-Yassss I loved this one! It gave me a chance to share some old haunts from Newt's past and have Minho be his comforting, adorable self, and ANNABELLE :). Hope you like it and thank you for the wonderful reviews so far!
Note: sorry sorry sorry for the brief language, I hate the word used in this, but it wouldn't have the same effect if I used any other word. I'm very sorry if anyone's offended; I was trying to be accurate in portraying homophobes-
-DAY 3: Find a scenic location and watch the sunset together-
Okay, Belle was there for that one.
-X-X-X-
There weren't many chances for the Newton's to have a vacation. They had a little jar labeled 'VACATION' on top of the fridge, where they dropped a few dollars or quarters in as they passed. It had been collecting more and more money every day, since the first day Minho and Newt moved into the house. Now, though, they also had Belle to give her input; and by input, she added only enthusiastic ideas for places they could go. (Disney World, Sea World, and multiple other amusement parks were among her list of favorites)
In the end, they'd ended up at the beach.
"Oh my god, there's sand EVERYWHERE."
Hearing the groaned complaint, Newt snickered. He glanced back at Minho over his shoulder. "That's kinda what a beach is, Min," he pointed out.
"I don't care. I didn't expect it to stick to me so much." Minho huffed as he picked his way over the white sands, barefoot and dressed in nothing more than black swim trunks. A pair of dainty hands sank into his spiked hair and rumpled it.
"Hurry up, hurry up, we're gonna miss it!" Belle exclaimed from her perch on Minho's shoulders. She pointed out at the ocean before them, all fire-and-gold in the sun's dying rays. Her hair was caught back in a ponytail and the wind tugged at it and turned it to flame. She looked much too cute in her royal blue swimsuit, beaming atop Minho's shoulders.
Minho winced as his daughter bounced happily above him. "The sunset's not going anywhere, Belle," he told her, hands secure on her knees. "We won't miss it."
"Then why're we taking so long to sit down?" she asked.
"Why don't you ask your father?" Minho shot a meaningful look at Newt, as though to say, hurry it up, she's killing me.
"I just did," she said confusedly.
Minho mumbled something under his breath and Newt laughed. "I'm just trying to find a good spot, right up front," he explained. The waves climbed softly up the beach and back down again, marking the place where they could sit without getting wet. Newt wanted them to be as close to the ocean as possible. He claimed it was for Annabelle's sake, but really, he just loved the ocean.
"Right up front," Minho repeated flatly. "As if that's gonna make a difference. It's a sunset, not a firework show."
"Crabby."
"Am not."
"Are too." Newt dropped back to walk beside his husband. Minho's gaze followed him and Newt sensed Minho taking in the red swim trunks and the rest of the blonde's lean form. A little tingle of delight tickled his stomach. He touched Minho's arm briefly. "Why're you so much more sarcastic today, huh?" he asked quietly. "Something happen?"
"Well...no," Minho hedged. He glanced up at Belle, obviously not wanting to disturb her with their conversation. "It's nothing."
"I know it's not nothing," Newt replied, gazing back out at the sea opening up like great, blue book pages ahead of them. "I've known you since I was sixteen. I can always tell when something's wrong."
Minho blew out a long sigh. "You know me too well," he murmured, and Newt dropped a kiss on his cheek. "It's just...I'm distracted."
Newt cocked his head. "Why?"
"I'm surprised you aren't too."
"Me?" Newt blinked. "Why would I be distracted?"
Minho studied him for a very long moment. There was something close to sadness in his black-coffee-colored eyes. Then he shook his head. "I don't want to ruin the night for you," he replied. "So, I won't tell you."
"But I want to know," Newt protested. He waited, but Minho was silent. Resting a hand on his shoulder, Newt tried again. "Minho?"
"Not now. I'll tell you later." Minho offered a half-smile, the caring evident in his expression. "After Belle gets what she wants."
