and you lot, you're the dirty rascals

Catching a midsized wave, you popped up to your feet and quickly found your balance, riding the wave successfully to the end for the first time.  Pride swept through you and you threw your arms up, crowing loudly, giddy laughter spilling from your lips as Tom let out a proud whistle.

“That’s my girl!” he cried, a wide grin stretching his face.

Floating near the shallows, you sat, straddling your board as you watched Tom catch the next larger wave.  He looked so confident, so at ease when he surfed, and you just hoped that with practice, you’d be just as good some day.

After nearly an hour of being out on the water, the sun having already passed its zenith, Tom paddled over to you, grabbing the edge of your board as he sat up, holding you close so you wouldn’t float apart as you talked.  

“It’s gettin’ late, what d’ya say we head back in and make some dinner?”

“Yeah, alright,” you agreed reluctantly.  “Can I catch one more wave first?” you asked, spying a good one coming up.

Tom grinned at your eagerness.  “Yeah fine.  One more,” he relented, letting go of your board to let you paddle out.

“Hey!  Don’t go out too far!” he called after you, but the wind carried his warning away.

Paddling out further than you had yet, you caught the wave, wobbling slightly as you popped up, and for one triumphant moment you were cutting across the swell, the next, you were falling.

You hit the water hard, your board flying in the opposite direction, and for one dizzying moment, you tumbled through the water, losing track of which direction was up.  Panic seared through your veins until finally you glimpsed faint daylight shimmering down through the water.

Reoriented, you kicked frantically for the surface, gasping for air as soon as your head broke the choppy water only for a wave to crash over you, buffeting you as you fought for breath.  Tossed by the current, you tried to cry for Tom, only to splutter as seawater filled your mouth and nose, leaving you coughing.

Fear washed over you with the waves as tears blurred your vision, and you managed to gulp down a lungful of air before the current pulled you under.  Each second you fought to break free of the undertow, your muscles only weakened, burning like the burn in your chest as you ran out of oxygen.

Unable to hold it any longer, you instinctively gasped for breath, even though you knew there was none, and as the water rushed into your lungs, your vision went black.

“No no no!  Fuck, c’mon!”  

Tom’s voice was sharp, frantic, but muffled, as if you were hearing it through water.  He sobbed your name and there was a rhythmic pressure against your chest before his lips covered yours and suddenly air filled your lungs.

Your eyes snapped open as a coughing fit wracked you and you rolled to your side, expelling the salt water from your system, gulping down air as if it were the best thing you had ever tasted.

Beside you, Tom let out a sob of relief and hastily scrubbed the tears from his eyes.  “I told you not to go out that far!” he cried, his voice wavering in a way that had your stomach knotting with guilt, his large brown eyes filled with anger and fear, but mostly relief.

“I know, I’m sorry!” you exclaimed weakly, throwing your arms around his neck.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!” he breathed, wrapping you tight in his arms, his voice breaking.  “If anything were t’happen to you–  I don’t know what I’d–”

Before he could finish, you silenced him with a kiss, and for a split second you were afraid he might be cross with you, until he kissed you back just as fervently, a moan catching in his throat.

Fueled by the leftover adrenaline in your system, a wild flame of need seared through you, burning you from the inside out, and your kisses turned bruising—a desperate clash of teeth and tongues—your desire reflected in Tom’s haste to free you of your bikini bottoms.

Luckily, the beach was empty, because in that moment of frenzied desperation, neither of you cared if you were alone or not, your awareness blinded by mindless desire.  And as Tom pressed into you, swallowing your broken moan, the burn of the sudden intrusion soon melted to a pleasant ache as he began to move in you, his pace quickening as you rolled your hips to meet his thrusts, pulling him deeper.

As your pleasure swiftly crested, a thick syrupy warmth suffused you, spreading outward, and your kisses turned sloppy as Tom’s thrusts grew jerky, until you were merely panting heavily into each other’s mouths as you fell apart together.  All at once, your muscles went taut, clamping down around him, and Tom groaned, his hips stuttering as he filled you, your name on his tongue as his head fell forward, his brow pressing to yours.

“Oh God, I love you.  I love ya so fuckin’ much,” he exclaimed, finally stilling, though still clutching you tightly, your body yet twitching beneath him with the aftershocks of your orgasm.

“I love you too,” you gasped, kissing him breathlessly, the adrenaline finally leaching from you, leaving you boneless and exhausted.

When Tom felt you shiver in his arms, reality shifted back into place and he looked up, suddenly very aware of where you were.

