A/N: 100 chapters! Crazy! Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing your thoughts, as always.
I might be doing a polishing/condensing of this story sometime in the near future. Story won't change, maybe just a few small additions and clean-ups.
Follow me on the bird app for more info on that! @BeeBee33_
"Yellllooooo," came Elliot's deep, booming voice from the front door of the new family beach house.
"Out here, dad," Dickie called from the patio where the door was open and all the kids were waiting under the shade of the large canopy.
The littlest babies were in pack and plays with fans directed on them, sleeping soundly when El, Liv, Noah, Em, and Ted appeared.
Everyone was already in their bathing suits, and Teddy's hair was spiked up in a Mohawk while he sported sunglasses that matched his brother's.
"There's our birthday boy," Mo cooed, waving at her baby brother who cracked a big, sleepy smile.
"He just woke up," Liv laughed, coming out from behind Elliot, one hand on her belly and the other on her lower back.
"Okay everyone, listen," El said seriously. "No picking Teddy up every time he pouts this week. He's never gonna learn to walk and is way too smart for his own good!"
"That boy knows how to play the system," Mo nodded with a laugh.
"Oh dad come on," Dickie groaned, pointing to his baby brother with both hands. "You know I can't help myself."
"Try," Liv said, laughing and bending down to hug Anna Kate who'd come running to hug her Cap.
"We gotta get Teddy walking," Liv smiled at the little one who was desperately trying to be picked up.
"Yah Cap," she nodded. "Up pease."
"Cap's back hurts baby but we can snuggle later okay?" She smiled cutely as Elliot put Teddy down.
The one year old squeaked unhappily as he stood in his boat shoes, knees slightly bent and arms out straight to steady himself, searching his siblings faces for the one he knew would crack first
Dickie sunk back in his chair, covering his face slightly, and when Teddy finally caught sight of him, his little bottom lip jutted out and he slowly squatted down
"Richard," El warned as his oldest son began to pout, too, sinking further down in his seat and making eye contact with Teddy who was desperately trying to force tears out behind his dark shades.
"Ohhhh you got 'Richard-ed,'" Eli teased from where we was sat with his twins in his lap.
Liv was standing now, hands on her back in effort to support it, her bump jutting out from her her billowing, white cover up as Anna Kate hugged her legs and she stared at her oldest son, warningly.
Teddy finally plopped down, having sufficiently worked himself up, and started forcing crocodile tears from his eyes.
"I can't," Dickie shook his head, jumping up and scooping his baby brother into his arms.
"Dickie," Liv laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes when Teddy immediately crinkled his nose in a smile once he settled into his arms.
"Can you say Dickie?"
"Diteeee," he said softly with a nod.
"It's okay, buddy, Dickie has trouble saying his name sometimes, too," Lizzie cracked, standing up so Liv could sit before plopping Anna Kate in her lap.
"Tanks Izzie," Anna Kate smiled.
"Can we pleeeaaaase go surf," Noah drawled impatiently.
"Jake is almost here let's wait a few," El instructed, ruffling Noah's hair. "Plus, sunscreen."
"C'mere," Emma said, motioning her brother who was already taking off his sun shirt.
"Noah…"
"Mooooom," he groaned. "I'll reapply every hour I promise!!!!!" He said, bouncing up and down.
"I'll make sure," Eli nodded, giving a thumbs up after passing the twins to Sam. They were in swim suits that matches Teddy and Anna Kate's.
With a raised brow to her pasty boy, she sighed. "Okay… but I don't wanna hear anything if you get a burn!"
"I promise!" He nodded, jumping up and down.
Liz laughed and shook her head, pulling off her cover up and taking Emma's matching one when she handed it over.
All of the boy's eye's went wide, along with Elliot's, when they saw their little sister and daughter in a two piece bikini for the first time.
She was wearing one that matched her best sister-friend's and she blushed lightly, embarrassed by the boys reactions, until Liz stepped in front of her with her arms crossed.
"Not a single word from any of you," she warned as all the girls snickered and Liv sunk her nails into Elliot's thigh. "Mom knew about this and ok'd it."
"I love it," Elliot blurted out. "You look really pretty. You could literally be your sister's twin."
