"Where's Luke?!" Clementine cried as she and Violet entered their hotel room. She looked around for him, throwing pillows and blankets off the bed as if he were hiding under them. Violet pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration.
"Sophie took him to the pool." Violet told her highly intoxicated wife, "Listen to me for a minute though okay?" Violet grabbed her by the waist to keep her from continuing her fruitless search.
Clementine grinned at Violet, wrapping her arms around her neck, looking straight into her eyes, trying to give her her full attention. Violet started to talk, "Clementine, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was going to Minerva's room this morning. I thought you would follow me and kill her if you knew-" But over Violet's shoulder the sun was shining outside the window, big fluffy clouds in the air, the ocean waves crashing on the white sand and all of that combined quickly drew Clementine's attention away.
"We need to get dressed and go to the pool with Luke, it's such a beautiful day!" Clementine moved away from Violet and started throwing her clothes to the ground as she went to her suitcase, rummaging through it.
"Clementine, I need to explain why I-" Violet stopped mid sentence as Clementine pulled out a red swimsuit. "I thought you didn't bring that one? You said..." Violet thought about how Clementine had said she didn't bring it because she hadn't lost her baby weight yet, but thought it best not to bring it up.
"I brought it for you. Not the beach, but if you think it looks fine, then I'm wearing it." Clementine said as she put on the red bikini, Violet appreciated how well she filled it out compared to the last time she had seen her wearing it, but remembered how that idiot in the beanie was hanging around the pool and wasn't so sure how she felt about Clementine leaving the room in it now.
Clementine grabbed her hat and the beach bag and started walking for the door. "Maybe put a shirt on before you leave?" Violet held up one of her t-shirts but Clementine just waved her off as she put on her flip flops, "The pool is literally one minute away, I don't need a shirt." Clementine reached for the door.
"Wait! Wait for me!" Violet yelled, going into the bathroom to grab her bathing suit to change into. Clementine tapped her foot, waiting at the door. "Ahhhhahahhhh!" Violet cringed as she pulled on her still damp and freezing cold swim suit. "Putting on a cold wet swimsuit is the worst!" Violet shivered. Clementine chuckled and dropped her things on the floor to wrap her arms around her wife in attempts to warms her up.
"Here, take some of my body heat." Clementine nuzzled against Violet's cheek, the nuzzle became a kiss that she peppered along her jawline.
"Clem? We need to go get Luke." Violet said, hands distractedly caressing Clementine's bare sides.
Clementine snapped back from Violet, "Luke! My baby! Mama's coming!" Clementine ran out of the hotel room leaving Violet to grab the beach bag and follow her out the door, frowning slightly at the situation, but staying close to keep an eye on her. Clementine excitedly pushed the button for the elevator as Violet attempted to put on sunscreen as the elevator went down. The pool area was mostly empty, most people were probably spending the day at the beach, but a few people were scattered around, lounging in chairs and floating in the water.
Sophie and Luke were easy to spot. Luke's blond hair gleaming in the sun. Sophie was holding him on the steps of the pool, letting him splash around in the shallower water. On seeing the boy Clementine jumped into the deep end, still wearing her hat. Amazingly it stayed on her head as she resurfaced, shrieking from the cold, she swam to Luke arms wide open.
"Come to Mama Lukey!" Clementine grinned, Violet's eyes widened as she ran around the edge of the pool to the stairs, holding her hand out to stop Sophie from handing the boy over. Clementine pouted at her wife in disappointment, "I want to hold my son."
"You are not holding Luke, in the pool, while you're drunk." Violet explained as she dropped her things on an empty chair and sat on the stairs next to Sophie, taking her son to comfort him as he reached out for Clementine muttering 'mamamama'.
"Drunk?" Sophie asked with a grin, looking at the brunette, she only ever remembered Clementine getting drunk one time and that was way back in college. "Clementines don't get drunk, but if I remember correctly it's a shame that they don't. Clem's a happy drunk."
"I'm not drunk!" Clementine pouted grumpily for only a second before bursting into a fit of giggles, "okay... maybe a little..." She dipped partially under the water, blowing bubbles, making Luke squeal and laugh. Violet held Luke close so that he could make futile grabs at them.
"Sunscreen!" Clementine yelled, eyes widening in recollection as she stood up in the pool, she gave Violet and Luke a pinch on the cheek as she passed them before collapsing in a pool chair next to their bag and toweling off.
"I don't like it..." Violet admitted to Sophie, keeping her eyes on her wife, "Even if she is a happy drunk. I just... it reminds me of my dad... losing control... I promised I'd never be like that. I don't want either of us to be like that..."
