Title: Stealing Moonlight
By: dragoneye
Rating: K+
Written Because: that angsty story was a bit much… I just needed some lighthearted romance!
Summary: Incredibly short one-shot. Shades chucks Charlotte into the pool. Bit of C/J. Enough said.

Disclaimer: I do not own The Princess Diaries; it belongs to Disney and Meg Cabot.

OoOoO

Charlotte looked out the window of her bedroom. She saw Shades walking through the gardens and decided to go join him. She made her way out of the castle and onto the grounds, but he had disappeared. She looked around, bewildered. Where had he gone? Suddenly, she found herself being swept off her feet into the arms of her lover.

"Shades!" she shrieked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

"You needed picking up." And with that, he carried her over to the pool.

"It's rather pretty," Charlotte said as Shades sat down on a chaise lounge.

"You're rather pretty."

"The moonlight glistening on the water, the stars reflecting in—mmm…" she broke off, for Shades's mouth was a bit difficult to speak against.

But suddenly his lips left hers. She protested a bit, but he was standing up and walking to the edge of the pool. She opened her mouth to ask him what, exactly, he was doing, but then she felt his arms go out from underneath her and she was falling with a shriek.

Charlotte hit the water with a splash as she floundered about. She sank to the bottom, then pushed off and swam to the top.

"Shades! What in the hell do you think you're doing? That was so not funny. I've half a mind to punish you for that… no bed privileges would be appropriate punishment…"

"You're hot when you're mad."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, then held her hand out. "Help me out." Shades grasped her hand and was pulling her up when he found himself being pulled, rather forcefully, into the water. He spluttered and coughed until he had enough breath to scold Charlotte, who had swum to the shallow end of the pool. She stood thigh-deep in water, hands on hips, smirk on lips, watching as he (no doubt) made a fool of himself. But then his eyes widened and he inhaled sharply.

Charlotte looked down. She swore inwardly as she realized that her white sundress was now completely see-through and clinging to her every curve. She grimaced at her hips (which she thought were too big, which Shades firmly renounced, saying that even if she was fat, there'd be more of her to love). Then she looked up at Shades, whose mouth was currently hanging open. What was he gaping at? Charlotte glanced down her body again and grew incredibly mad at herself, for she chose this day, of all days, to wear her barely-there black lace lingerie as a special treat for Shades.

She looked up at him again. He was coming closer with a ferocity she had never seen before, and she marveled at the power she could hold over a man. But then his mouth was on hers, his hands covering her body, and all coherent thought left her mind as she lost herself in his arms.

OoOoO

Clarisse giggled, feeling rather like a naughty teenager, as she dragged her husband down the stairs. Joseph was carrying two towels and a bottle of champagne. She could still hardly believe that she had been the one to suggest a late-night rendezvous in the swimming pool. She was opening the door that led outside when Joseph put his hand on her arm and pointed outside. She turned to see a smirk gracing his delectable lips, and she kissed them, but he only gestured out the half-open door. She glanced out impatiently, then did a double take as she noticed two people were already very busy in the pool. She sighed sadly, then smirked herself as she recognized Charlotte and Shades.

"You'd think they'd learn, after being caught outside before, that they should really get a room," Joseph chuckled.

"But Joseph dear, even with a room of their own, they're not safe from Mia." Clarisse's eyes twinkled.

Joseph suddenly became serious. "The pool is occupado—what do we do?"

Clarisse thought for a moment. "The bathtub is always big enough for both of us…"

Joseph grinned and led his wife back upstairs, where he very thoroughly made up the loss of the swimming pool to her.

THE END

I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review!