Alrighty, our next Rando Week arc. Based on the title, you'll know who's dealing with the next problem.
Chapter 172: The Honeymoon Part One
Bora Bora - 8:38 AM
After what felt like the longest flight in their lives, Emily and Daniel finally landed in their destination honeymoon. The beautiful islands of Bora Bora. A resort encircled in bright blue waters and white sands with a bright sun and clear skies blaring down below. Everyone dressed lightly in vivid clothes, loose-fitting with island prints. Flamingos, pineapples, pine trees, anything coastal.
Even newlyweds Emily and Daniel fit right into their honeymoon scene. She has a flowing floral dress with a floppy hat, sandals, and giant sunglasses. He complements (and compliments) her with a solid blue shirt decorated in white lines mimicking waves along the hemlines. One would think they were tourists on vacation if it weren't for the matching wedding bands and the congratulations they got from hotel staff when they checked into the main resort to claim their honeymoon suite.
They were given the keys to their overwater bungalow on the resort and received a small tour of the place and its amenities while their bags were being brought to their room. The pool, the beach, the bars and dining.
The location for their honeymoon was the last thing on their mind since they valued the wedding more. With their busy lives and extensive work- or school-related travels, they rarely go on vacation together, let alone one as beautiful as this. They went on a trip to Italy when they were in university since Emily was finishing her studies there. Young, engaged students roaming along the cobblestone path with melting gelato. Now, they're walking on the tropical coast as newlyweds.
"This place is so fancy I should've worn my wedding suit," Daniel jokes to Emily as they walk across the pier towards their overwater bungalow.
A gorgeous row of identical houses standing above the water on stilts along the pier. The soft blue water runs below, brushing the white sand along the tide. They approach their clean-cut wood cabin with a uniform straw roof and frost-tinted windows covered with seashell-patterned curtains drifting in the wind.
"You could but I'm not wearing my dress," Emily says.
She's about to open the door but Daniel stops her when she unlocks it.
"What?" Emily asks.
"As your husband, I should carry you across the threshold," Daniel states, leaning into her.
Emily cocks a brow. "Can you? I've barely seen you throw punches."
Daniel scoffs. "I lift heavy lab equipment."
Emily bites down on her lips to hold back some laughs. "Wow. I married a prized specimen. Lucky me."
Emily wraps an arm around Daniel's shoulders as he picks her up bridal style. She squeals excitedly as they walk into their beautiful suite and he spins her around before putting her down.
They exhale in amazement, seeing what their honeymoon has in store. A giant white bed with not one imperfection in sight and blue pillows matching the ocean. Wooden floors and white walls to contrast the balcony view where they could wake up every morning and fall asleep every night to the ocean and island sight and sounds. Single chairs by the window if they want to sit indoors instead of in the direct sun. The ensuite is closed off but they know it's probably as beautiful as their bedroom. Their guess is porcelain everything.
"Let's have some fun," Emily states. She grabs a complimentary champagne bottle and pops it open, cheering as the cork flies out the window. Who cares that it's the middle of the morning; it's their honeymoon.
-o-
Later in the day, after a walk along the beach, they resided back in their bungalow. Sitting on beach chairs on their balcony, they look over the water slathered in sunscreen and typing away at laptops. The only sounds were their keyboards, the ocean waves, and birds calling out to each other.
It didn't matter where they went on their honeymoon. They would've been alright without one. At the end of the day, after seven years of barely seeing each other outside school and summers, it only mattered that they were next to each other. They could've gone anywhere or nowhere, but they just wanted to be next to each other, even if it meant completing the mountain load of work they always had.
"It's like being on vacation all the time," Daniel states, putting his laptop down on their shared table in the shade so it doesn't overheat. He lies back in his seat to relax as he turns to face Emily.
"That's something James would say, Emily responds with a small grin. She closes her laptop and turns to face her husband. "I didn't marry James. What were you doing?"
"As a wedding gift, Dr. BV gave me fewer papers to grade. No days off with her."
Emily coos as she puts her computer beside his in the shade as she lies on her side to look at him. "How sweet of her. My mother took all the portfolios I had to look over."
"So what are you doing this whole time?"
"Reading the same papers you are, seeing if I agree with your corrections. Peer-review is always advised in academia."
Daniel isn't surprised she had access to those. He bets Dr. BV gave them to her as a wedding gift. "And do you?"
"Sometimes…" her voice isn't convincing anyone, not even herself. " … not really. Babe, you're marking too technical for papers exploring theoretical approaches to a case study experiment."
Daniel pauses. "So you're vetoing my job?"
"Yup." Not one lash batted underneath her oversized sunglasses.
"So glad I married you."
They've been married for about three days and if that didn't indicate or predict the rest of their married life, then what was the point?
"I also read our wedding article. It was published this morning, New York time." Emily shifts her position so her legs are draped over the side and she leans in closer to him. "Emily Stark marrying the love of her life. The perfect start to a new chapter."
Emily reaches forwards, locking her and Daniel into their own small honeymoon world. She slides into his chair and presses him against it, hips touching and fingers in his hair. They kiss and it deepens, his hands warm on the back of her neck. He feels her smile against the kiss before she parts, her hands sliding down his arms as he softly kisses along her collarbone and she simmers a soft laugh.
Daniel wants to pull her closer but all he does is tug at the hem of her dress, teasing her. Her touch travels back up, a sensation so intense and electrifying that she stands up because the desire to go further needs to happen behind closed doors.
A wonderful honeymoon to come: falling asleep next to each other. Being close enough to feel the other's warm embraces. His arm draped across her stomach, making her feel safe and love. Dreams of their wedding and their life together to pass the time till morning.
As I'm writing this chapter, it's April 2021. I wrote their wedding almost a year ago and I still can't process that they're married. Since we all waited many years for Emily and Daniel to marry, they deserve at least one honeymoon-esque chapter.
Okay I'm typing this part of the AN in August 2021, but there was a reddit thread where it was "what's the most wholesome line you wrote in your fic" and I wrote one of Daniel's vows. Someone gave me the wholesome award!