Christian sat inside of the limousine, waiting for Heather, her brother and their guest. Having never been on a double date before, he wasn't sure how to act or what to do. When told the destination, he decided to dress casually enough in a pair of thick soled sandals, khaki colored cargo shorts and a blue t-shirt. Why Ryan had insisted upon him bringing a pair of swim trunks was beyond him. All Christian really knew was that Ryan was leaving town again and that Heather was going to be at the Aquarium. And where Heather Garabedian was, Christian wanted to be. As the sleek black car pulled up to the curbing at the Garabedian house, Christian popped out of the car and approached the door. Pressing the doorbell, he then put his hands behind his back and waited.
"Heather! He's here!" Ryan called from downstairs. He'd been ready to go for more than an hour. Wearing a Georgia Bulldogs t-shirt, a pair of denim walking shorts and leather walking shoes, he was ready for their outing. Peeking out of the window, he chuckled and then called up to his sister again. "And the limo's running! Hurry up!" To the door he went, allowing Christian entrance into their home with a grin and a hand shake.
His sister's dulcet tones yelled back at him from what was, presumably, her own bedroom upstairs. "All right, all right, don't get your panties in a twist!" If casual was the way to go, then Heather was all for that. Shorts, a cropped t-shirt, and wedge sandals adorned her slender frame, a cheeky sparkle of Hello Kitty diamond at her navel, as she thumped down the stairs, a bag swinging from her hand. She grinned at Christian, bright and warm, and wiggled a finger at her brother. "Don't even think about it, this is dressed."
From behind Christian, a drawling voice piped in. "If Dawn tried to go out like that in daylight, I'd tie her up in her own curtains." Leo wandered into view, jeans and a dark t-shirt his choice of clothing for the day, rubbing a hand through his hair. Double dates weren't really his thing - hell, dates weren't really his thing - but Ryan had pleaded. So there he was.
Christian's eyes darkened and narrowed when Heather appeared at the top of the stairs. He didn't know whether to turn her over his knee or get on his knees to worship at her feet. He chose neither, choosing instead to meet her at the bottom of the stairs with his hand held out for her to take. The outfit showed off much more of her delectably creamy skin than he'd like for any other man to see. Leo's comment had him gritting his teeth behind his impeccably plastered on grin. She was amazingly sexy, but with an innocence that could drive any man mad. "Well, hello beautiful," he murmured with a raise of her hand to kiss her knuckles.
Ryan was accustomed to his younger sister's typical attire, and still he had to do a double take as she came down the stairs. "Whoa," he chuckled and then turned to Leo. "That's actually modest, for her," he winked playfully. Grabbing up his bag, he hurried to the door. "Let's get there, before the crowds. We've got a ten o'clock appointment to keep and it's nine thirty, now. C'mon guys!"
Ignoring the commentary on her chosen clothing, Heather's smile softened as Christian kissed her hand, though she recognised the look in his eyes. To be honest, she'd deliberately dressed like this just to see what he would do, but if Ryan was planning what she thought he was planning, Chris was going to have to put up with her wearing a lot less in public than this. "Hello yourself," she greeted him, smoothing her arm about his waist to kiss his jaw affectionately and murmur, "You're the only one that gets to touch." Might as well head the tantrum off early.
Leo snorted at Ryan's by-play with his sister, letting the other man usher him toward the door. "We have an appointment?" he asked curiously. "Since when do you need an appointment for a date?" Chuckling, he shook his head, glancing back at the surprisingly loving couple, and frowned faintly, lowering his voice for Ryan's ears only. "You sure you're happy about that?"
"Good," Christian nodded once and took her bag from her while he escorted her to the door and out of it. He'd taken her hand and laced his fingers with hers, holding on loosely. "Shall I call you Little Red today?" he teased, that smoldering look never leaving his eyes. The backdoor of the limo was still open and waiting for her.
Ryan watched his sister walk out of the door before picking up his own bag which contained suits for both himself and Leo, just in case. "You'll see about the appointment," he chuckled. "And if Heather's happy, then I am. This is the first time she's shown interest in a guy for more than a one night stand. I'm actually exstatic for her." He reached to pat Leo on the shoulder and steer him towards the door. "C'mon, let's go, handsome." Ryan was bubbly with excitement and he bounced slightly on his toes, unable to completely contain it.
"First time, huh?" Leo glanced back once again, appraising the tiny blonde being escorted out behind them. She didn't look the type to sleep around, but then, who was he to talk? He was the master of the one night stand. Today was unusual for him. Laughing at Ryan's excitement, he gave the other guy a gentle shove toward the door. "Go on, then, before you explode and we have to clean it up!"
Behind them, Heather smirked sweetly up at Christian as they paused to shut and lock the door. "Are you planning on being particularly wolfish with me?" she asked him innocently, sliding her hand back into his as they made their way to the waiting limo. "Or did I just earn a little special time?"
"How about both?" he grinned as wolfishly as he could muster. Her good mood and Ryan's excitement were rubbing off on him and that characteristic scowl was replaced by a genuine smile. "Because I feel like biting Hello Kitty's head off, right about now." He let go of her hand and waited for her to climb into the limo before he slid in beside her. He didn't stop in his usual spot, but crouched and moved until he was sitting behind the driver. Patting the seat beside him, he raised his brows in an open invitation for her to join him there.
"If I explode, you can lick it off," Ryan smirked with a waggle of his brows. Once outside, he strolled towards the limo with Leo. He didn't think they were at the hand holding or public displays of affection stage, so he kept his hands to himself. Tossing his bag into the limo, he stood aside to wait for Leo to get in first.
Surprised by the seat Christian decided to take, Heather didn't waste much time in making her way to sit beside him, folding herself onto the seat close against his side with a warm smile of her own. "You can't bite Hello Kitty's head off, it'll break your teeth," she warned him impishly, crossing one bare leg over the other as Leo came into view.
Leo was laughing at Ryan's suggestion that there would be licking as he bent double to thump into the limo, leaning out to grab Ryan's hand and pull him down onto the seat beside him. No, he wasn't much of a one for public displays of affection, but there was friendly and there was overly friendly. Besides, he wasn't sure quite where this - whatever - was going, especially since he and Ryan would be leaving Atlanta for their respective home towns in less than a week.
Christian's arm went around her shoulders the moment Heather sat down. "I can tug and suck on it, though," he said thoughtfully and with a crooked grin. Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly. "You look amazing, baby." And though the guys had already piled in and the driver had begun to drive, Christian's eyes were on Heather alone.
Ryan yelped and laughed as he was tugged into the limo, and the door was slammed shut behind him. At this point, anything Leo wanted to do was fine by him. He didn't want to think about their impending parting of ways, not when their friendship was blooming and the sex was so mind blowing! Straightening himself in the leather seat, he reached for Leo's hand. The semi privacy of the limo making him bold. Glancing at his sister, he didn't think that she, nor Christian, would come up for air anytime soon.
Awkward as he was with open displays of affection, Leo could see as well as Ryan that there was a bit more privacy inside the limo than he had first been expecting, letting his hand be taken and held. "You gonna give us any clues as to where we're going?" he asked with a lopsided grin. "'Cos, you know, you've got a pool. We could swim there."
Drawn up close against Christian's side as he kissed her, Heather giggled softly into his mouth. "I can think of better things to suck and tug on," she murmured playfully, her fingertips stroking against his cheek as she grinned up at him. "You do know I've got a bathing suit in that bag, right?"
Now that they were well and truly on their way, Ryan let the cat out of the bag. "We're going to swim with the whale sharks at the Aquarium," he grinned proudly. "They provide the wetsuits, the equipment and everything. All we have to do is show up." His smile was wide and his eyes danced with excitement. "It's going to be amazing!"
