Beca and Jesse walked hand in hand down the gravel pathway, following signs to the boat rental. They shop was small and made of wood, with two doors that swung open and a counter full of various souvenirs. Jesse walked up to the counter and peered at the price for renting. It would cost 35 dollars an hour for them to take a canoe out on the lake. Jesse smiled at the tottering old man before paying him and walking around to the back to get the boat and bring it around. Beca peered at some of the key chains and hats around the shop. She had wanted to get Jesse something, but most of these things were silly little trinkets. Shrugging, she walked around the back of the store to help Jesse.
He was lifting the boat with another man who had red hair and freckles. As she rounded the corner, she heard Jesse say "Thanks, man." The man looked to be in his 30s and he hefted the canoe around like he had been born to do so. Beca followed as the two walk down to the slope of shore that led into the lake. The red-headed man set the front into the water and handed them their paddles. He introduced himself as Connor.
"Once you're finished, you can just leave the boat out, I'll get it later. My parents own this place. If you need anything, just let me know." He shook Beca's hand and then Jesse's before turning around and heading back to the shop. Jesse turned to her and rubbed his hands together.
"Have you ever been canoeing?" He asked.
Beca nodded. "Yeah. I went a couple times with my parents when I was younger. It's been a while though."
"Do you want to do this the romantic-movie way? You know, where I paddle and you sit and watch me and slowly fall in love with me with montage music in the background?"
Beca laughed, deep and hearty in the back of her throat. "Yeah nerd, you can paddle."
Jesse smiled, settled into the front, and waited for her to clamber in as well. Once they were both situated—in admittedly, slightly damp and sandy conditions—Jesse used the paddle to push off the sand bar and into the lake.
The water was an almost alien green, flecks of plant matter floated in it and little fish could barely be seen through it. Jesse pulled the oars into their positions and began to row, his arms extending and flexing. Beca watched his arms almost involuntarily. A smile spread across her face and she looked away, embarrassed by the warmth she felt when she looked at him. She glanced at his face, noticing that he was concentrating on turning the boat around so he faced forward. Soon they were gliding easily through the water.
Jesse paddled upstream, barely needing to fight the slow and gentle current. Beca took in the sights and listened to the sounds: the water flowing, the calls of birds in the back. When she was cast in shadow, she looked up in time to watch them go under a stone bridge. Trees surrounded the lake and the sun peeked through the low-hanging clouds shyly. They both laughed as a bird with a rather obnoxious call swooped overhead. There were few others out on the lake, and Beca reveled in the quiet. She settled back and closed her eyes, allowing the light to touch her lids and turn them red.
She focused on the sounds she heard. Closest to her was the dripping of water from the paddles into the lake. Jesse's breathing was soft and even as he dragged the oars through the surface of water. Several different birds chirped, warbled, and cried around her. A few cicadas could be heard as well. The boat sluiced through the lake quietly, but not silently. Beca could hear the liquid splitting beneath their boat. She sighed and sat up, opening her eyes to find Jesse looking at her closely. She smiled, noticing the way the light from the sun danced across his cheekbones and eyelashes.
They didn't speak for a long time, preferring to communicate with soft expressions and pointing fingers. Beca kept surreptitiously glancing at Jesse from under her eyelashes. She watched the muscles ripple in his arms, the way he took in the view wholly as his eyes darted around the scene. She listened to his breathing and to the little noises he made when he rowed.
As they passed a gazebo, he turned his wrist and peered at his watch. He pulled the oars in, set them against the side of the boat and relaxed. The current slowly carried them downstream, lazily pulling them back the way they came. Beca looked at Jesse with merriment in her eyes, fondly thinking about how clever he was sometimes. He slowly leaned forward, beckoning her with his eyes. They bent toward each other, lips meeting in a tender kiss. Jesse's hand slowly traveled up to cup her face, her fingers stole up to his shoulders.
