Sun and Fun {OPEN}

[Guest]

The sight of it. The sound of it. The smell of it. The feel of it. The aftertaste of it. The beach was an appeal to all five senses. Stepping back onto the beach for the first time since last year, Stephen relished the moment, taking in every drop of its intense impact on his mind and body. 'This is where I belong.'

Toting his towel and cooler, Stephen glanced down the beach, nobody here quite yet. Unsurprising. While other students were still unpacking, getting reacquainted with old friends, he was here, trying to enjoy himself before classes took over all aspects of life, preventing any sort of personal time. But someone would be there eventually, he just knew it. He could never be alone for too long, especially on the beach.

Light waves were breaking on the shore, push and pull, in and out, a never-ending cycle. Just out beyond the wake, the sun's reflection glttered over the crests. Stephen found a smoothe patch in the sand and dropped down his beach towel, flicking the end and smoothing it with his feet. He dropped his cooler next to that, the ice and water sloshing around his bottles of soda inside. Kneeling down, he flipped the top off, pulled out a lemon-lime flavored drink and popped off the cap. Draining it in seconds, he tossed the empty bottle back inside.

Standing up straight again, Stephen pulled off his tee-shirt, feeling the light wind blow over his torso. Throwing the shirt onto his towel, he turned to the beach, eying the shoreline with a smirk on his face. He broke into a dead sprint, racing to the shore, sand flying into the air behind his pumping legs. Reaching the end of the sand, he dove straight out into the surf, dropping right below the surface. His streamlined form sliced through the water.

Bursting up through the surface, Stephen gasped in the salty air. Standing up, the water was just under waist deep. Salty water streaming down his face, he wiped his face clear and turned to the beach.

[Guest]

The eldest Beaulieu daughter had finally finished unpacking her organized yet overstuffed suitcase into her new dormitory room. It had been a long and sweaty process with the Australian sun poking through the open window, and the girl had decided to reward herself with a bath at the nearby beach. She had ventured out, large school towel clutched beneath her right arm, and was soon at her destination.

She stepped onto the hot sand, characteristically bare feet enjoying the feel of the fine grains beneath them, and closed her eyes. She breathed in the salty air, the sun hot on her porcelain face, and wondered anew at how utterly different Australian beaches were from French ones. Her mother had often taken her and her sisters to Nice on the French Riviera, and while the beaches were refreshing they were also painfully rocky and blisteringly cold compared to this one. The fine sand, the fine weather, and the fine water all came together to create a small piece of paradise on their section of the Australian coast. It was just as wonderful and relaxing as always. Columbine's eyes fluttered open and she continued her way towards the surf.

It looked as if there was an added bonus to the lovely ocean scenery this afternoon; Stephen Griffin was out there swimming if she wasn't mistaken. A gentle warm breeze swept across the sand and tugged at the small blue sundress that Columbine was wearing. The straps of her light coffee-colored bikini were visible above the tube top of the sundress. She continued walking, admiring his form as he swam, and stopped a few feet away from the high tide line. She waited patiently for him to stop swimming and awaited him with a charming smile positioned on her face. She felt that welcome rush of attraction as he stepped out of the water, glistening and wiping at his face. There was nothing wrong with admiring the male body, after all. Especially not one so yummy as this.

"Sacre bleu, we have a regular homme de la mer here. I hope you don't have gills, monsieur." Columbine dropped her towel in the dry sand and walked into the water until it was a couple of inches above her ankles. "I am not interrupting, am I?"

[Guest]

"Sacre bleu, we have a regular homme de la mer here. I hope you don't have gills, monsieur. I am not interrupting, am I?"

There she was, prettily watching his movements, her ankles slightly sunk into the sand and surf. Columbines presence alone momentarily paralyzed his muscles, and her exotic French accent nearly knocked him flat into the water. "Uh, hi Columbine." A momentary stutter, but almost immediately he regained his composure. A lapse in his cool, not something that has ever happened before, nor would he let it happen again. Deciding not to sound stupid contemplating what a 'homme de la mer' was, he continued.

"How was your summer?" Stephen let a light grin slip through his lips. Ah, he had it back. It wasn't Stephen's style, but he was struck by her beauty. He normally would be attracted by emotional and mental connection before attempting anything much further than friendship. But there was definitely something different here. He couldn't place his finger on it.

"Looking forward to a new year?" Stephen suddenly remembered their closest encounter up to now. He had ran into Columbine in a hallway, nearly knocking her over and spilling her parchment everywhere. Apologizing profusely while returning her things, he had left immediately after, not seeking to embarass himself further. But now she had come to him, and he didn't have to play off some sort of awkward failing of himself.

Stephen ran his fingers through his medium-length hair, pushing moisture from his face and scalp. He began thinking to himself 'Just play it cool big guy, nothing you can't handle. This is going to be interesting.'