"Naughty girl," he admonished with a grin. "And I'll be the only one to see that, too." He nodded towards Ryan and his announcement about their destination. "Because you'll be covered from throat to ankle with wetsuit." Somehow the image of that didn't seem to lesson his desire, but fueled it even more. Should have made Ryan and Leo get their own ride.
"Aw man, we're swimming with the belugas?" Leo's expression lit up with excitement of his own. "Snorkelling or diving? 'Cos they go deep, you know." His eyes twinkled teasingly as he met Ryan's eyes. They aren't the only ones who go deep. To be quite honest, it was a wonder either of them were walking straight today.
"We're swimming with sharks?" Heather gulped a little at that thought, not really knowing the difference between the different kinds of shark out there. She giggled softly at Christian's addendum to her own tease, though. "What, you're gonna come into the ladies to watch me change, are you? Perv." Her hand patted his thigh, a little too close to the in-seam to be as innocent as it first appeared.
"Yep!" Ryan answered both questions at the same time. He turned in his seat to talk to Leo, not really wanting to watch Heather and Christian. He was happy for his sister, but he really didn't have to see the details! Besides, he was excited and that look in Leo's eyes had him just a little flustered. It'd been a hell of a week since the party. "We'll be diving, 'cause you know, I love it when you go deep." Why Ryan felt suddenly shy, he wasn't sure, but his face was beginning to turn red from blushing.
"Whale sharks, baby. They're big but harmless." He liked that she was curled into his side, where he could protect her and give her that feeling of being protected. "And I never claimed not to be a perv, have I?" he chuckled and pulled her close for another kiss.
Leo burst out laughing at the surprising blush on Ryan's face as his unspoken innuendo went answered aloud, his hand slapping the other man's thigh affectionately. "So tell me, then, shy boy ... how'd you know everyone here's qualified to dive?"
Heather was blushing, too, embarrassed by the fact that she'd needed to be reassured about swimming with sharks. She should have known that Ryan wouldn't put her in a dangerous situation. She didn't have a chance to apologise, though - her mouth was rather quickly given something else to do as Christian bent his head to her once again. It was a relief this time not to have Ryan feeling left out; she didn't cool off that kiss until it had run its course. "You're gonna embarrass my brother if he comes up for air himself, you know."
"I asked them about that," he drew in a breath and slowly let it out. Now that there weren't any subtle innuendos going on, the heat from his face was slowly going away. "They'll give us a little class on it before we go. We won't be certified for the ocean, by any means, but enough. Are you certified to dive deep?"
"I'm going to embarass him?" Christian laughed softly and shook his head. "I don't think that he's going to even notice that we're there." As if he was one to talk. He only had eyes for the blond bombshell at his side. "Unless you want me to? The possibilities are endless."
Leo grinned and nodded, twisting on the seat to face Ryan, his arm braced against the backboard. "Yeah, believe it or not," he chuckled. "When my mom got remarried, they took all of us on the honeymoon. I wanted to learn how to freedive, but that freaked her out too much, so she forked out for deep seas scuba lessons instead." He laughed at the memory, tactfully ignoring the loved up pair opposite them, though he was partially wishing for a screen of some kind so he didn't run the risk of seeing Ryan's sister being felt up. "How about you, you know anything about diving?"
"They're not that endless when there's, like, three feet between us and them," Heather objected laughingly to Christian's tease, herself twisted about to lay her legs over his lap as she nestled into his side. "I, uh ... I'm not a great swimmer, just so you know. Soon as my head goes under the surface, I panic."
Ryan pulled his knee up and onto the seat, so that he could face Leo more and ignore the tete a tete across from them. "Was certified in high school. That whole boy scout thing," he waved dismissively. He'd been kicked out of the scouts when he came out of the closet, so there was no love loss there. "Can't believe they took you on their honeymoon," he laughed. "I think I'd gouge out my eardrums if I heard my parents getting all sexed up." He shuddered and laughed again.
"I won't let anything happen to you, babe. And if you don't want to dive, you don't have to," his voice full of protective compassion at her uneasiness. "We can always sit and take pictures for them as they swim, if you'd like?" Christian was going to spoil Heather rotten, if he had his way.
The limo pulled up to the curbing outside of the Aquarium, a huge white wall with blue butterflies painted on it just outside of the windows. The driver put the flashers on and exited the vehicle. Ryan grinned excitedly and squeezed Leo's hand before letting go and sliding out of the limo once the door was held open for him.
Heather's smile was grateful as the limo pulled up to the aquarium, as Ryan and Leo slid out. She glanced after them tellingly. "I don't want to spoil his surprise," she admitted softly. "He's so excited, it'd be horrible of me if I didn't at least try." She shrugged. "We'll see how it goes, but I don't want to ruin it for you or them. I can watch, if I have to."
As they waited for the sweethearts to exit the vehicle behind them, Leo slung his arm around Ryan's shoulders, looking up at the Aquarium with a grin. "Little sis seems a bit nervous, man," he pointed out in a quieter voice. "Tell me you didn't pay upfront." Or I think we're going to witness a panic attack.
It was unexpected, but a welcome gesture and Ryan leaned into Leo just a bit as he was being held. So caught up in his excitement that he hadn't noticed that Heather seemed slighty dubious to the diving experience. "I had, but don't tell her that. I don't want her to feel pressured into doing something." His smile had dimmed a little and he kicked himself for not seeing what Leo had seen, first.
Pride was back in Christian's eyes as Heather explained her plan. "I'm so proud of my brave girl," he murmured and kissed her briefly. "You won't be ruining anything for me, baby. What makes you happy, makes me happy." Giving her just one more kiss, he lifted her legs from his lap and then scoot towards the door, then out. He remained by the door, offering his hand to help her.
Reassured by Christian's gentle acknowledgement of her nerves, Heather smiled as he kissed her, drawn out of the limo and back into the sunlight with her sunnier disposition restored. Okay, so I'm nervous. Sue me. Letting the door close behind her, she sent her brother a warm grin, seeing his vague unease, and let herself tuck under Christian's arm as she looked around. "I haven't been here since I was about six."
Catching the dimming of Ryan's smile, Leo squeezed him gently. "She's a game girl," he murmured to his companion. "Never know, she might surprise us." His hand ruffled Ryan's hair almost affectionately as he dropped his arm from about the man's shoulders. "Ease up on yourself. It's a cool surprise, no matter what happens."
Ryan watched as his sister emerged and her grin reassured him that they were going to have a good time. It restored his good mood, even if Leo's arm wasn't around his shoulders any longer. "Ok guys, let's go!" Putting his bag to his shoulder, he ambled towards the large glass and concrete building. It was designed in the shape of a fish, with the leading edge at an angle to the rest of the building and a tall pole jutting from the apex. The entrance was made up of glass doors and white columns. The rush of cool air to greet them was a relief from the hot Georgia sun. At the ticket booth, Ryan secured their passes and the reservations for the dive were confirmed. He turned to the rest of the group to hand out the slips of paper. "She said that we have to wait here for a few minutes before they take us back."
"What's a game girl?" Christian asked, overhearing that part of the conversation as he curled his arm around Heather's shoulders. The limo took off to parts unknown and Christian would text the driver once their excursion at the Aquarium came to an end. He smiled warmly, imagining Heather as a six year old with blond pigtails and rosebud mouth.
"Ryan," Leo told Christian without even a moment's hesitation. "He's a game girl, up for anything." Chuckling, he followed Ryan inside, loitering nearby as the transaction was completed.
