adjust. Just plug your nose and gently blow through your nose. You’ll feel a ‘pop’ kinda like on an airplane. If you don’t feel it, do not keep going down. It’ll just make you miserable.” He nodded as he pointed toward the ocean floor.

“Your flippers are sinking.” You looked down and grabbed one of them with a shrug and put it on.

“They do that, it’s fine. Did you hear me about your ears?” He nodded as he grabbed his regulator with a smile.

“Swim to the bottom as fast as I can and lose sight of you right away. I got it.” You giggled and rolled your eyes.

“Smart ass.” You put your regulator in your mouth as you pulled on your flipper. With one quick hand motion signaling ‘down’ you both plunged underwater. You took him down a few feet at a time, taking your time since he was the only one diving with you. He caught on pretty quickly on the process. When you finally reached the bottom, you grabbed your other flipper and yanked it on. You took a hold of his hand and turned him in the direction you wanted to go.

The reef was teaming with life. Schools of banner butterfly fish danced around the brown and red coral while trigger fish looked for meals. You watched a few sting rays catch your eye and you pointed them out as something moved just off to your right.

The untrained eye would have missed the brown body of the octopus that blended in perfectly to the coral below it. If you hadn’t see it move yourself, you probably would have overlooked it at first. You signaled to Seb to stay put as you let go of his hand and swam the couple feet over to it.

As gently as possible, you placed your fingertips underneath it and coaxed it off the rocks. His long tentacles wrapped around your forearm as he moved to your wrist and with a smile, you brought him back over to Seb.

You took his hand in yours and laid his fingers on your forearm as you wiggled your hand to get the sea creature to move without scaring him. Dealing with octopus ink was never fun. It took a little coaxing before the octopus moved.

You held onto Sebastian’s hand tight so he wouldn’t lurch away at the strange feeling of the suction cups on the octopus’s tentacles. Despite being under water, you could hear him laugh as the creature wrapped himself around his muscular forearm and settle on his wrist. You let go of his hand and watched as he brought his arm up in front of him more to take a look. It was moments like this that made you absolutely love your job.

You watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He fiddled with it for a moment before handing it to you. You only had to glance at the screen to get the gist as you took it from him. You held it in your hand as you quickly demonstrated how to pull out your regulator so he could smile for the photo, and then how to blow into it so you could breathe again. You thanked God that he was smart enough to understand your wordless demonstration as you took the photo of him smiling with an octopus tentacle now wrapped across his mask.

His eyes followed something behind you as you handed him back his phone. As you took the octopus off his arm, you glanced over your shoulder at the two sea turtles that were swimming by. That was an unusual sighting on your larger tours because, for the most part, the tourists scared them away. You put the octopus back on the reef where he quickly scurried away along the rough plains of the coral.

You guided Seb around the reef for an hour, always keeping your boat within sight and keeping close watch on both of your air gauges. You saw everything from eel’s to urchins, flounder to parrotfish and every kind of butterfly fish imaginable. When your dive watch beeped at the top of the hour, you signaled for Seb to go up slowly. He looked at you and nodded but his eyes suddenly went wide with fear. You knew exactly what he was seeing.

As quickly as you could, you grabbed his hands and jerked him toward you so he wouldn’t rush to the surface and give himself decompression sickness. You didn’t have to glance back at the grey reef shark as one swam right behind Seb in your line of sight. Knowing they were just curious, you took Seb’s other hand in yours and moved him directly in front of you. You shifted your head so you were in his panicked line of sight, took a deep breath, and spit out your regulator.

‘Go slow.’ You mouthed as you carefully brought him toward the surface. He nodded as he followed your lead up to the top. ‘Breathe easy.’ You mouthed when his breathing got a little panicked. He nodded and cringed as one of the sharks swam toward you. With a flat hand, you gently pressed on its side and it swam off in the other direction. You kept your cool as you reminded Seb to clear his ears. After about a minute, you finally breached the surface.

“Sharks!” He shouted as he tried to pull free to swim back to the boat.

“No, no! I need you to stay calm for me.” You said as he ripped off his mask. “They are just curious. They won’t bite you if you stay calm.” He nodded as you turned and slowly lead him backward to the boat.

“How do you know they won’t bite?” He asked as you glanced over your shoulder at your boat.

“They are reef sharks. Most shark attacks are simply a case of mistaken identity. You have to remember, the ocean is their home, not ours. We are invading their living room.”

“Have to ever been bit?” He asked as you guided him to the ladder.

“Once. I had a tour where a blacktip reef pup wanted to see what my tour was up to. A teenage girl panicked and tried to swim up too fast, so I swam over to stop her. Shark caught my vest and my elbow as I swam past. Probably thought I was an eel or an octopus or something.” You showed him the slight scratches on your skin with a shrug. “Like I said, they are just curious.” You looked down in the water at the four sharks that were swimming below you as Seb tossed his flippers into the boat.

