Down by the Sea!

[hulk_ling]

Who: Teddy (hulk_ling) and Sam (voiceinthedark)
Where: On the Beach
When: Friday, May 22
Rating: Teen for boys on a date
Summary: Teddy promised Sam he would take him out on a date. He's making good on his promise.
The Story:

It was a beautiful late spring afternoon. Teddy was sitting on the edge of the large beach towel he had discovered in his closet, doing his best to cover himself with spf 30. True, he was a Skrull and could probably shift his skin to protect him from UV rays but his Mom had always made a habit of slathering his pale skin with BananaBoat that it ended up being a habit. Next to him was a large cooler that held bottles of water and sandwiches that he had made especially for this afternoon. It had been something he had been planning for awhile but Wonderland made it difficult to plan much of anything.

With his skin a light shade of purple (that would soon fade - hey, do you really blame him for using the kid stuff?), he turned to the boy sitting next to him, a bright grin on his face.

"So, Sam," he said. "Ready to go for a swim?"

Comments

[voiceinthedark]

He'd been pleasantly surprised when Teddy asked him out and he was pretty sure that it was an actual date-date, not just a friends hanging out date. After the hot springs, he felt a bit more on an even keel with both Billy and Teddy and he was going to enjoy it for as long as he could.

And this was pretty fun.

Sam grinned as he watched Teddy cover himself in the purple gunk and when he was finished, reached over to grab the bottle. "You missed the back of your neck," he said, and leaned over to rub it into that last spot, leaving it just as purple as the rest of him.

"I'm ready."

[hulk_ling]

Teddy laughed, easily turning his neck to let Sam spread the lotion on his neck. "I should have let you spread the rest on," he chuckled lightly. "Oh, the missed opportunities..."

He stood up, enjoying the warm sun for the moment before heading down to the ocean. Waves lapped at the shore, the water cool enough to cause Teddy to shiver. He leaned down to pick up a shell, a strange thought occurring to him as he tossed it into the waves.

"You know, if this is Wonderland, I wonder why we haven't seen the Walrus and the Carpenter. Not that I'd really want to meet them. They never seemed very kind but, with all the oyster shells you'd think someone would have run by them by now."

[voiceinthedark]

"Well, " Sam began, flushing slightly, "it's still early in the year. I'm sure there'll be more opportunities." He wouldn't mind it if they wanted to swimming again.

He followed Teddy down towards the ocean, bare feet digging into the damp sand, and he gasped when the first bit of water caught his toes.

"Never thought about it actually," Sam says, frowning a little. "There's a lot of the characters I've never seen. It's weird."

[hulk_ling]

"It makes me wonder if this is really the Wonderland from the story or if we're just caught up in some strange alternate universe," Teddy wondered out loud. The sun sparkled off the water, giving the illusion of a tangible horizon just out of reach.

"How far out do you think we'll be able to swim?" he asked, nudging Sam's shoulder playfully as he stepped further out. "You know, when I was younger, I always thought I could swim England if I really wanted to. That grey horizon line never looked that far away."

[voiceinthedark]

"That sounds about as likely as anything else," Sam says. "I mean, I don't remember the book also involving superheroes and apocalypse survivors getting thrown into weird events so..."

This whole place was darker than he remembered the books being.

Sam laughed and nudged Teddy back, following him into the water. It was still cool, but as he adjusted, it settled into a reasonable feeling, pleasant against his bare legs. "I don't know. I've never really been swimming in the open sea before. But a good way I think."

[hulk_ling]

"I don't think I'd call the shore the 'open sea'," Teddy laughed. He waded out a bit further before diving into a wave, deciding to get the shock of the cool water over with in one go. He gasped when he surfaced, paddling out onto his back and letting the waves rock him. He missed how much fun swimming in the ocean was.

"I sort of like how it's thrown us together. Without this place, we never would have met."

Which reminded him of something rather sad. Billy's friend Scott had gone home recently and the nagging feeling that all of their relationships here would be meaningless when they went home. He swam over to Sam and stood up, putting a cool arm around his shoulder. "You know, if we're able to find a way back without just disappearing one day, it'd be pretty great if you could come with us."