Heather snorted at Leo's response, glad that she was tucked against Christian's side. She hoped she wasn't going to make an idiot of herself, but it was a lurking danger right now. Actually, what worried her more was upsetting Ryan by not enjoying what he'd set up for them, steeling her resolve to do this regardless of how she felt about it. "So what's actually involved in this, dude?" she asked her brother. "I'm assuming we're not going skinny dipping in an aquarium."
Leading the way towards padded benches, Ryan sat down and plopped his bag between his feet. "No skinny dipping," like last night, in the pool. He grinned towards Leo before turning his attention back to his sister. "We're going to have a short class on diving, then we'll suit up and take a dip with whale sharks and manta rays," his speech picking up speed with his excitement. "And the instructors go into the water with us, just to make sure everything is safe," he added to give her more reassurance. And then, to top it off, he reached up to grasp Leo's fingertips lightly as he looked up at him with admiration. "And Leo here's deep sea certified. So you'll be completely safe, all the way around."
Christian smirked at the reply to his question and he had that dark, smoldering look in his eyes when he gazed down at Heather. Are you my game girl? I think you are. Once he held the ticket in his hand, he followed Ryan over to the benches to wait for the instructors. His arm never left Heather, going from her shoulders to squeeze her waist as they walked. "And I'll be there, too. But if you don't feel comfortable, we'll get right out, ok?"
Leo's chuckle was carefully covered with a discreet cough at Ryan's less than subtle nod toward their activities of the night before. He just considered himself blessed that his lover had waited until after Heather had gone to bed before whipping everything off and bombing into the pool. He pitied whoever their pool guy was, though. Hearing himself mentioned as a safety line, he winked at the little blonde woman with them. "That's me. Safe pair of hands. Literally, in your case, little woman."
Heather rolled her eyes as all three of them sought to reassure her and make her feel a little less out of her depth. "Honestly, I'm not gonna freak out," she protested laughingly. "I just might, you know, pass out." She was smirking as she said this, hoping that her nerves were enough excuse as far as Ryan and Leo were concerned to cover the blush that had covered her skin the moment Christian's hand had descended to her bare side.
Christian couldn't resist touching her velvety soft skin. His thumb brushed an arc on her side and he smiled when he looked down at her. Whatever happens, I'm here, baby. His eyes expressed the warm thought as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "What will we be doing, following the diving excursion?" Ryan hadn't said anything regarding any plans for afterwards, and it was a distraction away from Heather's nerves.
Even though the reassurance was for Heather, Ryan couldn't help but feel like he was being reassured by Leo, too. He felt safe in Leo's very capable hands. No matter what happened between them, Ryan knew that the friendship that they'd created would last. Another squeeze to Leo's fingertips, he let go and turned his attention to Christian's inquiry. "I thought we could explore the Aquarium, split up for some alone time, and then meet at the Cafe Aquaria for lunch? I mean, it's up to you guys, too." He was leaving things wide open for suggestions.
"You just wanna go and make out next to the turtles," Heather teased her brother, hugging herself just a little tighter beneath Christian's arm. He could no doubt feel her squirming a little as his thumb stroked against her skin, doing a masterful job of distracting her, though if he kept it up she was likely to drag him to the nearest secluded spot and go all the way right then and there. To try and keep herself behaving properly, she turned her grin onto Leo. "It's always been a dream of Ryan's to stick his tongue down someone's through right next to where the turtles are swimming around. Don't ask me why, he's the weird one."
For himself, Leo didn't quite know how to take the dynamic between these three. There was a little tension between Christian and Ryan, but that was to be expected. What he hadn't been expecting was to be welcomed into that dynamic, especially by Moretz, who was known to have an irrationally jealous streak a mile wide. Heather's intimation of Ryan's apparent fantasy, however, made him choke with laughter.
"Shush, you!" Ryan smacked his sister's knee, but was laughing despite himself. Her tease had hit the mark, though. He did want to make out near the turtles, where it was peaceful and the water reflected off of the water just right. His ears turned pink and he hid the blush to his cheeks by ducking his head down and pretending to root through his bag for some forgotten thing.
Christian chuckled, enjoying the banter between brother and sister. He was relaxed and actually acting his age for once! He didn't feel the need to be overly jealous or protective with Heather tucked safely under his arm. The passing c*ck-of-the-walk was given a glare for staring at what was obviously his, but he showed no other outward signs of being a prick. He was about to speak when a balding man emerged from behind a door. "Ryan Garabedian?" he called out, looking for his next group.
Seeing Ryan's blush, Leo moderated his laughter to a mere grin, ruffling the other man's hair once again. He wasn't much for conversation, but it seemed that between Ryan and Heather, no one else was really needed to keep the conversation going. Hearing the name called out, he raised his hand. "Yeah, we're here! C'mon, turtle lover, time to go deep with a shark."
"It's true, you know," Heather commented conversationally to Christian as she watched her brother squirm, triumphant in her victory for a moment. "Although we kinda disagree. I think it'd be sexier by the cold water exhibits. You know, bullet points and all." She winked at the men around her, glancing toward the balding man who called for Ryan.
Ryan grinned when his hair was ruffled and he laughed at himself for feeling shy and a little nervous around Leo. But then he nearly sprang to his feet when his name was called. His bag was snatched up and he didn't have to be told twice to get his rear in gear. He was so excited that the double entendres that had slipped from Leo's mouth were only taken at face value.
Christian cleared his throat, anything to keep from bursting out laughing at Leo's audacity. He didn't like very many men, but Leo was somebody that put him at ease immediately with his quick wit. "Come on babe, let's get wet," he chuckled and turned them to follow behind.
They were led into the depths of the building, through a filtration room that was nearly the size of his mother's house. Their guide pointed out the different tanks and filtration systems that were used to pump the ten million gallons of salt and fresh water. They finally ended up in a locker room of sorts where they were each provided with a full body wet suit, booties, flippers, mittens, masks and SCUBA gear. "Who has SCUBA certification?" he inquired of the group.
It was a little like being with a small child trapped inside a man's body, Leo decided as he followed the over-eager Ryan behind the scenes of the aquarium. And what a body, he added to himself, shamelessly taking the opportunity to appreciate Ryan's rear end before forcing himself to pay attention to their guide. "Oh, uh, I'm fully cert," he offered up. "Deep sea and coastal."
"We can get wet without there being any water, you know," Heather couldn't resist murmuring to Christian as they fell into step behind the other two, but glad he was teasing her still. It was just a little bit fascinating to see how the tanks and filtration systems worked, but as soon as they were handed the various pieces of equipment, her nerves came back full force. "Um ... I-I've never dived."
"Like right now?" Christian whispered, and ghosted a kiss across the shell of her ear. It was so difficult to behave when she presented herself to him so readily. He knew full well how Heather responded to his affections and Christian usually took full advantage of that fact. When asked who was certified, he presented his credentials on a lamenated card from his wallet.
"Coastal," Ryan grinned as he took a seat on the bench in front of the lockers. He, too, presented a card to the guide, then placed it back into his wallet. His eyes seemed too big for his face as he watched and listened to the guide.
The guide checked the credentials and then smiled as he spoke to Heather. "You're not going to be able to dive, but we do have swimming with the whale sharks. You'll be in a floatation device on top of the water. You'll be able to see everything going on beneath you, but you won't be completely submerged."
Heather's relief was palpable as she was effectively put out of the way of danger, her smile opening up once again as she breathed out. "Oh, no, that's awesome," she assured the guide. "I guess I still have to wear the silly suit, though, right?"
Leo's card went straight back into his wallet as the news that Heather wasn't going to have to brave the deep water was offered up, nudging Ryan's shoulder with a grin. He was pretty stoked about diving at all, looking forward to getting an insiders view of the massive tank. "She gets a snorkel and a mask, though, right?"