[Guest]

Columbine's shining blue eyes caught Stephen's gray ones in their gaze and she smiled coyly as he floundered for words. She had learned by now that it wasn't usually a good idea to draw attention to other people's fumbles. She wasn't, after all, completely above fumbling around herself sometimes. "Hello, Stephen." she said pleasantly, her smile matching her tone. She brushed away a strand of her shining hair that had blown in her face and dug her toes into the wet sand.

"Ah, it was not nearly as exciting as I would have liked. Mes soeurs, em, my sisters and I spent most of the summer together. It is sometimes quite difficult to have adventures when one is accompanied by a thirteen year old." She smiled warmly; she happened to enjoy the company of her younger sisters, but that was really not business of Stephen's. "What about you? Did Stephen Griffin have any adventures over the break?" She bit her pouting lower lip and curled the corners of her mouth up into a smile. It seemed as if he had more questions for her before he answered any, and that was fine. She wasn't as vain as those of Veela blood were made out to be, but neither did she shy away from questions about herself.

"I am indeed. It is my last one here, of course, so I must make it count. You are lucky to still have two years ahead of you." She hoped she was correct in remembering his year. She would hate to have offended him by thinking he was younger than his age. Age was only a number after all. Well, once you weren't a child anymore that was. "Do you have anything in particular planned for this year?"

[Guest]

Cara couldn't wait to get down to the beach. She knew what she should be doing was unpacking, but she could do that later. Her suitcases would be there for the rest of the day, the sunshine however, would not be. After the feast she had bascially ran to her dormitory, grabbed her towel and changed into a bikini. Her friends all rolled her eyes at her as they knew where she would be going. She got a few comments; "There she goes, off to the beach.", "You'd think she'd never seen the sea before., I don't even know why she's going there I mean, she's already tanned enough." What they didn't know it that she would be down the beach even if the sun wasn't shining. She was back at the Academy so she went back to the beach, no matter what.

She stood on the ground before the sand and just stared at the water. Breathing deeply, Cara slipped of her wedged sandals and took her first step. The feeling of sand between her toes was one Cara loved, it relaxed her, like her own personal drug. Walking gracefully down towards the shore she placed her towel on the sand, and removed her skirt to show the bottoms of her Blue and White strpied bikini. Walking towards the sea Cara was completely oblivious to the other two people that were indeed quite close to where she was. They didn't matter at the moment, all that matter was the sea, to get into the sea. It was like an addiction.

Cara felt the water around her ankles. It was cold, but it seemed to work well with the heat of the sun. Shivers ran down her back as Cara walked further and further into the sea. As the sand descended, Cara dived into the sea and felt the water surroud her, however today the current was storng and she came up out of the water in a completely different place to where she went in. It was then she first stopped Columbine and Stephen.
"Oh!" Cara said shocked "Lo ciento - I mean, sorry! I had no idea anyone was here." She wasn't sure which of them she was talking to, who ever answered first would obviously be that person.

[Guest]

Stephen craned his head to the left, listening for the telltale pops cracking in his neck, then to the right getting the same result. He let out a chuckle at Columbine's referring to him in the third person. Her French accent had a great calming effect on him. Stephen never really had a problem staying cool under pressure before, but it was a little different his time: Columbine had some sort of a power over him, which meant he needed to turn the tables.

"Well, Stephen's summer was pretty standard and boring as far as I know," he answered, grinning at his own third person. "I expect it would have been better with some siblings to spend time with, or some pleasant company."

Stephen took a few sloshing paces closer through the water, coming within two steps of Columbine's person. Now, it was his turn. "Well, this year promises to be a good one, and yes, after this I only have two more. O.W.L.'s are definitely set to work me overtime, but there'll be plenty of time for play." One more step, he was almost overbearing on her person now. "And I'm sure it will be the best one yet, so long as you're around."

Suddenly there was a splash off to the side, causing Stephen quickly turn his head. Whipping around, he found Cara Espinosa emerging from the water about five feet away. "Oh! Lo ciento - I mean, sorry! I had no idea anyone was here." Her sheepish smile gave away that she really hadn't expected to see them there. Not too acquainted, he gave her a little grin. "Well, it's not like we're on a private plot of beach."

Feeling slightly awkward with Cara seeing how close he was to Columbine, Stephen felt the need to move off. "It's nice seeing you Cara, hope your summer was well. Columbine, do you want to go back to my towel? I think I've had enough of the water."

[Guest]

Columbine laced her fingers together in front of her as she watched Stephen stretching out his neck, her thumbs pulling at the loose material of her sundress. The water was cool against her warm skin, and the rising color in her face had nothing to do with the sun. Her face was sympathetic at the news of his uneventful summer, not being able to even imagine the boredom of having to spend a summer alone. She wanted to know more about his family situation, wanted to pose a question, but he was moving towards her now.

