When Paul pulls back to look at her, his eyes are dark with need. Waves slowly ebb around them but Nina doesn't notice. Her attention is on Paul.
"I want you," she tells him. "I want all of you."
A low growl thrums in his throat. He tangles his fingers into her hair.
"Don't talk like that. You don't know what it does to me."
"I want to know." She's surprised by the breathiness of her voice. She feels a warmth spreading through her body as she brings herself closer. Paul's hands move to support her, his fingers digging into the flesh of her thighs. There's an insistent pressure against her abdomen—a gasp leaves her parted lips.
"Damn it, Nina." He pulls her body flush against his own, their chests heaving together in ragged harmony. "Not here."
Before she can process it, Paul has lifted her from the water. She holds onto him with a startled laugh, feeling the invigorating chill of the night air against her bare skin. A shiver runs through her body and she isn't sure if it's the cold or the way Paul absently rubs circles on her hip with his thumbs. He holds her with the strength and diligence of Atlas, and she is his whole world.
They get to the truck and Paul lifts down the tailgate with one hand, still holding her against him with his other. The metal creaks as it flattens out and Paul gently sets her down. He steps back and slowly devours her with his eyes. She feels shy under his intense gaze, suddenly incredibly aware that her clothes are in a pile on the sand.
"Why are you staring at me?"
"Because you're beautiful."
"I'm cold." She sighs, keeping her eyes trained on the ground as she hugs her arms against her chest. Paul laughs, disappearing from sight for a moment before returning with the blanket kept in the back of the truck.
"Then let me warm you up." He whispers, stepping closer. She expects him to cover her body with the blanket but instead he drapes it along the bed of the truck. Her eyes widen in realization as he gently pushes her further back, and steps up into the truck bed with her. She looks away in embarrassment, but he softly cradles her chin and guides her to meet his eyes. The need is still there, but there's tenderness, too. Paul shifts his body weight until he hovers slightly above her, heating her skin everywhere their bodies meet.
"I love you, have I told you that?" She gently brushes a wet tendril of hair from his face, her breath catching in her throat. With each shaky inhale their chests meet and Nina feels her skin catch on fire.
"I love you, too. More than I could ever say."
His hand reaches out, pausing for a moment before cupping her cheek. Nina inches upward removing any remaining space between them, and leaves a gentle but enduring kiss on his lips. His thumb brushes against her cheek and she moves to caress his own face. The sharp angles of his features are softened by the moonlight streaming through the trees. He's breathtakingly handsome. Nina expects to wake up from this strange and intoxicating dream at any moment.
But Paul kisses her hand, nuzzling his face against her knuckles. He's real, and he's hers.
His eyes search out for hers again, asking for permission as his hand travels lower. Nina nods wordlessly. For a moment, it feels as if they are the center of the universe, pulling at each other in dizzying orbit. He finds her most sensitive parts, his fingers cautiously drawing out imploring cries. Nina's hands span curiously across the smooth planes of his taut muscles, nails digging in lightly at each pleasured jolt. Their bodies meld into one another, until she isn't sure where Paul ends and she begins.
They hold onto each other clumsily, eyes shut and mouths open. Words of adoration easily leave Paul's lips, dripping heavy and smooth like honey.
Nina feels a sensation in her abdomen, at once jarring and comforting. A pleasure and a warmth. A release of pressure leaves her body tingling and she clings onto him as if to anchor her body through the sudden monsoon erupting from up her torso and through her limbs. Her fingers dig further into his flesh, clinging, clinging. Paul's body, sweat-slicked and radiating endless heat, slides against hers in an erratic rhythm and leaves her no time to recover. She watches in a daze as his face contorts, leaving messy kisses on his cheeks, his lips, his furrowed brow. She kisses away the bead of sweat dripping down his nose, leaving a salty taste on her tongue.
Paul collapses into her, exhausted, his arms wrapping snugly around her waist. The darkened night sky has not yet been illuminated by the sun's rising hues as they curl into one another.
"You have no idea the amount of restraint that took." He murmurs into the crook of her neck. She peers up at him through half-lidded eyes.
"That was restraint?" She asks half-jokingly, but he only breathes softly against her.
After a long and lazy moment, they lounge seated against the Ranger's cab, bare skin covered by the blanket Paul had tugged haphazardly around them. Nina sits in between Paul's legs, curled into his chest as if warming herself by a furnace, his strong arms wrapped loosely around her body to keep her close.
"You're beautiful," Paul tells her again, leaving a kiss on her shoulder.
"Is that all you have to say?" She smirks, leaning into his touch.
"I love you." He kisses her neck.
"Better."
"I want to take you on a date." He smiles as he kisses her cheek. She turns to look at him, attempting to read his features.
"A date?"
"Yeah." He speaks again, his tone less sure. "We haven't done anything like normal people our age. I just want to be normal for a bit, with you."
She knows exactly what he means.
"Okay." She gives him a tiny reassuring smile and returns his kiss on the cheek. "A date."
Nina wishes she never said yes to Paul.
What was she thinking?
She doesn't know what to wear—something comfortable? Something cute? Should she put on makeup? She hasn't worn makeup since Bella's wedding, and it's not like Paul hasn't seen her in every state of being…
She holds up a simple short sleeved dress in the mirror, would it be weird to wear a dress? If only Leah were here to help her get ready (or maybe not).
Nina convinces herself the dress is casual enough to not feel awkward, but cute enough to look like there had been effort—even if it's basically just an oversized t-shirt. She curls her lashes and swipes on mascara, deciding she doesn't feel like going through the trouble of putting on anything else other than chapstick. She knows if Paul cared what she looked like then that would have come up by now, somewhere between the times he had seen her with mascara running down her face and the hours spent sweaty and wearing mud-covered overalls in the yard.