Her sister's actual twin choked on the beer he was sipping so he wouldn't say anything, shocked at his dad's reaction.
Teddy began cracking up at his big brother's sputtering, and Emma cracked a smile from behind Liz. "At least my littlest brother is on my side," she mused, glaring playfully at Noah who's mouth was agape before picking up her phone. "Jacob is here."
Eli's eyes went wide as he made contact with Beau and Carl's.
"Here we go," Sam sighed. "She's 13," she reminded her boyfriend, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.
"Elliot," Emma warned.
"Oooh you got Elliot-ed," Dickie teased, mimicking his earlier statement.
He stood slowly, his hands raised in mock surrender, and Emma took a step forward in preparation to run.
"Elliot," she warned again, more urgency in her voice.
"I'm not saying anything," he shrugged, also taking a step forward.
While she was distracted, Noah took off sprinting towards the front of the house to intercept Jake as Emma let out a frustrated groan, running after him.
"You guys are so embarrassing!!!"
"Protective," Eli corrected running after them as Sam rolled her eyes.
El looked to Joey who was giggling as she watched her daddy.
"You're in for it, girl," he said, taking her from Sam when she reached over.
"You're one to talk!" Maureen exclaimed.
"Literally, dad," Kathleen chuckled, taking her own cover up off to reveal a matching set.
"Did you all get matching??!" Dickie asked, looking over to his fiancé who nodded and laughed, taking her cover up off, too.
"We did, and I'm stating to over-heat so when Eli gets back I'm gonna have him fill up the baby pool we got for the deck," Sam chuckled, passing EJ over to Elliot and removing her cover up as well.
"Oh to be young and bounce back like that after twins," Mo sighed.
"Literally," Sarah groaned, taking hold of the little bit of extra skin hanging over the top of her bikini.
"I don't wanna hear anything from any of you," Liv quipped, also taking off her cover up to reveal a one piece version of the girl's bikinis.
"Daaaamn, Mama," El grinned, winking at her and making Dickie groan.
"Just puked in my mouth. Come on, Ted, let's go save our sister," he nodded, getting up.
"What? Why?" Liz called, smirking.
"Don't," he warned.
"Obviously they have a very healthy sex life," she said, pointing to Liv's belly and making all the girls laugh.
"Okay I don't need that visual, y'all," Beau nodded as he stood to leave, and Carl shuddered, taking Livy from her pack n play and following behind him with Peter at his side.
"El, take the twins and do damage control for me, please," Liv directed, and he nodded, standing up and kissing her cheek several times.
"And tell Eli we're hot and want the baby pool set up!" Sam added, laughing when he used the twins arms to salute her as they giggled.
"So. You gonna tell us what baby is??" Sarah asked.
"Yah Cap," Anna Kate nodded quickly, putting a hand to her belly.
"Nope," Liv grinned. "It's a surprise!"
"Say Cap, we don't like surprises!" Liz coached her niece.
"'S'ok, Izzie," AK shrugged, snuggling into her grandma.
Sam laughed when Lizzie's jaw dropped.
"Watch out, Sammi," Katie mused, "looks like Liz is going to be taking on a new recruit."
"Nope," Eli said loudly, coming around the corner with EJ in his arms and the baby pool box in the other. "Nope, nope, nope."
"I'm not that bad!"
"You can't corrupt her- Emma has already taken claim," he explained, kissing EJ's cheek and passing him off to his mommy. "Looking good there, lady," he winked, pecking her lips.
"Where do you think Emma learned to corrupt?" Liz asked with a brow raised.
"You, but she's not nearly as evil," Sarah teased and Lizzie couldn't help but laugh.
"Elliot Joseph please tell me you didn't embarrass your sister?" Liv said, smiling wide when both EJ and Eli turned to look at her.
"Someone knows his name!!" Katie exclaimed cutely as EJ giggled while being smothered in proud kisses by his momma.
"Say 'that's all my daddy calls me when we're alone,'" Sam cooed cutely while Eli grinned proudly over at his baby boy and girlfriend.
"No Emmas we're harmed," he clarified to his mom before scooping up his smiling boy again. "Oh but daddy is so proud," he cooed softly, kissing her cheek several times.
