Topic: Riding the Wave

Helena King

Date: 2014-07-19 12:28 EST
Warm sun, soft sand, and tall waves - the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia were a surfer's paradise. No doubt that was why they had been chosen as the surprise destination of the newlywed Kings' honeymoon, provided in spite of their protests by various members of the Granger family. With an uma all to themselves - one of only eight on this resort island - Tommy and Helena had unparalleled access to intimate privacy, as well as the beach less than a minute from the steps of their little hideaway. It was the perfect season for surfing, too, in a resort that prided itself on providing for that sport almost exclusively. With the right boards, and a daily report on the predicted swells, it was as close to perfect as they could have wished for.

Today, Tommy had picked the spot they would be trying the surf at, and together with a few other hopeful surfers, they'd been testing the waves as they rolled in. Lena straddled her board, very grateful she'd been a quick study at this sport, a few feet away from where Tommy did the same, waiting for the next wave. She'd already let a few go, judging them too big for her, and was laughing at Tommy's insistence that she could handle it. "I swear, you just wanna see me go flying," she accused her husband affectionately.

It was definitely a surfer's paradise, and though Tommy had his heart set on surfing in Australia someday, it was winter there now and would just have to wait for another time. The waves here were amazing, and he was anxious to try a really big one, but for now, he was holding back, waiting for Lena to get in a few good runs first. He was wearing nothing but a colorful pair of swim trunks, wayward blond curls falling recklessly over his forehead, a happy grin on his sun-kissed face. "Believe me, the last thing I wanna see is you wiping out." He looked out on the waves as they came rolling in. "You're never gonna believe you can do it if you don't try!"

"Hey, I can stay upright!" she protested laughingly, aware that the other surfers on the beach and in the water around them found the newlywed couple entertaining when they got going. "Sort of." She followed his gaze to the incoming waves, spotting a swell that looked manageable for her. Checking the ties on her bikini, she glanced at Tommy, her gaze shifting to see who else was going to go for this wave, and began to paddle out to meet it. "If I wipe out, I'm going to paddle your *ss," she informed her husband as she passed him cheekily.

"Right!" he laughed. "Because it will be my fault!" he called to her as she started to paddle out to catch the incoming wave. As far as Tommy was concerned, she was a natural. She just needed a little self-confidence, and there was only one way to gain that.

Of course, it helped that the other surfers sharing the island with them were encouraging. No one seemed to mind that she was more of a novice than a professional. This wave was bigger than any she'd tried before, setting her heart to thumping as she eased herself up onto her feet, angling the board to run the length of the wave, her head just beneath the cresting break above her. Tommy had taught her how to do this, and Tommy was responsible for the whoop of delighted laughter audible as she rode the wave with a great deal more success than she had expected. She looked like she belonged there, a small slender figure taming the elements for just a few short minutes before the wave broke and took her down with it.

"That's it, Midge!" Tommy called out to her, cupping his hands around his mouth so that his voice carried, despite the roar of the waves in her ears. "You've got it. Now, ride it out, nice and smooth!" He beamed a grin, proud of her, wincing a little when the wave finally took her down, his heart beating nervously as he waited to see her bob back up to the surface. He'd lost a friend surfing once who was trying to conquer a wave that was too much for him, and he didn't want the same thing to happen to her. He was careful which waves he chose for her, even the big ones. He'd made a habit of studying the surf carefully for a while before either of them attempted to surf even a small wave. These were unfamiliar waters, and though he knew what a thrill every wave was, you couldn't be too careful.

She bobbed back to the surface a few seconds after the wave had crashed, tugging on her line to bring the board back to her and scramble aboard once again. Even from this distance, her triumphant grin was obvious, deeply impressed with herself for managing a wave that was at least twice as big as any she'd tried before. And it wasn't only Tommy who was encouraging her - embarrassingly, the other surfers were also cheering the novice who'd nearly conquered her first big wave. Giggling, she let the tide sweep her back to the shore, taking up the board to watch as a few significantly bigger waves made themselves known in the swell approaching the shoreline.

Tommy exhaled an audible sigh when he saw Lena bob back up to the surface, grinning back at her, just as proud of her achievement as she was. "That's my wife!" he told the other surfers proudly, pointing to the pretty young woman who was making her way back to shore. He knew there were at least a few of them who were envious, but she was his Helena, his Midget, his wife. She officially belonged to him now, and he had taken every opportunity to let those around him know it.