She leaned forward slightly as he approached her, careful to let him know that she would not draw back from him. She was not afraid of being close to people. In fact, she loved it. It was very refreshing to find a boy who was not afraid to be close. And he was definitely not afraid. He was so close now. She tilted her head down and lifted her gaze to him, a calm and pretty smile gracing her face. "It seems I will have no choice but to keep close then." She took a half step forward, into his shadow. "This is a good start, don't you think?" She could sense the heat emanating from him, despite his recent swim. Her right hand drew away from her body, but was stopped on its way to his arm by a nearby splash.

Her head pivoted to the side at the same time as his, but she stood her ground. Let whoever it was look, they would see what they wanted to see anyways. Her slightly peeved expression melted away quickly when she saw who it was. She waved amiably at Cara, glad that it was she and not Michelle Amorcya or somebody like that. "Hello Cara, good to see you enjoying the day." She glanced at Stephen and smiled at his invitation, "To your towel, then. As long as you promise that we may return to the water later. It is very hot out here." She tugged at the tube neck of her sundress, airing herself in the heat. "And I don't think you're doing much to help the matter." She winked at him and pivoted on her heels to face the sandy beach, looking around for his towel. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "So, is it true what they say about Aramia students? Are you as curious, charming and trustworthy as you are supposed to be?"

[Guest]

Turning back to Columbine after Cara's interruption, Stephen resumed his pursuit of a moment together. "Sure, we can always come back to the water later, but I'm a bit partial to the heat of the sun. It's not always shining in England like it is here." Just lifting one side of his smile, he began to trudge through the surf to shore, stepping next to Columbine and heading for his towel. "Well, I don't like to make generalizations, but I guess that's what house sorting is all about. I am curious, always interested in new stuff. Trustworthy, you'll have to wait and find out. And I think you would know if I'm charming or not." He let out a chuckle. His apprehensions at talking to her were gone.

Stepping onto the soft, grainy sand, Stephen reached out for Columbine’s hand, finding it and giving a quick squeeze before starting into a jog towards his towel, pulling her behind him. Laughing, he let go before they got there and broke into a sprint, spraying sand behind his feet. Pulling up beside the towel, he turned his feet sideways and skidded to a halt in the hot sand, sending a wave of it sailing past his towel. Turning around he saw Columbine in pursuit.

Standing at the bottom edge of his towel, Stephen spread out his arms and fell straight backwards onto it, cushioned by the soft sand. He waited until Columbine had caught up before looking up and saying, “Hope you didn’t mind the little burst of speed there.” Placing his hands around the back of his head and lifting, he did a sit-up to let out a deep laugh and gauge Columbine’s reaction.

[Guest]

Once Stephen was beside her and had assured her of returning to the surf, she began a slow march through the sand, scooping up her towel effortlessly as they passed it. This boy not only had a nice body, but he had a very lovely tongue. "Well that is at least two out of three then, I think." she said, seamlessly answering his semi-question. Well, he hadn't really asked anything, but that wouldn't stop her from answering. She hoped he was trustworthy after all, it was bad enough having other people speculate into her life without them being somebody she was close to. Of course she couldn't yet claim to be close to Stephen. It was just a matter of time, though.

Her thoughts on his trustworthiness were cut short when her hand was grabbed and he began to pull her along. She was taken by surprise at first, nearly tripping in the sand around her toes, but she quickly gripped back at his hand and regained her balance, now able to keep pace with him. He was quite bold for having been surprised by her. Most boys who did not expect her presence were not so good at dealing with it. She laughed out loud as he broke away from her and made a mad dash for his towel, bending in half over her knees to let out her laughter and catch her breath. After a moment to compose herself she set off after him, digging her toes into the sand to propel herself forward.

She arrived beside his towel just as he was collapsing back onto it, her cheeks flushed brightly and her hair spread in front of half of her face. She dropped her unrolled towel on the sand and placed her hands on her hips, looking down on Stephen as he sat up. "Dear Merlin, you are speedy! Next time you want to race, give me warning and I will leave you in my dust." She grinned, cocking out her hips to punctuate her challenge. If he happened to take her up on it, he would most likely win, but at least she would give him a run for his money. She shook her head and sat down in the sand beside him. She could feel the grains sticking to her legs, but that did not make her want to unroll her towel and sit upon it. She loved the feel of the grains on her skin; her towel was meant just to dry her. "So what is it you do around school when you are not running around like a madman?"

[Guest]

Stephen looked up at Columbine, laughing at her crimson-flushed face and dismayed hair. His laughter redoubled as she placed her hands on her hips and punctuated her statement with a twist. "Alright, I'll be sure to give you warning next time I peel out in front of you." He was sure she was putting on a bluff, just to make a point, but he thought it was cute. At least she knew how to have a bit of fun. Some people just lacked that ability completely.

Stephen turned on his side to face Columbine as she sat in the sand next to his towel. Why hadn't she just sat on the towel instead of in the sand? He knew he couldn't stand getting sand in his trunks. "Hmm, not running around, hard-pressed to find a time I'm not," he chuckled, "I guess if I'm not running around like a madman, I'm flying like a maniac as a keeper in quidditch." It was true, his life consisted of doing one wild thing after another, besides schoolwork of course.

