A Visit with Felix and Louis

[wheatencrown]

Demeter opens the front door of the Bar onto her potting shed, which is full of drying herbs.

The shed is a structure that looks like it shouldn't be standing up as bright sunlight slants through the slats in the wood and she turns to grins at them,

"We'll walk through the garden and get you settled. Then I've made some lunch and I have lots of maps so you can explore as much or as little as you'd like."

Comments

[mr_gaeta]

"I know." As rueful as it is, there's some tiny note, wormed deep into his voice, that insists he doesn't really know, and keeps gesturing sharply to the unfairness of him standing here when no one else (but Louis) can. "I'm trying. It's just..."

He slides his hand along Louis' back, letting it drop away only after the caress ends, and takes another step toward the beach.

"You know."

[faithful_lt]

"I know," Hoshi agrees, very soft. "I know, Felix."

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta glances over his shoulder at Louis, smiling very faintly before he turns back to the water.

He doesn't have to walk much further to reach the dividing line between light beach and dark, and step over onto the damp sand to leave defined footprints behind. The surf comes rushing in and washes up around his ankles; Gaeta yelps at the cold, jumps back, and then bursts out laughing.

[faithful_lt]

He's not the only one.

At Felix's reaction, Hoshi doesn't even try to stop himself from sitting down right where he is on the dry sand, laughing helplessly and so hard he can barely breathe.

[mr_gaeta]

Gods, it feels good to laugh like that.

When the next wave tumbles in, Gaeta's ready for it: he bends to soak his hands in the chill water, too, swirling out patterns in the foam.

And then he turns with a mischievous smile and races back to Louis.

[faithful_lt]

It's easy to see what he intends.

Hoshi still can't stop laughing, but he does manage to throw up a hand in self-defense.

[mr_gaeta]

Your meager defenses are no match for the Icy Cold Ocean Hands, Lieutenant!

...Which is to say that Gaeta tackles him in a puff of sand, flicks the water into his face, and shoves a hand down the back of Louis' shirt, laughing just as hard.

[faithful_lt]

It's his turn to yelp as he tumbles flat beneath the onslaught -- and despite that, he's still laughing.

(A little further down the beach, the fishermen exchange glances. Madmen, but they're her guests, seems to be the general consensus as they shrug in Gallic amusement and go back to work.)

"You know I'm going to get even, right?" Hoshi informs him. He puts his arms around Felix and rolls to the side.

[mr_gaeta]

"Of course you are," he agrees comfortably, letting Louis roll him over as well. "I consider myself warned."

And even if this isn't the most private of locations -- well, frak it. Gaeta stretches to give Louis a quick peck on the lips, smiling.

[faithful_lt]

He smiles back, and leans in to give him a somewhat more lingering kiss in return.

"Just see that you remember that when the time comes," he murmurs.

His eyes are sparkling with mischief.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta tilts his head to give Louis a mock-suspicious squint.

"And just what are you planning, Lieutenant?"

[faithful_lt]

"You'll see," he returns, an innocent, near-beatific expression on his face.

[mr_gaeta]

"Mm-hmm."

He would say that he doesn't trust you, Louis, but...that isn't exactly true. Not by a long shot.

Combing his still-damp fingers through the other man's hair, he kisses him again, longer this time.

[faithful_lt]

Hoshi's perfectly willing to abandon the discussion of revenge in favor of this much more interesting dialogue, it seems.

Once the kiss ends, he shifts just enough to prop one elbow on the sand and lean his head comfortably against his hand for support.

His other hand continues to rest lightly on Felix's hip.

"So."

[mr_gaeta]

"So," echoes Gaeta. He tilts his head to the side, settling his own hand on Louis' shoulder. "We've got a couple hours before sunset. Up for anything in particular?"

[faithful_lt]

"I was tempted to go swimming, but based on your reaction," he observes, amused, "I'm not sure that's the best idea."

He frowns a little, considering.

"We could check out that village the Lady mentioned, if you want? Or..."

[mr_gaeta]

"I think my frakking toes just got frostbite," he agrees, too cheerful to be anything but joking -- and then his eyebrows go up at the next, and he pushes himself a little higher. "Yeah. Can we? I want to see this."

A village that's actually stable, and thriving: the idea makes his breath catch.

[faithful_lt]

"Of course we can," he agrees, immediately. "Come on."

Hoshi leans in and gives him a quick kiss, sits up, then gets to his feet and brushes off the sand before offering a hand to help Felix up as well.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta clasps Louis' hand to heft himself up. He doesn't let go once he's standing; instead, he gives the other man's hand a quick squeeze to accompany the grin he offers.

Together, they walk along the beach toward the village.

[faithful_lt]

The picnic basket is left behind to hold their spot, not that Hoshi thinks it likely there'll be much of a problem with that anyway.

He nods a hello to the fishermen as they pass by at some small distance, and then resolutely turns his attention away from the boats a little way down the beach and toward the village ahead.

It's no hardship to do so, either, not when he's enjoying the miracle of walking with Felix on Earth's surface, not when the village itself looks so fascinating as well.

[mr_gaeta]

There are so many people. Complete strangers, speaking a completely different language, and in a way it's nearly like Milliways -- but different. Better. So much better.

He pauses to put his shoes back on once they reach the edge of the beach, the dunes edging against wood planks and shifting to cobblestones further down the way. Tiny houses pepper the road; a few wrought-iron tables mark one of the buildings as a cafe.

[faithful_lt]

He's trying not to stare, but it takes real effort. He can't do anything about the smile that continues to light up his face, though. Hoshi squeezes Felix's hand and murmurs,

"It's incredible, isn't it?"

[mr_gaeta]

"More than incredible," he whispers.

And he starts grinning as it strikes him all over again.

"We're on Earth."

[faithful_lt]

"Yes, we are," he manages, and then laughs for the sheer joy of it.

A woman sweeping her front steps glances over at the sound, and smiles at them.

[mr_gaeta]

Gaeta lifts a hand in greeting to her, starting to laugh, too. It's infectious; it's beautiful.

"Eventually I'll move the conversation past that," he murmurs in Louis' ear. "I swear."