"Has she got any sisters?" the nearest guy called back with a wide grin of his own, raising his hands into the air to signal that he wasn't going to go for the next swell himself. It was just as well Lena couldn't hear them from the beach, or that little comment would have made her laugh so hard she was likely to fall over.

Tommy laughed. "Yeah, but she's jail-bait!" he called back with a grin. Not to mention taken, but they didn't need to know that. Tommy let the wave go as well, so that he could check on Lena before he claimed one for himself. Besides, some of these waves were almost too tame for him. He was waiting for a swell that was well worth his effort.

It didn't take long for Lena to paddle back out to them, content to sit and wait while the other surfers took on the next few waves. It had surprised her how polite this sport seemed to be; how everyone who partook understood the innate fairness of allowing everyone else a go. She beamed at Tommy. "Okay, so maybe you weren't completely wrong," she conceded fondly.

It wasn't just about being polite - it was about being safe - and anyone who was an experienced surfer knew the rules that governed the waves. It was one of the first things they learned when they were taking lessons. Tommy was happy to see that those rules were upheld, even in a place as far from home as this one. "That was awesome!" he praised her as she came in, his 70's slang giving way these days to a more modern way of speaking. Groovy had slowly given way to awesome in no time.

Helena King

Date: 2014-07-19 12:29 EST
"It was fun," she admitted, leaning forward onto her arms comfortably. It was a little odd, being the only woman on a board, but she had absolute faith that Tommy could mark his territory without there being any unpleasantness. The other wives and girlfriends were lounging on the beach, anyway. "Scary fun, but fun. When are you going to catch a wave, dude?"

He leaned close to brush a playful kiss against her pert little nose with a carefree shrug of his suntanned shoulders at her question. "There's a wave for everyone. I'm just waiting for the right one."

"And what constitutes the right wave for the King of California?" she asked him playfully, dredging up the title Jack had told her about on that first morning in Half-Moon Bay, while they'd been watching Tommy surf for the first time in two years.

"A wave worthy of a King," he teased back with a smirk that didn't really answer her question. He'd know it when he saw it and he hadn't seen it yet. Sometimes it took all day to find the right wave, but he had a feeling he wouldn't have to wait all that long here. "Are you happy, Midge?" he asked her, sliding his arms around her while the others partook of the next few waves.

"Oh, I'm very happy," she promised him, daring to tilt her board just enough to lean into him as his arms went around her. A millimeter too far, and she was going to dunk both of them in the clear blue sea. "Sun, sand, surf, and my gorgeous husband right here with me ....why wouldn't I be?" She grinned, shifting up just a bit to kiss him. "Are you happy, Moonbeam?"

It was a little precarious balancing the the surfboards beneath them, smooching as they bobbed up and down on the water, but neither was too worried about getting dunked. As much as he loved the sport, they were on their honeymoon and he wasn't interested in showing off or competition. He just wanted to have a little fun. "Hmm..." he replied, as if he really had to think about it. "I don't know. Sun, sand, surf, and you. What's there not to be happy about?"

"Well ....not having a completely private beach so we can try making love on a surfboard?" she asked with a playful grin, nipping the end of his nose as their boards rose and fell with the passing swell.

He laughed at the thought of her suggestion. "You think that hasn't been tried before" It's impossible! Never been done. Not on the water, anyway." At least, not to the best of his knowledge. "Are you up to the challenge?"

Lena giggled, clutching at him as the board beneath her wobbled warningly. "Oh, I'm always up to the challenge with you," she assured him. "Just not when there's a guy, like, four feet away trying to pretend he can't see us making out."

"Not now, silly. Later. In the moonlight." He smiled warmly, the sun shining off the water, like so many glittering diamonds. "Too bad Jack isn't here to go skinny dipping again," he added with a laugh, though he didn't really want to share this time with anyone, not even their best friends. "He'd love it here." Wasn't it just like Tommy to think of Jack while he was away, just as Jack thought of Tommy. The two of them couldn't have been closer if they were bound together by blood like true brothers.

"He would," she agreed with him easily, so wrapped up in Tommy that they might as well have been alone on the surf. "They never had a honeymoon, did they' Maybe we should mention that to Humph when we get back, see where he decides to send them."