"Vi... Clem's not an alcoholic, this is the second time she's ever had too much to drink and you've been together since high school!" Sophie gave Violet's shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "I'm guessing she was pretty upset that you were in Minerva's room?"
"I assume so, she was too drunk to care by the time I found her. Which was the point I guess." Violet tried to put on a smile for Luke as kicked at the water, looking at Violet for confirmation that he was doing a good job, "I just hate that I'm the one who drove her to it."
"It was a misunderstanding!" Sophie sighed, grabbing Violet by the chin, "You didn't cheat on Clem, Clem is not an alcoholic, everything is fine. Stop trying to find problems in your perfect life, with your perfect wife and your perfect son with your perfect baby on the way." Sophie poked Violet in the stomach, gaining a glare from the girl.
"You're right... I'm sorry... this vacation has been a lot more stressful than I thought it would be..." Violet sighed, "And now I feel guilty for thinking how much easier going to the beach was before Luke was born... but I love him..." Violet started to sniffle, Sophie raised her eyebrows as Violet hugged Luke tight to her chest.
"So... pregnancy hormones... that's a real thing huh?" Sophie laughed as Violet took a playful swing at her that she easily dodged. "As much fun as it is getting attacked by my best friend, I really should go find Minnie and give her a piece of my mind." Violet nodded as Sophie leaned down, kissing Luke on his chubby cheek and hugging her friend goodbye. "Try and enjoy the rest of your vacation, okay?"
Violet nodded as Sophie walked away. She held Luke up and looked him in the eye. "It's just you and me now kid!" Luke giggled as he grabbed at her nose. Violet nuzzled her forehead against his and eased into the pool slowly. She held Luke under his arms and walked around the pool with him as he kicked his feet. She vibrated her lips together making motor boat noises, that he tried to mimic, as she trailed him through the water. Violet grinned when he made a successful attempt and looked up at Clementine to see if she noticed, but Clementine was busy talking to a certain beanie headed boy. Violet sent a piercing glare in his direction.
He was sitting at the foot of the same lounge chair as Clementine, entirely too close, which Violet didn't like. His eyes were not staying on Clementine's face nearly as much as they should, instead following Clementine's hand as she rubbed sunscreen on various parts of her body, which Violet definitely didn't like. But when he saw Clementine struggling to reach her back and he took the the sunscreen bottle from her, pouring some into one of his hands, she absolutely started to fume.
Violet tried to take a few calming breaths, wanting to salvage what was left of an already stressful vacation. Calm down Violet, committing murder will only make things worse, not better, she tried to assure herself. Violet wished Sophie was still here to take Luke, but she was gone. Violet secured Luke to her hip, ready to go calmly and politely tell that beanie wearing loser to keep his dirty rotten hands off her wife but when she looked up at him again, her calm was lost. This Gabe guy or whatever the heck his name was had crossed a line, he was now sitting there, in broad daylight, for the whole world to see, dumb grin on his face, laughing like an idiot and wearing Clementine's hat.
"Okay, Luke, what you're about to see isn't going to be nice, it isn't going to be pretty, but it's gotta happen. Understand buddy?" Luke smiled at Violet and she nodded back at him, taking his smile as understanding. Violet marched purposefully out of the pool.
"Violet!" Clementine cheered seeing her wife stand at the foot of the chair, dripping water all over the dry pavement. "Gabe was just helping me with my sunscreen."
Gabe sat frozen, sunscreen still on his hand, poised over Clementine's back, stopping right before he made contact. Clementine's hat on his head askew over his beanie. Violet reached forward, snatching the hat off of his head, looking at it worriedly as if it had been contaminated by the beanie. After deeming it safe Violet plopped the hat onto Luke's head, a family heirloom returned to it's future owner. Luke pulled at the hat giggling as it fell in front of his eyes, but unable to remove it.
Violet stared threateningly at Gabe. Clementine looked confused at the boy behind her. Gabe kept his eyes trained on Violet as he rubbed the excessive amount of sunscreen off on his hands and swim trunks, "Um, uh, I-I need to go. Sorry Clem, I have to, uh, go." He stood from his seat, backing up, not looking away from the blonde. He bumped into a pool chair, his foot became entangled in a life jacket as he wasn't watching where he was going. He hopped around, trying to remove it from his leg as he reached the edge of the pool and slipped in.
Violet smirked, Clementine still looked confused at Gabe, having not seen Violet's sinister gaze, as Gabe flopped around dramatically in the pool. Violet handed Clementine her son who was still wearing her hat and her face brightened at the sight, she started cooing at her boy, "Now that's my boy! That's mama's boy! You are my son and the one true king!" Clementine held him high in the air, chuckling.