“I dropped my mask.” He said a little sheepishly as he glanced back down at the water. “Sorry.” You huffed a laugh and nodded.

“It’s alright. I’ll go back down for it.” He nodded as he took off his scuba gear and tossed it into the boat, getting out of the water quickly after it. You took off your diving vest and tank and shoved it onto the edge as he looked at you with his eyebrows raised.

“Wait, you’re going back down there now?” He asked as you pulled your mask back down over your eyes.

“As opposed to coming back tomorrow for it? Yea, I’m going back down now.” You smiled at him as you took a deep breath and submerged once more. The reef that had been so full of life only moments before was a ghost town as the four sharks swam around your boat. You didn’t linger long as you swam down to the bottom, untangled the strap of the mask from a piece of coral and headed back up to the surface. While they may just be curious, they were still sharks. As you breached the surface again, you looked up at Seb with a smile as you held up his mask.  Your breath caught in your throat when you realized he had taken his shirt off.

Water glistened off every muscle he had on his broad chest and arms. You also couldn’t help but notice how thick his thighs were thanks to the black bathing suit shorts he had on sticking to them. You ducked your head under water to ‘pull off your mask’ and let out a groan. There was something about this man that had you weak in the knees already and you hadn’t said anything of real merit to him all morning.

“So, Mr. Seb.” You said as you swam the last few feet over to your boat and climbed out. “I’ll give you two options for your afternoon adventure; however, there are rules to one of the parts.” He chuckled as you climbed up the side part of your boat and lowered your diver flag.

“Alright, and what would those rules be?” He asked as he sat down on the chair next to your captains chair in the shade as you quickly packed everything up; already knowing his answer.

“Well, option one doesn’t have rules. It’s my typical tour, eat lunch here and then boat for an hour to the next spot, dive for another hour, maybe see some dolphins, and the hour ride home. Or option two, we head over to a secret ‘locals only’ spot bout half hour away, I break the rules a little bit, we have lunch there, and hang out for two or three hours. But you can’t bring your camera at all; it’s a sacred place.”

“Did you really just ask that question?” He laughed as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and shoved it in his bag to make a point. “Local spot all the way.” You smiled as you dropped your engine in the water and nodded at him.

