fulltime floatin'

“Never does.” The comment is made idly, almost to himself. It takes him a second to snap out of his train of thought, and notice the familiar face. 

The beach was one of Angela’s favorite spots in Petal Beach, and a place he’s started visiting more frequently. She would have camped out here forever, if she could. “We’ll have better luck when spring hits.” 

“Crossing my fingers for just a little bit of rain around then,” he replies, smiling a little at the thought of the beach in the sunshine. “Maybe it’ll chase away all the spring breakers come out and terrorize us for two weeks.”

“Sounds like you were on your way to cracking the shell. Just takes too much time.” And the burden shouldn’t be on either of them to do so. Mateo shrugs, fingers in the sand. “But yeah. Nosy’s an understatement.” 

“Got no idea. City highways are a nightmare.” The comment about never feels bittersweet, though. Mateo’s not sure what that means–but guilt turns his stomach. “Least I can promise you one thing. Not missing much with that.” 

Time he definitely didn’t have, but that’s enough of the gallows humor for right now. “Can’t really get away from anyone, either. Everytime you turn around, hey, it’s the guy whos dog keeps shitting on your lawn.” And exes, but he bites his tongue there. In theory, Sol can’t see him, any possibility of anything there is gone, but the thought of her still makes his stomach twist. 

“Awful. And they all want you to tell them it’s okay if ‘they’re too old to learn.’ Vicious cycle.” He shakes his head, looking out to the sea with a crease in his brow. “But that shit all goes over the same in the city.” 

“‘Least in my experience.” Small towns just make the conservatives a little braver. “Warm’s one way to put it. Just like not having to deal with traffic. Don’t think I’ll ever be off the high of slow streets.” 

“Oh the too old to learn’s the worst excuse. I tried to do political cartoons in the paper and the lash back was terrible. See, you can be anonymous in the city, but not here. People are nosy, but I’m sure you’ve figured that out.”

“Nowhere close. Think East.” Mateo cracks a wider grin at the second half, shaking his head. “Didn’t take it that way. But thanks, man. We sure live in a mildly racist town.”

Growing up in a white family exposed Mateo to all kinds of weird shit, all less than mildly racist. “The people, I guess. And the quiet. S’a lot different from the city. Just easier to get by. Small businesses work out here–less cutthroat. You?” 

 With his words falling on deaf ears and his presence unseen by even more, he’s been thankful, lately, of any ripple he makes on the world. So the grin he gets is one that makes him grin back. “Tell me about it. I grew up with them telling me how to pronounce my name. Wasted years of my life that I’ll never get back on AJ.”

“Nah,” He wants to level the space between them, and all his questions on top. The best he can do right now is sit down, so he leans on the heels of his palms. “Moved in six years ago.” 

"About staying… yeah. Can’t picture leaving at this point. Got too much else going on.” He wishes he could shoot the question back. “You like it?” 

“Where’d you come from?” A pause. Then, just because the other man’s brown, he adds in (with a little smile on his lips). “I mean in a city way, not in the mildly racist way.”

Mateo ends up on the beach more often than he can explain. Similarly, he runs into this spirit more often than anyone else can explain. “Can’t imagine. Never does in this town.” He pauses, figuring it can’t hurt to learn a little more. “You grow up here?” 

“I did, yeah,”   he replies as he glances up to the figure. With the glare behind, it takes a second for Ajay to place Mateo.  “You didn’t, right?”

Ajay settles down the sand on a surprisingly warm Friday morning. If he concentrates, just enough, he can feel the warm sand on his fingertips.

“Is that what I came out like?” Holly’s smile seems unconvinced. “I can’t!” 

“Well, I’m also allowed to sit. And to kick my feet while no one walks down the sidewalk and wish that I’d worn thicker tights.” Vivian’s idea has Holly pepping up in an instant. “Oh, shit! Can we go now?” Her mom will probably give her some trouble for inviting cops into her shop, but Allistair is a nice guy. “I want to see the police station invest in some healing and lighting crystals.” 

“I hate you. I hope you know that.” With both of Holly’s arms free, Vivian has no qualms about wrapping her up and pressing a kiss to her shoulder before leaning her chin against it. 

“Hey, hey, just hang on.” Rafael holds onto her arm as gently as he can, tugging her back from the wall she makes a bee-line toward.

“I don’t want you to break a bone or something.” Rafael wonders if he still has her brother’s number in his phone from the investigation, but he doubts it. “It will just take me a minute.” 

 “I won’t break a bone. I’m indestructable, pfft, just because I’m not as big as you. You know what that is? Sexist! No! Ageist!” She exclaims loudly, poking a finger into his chest but when her eyes meet his, she falters.

The kiss is brief, but Holly tugs on Vivian’s lower lip while she can to taste the sugar. “What can I say? I’m a tough cookie.” 

“Thanks–I was about to start watching the paint dry on the building next-door. Please eat some of these. I don’t want to stand here for the next five hours, waiting for the jogging club to pass by.” She sets the box on the bricks, playing with the fabric of Vivian’s top. “A few! I talked to Mateo, and Sol too. It’s definitely quiet, though.” 

“You came out of it so strong and sweet,” she replies, teasing about the tough cookie comment. “Now stop looking at me like that so I can stop kissing you.” 

Rafael had hoped to get over the wall quick enough to avoid Vivian’s helpful offer, but he doesn’t get far before she’s using him to keep balance while she pulls her shoes off. “Maybe you could do good some other day, but I think you’re better off staying up here.” 

He tries to think of a reason that might give her incentive, not that it’s always worked out for him in the past. “Wouldn’t want you to fall and bust your nose, or something.” 

“No, you can’t leave without me,” she insists, a little more forcefully and still clinging to his arm. “I can do it, trust me.” 

“Because you always look so good?” Holly tangles two fingers in Vivian’s lovely hair, smiling as she’s kissed hello. 

“I know! Imagine being me and having to smell what she’s up to all the time. I’m lucky I can bike around this whole town in an hour, or I’d be in big trouble.” She’s glad they hold up with just about everyone. “Yeah, but I was just twiddling my thumbs, so it’s no big. What’re you up to?”

Vivian rewards her charming response with another kiss, a peck on her lips this time. “I don’t know how you deal with that. Poor baby, you go through so much.” 

He can’t tell just how much she’s had to drink, but if he had to guess, he’d say she’s had plenty. “That right?”

Rafael does his best to hold her upright when she topples over, but lets go the second he thinks she’s steady. “I’ll go get it, alright? Just stay right here.” 

“N-no, wait!” She grabs his arm in an uncoordinated attempt to keep him by her side, earnest. “Don’t go, I’ll come with you. I can do good, I promise.” 

Vivian startles so easily, Holly cracks up. “What’s got you so wrapped up? Did someone send you a sexy good-morning pic?” 

Her hands are full of pastry box, otherwise she’d be wrapping the redhead in both arms. “You can have an extra donut if you stick around. I won’t tell!” She crosses her fingers, like scout’s honor means anything to them. 

Vivian huffs at Holly’s laugh, crossing her arms over her chest, cheeks puffed up a little. “Why is your mind always in the gutter?”

“Used to see them on TV. That’s about it. Looking forward to that, though.” 

He can understand where she’s coming from, though it’s a completely separate lens. “Can do my best.” But that’s about all he can promise. “Sure. As thanks, I’ll give you some tips on gesture drawing. Probably can’t draw any turtles, though.” 

“Ever go to Hawaii?”