…. It's a BEACH CHAPTER! I've never done one before, so I feel this is a good place to start.
This chap will probably be the longest. And that's saying something. :P
Read on and enjoy guys.
"Marshall you ASS!"
The boy laughs as Marceline claws up from the depths of the ocean, back for revenge. In a heartbeat they're both underwater, rolling and tumbling. Marshall releases himself from her grip to pop his head to the surface.
He catches a glimpse of the large beach. Gabriel's the closest; he sits with some older couple and their children, helping them build a fortress against the incoming tide. He looks up to notice him and gives that smile Marshall just has to replicate. The action's been happening frequently now. However, the meet of gazes doesn't last long, when a crashing wave pulls him down from behind. It's safe to say he's fine when his body washes up on shore, accompanied by a laughing Marceline.
She fixes her black bikini before tossing a chunk of seaweed out her hair. "Damn Marsh that wave got you better than I ever could."
He spits out sand, taking an offered hand from Gabriel. He at least shows some concern. Bonnibel hides a laugh from their designated spot. "Are you okay? You're eyes are rather red." He asks.
He wipes his face, view blinded partially from black sandy locks. "Pssh, I'm fine Gabe. No need to worry." Marshall tugs him back towards the water, whilst Marceline retreats to the shade of the umbrella and her girlfriend. "C'mon! You'll love it."
Gabriel seems hesitant at first, looking repeatedly over his shoulder. "I don't know..." They pause for a moment to become used to the waist deep-level. His hot pink shorts darken to magenta in the water, white shirt dampening.
"Look let's go further out! The waves are huge out there!" Marshall rubs some of the leftover patches of sand off his chest before dragging the other deeper.
Marceline watches on as he drags him out into the tide with an amused smile.
"Marcy. It's been an hour." She looks down to Bonnibel. The girl removes her shades to give her a look, which tells her exactly what she wants.
"Fine, fine. But hand me a strawberry soda, yeah?" They move in unison; Bonnibel lies on her stomach and Marceline takes up a straddle on her waist, hand holding a bottle of sun block. Taking a swift swig of the offered drink, she adds, "You know… I'm starting to think you bought the lotion kind over the spray-on just 'cause you wanted a massage."
Bonnibel rests her head on her arms, looking over the two playing in the distance. "Please, don't flatter yourself. We were in a rush."
Marceline laughs and rubs the lotion between her two palms before setting to splaying it over her shoulders in slow, thick motions. Bonnibel sighs into the touch, letting out a drawn out breath. Her girlfriend only grins wider in response.
"I know I'm good at massages Bon. Don't even try to hide it."
"I'm not…." Her voice drowns out in another sigh and she laughs.
"Glad to see you're so open about it them." After a beat, she squints in the distance to Marshall and Gabriel. Her brother splashes around in the water, looking like he's playing a game of trying to float in the bubbling waves. Gabriel just laughs when he sputters and flails, but helps him up when he goes under. She smiles.
"Hey Bonnie, how long is Gabriel here for?"
"Hmm? About 7 or 6 months I think."
Two guys walking by whistles at the two, briefly interrupting the conversation. "You girls need some help?"
Bonnibel shoots them a glare, while Marceline just gives a grin, replying, "No, but you can dream though."
"Eh? You got a boyfriend, I'm guessing then." The brown haired one replies with a wink. Marceline laughs good-naturedly and Bonnibel frowns.
Before she can protest though, Marceline says, "No, a girlfriend. She's one I'm on top of right now if you didn't notice."
One of them laughs a brief apology, while the other nods, his hands raised in mock defense. Bonnibel raises a brow.
"No harm done, sorry 'bout that." The blonde one says. " You guys can come join our volleyball game by the pier if you want later on."
"We might, save a spot for us." Bonnibel offers. They grin simultaneously, striding down the beach and before disappearing into the throng of the crowd.
"Anyways, he's a sweet guy." Marceline continues. Bonnibel turns to look at her, but stops when her palms slide down the bend of her spine with a curl. She chooses to relax into the sand again. Marceline leans a bit lower from her straddle, to look through the shade of the umbrellas. "They seem to be hitting it off. Marshall and him, I mean."
