The scent of morning woke her, sweet, salty air, a hint of the pungent grass that lie just beyond the beach. There was an orange-brown tint permeating her eye lids just before she fully opened them, not sure where she was, not sure where she'd been, she felt suspended, but happy.
Delphine opened her eyes and gasped. She was curled over a tiny, compact woman, her chin resting on brunette dreads, breathing in her scent, still sandalwood but with a strong undercurrent of musk and salt now, the woman's arm slung lowly across her waist. They were both clad in sand and haphazard, non-matching garments, backup clothes long-lost at the bottom of travel bags.
Her confusion abated, she breathed in, Cosima, a smile growing on her lips, slightly shaking her head. What had they done? She chuckled. She must have moved enough to rustle the small woman next to her.
"Mmmmhm, ugh, it is toooo early, I can tell. Stop." Cosima mumbled, pushing against an unknown weight, irritated but soft, her legs stretched, toes arching, then arms stretched out, curling around Delphines thigh, stroking down them absentmindedly.
"Ohhhh, Oh shit, I'm so sorry," she said, all at once coming to the present. "Delphine, omigod,"she looked at the blonde woman in wonder, sleepy eyes, a smile budding by the moment. She shook her head slightly, hand covering her mouth. "You're … totally real."
Delphine looked down at her amused, her curls falling in around her face.
Cosima nodded to herself dramatically a few times as she sat up with the blonde. "I dreamed of you just. like. this." She waved her hands down the long form, cocking her eyebrow, a smirk on her lips.
"Oui, ma cherie, it is me. And you. You are an adorable, grumpy" she pointed softly "sprite … definitely not a morning person." She slowed then, reaching out her hand to stroke Cosima's cheek, leaning in, asking for a kiss. Cosima willingly obliged, nuzzling into her neck after, placing a soft kiss there.
"God, how did I convince you to sleep out here all night?"
"I believe you said something of stars and waves as perfect compliments to each other, infinite. You kept saying the Milky Way would rise too … but I think it's too bright here, we did not see much," she winked at the brunette.
"Oh yeah, that line. Glad it worked on you, Frenchie."
Delphine slapped her arm then, "Stop it Cosima. I heard your tone last night. You meant every word. You were being a nerd. Just after we made love" she paused as she smiled shyly, looking at the brunette through her lashes, hand lightly stroking the brunette's thigh, "you were talking about the music and greetings of the Voyager expedition, and your favorite constellation." Her eyebrow quirked at the last, lightly sucking in her bottom lip, remembering Cosima's words, the tone of her voice when she spoke of those binary stars.
Cosima laughed lightly, "You're right. I AM a nerd. But you made me want to sell that ..."
"I'm still here, Cosima. I think you succeeded."
Cosima beamed for a moment. "Well what do you think, should we take a dip, cold as it may be? I think it's crazy we didn't get a room"
"Mmm, d'accord. I think it will be very cold. DO NOT splash me until I am in, oui? Don't be a brat."
"Oui, mon amour," Cosima said in an affected accent, winking at Delphine. "I promise, I will be gentle."
Delphine offered her hand to Cosima as she rose, pulling her up. Cosima quickly changed, still shielded by the dunes, slipping into a swimsuit she had tucked in her bag, the blonde quietly pulled off her top layer to reveal the black lace from the night before, no swimsuit hidden away.
"Mmmmm," Cosima mumbled as her eyes lingered over the blonde's form, moving in to pull their bodies closer. She squeezed her hip, now a favorite gesture, as she grinned up at her new lover. Delphine hummed back contentedly in response, drew their mouths together and placed a tender kiss to Cosima's lips, nipping just slightly.
They waded into the ocean, tentatively, the early morning hour, the breeze, the chill of the ocean, freezing. They both giggled and welped, but slowly they got used to the cold.
Waist deep, Delphine drew her hand from the water and traced Cosima's upper arm, down to her fingers, stroking them lightly, the water dripping on Cosima's exposed skin making her shiver. Cosima stroked the blonde in turn, pulling her fingers up to trace the taller woman's collarbone, the back of her neck, playing at the small hairs she found there.
As they got acclimated, they waded more deeply in the water, swimming a ways out, kicking and splashing at each other playfully as their bodies lifted and rolled with the gentle waves. Delphine laid back, her head tilted to the sky, floating, as Cosima swam leisurely nearby enjoying the look of contentment and peace on the blonde's face. She gave her space, but after an unexpected wave knocked the taller woman off center, Cosima wrapped her arms around her shoulders and knees and pulled the taller woman into her, cradling and laughing, weightlessness in water making the gesture possible.
Delphine wrapped her arms around Cosima's neck and pulled her body close to the smaller woman. Cosima's fingers stroked down the lace of the bra at the blonde's shoulders as she held her, fingers webbing out across her back. Cosima wasn't sure her own intention, she just wanted to feel there were no barrier between them.
Delphine pulled her into a searing kiss, sucking on her lip forcefully, bruising. Cosima could feel the blonde's eyebrows knitting, her lips pulling down into a frown even as they closed around her own mouth. The kiss deepened, tongues playfully battling for dominance, tasting the sharp tang of saltwater every now and then.
As the sun rose more fully, illuminating the waves and sand, they made their way back the little retreat they had created on the beach, a little haven protected from time. A spell they both knew would be broken soon.