Liz had sat beside Liv, and laid her head head on her shoulder. Both women watched the interaction between the young parents; the way he looked at her and the way she placed her ringed hand on his waist. How the cool metal against his hot skin making him look down and smile before their little moment was interrupted by the clamoring of siblings and friends and their dad.
"Later," Liv whispered to her daughter who nodded.
Sarah gave them a knowing smile, side eyeing the two of them and her other two sister in laws.
"Sar, what time will your parents and brother be here?" Liv asked.
"Hopefully soon!" She smiled. "They hit some traffic on the way over cause B had court this morning, but hopefully any minute."
"Good," she smiled. "I'm so glad they could do this with us this year!"
"Me too," Sarah grinned. "Thank you for inviting them. I mean I know we're at the house next door but it's still nice to all be together."
"They're welcome any time! They're family," El said, rounding the corner with Joey.
Joey gasped when she saw her daddy, reaching out for him with an excited squeal.
"Hiiiii," he laughed, taking her and setting her down beside him on a towel Sam tossed down. "You gonna help dad?"
She just cheesed and looked up at him, her nose crinkling.
"Oh that's an Olivia Benson face," Sam laughed softly. "You sure you didn't give birth to their daddy?"
Liv laughed, lounging back and propping her feet up on Elliot's lap, long and tan legs stretching for miles as she held her belly. "Very sure."
El grasped one foot, beginning to massage gently while they all chatted and Sarah's parents showed up.
The boys dispersed down to the beach and Teddy fell asleep on Liv's chest in the shade while Elliot continued to massaged her feet and legs.
When he switched to her outside foot, her inside one flexed gently on his crotch, and he worked desperately to hide his smirk.
"Babe," she said finally. "He's getting hot… help me get him inside?"
"Course honey," he nodded, helping her up and taking their sleeping and drooling boy.
"Have fun," Liz mused, sipping her margarita as the girls all laughed.
"Why are our kids so involved in our sex life," El grumbled, dropping to his knees between his wife's legs and pulling aside her bathing suit.
"I don't care right now I just want your mouth on my pussy," she whined softly, dragging her leg up his arm and over his shoulder.
"Yes, Captain," he nodded, flattening his tongue along the length her slit.
"El…" she whimpered softly, looking down and exhaling a laugh.
"What?" He asked, pulling back to look up at her.
"I can't see you anymore… she's growing too much," she laughed, whining cutely.
El couldn't help but laugh, pushing himself up easily on his muscular legs and sliding her's that has been on his shoulder to around his waist.
"She's growing fast…" he said, running his tongue across her bottom lip so she could taste herself.
"Four and a half months," she moaned out softly, running her tongue across the spot he just had.
"Our August baby girl," he smiled against her lips, holding aside the crotch of her suit while she pulled his cock out.
"Our little Finley Elizabeth," she whispered, jaw falling when ran the head of his cock through her spread and glistening folds.
"Still like that name?" He asked, fisting himself to spread the arousal he'd collected.
"More and more every day," she smiled, her brown eyes meeting his sparkling and squinted blue ones.
That squint.
Mischievous and sweet; knowing and questioning all at once.
Is was one of her favorite things about their Emma, besides her blue eyes, and she'd noticed recently that Teddy had begun doing it, too.
"Where'd you go?" He whispered, pausing himself at her entrance and waiting for her eyes to meet his again.
"That face you make… Emma makes it… got me through nine years without you," she whispered, gently undulating her hips forward in encouragement.
He smiled a little wider and his eyes squinted a little more as he inched his way into her.
She went limp in his arms, moaning low and loud, squeezing around him until the corse hairs of his happy trail came flush with her swollen belly.
"What else?" He asked on the hiss of an exhale.
"T-Teddy… he started doing it too… this week."
"Yeah?" He smirked lightly, snapping his hips and making her cry out in appreciation.
"Shhhh," he whispered through a soft laugh, running his unoccupied hand up her body from her bump to cover her mouth.
From behind them, Teddy began to stir, sleepily coming to his hands and knees and rubbing his face into the mattress of his portable cot.