"Those two are on permanent honeymoon!" Tommy replied with a chuckle, turning a little more serious at her question, about as serious as he ever got. "No, I don't think they did." He considered that a moment, knowing Jack's background. "Where do you think they'd want to go?"

"Hmm ..." That was an interesting question. As well as she knew Jasmin and Jack, Lena wasn't sure she knew them well enough to make a guess like that. But one destination did spring to mind. "Rio?" she suggested with a light shrug. "All the night life and music, as well as beaches and everything you'd expect on a holiday?"

"Hmm, sounds like fun. How come we aren't there?" Tommy teased back, though he was perfectly content to be right where they were. He didn't care that much about the nightlife. He was all about sun and surf. A couple of surfers paddled in, and Tommy glanced over to find the wave of his dreams just rolling in. "That's it! That's the one!" he said with a grin, dropping kiss against her nose before pushing off. "Wish me luck!"

Giggling, Lena let him go easily. "You don't need luck, you're Tommy King!" she called after him, letting the swell ahead of the wave he was aiming for push her toward the shore once again. She wanted a good view of this - no one else was aiming for that wave. It belonged to Tommy, and she had a feeling he was about to show everyone on the beach just how good he really was.

Though he might be Tommy King, he hadn't been a champion surfer in years. He hoped he wasn't biting off more than he could chew or it could be fatal. "That one's mine!" he called, as he paddled out toward the wave that seemed to be growing bigger by the second. It was turning into a monstrous wave, but not as big as the one that had taken Robby from the world.

Safely on the sand, Lena turned to watch as the wave grew and grew, her eyes widening with unease. She knew about Robby, and Tommy had told her more than a few horror stories about surfers taking on waves too big for them. Her husband looked very small against the swell that was rising into a wave above him.

Fortunately, Tommy was once a professional, and if anyone knew how to conquer that wave, it was him. He was unaware of the small crowd that had gathered to witness the feat. It wasn't by any means a world record, but it was big enough that no one else seemed willing to try. The waves crested as Tommy found his feet, crouching low to find his balance and ride the wave as it came crashing in. It was almost like a race to see if he could stay just that far ahead of the wave that he wouldn't collapse beneath it. His board cut through the water as smooth and sharp as a knife cutting through butter, making it look easy, when everyone there watching knew it was anything but.

Helena King

Date: 2014-07-19 12:30 EST
Despite the raucous cheering rising from the people gathered around her, Lena watched in silence, mildly terrified and trying very hard not to show it too openly. She knew he could do it, she was just far too aware of the risks involved in conquering a wave that size. He disappeared from view behind the curling surf for a long moment, and she found herself pressing her hands to her mouth, genuinely frightened that he'd been pulled under ....and there he was again, still riding the wave, to the enjoyment of every surfer on the beach.

He rode the wave as long as he could, just ahead of the crest, until finally the wave overtook and crashed over him, and he disappeared from view, if only momentarily. There were excited cheers from the crowd on the beach, mixed with a few hushed gasps followed by a period of silence as they all seemed with hold their breath as they waited for the daring surfer to reappear. It was only a few seconds, but seemed a lot longer before he bobbed back up, reclaiming his board and riding it toward the shore with a loud whoop of exhilaration that could be heard on the beach.

Lena's heart almost stopped when Tommy disappeared into the wave, holding her breath as she waited for him to come back into sight again. Every second that passed without a sight of him was pure torture, but suddenly there he was, and Lena was cheering along with the surfers around her, deeply proud of her husband for his amazing display of skill. She wasn't ever going to admit to being frightened, though.

Robby had been reckless, and in Tommy's opinion, it was what had gotten him killed. Though Tommy was daring, he wasn't half as reckless as Robby, taking calculated risks, but not stupid ones. He'd been watching the waves all day, watching the pattern of movement, the way they crested and rolled with the tides, and though he knew the waves could be unpredictable, he was up to the challenge. Once he caught the wave, all he had to do was keep his balance and ride the tide as long as he could. Spying Lena on the beach, he hopped off the board once he reached shallow water and hoisted it under his arm to join her on shore.

"You did it!" she squealed excitedly the moment he was within earshot, abandoning her rented board on the sand to run over and throw her arms around him, giggling with relieved delight. "I love you." Her lips met his in a kiss that was as much a reward as a promise of better things to come, toes leaving the sand impishly, just to make sure he was prepared to take her weight no matter what.