“Good choice.”

~~~~~~~

“Are you crazy?” Your friend, Alani asked as she jumped across rocks to get to your boat. “You brought… wait a minute, I know you.” Your friend pointed to Seb and tilted her head slightly.

“Alani, tie me off. I don’t really care what Kai has to say about it. It’s one day.” You tossed your friend a rope as you stepped up onto the bow of your boat and tied your end to the front brace.

“He’s not gunna like this.” Alani said as she wrapped the rope around one of the wood pole the locals used to tie off their boats when they brought their boats and didn’t hike in.

“Yea, well he can kiss my ass.” You told your friend.

“I’m not gunna get you killed or something, am I?” Seb asked as he looked around the cave at the locals hanging out. You shook your head as you dropped your anchor.

“Not at all. Kai is sort of head moke around here… reigning king you could say. He’s a sweet guy usually but can be a real tool sometimes.” Seb nodded as you grabbed your beach bag. “OK. Step onto the seat, to the edge and just hop.” You said as you demonstrated how to get off your boat and onto the rocks that were two feet away. Seb nodded and followed your lead.

“So you think you can bring haloe here?” Kai’s voice called out from across the cavern the second Seb’s feet hit the ground. You glanced over at him, about to say something smart before Kimo, his ‘right hand’ and brother-in-law, jumped nearly a foot in the air.

“Brah! That’s that Captain America guy!” You paused and looked back at Seb, confused as a murmur spread through the cave.

“Am I supposed to know what that means?” You asked softly.

“I’m an actor.” He said equally as soft as he looked at all the people staring at him. You nodded your head and looked back at the group of people you considered friends.

“Yea, he’s… that guy. And he isn’t paying me to get stared at. So can we show him some island respect?” Kai held his hand up in a ‘hang-ten’ gesture, known as a Shaka and shook it back and forth.

“Haole is Ohana.” He called out. You nodded and returned the gesture.

“Mahalo.” You gestured to Seb to follow you, changing your direction from a sunny place on the rocks that circled the expanse to a small dug out that made three perfect chairs so he could have some privacy. “So that would explain why you have an assistant.” You said as you dropped your bag on the ground and sat down on one of the rock seats.

“That would be why. Thanks for… that.” He said as he gestured to the group. You shrugged as you pulled your sandwiches out of your beach bag.

“Don’t worry about it.” You handed him his lunch as you pulled out two beers from the cooler at the bottom.

“So what is the word they are calling me. Howlee?” He asked as he took the offered Budweiser.

“H-a-o-l-e. Basically it’s the islanders term for white people or foreigners. Not really a derogatory meaning but can be. Ohana means family. So basically he said that the white boy is now family, meaning you’re welcome here. That’s kinda a big deal.” He nodded his head in understanding as he unwrapped his sandwich.

“And Mahalo is thanks, right?” You nodded and smiled.

“You’re learning. I’ll get you speaking Hawaiian in no time.” You teased as he took a bite of his lunch. “So when are you going back to the mainland?” You asked as he chewed, so you could take a bite of your lunch while he answered.

“Two weeks. I’m actually on my down time between films. I’m alone for a couple days and then I have a couple friends joining me.” You nodded as you tucked your feet up under you.

“I apologize for apparently not seeing anything you have acted in. Ever since I moved to Hawaii, I spend more time outdoors than I do in. Mostly I’m here if I’m not working.”

“Now, you said this place was sacred. What does that mean?” You nodded as you chewed your bite and pointed to the water on the far side of the cave right by where Kai, Kimo and a few women were sitting.

“See how it’s really dark over there? Way back in the day, hundred plus years ago, there used to be a church above us. Over time, with the weather and the always shifting tides, the ground collapsed and the church fell through. No one was hurt, thankfully but the kupuna… the grandparents or elders of the island still go to services at the top.” He nodded as he looked up at the 50 foot opening above you.

“This place is amazing.” You nodded as you chewed your sandwich.

“Yea, it is.” The two of you finished lunch over a little small talk; learning about each others lives growing up and a little about your pasts. You were surprised to learn that he played Carter Baizen in ‘Gossip Girls’, a TV show your late husband hated but was your absolute guilty pleasure when you could catch an episode. He liked hearing you bumble through the Hawaiian language you were still learning and you adored his Romanian. The two of you spoke with ease; never having an awkward break.

“Wahine!” You looked up at the nickname, ‘woman’, the locals had given you, pausing mid sentence about how you started your business in Maui and bobbed your head. “You got the tunes?”

“Any kine?” You called back as you gathered up the trash and empty beer bottles and shoved them in your bag.

“Ae!” You nodded as you stood up, keeping your head down so you didn’t hit the low rocks above you.

“What’s today?” You asked Seb as he got up and followed you.

“Uh… Friday, I think.” You nodded as you jumped to the rock by your boat.

“Guess you get to see how we party on the island, then.”

——

Neither of you had realized how late it had gotten. You had spent the day swimming in the cove, dancing on the rocks and jumping into the water from a perch about fifty feet up almost all the way to the top. You even took him scuba diving to see the old church that was now turning into a coral reef with some of the pews still in tact. When your dive watched beeped at quarter to six to let you know low tide was approaching, you had to do a double take.

“Shit. I gotta get you back.” You said to Seb over the loud music. His brow furrowed until you showed him your wrist.

“Yikes. Well, I mean I don’t really have much going on. Think I could maybe take you out to dinner? I’d be nice to have the full real island experience after all.” You smiled as you swam over to the rocks and nodded.

“I think I can do that.” He smiled beautifully as you heaved yourself out of the water. The two of you said bye to the small group of people that were standing around and headed toward your boat. Kai appeared out of nowhere and extended his hand to Seb.

“Brah, you’re welcome back anytime with (Y/N). We just ask that you don’t spread the word.” Seb chuckled and nodded.

“You got it. This place is too beautiful to ruin for you guys.” Kai bowed his head ever so slightly in thanks and he gave you a quick kiss on the cheek.