"I'll go with you," Christian offered up immediately. He didn't mind not diving when it meant semi-private time with his girl. His smile was warm for her and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "And, before you protest, Little Red, I don't mind at all."
Ryan was glad that Heather was able to participate, even if she wasn't going to be able to dive down into the depths. Christian's gallant offer won him some points in Ryan's book. "Okay, so we've got that all sorted out. Now let's get to diving!" He grinned up at Leo, like a kid at Christmas. It wasn't everyday that you got to go SCUBA diving, much less see your lover in a skin tight wet suit.
The guide nodded his approval and bore a relieved look on his face that Heather was happy with the situation. "Yes, you still have to wear the suit, just not the mask. You'll be given a different kind of mask, with a snorkel, so you can see under the water." After that, he gave a short lecture on using the SCUBA gear and then left them to suit up.
Christian managed to shut Heather up before she protested, thankfully, her smile softening as she realised that he really wasn't here for the surprise. He really is here for me. She reached up, drawing him down into a soft kiss. "Thank you," was murmured gently against his lips, before she snagged her bag out of his hand. "And ... I'm gonna get into my suit somewhere none of you can lech at me." With a wink, she slipped into the bathroom adjoining the locker room to do just that.
As this was going on, Leo was pulling his t-shirt up and over his head, dropping it on the bench next to Ryan. "Man, give me my trunks or I'll make you swim naked," he informed his lover with a grin, though it was entirely possible he could manage that somehow. He glanced at Christian. "You okay getting into the suit?"
"Welcome," was his whispered reply as the perfectly gentle kiss ended. Handing her bag over, he chuckled as she fled the room. "I'm good, just need help with the zipper," he nodded his thanks to Leo. Unabashedly unashamed of his own body, Christian stripped down to nothing before sliding into his trunks and then stepping into the rubbery wet suit.
As soon as the door was closed behind Heather, Ryan stood and began to strip down to change. He held onto Leo's trunks and grinned wickedly at him. "Now that's not much of a threat, big boy," chuckling, he tossed the trunks over. "I love watching your body move while you swim. Your muscles rippling..." Ryan heaved a dramatic and exaggerated sigh. "So beautiful." Unable to keep up the pretense, he laughed as he stepped into his own wet suit.
Christian rolled his eyes at the pair and shook his head. "Oh man, don't gay me in here!" he laughed.
"Oh geez ..." Leo rolled his own eyes at Ryan's effusive and slightly too descriptive drooling over himself, chuckling as he hiked his own suit up to his shoulders, dropping into a sharp crouch to settle it comfortably about his nether region before grabbing the tag on the zipper and dragging it upward. "You wanna make out anywhere, you stop that right now," he told Ryan with a grin, glancing up as the door to the bathroom opened once again.
Heather stepped out, her own wet suit covering her lower half but folded over at her waist. If Christian had been uncomfortable with the crop top, it was nothing compared with the bikini top. She smirked over at them all. "If you're not covered up by now, you deserve to get caught with your nadgers hanging out."
Ryan had just zipped up his suit and his laugh stopped at the threat of no making out! "I'm stopping, right now," he assured, but that grin was chock full of playfulness. "Can't help it if it's true though," he smirked. When Heather appeared, he glanced over at her and then crouched down to adjust himself so as not to be pinched. He'd seen her in a bikini before, so it didn't phase him in the least. It was the choking sound comig from Christian that had him looking up with concern.
Christian's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she appeared, half naked! It took a beat to calm himself down and his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint to them. His wet suit already zipped up and stretched out, he marched over to her to assist Heather with getting that suit on to cover her up. Not that he didn't want to see her in something so completely sexy as that bikini, he just didn't want anybody else to see her in that little number. Christian didn't care that it was her brother and a gay man in the room, her skin was for his eyes only! "Let's get you covered up, shall we, Miss Garabedian?"
Laughing at the interesting sounds coming from Christian, Leo deliberately turned his back to make sure Ryan was settled comfortably into his suit. If there hadn't been a possessive hetero man in the room, he might have commented on how good Ryan's little sister looked, but even Leo wasn't that dumb.
Heather looked up at Christian, for once completely innocent of what she'd done to be slapped with "Miss Garabedian" again, her arms wriggling into the sleeves of the suit with his help. "What did I do, Mr Moretz?" she asked him under the cover of that struggle, a little surprised that her suit had a zipper up the front, where theirs did up at the back.
Ryan stood up when Christian went marching over to Heather and he kept a close watch on the pair. He wasn't over protective by any means, but that look in Christian's eyes reeked of danger. Turning his back to Leo, "can you help me with this?" he whispered. He waited to see what Christian was going to do next before he was going to react to Mr. Thermonuclear.
"We'll discuss it later," his voice clipped. Christian wasn't angry, he was just protective and did have a jealous streak a mile wide. But, he wasn't going to discuss her transgression in front of her brother and his lover. Once her suit was on, he relaxed and placed his hands to her shoulders. "Do a couple of knee bends to stretch it out."
At a complete loss as to what she'd done to bring out the snarl in Christian's personality, Heather subsided with a faint frown, doing as she was told. It was one thing for him to go possessive and dominant on her in private, but in front of her brother was an entirely different matter. She didn't dare look in Ryan's direction, not at all sure what she'd see there.
As Ryan turned his back, Leo grabbed the zipper to make sure it was up, stepping close to his companion's back to whisper in his ear. "Don't get involved," he advised quietly. "He's not angry with her, and she can look after herself. That man wouldn't hurt a hair on her head."
Ryan looked over his shoulder at Leo, glad for his presence and nodded in agreement. He knew that, too. "Thanks," he muttered, reaching up to gently cup Leo's cheek with his hand. It still worried him a bit to see Heather's frown, and he knew that they'd have a talk before he left town.
Christian didn't like to see Heather unhappy, so he brought up his hands to cradle her face between them. "Hey, no sad faces here. We're going to have a good time, I promise." It was his way of apologizing for his overbearing attitude. Lowering himself, he kissed her lips with a soft sigh.
Their guide picked that moment to walk back into the room. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Everybody's suited up, the platforms are in place, let's do this!"
Linking his fingers with Ryan's, Leo smiled encouragingly. "It's early days for them," he reminded the protective big brother. "Takes a while to work out where everything fits together, and they're not an immediate match to start with. It'll work out. He's smitten; she's in control." He winked and grinned, squeezing Ryan's hand before dropping it as the guide came in.
It wasn't much of an apology, and they were going to have words about it, but Heather pushed the momentary distress aside as Christian kissed her. She knew he didn't mean to upset her, but it would be nice if he could realise what it was he was doing to upset her sometimes. "No sad faces," she agreed, one corner of her mouth lifting in a lopsided smile.
In a sudden rush of mushiness, Ryan pressed a kiss to the corner of Leo's mouth just before the guide came in to lead them out to the platform surrounding the main tank. While Ryan knew everything that Leo had said, it was nice to be reassured. Leo was a keeper, and Ryan began to wonder how their separation over the next few months was going to affect either of them. He shook off those thoughts, though, as they were led to the diving platform. Sitting as instructed, he placed the flippers onto his feet and waited for the SCUBA tank and mask.
Christian read volumes in the silence between them, and he curled his arms around her to hold her to his chest for a moment. With a kiss to the top of her head, he then steps back and takes her hand. "Come on, Little Red," he teased as he led her out into the main tank area.
Email was a wonderful invention, and given that Ryan had already written out his email, his phone numbers, and for some reason, a post box address, Leo didn't think they were going to have trouble keeping in touch. With Ryan, he stepped into his fins, crouching to double check the cylinders set out for them with a grin to the guide. The mask he dipped into the water before putting on, rolling his shoulders in preparation to take the weight of the cylinder on his back.