She mulls over what shoes to wear before slipping on her cleanest pair of sneakers, just in case Paul's idea of a normal teenage date involves walking through the woods. By the time both shoes are on there's a knock at the door. She bounds down the stairs with a goofy grin plastered on her face.
Grandpa John gives her a knowing look and she bites her lip in slight embarrassment. Paul arrived wearing a t-shirt and jeans, but she can tell he put a similar amount of effort into looking effortless - especially when his usual look is a bare chest and cargo shorts.
"You two have fun." Grandpa John gives her a small pat on the back. "Take care of her, Paul."
"Of course." Paul nods, holding onto her hand as he guides her out the door. He stands in front of the driver's side for a moment before looking up at her. She laughs and they switch positions, Nina hopping up into the truck and Paul going around.
"Were you planning on driving?" She muses, starting up the engine.
"I'll learn. One day."
"I'll teach you. One day."
For the first part of their Normal Teenage Date Paul takes her to a laidback Italian restaurant he shyly admits Emily had suggested. The table is covered in butcher block paper, with a box of crayons in the center. Their waiter brings them water and takes their order.
Nina reaches for the green crayon and Paul lets out a small huff, "Did you want this one?"
"No, it's not a problem." He tells her unconvincingly.
She quickly finishes the leaves of her tree doodle to put back the green crayon and take the brown.
"Is green your favorite color?" Nina asks absently, surprised that she doesn't know. (There's still so much about Paul she doesn't know.)
"Yeah, I guess." He shrugs, drawing squiggles and shapes on the paper with no real purpose. "What's yours?"
"Pink."
"No way." He chuckles, before realizing she's serious. "Why pink? You don't act girly."
She rolls her eyes, reaching for a yellow crayon to draw a sun.
"What is acting girly? I'm a girl, anything I do is girly."
"Fine." Paul huffs. "Why do you always have to start a fight?"
Their server clears his throat awkwardly as he arrives with their food, as always way more than a normal person could stomach. Nina watches as their drawings disappear beneath the plates and thanks their server with a smile as he smothers her pasta in grated parmesan.
They eat in pleasant silence, and Nina forgets whatever they had been bickering about. Paul lets her pick off his plate, and when she inevitably gets full after eating too many free breadsticks, he finishes her dinner.
She lets him talk her into dessert and they share a slice of cheesecake, her appetite returned to eat more than half.
"I'm so full." She sighs in content as they walk out of the restaurant after paying. Paul's large hand finds her own and they wander down the sidewalk together, headed toward the movie theater just down the road. "I would have been fine ordering pizza and watching a DVD, but I appreciate you taking me out. It's just nice to hold your hand and walk down the street together."
It's hard to concentrate on the movie with Paul so close to her. The sweet smell of his natural cologne overwhelms her senses in the dark of the theatre. He softly brushes his thumb against the skin between her knee and the hem of her dress. She glances at him, expecting his eyes to be on her, but he's paying full attention to the movie. She stealthily places her own hand on his thigh, causing him to smirk. He leans in and she braces herself for a kiss. Instead, he places a kiss on the top of her head.
"I have a present for you at my house." He whispers to her and her heart thumps. He seems to notice her increased heart rate and a hint of a blush forms on the apples of his cheeks, just visible with the screen lighting. "No, really. I actually do."
Any hope of paying attention or caring about anything happening on screen goes away as Nina's thoughts begin to whir. The ride home is quiet and Paul seems suspiciously relaxed while she's left feeling like the only horny teenager.
Paul's house is small, and almost hauntingly abandoned. She feels a pang of sadness knowing that Paul lives here, just waiting all alone for his dad to come back home. He tells her to wait in the living room and disappears down the hall. She takes a seat on the worn out futon, brushing a piece of dust off of the frame.
Her childish disappointment goes away the moment Paul steps out grinning, holding something behind his back.
"You're gonna think this is weird." He shuffles his feet, adjusting his grip on whatever in his hands. Knowing how quickly everyone else worked in the pack she half expected an engagement ring, but is happy that whatever Paul's holding seems a little too big for that.
"What is it?" Nina can barely contain her curiosity as she steps closer.
"Well, there's not much I can do for you, even though I really want to, and you're going back to school soon…"
"Paul. Come on."
"Here." He holds out a simple canvas backpack. "I hope you like it."
"It's pink." She laughs in shock, gently taking the bag from him. Now that she holds it in her hands she realizes there's something in it. She peers up at Paul and he encourages her to open it. As she unzips the backpack she lets out a small gasp, touched by his gesture. A brand new backpack complete with school supplies. "Wow, you really spoil me. Mechanical pencils with comfort grip? College and wide ruled notebooks?"
Paul sits next to her, gripping onto her knee.
"John said you wanted a new backpack since your old one was a little worse for wear, and they say you should never gift an empty wallet so…"
"I love it, Paul. This is so weird and thoughtful." She leans over to give him a quick peck on the lips. "It's perfect, thank you."
Paul gently places the bag onto the other side of the futon before leaning in. He cups her cheek and returns her kiss. It's slow and tender. Nina starts to quicken the pace, moving her hand under Paul's shirt, but he stops her. He notices the disappointment in her eyes and gives her a reassuring kiss on the cheek.
"I should take you home since I have to leave for patrol soon."
"I drove." Nina says quietly, her voice almost cracking. She's thankful it doesn't.
"I'll ride with you and then leave after I know you're home safe." He clarifies, holding onto her hands gently.
Nina nods, remembering this is their actual normal and everything that happened earlier on their date was the fantasy.
