Alicia and Ricardo lay in the sand, staring up at the sky overhead. "Beautiful day," he sighs, listening as their dogs tussle around them.
"It is," Alicia agrees, tracing out the shapes of clouds with her fingers. "I liked Texas," she says suddenly. "But I'm really glad you decided you wanted to come back here. It's nice to have AJ and Mike and the kids so close." She rolls over, a pleasant weight on his side, and starts tracing those shapes against his chest, smiling up at him. "It's even better having you here with me. I know you loved being back in Mexico, but I really missed my husband."
He sighs softly as her fingers trail under his shirt, warming his skin as she glides over it. "Alicia," he breathes out, and she smirks.
"Yeah, Ricardo?" Her fingers slow, nails biting into his flesh a bit. "Is there something you need?" She searches her face as she scratches lower, working a sharp gasp out of his lungs. "Ricardo?"
He bites his lip and stares down at her, wide eyed. "Alicia..."
She giggles at the dazed sound of his voice, kissing him and swallowing the faint moan he lets out when she continues skritching around his hip. "Maybe we should go inside before it rains," she suggests and he groans, pulling himself upright and gripping her hand, drawing her to her feet.
"Yeah, let's hurry," he agrees, guiding her inside and pushing the door shut behind behind them.
She leans into him and kisses him softly, eyes fluttering slowly as he rubs her back, lost in thought. About the past, about how good things feel right now, and about everything she wants in the future. "I love you," she murmurs, curling her arms around his neck and sighing softly when he pauses in pressing more maddeningly soft kisses against her skin.
"I love you too," he says, thumbs stroking along her cheeks, down her jaw as he smiles adoringly at her.
She smiles back at him and rests her head on his chest, enjoying the quiet solitude of this moment between them. Very few things in her life have ever felt this right, this good. She relishes in it.
-x
"So," Heath drawls, resting his hands back in the sand as Alicia and Maryse play with the kids a few feet away.
"So," Ricardo echoes, stretching out and adjusting the sunglasses on his head. "What's up?"
"Maryse and I talked," he murmurs, wiggling his toes in the sand before sitting up. "Guess she heard about what I said, wantin' a proper honeymoon and all." His glance towards Ricardo isn't angry, just a little tired, maybe frustrated. "It can't happen now, but she says as soon as we can get away for a bit." He shrugs. "Miz and Mrs is just takin' up too much of her time at the moment. But soon." He sounds like he doesn't believe it, and Ricardo hurts for him, a little.
"I'm sure it'll work out sooner rather than later," he says, patting the other man on the shoulder.
"I hope so," he sighs, laying back against the beach towel behind him and closing his eyes.
Ricardo decides to let him rest, and turns his attention onto the women a few feet away. Alicia and Maryse are softly talking while the kids play with shovels and miniature, plastic shovels. He smiles as Sara slaps the shovel into the wettened sand, wrecking the half-hearted castle that Alicia was trying to form, both women sighing as they watch it collapse around their fingers. They eventually give up on that, and wander back over to re-join him and Heath. "Everything alright?" Ricardo whispers, trailing a hand along Alicia's bare back.
She shivers and leans into his touch. "Yeah, I think so. Maryse really likes the sound of a honeymoon, but... can't quite make it work right now."
Ricardo hums, thinking maybe it's time they back away from the other couple's issues. "I'm sure they'll figure it out," he says, casting a quick glance over to find Maryse's hair trailing over Heath's chest as she snuggles in close to him and wraps an arm around him. He responds by trailing an arm over her shoulder, kissing the side of her face before drifting off again, lulled by the warm sun, and soft crash of the waves against the shore.
"Yeah, probably," Alicia agrees softly, smiling at him. The kids are looking about as sleepy as Heath, and everything is quiet and peaceful.
Perfect, Alicia and Ricardo think at the same time, exchanging brief smiles before he hugs her close and settles in to enjoy the rest of this beautiful afternoon.