notes: title from the national. not mine, no profit garnered. hey kevin williamson? They're not divorced.


"Ten, my love," Joey said. "Tenth wedding anniversary. So, time to split up?"

Pacey said, "I don't know, we have three kids. That's probably too many, too."

"No more kids, no more marriage," Joey said. She leaned back in the bed, barely dressed.

"I'll be honest with you, you look like this, I don't really wanna leave you," Pacey said. She was wearing a thin tank top with tiny straps that were both falling off her shoulders. Plus the pale thing had ridden up and her stomach was exposed and a little bit of underboob. Underboob was a fun word, Pacey thought. The blankets were unfortunately covering her bottom. He reached over and pulled them down. She was not wearing underwear. "I really don't want to leave you. Are you sure about this?"

"I don't know," Joey said, gripping his arm. "Convince me I should stay."

"Okay, time for breakfast," Pacey said.

"I'm leaving you for that horrible joke. That wasn't even a joke," Joey said. Her voice started to waver and keen as he put his mouth to work. Which he was glad he didn't say out loud because no way would Joey not make fun of that.

She came and beat the bed with her palms. She sat up and kissed him. He said, "It's sick how much you like that."

"Just because you don't like me kissing you after a blowjob," Joey said. "It makes me want to do it more."

Pacey shifted so he was on top of her, his dick nearly in her then he thrust into her. He loved fucking her, fucking his wife, making love to his wife. She spread her legs around him. "Fuck," Joey said. "I'm so happy."

"Same," Pacey said.

After they were done and they cuddled and they showered and they each put on some clothes, Pacey sat on the edge of the bed while Joey curled up with her iPad. He said, "Can we send the kids to Bessie's for the weekend more often?"

"Once every ten years," Joey said, absently.

"You're spending our anniversary reading twitter," Pacey said.

"I have an image to maintain," Joey said. "Literally. Turn around and smile at me."

He made a goofy face. She glared at him. He smiled nicely. "Now I'm adding hearts and little fireworks. Ten years married, ten years of love."

"You know, I own two restaurants, I don't have to do that stuff," Pacey said.

"Because I made you hire someone to do it for you," Joey said. "Because I'm a genius."

"I don't disagree," Pacey said. "Okay, woman, if we're not having sex all weekend, what are we doing now?"

Joey put down her iPad and crawled over to him. "You own a boat."

"Wow, I like the way you think," Pacey said. "I'm so glad I put up with you."

It was a quick drive and leisurely stroll to the pier. The boat had been named "True Love IV" even though it was really only True Love II. Pacey jumped on first as always and then gave Joey permission to board. They had the same rhythm they always did on the boat. Easy, harmonious, a kind of language of the sea. Pacey didn't say it out loud because Joey was the writer, Pacey just got lucky once in a while. They were four hours out and not another boat was in sight. Joey said, "Pacey." He turned around and watched her unbutton her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra or a bikini.

"Woman," he said. "What if someone sees?"

Joey looked up and waved. "Hello satellites. More to come." She pushed off her shorts and her underwear. "All the NSA agents watching us right now think you're overdressed."

"Especially the gay ones," Pacey said. "I have a great body." He stripped and gathered up both their clothes taking them down to the cabin. In the ideal world, there'd be two hammocks one on top of each other. But they took the boat out with the kids all the time. So it was much more family and kid friendly.

Joey followed him down. "We should have sex down here, I don't want you to get a sunburn. Not, you know, your penis."

"Or pretty butt," Pacey said, grabbing her ass.

They had sex standing up which made Pacey proud that he could keep standing, holding Joey's ass as he pounded away.

Then Joey jumped off the boat and swam around a little. He pulled her back up and jumped in himself. He loved the water. Swimming naked in the ocean was amazing. He did a few backstrokes and watched Joey laugh.

They headed back to land for an expensive fish dinner that was not at one of Pacey's restaurants. He'd tried to just take her to one of his own places when for their second anniversary. Joey was pregnant with their first and she barely spoke to him.

Now their daughter Lindley was eight, and Pacey knew much much better.

"How much are you actually paying for this?" Joey toyed with her perfect tilapia.

"Full price," Pacey said. "I swear, full price. I don't know the chef."

"If you're lying, given the state of this marriage, I will divorce you," Joey said, grinning.

"I'm lying a little. I know the head chef but I also know he was tonight off and therefore I have to pay full price," Pacey said.

They got drunk enough they had to call an Uber home. They made out in the back of the seat like they were in high school. "Except in high school, you took forever to put out. I really want you to pass that attitude along to our girls," Pacey said.

Joey shook her head. "No, I want our girls and our boy to love themselves and understand consent, and understand sex is awesome when you do it with someone who respects you."

"Are you sure I can't throw in some my dad taught me to shoot remarks?"

"Are you the physical owner of our children's bodies?"

Pacey said, "No, no, I get it. We raise our kids to be much better about sex than we were. It kinda sucks, Jo."

"I know you want to be a caveman, but I like you better as a fully grown adult parent," Joey said.

"You're a caveman, sometimes," Pacey said. "I saw you on that PTA committee. Jesus, Joey, you destroyed that woman. Just because she said Lucas was a little short."

"It never should have come up," Joey said. "We're talking about hall monitors. Hall monitors. He's a first grader making sure other first graders don't run too much. Also, he's going to be tall. He's going to be taller than you."

Pacey clasped her hand. "Caveman."

They went home and fell into bed. He said, "Clearly we couldn't survive all this drama. We're doomed."

"Totally doomed," she said. She kissed his cheek. "I can't wait for ten more, my love."