"Gotta be fast," he whispered, moving his hand slightly softly she could response.
"Fuck me, Elliot," she husked.
"Yeah?" He whispered, snapping his hips again, slowly but powerful.
"Please, baby," she rasped when his hand fell to her throat and tightened lightly.
"Can you take it?" He growled, his squint now devious and challenging.
"Have I ever not been able to?" She challenged back, flexing her inner muscles around him and making his stare falter.
"Touché Captain," he muttered, covering her mouth again before beginning a torturous pace.
"Hey? Where's mom and dad?" Eli asked, coming up on the deck after dropping his board by the stairs.
His muscles were rippling and the tan skin he'd inherited from his birth mother's side or the family was shining through while his blue eyes squinted in through the sun and water dripped off of him.
Sam couldn't help but lick her lips, leaning back so that her breasts jutted out ever so slightly while the twins splashed in the shallow water between her legs.
Liz laughed, standing up and handing her little brother a beer. "Doing what you two wish you were."
After a day out at the beach, plus a family dinner, the guys had retired to the back where they watched the three younger kids roast marshmallows in the fire pit made from sand. The girls were snuggled under blankets on the side, brick patio, next to a much safer fire pit.
"Saaaam," Liz drawled gently, once Mo and Sarah had gone to put the girls down and Katie had gone to change.
"Shush," she chuckled, looking down to her babies who were nestled under blankets and nursing themselves to sleep.
"You guys just love each other so much," she sighed softly, and Liv nodded, rubbing her belly absentmindedly.
"We're gonna give it two years," Sam said quietly, finally looking up. "To be apart when he goes to school," she nodded. "Twins will just be three by then and… yeah we think that'll be best."
"Your decision or his?" Liv asked gently.
"Mine… because he'd marry me right now if I said yes, but then he wouldn't go to school cause he's just as stubborn as his dad," she teased lightly, making Liv and Liz both laugh.
"Ain't that the truth," Liv mused.
"But… we're enjoying time together now and these moments with our babies. It's gonna be so hard when he leaves but… but I'm really cherishing this time you know?"
"I understand," Liv said with a warm smile. "All of it… I do. I wish you two were older and didn't have to do this," she laughed softly.
"Me too… and for so many reasons," Sam said quietly, getting lost in thought for a moment.
"Liiikke?" Liz asked, reaching for Joey who had finished nursing.
Sam handed her over gently, and the milk-drunk baby girl slowly fell asleep on her auntie's chest.
"Like…" she sighed. "I mean I always wanted my kids close in age and we can't do that cause it'd be insane, obviously. But you know… we talk about it and about them… and baby fever is so real. I guess it's just wanting something you can't have. Which is like our entire relationship."
"You have it though, Sam," Liz frowned.
She closed her eyes and exhaled, readjusting EJ a little bit.
"But do I?" She pondered, "we have no real income, still in school. We both have dreams and wants. I mean we're playing house right now."
"I disagree," Olivia said gently, reaching over to take her free hand. "You're working and paying rent, even if it's a little. He's doing the same and spending every last penny on food and stuff for you guys. You two are a great team… neither of you give yourselves enough credit. You're most certainly not playing house."
"Maybe..." she sighed. "I guess I'm just afraid that if I don't let us have that time to be… ourselves… then we are gonna resent one another. That we won't work and..."
"And?"
"He's... he's literally my person. And I want to marry him and live this fairytale life but we have to be set up for that and out of the young and silly era I guess."
"I get that," Lizzie nodded, smiling encouragingly.
"But you disagree?" Sam countered with a small smile.
"I just want you guys to be happy. And you're happiest when you're together," she shrugged. "Plus I don't think you've told him that part of your reasoning... have you?"
"No," she admitted quietly after a few minutes of silence, looking to Liv when she squeezed her hand.
"Whatever you guys choose to do? You're a Stabler. Don't forget that, okay?"
"Promise," Sam smiled small.
They heard Elliot's whistle and all three laughed.
"Guess we should go get things in motion?" Liv asked, and the girls nodded.
"Everything is set?" Dickie asked for the 100th time as Lizzie walked up.
