Teach me how to be free

The tinkling sounds of pebbles on her window awoke her. She opened her eyes slowly and the pink and yellow faint light of dawn told her the earliness of the morning, she softly groaned and buried deeper into the blankets. The pebbles were louder and she worried that whoever it was would wake up the entire house. She scrambled out of bed, tripping on the blankets, sprawling on the floor, while the throwing of pebbles increased the speed.

"Goodness, stop that!" she hissed at the window. Whoever was down stopped. She stood and looked at the mirror. She was pale and her curls were absolutely wild, but there wasn't much she could do, not before the person started throwing pebbles again. She went to the window and gasped in shock. That granted her a cocky smile.

"Hello beautiful," Killian said cheerfully and she just stood there on the window, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out the water. He laughed at her shock.

"Took you long enough, what were you waiting for? Another Romeo?" he teased and raised his hands towards her. "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Ariel is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon…" he stopped, chuckling uncontrollably and Ariel covered her mouth with her sleeve, stopping the laughter. He was ridiculous.

"Will you stop that?! Someone is going to hear you! What are you doing here, Killian? It's like 5 in the morning" she tried to whisper. He cocked his eyebrow at her and she felt her knees going weak. Damn him.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm kidnapping you! Get down here!"

She giggled and clicked her tongue at him.

"You're a shame for all kidnappers out there, you're making me come down?"

His eyes got intense and very, very blue. "Unless you want me to come up…"

She struggled for breath and shook her head. "I'm coming. Where are we going, though?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "Wear a bikini. I'll wait for you upfront."

It was a good thing he turned his back on her as he walked to her front door, because she had to grasp the windowpane and take a shuddering breath. What did he mean a bikini? She didn't wear bikinis, she was too pale! This was not good, not good at all. Her phone chimed and she went to it.

Luv, I can see the wheels turning. Just put the fucking bikini & hurry.

Damn stubborn man.

She turned and went to her closet, scrambling for a long forgotten bikini. As she undressed and put on the violet bikini, she glanced at the mirror with apprehension. She was too pale, and her breast were too small, and she was not beautiful or sexy as Tink. She took a deep breath, trying to quell her rising panic. Her phone chimed once more.

Ariel, 2 min. Stop fretting, u r beautiful.

The message was meant to hurry her, she knew. But how did he do that? How did he know exactly what to say? How could he possibly know she was scared of him seeing her like this? Because she still couldn't believe someone like him wanted to kiss someone like her. She still didn't understand what Killian saw in her, when he could have had Tink or Ruby or any other beautiful girl in town. She was just so… small. In every way.

1 min. Or coming up the window.

She scrambled around the room, looking for a towel, some flip flops, a baseball cap and some sunscreen. She threw it all messily into her bag and yanked a tank top and some shorts on top of her bikini. She ran to her bathroom and brushed her teeth, ran the comb painfully through her messy hair and splashed some perfume.

She tiptoed carefully in front of her sisters' rooms and went down the stairs.

The minute she was out the door he was pulling her into his arms and spinning her around. She squealed softly into his ear and he laughed. The scent of vanilla and lavender filled his nose and he thought of cupcakes and he wanted to eat her whole.

"You're so slow, typical," he teased and put her down. She spluttered indignantly.

"Am not! Now tell me where are going or I'm not moving!"

He scoffed at her threat and gave her his best smirk, sinfully dark and mischievous.

"Sweetheart, like you can stop me. You're as tiny as a hobbit, I can probably carry you with one arm. And I'm not telling you. In fact, come here."

He went to his truck and opened the door for her. Ariel thought of running away from him, but his eyes flashed dark again and she suppressed a smile. Busted.

His hands went to her waist, helping her up. Before he closed the door, he caressed her face and leaned in. Her breath went out of her and she counted the seconds before his lips took hers. But he didn't, he was moving the hair off her face to put a scarf to cover her eyes. She gasped.

"Are you serious?!"

"As a heart attack. I told you it's a surprise!"

She felt him lean in and her lips tingled again in anticipation. He whispered in her ear.

"Do you trust me?"

She could only give a small nod. He was intense and always teasing her and he was too attractive for her, she was terrified of what he thought of her all the time. But she trusted him, he had proven again and again that he cared about her. She felt safe, with him. As safe as you could feel with a grenade next to your heart, which he was very likely to steal with his delicious kisses. Why wouldn't he kiss her already?

As if he could read her thoughts, his lips graced her cheek. Sweet and chaste. Damn him.

When the car stopped, she could hear the rumble of the waves and frowned. Why did he take such lengths to take her to the beach? They could have come here later, when it wasn't 5 freaking a.m.

He opened the door for her and helped her out. When he took off the scarf she saw why.

