** Written in the Sparklers **
by M&M Works

Shading her eyes against the late afternoon sun, Joey scanned the shore. "Pacey, are you sure we're in the right place?"

"Questioning my skill as a navigator, Potter?" Pacey's eyebrows shot up as he tipped his head in her direction.

A smirk crossed her lips before she retorted, "Of course not. I'm merely asking if you, in fact, know that this podunk little town is going to have fireworks tonight!"

"Podunk says the girl who grew up in the smallest town on Cape Cod!" Pacey snorted.

"Says the guy who grew up there, too…"

"Yes, yes I did. But I'm not the one pointing the podunk finger at quaint picturesque villages along the coast of South Carolina."

"Funny, and yet my original question still stands."

Pacey looked over to her and smiled, adding a roll of the eye as he relented and explained. "The last time we fueled, I got a list from the guy at the marina. Hell, we might be able to see fireworks from more than one podunk town." He winked at her with a grin.

"Joy." Joey replied sarcastically, her remark lightened with an easy laugh. "But how do you know this is the place? We haven't even been ashore."

Pacey muttered something under his breath before quipping, "Geez, Jo, when we decided to take a True Love tribute cruise this summer, I didn't mean to recreate all the second-guessing you did on the first one! Give me a little credit will ya!"

"Second-guessing?" Joey frowned defensively. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Um… second-guessing. That would be questioning my every navigational move. Challenging every decision I made. All coming back to you now?" He shook his head. "Gotta tell ya, Jo, for a girl who spontaneously jumped on a sailboat with only the clothes on her back, you sure spent the rest of the trip trying to control the details."

"I did not! Pacey Witter, you're trying to rewrite history!"

"Write? That's not my job. That's your job, sweetheart."

Joey narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms. "You know what I mean!"

"That you're a second-guessing, controlling wench? Why, yes I do." He smiled mischievously at her glare. "Or… did you mean that my job is sailing?"

Eyes wide at the roundabout trap he'd led her through, Joey stared at him a moment and then burst into laughter. "You win. But if I don't get to see fireworks tonight…," she trailed off with the implied threat.

Pacey flashed a shit-eatin' grin at her and nodded in agreement. "That's more like it!"

"Of course, not to belabor the point," Joey held up her hands in surrender at his weary sigh, as he lifted his head to the heavens and mumbled "but you will", and went on, "but why aren't there any other boats out here, Pace?"

Pacey chewed the inside of his cheek as he surveyed the bay where they had dropped anchor. He shrugged and scratched his ear. "It's still kinda early. We've got another hour or so until it gets dark. You hungry?" He abruptly changed the subject.

Joey rolled her eyes. "We just ate a couple of hours ago, Pacey!"

"The key words there bein' couple of hours, Jo. I'm going to go make a sandwich. Y'want one?" he said while in motion, heading for the steps into the cabin.

Drawing her feet up flat on the bench, Joey leaned back to catch the last of the day's rays on her face. "Nah. I'm good, thanks. You want me to make it for you?"

Looking back over his shoulder, Pacey teased, "You're offering to cook?"

Pushing her sunglasses on top of her head, Joey promptly closed her eyes and continued to bask. "You cook your sandwiches? I retract my offer."

Moments later, she felt the warmth of Pacey's bulk bending over her as he braced himself against the railing upon which she leaned. "Unless you want to do it wearing your new apron," he rumbled hopefully against her ear.

Joey didn't open her eyes but smiled, causing the corners of them to crinkle mirthfully. "Tell you what, my love… you go put the apron on and I'll meet you down below."

Pacey pondered for a moment as to whether she was serious or not but couldn't quite see himself in the blue and white-striped ruffled apron with the strategically-placed white stars on the red bib. Remembering her outrage when he'd picked it up on one of their shore excursions a few weeks, Pacey chuckled.

"It looks like something a stripper would wear!" she had declared indignantly. "I'm surprised there aren't tassels on those stars!"