“Oh shit–” he hissed, bleating a relieved laugh when it was evident the coast was clear and you were still alone.  “I can’t believe we just did that,” he gasped, his kiss-swollen lips tugging into an incredulous grin as he quickly tucked himself away and covered you with his towel.

“Me either,” you admitted, though you couldn’t keep from smiling as well.  “You saved my life, it’s the least I could do to repay you,” you joked, taking his face between your hands to steal a kiss, and Tom let out a grunt.

“If you really wanna repay me, you can do it by never doin’ that shit again,” he huffed, his brows furrowing.

“I won’t.  I promise,” you assured him and his expression softened.

“Good,” he quipped, pressing one last peck to your lips before standing and hoisting you into his arms, careful to keep you covered with the towel.  “Now, what d’ya say we wash this sand off and I make us some dinner before I spend the rest of the night holding you?” he asked, his brows raising expectantly.

“I think that sounds absolutely perfect,” you replied, letting your head rest against his shoulder.

"Hey, those ain't all mine!  This is a collective space," Tom exclaimed, though he had the decency to at least look a little abashed.  "Plus, y'know you're way fitter than any of these girls, I'd pick you over them any day,” he insisted.

A doubtful snort left your nose, though a pleased grin tugged at your lips.

"Good answer," you quipped, narrowing your eyes at him.  

"I gotta put the tools away, but then I'll be ready for the beach," Tom chuckled, tilting your chin up to steal one more kiss.  "Better have that bikini prepared," he teased, giving your ass a squeeze before finally releasing you.

"I'll meet yeh down there," you laughed, winking at him over your shoulder as you headed for the door.

Stopping back at the caravan, you changed into your swimming costume and grabbed a couple towels before following the sandy path down toward the water.  The salty wind whipped through your hair as you spread out the towels further up the beach, laying out to sunbathe a little as you waited for Tom to arrive.

Once he’d finished tidying up the workshop, Tom hurried to meet you, pulling his work polo over his head as he reached the sand, his curls dancing in the wind.

"Lookin' good, babe!" he called, admiring you as he approached. 

"Lookin' good yourself," you laughed, shielding your eyes from the sun as you squinted up at him. 

“You’re so beautiful, makes m’brain short-circuit,” he teased, dropping to the towel next to you and pulling you atop him, stealing a kiss.

“Charmer,” you snorted, running your hands down his chest as you kissed him back.  "You ready to go for a dip?" you asked, pushing yourself upright.

"Ready!" Tom agreed, hoisting you over his shoulder as he ran toward the ocean.  "I better keep this mermaid close, so yeh won't swim away from me," he chuckled, splashing into the shallow surf.

"Don't you know mermaids gotta be free?" you taunted, clinging to Tom, a playful shriek escaping your lungs as you hit the water.

"Not this one, this one's mine!" Tom insisted, dropping you to your feet beneath the water, though he held you close, swaying as if dancing to a song only he could hear.

"Okay sailor," you laughed, wrapping your arms around his shoulders as you swayed with him, the waves gently lapping at your back.  "You're lucky I love you more than the sea," you teased.

"Lucky me," Tom murmured, a lopsided grin curving his lips. "The waves get a little crazy here, yeh sure y’wanna swim?  I don't want th’tide to catch yeh," he mumbled, his usual concern returning to his face.

"Yeah, just for a bit," you answered, leaning back to let the water wet your hair, slicking it back from your face.  "The water feels so nice," you sighed.

"It does," Tom agreed hesitantly.  Though he knew you were a strong swimmer, he couldn’t help but worry all the same. "Just be careful."

"I'm always careful," you teased, splashing Tom as you swam backwards away from him.

"You're gunna pay for that, y'little tart!" he cried, splashing you back before diving into a wave and disappearing beneath the water.

Throwing your hands up against the spray, a peal of laughter burst from your lips, turning to a gasp as Tom resurfaced behind you, catching you in his arms.

"Now the shark has the mermaid!" he shouted, growling playfully in your ear.

"Not the shark!  Please don't eat me!" you giggled, struggling in his grasp.

"Nope, sorry, you’re too tasty t’resist," he laughed, biting your neck playfully.  “I’m gunna eat yeh up.”

"Is that why you were worried about me swimming alone?  Afraid I'd be eaten?" you teased, turning in his embrace to wrap your arms around his shoulders, a smirk on your face as you floated together.