"Yep, except we'll be short one groom if you ask me again," she said with a wink.
"Shut up," he grumbled. "Alright… well I'm gonna go get her for a little walk on the beach and then you guys will be waiting up here?"
"That's the plan," Mo smiled, coming out with Livy strapped to her chest and Katie trailing.
"Jr wasn't sleeping?" Carl teased, putting his hand on little Liv's back.
"Not without mommy," Mo chuckled softly.
"Sounds like my girl," Liv said, nodding off to Emma who was still running around in the sand with her brother.
"You want me to get your carrier for him?" Eli asked Sam softly, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her lower belly.
"Nah," she smiled small, leaning back into him. "He'll wake up. You could probably sneak Jo in her's if you wanted."
"Nope we're good," Liz called from where she sat on the porch swing with Peter.
"Looks like I'll have to cuddle with just one of my girls," he said, coming beside her and pulling her into the crook of his arm.
Liz looked back at Liv knowingly, who winked and leaned back against Elliot.
"What's that?" He whispered into her ear as they watched Eli and Sam take a seat besides Peter and Lizzie.
"Playing match maker with my girl," Liv chuckled softly.
"Classic," he teased.
"Hey baby," Dickie smiled, walking into their room.
"Hi," she grinned, looking back over her shoulder as she adjusted her pony in the mirror. "What's all this for huh?"
"I don't show you how much I appreciate you enough," he smiled small, sliding his hands around her middle from behind and dropping a soft kiss to her shoulder.
"You show me plenty, Mr. Stabler," she smiled, leaning into him.
"Hmmm," he mused softly. "C'mon," he nodded standing upright and taking a step back.
Grabbing the monitors, she smiled and followed him, dropping them off to her parents before heading outside with him to the sand.
The moon was illuminating the vastness of the beach, providing just enough light for them to walk, with no issue, all the way to the boardwalk and back, finishing their wine in the process.
Dickie was quiet, reveling in all the things his soon to be wife had to say. About their girls and one another; their home and how she wanted to redo their tiny "backyard"; how she secretly hoped their next baby would be a boy, and how she wanted to name him Richard Junior (a comment that made Dickie grimace just a little, much to her amusement).
She talked about how she was pretty sure Liv was having a girl and how another sister would make him either bald like his dad or go stark white; about how proud she was that he started to be the bigger man with Kathy and how she wished he could talk some sense into their little brother and future sister-in-law.
About how grown Emma was and how damn happy she was that her brother was taking a bigger interest in their girls.
"I think Eli's relationship with them made him jealous!"
And when she was all talked out, they enjoyed a few minutes of silence; their hands clasped and swinging between them, their strides matching step for step until he stopped walking when they reached his parent's house.
"What?" She asked, laughing softly and allowing herself to be pulled into his arms.
"I love you," he whispered against her lips, smiling when her hands slid through his beard and gently pulled his face closer to capture his.
"I love you," she countered, closing the small gap between them, biting her lip when he wrapped his hand around the small of her back.
"Let's get married," he whispered.
Pulling back slightly, she laughed. "Baby, I'm waiting on you!"
"I know," he smiled, his eyes falling into the same mischievous squint that his dad was famous for. "But what if I told you that as of right now? I'm waiting on you?"
"What?" She laughed, pulling back a little more to fully see his face.
His eyes trailed slowly to the side, towards the direction of his parent's patio, and her head whipped that way in confusion, eyes widening when they focused.
"Oh my..." she whispered, "Dickie..."
All of their friends and family, including her two best friends from high school, were up on the patio that overlooked the beach, and when Sarah turned back around, Dickie was down on one knee.
"I know I already did this part... but I wanted to do it again in front of everyone cause you deserve so much more than I could ever give you..."
He paused when his voice caught in his throat and she choked out a laugh through the tears that were falling.
"I love you... more than anything or anyone, besides our girls and Ollie," he whispered, referencing their boy they'd lost, "and I've been slacking really hard on this cause of my own fears and insecurities about marriage and relationships but... Sarah, the truth is you're my soul mate. I want to spend every day showing you how much I love you... being the man and husband and father my dad is now. He's shown me anyone can change and that you're past doesn't define you. And I guess... with all of this I'm just trying to say," he paused briefly to open the box in his hand to reveal two wedding bands they'd picked out a life time again. "Will you marry me? Finally? In front of all of our friends and family tomorrow?"