Jesse pulled back and looked at her tenderly. His fingertips roamed over her face, playing over her eyelids, lips, and the bridge of her nose. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face, fingers delving in to stroke the soft locks. Part of Beca wanted to tease him for his romance and tenderness, but the other part of her told her to be quiet. His breathing was coming faster and she herself felt a bit light headed. She could feel warmth growing in her stomach, slow and heavy as it settled. It was then that she noticed something a bit strange.
The birds had stopped singing and the sky was getting a bit darker. Beca took a glance up at the sky and noticed the clouds were sporting an ominous gray color. Jesse followed her movements.
Suddenly, rain began to fall. It was hard and fast; the clouds had cracked open a released a monsoon. The warmth in Beca's stomach was doused as both she and Jesse were soaked to the skin in seconds. Beca let out a surprised laugh, staring across at Jesse who looked as shocked as she was. This made Beca laugh harder and Jesse laughed with her.
"I feel like we're in The Notebook!" Beca yelled over the torrential downpour. Jesse immediately sobered as he glanced at her incredulously. "What?"
"You just made a movie reference!" Jesse shouted back at her. "And it was right!"
Beca stuck her tongue out as Jesse pulled the oars and started rowing back to the boat house. The rain had quickly increased the water in the lake. The current was swifter as it dragged them back downstream. Jesse steered the canoe in the right direction, barely needing to paddle. They made it back to the push-off in record time, splashing their way out and pulling the canoe and paddles up onto the shore. They turned it over and pulled it to a line of others, a safe distance from the rising lake.
Beca grabbed Jesse's hand and they ran for the cabin. She was giggling at their misfortune, twirling in the rain like she was a child. She stopped when she noticed Jesse looking at her. He had fire in his eyes, and she looked down at herself. The rain had darkened her clothing; her underclothes could be clearly seen through her wet t-shirt and shorts. Beca glanced at him, noticing the way his shirt clung to his body. The warmth was back in her stomach. Jesse and Beca rushed at each other, mouths meeting in a frenzy. Hands roamed and pushed and pulled at clothing. They somehow made their way up the steps to the door of the cabin. Jesse opened the door and they nearly fell inside in their haste.
It was warm inside; Beca could hear the sound of crackling. She barely paid any attention. Jesse was the best kind of distraction as he maneuvered her into the cabin and against a wall. He lifted her arms up and pulled her shirt off, kissing every inch of her he could reach. She tore at the buttons on his shirt until they came undone or flew off. His shirt joined hers with a wet smack. Their mouths rejoined, his tongue sliding into her mouth to steal her breath. His hands wound into her wet hair, pulling her towards him so he could keep her there.
Beca broke away and pushed Jesse's pants and boxers down his legs. Jesse pulled her back up to his level, hands on her hips as he kissed her passionately. His hands pushed her shorts and underwear down distractedly. She helped and shimmied out of them, her mouth not leaving his skin. They had both kicked their shoes off at some point, and Beca wrapped her legs around his waist. Her arms hung around his neck and she ground herself into him, shuddering and moaning at the feeling the friction gave her.
Jesse groaned and walked her backwards, around the couch and slowly lowered her onto a carpet. The crackling sound was louder here, and Beca looked blindly for a moment before she noticed a fireplace that had been hidden by the couch and the fire that was set in it.
"I had Connor do me a favor," was all Jesse said before setting back to kiss every inch of her skin.
Beca was laid out on a fluffy rug, her back arched as his mouth roamed over her breast and stomach. Beca moaned and lifted herself to kiss his shoulders. She was falling to pieces under him, but she didn't want to be under him. Beca was quick as she turned herself over and straddled Jesse. He looked surprised, but did not stop her. She was watching him, his skin bronzed by the light of the fire. Their heavy breathing was the only sound in the room for a moment as they simply stared at each other.
Beca busied herself, kissing Jesse: his mouth his face, his neck, and his chest. She ran her fingers along his body languidly, unable to quench her thirst for him. She drank kisses from his mouth like a person dying of thirst. He watched her with his eyes full of affection and something else. Beca rubbed herself against him, and he moaned openly. She lifted her hips and slid down his length slowly, purposefully drawing out the moment. She kept her eyes on his as her thighs met his hips, the fire in his eyes raging out of control.