Held close, Heather sighed softly, letting the irritation go for the time being as Christian kissed her hair. "Okay," she smiled faintly, moving with him hand in hand out to where they stood above the tank. "Oh wow ... those are big sharks."
"Heather! He's here!" Ryan called from downstairs. He'd been ready to go for more than an hour. Wearing a Georgia Bulldogs t-shirt, a pair of denim walking shorts and leather walking shoes, he was ready for their outing. Peeking out of the window, he chuckled and then called up to his sister again. "And the limo's running! Hurry up!" To the door he went, allowing Christian entrance into their home with a grin and a hand shake.
His sister's dulcet tones yelled back at him from what was, presumably, her own bedroom upstairs. "All right, all right, don't get your panties in a twist!" If casual was the way to go, then Heather was all for that. Shorts, a cropped t-shirt, and wedge sandals adorned her slender frame, a cheeky sparkle of Hello Kitty diamond at her navel, as she thumped down the stairs, a bag swinging from her hand. She grinned at Christian, bright and warm, and wiggled a finger at her brother. "Don't even think about it, this is dressed."
From behind Christian, a drawling voice piped in. "If Dawn tried to go out like that in daylight, I'd tie her up in her own curtains." Leo wandered into view, jeans and a dark t-shirt his choice of clothing for the day, rubbing a hand through his hair. Double dates weren't really his thing - hell, dates weren't really his thing - but Ryan had pleaded. So there he was.
Christian's eyes darkened and narrowed when Heather appeared at the top of the stairs. He didn't know whether to turn her over his knee or get on his knees to worship at her feet. He chose neither, choosing instead to meet her at the bottom of the stairs with his hand held out for her to take. The outfit showed off much more of her delectably creamy skin than he'd like for any other man to see. Leo's comment had him gritting his teeth behind his impeccably plastered on grin. She was amazingly sexy, but with an innocence that could drive any man mad. "Well, hello beautiful," he murmured with a raise of her hand to kiss her knuckles.
Ryan was accustomed to his younger sister's typical attire, and still he had to do a double take as she came down the stairs. "Whoa," he chuckled and then turned to Leo. "That's actually modest, for her," he winked playfully. Grabbing up his bag, he hurried to the door. "Let's get there, before the crowds. We've got a ten o'clock appointment to keep and it's nine thirty, now. C'mon guys!"
Ignoring the commentary on her chosen clothing, Heather's smile softened as Christian kissed her hand, though she recognised the look in his eyes. To be honest, she'd deliberately dressed like this just to see what he would do, but if Ryan was planning what she thought he was planning, Chris was going to have to put up with her wearing a lot less in public than this. "Hello yourself," she greeted him, smoothing her arm about his waist to kiss his jaw affectionately and murmur, "You're the only one that gets to touch." Might as well head the tantrum off early.
Leo snorted at Ryan's by-play with his sister, letting the other man usher him toward the door. "We have an appointment?" he asked curiously. "Since when do you need an appointment for a date?" Chuckling, he shook his head, glancing back at the surprisingly loving couple, and frowned faintly, lowering his voice for Ryan's ears only. "You sure you're happy about that?"
"Good," Christian nodded once and took her bag from her while he escorted her to the door and out of it. He'd taken her hand and laced his fingers with hers, holding on loosely. "Shall I call you Little Red today?" he teased, that smoldering look never leaving his eyes. The backdoor of the limo was still open and waiting for her.
Ryan watched his sister walk out of the door before picking up his own bag which contained suits for both himself and Leo, just in case. "You'll see about the appointment," he chuckled. "And if Heather's happy, then I am. This is the first time she's shown interest in a guy for more than a one night stand. I'm actually exstatic for her." He reached to pat Leo on the shoulder and steer him towards the door. "C'mon, let's go, handsome." Ryan was bubbly with excitement and he bounced slightly on his toes, unable to completely contain it.
"First time, huh?" Leo glanced back once again, appraising the tiny blonde being escorted out behind them. She didn't look the type to sleep around, but then, who was he to talk? He was the master of the one night stand. Today was unusual for him. Laughing at Ryan's excitement, he gave the other guy a gentle shove toward the door. "Go on, then, before you explode and we have to clean it up!"
Behind them, Heather smirked sweetly up at Christian as they paused to shut and lock the door. "Are you planning on being particularly wolfish with me?" she asked him innocently, sliding her hand back into his as they made their way to the waiting limo. "Or did I just earn a little special time?"
"How about both?" he grinned as wolfishly as he could muster. Her good mood and Ryan's excitement were rubbing off on him and that characteristic scowl was replaced by a genuine smile. "Because I feel like biting Hello Kitty's head off, right about now." He let go of her hand and waited for her to climb into the limo before he slid in beside her. He didn't stop in his usual spot, but crouched and moved until he was sitting behind the driver. Patting the seat beside him, he raised his brows in an open invitation for her to join him there.
"If I explode, you can lick it off," Ryan smirked with a waggle of his brows. Once outside, he strolled towards the limo with Leo. He didn't think they were at the hand holding or public displays of affection stage, so he kept his hands to himself. Tossing his bag into the limo, he stood aside to wait for Leo to get in first.
Surprised by the seat Christian decided to take, Heather didn't waste much time in making her way to sit beside him, folding herself onto the seat close against his side with a warm smile of her own. "You can't bite Hello Kitty's head off, it'll break your teeth," she warned him impishly, crossing one bare leg over the other as Leo came into view.
Leo was laughing at Ryan's suggestion that there would be licking as he bent double to thump into the limo, leaning out to grab Ryan's hand and pull him down onto the seat beside him. No, he wasn't much of a one for public displays of affection, but there was friendly and there was overly friendly. Besides, he wasn't sure quite where this - whatever - was going, especially since he and Ryan would be leaving Atlanta for their respective home towns in less than a week.
Christian's arm went around her shoulders the moment Heather sat down. "I can tug and suck on it, though," he said thoughtfully and with a crooked grin. Lowering his head, he kissed her tenderly. "You look amazing, baby." And though the guys had already piled in and the driver had begun to drive, Christian's eyes were on Heather alone.
Ryan yelped and laughed as he was tugged into the limo, and the door was slammed shut behind him. At this point, anything Leo wanted to do was fine by him. He didn't want to think about their impending parting of ways, not when their friendship was blooming and the sex was so mind blowing! Straightening himself in the leather seat, he reached for Leo's hand. The semi privacy of the limo making him bold. Glancing at his sister, he didn't think that she, nor Christian, would come up for air anytime soon.
Awkward as he was with open displays of affection, Leo could see as well as Ryan that there was a bit more privacy inside the limo than he had first been expecting, letting his hand be taken and held. "You gonna give us any clues as to where we're going?" he asked with a lopsided grin. "'Cos, you know, you've got a pool. We could swim there."
Drawn up close against Christian's side as he kissed her, Heather giggled softly into his mouth. "I can think of better things to suck and tug on," she murmured playfully, her fingertips stroking against his cheek as she grinned up at him. "You do know I've got a bathing suit in that bag, right?"
Now that they were well and truly on their way, Ryan let the cat out of the bag. "We're going to swim with the whale sharks at the Aquarium," he grinned proudly. "They provide the wetsuits, the equipment and everything. All we have to do is show up." His smile was wide and his eyes danced with excitement. "It's going to be amazing!"
"Naughty girl," he admonished with a grin. "And I'll be the only one to see that, too." He nodded towards Ryan and his announcement about their destination. "Because you'll be covered from throat to ankle with wetsuit." Somehow the image of that didn't seem to lesson his desire, but fueled it even more. Should have made Ryan and Leo get their own ride.