Killian was holding a surfboard. She instantly panicked.

"Oh no no no no no! I can't surf!"

He gave her a sweet, tender smile, almost mocking her.

"That's ok, babe. I'll teach you. That's the whole point."

She pouted, desperately trying to come up with a decent excuse.

"Killian… No. I can't surf. I don't have the balance. I'm clumsy. I'll drown and you'll have to explain it to my dad. Please. I can't…" The words died in her lips as he kissed her almost punishingly. It was their first kiss of today, and he trapped her against his body and the car, one hand on her waist and the other on her nape, holding her close. He nipped at her bottom lip and she opened her mouth and her tongue touched his. He sucked on her tongue and she arched against him. He was so damn good at this. He let her go, but continued dropping kisses on her eyelids, her nose, her cheeks, her lips, her chin.

"Don't say you can't if you haven't tried. Don't do that. I hate it when you don't believe in yourself, please don't do it," he paused, staring into her eyes. She saw herself reflect in his eyes, and wondered how she didn't spontaneously combust with how he was looking at her, raw and passionate and pleading. "Please, just try it, Ariel. For me…"

How could she deny him, when his eyes were magnetic and she was weak? No wonder she had resisted him so long. He was her doom. She nodded and his smile was heart-shattering.

"First thing, take off your clothes!" he said cheerfully with a cheeky grin.

She laughed, humoring him, but he recognized the panic and insecurity coming back to her eyes. His hands went to the bottom of her shirt.

"Here, let me."

His fingers caressed the skin bellow her belly bottom and she shivered and pulled her arms up. His hands traveled over her sides, dipping in her waist, gracing the sides of the bikini and rolled the shirt over her head. She was sure her face was on fire. She felt on fire where he had touched her. His hand went to the bottom of her shorts and undid it, and he started unzipping them. He knelt in front of her and when he tugged the shorts down, he looked up to her, and she lost her breath. His eyes were almost black with something powerful and delicious. She had to hold herself up by holding the door. His hands broke goose bumps in their wake as they stroked her legs. He came up with the shorts and a satisfied smirk.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" he teased, but his eyes were still dilated.

"Let's get some cold water." she answered and he threw his head back in laughter.

The lessons had gone rather well, more so than she expected. He had been patient and funny and he always held her as she fell from the board. He promised her she would stand the next time they practiced. After that, they had shared a small breakfast of grapes, apple muffins and orange juice. They were sitting staring at the waves, and his hand was drawing lazy circles on her calf.

"Come here, you", he beckoned and she had no choice but to topple over him as the waves came crashing on her and she ended up sprawled next to him. He turned over her and she felt his leg come between hers as he leaned over and balanced himself on his elbows. His fingertips came to the hollow of her neck and she shivered. His face was serious and the sun behind him shadowed him, but she could still see his eyes, blue beacons as he studied her.

Killian was adoringly memorizing her every detail. He had already cherished her eyes, her mouth, her hair from afar, but to be this close was drugging. With the bright light he could see every color inside her eyes, gold, bronze, green, brown, caramel and black bits inside them. He felt like a rich man, losing himself in her golden eyes and the way she looked up to him, so tender and fragile and content; he was indeed very rich and very lucky to have this girl staring up to him so lovingly and trusting. Her cheeks were especially rosy and glowing after the day in the sun, the peachy color of her blush was highlighted in her light skin. He could see freckles sprinkled around her high cheekbones and her shoulders and wanted to map them with his lips, but he held back. Her collarbone and neck was delightfully ivory, she reminded him of whipped cream, soft and sweet, pale with burst of color with her lips and hair. Her hair was wavy, it tangled everywhere around them, between her breast, around his hands, on the sand, crowning her, like autumn leaves around her.

It was undeniable that Ariel Trion was beautiful. Every inch of her was art, sculptural, ethereal, divine. He could study her for hours, he could list forever the details of her that drove him insane.

But it was the girl herself whom he loved the most. Yes, she was beautiful, and he loved her loveliness, but it was herself who made him crazy. How she laughed, giggly and breathy and shy, like a forest melody in a dream. How she gasped in shock whenever he splashed or whenever his hands circled her waist, and she turned deliciously warm with blush all over her face and neck. How she talked and sang, bashful, but growing in intensity depending on the subject, like waves cresting in the afternoon. How loyal she was, how giving, selfless, never expecting to be loved in return, happily surprised when it happened.

If denying prolonged the pleasure of loving her, he would have denied it.

But it didn't.

Killian loved her. Loved her with intensity, with passion, with abandon, with care, with fear, with fire like her hair. He realized whoever he had been before this life had loved her too, even more so than now and he felt all that love rushing into him, a missing piece falling in place inside him. He loved her and he wanted to tell her.