Tommy laughed at her reaction to his surfing. "Did you have any doubt?" he asked, forced to drop the surfboard on the sand as she launched herself at him, trusting he'd catch her, which he did. He hadn't seen Star Wars yet, but answered her declaration of affection in his own playful tone, not knowing the line had already been taken by Han Solo, "I know."

"You're so awesome," Lena breathed affectionately, lowering her feet to the sand as she lingered in his embrace. "I can't believe you surfed that wave, though. It was huge! Seriously, you get sexier every damned day."

"It's not as bad as the Mavericks," he remarked, though he hadn't surfed them personally. He had caught up with surfing history since he'd come to Rhy'Din and was amazed at how far the sport had come, though he wasn't sure how he felt about tow surfing. It seemed kind of like cheating to an old-fashioned surfer, like himself. He laughed again as she continued to praise him. "So long as you're still telling me that when I'm old and gray!"

"Darn tootin' I will be," she promised him with a soft laugh, nuzzling close for a moment longer before letting her hands skim down from his neck. "Rescue your board, I gotta find my sarong. No one gets to enjoy my bubble-butt except you." She winked playfully up at him as she stepped away, returning to where she had left her own board and her bag.

He chuckled again in amusement, both at her slang and her assessment of her private assets. He reached around to give her "bubble-butt" an affectionate squeeze. "That works for me!" He didn't really mind other men admiring what belonged to him, so long as they didn't touch. His gaze followed as she walked away, admiring the view, until he finally pulled his eyes away from her to reclaim his board.

"Hey," a male voice spoke up behind him, vaguely familiar as belonging to one of the other surfers who had been riding the waves with them since they'd arrived this morning. He, too, was apparently enjoying the view of Lena's rear end, but had the courtesy to tear his gaze away quickly before giving offense. "Trent Nichols," he introduced himself, holding out a hand. "You're pretty awesome on a board. You compete?"

"Huh?" said Tommy, unexpectedly approached by another surfer just as he was hoisting the rented surfboard under his arm. He wasn't sure what Lena had in mind for the rest of the day, but he had a feeling he wasn't going to find a better wave than the last one, no matter how long they hung out here. "Uh, Tommy King," he replied, taking the other man's hand, forgetting he probably shouldn't be using his real name, but then, it had been nearly fifty years since he'd disappeared, and he doubted anyone would remember him. "I used to, why?" Tommy asked, a little hesitantly.

"Just wondering if you've ever taken on the Mavericks," Trent grinned. "You're good, good enough to beat it and claim the prize, I'd bet. I can swing you a place at the invitational, if you want it."

Tommy chuckled at the very idea of competitive surfing, especially in a place like the Mavs. "No, thanks. I'm not crazy enough to take on the Mavericks." In Tommy's opinion, that wasn't surfing; it was close to suicide. He'd had his fill of competitive surfing and hadn't liked the direction it had gone in after Robby had died.

"Aw, c'mon, you could kill it," Trent tried to convince him, his enthusiasm not waning even when Lena rejoined her husband, sarong now tied about her hips. "Seriously, toots, you should talk him into it. You could make a bomb for one day's riding!"

Lena blinked, slightly confused, and looked to Tommy for clarification. "What are we talking about here?"

Helena King

Date: 2014-07-19 12:30 EST
"Or it could kill me," Tommy mumbled mostly to himself. Tommy arched a brow at the man with an inward, Toots" "Nothing, Midge. Don't worry about it," he assured Lena, sliding an arm around her waist a little possessively. "I appreciate the offer," he told Trent as politely as he could, "but I'm finished with competitive surfing."

Trent frowned, obviously not happy with being rebuffed, but not prepared to push his luck. "Can I give you my number?" he asked, one last attempt to get at least a maybe. "You can call me if you change your mind."

Lena chuckled softly, looping her arms about Tommy's waist as he drew her to him. "He doesn't change his mind," she warned the other man. "Besides, we're on our honeymoon. The timing just isn't in your favor."

"You can give me your number, but I won't change my mind," Tommy backed up what Lena was already telling the man. "Sorry to disappoint you," he added, really trying to be nice. He didn't want to have to explain his reasons for not wanting to compete, even if he did have a pretty good chance at winning.

"Nah, man, I can tell when I'm pushing it," Trent chuckled, not at all offended, despite his attempts at persuasion. "Hope I get to see you surf again before you guys leave. I mean it, you're amazing." He glanced at Lena and sighed affectedly. "And married. All the good guys are married." Chuckling, he tipped a salute to the two of them. "Have a good time, you two. See you 'round."