Reaching into his cooler, Stephen popped the top off and reached through the ice-water, searching for a bottle of soda pop. Finding them under the frosty layers, he pulled two out. Twisting the top off one and offering it to Columbine, then doing the same with the second and starting that himself, Stephen looked to the clear blue sky, sparse white puffs of cloud, and spread out gulls drifting on the wind. He couldn't think of much else that was more relaxing than chilling on the beach, drinking sodas, enjoying the sun and chatting it up with a beautiful girl.

"So, your last year at Oasis Hill, right? How can you deal with the fact that you're almost at the end of this long road? I have no idea how intimidating that must feel."

[Guest]

Columbine appreciated Stephen going along with her challenge, though something in his voice told her that he didn't think she was serious. That was okay, though, seeing as she wasn't serious. At least not about racing him around the place. She was, however, seriously interested in the boy sitting beside her. She gave him a radiant smile, resting her cheek on her shoulder as her fingers drew a path in the sand between her and him.

She stretched her long legs out in front of her, pointing her toes to the sky as she continued to watch the intriguing boy as he spoke. Her soft laugh joined with his chuckle and she couldn't help but muse at the melody their laughs made together. The sun was making her brain just a little fuzzy, but she loved the feeling. Sand sun and surf were far better than any narcotic known to mankind. "You are busy, then? Overworked in the ground and the air, but something tells me you like it that way. Keeper, you say? Then I have more than likely seen you on the pitch, though I prefer playing Seeker myself. Fewer bludgeons to the face that way." She cupped her sand-speckled hands to her face, framing the smile that stood there.

She resumed tracing in the sand with her fingers, watching his toned back as he reached into the cooler. She gave a grin of surprise when he offered the open bottle to her, free hand flying to her collarbone to punctuate the emotion. "Merci, monsieur. I must say I am pleasantly surprised to see such gallantry. It is shameful how many boys would pass up such manners." The shadow of a smile played on her lips as she matched his gaze, contemplating the cotton clouds up in the atmosphere above them. She was completely at ease around this near stranger, and it made her happy. His question did little to dampen her spirits.

"Oh, it really is not as frightening as we make it out to be." she said, turning her gaze languidly from the sky to Stephen's face, "Of course there is that pinching fear of the unknown, but I have good family to fall back on always. I do not like to think of it as an end, any way, that would be too hard to face. It's the beginning of the longer part of my life. Oasis Hill isn't going anywhere, knock on the wood. I suppose you aren't going anywhere, either." She smiled at him, head once again resting on her shoulder as she took a sip of the soda. "How does that feel?"

[Guest]

As Columbine laughed, she stretched out her bare legs in front of her, causing a chill to go up Stephen's spine at the sight of them. "Well, you may have seen me at a practice, but as backup I only got onto the pitch for one game last year, and that was against Othello, not Malvolio."

Columbine's flattered gesture at his offer of a drink made Stephen blush. And encircling her radiant smile in her hands made Stephen laugh out loud. "It's no problem to me, ma cher. I have enough for an armada." Using probably the only French he knew, he let out another laugh. Here on the beach he was so utterly relaxed. Sun, surf, fun, and a beautiful girl, he was in his element.

"Eh, sometimes just waiting to be done with school can feel like an eternity. But I don't mind, I already told you how life at home can be so tedious. We live in the countryside with no nearby neighbors. The only way to socialize from there is by owl, so I take joy in my time at school. It will be tough to leave." Stephen sighed, he didn't want to think about not having a school to go to. He looked to Columbine, her cheek daintily depressed onto her shoulder.

Bouncing back to the situation at hand, Stephen decided it was time for another dip. Draining the rest of his soda, he tossed the bottle next to the cooler and stood up. Stretching his arms and legs out, he was ready to get back into the water. "How do you feel about a rematch back to the water, sweetheart?" Waiting for Columbine to finish her soda and get ready, Stephen lined up for a race. Once she was in line, he started, "Ready, set, GO!"

Letting Columbine off the line first, Stephen decided it would be unbecoming to charge ahead and make it to the water first. He kept a small distance behind her, letting her plunge into the surf first. But just for a little fun, once he reached the water himself, he dove beneath the surface and swam under the water past her legs as she turned around. Once past her, he waited with only his head above the surface behind her, ready to spring out.

[Guest]

Columbine couldn't help but notice the infinitesimal quiver in Stephen's features, but she pretended not to. Most boys didn't like being reminded of her Veela abilities, they liked to think they found her attractive for other reasons. For that matter Columbine liked to think so too, but it was hardly ever the case. That was okay, though. Good things could sprout from superficiality sometimes, though most people thought it impossible. She had an itching feeling in the back of her mind that it wasn't like that with Stephen. The thought scared her, but her fear only drove on her tickling desire to get closer to him. "Hm, such a pity. Perhaps we will meet this year on the field, I can not imagine your team not wanting to play you. You look in wonderful shape." Screw subtlety. It was a late summer day at the beach, not a state dinner.

