rp: beach date

[tt_james]

Who: James & Lily
When: 15 June 2002
Where: the beach
What: a picnic lunch
Rating: TBD
Open/Closed: Public : Closed

James had lunch all packed in a little satchel. He'd made sandwiches, grabbed some local fruit, and stopped by the pub to grab chilled juice to go (not being someone who keeps juice around his house). He wore swim trunks & a t-shirt and had a separate bag with his towel, sunscreen, and datapad all set as well.

Heading out just before noon - he thought maybe he'd give Lil a shock and be on time for once! - he made his way to the beach at a leisurely pace, apparating at just the last moment to a very nice spot not far from the public entrance, so that he might catch her when she arrived.

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[tt_lily]

Lily, for once, was actually running late. Her alarm on her datapad hadn't gone off so she overslept and was behind the entire late morning. Her hair was still dripping wet as she apparated to the beach. One could only hope she had everything she needed; thankfully she put her bathing suit on after her shower so at least she had that.

She was quite relieved that you couldn't really put shorts on backwards, but a tank top was questionable at times but fairly certain it was on correctly.

[tt_james]

James smiled when he saw Lily poof onto the beach. "Gorgeous!" He called out, waving, she seemed perturbed though, so he approached her quickly. "Everything all right?" He asked, leaning in to kiss her in greeting.

He took her hand and lead her further down the beach from the public entrance, seeking out a sunny spot without any other weekend visitors. Finally finding one about 100 yards down the way from the entrance, he dropped her hand just long enough to put out the blanket and set down his bags. Taking her hand again, he pulled her down onto the blanket with him and tucked his arms around her. With a kiss on her cheek he whispered, "You look incredible. I'll never get enough of you in those tank tops you love."

[tt_lily]

"I'm just running late this morning," Lily said, putting her arms around him for a hug, "the datapad strikes again," she said grinning.

She followed him down the shore, enjoying the breeze that was steadily blowing. Lily watched as he prepared their spot and snuggled in his embrace, "I never get enough 'us' moments like this," she said, putting her head on his shoulder.

[tt_james]

Grinning back at her, James shook his head, "Of course it does. What would you do if you didn't have the poor thing to blame?" He chuckled to show her it was teasing in good fun.

His muffled agreement was a lazy sigh, "I certainly know the feeling. You'd think showing up not dead in paradise after thirty some-odd years would warrant us some, you know, paradise time." James loved his work at the media center, his manic energy and curiosity fitting in well in the tech world, but it was also the first job he'd ever really had, having not made it to Auror training in this version of his life. He missed just lazing about sometimes.

"Do you think we could have a vacation if we wanted?" It hadn't occurred to him before.

[tt_lily]

"It does hate me..." she mumbled, a smile on her face nonetheless. Lily thought about his question. "I don't see why we couldn't. I know several folks who've taken weekends here and there. Personally I would love to find a little cabin actually on the beach. Maybe even a hammock."

It was merely wishful thinking, but she enjoyed it in her mind. "What would you do?"

[tt_james]

"Mmm. A hammock, a cabin, and the beach. I bet once they let us move on from the government housing, we could build it." He thought out loud.

Sitting up a bit to look at her, disentangling his arms from around her, he shrugged. "I don't know. If this were London I'd suggest Nice for a nice long weekend, or Cambridge during the week, we could see some great indie theater, and I could take you to all my favorite bars, introduce you to some of the best barmaids in England. But we're not in London..." his voice was wistful for just a moment and his gaze lingered a little bit beyond Lily, before he snapped his attention back to her with a smile. "Where do you go to vacation away from paradise?"

[tt_lily]

Lily stared at the water, "I guess it depends what someone thought paradise was. Some people think being in the mountains and cold and snow is paradise. I don't know where my paradise away from paradise would be."

He would consider them moving in together? That was an interesting thought. "I miss London and the noise and all the eateries."

[tt_james]

"Oh yes, I miss Chinese take away." He admitted, grinning.

Thinking more, he figured he actually had no idea what someone else might consider paradise. He'd heard Adrian Pucey - the young Potionsmaker - speaking with Lisa at the bar about his family's home in the US islands. That sounded quite like paradise if you asked James.