"Thanks, I appreciate the offer." Tommy smiled, relieved the man wasn't going to push too hard. He laughed at the remark about him being married, though it hadn't been the surfing that had initially attracted Lena to him. "See you!" Tommy replied with a friendly wave, though his arm never left his wife's waist.

Lena grinned as the other man walked away, looking up at Tommy impishly. "Sure you don't wanna explore your sexuality with him?" she teased wickedly, nipping his shoulder with a tender look in her eyes. "I could watch. Take pictures, maybe."

Tommy's eyes widened and he shot another glance at the guy as he walked away. "That's not what he meant, was it?" It didn't seem to be. He thought the guy had been checking out Lena's rear, and he'd called her Toots.

"Yeah, I think it was," she giggled softly. "Take it as a compliment. Could be he was into both of us, but I was definitely getting interest in you from that goodbye. After all, he did say all the good guys are taken, didn't he?" She snickered softly, patting her husband's rear end with tender affection.

"No, Midge....He meant guys as in surfers, not..." He paused to consider that a minute. Things had sure changed in the last few decades. He'd never been hit on by another guy before. "You think he meant....you know..."

"Yeah!" She laughed, not at him, but at the situation that necessitated her explaining this to him. "Trust me, Moonbeam, you're a catch for anyone. I'm just very lucky I got to you first."

He still looked a little puzzled by all this - not so much by the interest the man had in surfing but in all the rest of it. "But I don't want anyone else but you," he told her, thinking he must have missed something. He was certain the other man's interest was strictly professional. "You know how much money there is to be had in competing?" he asked, as if to make a point.

"I'm thinking a lot?" She made a guess, not really knowing. He'd said he had no interest in competing any more, and she respected his reasons for that, not asking questions that would make it a topic of conversation for them.

"Yeah, but it's gotten too commercial. I mean, we surfed because we loved what we were doing, and we competed for the sport of it, but now it's all about the money. It's just not the same," Tommy explained. "Robby was killed because he couldn't say no to that last big wave. Because he couldn't walk away. It wasn't about the sport or the challenge or the thrill anymore. It was about making money."

"So when we set up our competition ..." she mused softly, gently drawing her fingertips up and down his back as they talked. "We won't offer prize money. It'll just be for the thrill of it." She smiled up at him, kissing his shoulder gently. "I'm glad you said no. Even I've heard of the Mavericks, and I think I would have a stroke if you decided to ride there."

"We'll offer trophies or medals, but no prize money. And I want it to be as safe as possible. I don't want anyone getting killed," he insisted, in agreement. Maybe it was old fashioned, but he didn't want it to be about money. He wanted it to be about the love of the sport. "I might be crazy, but I'm not suicidal," he assured her, dropping a kiss against her forehead. "What do you wanna do now, Midge" I've had my fill of surfing for today."

"I think we should explore that bathroom again," she murmured, a playful light in her eyes that he was only too familiar with these days. "We should get the salt off our skin before it starts to irritate. Don't you think?" Her brother might be a world-renowned actor, but Helena could pull off innocent with a hint of devilry like a pro when she really tried.

He chuckled at her suggestion, having a pretty good idea where she was going with that. "I'll wash your back and you can wash mine," he suggested. Or something like that, though neither was probably all that interested in the actual getting clean part. "Shower or bath?" he asked, turning to lead her back toward the uma where they were staying.

"Surprise me," she grinned sweetly up at him, bending to retrieve her own board from the sand as they passed it. "I intend to make the most of this honeymoon, you know. I've never had one before."

"What a coincidence," he replied with a grin. "Neither have I." He waited until she had her board and steered her back down the beach to where they were staying. "Do you want to go out to dinner or spend the night in?"

Helena King

Date: 2014-07-19 12:32 EST
Giggling, Lena tucked herself under his free arm eagerly, looping her own about his waist with her thumb tucked into the band of his shorts. "Let's stay in tonight," she suggested. "We've done the socialising thing to death over the last couple of weeks, I kinda want you all to myself for a while."

