"It's beautiful."

The awe was evident in her voice and Thorne felt quite proud for knowing the secluded beach area. It was further away from the busy coastlines and the closest swimmers and surfers were far enough away to not disturb them.

It was perfect for a swimming lesson.

A swimming lesson he was having more and more doubts about. It had sounded like fun at first but he hadn't really thought things through. In order to help Cress to at least float and get a feel for the water, he would have to hold and touch her.

Quite a bit.

And touching Cress was dangerous.

He could laugh at the irony of it. A few days ago, touching Cress was all he had wanted. But the whole revelation about Julian meant that Cress was off-limits.

Thorne knew when to take a step back. Taken girls were not his thing.

Too much drama.

It didn't help that Cress had looked absolutely stunning in that bikini. That she was pretty was one thing but those legs?

Thorne definitely had a thing for nice legs.

But those legs were off-limits too.

Shame.

But nothing that could be done about it and when he looked at Cress's excited face, he was just happy to spend time with Cress.

"So, ready for your first swimming lesson?"

Cress nodded.

"Okay, first things first: How would you feel about calling me captain?"

Cress's in confusion. "Oh, that's what you said in one of the interviews. "Think of my as your captain that's going to steer you in the right direction ... towards marriage, wasn't it?"

Man, he sounded smarmy. "You really researched me, didn't you?"

She blushed prettily. "A little," she admitted which made him chuckle.

They put down a blanket in the sand and undressed. They had kept the swimwear on when they bought it since Thorne knew there wouldn't be anywhere to just change here.

Cress picked a bottle of sunscreen, they had also bought and applied it generously. He wasn't as pale as she was, but still, Thorne would never risk red, blistering skin and did the same.

The inevitable awkwardness ensued where neither could reach their own backs. "You do mine, I do yours?" Thorne offered, hoping to sound casual.

"Um, sure." Cress pulled up her hair in a quick bun and offered her back to Thorne.

He spread the lotion between his hands, slowly. He certainly hadn't thought things through when he suggested a day at the beach.

Carefully, he applied the lotion to her skin, taking care to rub it broadly onto her shoulders, her upper back and where the spine did a little dip just above the hem of her bikini bottoms. He could see the outline of her scar on one side and a smaller, more precise one on the other but aside from that, Cress's skin was smooth, with a few wayward freckled sprinkled across her back.

He counted eleven.

Thorne turned quickly around. "Your turn."

"Um, Thorne, could you bend you knees a little?"

He did as he was told and felt the cold lotion dripping down. "Eep!"

"What, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said but even he didn't think he was convincing. He had slathered the lotion between his hands to warm it up a little, expecting Cress to do the same. He hadn't expected the blob of cold lotion on his bare back.

But then Cress's hands moved in broad circles across his back and shoulders and felt amazing. He closed his eyes for second.

Too soon, she stopped but it was probably better that way.

"Ready?"

"Ready." Cress confirmed.

Together, they made their way to the shore when Cress stopped behind him, eyes closed.

"Everything alright?"

Eyes still closed, she nodded. "It's just so great. The sun is gorgeous, I can hear the waves and the sand feels amazing underneath my feet. And the air..." She took a deep breath.

Thorne silently agreed. It wasn't as special for him as it was to her and he hadn't come to the beach for a quick swim in weeks, but she was right.

Thorne was all about the good life but it seemed, in those small things, Cress was too.

Finally opening her eyes, Cress blinked at him. "I'm glad you convinced me to come."

"My pleasure. And now the real fun begins."

He ran into the sea, relishing the feel of the waves splashing at him. He couldn't resist a little dive that took him underwater.

Cress wasn't the only one who was all work and no play; he couldn't remember the last time he actually relaxed and did something fun.

He emerged from the waves, feeling as if all worries had been washed away. With a few fluid strokes he swam back to Cress who was up to her hips in the sea.

When Thorne's feet found the ground, he rose up so the water didn't even reach his tights. Cress was tiny, he noticed not for the first time.

Though her wide-open eyes were anything but tiny as she gave him an all-over.

Thorne appreciated an ego-boost like that at all times. He knew he looked good with the water droplets running down his chest and abs, there better someone around to appreciate it.

So, attraction was there. Too bad he couldn't act on it.

"Don't let me keep you from admiring my body"-he laughed when her eyes snapped up to his-" but we might as well start what we came here for."

He never thought a blush could reach down to cleavage but there it was. Though Thorne was careful not to follow the trail the blush left down do the dip between her breasts.

Okay, maybe this whole spiel was a little bit harder than he thought.

"Let's start with you dipping under the water."

"W-what?"

"Just take a quick dip." He paused, thoughtfully. "You've been in deeper waters before right?"

"Umm, mostly I just put my feet into the lake in summer when Julian and I went there. To cool down."