“No more haole, Wahine.” You smirked and nodded.

“Aloha, Kai. A hui ho’u.” He repeated the phrase, meaning ‘see you later’ and headed back into the water as someone else took over music. You jumped onto your boat and turned off your radio as Seb jumped on after you.

“This is probably one of the greatest vacations I’ve ever been on.” You smiled back at him as you pulled up your anchor as one of the guys untied your lines and tossed them onboard for you.

“So I guess it’s a good thing your girl cheated on you then?” You said as you slowly guided your boat backwards away from the rock wall. Seb nodded as he grabbed his towel out of his bag and wiped off his sun-kissed face.

“I would have to agree that today with you definitely made the sting of coming on this vacation alone a lot better.” You smiled over at him as you pulled out of the opening of the cave and into open waters. “So, I have a question for you.” You glanced over at him with your eyebrow arched as you punched the throttle to head the half an hour back to the main docks. “Are you busy for the next… say four or five days?” You pursed your lips and shook your head.

“It’s off season, so not really, why?” He sat down on the chair next to you and pulled his wet hair back into a small bun at the nape of his next.

“This is gunna sound really bad but can I buy you?” You snorted a laugh and looked over at him; interrupting him before he could clarify.

“Didn’t realize I gave off that hooker vibe.” His face flushed red and you laughed. “I'm kidding. Yea, I can give you a tour of the island for a sort-of locals point of view. Take you surfing one day if you’re up for it.” He nodded and sighed almost in relief.

“You got the ass to be a hooker.” He teased. You glanced back over your shoulder at your butt and shrugged as you looked back up at him.

“Didn’t realize an actor would know what a hookers ass would look like.” You countered. He laughed whole heartedly and pointed at you with a nod.

“You’re quick. I like you.” You smiled and fake a curtsy.

“I would hope so, you are ‘Pretty Woman’ing me for a week.” He nodded as he helped himself to a beer.

“You seem worth it.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s open!” You called out from your kitchen when Sebastian knocked on your screen door. You heard the familiar squeak of your screen followed by the clack of hoofs on your tile floor.

“Whoa! You have a pig in your living room.” You smiled and glanced up as you cut up fruit and veggies for your pet’s meal.

“That’s Sausage. Just come over here, she’s just looking for breakfast.” It took a second before you heard the flip of sandals and the accompanying clack of hooves. “She likes the strawberries. Lay it on your flat palm.” You glanced up at him with a smile and he looked at you like you were absolutely nuts.

“You have a pig for a pet?” He asked as he grabbed a strawberry and held it in his hand. You heard Sausage snort as she sniffed at his hand before taking the strawberry and eating it loudly.

“I have two pigs. The other one is either still in the room or out on the lanai trying to get out to my garden like usual.” He nodded as he gave Sausage another strawberry.

“Nice place.” He said as he looked around the living room of your two bedroom, one bath, ‘A’ frame house. You shrugged as you pushed the new pile of carrots to the side before grabbing the last one.

“Mahalo. I’m sure it’s nothing compared to Hollywood standards but it does well for me. And mahalo for meeting me here, by the way. One of my chuckleheads knocked my alarm clock cord out of the wall last night so I got a late start to my day.”

“Hey, it’s no big deal. I’m the one inconveniencing you.” You shook your head as you shoved the last pile of carrots over and headed over to the sink to wash off your knife.

“Not really. Since I got a late start, I would have missed anyone looking to go out for the day so I would have just been down at ka wahi, the local’s spot I took you to yesterday all day. The joys of owning your own business.” You grabbed the two very large metal dog bowls off the counter and walked the stack back over to the counter you were working on. “So, yesterday you saw the water. Today, I figured we could do the sky. I got a couple friends of mine who work at one of the zipline places in town. Have you ever done that?” You looked up at him as you put hands full of mixed fruit and veggies into the bowls.

“I have not. Sounds like fun.” You smiled as you picked up the two bowls.

“That’s good because I already called Keonni, Alani’s fiancé, and told him we were coming.” You giggled as you opened the back door. You whistled for your pets and held the door open as Seb stepped out. “You’re gunna wanna move over here.” You said as a stampede of clacking echoed through your house. He laughed as your other fat pig came running out and lined up on the wall next to Sausage, waiting for their meal.

“So you met Sausage.” You said as you put the first bowl down in front of her. “And this is Bacon.” You told him as you put the other bowl down. You clicked your tongue once, letting them know your hands were clear and they attacked the food.

“I don’t know if those names are funny or disturbing.” He teased as he followed you back into the house.

“Just keeping it green since pork is one of the main food sources on the island.” You said as you locked the door behind him. “But they make amazing pets. They can be trained like dogs, they can be house broken and they are surprisingly clean animals. They just eat a lot.”

“Yea, I’ll bet.” He laughed as you dropped your cutting board into the sink.

“Now, these socks and shoes are actually brand new.” You informed him as you walked over to your coffee table and grabbed the shoes. “They were Matt’s but he never wore them. I figured you would be wearing flip flops on vacation so I dug them out of his boxes last night.” You handed him the shoes and you watched as his brow furrowed a bit.

“Matt is your husband?” He asked as he took the shoes from you. You nodded as he kicked off his flip flops. “Are you sure you don’t mind me wearing them?” You shrugged as you grabbed your own shoes from the shelf by the door.

“I mean, they have been sitting in a plastic tote for almost seven years. What else am I gunna do with them?”

“I’m just asking.” He chuckled as he sat down on the couch and pulled them on. “They actually fit perfectly.” You nodded as you grabbed your bag and your keys from the hook.

“I hoped they would. You two are about the same size.” He nodded in approval as he looked at the shoes and stood up. With a small clap of his hands, he headed over to you with a smile.

“Alright, let’s go zip line.”

Part 2

[progcnitrix]

ic tag dump