"Aw man, we're swimming with the belugas?" Leo's expression lit up with excitement of his own. "Snorkelling or diving? 'Cos they go deep, you know." His eyes twinkled teasingly as he met Ryan's eyes. They aren't the only ones who go deep. To be quite honest, it was a wonder either of them were walking straight today.
"We're swimming with sharks?" Heather gulped a little at that thought, not really knowing the difference between the different kinds of shark out there. She giggled softly at Christian's addendum to her own tease, though. "What, you're gonna come into the ladies to watch me change, are you? Perv." Her hand patted his thigh, a little too close to the in-seam to be as innocent as it first appeared.
"Yep!" Ryan answered both questions at the same time. He turned in his seat to talk to Leo, not really wanting to watch Heather and Christian. He was happy for his sister, but he really didn't have to see the details! Besides, he was excited and that look in Leo's eyes had him just a little flustered. It'd been a hell of a week since the party. "We'll be diving, 'cause you know, I love it when you go deep." Why Ryan felt suddenly shy, he wasn't sure, but his face was beginning to turn red from blushing.
"Whale sharks, baby. They're big but harmless." He liked that she was curled into his side, where he could protect her and give her that feeling of being protected. "And I never claimed not to be a perv, have I?" he chuckled and pulled her close for another kiss.
Leo burst out laughing at the surprising blush on Ryan's face as his unspoken innuendo went answered aloud, his hand slapping the other man's thigh affectionately. "So tell me, then, shy boy ... how'd you know everyone here's qualified to dive?"
Heather was blushing, too, embarrassed by the fact that she'd needed to be reassured about swimming with sharks. She should have known that Ryan wouldn't put her in a dangerous situation. She didn't have a chance to apologise, though - her mouth was rather quickly given something else to do as Christian bent his head to her once again. It was a relief this time not to have Ryan feeling left out; she didn't cool off that kiss until it had run its course. "You're gonna embarrass my brother if he comes up for air himself, you know."
"I asked them about that," he drew in a breath and slowly let it out. Now that there weren't any subtle innuendos going on, the heat from his face was slowly going away. "They'll give us a little class on it before we go. We won't be certified for the ocean, by any means, but enough. Are you certified to dive deep?"
"I'm going to embarass him?" Christian laughed softly and shook his head. "I don't think that he's going to even notice that we're there." As if he was one to talk. He only had eyes for the blond bombshell at his side. "Unless you want me to? The possibilities are endless."
Leo grinned and nodded, twisting on the seat to face Ryan, his arm braced against the backboard. "Yeah, believe it or not," he chuckled. "When my mom got remarried, they took all of us on the honeymoon. I wanted to learn how to freedive, but that freaked her out too much, so she forked out for deep seas scuba lessons instead." He laughed at the memory, tactfully ignoring the loved up pair opposite them, though he was partially wishing for a screen of some kind so he didn't run the risk of seeing Ryan's sister being felt up. "How about you, you know anything about diving?"
"They're not that endless when there's, like, three feet between us and them," Heather objected laughingly to Christian's tease, herself twisted about to lay her legs over his lap as she nestled into his side. "I, uh ... I'm not a great swimmer, just so you know. Soon as my head goes under the surface, I panic."
Ryan pulled his knee up and onto the seat, so that he could face Leo more and ignore the tete a tete across from them. "Was certified in high school. That whole boy scout thing," he waved dismissively. He'd been kicked out of the scouts when he came out of the closet, so there was no love loss there. "Can't believe they took you on their honeymoon," he laughed. "I think I'd gouge out my eardrums if I heard my parents getting all sexed up." He shuddered and laughed again.
"I won't let anything happen to you, babe. And if you don't want to dive, you don't have to," his voice full of protective compassion at her uneasiness. "We can always sit and take pictures for them as they swim, if you'd like?" Christian was going to spoil Heather rotten, if he had his way.
The limo pulled up to the curbing outside of the Aquarium, a huge white wall with blue butterflies painted on it just outside of the windows. The driver put the flashers on and exited the vehicle. Ryan grinned excitedly and squeezed Leo's hand before letting go and sliding out of the limo once the door was held open for him.
Heather's smile was grateful as the limo pulled up to the aquarium, as Ryan and Leo slid out. She glanced after them tellingly. "I don't want to spoil his surprise," she admitted softly. "He's so excited, it'd be horrible of me if I didn't at least try." She shrugged. "We'll see how it goes, but I don't want to ruin it for you or them. I can watch, if I have to."
As they waited for the sweethearts to exit the vehicle behind them, Leo slung his arm around Ryan's shoulders, looking up at the Aquarium with a grin. "Little sis seems a bit nervous, man," he pointed out in a quieter voice. "Tell me you didn't pay upfront." Or I think we're going to witness a panic attack.
It was unexpected, but a welcome gesture and Ryan leaned into Leo just a bit as he was being held. So caught up in his excitement that he hadn't noticed that Heather seemed slighty dubious to the diving experience. "I had, but don't tell her that. I don't want her to feel pressured into doing something." His smile had dimmed a little and he kicked himself for not seeing what Leo had seen, first.
Pride was back in Christian's eyes as Heather explained her plan. "I'm so proud of my brave girl," he murmured and kissed her briefly. "You won't be ruining anything for me, baby. What makes you happy, makes me happy." Giving her just one more kiss, he lifted her legs from his lap and then scoot towards the door, then out. He remained by the door, offering his hand to help her.
Reassured by Christian's gentle acknowledgement of her nerves, Heather smiled as he kissed her, drawn out of the limo and back into the sunlight with her sunnier disposition restored. Okay, so I'm nervous. Sue me. Letting the door close behind her, she sent her brother a warm grin, seeing his vague unease, and let herself tuck under Christian's arm as she looked around. "I haven't been here since I was about six."
Catching the dimming of Ryan's smile, Leo squeezed him gently. "She's a game girl," he murmured to his companion. "Never know, she might surprise us." His hand ruffled Ryan's hair almost affectionately as he dropped his arm from about the man's shoulders. "Ease up on yourself. It's a cool surprise, no matter what happens."
Ryan watched as his sister emerged and her grin reassured him that they were going to have a good time. It restored his good mood, even if Leo's arm wasn't around his shoulders any longer. "Ok guys, let's go!" Putting his bag to his shoulder, he ambled towards the large glass and concrete building. It was designed in the shape of a fish, with the leading edge at an angle to the rest of the building and a tall pole jutting from the apex. The entrance was made up of glass doors and white columns. The rush of cool air to greet them was a relief from the hot Georgia sun. At the ticket booth, Ryan secured their passes and the reservations for the dive were confirmed. He turned to the rest of the group to hand out the slips of paper. "She said that we have to wait here for a few minutes before they take us back."
"What's a game girl?" Christian asked, overhearing that part of the conversation as he curled his arm around Heather's shoulders. The limo took off to parts unknown and Christian would text the driver once their excursion at the Aquarium came to an end. He smiled warmly, imagining Heather as a six year old with blond pigtails and rosebud mouth.
"Ryan," Leo told Christian without even a moment's hesitation. "He's a game girl, up for anything." Chuckling, he followed Ryan inside, loitering nearby as the transaction was completed.
Heather snorted at Leo's response, glad that she was tucked against Christian's side. She hoped she wasn't going to make an idiot of herself, but it was a lurking danger right now. Actually, what worried her more was upsetting Ryan by not enjoying what he'd set up for them, steeling her resolve to do this regardless of how she felt about it. "So what's actually involved in this, dude?" she asked her brother. "I'm assuming we're not going skinny dipping in an aquarium."