"Exactly," Tom replied, his drenched curls dripping down his face.  "And it happened, see? I was right."   He shook his head, like a dog shaking dry after a shower, spraying you with water.

"You're such a dork," you snorted, wrinkling your nose.  “You can eat me any time, mister shark,” you purred, pushing his hair from his face as you leaned in to kiss him.

"Oh, I'm definitely doin’ that when we get back to th’caravan," Tom murmured, pressing his forehead to yours. "You're so fuckin' cute."

"Mmm, y'promise?" you asked, your voice growing husky as a shiver ran through you.  Threading your fingers in Tom's wet curls, you gave a tug, pulling his head back.  "But first, there's something else I've been wantin’ to do since gettin’ here," you said, a grin playing at your lips.

"Oh yeah? Is it dirty?" Tom asked with a smirk.

"Sort of," you chuckled, reading the look on his face.  "Wanna help me build a sand castle?  Like a seriously epic one.”

Tom laughed, taken aback by your answer.  

"Course,” he answered, unable to resist teasing you a little.  “You gunna be th’princess of th’castle?  I can be th’big bad dragon keepin’ yeh in th’tower."

“You’re more like the sweet prince that I build a home with,” you teased back, poking him in the side.

"You're ruinin’ my reputation like this," Tom joked, throwing you over his shoulder as he headed back to shore. "But sure, I'll help build your epic castle."

“What reputation?” you asked.

"My bad boy reputation," he huffed, setting you down gently on your towel.

“You are not a bad boy, Tom,” you replied wryly, pulling a couple of plastic pails and shovels from your oversized tote bag.

"Alright, I'm soft..." he sighed, though he wore a grin as he jumped to his feet to fill a pail with water to wet the sand.  "I can be intimidatin’ when needed, though,” he insisted when he returned, sitting down next to you.  “Like that time that twat tried t'chat yeh up."

"That's true, you were pretty badass then," you agreed, tucking your legs under you as you began to scoop sand into your bucket, packing it down tight before turning it over to make the main section of the castle.  "You're proper sexy when you get all possessive,” you mumbled, feeling your face warm.

Tom smirked at your words, but didn’t comment, merely tucking the knowledge away for later. "So, what are we doin' here? How can I help?" he asked, mixing some of the water with the sand to make a paste for easier building.

"I don't really have a plan.  Just kinda wingin’ it," you admitted.  “But I think there should be some towers and maybe a courtyard area with a moat around th’entire thing," you decided, starting to build a wall to surround the courtyard.  "What do you think?"

"Ambitious, I like it," Tom chuckled, molding some wobbly towers, his tongue caught between his teeth in concentration.  "These are a little abstract, but we can call it modern architecture… I hope I'm not fuckin' it up too much,” he mumbled sheepishly.

"No, I love it," you assured him with a grin, just glad to be spending time together.  "They kinda remind me of that Gaudi building in Barcelona," you mused, tilting your head as you admired his work.

"You're so... worldly.  Y'know all this stuff I never even heard of," Tom murmured.  “I’m practically uncultured.”

"Oh please, I've barely been out of England," you laughed.  "We'll just have to visit Spain sometime, and Portugal, and Italy, and maybe even Greece too," you joked, building up another outer wall.

"I better start saving for all that," Tom chuckled while he dug the moat around the castle.  "We might end up backpackin' to make it easier.  It’d be romantic though, just us seein' the world."

"I'd be down for that," you murmured, glancing up at him.  "We could stay in hostels or camp in tents," you added, smiling as you watched him work.

"Or get a proper caravan to drive round Europe.  Can you imagine?  Our little piece o’ heaven takin' us anywhere we wanna go," Tom smiled, pouring the water for the moat.

"Mmm, I'd like that," you murmured, leaning into his side as you used little pebbles and shells to decorate the walls of the sandcastle.  "That’d be nice.  Though... I'd be happy being with you anywhere," you admitted.

"Me too," Tom whispered, turning his face to press a kiss to your cheek before turning back to the castle.  "Looks like a place where a beautiful mermaid princess would live... with her bad boy prince," he teased.

“Oh definitely,” you agreed, snorting in amusement.  “I think it turned out pretty good for our first castle,” you mused, resting your head against Tom’s shoulder.

"It's got character," Tom agreed, grabbing his phone to take a photo and make it eternal.  "Maybe our next castle will be a real one that we visit.”

“Deal,” you agreed, blowing a kiss as he turned the camera on you next.  “Now, I recall you saying something about doing something dirty to me once we get back to the caravan?” you teased.