Violet slipped behind Clementine on the pool lounge chair, so that Clementine was positioned between her legs, and she grabbed the sunscreen bottle pouring it onto her hands. Just as Gabe started climbing out of the pool Violet started rubbing the sunscreen on Clementine's back. He looked at Violet with a pathetic excuse for a glare, so Violet did the most spiteful thing she could think of, she ran her hands to the front of Clementine's body, pulling her back slightly so that she could trail kisses down her neck, she tasted like sunscreen but the defeated look on Gabe's face made it worth it.
Clementine giggled, leaning back, still holding Luke firmly on her lap. Violet waited for Gabe to be out of sight before she pulled away. Clementine frowned, "Viiiiiiii," she whined.
"I'm going to finish putting sunscreen on your back, lean up." Clementine sat up, cross legged, resting Luke in her lap as Violet continued to massage sunscreen into her back. Clementine pulled her hat off of Luke's head, placing it back on her own before pulling his back into her stomach, she held him gently by the wrists helping him do patty-cake. They sat together, finally a peaceful moment. Violet taking longer than necessary to rub the sunscreen in, thoroughly going over her shoulders and neck as well. Even though she didn't like Clementine being drunk, she wasn't looking forward to having a hungover, moody Clementine to handle later that night.
"Violet?" Clementine said, turning slightly to face her wife.
"Yeah Clem?" Violet answered, raising an eyebrow with a smile.
"I love our family." Clementine smiled.
Violet grinned as she leaned around her wife wrapping her arms around both her and Luke, hugging them tightly to her chest, "I love our family too."
Violet sat on a plastic patio chair on the balcony of their 7th floor hotel room. The sun was setting, not directly over the ocean, but just to the side, the way the light reflected off of the clouds still made for a beautiful sight. It had been a long day, more or less peaceful after the Gabe incident. Besides Clem being a little extra giddy they had fun swimming at the pool and in the ocean.
Luke was sleeping in Violet's arms, she stared down into his face as his hair wafted around in the light breeze. His long eyelashes rested peacefully against his cheeks. Violet remembered the first time she had held him, how she had been so scared and alone. So afraid that she wouldn't be enough. While she was still grateful Clementine was here to help her, she knew that she could and would do anything for this boy. She leaned down and kissed him softly on his forehead.
The peaceful sound of the ocean waves only interrupted by the noise of Clementine retching from inside the room. Violet sighed as she got up, careful to not jostle Luke as she brought him in and laid him down in his pack n play. She walked into the bathroom, turning around immediately and walking out as the smell made her want to vomit as well. Violet walked a safe distance away. "Are you feeling any better Clem? I-I can't go in there or I'll be puking right next to you." Clementine retched again. Violet pulled some blankets off the bed and pulled them onto the balcony, making a cushion. She grabbed the patio chair and brought it inside the room and out of the way, grabbed a couple pillows and brought them outside as well. Violet went back in, grabbed a bottle of water and a couple of motrin and waited against the wall outside the bathroom door. She listened to the sound of the flush followed by the sink and the splashing of water.
As soon as Clementine exited Violet handed her the pills, she took them gratefully as Violet grabbed her arm and pulled her to the small private balcony. "Vi... What are you doing? I just want to get in bed, go to sleep, and never wake up again..." Violet helped ease Clementine onto the padding of blankets, she laid down behind her, wrapping an arm around her as they stared out at the ocean, the sun almost completely set now, just the faintest light glowing on the horizon.
"This is beautiful..." Clementine grinned, despite her pounding head and aching muscles. The stars were bright and the sky was clear. Violet laid on her side, head propped up on her arm.
"I'm sorry I hurt you Clem. That I broke your heart so bad that you had to escape from your pain... I'm sorry." Violet spoke softly, practically whispering in her ear now. "I would never cheat on you. I would never risk what we have. I would never want to, what we have is perfect."
"I get mad at you a lot." Clementine frowned, "I'm too stubborn and you know it. You call that perfect?"
"There's no such thing as perfect, but you're perfect for me and I hope you think I'm perfect for you..."
Clementine winced as she attempted to roll onto her back so that she could face Violet, her head pounded and she went back to her side, facing the ocean, "You are my perfection," Clementine said, "Just... don't ever go talk to Minerva alone again... and... don't let me drink that much anymore."
"Agreed." Violet chuckled, she pressed a kiss to Clementine's temple. She moved her arm from Clementine's waist and started running her fingers through her hair. The two stared at the stars, eyelids getting heavy from the long day, slowly drifting into a peaceful sleep.