Leading the way towards padded benches, Ryan sat down and plopped his bag between his feet. "No skinny dipping," like last night, in the pool. He grinned towards Leo before turning his attention back to his sister. "We're going to have a short class on diving, then we'll suit up and take a dip with whale sharks and manta rays," his speech picking up speed with his excitement. "And the instructors go into the water with us, just to make sure everything is safe," he added to give her more reassurance. And then, to top it off, he reached up to grasp Leo's fingertips lightly as he looked up at him with admiration. "And Leo here's deep sea certified. So you'll be completely safe, all the way around."
Christian smirked at the reply to his question and he had that dark, smoldering look in his eyes when he gazed down at Heather. Are you my game girl? I think you are. Once he held the ticket in his hand, he followed Ryan over to the benches to wait for the instructors. His arm never left Heather, going from her shoulders to squeeze her waist as they walked. "And I'll be there, too. But if you don't feel comfortable, we'll get right out, ok?"
Leo's chuckle was carefully covered with a discreet cough at Ryan's less than subtle nod toward their activities of the night before. He just considered himself blessed that his lover had waited until after Heather had gone to bed before whipping everything off and bombing into the pool. He pitied whoever their pool guy was, though. Hearing himself mentioned as a safety line, he winked at the little blonde woman with them. "That's me. Safe pair of hands. Literally, in your case, little woman."
Heather rolled her eyes as all three of them sought to reassure her and make her feel a little less out of her depth. "Honestly, I'm not gonna freak out," she protested laughingly. "I just might, you know, pass out." She was smirking as she said this, hoping that her nerves were enough excuse as far as Ryan and Leo were concerned to cover the blush that had covered her skin the moment Christian's hand had descended to her bare side.
Christian couldn't resist touching her velvety soft skin. His thumb brushed an arc on her side and he smiled when he looked down at her. Whatever happens, I'm here, baby. His eyes expressed the warm thought as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "What will we be doing, following the diving excursion?" Ryan hadn't said anything regarding any plans for afterwards, and it was a distraction away from Heather's nerves.
Even though the reassurance was for Heather, Ryan couldn't help but feel like he was being reassured by Leo, too. He felt safe in Leo's very capable hands. No matter what happened between them, Ryan knew that the friendship that they'd created would last. Another squeeze to Leo's fingertips, he let go and turned his attention to Christian's inquiry. "I thought we could explore the Aquarium, split up for some alone time, and then meet at the Cafe Aquaria for lunch? I mean, it's up to you guys, too." He was leaving things wide open for suggestions.
"You just wanna go and make out next to the turtles," Heather teased her brother, hugging herself just a little tighter beneath Christian's arm. He could no doubt feel her squirming a little as his thumb stroked against her skin, doing a masterful job of distracting her, though if he kept it up she was likely to drag him to the nearest secluded spot and go all the way right then and there. To try and keep herself behaving properly, she turned her grin onto Leo. "It's always been a dream of Ryan's to stick his tongue down someone's through right next to where the turtles are swimming around. Don't ask me why, he's the weird one."
For himself, Leo didn't quite know how to take the dynamic between these three. There was a little tension between Christian and Ryan, but that was to be expected. What he hadn't been expecting was to be welcomed into that dynamic, especially by Moretz, who was known to have an irrationally jealous streak a mile wide. Heather's intimation of Ryan's apparent fantasy, however, made him choke with laughter.
"Shush, you!" Ryan smacked his sister's knee, but was laughing despite himself. Her tease had hit the mark, though. He did want to make out near the turtles, where it was peaceful and the water reflected off of the water just right. His ears turned pink and he hid the blush to his cheeks by ducking his head down and pretending to root through his bag for some forgotten thing.
Christian chuckled, enjoying the banter between brother and sister. He was relaxed and actually acting his age for once! He didn't feel the need to be overly jealous or protective with Heather tucked safely under his arm. The passing c*ck-of-the-walk was given a glare for staring at what was obviously his, but he showed no other outward signs of being a prick. He was about to speak when a balding man emerged from behind a door. "Ryan Garabedian?" he called out, looking for his next group.
Seeing Ryan's blush, Leo moderated his laughter to a mere grin, ruffling the other man's hair once again. He wasn't much for conversation, but it seemed that between Ryan and Heather, no one else was really needed to keep the conversation going. Hearing the name called out, he raised his hand. "Yeah, we're here! C'mon, turtle lover, time to go deep with a shark."
"It's true, you know," Heather commented conversationally to Christian as she watched her brother squirm, triumphant in her victory for a moment. "Although we kinda disagree. I think it'd be sexier by the cold water exhibits. You know, bullet points and all." She winked at the men around her, glancing toward the balding man who called for Ryan.
Ryan grinned when his hair was ruffled and he laughed at himself for feeling shy and a little nervous around Leo. But then he nearly sprang to his feet when his name was called. His bag was snatched up and he didn't have to be told twice to get his rear in gear. He was so excited that the double entendres that had slipped from Leo's mouth were only taken at face value.
Christian cleared his throat, anything to keep from bursting out laughing at Leo's audacity. He didn't like very many men, but Leo was somebody that put him at ease immediately with his quick wit. "Come on babe, let's get wet," he chuckled and turned them to follow behind.
They were led into the depths of the building, through a filtration room that was nearly the size of his mother's house. Their guide pointed out the different tanks and filtration systems that were used to pump the ten million gallons of salt and fresh water. They finally ended up in a locker room of sorts where they were each provided with a full body wet suit, booties, flippers, mittens, masks and SCUBA gear. "Who has SCUBA certification?" he inquired of the group.
It was a little like being with a small child trapped inside a man's body, Leo decided as he followed the over-eager Ryan behind the scenes of the aquarium. And what a body, he added to himself, shamelessly taking the opportunity to appreciate Ryan's rear end before forcing himself to pay attention to their guide. "Oh, uh, I'm fully cert," he offered up. "Deep sea and coastal."
"We can get wet without there being any water, you know," Heather couldn't resist murmuring to Christian as they fell into step behind the other two, but glad he was teasing her still. It was just a little bit fascinating to see how the tanks and filtration systems worked, but as soon as they were handed the various pieces of equipment, her nerves came back full force. "Um ... I-I've never dived."
"Like right now?" Christian whispered, and ghosted a kiss across the shell of her ear. It was so difficult to behave when she presented herself to him so readily. He knew full well how Heather responded to his affections and Christian usually took full advantage of that fact. When asked who was certified, he presented his credentials on a lamenated card from his wallet.
"Coastal," Ryan grinned as he took a seat on the bench in front of the lockers. He, too, presented a card to the guide, then placed it back into his wallet. His eyes seemed too big for his face as he watched and listened to the guide.
The guide checked the credentials and then smiled as he spoke to Heather. "You're not going to be able to dive, but we do have swimming with the whale sharks. You'll be in a floatation device on top of the water. You'll be able to see everything going on beneath you, but you won't be completely submerged."
Heather's relief was palpable as she was effectively put out of the way of danger, her smile opening up once again as she breathed out. "Oh, no, that's awesome," she assured the guide. "I guess I still have to wear the silly suit, though, right?"
Leo's card went straight back into his wallet as the news that Heather wasn't going to have to brave the deep water was offered up, nudging Ryan's shoulder with a grin. He was pretty stoked about diving at all, looking forward to getting an insiders view of the massive tank. "She gets a snorkel and a mask, though, right?"
"I'll go with you," Christian offered up immediately. He didn't mind not diving when it meant semi-private time with his girl. His smile was warm for her and he gave her a gentle squeeze. "And, before you protest, Little Red, I don't mind at all."