"Dickie," she gasped softly, grasping his face and sinking to the ground to kiss him slowly and passionately.
"Is that a yes?" He whispered and she laughed, just deepening the kiss.
"Yes!"
"Yeah?!" He cried, snapping the box shut and slipping it in his pocket as she nodded quickly.
"Yes!" She laughed, squealing when he lifted her up.
"She said yes!" He called as everyone cheered.
"Wait!" She cried, looking at him, "I don't..." she trailed off when she caught her soon-to-be sister in law's eye from where she stood on the patio.
"Is that why mom had me try on her dress?" Sarah whispered and Dickie grinned, nodding.
"Yeah baby... and Liz and all the girls planned the rest."
"Dickie," she gasped softly, looping her arms around his neck and kissing him slowly. "I love you..."
"I love you more baby," he whispered with tears in his eyes.
The pair separated for the evening with all the girls going to stay at Sarah's parents and the boys staying at the Stabler's.
"You're sure you got the twins?" Sam asked Eli nervously before she walked next door.
"Positive... go have fun, baby," he smiled, kissing her sweetly.
The boys stayed up until Joey woke up to eat and Liv came out just after to usher them all to bed. They were playing nine holes in the morning while the girls got their hair and nails and make up done, and Liv knew she had to cut off the drinking before they missed their tee-time.
She was lounged in bed when Elliot came in, wearing just one of his tanks and a pair of cotton underwear. The shirt was rolled up over her belly, and she smiled when she saw him, hand trailing small circles over where their baby girl rested.
"There's daddy," she cooed softly.
El just grinned, diving on the bed and laying his head on her chest, facing her belly.
He snuggled in when she wrapped her arms around him, taking note of his unusually quiet demeanor.
"You drunk or sad?" She teased gently.
He exhaled a soft chuckle, wrapping a strong arm around to cradle their baby.
"Both?" He finally replied, making her laugh.
"Talk?"
"I can't believe my baby boy is getting married," he blurted out as a few tears soaked the cotton of her shirt.
"Oh El," she whispered, gently pulling him up to her to better cradle him in her chest.
"Just doesn't seem real..."
"I know... still feels like they were five at the precinct, sometimes."
"I know right," he exhaled a laugh, looking up to her and whipping his face. "Sorry..."
"Don't be sorry, ever," she said, putting a few fingers over his lips.
He kissed them softly as more tears rushed to his eyes.
"What else? Hmm?"
"I think Peter is gonna ask for my permission to marry Liz," he choked out, the tears rushing down his face as he spoke.
"Oh baby," she laughed softly, letting him cry it out in her chest. "I thought the same."
"I've seen that look t-two other times with B-Beau and Carl but... I don't wanna let her go," he sobbed softly into her chest.
"I know... I know... sh... take a breath, El."
"I just... I can't... life is happening too fast and I know it's stupid cause we have two more girls but... that's my first, last baby girl, you know? And we just got her back..."
"I know El," she said, pulling back to cup his face with both of her hands. "I know... but we got her back cause of Peter... he's a good man. She's not going anywhere."
"I know I'm being selfish," he said, leaning into her hand and squeezing his eyes shut.
"Hey... look at me?" She asked, waiting for his eyes to open back up. "You're not being selfish... you're being a good, good daddy, whose set the best example for his sons and son-in-laws."
"They're all crazy... poor Emma and Fin," he whispered, his typical drunk humor finally breaking through his heavy emotions.
She giggled softly. "And Livy and AK and Lil and Joey..."
"They're all gonna give me a heart attack, Liv, I have no more hair to lose," he choked out through a laugh.
"No, no, no... you can't leave me," she laughed, gently rolling him on his back and moving, with his help, to straddle him.
"Never," he promised, holding on his pinky.
She grasped it in her's and smiled, leaning down for a heated and passionate kiss.
"So... you gonna give your blessing?" She asked when she felt his hands creep under the waistband of her underwear.