"Yeah!" Belle cheered suddenly, having overheard them. "I can't wait!" Peering down around Minho's head, she gazed at Newt through glowing, green eyes. "Aren't you excited, Daddy?"
Troubled, Newt had to pull his attention away from Minho's face. He smiled up at her and reached up to take her outstretched hand for a moment. "Of course I'm excited, sweetheart."
She giggled and turned to stare back out at the sun sinking down on the horizon. It shone on the contours of her face, illuminating her skin to gold. Her huge, eager grin was making every day on this vacation worth it.
The family chose a place right by the ocean, Newt folding his legs under him and sitting cross-legged. "All right, Belle, you gotta go," Minho teased. Reaching up, he hoisted Belle up off his shoulders and placed her down in front of him. She quickly plunked herself down on the sand and stuck her hands in the cool waves as they crept up to her toes. An adorable snigger made her wrinkle her nose as the water came up just enough to tickle her feet.
There was open affection in Minho's face as he watched her, rubbing the place on his neck where she'd sat. He took a seat next to Newt, bending one knee and propping his elbow up on it. "Look at her," he remarked, gesturing at Belle kicking her feet in the water.
Newt arched a brow at him. "Awww," he cooed jokingly, "you look cute as the proud father."
"Yeah, yeah," Minho scoffed. "I look cute no matter what I'm doing."
"You're a complete ass when you're sick."
"Oh, and you're a walk in the park?" Newt shoved him then, and Minho laughed. The streaks of gold in his beautiful irises lit up in the sunlight. "But seriously, c'mon," he went on. "Don't you love it when she's like this?"
Newt followed his gaze. Belle was now attempting to count down the seconds until sunset, even asking passerby in her sweet, tinkling voice if they knew how long it would be. Warmth brimmed in Newt's whole being. "Yeah," he answered, "I do."
"I love her," Minho murmured softly. He picked at the sand with one finger. "So much sometimes, that I forget she's not really ours."
Worry rustled in Newt's heart. "Do you regret it at all?" he asked. "Not being able to have children of your own?"
Minho leaned over with no preamble and stole a lingering kiss from Newt's lips. When he broke it, their foreheads rested together. "I never regret anything I've done, as long as it was done with you."
Newt searched Minho's eyes for a long minute. Some of his play faded away. "What's bothering you, then?" he asked. Minho sighed and started to turn his head away. But Newt gently cupped his cheek and urged him to look back again. "No, please. Tell me."
Minho closed his eyes as Newt's thumb caressed his cheek. With a final glance at Belle, he lowered his voice to answer. "All right," he muttered. "If you really want to know."
"Well, yeah, I wanna know," Newt replied. "You're my husband and something's bothering you."
Minho let out a rough exhale. He seemed to fight some inner battle, debating whether or not to confess to Newt. But, of course, he'd confess to his angel, he always did. "Today's July sixteenth," he finally said quietly.
No sound came at all, except for Belle's laughter, people walking by, and the whisper of the ocean. Newt's heart skipped a couple of beats as he realized what today was and what had happened on that day a year ago. "Oh." He rubbed at the scar marring his neck.
"Shuck it," Minho swore under his breath. "I'm sorry, love. I shouldn't have said anything in the first place."
"No, it's fine." The scarred tissue felt obscene and bumpy under his fingertips.
"I ruined your day," Minho mumbled, dejected. "I don't know why I brought it up. It—it just bothered me, I guess."
Newt stopped rubbing his neck in surprise. "Why does it bother you?" he asked. "It was me who was—" He halted, physically unable to say the word.
"That's it, though." Minho touched a kiss to Newt's nose as though he couldn't resist trying to make his husband feel better. "I still can't get over it. I can't stand that someone did that to you, that—that he touched you the way only I—" He broke off as soon as he realized what that sounded like, blushing faintly. "Sorry."