A pleased smile touched her face when he spoke in her native tongue. It was but two words in French, but she always found it highly complimentary when people spoke in French to her. She really only judged the ones she didn't like anyways. She drank her soda slowly, playing the bubbles against the back of her lips, and listened to him. She hung raptly on his words but wondered sadly how long her attention would take to wane. No matter. He had her fully today and tomorrow. She would just have to see what happened after that. "I suppose you will just have to move yourself into the, em, hustle and bustle as they say. If you ever get bored on breaks just send an owl to me and I will find some way to get you to Paris. We are connected to the Floo network and Maman just loves company." Most people wouldn't invite near strangers to their homes, but Columbine had been blessed with more confidence and recklessness than most people. Thank Merlin. Her eyes followed him as he quickly drained his soda and she set hers carefully in the dry sand, not wanting to give her stomach gas from drinking it too fast. She took a deep breath and smiled, preparing herself for the challenge and running her mind over the sound 'sweetheart' had made from his lips.

She got up slowly, brushing grains of sand from her legs, and put one finger up in the air. The signal for him to wait a moment. If they were going to end up in the water, she must deal with her sundress first. She peeled it off over her head, hating the moment when his voice was obscured by the material, and deposited it on top of his towel. She didn't think she was invading his space in doing this, and if she was he had better tell her. She stood beside him at the line he'd made, her bare shoulder brushing against his in the moments before they started running. She dug the balls of her feet into the sand for better purchase and bolted away from the starting line, pretending she didn't notice that he'd taken a bit too long to get started himself. She was quite good at pretending all sorts of thing and it would be the easiest thing to pretend he wasn't letting her win. She splashed into the water, spraying foam out in front of her, and dove into the sea. The salt water rushed into her waiting smile.

She popped back up to the surface and couldn't see where Stephen had gotten to. She felt the water move behind her, near her legs, and she turned quickly, using her arms to keep her balance in the water. "Hallo? Stephen?" She smiled wryly, trying to figure out where he had gone. It was probable that he was in the water with her, but where? She turned around in a full circle, but still hadn't spotted him. She sunk to her knees and let the water come up to her chin, waving her arms smoothly in front of her, trying to find him. Where in Merlin's name had that boy gotten to?

[Guest]

Stephen had trouble containing himself, this was too much fun. Every time Columbine shifted her focus on the water, he slipped under the surface and swam around her. It took every ounce of control he had not to burst out laughing, spewing bubbles into the water, and alerting her to where he was. This game, though admittedly childish, was too much fun to give up so easily on.

"Hallo? Stephen?"

Her confusion was hilarious, Stephen was almost dying on the inside. Finally, Columbine gave up searching, settling into the water up past her neck. 'So, she's thrown in the towel,' he thought, 'Maybe it's time for our little game to end.' He crept up directly behind her, but not quite close enough to alert her he was in the water right next to her.

With a devious grin on his face, Stephen lunged through the water. Letting out a triumphant "AHA!", he slipped his right arm around Columbine's back, just behind her shoulders, and with his left arm scooped up her legs behind the knees and standing up straight, lifted her handily out of the water. Shaking his short hair of water, he looked into her face, grin still apparent on his own. "Well, well, well, what have we here, a fine catch for the day, non? Now the question, is she a keeper or does she need to be thrown back for the time being?"

His eyes caught hers, a glisten of surprise, just what he had hoped for. "If I may be so bold, although I would suppose my actions speak for themselves. So, have I succeeded in sweeping you off your feet Miss Beaulieu?"

[Guest]

Columbine turned quickly towards the rush of water, but not quickly enough to avoid being scooped up by Stephen's deft arms. "Zut!" she exclaimed at his sudden appearance, reverting to her native tongue in her surprise. Sure, she had know he was down there and that he probably had meant to surprise her, but he was definitely more creative than many in his means of surprise. Clever boy, thought Columbine, Clever and oh so much fun! She wrapped her arms around his neck, not tight enough to strain it, and stared down at the water below as if it were an immense drop from Stephen's arms to the sea. She crossed her ankles and looked flat into his face, only inches from hers and still dripping with sea water.

"Oh, oui oui! If I do say so myself." Sure, she wasn't vain, but she wasn't stupidly humble, either. Besides, it was never a good idea to shy away from compliments. If you didn't believe the good things people said about you, they'd stop believing too. Not that Columbine really needed anybody else to tell her what was right with her. It was still nice. "Ah, do keep me, monsieur. It would be such a pity to have to wait for another fine fisherman like yourself." She smiled warmly and graced him with another wink.

