Emily had never particularly enjoyed the beach. She didn't enjoy direct sunlight, the feeling of sand between her toes, or the immense and terrifying unknown of the ocean. She did, however, enjoy Alex's company, so she did her best to ignore all the things she didn't like and just focus on the fact that she got to be with Alex.

"Should we be doing this?" Alex asked as Emily passed her the bottle of wine she'd smuggled onto the beach, in spite of the No Liquor signs they'd passed. Nonetheless, she took a sip of the wine. Her head lolled back, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the wine on her palette and the moonlight on her skin.

"Who's going to stop us?" Emily replied, watching her with a fond (and perhaps slightly mischievous) smile. "By which I mean, who's going to risk their life to tell a vamp they can't do something as inconsequential as drinking alcohol in public?"

Alex laughed, shook her head. "You know, sometimes I think you're a bad influence on me." She opened her eyes to shoot Emily a playful smirk, a wink.

Emily gave a snort of amusement. "Is that a complaint?"

Holding up her hands in surrender, Alex said, "God, no. Believe me."

"Good." And with that, she proceeded to straddle Alex's lap, sealing their lips in a searing kiss. "Because I have a few ways in mind I can influence you..."

Alex rolled her eyes, but she certainly wasn't about to complain about this turn of events, letting Emily have her way.

Emily was content with simply making out for a few minutes...then, she stood suddenly and started backing away, towards the water. Alex was about to complain, until she realized Emily was untying her swimsuit with a wicked smirk playing about her lips.

Before she could ask whether Emily was certain about this, her swimsuit was discarded on the sand and Emily had dove into the water. When her head popped up from the water again, it was with a 'come hither' expression that Alex was powerless to resist. (In spite of being entirely human and entirely devoid of supernatural powers, Emily seemed to have perfected the Fae's signature mesmer...)


"So..." Alex murmured, "I know we...well...reconnected, but maybe we should do so in a more verbal manner as well?" She lay on her side, head propped up on her hand, watching Emily with a slightly nervous expression.

"Define: verbal manner," Emily requested. She knew what she'd meant, but was trying to delay the inevitable conversation because this was the part of relationships that she was really really bad at. Namely, the being vulnerable and emotionally open part.

Alex rolled her eyes. "I mean we should talk about what happened between us that lead to the time apart," she explained. Her expression became more serious, then. "As much as I enjoy the hooking up part – and I do – this is a conversation we really need to have."

Emily sighed, nodded reluctantly. "Alright," she conceded, "Let's talk."

And, though she'd been the one to initiate the conversation, Alex suddenly seemed reluctant to continue it. She chewed her lip for a few moments, then said, "I like you, Emily. A lot. And I want to be with you. But here's the thing: I'm a vampire and you're not. I'm okay with that. But I need to know that you are too."

"Meaning what?"

"When you asked me what it's like to be a vampire, you implied that it was something you were considering," she explained with the utmost possible delicacy. "I'm not opposed to being with another vampire, but under no circumstances will I ever turn anyone – especially you – not even to be together forever."

Emily flicked her tongue out over her lip as she took a moment to digest that. Then, without pausing to consider whether it was wise to say the next part, she blurted out, "I understand that you've had a bad experience, but..."

She shook her head. "No buts. If you come to the decision on your own that you want to be turned, you'll have to find someone else to do it," she said firmly. "I need you to understand that."

"I understand," she echoed, though she wasn't entirely certain that she did. Afterall, she couldn't possibly fathom what it was like to be immortal, let alone to make another person immortal as well.

Alex smiled, though it was rather weak. "If you asked me, though...I think you're perfect the way you are." Emily scoffed, rolled her eyes at the cheesy line. "I mean it. I think you're a pretty wonderful human." She found her hand, squeezed it tightly.

Leaning in to steal a tender kiss, Emily spent a few moments enjoying the intimacy before she was forced to ask, "But you said you don't believe in 'forever'." She paused, debating the next part. Then, "Does that include the span of the average human life? Because I want to be together, but I don't want to waste my time either."

"I'll probably always have trust issues," she said slowly.

"But?" Emily prompted, desperately hoping there was more to that statement.

"But I want to do better," she finished. "I want to give us a chance to work. And I can't do that if I let my trust issues control me."

Emily tried not to smile too brightly at what sounded a lot like the answer she'd been hoping to hear. "So, we're trying again?"

Alex nodded. "I want us to be a couple again."

That was all Emily needed to hear; in the next moment, she'd swung her leg over to straddle Alex's lap and affixed her lips to her throat, hand finding her breast and palming it roughly.

Laughing huskily, Alex said, "Em, you've already made me cum twice..."

"So?" Emily challenged, "You're undead, you can't possibly be tired."

And, while she did, in fact, have a point, Alex reached for her hands to halt her progress. "I think, perhaps, it's your turn..."