Doublemeat Stroll
by Colleen Hillerup
Sophie and Clem walked small hand in larger along the beach. "I didn't mean to upset her, really I didn't," Clem said. "I mean, I wasn't even sure it was her."
"Don't worry, honey. It was a good thing, I think. And it really wasn't you." She bent down and picked something off the sand. "It seemed like something just sitting there, waiting to boil over." She turned the object lying in her palm with her fingers. "I thought I would be mad at her, if she'd really done it, but she seems mad enough at herself."
"What's that, Sophie?" He poked the object with his claw tip.
"Water jewel." She looked along the water's edge for more. "It's really just a little piece of glass the tide washed onto the beach. Bits of broken bottles. But the water wears them down and makes them smooth. They look like little gems. When I was younger I called them water jewels."
"That's a nice way of looking at it." He searched with her. "Here's one. A brown one. Probably a beer bottle."
"They look prettier in the daylight, when the sun hits them in the water." She dipped her finger in the water and rubbed it on the piece of glass. "See? They look rough, but when you get them wet they go shiny. Of course, you can't keep them wet all the time, not if you try to keep them." She put her 'jewel' back in the water. "Can we come back tomorrow, and see them in the light?"
"Sure, honey. I'd like that." He looked into her eyes, and she held his gaze. She tipped her head up as he kissed her softly.
"I'm getting a little chilly." She rubbed her arms with her hands.
"Here." He took one of her hands and slipped it into a fold of skin on his arm.
"You're so warm in there." She slid her other hand into his other arm. "Very useful boyfriend you are."
"I get warm when I'm happy." They stood for a moment in silence, facing each other. "We should get back, though. They'll wonder where we are."
"I just hope they're okay. That was pretty heavy, before." She took his hand and they walked back. When they got back to the picnic site, Spike and Buffy were in each others arms, kissing.
Clem smiled. "They look okay to me."
by Colleen Hillerup
Sophie and Clem walked small hand in larger along the beach. "I didn't mean to upset her, really I didn't," Clem said. "I mean, I wasn't even sure it was her."
"Don't worry, honey. It was a good thing, I think. And it really wasn't you." She bent down and picked something off the sand. "It seemed like something just sitting there, waiting to boil over." She turned the object lying in her palm with her fingers. "I thought I would be mad at her, if she'd really done it, but she seems mad enough at herself."
"What's that, Sophie?" He poked the object with his claw tip.
"Water jewel." She looked along the water's edge for more. "It's really just a little piece of glass the tide washed onto the beach. Bits of broken bottles. But the water wears them down and makes them smooth. They look like little gems. When I was younger I called them water jewels."
"That's a nice way of looking at it." He searched with her. "Here's one. A brown one. Probably a beer bottle."
"They look prettier in the daylight, when the sun hits them in the water." She dipped her finger in the water and rubbed it on the piece of glass. "See? They look rough, but when you get them wet they go shiny. Of course, you can't keep them wet all the time, not if you try to keep them." She put her 'jewel' back in the water. "Can we come back tomorrow, and see them in the light?"
"Sure, honey. I'd like that." He looked into her eyes, and she held his gaze. She tipped her head up as he kissed her softly.
"I'm getting a little chilly." She rubbed her arms with her hands.
"Here." He took one of her hands and slipped it into a fold of skin on his arm.
"You're so warm in there." She slid her other hand into his other arm. "Very useful boyfriend you are."
"I get warm when I'm happy." They stood for a moment in silence, facing each other. "We should get back, though. They'll wonder where we are."
"I just hope they're okay. That was pretty heavy, before." She took his hand and they walked back. When they got back to the picnic site, Spike and Buffy were in each others arms, kissing.
Clem smiled. "They look okay to me."