"Utterly and completely, Monsieur Griffin. The question is, what are you going to do with me now that you have my attention?" Mmm, she was laying it on strong now. How could she resist, though? Unless she was immensely mistaken (which she wasn't) he was interested in her. So what if their first real conversation took them where most people couldn't go until they felt secure and justified? Flirting was fun, and Stephen was good at it. Which was really saying something, cause when you flirted with Columbine, you were playing in the Pro Leagues.

[Guest]

Stephen was proud of himself, not vainly proud, but the kind of self-confidence that comes from knowing you were doing things right. He had a girl he'd been pining over since last year in his arms, in a bikini, at the beach, and she was making some heavy ints. She had wrapped her arms around him, smiled, winked, didn't shy away from his advances, all the right signs. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun flirting.

Hmm, what was he going to do next? It wasn't really Stephen's style to jump right into the intimacies of a relationship, if you were to call this the beginning of one, he usually took his time before pushing anything more than just being together. But then again, she had willingly and eagerly started flirting with him, pushing him further than he had gone before so quickly, was it what she really wanted? He would find out.

Stephen brought his face so close to Columbine's that their noses almost tounched."Well, my dear Mademoiselle, I think I've already shown that actions speak louder than words." He pushed his face the last half inch, eyes closing, his lips pressing straight into her own luscious lips. Yes! He was glad he had! He knew this was the right decision now. Warmth passing between their connected lips, it felt so good.

After what seemed like an eternity, Stephen reluctantly extricated his face from hers. He walked closer to the shore to where the water was fairly shallow and gently set her down into the surf and then sat next to her. "Satisfied?"

[Guest]

Columbine blinked slowly as Stephen thought it over. She could wait, she was patient. Sometimes. Today was a beautiful day on a beautiful beach, and she had a feeling that his arms could hold her for quite a good bit of time. Yes, she could wait. He didn't take long in deciding, it seemed, though he didn't just dive right in, which was a wonderful change from many of the boys Columbine had been with in the past few years. First impressions really were very important, and most boys made rushing, fumbling, eager first impressions. Cute, but unremarkable. Stephen, though. Stephen had kept his cool. He'd surprised her with the ease and frankness of his words. He'd surprised her with that disappearing into the water trick. He'd surprised her by scooping her up and holding her so easily. And that pause between her words and his, even if it was a relatively short one, surprised her once more. She stared right into his eyes, not shying away from his closeness. Really, where could she go anyways? He was holding on to her.

The pause which he filled with his words was almost excruciating to her. Being so close to his lips without reaching for them took a good deal of willpower from the little half-veela. She refused to initiate, though. Well, beyond shameless flirting. She had never been the girl to take the first kiss. She was at least patient enough to wait for that. So she waited, and Stephen didn't disappoint. She closed her eyes a couple moments after his were closed, taking a short glance at the face that was so close to hers. No squinting, he wasn't making any faces. Good. She thought of what a nice surprise this day had been and then she was lost in the moment. Her hands reached up the back of his neck and her fingers wrapped in his hair. She pressed back slightly, pulling his head towards hers and tilting into the kiss. The warm, sweet kiss lasted as long as kisses like that lasted; not quite long enough.

She smiled silently as he walked to the shore and set her in the foam, letting him have the first word. "More than. Thank you." She beamed at him, her mouth still tingling. She wasn't going to make any excuses for her behavior. Even if some close minded people would say they'd moved to fast, it was worth it. People wasted too much time, in Columbine's opinion. "I only hope the rest of my first week at Oasis goes as well. I must say, this afternoon has been a better back-to-school present than I could have dreamed." She put her hands out in front of her to catch the foam of a wave as it broke on the shore. "Would you mind me asking if you are always such a sweet talker? I would not be surprised if every female at the school was not secretly pining for you." In fact, Columbine knew of one girl in particular that was more than certainly pining for Stephen. Would Melody just be oh-so thrilled to hear this tale of beach-side romance?

[Guest]

"Well, it is of no difficulty to me, mon cher. We do what we are made to do, what we are good at and find fun. You have simply experienced that firsthand." Stephen knew what he liked and what he was good at. They happened to be the same thing: romance. He didn't mean to be smug about it, but he could swoon any girl he chose. But he only would if he felt that strongly about her. It was his policy never to lead a woman on.

Stephen thought about what she said, how this was a great start and responded, "I won't lie, this has been a most amazing afternoon for me as well. Never thought in my wildest dreams that this might happen so quickly after returning to school. But I'll tell you, I'm glad it did." He leaned over, lifted her chin and planted a small kiss on her lips to seal what he said. It was quite the experience.

And then Columbine asked him a difficult question. Did he always talk this way around girls? Well, it was the way he talked, not always intended to sweep up women the way it had with her, but how could he say that without making it sound like he was a player or that she was easy? He was quite caught up in his impending response. He would just have to wing it and try not to make it seem arrogant.