Ryan was glad that Heather was able to participate, even if she wasn't going to be able to dive down into the depths. Christian's gallant offer won him some points in Ryan's book. "Okay, so we've got that all sorted out. Now let's get to diving!" He grinned up at Leo, like a kid at Christmas. It wasn't everyday that you got to go SCUBA diving, much less see your lover in a skin tight wet suit.
The guide nodded his approval and bore a relieved look on his face that Heather was happy with the situation. "Yes, you still have to wear the suit, just not the mask. You'll be given a different kind of mask, with a snorkel, so you can see under the water." After that, he gave a short lecture on using the SCUBA gear and then left them to suit up.
Christian managed to shut Heather up before she protested, thankfully, her smile softening as she realised that he really wasn't here for the surprise. He really is here for me. She reached up, drawing him down into a soft kiss. "Thank you," was murmured gently against his lips, before she snagged her bag out of his hand. "And ... I'm gonna get into my suit somewhere none of you can lech at me." With a wink, she slipped into the bathroom adjoining the locker room to do just that.
As this was going on, Leo was pulling his t-shirt up and over his head, dropping it on the bench next to Ryan. "Man, give me my trunks or I'll make you swim naked," he informed his lover with a grin, though it was entirely possible he could manage that somehow. He glanced at Christian. "You okay getting into the suit?"
"Welcome," was his whispered reply as the perfectly gentle kiss ended. Handing her bag over, he chuckled as she fled the room. "I'm good, just need help with the zipper," he nodded his thanks to Leo. Unabashedly unashamed of his own body, Christian stripped down to nothing before sliding into his trunks and then stepping into the rubbery wet suit.
As soon as the door was closed behind Heather, Ryan stood and began to strip down to change. He held onto Leo's trunks and grinned wickedly at him. "Now that's not much of a threat, big boy," chuckling, he tossed the trunks over. "I love watching your body move while you swim. Your muscles rippling..." Ryan heaved a dramatic and exaggerated sigh. "So beautiful." Unable to keep up the pretense, he laughed as he stepped into his own wet suit.
Christian rolled his eyes at the pair and shook his head. "Oh man, don't gay me in here!" he laughed.
"Oh geez ..." Leo rolled his own eyes at Ryan's effusive and slightly too descriptive drooling over himself, chuckling as he hiked his own suit up to his shoulders, dropping into a sharp crouch to settle it comfortably about his nether region before grabbing the tag on the zipper and dragging it upward. "You wanna make out anywhere, you stop that right now," he told Ryan with a grin, glancing up as the door to the bathroom opened once again.
Heather stepped out, her own wet suit covering her lower half but folded over at her waist. If Christian had been uncomfortable with the crop top, it was nothing compared with the bikini top. She smirked over at them all. "If you're not covered up by now, you deserve to get caught with your nadgers hanging out."
Ryan had just zipped up his suit and his laugh stopped at the threat of no making out! "I'm stopping, right now," he assured, but that grin was chock full of playfulness. "Can't help it if it's true though," he smirked. When Heather appeared, he glanced over at her and then crouched down to adjust himself so as not to be pinched. He'd seen her in a bikini before, so it didn't phase him in the least. It was the choking sound comig from Christian that had him looking up with concern.
Christian's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she appeared, half naked! It took a beat to calm himself down and his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint to them. His wet suit already zipped up and stretched out, he marched over to her to assist Heather with getting that suit on to cover her up. Not that he didn't want to see her in something so completely sexy as that bikini, he just didn't want anybody else to see her in that little number. Christian didn't care that it was her brother and a gay man in the room, her skin was for his eyes only! "Let's get you covered up, shall we, Miss Garabedian?"
Laughing at the interesting sounds coming from Christian, Leo deliberately turned his back to make sure Ryan was settled comfortably into his suit. If there hadn't been a possessive hetero man in the room, he might have commented on how good Ryan's little sister looked, but even Leo wasn't that dumb.
Heather looked up at Christian, for once completely innocent of what she'd done to be slapped with "Miss Garabedian" again, her arms wriggling into the sleeves of the suit with his help. "What did I do, Mr Moretz?" she asked him under the cover of that struggle, a little surprised that her suit had a zipper up the front, where theirs did up at the back.
Ryan stood up when Christian went marching over to Heather and he kept a close watch on the pair. He wasn't over protective by any means, but that look in Christian's eyes reeked of danger. Turning his back to Leo, "can you help me with this?" he whispered. He waited to see what Christian was going to do next before he was going to react to Mr. Thermonuclear.
"We'll discuss it later," his voice clipped. Christian wasn't angry, he was just protective and did have a jealous streak a mile wide. But, he wasn't going to discuss her transgression in front of her brother and his lover. Once her suit was on, he relaxed and placed his hands to her shoulders. "Do a couple of knee bends to stretch it out."
At a complete loss as to what she'd done to bring out the snarl in Christian's personality, Heather subsided with a faint frown, doing as she was told. It was one thing for him to go possessive and dominant on her in private, but in front of her brother was an entirely different matter. She didn't dare look in Ryan's direction, not at all sure what she'd see there.
As Ryan turned his back, Leo grabbed the zipper to make sure it was up, stepping close to his companion's back to whisper in his ear. "Don't get involved," he advised quietly. "He's not angry with her, and she can look after herself. That man wouldn't hurt a hair on her head."
Ryan looked over his shoulder at Leo, glad for his presence and nodded in agreement. He knew that, too. "Thanks," he muttered, reaching up to gently cup Leo's cheek with his hand. It still worried him a bit to see Heather's frown, and he knew that they'd have a talk before he left town.
Christian didn't like to see Heather unhappy, so he brought up his hands to cradle her face between them. "Hey, no sad faces here. We're going to have a good time, I promise." It was his way of apologizing for his overbearing attitude. Lowering himself, he kissed her lips with a soft sigh.
Their guide picked that moment to walk back into the room. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them. "Everybody's suited up, the platforms are in place, let's do this!"
Linking his fingers with Ryan's, Leo smiled encouragingly. "It's early days for them," he reminded the protective big brother. "Takes a while to work out where everything fits together, and they're not an immediate match to start with. It'll work out. He's smitten; she's in control." He winked and grinned, squeezing Ryan's hand before dropping it as the guide came in.
It wasn't much of an apology, and they were going to have words about it, but Heather pushed the momentary distress aside as Christian kissed her. She knew he didn't mean to upset her, but it would be nice if he could realise what it was he was doing to upset her sometimes. "No sad faces," she agreed, one corner of her mouth lifting in a lopsided smile.
In a sudden rush of mushiness, Ryan pressed a kiss to the corner of Leo's mouth just before the guide came in to lead them out to the platform surrounding the main tank. While Ryan knew everything that Leo had said, it was nice to be reassured. Leo was a keeper, and Ryan began to wonder how their separation over the next few months was going to affect either of them. He shook off those thoughts, though, as they were led to the diving platform. Sitting as instructed, he placed the flippers onto his feet and waited for the SCUBA tank and mask.
Christian read volumes in the silence between them, and he curled his arms around her to hold her to his chest for a moment. With a kiss to the top of her head, he then steps back and takes her hand. "Come on, Little Red," he teased as he led her out into the main tank area.
Email was a wonderful invention, and given that Ryan had already written out his email, his phone numbers, and for some reason, a post box address, Leo didn't think they were going to have trouble keeping in touch. With Ryan, he stepped into his fins, crouching to double check the cylinders set out for them with a grin to the guide. The mask he dipped into the water before putting on, rolling his shoulders in preparation to take the weight of the cylinder on his back.
Held close, Heather sighed softly, letting the irritation go for the time being as Christian kissed her hair. "Okay," she smiled faintly, moving with him hand in hand out to where they stood above the tank. "Oh wow ... those are big sharks."