"Min." Newt traced Minho's jawline with a fingertip. "You don't have to apologize." Biting his lip, he nearly smiled. "You know that you're the only one I ever let...touch me, like that."
The faintest smirk appeared on Minho's lips. "I'll remember that," he replied mischievously, and Newt rolled his eyes. Then Minho sobered. "But, seriously, Newt: I'm sorry. This is supposed to be a vacation and I'm ruining it."
Newt shook his head. "You're not ruining anything," he reassured Minho. "I do think the same thing sometimes. I wish it hadn't happened." Glancing down, he wrinkled his nose as he ran his fingers over the other scar on his wrist. "And I wish I didn't have these ugly scars," he added. Then, "hey, what're you—?"
Minho had snatched Newt's wrist away. Tenderly, he raised it to his lips and ghosted a kiss to the slash of marked skin. "I think you're beautiful," he murmured, "with or without your scars."
Newt stared at him, feeling his heart blossom inside of him until he couldn't take it. Screw being in public, he thought. "Minho," he whispered, clasping the back of Minho's neck and leaning in, noses brushing.
Minho pulled back a little. "Shouldn't we...? I mean, we're in public," he said, mainly surprised that shy Newt hadn't thought of it. They didn't like to show TOO much affection in public, due to the fact there was a good chance people wouldn't approve.
"Min, just kiss me," Newt pleaded.
Minho gave a little sigh, that meant he was going to give in. Sparing a glance at Belle playing, he angled his head to meet Newt's lips. They kissed slow and soft. Newt felt lightheaded and slipped one hand into Minho's hair, feeling the ebony velvet between his fingers. He could never get tired of this.
Suddenly, a loud, rather obnoxious voice snapped from another place on the beach: "ugh, why don't you get a room?!"
Newt stiffened, but Minho growled and just kissed him harder. "Minho—" Newt was interrupted by Minho's mouth rough on his; when someone muttered, "faggots," Minho casually flipped them off over Newt's shoulder.
"Minho!" Newt hissed, breaking the kiss breathlessly. "Belle's right there!"
Minho was busy glaring at some guy. "Yeah, keep walking," he muttered, as the guy passed them by with a sour expression on his wrinkled, aged face. Then he turned back to Newt. "What?" he protested. "She's busy playing; she didn't see anything." He called to Belle, "did you see Dad just now, Annabelle?"
"Nope!" she chirped merrily, splashing in the water. "The sunset's about to start!"
"Thank you, honey." Minho smirked triumphantly. "See? She didn't see me flip off a guy and I don't have to go beat him up later, because he learned his lesson. Problem solved."
Newt heaved a strained breath. Leave it to Minho to cause trouble and get away with it. "You can't stand up to every homophobe we meet, you know."
"I can, and so far, I have," Minho returned. He braced his hands on the sand behind him and leaned back. Ahead of him, the sun was a burning orb sinking lower and lower toward the ocean. The waves were ignited to full orange by now.
Newt shook his head. "I guess I should take it as a compliment then," he relented. "With you defending my honor and all."
"You make me sound like a knight."
"You are a knight. You're MY knight."
"I'm honored to serve you, angel."
Newt laughed and scooted closer to Minho. Their skin pressed together as he leaned against Minho's shoulder. He heard a lovely, quiet sound of bliss that Minho made, as Newt turned and nuzzled at Minho's neck. "Love me?" he asked.
Dropping a kiss on top of Newt's head, Minho whispered, "forever."
"Looklooklook!" Belle cheered abruptly. She scrambled over to her fathers and sat herself down in Minho's lap. Back against his stomach, she pointed gleefully out at the sun. "It's starting, it's starting!"
"And we have front-row seats," Minho told her, smiling and stroking a hand over her hair. She giggled and he shared a warm glance with Newt over her head. Just staring at the two people he loved more than anyone else, Newt couldn't imagine being anywhere other than here.
Together, they watched the setting sun turn the sky into red-and-orange fireworks above the sea.