"That's a no. So, take a quick dip until you're submerged." He pointed towards the surface. "Right here, so nothing can happen."

But Cress was nervous as she eyed the water around her.

"Nothing can happen. Just hold your nose, close your eyes and-" he demonstrated what he meant-" and down you go."

Though she reached up to hold her nose, she didn't dip. "I'm a bit scared."

"Of what?"

She considered, her hand still at her nose as if she had forgotten about it. It almost made him laugh. "That I'll drown."

"Impossible. You still have the ground under your feet and I'm right here."

"That I swallow water and get it into my eyes."

"Very likely, but it's nothing that will kill you. You'll cough out the water and you'll get used to it in your eyes. Leave them closed and nothing can happen."

A short pause. "That I'll look stupid. Not just dipping but when I try to swim."

"No one is here."

"You're here."

He laughed. "I'm flattered that you value my opinion but I won't think you'll look stupid. No more excuses, down you go."

Cress eyed the water suspiciously but then took a deep breath that puffed out her cheeks, scrunched up her eyes shut and dipped between below the water's surface.

And came right up again. "I did it!" Rubbing away the water from her eyes and face, she grinned up at him.

"Yay! See it wasn't so bad." He held up his hand for a high-five.

This would be a long day.

"I'll remove my hands, you'll just keep the tension in your body and float. It's really easy." He held out his arms so she would just have to lie back.

Cress gave a determined nod. "O-okay."

As she lowered herself into the water, Thorne kept one hand under her shoulder blades (that was safe enough), his second hand struggled a little to find an equally safe spot to steady her. "I, umm, will have to touch your thighs. Just to ... you know, hold you."

"I know." Cress smiled up at him. "I trust you."

Thorne swallowed hard and nodded. "Okay, then ..." He steadied her upper body and got a careful grip of her thighs. The water relieved her of any weight so Thorne's finger tips only had to ghost under her body to hold her up.

She kept her body straight as a board, her hands in tiny fists. "Relax, it's meant to take no effort."

He kept his eyes steadily on the horizon or on Cress's face, scrunched up in concentration. Everything lower than her clavicle was not safe.

She exhaled, willing her body to relax and only then did Thorne move his hands away from her.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled at the sky above her, still held afloat by the water. "I feel like I'm flying," she whispered.

Thorne let her a few more moments to enjoy the experience, his heart skipping a little when her saw her wondrous smile.

Apparently her face wasn't a safe spot either.

"You know the movements?"

Cress mimicked a breaststroke.

Thorne nodded. "Then we'll do the same thing as we did with the floating. Just on your stomach this time."

Whatever happened between her first dip into the water and now, Thorne couldn't say but Cress now was full of determination. She stretched her arms before her, waiting for Thorne to hold her up.

When he didn't she looked questioningly up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered, and Cress could detect a touch of nervousness beneath his usual cool demeanour.

"You need to touch me, I know, I know." She winked at him. "Should I be offended that you have such a hard time touching me?"

Oh, how he wished that was true. "Just focus on the movements and your breathing."

"Ay ay, captain."

He reached for her stomach and waited until she lifted her feet of the ground. Despite his grip, Cress struggled to find a balance, her feet paddling aimlessly.

"Careful, careful. No need to rush."

Cress was panting hard but didn't stop. Thorne continued holding her, walking along with her, until her movements and breathing became more steady.

"Good. Let's stop for a second."

"Am-I-doing .. something wrong?" Cress mumbled between stroking, careful not to get any water into her mouth.

"Nope but let's take one little break and then start again."

"Okay." He lowered her back to her feet. "It's harder than it looks."

"Just the first time. Then it gets easy once you know the drill. Like riding a bicycle."

Cress nibbled on her lips. "I can't ride a bicycle either," she confessed softly.

He remembered what she told him. The many years in hospital allowing for none of the experiences other kids would have at her age. He didn't like to think about it. Tucking a strand of hair that was plastered on her cheek behind her ear, he dipped conspiratorially towards her. "One thing at a time. Ready for round two?"

"Yes."

This time, her movements were smoother and it only took a few moments for Thorne to let go of her. "Steady, you're doing great. You're doing it, Cress, you're swimming!"

It was still a bit lopsided but she held herself up pretty well. He walked next to her, offering a few suggestions but all in all, she swam on her own.

Eyes fierce, Cress didn't stop until a bigger wave threw her off balance and she sunk below the surface.

"Shit." As quick as he could, he grabbed Cress's arm, pulling her up coughing and heaving. She clutched at him for support as he held her close enough to slap her back carefully but with enough force to dislodge any water in her throat. "Sorry, darling."

Red-rimmed eyes were pitifully looking up at him between violent coughs until her breathing resumed to normal again.

