The beach. A place where anyone could have a fun time and make memories.
However there was one that wasn't having a good time, and it was Cole. He had Alice stuck to his side since the second they got there. The other guys were off playing in the water and overall having a good time, Cole, however, was keeping an eye on Alice, making sure no one approached her and tried to have their way with her.
"Hey, why don't we go into the water or something? It's probably beautiful in there." Alice said to him.
Cole stared at the water warily, for some reason the thought of getting all wet wasn't appealing. Maybe it had to do with the panther DNA still lingering as he was still half of it. His tail curled up and his ears flattened. Alice noticed his lack of response and looked at him She could see the uncertainty in his eyes and scratched the back of his ears.
"Hey, it's fine, we don't have to if you're not feeling up to it." She told him.
Cole purred as Alice scratched his ears. "I usually never have problems with the ocean, my hobbies sometimes take me there, perhaps it's my panther DNA that's causing this small issue." He explained.
Alice nodded along with his words. "That makes sense, I heard panthers and other big cats don't typically like water" Then something that Cole said hit her. "Your hobbies take you to the ocean? What kind of hobby?"
Cole didn't meet Alice's eyes as he tried to think. "Sometimes I like to stare into the ocean and think of the infinite dread and emptiness hanging above me, the ocean is.. Peaceful, slow-moving, and quiet, reminds me of a void of nothing but thoughts, wishes, and regrets… I find myself here quite often."
That's..!
"That's… quite dark.. I didn't know you thought about that stuff, are..you okay?"
Cole smiled lightly at Alice and pat her head. "I'm alright, it's normal for me" He assured her.
Alice smiled and put her hand on his. "Alright, if you say so. I'm gonna go pick up some lunch real quick over by the boardwalk, I'll be back."
As Alice got up Cole got up with her, she noticed and laughed a little. "Stay here, relax a little! I'll be fine!"
Alice sat Cole back down and pat him on the head. "I'll be quick."
Alice ran off to the boardwalk to get some food, meanwhile, Cole was fighting to stay still and relax as Alice told him to, but he wanted to follow her and watch her, before he got up, he felt a hand being put on his. He looked over and saw Cashew.
"Hey!"
Cole relaxed and held Cashew's hand. "Hello."
Cashew smiled and sat next to him. "Not getting into the water?"
Cole shrugged. "I've no reason to."
Cashew smiled teasingly and wagged his brows at him. "Kitty afraid to get wet?"
Cole growled at him. "Don't call me that."
Cashew laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to keep calling you that for as long as you keep avoiding my questions about you."
Cole growled lowly at him as he turned a bit pink.
Cole got up. "We're going to the boardwalk." He said as he helped Cashew up.
"For?"
Cole almost lied to him about his reason but remembered what happened last time. "Looking for Alice, I'll also pick up some ice cream." He said truthfully.
Cashew nodded. "Alright, lead the way."
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=At the boardwalk=
Cole and Cashew had picked up some ice cream and were now looking for Alice, who seemed to be taking a while getting back.. But then again, today was particularly crowded with people, so she might be having a hard time getting back..
"I told you already, I'm with someone!"
Cole's ear twitched as he heard Alice's voice, and it sounded like she was distressed. He quickly pulled Cashew along with him and found her being harassed by two buff surfers.
Cole quickly came up and put an arm around Alice and pulled her into his arms, using his hands to cover her ears, and stared at the two with a wide-eyed blank expression.
"If you do not back off, I will skin you two alive and sunbake you on the sidewalk." He growled, chasing them off.
Alice looked up to Cole as she moved his hands. "What did you say to them?"
Cole kissed Alice's forehead. "Nothing important, let's go back."
Alice nodded and began walking back, Cashew stared at Cole warily, he had heard what he threatened and became worried with that statement, with the way he looked, it seemed like it was more of a promise than an empty threat. Cole noticed Cashew staring and looked at him.
"You're staring." He pointed out.
"S-Sorry..just.. About.. Y'know what, never mind.." Cashew mumbled.
Cole hummed and continued to follow Alice back to the beach.
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=At the beach=
Alice was playing in the water with Nimh, Cole was sitting under the beach umbrella, eating ice cream with Cashew while watching Alice, and the other guys were playing water wrestling with each other, except for Eli, Scale, and Volks, they were under their umbrellas, relaxing.
"Your ice cream looks really good, what'd you get?" Cashew asked
"Chocolate with crushed Oreos."
"Can I try?"
Cole smiled deviously as he thought of how to give Cashew some of his ice cream, he took some ice cream into his mouth, pulled Cashew in for a deep kiss, and slipped some ice cream into Cashew's mouth, he moaned as he felt Cole's tongue swirling around his mouth.
They soon pulled away, Cashew red in the face. "T-Thanks.."
As the two talked to each other, Alice came up to them.
"Hey, guys! Up for a bit of a splash?" Alice asked them.
Cashew smiled. "I'm up for it! How 'bout you Cole?"
Cole stared at the water warily but decided to join them. Alice smiled and pulled the two into the water with her. As Cashew and Alice splashed each other, Cole was watching Alice with hunger in his eyes, he couldn't help but become aroused at the sight of Alice in her bikini, Cole came up from behind and hugged her tightly with a purr.
"You're so beautiful.." He said in a low voice.
Alice blushed and giggled. "I love you." She said to him.
Cole bit his lip, trying to keep his composure as she said that magical phrase to him, she had only said it once to him, so hearing her say it again made it electrifying. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, the blood rushing in his veins, the adrenaline pumping through him, his thoughts beginning to scramble itself his thoughts echoing 'I love you' over and over again, making him feel a euphoria he had never felt in his life.
"I-I love you too." He managed to say.
Alice smiled and kissed his cheek before splashing him and laughing. "Hehe, I couldn't help it, you left yourself open!"
While Cole and Alice playfully splashed each other, Cashew was warily staring at Cole again as he noticed Cole's face when Alice had told him 'I love you' it was already established that Cole had an obsessive and possessive attitude towards her, but the more he hung around the two, the more the darker cracks were starting to show… Cashew began questioning what exactly he was getting into with this man…He shook off the feeling and tried to enjoy the rest of the time with him.
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=At Night=
It was midnight and Cashew was still up. He kept on thinking about Cole, and not in a good way.
He was thinking about his behavior towards Alice today and was a bit anxious. He remembered Cole's face when he threatened the two guys harassing Alice.. His eyes held such venom.. His pupils were practically pin pricks.. His voice held such a menacing lilt. Then his behavior when Alice said she loved him, He could see his pupils going back and forth with dilating and not dilating, he could tell his breathing was erratic as he watched his chest rise and fall sporadically. He could see there was something terribly wrong with Cole beneath his cool surface, it was enough to have Cashew shaken and awake so late at night.
As Cashew flipped onto his back, his ear twitched to the sound of footsteps. He peaked out of his door and saw Cole walking down the hall, curious, he followed him slowly.
Cole went down from his room up to Alice's room and went in. Cashew was concerned and followed up and looked through the crack of the door. His worries about his relationship with Cole heightened when he saw Cole up close to Alice, taking pictures.
"What the hell…" Cashew whispered.
Cole looked over to the door, making Cashew quickly run before he could get caught.
Cashew made it back to his room, panting.
"W..What the hell am I getting into?" He asked himself before flopping back onto his bed.