"So, Lil," he started, "what do you want to make of your life here? So many people came with their families, with plans, we just sort of... Ended up here, though." His brow furrowed in thought as he watched her.

[tt_lily]

Lily didn't know how to respond to that question. "Well, I suppose one day I would like to have kids again. I've missed Harry so much since I've been here; hard to believe that in this time, his first birthday is next month, but is still four months away there. I want a family." Most guys probably wouldn't want to hear that, but that was what was on her mind.

"I don't know what I want to do career wise." She stared off at the water. "What about you?"

[tt_james]

James listened intently, nodding in understanding. Of course Lily would want children, having a baby e must be missing every single day.

"Um..." he thought, drawing out the sound, and then sighed. "Career-wise I like working at the Media Center, but I guess a part of me was always bent on Quidditch or Auror-ing, right?" Shaking his head he continued, "So, yeah I guess I don't really know, either."

He took a long breath, a deep inhale and slow exhale before tackling the next question. "I guess I don't really know about the other stuff, yet, too. I don't know what about me had changed in London, when we got together and got married, and I know you say I didn't really change but clearly I wasn't a club hopping 18 year old anymore." He shook his head and looked her in the eye, "I won't make any promises, Lily, and I hope that's ok?"

[tt_lily]

Lily nodded, "That's fine. That was different circumstances than what we are facing here. We don't even know we'll work 100% here, you know? I mean, what if 6 months from now we realize we don't want to be with the other?" It was an all too real thought. Did she want it to happen? Never. But could it? Sure. James could end up unhappy with her and move on. Or she could get in the mindframe of wanting to get married and everything and look for someone else to settle down with.

[tt_james]

James nodded along with her and then exhaled, glad she didn't take his answer the wrong way. He was fairly sure he'd want those things - with Lily - someday, but for now life was... Well, life. And this was his second chance at it, so he didn't want to do anything the wrong way or say things he wouldn't be able to stick to.

"How about a swim?" He asked, the usual excitement coming back into his voice.

[tt_lily]

Lily moved to stand up, "Sounds like fun," she said, offering him a hand up. "Want to pick and point and have a swim race?" She wondered how well she'd fare doing something like that. She had enjoyed going to local pools during summers and competing in small events like that.

[tt_james]

James took her offered hand and stood with a spring. He pointed to a spot and said, "You're on!" Before taking off running, kicking up sand the whole way to the water, where he dove in with a splash and turned to see if she'd followed.

He quickly dove back under the water and began swimming toward where he'd pointed, hooting and hollering whenever he broke the surface. James wasn't a very good swimmer, he was all splash and no technique, but that didn't mean he didn't have a total blast while doing it.

[tt_lily]

Lily was hot on his heels, figuratively, as she didn't want a face full of sand. Once she got out into the water the race was truly on; unlike her opponent, she had form. She tried to keep the splashing to a minimum as she swam hard and fast.

Once she made it to the appointed spot, she looked for James, wondering if he had beaten her and was sneaking up on her. You never knew with him.

[tt_james]

James saw her beat him to the end spot and dipped below the water, slowing down having already lost the race. He reached her in a moment and grabbed her right leg, tugging hard before popping up above the surface to see her below. Laughing wildly he waited for her to surface as well and splashed her before moving in with a laugh and a kiss.

"My, my, Lily Evans, are you a swimmer? Did you ask me to race knowing you'd beat me?"

[tt_lily]

After Lily surfaced and sputtered, she blushed and returned his kiss, "I honestly didn't know I'd win. I wasn't sure of your racing abilities. I was, I guess you could say, on a swim team during the summer holidays." Lily kissed him again, hoping he didn't mind losing.

[tt_james]

James tread water as Lily kissed him back. When they moved back from each other he dunked his head and then surfaced again, "I guess losing every now and then is good for me, right? At least, that's what Dad would say." He shrugged, his feet kicking water like mad below the water to keep his head above. Lying back, he floated near her and said, "You know? I didn't know that. I always had a thing for you at school but come to think of it, we never talked outside of you yelling at me, except for Prefect duties and 7th year, of course."

[tt_lily]

"I guess I didn't think it was pertinent information. I mean, when does something like that ever come up in conversation?" Lily said with a shrug as she treaded water. "To make it fair, tell me something random about yourself."