Only then he noticed how close they were, their limbs entangled in each others, her head resting on his shoulder. He could smell the mix of salt and sunscreen, feel the fine sheen of it on her body.

"You're alright?"

She didn't answer but he felt her nod against his shoulder.

"Can you stand?"

"No." A cough. "Not here. It's too deep. That's why I panicked for a second."

"Oh." The water came up to his chest but that meant Cress couldn't stand with the top of her head barely even reaching his collarbone. "Hold on, I'll walk us closer to the shore."

She held on tightly her fingertips ghosting over his back, almost like a caress. It took everything in him not to dump her into the water accidentally.

When he was sure she could stand, he disentangled from her. "Sorry for that. But you did so great." He gave her an encouraging bump to her shoulder

Though her eyes were still red, she was smiling up at him proudly "I did, didn't I?"

"Want to go again?" He wouldn't force her but if she said no, he could think of ways to convince her. One little mistake shouldn't define the whole experience. Better continue and end it on a successful note.

But he didn't need to worry. "Yes. I'll be better prepared this time."

He had to give it to her, once she set her mind to something, she was determined.

"Then I'll swim alongside you. Lead the way."

Thorne couldn't stand the crinkled fingertips, so he was happy to sit back in the sand and soak in the sun, checking on Cress from afar.

She happily swam back and forth the shore, seemingly tireless. Sometimes she dipped under water but only to practice diving a little bit or to see how long she could hold her breath.

Thorne couldn't help the smile on his lips, as he followed her movements, her joy being contagious even from the distance.

He let his mind wander to Julian. He had no idea who that guy was or how he and Cress were as a couple and didn't care to know. But he felt like her prospective fiancé certainly missed a chance.

Apparently they went to a nearby lake, as Cress had said and he was still content to let Cress sit at the shore, not even trying to get her into the water? One afternoon was all it took and Cress swam like a dolphin.

Thorne wasn't impressed. At the very least he missed out on a very pretty sight, he thought, as he looked at Cress in her bikini.

Thorne, on the other hand, wouldn't miss such a chance.

Cress took a huge bite out of her burger, sauce spilling over her fingers, as she rolled her eyes in delight.

And that was before Thorne even touched his own burger.

"Hungry?" He teased.

"Famished." Cress said between bites. "I can't believe how hungry I am."

Thorne took a bite of his own burger. "You spent the whole afternoon swimming, it's no surprise really."

Cress nodded in agreement but her whole attention was drawn to her burger. And her fries. And the coleslaw.

They had gone back to the pier for a well-deserved dinner and a quick shower to rinse away most of the salt. Thorne's hair was more unkempt than it usually was in public but for once he didn't mind. It was just him and Cress after all.

Cress's hair, on the other hand, had become a frizzy nest from the salt despite the shower. It curled in all directions and Thorne thought back to how he found her asleep at the airport in Inyokern.

So much had happened since then. He couldn't believe that, back then, he had been distracted by a bit of smeared mascara and the unkempt hair. Now, despite her frizzy locks, he was more drawn to the bright blue of her eyes, her joyful munching of the burger, including the specks of sauce on her chin and the very flattering freckles on her nose.

But it was more than that. After so many weeks, he got used to having Cress around. The attraction he could leave behind, no problem. Her friendship and their easy-going partnership though? That he would definitely miss once Cinder and Kai's wedding was over and she would get back to Burlington.

Back to Julian.

Cress broke him out of his thoughts. "I had a great time today."

"Glad to hear it."

"No, really Thorne." She put down her burger and went to reach for his hand before noticing the sauce on it and withdrew it again. "I want you to know that this day meant a lot. Not just because I can finally swim but ... everything. I don't think ... it was just the best day I had in a long time."

He reached for her hand, stickiness aside. "I had a great day too."

The looked at each other, the close proximity not as unfamiliar as it had before.

She inched a bit closer, so close that he could see the last dust of salt on her shoulder when her phone signaled a message.

They quickly pulled apart and Thorne wiped his fingers at a napkin as she checked her message.

"That's Julian," she explained without looking at him. "We message each other once a week which is today when his shift is over."

"Okay." Thorne said unenthusiastically. Now he knew whose texts she always checked. Though only once a week? Thorne didn't do relationships but even to him that seemed off. Maybe Julian was giving Cress space to make her decision? But shouldn't he be the doing everything he could to make sure she knew he loved and missed her now that she was so far away from him? Did they agree on that schedule? Seemed more regulated than anything else. Thorne shook his head. It wasn't his business. "Want to finish your burger first? I can drive you home afterwards, so you can chat."

"Um, sure."

They ate in silence, the exuberance of the day gone.

A/N: Hi readers, an update to cheer you up during the coronavirus spread. Please, follow the WHO measures and stay safe! Big thanks to kiminicricket for betareading!