"Oh yeah, I'm not stoppin’ till your legs give out," Tom whispered, pulling you into his arms.  "You're gonna look so pretty all fucked out."

“Mmm, I like th’sound of that,” you purred, a shudder running through you at his words.  “Bet I can get there first,” you exclaimed, grabbing your bag and towel before taking off for the caravan with a laugh.

"Oi!  I didn't agree to that!  S’not a competition if I don't join the race!" he called, though he ran after you, not wanting to admit defeat.  "’Sides, it's not ‘bout who gets there first, it's ‘bout who gets there better!" he cried, catching up.

“What does that even mean?” you laughed, giving him a shove as you kept running, nearly dropping your bag.

"Means... I got here more gracefully, so actually I win!" Tom protested, shoving you right back. 

“Oh piss off,” you joked, stopping at the caravan door to catch your breath.  taking his hand to pull him inside.  “‘Sides, you win either way,” you said pointedly, grabbing his hand to pull him inside, a grin crossing your face. 

"You're too good to me, babe," he murmured, following eagerly.

“You deserve it,” you insisted, reaching behind your back to untie your bikini top as Tom gave a cheeky tug at the strings on your bottoms.

“Oops,” he chuckled, wetting his lips as he glanced down your naked body.

“Oops, my arse,” you snorted, slipping his swim trunks down before pushing him backwards to the bed and crawling astride him.

"Want me t’get a rubber?" Tom whispered, kissing his way up the salty skin of your chest as he pulled you down atop him, his hard length pressing against your aching core. 

“Mm mm,” you gasped, shaking your head.  “Just want you,” you mumbled, seeking his lips, laughing into his mouth as he rolled your to your back, pinning you to the bed.

"Thankfully my dick didn't turn into a crumbed sausage then," Tom couldn’t resist joking as he gave himself a stroke to check if there was any leftover sand.

“Tom—“ you groaned, wrinkling your nose as your eyes rolled skyward.  “You’re fuckin’ terrible!”

"What?  I didn't wanna get sand all up in there," he protested, pushing gently into you.

“I don’t wanna think ‘bout your dick bein’ a crumbed sausage,” you muttered with a pout, pinching his side.  “S’not exactly sexy.”

"I know, sorry," Tom chuckled ruefully, threading his fingers between yours as he leaned in to kiss you, stretching you inch by inch.  "But yeh feel so fuckin' good, baby," he breathed, dropping his forehead to yours.

“So do you–” you sighed, your gaze finding his as you rolled your hips to meet his thrusts, moaning softly.

"I love you."

"I love you," you insisted, hooking your legs around his waist as his movements grew faster, more desperate.  "I love you so much, my handsome prince.”

"My pretty mermaid princess," he replied, his chest tight with affection.  "I wanna fill you up," he groaned, his voice breaking.

"Fill me up, Tommy," you moaned, clenching tighter around him as your pleasure built, cresting.  "Wanna be full of you, baby," you begged, your breath coming faster, blending with Tom’s in the space between you, the sound of his skin meeting yours filling the caravan.  "Make me yours."

"You're mine, you're all mine," he gasped, nipping at your bottom lip before claiming your mouth in a messy kiss, his tongue clashing with yours as your bodies moved as one.  The moment he felt you tense around him, a high pitched keen catching in your throat, he couldn't hold back any longer, letting go.  "Oh, you're so fuckin' good.  So fuckin’ good t’me," he breathed, his thrusts slowing as he spilled his seed inside you.

"Oh fuck, baby–" you whimpered, melting beneath him as your chest heaved against his.  "I fuckin' love you," you whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his parted lips.

"I fuckin' love you more," Tom sighed, releasing your hands as he covered your face in little kisses before rolling over to curl up by your side.

"I never want the summer to end," you whispered, turning to rest your cheek against his shoulder, draping an arm over his chest.

"I'll still be yours when autum comes,” Tom murmured, caressing your cheek, his lips brushing your brow as he spoke.  “And when it's winter, I'll keep yeh warm,” he insisted, smiling softly.  "We’ll have many summers together, I hope."

“You promise?" you asked, hesitantly lifting your eyes to his, your heart giving a stutter.

"Promise."  Tom held up his pinky so you could hook yours around it.  "I don't think I could stop lovin' yeh even if I tried."

"Good, cause I couldn't stop lovin' you either," you whispered, wrapping your pinky around his to seal the deal.  "I wanna spend every season with you."