"No argument there," he told her, happily agreeing. This was about them, and no one else, and he wanted to enjoy every last moment they had alone together before they returned home. As much as he loved Jack and Jaz and her family, it was nice being alone for a little while so they could focus attention on each other without any distractions. Wasn't that what a honeymoon was about, after all"

Lena laughed, nipping at his shoulder as they passed from the warm sand to its cooler counterpart beneath the shade of the trees that grew thick around each of the eight uma on the island. Privacy was assured here, which she personally thought was wonderful. "When do we ever argue?"

He had to think about that a moment before replying. "You know, I don't think we ever have." They might have had some discussions, but outright arguments had been rare, if at all. They really were two peas in a pod, rarely disagreeing about anything. They were both too carefree to worry about much or stay mad for long. He led her up the path that led to their own uma, which was a small thatched house built in the tradition of the island natives. Once there, he let go of her so that he could lean both their boards on the porch outside their door.

"Not even when you thought I was an escaped mental patient," she added with a wicked grin, stepping up onto the deep porch. Her hands fell to her waist, untying the sarong from her hips as she passed into the uma itself, dropping the sarong on the nearest surface on her way to the bathroom. "And you gotta admit, you did think I was totally crazy. Despite the kiss."

"What would you have thought?" he countered, following her inside once he was finished with the boards. "Now that I've been to Rhy'Din, I get it, but when you first showed up, I thought maybe you were a little crazy. Cute, but crazy."

"Just cute?" She threw him a teasingly offended look over her shoulder. "And here I thought I was the most ravishingly gorgeous creature you'd ever set eyes on. I think I'm heartbroken. Whatever will I do?" She paused in the doorway to the bathroom, posed invitingly against the frame, hands behind her arched back, one bare foot resting against the worked wood that supported her lean, and a wicked little smile playing at her lips. "How ever will you make it up to me?"

He chuckled again, eyes dancing with mischief, amused by her teasing, even as he admired the view. "You don't like cute?" he asked, moving up close to lay one hand on either side of her as he leaned close. "Who says cute isn't the same thing as gorgeous?" he asked, close enough to kiss her, but only circling his nose around hers teasingly.

"Cute is for children and kittens," she informed him, smirking as he teased her. She made no move to touch him, though it was pretty inevitable that she would give in at some point very soon. "I am neither." Her chin rose just enough to let her nip at his lower lip enticingly before relaxing back once again. "Maybe I should have worn the white bikini," she murmured wickedly. "You know, the one that goes see-through when it gets wet?"

"No, you're right," Tommy agreed at last, sliding his arms around her waist to pull her close against him. "You're gorgeous." He smirked at her teasing, though he was pretty sure she wouldn't have actually gone through with it. "You can save that one for me," he told just before he pressed his lips against hers, hoping to silence her with a kiss. The time for talk was over.

Giggling in a surprisingly sultry manner, Lena curled her arms about Tommy's shoulders as he kissed her, more than happy to put an end to talk and teasing for a while. She still couldn't quite believe it - that she was married and happy, that everything that had been wrong with her life this time last year had been somehow miraculously turned on its head and brought full circle to a place where she was blissfully content. Knowing that it was down to the man in her arms made it all the sweeter, urging her on to show him just how much he meant to her whenever she could.

Tommy's life had changed, too, and it was all because of Lena - and to a lesser extent, Jack. He couldn't be happier than he was right now, and their new life together was just getting started. Though he seemed happy go lucky now, there had been a time when he was the furthest thing from it, but everything had changed the day a girl from the future had come back in time to rescue him from a fate that hadn't happened yet. They'd taken a chance on each other, and here they were, happily honeymooning in a tropical paradise. Life just didn't get any better than this. Tommy really couldn't be happier, and he intended to show her just how happy the only way he knew how.

They might not have been the musicians their closest friends were, but they had melody and rhythm of their own they were only too happy to share with one another. With laughter and warmth, they moved together, sighed together, listened to their hearts beating in time. They were playful and tender, affectionate and passionate, a husband and wife who truly seemed to understand that giving was just as wonderful as receiving. Long after the passion had eased and the laughter had died away, the affection remained, shining from sparkling eyes, spoken on quiet lips. Who knew where they would each be without each other"

They'd both been a little bit lost before the Nexus had changed their lives, and there was no doubt that without each other, they'd still be lost. It didn't matter what had happened in the past. Together they were building a future.

((Happily married and sharing interests! And, naturally, opening their new shop tomorrow, so they've been home for a few days. Many thanks to Tommy's player!))