"Well, not all the time. I guess it is sort of just the way I am, I can't help it. Like I said, we do what we're made to do. But it's not always intentional, and yes, I have heard tell of at least one girl who was just caught up with me. I don't know who she was, but I hope she was able to get past it. I only intend to sound good to girls I would like to get to know in that sort of way, pretty much how I've felt about you."

With that last statement, Stephen tilted his head ever so slightly in Columbine's direction so as not to be looking directly at her and swiveled his eyes to seem innocent in his explanation. He allowed a small smile to raise one side of his lips, a personal trademark. He hoped Columbine would take it in the right way.

"But I'll tell you right now, I don't regret what has happened here so far."

[Guest]

Well, he just had an answer for everything, didn't he? Many boys she'd known over the years could barely muster a nonsensical mumble after such a kiss, but he was calm. He was just as charming as he'd been before. How wonderful! She was feeling a bit like a fisherman now, and Mon Dieu had she reeled in a beauty! She smiled and looked away shyly at his reply to her 'thank you'. He was good at this, of that she was sure, and she was glad to have come by this experience. "I'm glad too, Stephen." she said, knowing the power names had in such situation. Not that she really needed to use it. She just kinda liked to.

She kissed him back, just a short one, and watched curiously as he formulated an answer to her question. It had been a hard one, and she'd intended it to be so. She liked to know what she was getting in to and it was always much more productive to just ask the guy, instead of running around the school getting second-hand information. She knew very well that other people's opinions could hardly be taken as fact around Oasis.

His truth and frankness in his answer quite took Columbine's breath away, not a very common occurrence. He was perhaps a bit too nice on the ninnies that had fallen for him and had done nothing about it, but that could be forgiven very easily. Columbine new she could be rather intolerant of fools, but she also knew that not everybody was that way and she could deal with that. He was self-aware, and that was nice. That meant he wasn't a fool, at least. Also meant she hadn't been a fool in letting him kiss her.

She grinned openly at him, adoring the way his coyly turned head contradicted that little smirk on his face. Oh, she could just kiss him! And why not? At the end of his sentence she cut off any possibility of more words with a quick, strong kiss on his lips. He'd gotten to do it to her. Now it was her turn. "I am very glad of that. I would hate to get a reputation as 'regrettable'." She turned her chin down a little, glancing up at his face. "I think that perhaps we will just have to do this again. Maybe with a little more planning this time? Not that I do not love the spontaneity of today." Mmmm. She wanted to kiss him again, but she wouldn't. She tried not to be too free with her kisses. He had so far earned every one, though.

[Guest]

Before he could say another word, Columbine had kissed him again, hard. Stephen was in ecstasy. This was the kind of moment some people lived for. And then pulling away was harder each time, but he somehow managed to find the strength to allow her release of his lips.

Welllllllll, maybe regret had been the wrong word choice for the situation. But he really didn't. This was the only girl who's looks actually made Stephen stop, made him stutter, and caused him to trip over her in a hallway. As he pondered this, she lowered her head into that seductive up-look, asking him to do this again. Yes, yes! A thousand times yes! That was what ran through his head, but such overeagerness would surely make him seem childish in the beautiful eyes of this french vixen.

Stephen edged closer through the surf and sand, bringing their bodies tensely close. "Spontaneity keeps things interesting, it keeps us on our toes and ready for anything. It is the spice of life. But I'll tell you, this is a whole new level of spontaneous that I'm sure we never expected from an unplanned trip to the beach. I agree, next time it won't be quite so."

As Stephen spoke this, he had been slowly pushing even closer than before, well beyond the comfort zone of any early relationship he'd ever seen or even been in. A whole new level nothing, this was a whole new dimension. But once he had finished, he slowly wrapped his arms around her side and belly, pulling her in back front of him. He gently set his chin on her shoulder, placing a delicate kiss on her neck and whispering,

"Now it is my turn for questions. First, where does Columbine Beaulieu find the nerve to just walk up the beach to, flirt with, and lead to garnering a kiss from Stephen Griffin? And more importantly, why didn't she sooner?"

[Guest]

Columbine's eyes darted happily between Stephen's eyes and the constantly shrinking space between their legs. The dark, wave-soaked sand was becoming hard to see between the two of them, and the slowness at which this was happening was absolutely enchanting. He continued to match her questions with brilliant answers, and the poetry of his words swept over her with more power than the waves.

"The spice of life? Truer words have never been spoken." Her words now were just as true. Whether he believed his words or not was of no consequence. That he could merely come up with such a lovely sentiment was impressive enough. She would worry about the truth of his words, his trustworthiness if you will, at a later time. There would be a later time, it had been decided by both of them. She would just have to see how he would stand up to the rest of the school and their opinion of her.

But that was neither here nor there. What was here was an incredibly charming boy who was incredibly charmed and unashamed of it. Her tricky questions were being met with astute answers and parried with equally tricky questions. Columbine paused for a moment, thinking over the stinker of a question that he'd posed to her. What had made her decided to go after him this afternoon? Had it even been a conscious decision? She honestly didn't know, and hadn't put much thought into it. What did it matter, when it ended up so wonderfully?