[voiceinthedark]

"Close enough," Sam said, following after him with a little more trepidation. He hadn't been swimming in ages. The apocalypse didn't really give them much chance for things like that. Besides, he got a nice view of Teddy this way and he wasn't above enjoying it.

"Well, there is that," Sam agreed. He gasped when Teddy threw an arm around him, dripping water all down the parts of him that weren't already wet, but after a moment he leaning against his side. The offer though... "I'd like that," Sam said. "I'd love to go with you. I just... it isn't that I want to go back home. It's more... I don't know if I can leave everyone behind there."

[hulk_ling]

The memories he'd had from Sam still lingered. He knew who Sam had left behind and how important all of Abel was to him. But there was one person in particular that Teddy guessed Sam was thinking of.

"Five," he said softly. "I don't blame you for wanting to go back. You keep Five safe. You keep all of them safe. Sort of part of the hero gig. I understand that all too well."

Teddy hugged Sam against his side, the cool water warming between their bodies. "It's probably pointless for me to even worry about it. I'm sure Billy wouldn't even bother to bring it up, but, if there's a way to keep this... I'd like that. A lot, actually."

[voiceinthedark]

He looked a little startled at that, but teddy had had his memories hadn't he? Teddy probably understood more than nearly anyone else. He smiled, a faintly wistful expression. "Yeah. Five. But it's not just Five. There's Maxine and Paula there." And they're going to have a kid together. "And Janine and..." Janine who has lost everyone it must feel like. Her brother and Simon.

He cuddles close against Teddy, letting out a sigh. "If there is, then I want to keep it too. I'm glad I got to meet you both. I don't want to lose this."

[hulk_ling]

"We'll figure something out," Teddy said. "Somehow we'll find a way to keep our memories. Because things like this don't just happen randomly, you know? There's a reason behind it. We might not understand anything that happens here but I'm sure we all met for some good purpose."

Teddy leaned down and kissed Sam softly on the head. "And now is the time when you're supposed to tell me I'm being too sappy," he added with a warm laugh.

[voiceinthedark]

"Yeah. Yeah, you're right. We'll manage something. Then Billy and you can come visit. Or I could come visit you guys for a holiday." And keep rebuilding their home, search for a cure, knowing that there were people waiting for him. He liked the sound of that. "I am glad I met you."

He smiled at the kiss and then nuzzled his face against Teddy's shoulder. "I don't think it's too sappy. Sappy is good. Sappy is... you never want to not do it, because it might be the last time." You made sure you let people know you cared.

[hulk_ling]

Sam's words struck an emotional chord. He thought of his mother ... what was the last thing he said to her? He couldn't even remember. Everything had happened so fast and now there was Mother to cloud his memory of her. Was that why he needed to cling to Billy sometimes? Because he was afraid of never getting to say I love you one last time?

Too many thoughts and feelings flooded him and he cleared his throat, trying to distract himself (and hopefully Sam) from his sudden emotional storm. "Well, this certainly won't be the last time we do this," Teddy laughed, absently reaching his hand up to brush his eyes. "This is only the first of many dates to come."

[voiceinthedark]

Maybe he shouldn't have said that? It's a maudlin thought really. He tries to always greet his runners, because they might not come back from the next mission. He tries to show how much he appreciates Janine and Maxine and Paula, because who knows if tomorrow they'll get bitten, or kidnapped, or any number of crazy things that have happened recently.

"Yeah," he replies, managing a watery smile and nudging Teddy. "I hope so. It's nice spending time with you."

[hulk_ling]

"I like spending time with you," Teddy repeated, kicking up the cool water to playfully splash Sam. "I'm rather glad this is working. I didn't want to be the third wheel. I know how close you and Billy are. The last thing I want to do is be that guy."

[voiceinthedark]

Sam sputtered and then splashed back, grinning widely, even though he felt a bit awkward. "I can't imagine you'd ever be the third wheel. I mean, Billy loves you. I'm kind of... I don't want to get in the way. I know I'm kind of an interloper."