But he didn't.

Because she still trembled when he kissed her, she still held his hand shaking slightly, reassuring herself he was real, he was there with her. Because she still averted her eyes when she knew he devoured her with his stare. Because she still bit her lower lip when she devoured him with her eyes, when she thought he wasn't seeing her. Because they were still fragile, they as a unit, as a growing thing, as a couple.

He loved her, but it was all too soon. Time poured like sand grains, maddening slow, so he waited and she smiled up to him.

"I can feel the wheels turning," she teased. He was delighted when she was this playful.

"I'm considering another kidnapping plan," he teased back, and she laughed in shock. "Think your dad would kill me if I did?"

She scoffed and leaned to peck his lips, cheerily and swift. He instantly craved more.

"More like my sisters. Mmm, maybe they will kill me when they find out we're…" she stopped herself and looked away, guilty and insecure. His heart fastened happily.

"We're what?" he summoned, moving his mouth to her ear, kissing it softly.

"I didn't mean…" she whispered, voice breaking with pleasure as his nipped.

"We're together, love. That's what you meant. That's what I mean. This isn't just some date. I want to be with you, morning, afternoon and night. I want to hold your hand in the movies, and go to your recitals and ask you how your classes went and make you pancakes for breakfast."

At the mention of breakfast and the implication she blushed deep red and he chuckled.

"I'm in no hurry. I want to know everything there is to know about you, read you like a map, with hidden island and treasures, an ocean to explore for the rest of my time. I want to immerse myself in you and never stop. I know you're frightened 'cause you just gave me the stare…"

"What stare?" she asked confused, an adorable crinkle between her eyebrows. He laughed and stole a quick kiss.

"The one you give me every time you want to bolt and hide from me because you think I'm crazy for wanting all this with you. You do it every time I do this…"

He dipped to her neck, sucking on her pulse and granting himself a moan from Ariel. He let go and kissed her lips with tenderness.

"I know you're scared but I don't want to let you go. Your kindness, compassion, patience, shyness, your heart, I want to hold on to them. For as long as you'll let me, remember?" he finished and pierced her with his stare, daring her to deny his feelings, her own for that matter.

She had closed her eyes when he had kissed her neck, so she opened one and peaked at him. He waited, giving her a teasing scowl.

"Jeez, you sound like a character from a Nicholas Sparks book." she announced and he burst out laughing.

"Way to kill my speech, darling." he said and she hid her face with her hands. He bit her shoulder and she squealed and twisted, trying to break free of him.

"I was being sincere and you completely destroyed my feelings!" he teased and held her tighter. "I'm heartbroken!" he whined and she squealed as he started tickling her.

"Oh so you're ticklish. That's just the perfect punishment for breaking my heart, you wench!"

She sobbed with laughter and begged him to stop. His tickling died to a soft caress and she sobered.

"I… Love…" she said and his breathing stopped. "I loved what you said, Killian. Forgive me for mocking you." she pleaded. His face must have fallen when she didn't say "I love you". He berated himself for getting his hopes up so soon.

He kissed the tip of her nose and let go of her finally.

"My forgiveness comes with a price, beautiful."

She looked at him from behind a curtain of curls and smiled.

"My virtue?" she teased and he choked. She rolled in the sand, laughing. Would he ever get to know her completely, this mysterious girl who turned shy one second, and teased him the next? He hoped to know her completely.

"Goodness, if I knew you would offer that, I would have tickled you first thing this morning."

She blushed in return and he smirked.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"That's your price? Eager much?" she said surprised and smiled.

"Ouch! Another heartbreak is too much for me to handle! I never knew you were this mean!" he complained and she turned back to him, caressing his face.

"Tomorrow I have piano practice with Peter. The day after that I'm all yours," she promised.

"Just the day after that?" he asked, coming closer. They were both on her knees, the waves soaking their legs, the sun high and burning.

Her breath mingled with his and his nose nuzzled hers.

"Mmm, maybe I'll add a few days. Since I broke your heart twice today," she whispered and closed the distance between them.

Later that day, when she sneaked through her back door, she still had the silliest smile.

"Where have you been, young lady?!" a voice boomed behind her.

A/N: I feel like absolute shit for leaving you guys hanging for almost two months! I'm so so sorry, I had my finals and everything was so crazy, I hope you can forgive me.

This chapter is dedicated to the lovely Madi (odetted99) whose birthday already passed, but whom I promised a super romantic date. I hope you liked how this turned up, you're truly the best and I'm very grateful for the support you've given me! Happy belated birthday honey!

And to all of you readers, please review! I can't wait to hear from you!