"Duh," he sighed softly, giving her ass a little pat of encouragement to scoot forward.
"El... I'm gonna smother you..."
"Shhhh..." he muttered, pushing her forward until she was seated right on his face.
"Don't rip these panties..." she trailed off, laughing when he did, tossing them to the side.
"I really, really love eating your pussy," he mumbled softly, lapping his tongue along her slit and making her sigh contentedly, hands falling to the headboard to steady herself.
"El..."
"Sh... just enjoy..."
"Ohh..." she groaned softly when a thick digit breached her already slick opening. "Yes baby... enjoy I think I can do..."
"They sleeping?" Sam asked, plopping down on the blanket beside Eli in the sand.
"JoJo woke up to eat but she's back out cold," he smiled, illuminating the monitor so she could see.
"She sleeps just like you," she laughed softly, snuggling into him as the cool evening air from the sea whipped their cheeks.
"EJ sleeps like you," he said, moving the camera over to prove it. He was on his back with his arms over his face, and Sam laughed.
"Don't sleep like that."
"Oh yes you do."
She laughed and looked up at him. Quirking a brow, he smirked. "What?"
"Eli, I love you."
"My mom and sister are getting to you," he teased, desperate for self preservation.
"Maybe... but I love you. Nothing will ever change that."
"I love you, too," he answered, looking down at her and tugging her a little closer.
"No, like..." she trailed off, grasping his hand. "Like I'm madly and totally in love with you..."
"Sam..." he chuckled softly, looking down. "You're wine drunk..."
"Maybe I am," she said, gently pushing him back on his arms and climbing in his lap. "Maybe it's giving me some courage to tell you how I feel."
"Don't break my heart," he warned, only half joking.
"That's never, ever my intent."
"I know, baby... 's'always been to protect me."
"But you don't need protecting," she mimicked lightly.
"No... just need you."
"And I need you to go to school so that our future is stable and I need you to do it while they're young and won't remember as much. So that when you come home to us for good you're there to stay. So that we can have our own house and send them to the best schools and have more babies and live comfortably, Eli..."
He looked up at her, his eyes wide at her the confession that just came tumbling from her lips.
"You're it for me, Eli," she whispered, voice barely audible above the sound of the waves breaking.
"You're it for me," he said, shaking his head, "so why the hell are we doing this."
"Cause neither of us are gonna make it long distance. It's gonna cause unneeded division and stress. And I want this to be easy on us and on our babies. And you know I'm right..."
He lowered his head to her chest and sighed softly. "Yeah... yeah I know..."
"Two years," she promised. "Two years. No sleeping together and no strings. Just being the best friends and parents we can be. Two years."
"I'm dropping down on one knee at that two year mark."
"I know," she said, pushing him back all the way and running her hands down his torso.
"Gonna be the worst two years of my life," he lamented playfully when she dipped her hands beneath his waist band.
"I bet you'll survive," she winked, slowly lowering herself to meet his now free cock.
"Might not," he hissed, tossing his head back in the sand.
"Ditto," she admitted, enveloping him in her mouth.
The pair had woken up to the sunrise, spending some time making out and then making love under their blanket, before attempting to sneak off to their respective houses when the twins began to stir on the monitor.
Everyone was awake, the girls in the kitchen at Sarah's parents and the boys on the back porch, ready to intercept Eli's walk of shame.
"Ow ow!" Beau called, making Eli blush and shake his head.
"Sex on the beach," Carl whistled.
"Public indecency at its finest," Dickie laughed, slow clapping for him.
"Fuck off," he laughed, taking a mug of coffee from his laughing, but still judging, dad.
"Language!" Liv said, coming down onto the patio with a twin on either hip.
"Mama," he laughed, moving quickly to take them. "You shouldn't be carrying them." He scolded a little, pulling his still sleepy and sleep-sack-clad twins close to his chest."
"Oh it's fine," she waved him off. "Why don't you heat their bottles so I can feed them while you wash the sand out of your ass crack," she said causally, sending all of the boys into a hollowing fit of laughter.
"I've still got it," she called over her still laughing boys.
"You sure do, mama," El smiled, wrapping his arms around her from behind. "You sure do."