They panted and Beca moaned brokenly as she lifted herself up and down his length. Jesse's hand ran up her waist, holding on tight enough to bruise. His other hand snaked up her stomach to caress her breast. She smiled as she set her hands on his chest, using the leverage to push herself into a rhythm. Jesse's hands guided her movements, but did nothing more. He was letting her have control. She felt so full; so full of lust and pleasure and Jesse that it was almost to the point of pain as she moved her hips.
She never took her eyes off of him, watching him through her eyelashes as he came undone beneath her. His eyes grew crazed and his hands caressed her, moving to the apex of her thighs. She whimpered, her rhythm nearly faltering as the zing traveled through her entire body. His breathing became erratic as she clenched around him. As her urgency grew, Beca's body began to move of its own accord. She swayed and swiveled and whimpered and writhed. She moaned softly, and he groaned as they brought each other closer and closer to the edge.
Beca could hardly breathe as Jesse sat up and cradled her body. He did not thrust into her, still allowing her t control the situation. She looked into his eyes, the need to let go becoming overwhelming. He kissed her breasts the best he could in their position, as the feeling bubbled up inside Beca. She couldn't keep it in any longer, she grabbed Jesse's face and their eyes met. Her movements made it difficult to say anything, let alone the words that were so difficult to get out.
"Jesse—" She nearly begged. His eyes darkened with lust and he moaned in reply. "Jesse… I love you." Beca released the words, creating a hole in their wake.
Jesse yelped quietly and his hand urgently held the back of her head. His eyes bored into hers—they were skirting the edge, with only seconds to spare. "God, Beca—I love you." He cried hoarsely. The hole in Beca's chest was filled so wholly and immediately that she cried out. Their mouths fused together as the waves of orgasm surrounded and crashed around them. They captured each other's cries as Beca pulsed and shuddered, her eyes rolling back.
She slowly came to stillness, allowing her vision to clear. She met his gaze with wonder. The glimmer in his eyes told her that she had not imagined what she had said, nor had she imagined his answer. He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her soundly. It was soft and beautiful and everything she wanted in that moment. His tongue smoothed over her lip, and he cascaded kisses down her jaw line and neck. In return, she kissed his ear and his jaw, and the sensitive spot between them.
He was still inside her, but she did not care. In that moment she was with Jesse. She was with him in more ways than one and she felt such a heightened sense of belonging. She loved him. It was crazy and unbelievable and so, so right. Looking into his eyes, she thought just how inadequate the description brown like chocolate was. Brown eyes are like cups of coffee laced with cream and sugar. They are like the tawny coat of a newborn deer. Oh, god. She was becoming a romantic.
She tore her mind away from those gooey thoughts and focused on Jesse. Who was humming to her, his nose skimming along her collarbone. Beca listened, trying to figure out what song he was thinking of. He began to sing the words quietly, "My girl! Talking 'bout my girl! My girl."
Beca hit him playfully and wrinkled her nose. He pulled out of her, shuddering slightly. "It's true!" He sang. "You're my girl now. And I'm your guy."
So Beca sang a song of her own. "Nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy. Nothing you can do can make me be untrue to my guy."
They laughed at each other as they walked into the bedroom. Beca pulled on a bra and underwear, settling down to watch Jesse pick up the phone and order some Thai food for them.
They spent the evening eating Thai food by the fire in their underwear. They laughed and talked and gestured wildly with their chopsticks. They kissed and murmured and sat in a cocoon of warmth and affection. Jesse put on a movie, and Beca watched Tim Burton's Batman for the first time. They fell asleep by the fire, wrapped up in the comforter and blankets they dragged off the bed.
A/N: I hope you all enjoyed my movie reference. Please review. Those who review will be loved dearly. Also, I like to follow suggestions. If I run out of ideas, I turn to you guys.