"D'accord, I suppose it is my turn for answers then." She considered her reply for a moment, hooking her finger between her lips. His closeness was very distracting, but entirely welcome. In fact, she wished he was closer. To the point where she wouldn't even have the ability to answer. "First, Columbine Beaulieu has much nerve. Perhaps too much for her own good, just ask around." She smiled warily, her beauty in no way diminished by the shadow of sadness on her features. "I supposed I was just born with it. The mind wants what it wants, does it not? The body too, I imagine." She was comfortable in his arms, and she ran her eyes and hands up his bare chest to punctuate her words. She left her hands to rest at the back of his neck as her eyes trailed up to his face. "And why did I not do it before today?" She shrugged in his embrace. "It was not right yet. It was not this moment. This day spectaculaire."

She leaned forward and pressed herself against him, sliding her arms forward until her elbows rested on his shoulders. "And that would have been unfortunate, non?" She kissed him again, softly. Her lips lingered on his, massaging the sea salt into them. Her whole body was tingling, and it was hell to pull away this time. "My question is, what's next?" Her bottom lip was quivering, and she wondered how he would take the question. It was up to interpretation, after all. She meant to determine how he would act around her in school. How this afternoon would affect her year.

[Guest]

"D'accord, I suppose it is my turn for answers then."

‘Yes, it most certainly is...’ The thought crossed Stephen’s mind with a purr. It was like stroking the beast roaring victory in his chest. He hooked his arms around her waist. “Do go on...”

"First, Columbine Beaulieu has much nerve. Perhaps too much for her own good, just ask around. I supposed I was just born with it. The mind wants what it wants, does it not? The body too, I imagine."

Stephen felt her eyes running him up and down, sending the most wonderful tingle through him, a feeling only reinforced when she really ran her fingers down his chest, it seemed he knew what her body may want. It was taking all the control he had not to shiver with the sensation of it. So close, so very close, he had never imagined himself in this position with Columbine. To be perfectly honest he had never seen himself as doing anything more than pining away. But this, this was pure ecstasy...

"And why did I not do it before today? It was not right yet. It was not this moment. This day spectaculaire."

He smiled a coy grin, “Spectaculaire, I find I must agree.” Closer and closer still, Columbine now had her arms around his head, so close that Stephen could pick up every detail of the irises as he stared into her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes. He wondered if Columbine was doing the same.

"And that would have been unfortunate, non?" She was kissing him again, softly, but so full of sensation. Yet too soon as always, it had to end, and while the physical stimulus was gone, the mental ramifications had Stephen’s mind reeling again, as it had been periodically since they first saw each other here. He couldn’t think of anything more unfortunate than to have missed this opportunity. And that got him thinking, how would this make the rest of the year? What was in store?

“My question is, what’s next?”

It was as though she had read his mind with her line of questioning. This time though, Stephen wasn’t sure he had an answer. Today had been better than he could have ever expected, the pure spontaneity of it all, and then it hit him: why not a little more? “Well, ma cher, what do you think of this!”

His arms already around her waist, hers around his head, it didn’t take much effort to fall backwards into the water, pulling her with and on top of him. The water was just deep enough to wet the back of his head but not to submerge his ears. Stephen reached behind Columbine’s head with one hand, pressing her face into his in a vigorously passionate kiss while the other hand held the small of her back, holding her steady. The feel of her body pressing against his, the sound of water breaking lightly around them, the smell of the salty sea, it was heaven to his senses...

[Guest]

Columbine smiled joyfully at the sky as he pulled her down; the ecstasy of his unexpected action clearly evident on her radiant face. She landed softly on top of him, her small self doing no harm to the boy with this fabulous physique. His strong hand nestled in her hair (still shining and golden despite its wetting) and soon they were kissing in the way most couples only dreamed of doing. This was the sort of kiss that most people were lucky to have once in their lifetime. Even Columbine, who was a self-professed kissing guru, was having a difficult time comparing this smooch to any of he others. Any single part of it, taken alone, had been seen by her before. But the whole thing, taken together? Oh la la this was heaven.

She could certainly get used to this. Used to the soft sun and the soft hand caressing her back. Used to the dying waves lapping at their tangled legs. Used to the easy conversation; words with so much subtext that even the simplest sentences became riddles. Used to the heat of he day, the cool of the water, and the sweltering sun of passion that was this kiss. It scared her.

She smiled into the kiss and pulled away slowly, swooping back in for smaller kisses as she did so. "I believe that is quite enough for one afternoon, do you not think?" she said, propping herself up. She was kneeling in the surf now, her legs still rather tangled with his. "If we continue at this rate, we will run out of things to do by Thursday, non? She gave him a rakish grin, knowing well enough that there were still plenty of things to do. Suspense was half the fun, though, was it not? Those who called Columbine Beaulieu a tease were not very far off.

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