She doesn't need to look down to know there's a brow raised on the blonde's face. "I think so too, but weren't you gone for almost three years when you went to the Music Academy? How would you-"
Marceline's fingertips massage the low of her back, then back up to press warmly into the muscles of her shoulder blades. Bonnibel muffles something between a growl and moan into the sand, shutting her up effectively. "I just know my brother, okay?" Marceline looks back at the two for a moment. "He really opens up around him for some reason, doesn't act like a player as much, like he normally does with chicks."
She finally sets her hands flat against her skin, letting them shift to the very hem of her shorts. Bonnibel's head pops up, mouth covered in sand and in a frown. She looks over her back, leaning up on her elbows. "I'm gonna get you for that." Her brows lower. "You know how I feel about my shoulders!"
Marceline just smiles back, letting her now-dry hands rest at the small of her waist for a moment. She continues, "And he's not a girl."
"Yeah.. but you know how he flirts firsthand, so you get it." She explains, and Bonnibel turns over, hands gliding up to rest on her bikini-clad hips and keep her in place. "All I'm saying is, Marshall acts all 'bro' and 'dude' with guys. Not… like this."
"I think you're over thinking things. I know you're his big sister and wanna look out for him and all, but he's older now. You gotta let him figure life out for himself." They both smile, and Bonnibel brushes a lock of black hair out her eyes, fingers rest on her cheek. "Okay?"
"Okay." Marceline breathes, leaning in for a soft and slightly salty kiss.
They venture deeper into the ocean as the sun rises in the sky. Higher the water level rises, past the waist, and eventually up to their chests.
"Perfect!" he whoops, raising his hands in the air. Gabriel's eyes widen as a wave rolls higher and higher in the distance.
"You sure this is safe, Marsh?" The nickname prompts his chest to constrict pleasantly again.
"We can handle this! Dude look down the beach; there are even teenagers out here!" In fact there are, many even further out than the pair. Just to prove a point, it seems fate lets a little 13 year old paddle by on a boogie board, surpassing them both. Marshall crosses his arms.
"Fine, fine." Gabriel pats down his slicked white shirt, so transparent its useless now. "Just tell me how to get though this without dying." He goes to fixing his shorts absently.
Out the corner of his eye, Marshall eyes Gabriel, or at least what's visible above the water. His chest is just as soft as it looks, toned enough to not be flabby, and fitting for his broad shoulders. His arms are just the same, smooth. His own look like noodles in comparison.
He blinks, lost in thought again. 'God, Gabriel is so fucking huggable it isn't funny', his thoughts state rather boldly in his mind.
He doesn't disagree.
"Um, Marsh… Marsh!" Gabriel warns, shaking his shoulders. Marshall blinks, pausing to look over his shoulder.
"Uh.. Yea?"
The red headed does an odd jumping-walking motion, pushing them back to shore as fast as the water will allow. "The wave's getting too big!"
Marshall looks over his shoulder and gulps. The beastly body of water rapidly approaches, already towering over them in the distance. Life guards on the shore begin to blow their whistles as another warning. Professional surfers take to the water for the behemoth. The sight makes Marshall's nerves rise.
"It's no use. We're not gonna make it to shore on time." Marshall finishes. Gabriel's face goes blank for one second.
Then two.
And three.
Perhaps four-
"BLOODY GLOBBING HELL WE'RE GOING TO DIE!" He shouts, splashing wildly. Marshall dodges the loud sprays of water.
"Chill man we just-"
"HELP- I CAN'T SWIM; JUST HELP!" Gabriel climbs unto Marshall's back in an effort to get out of the suddenly rising water. The boy sputters with the added weight, flopping around to remain upright. His feet slowly leave the ground as the wave topples over them, overcastting the area in a rich shadow.
Marshall shouts a quick, "Hold your breath" before plunging under the wave. Bubbles and gravity disrupts under the surface, muffling sounds overall. They suspend in the ocean for the moment, a quiet moment, and then break the surface.