"Whaddaya talking about, Jo? You wear the skimpiest bathing suits know to man and you've got an problem with this thing?"

"Are you complaining about my swimwear, Mr. Owner of Every Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue?"

"Of course not, sweetheart. I'm the biggest and hopefully only fan of your swimwear. Besides, I only buy those to give you ideas of the current year's fashion."

Joey had rolled her eyes at that fabrication. "Thank you, Mr. Lagerfeld" she'd said dryly. "In that case, I'll just tuck the bib in when I wear the apron. It seems more fashionable that way."

Smirking, Pacey had rejoined, "I knew you'd love it! Let's grill something!"

Brought back to the present by the enticing woman before him, Pacey whispered, "Maybe I will."

Joey cracked open an eye at him. "This I wanna see," she said, swinging her legs down and started across the deck. "Coming?"

"Lord, I hope so," Pacey muttered under his breath.

"What, dear?"

"Nothing, dear."

The shake of Joey's head implied she didn't believe him one bit but she didn't make a comment. At the bottom of the steps, Pacey was faced with the barely-covered twin golden globes of Joey's ass thrust toward him as she rummaged through the drawer space under the bunk. The sight caused an immediate reaction in his trunks and he snugged up behind her finding a home for his length.

Joey squealed and then wiggled her bottom. "Hey!"

Nipping at her shoulder, Pacey repeated her exclamation, although his tone was completely different. "Hey."

Turning, Joey snaked her arms around Pacey's waist and pulled him tight against her. "I can't find it," she said as she swiped her tongue at the saltiness of his skin.

"Find what?" Pacey groaned.

"The apron." Another swipe, this time across his nipple.

"We have an apron?" Pacey's head dipped toward the sensitive skin of Joey's neck as she made her way with nips and licks across his chest.

Her head lolled back as Pacey kissed her a necklace, pausing to suck tenderly on the throb of her pulse in the hollow of her throat, his hands busy untying her top.

She hummed, "Mmmm… What was I saying?"

Encouraged, Pacey grasped that lovely rear that had so tempted him just moments ago and lifted her until she was seated on the edge of their bunk. "No more talking, Potter…"

Spreading her legs, she captured and locked him between them doing as he requested; she pulled him forward until he was nestled in the cradle of her heat.

One swift move divested him of his swim trunks and he crawled onto the bunk as Joey scooted back to accommodate him. Pacey tugged at the ties of her bikini bottoms, baring her. Unable to resist the feast spread out before him, he traced a path of open-mouthed kisses up the inside of the tender skin above her knee until he reached her center, and though she arched her hips in an effort to direct him there, he gripped her to hold her still and continued his explorations up the other side. Satisfied that he tasted every inch of those toned thighs and teased her sufficiently in the process, he paused to survey that pink and glistening treasure.

"Paceeeeey," Joey whined, panting. Leaning up on her elbows, she watched as he licked from bottom to top. She collapsed back on the bed and cocked her feet on his shoulders to improve his access.

Pacey took advantage of her hips tilted to exactly the right angle to settle in and devour her. He tasted her with long licks and gentle sucks until he had coaxed her nubbin of nerves from under its hood. Circling it gently at first, Pacey brought her to the edge and then abandoned her clit to thrust his tongue inside her.

After several repetitions of this move, Joey arched herself against Pacey's mouth and pleaded with him for relief, her head thrashing wildly from side to side.

Sucking that sensitive bundle into his mouth, Pacey curled a finger inside to find her sweet spot and was rewarded with a flood of sweet musk as Joey shook beneath him. He gently lapped at her until she calmed and then slid up to find her mouth with his.

Licking the stickiness from his lips and cheeks, she murmured, "You don't need an apron. You need a napkin."

Pacey's laugh rumbled through his chest as he caught his breath. "I don't need a napkin, I have you."

Joey attempted to sit up. "How about that sandwich?"

His erection bumping against her belly, Pacey said, "No, thanks, I ate."

Giggling, Joey slithered under him until she could sample the head of his erection. "My turn."