"AUGHHH." Gabriel climbs back upon Marshall's back once above the surface like a wet cat. "TakeMeBack, TakeMeBack" He chants, red hair slick in the front and eyes wide.
Marshall Lee does just that (with much difficulty actually) and once back on the beach, they receive two very different reactions.
Bonnibel stresses over her cousin's welfare, and they hug in the end. Marceline just cackles as Marshall coughs the salt water from his lungs.
When later in the day rolls around, three o'clock to be approximate. Marshall starts up the grill brought along. He goes to open the package of burgers when a hand slams down over his.
"Ahh, no. Cooking is my jurisdiction." Gabriel gives a serious stare. Marceline watches on with interest from behind them, sipping a soda obnoxiously loud.
Marshall frowns and throws his hands up in dramatic defeat. "Fine, whatever. Let's see just how well you can grill Gabe. Let's fucking see."
He goes to stomp into the shade when Gabriel points at the apron touting Hot stuff on the front. Marshall hands it to him too with a smirk. "Take the apron too then! But if I know anything, it's that I'll always look better than anyone else in one."
Gabriel meets his challenging gaze for a moment, before returning to his calm self and shrugging it off. "Well then, good for you Marshall." He ties the apron on in a messy knot in the back and sets to work with a tune.
And Marshall notes two things after that.
One: Gabriel has surpassed the stereotype of horribly cooking Brits with flying colors and Marshall has never had such a good burger before in his life.
Two: Gabriel rocks a messy apron better than he ever can. (add awkward cough here)
As the day trickles down and the air becomes cooler, they begin to pack everything up. Towels are folded, umbrellas are collapsed and before they know it, the car is packed full once more. Marceline goes to pay for their pass by the car and Marshall pauses at the orange tinting sky.
"Hey, I'm gonna go take a quick pic of the sunset. Wait for me." He gets his phone out his bag and she nods.
"Text me it when you get back. Looks like a real nice one tonight."
He waves her off before trudging back the salt-scented beach, all the way to the water's edge. It's warmth laps at his ankles. After a lingering look, he takes a deep breath for the memory. Days like these come far to none, and he wants to savor it as long as he can.
"Never quite liked the shore back in the UK where I lived." He half-turns to address Gabriel and his sudden appearance. The boy looks into the distance a tad bit longer, then gives him a smile. "All we had were seagulls, rocks and dead fish."
"Yeah well Aa really is beautiful." His fingers absently undo the lock screen on his phone. Living in a vacation spot, kind of takes the edge away from it's scenery y'know? Like you just tune it out as regular life. Sometimes I forget how nice it really is here."
Gabriel motions to his phone. "Taking a picture of the sunset? I wouldn't want to forget it either." He gives a chuckle and leans back on his heels.
Marshall raises the phone and takes a couple quick snapshots, relishing of looking them over in his gallery later. He shuffles the device between his hands afterwards. "Hey Gabriel, let's take a selfie, yeah? Today's been pretty fun."
"A selfie? Ugh, I thought you'd have more class then that Marshall."
He takes on a pointed look. "Don't underestimate me. Just get your butt over here."
Gabriel nods once, moving next to him in the wading water. Marshall throws an arm lazily over his shoulders (with some difficultly due to his height) and sticks the phone out at a tilt.
Gabriel gives a thousand watt smile in the first picture, so wide and beautiful Marshall stares at it longer then he would admit. The boy in it however, immediately denies it with a demand for another. In the next picture they're both staring at each other awkwardly and which they decide to try one last time.
Marshall says, "On three we say 'sunset selfie' got it? No objections man."
The red head rolls his eyes, but complies nonetheless. When the enthusiastic countdown comes to a close, they shout the phrase with a laugh and the camera shutter flashes bright; a brief snapshot is captured, with both boys smiling at the lens as if you could find the meaning of life in that moment, on their faces.
That alone makes the sunset licking their backs in the distance of the image, very well close to mediocre and ordinary.