Braced above her, Pacey held still while she licked his length once, then twice. She swirled her tongue around his head and began to slowly swallow his length. Cupping his sensitive sacs, she hefted them in the palms of her hands, rolling them gently. As she worked her mouth to accommodate his length and girth, she reveled in his moans.

From beneath him, the angle was perfect for him to slide all the way to the back of her throat. Their years together had given her enough practice to do so without gagging and she loved the way she could feel every ridge and vein. Gradually, she increased the speed of her suck until she felt him pulse and readied herself to swallow his offering.

Pacey gasped at her intention but pulled back slightly. "In-inside."

Joey acquiesced, and circling him at his base with her finger and thumb, she squeezed tightly.

Abandoning her mouth, Pacey hauled her up by her armpits until they were once again face to face. Kissing her tenderly, he slid deeply into her, thrusting hard.

Joey's lips, open and swollen, could only let out a muffled wail as he did.

Eyes closed, they both relished the intense ebb and flow of nerve endings ignited. Pacey draped her knee over the crook of his elbow, allowing him to hit that perfect spot each time he plunged into her.

Her hips a blur as they rose to meet him, Joey felt the familiar twist of her orgasm start to spiral from her lower belly. She let go of the coverlet she'd been bunching in her fists and reached up to touch the face of her beloved.

Gray eyes, glazed dark with lust, opened to find her face flushed. "Ready, sweetheart?"

She nodded and held his gaze as they came together in an explosion, sweat and love suctioning them together from lips to hips.

Eventually, Pacey rolled them to the side, still gasping for breath as the sweat cooled on their skin. "Wow."

Joey echoed him. "Wow. That was nice."

Pacey smiled at her standard appraisal, knowing everything that it encompassed.

"Pacey?" Joey mirroring his position; her hand travelled lightly over his chest, unable to stop touching him.

"Hmmm?" Completely content, Pacey played with the fall of her hair against his arm but didn't open his eyes.

"It's dark outside."

"Mmhmmm," he agreed.

"I didn't hear any fireworks."

Pacey squinted at her through lidded eyes. "Plenty of fireworks in here tonight, Potter."

Sniggering, Joey clarified, "I meant outside… and you promised!"

"I did?" His voice crackled as it raised an octave in mirth. Blocking her hand as it came up to slap him, Pacey cupped her cheeks and kissed her nose sweetly, "That's right I did."

Dusting another kiss on her nose, he reached across to the shelf above the cabin bed and grabbed a silver tin and a box of matches. Snapping the top open, he pulled out two indoor sparklers. "I know this is supposed to be a trip down memory lane of our summer trip and all. Well… considering we've already done something we didn't do then," he waggled his eyes appropriately, "I figured we could start a new tradition, too."

Striking a match, he lit first Joey's sparkler then his own. After taking a moment to burn the image of her face to his memory – the way it lit up while she stared at the fire wand in her hand, the sparkler creating a myriad of fireworks in her eyes - he started to move his own. When he was sure he had her attention, he spelt out "Love you, Jo" in the glow.

Joey repeated the gesture with her own sparkler, punctuating the sentence with a large cross, causing the sparker to crackle at the speed she moved before both of the sparklers sputtered and burn out.

"Happy 4th of July." Joey breathed out.

"Actually…," Pacey cleared his throat and chuckled sheepishly. "No, it's not." At Joey's confused look he explained. "Today's the 5th of July."

Not sure how they missed even the noise of any celebration the night before and well aware he was in for all kinds of pain, considering the hour he'd made her get up that morning to set sail, he quickly recovered with a save. "I can make it up to you, I promise."

"Oh, you bet you will, mister."

Pacey briefly paused and rolled his lips around as he considered her tone. "This involves me wearing the apron, doesn't it?"

"Got a problem with that?"

He gave a huge grin and swooped down, pulling her close and rolling her onto her back. "None at all." Then he set about making some more post-4th of July fireworks.

** THE END **