#vanzel

“ The beach, you brought me to the beach?” He asked with a slightly confused frown.

He watched as Vanessa smiled playfully and nodded.

“ I did,” She confirmed before stretching her arms above her head. “ I thought you could use some beachside R&R after the last few weeks.”

He wouldn’t deny that he had been a lot busier lately due to Julius being missing and being a top contender to be the next Wizard King, but he hadn’t realized that it had gotten so hectic that his girlfriend felt the need to ‘kidnap’ him for some ‘beachside R&R’.

However, he didn’t say anything in response, he just kind of stood there with a pout.

“ What’s wrong? I thought you liked the beach.” Vanessa said with a bit of a confused frown.

Nozel turned to her with an even more confused look.

“ Who told you that?”

“ Noelle. She told me to bring you to Raque because you love the beach.”

He blinked at her for a moment, of course his youngest sister would be the one to suggest it…

“ I…don’t like the beach.” Nozel admitted as he looked away from her.

Vanessa stared at him with wide eyes.

“ You don’t?” She asked, and when he shook his head she frowned again. “ Why not?”

“ Because it’s hot, the sand is gritty and annoying, and all of the…nudity.”

“ The nudity?”

Nozel nodded, and his head suddenly snapped in her direction when he began to hear her stifle her giggles.

“ What, have you only ever been to a nude beach or something?” She asked after having regained her composure.

He stared at her, his confusion bubbling to the surface again.

“ A nude beach?” He asked, and she nodded.

“ Yeah, it’s a specific beach where swimsuits aren’t required, I’ve even been to a few before.” Vanessa replied as she crossed her arms lazily.

Nozel blinked a few times as his facial expression went from confused to surprised.

“ You mean not all beaches are like that?!”

It was Vanessa’s turn to be surprised and slightly confused.

“ Um, no?”

“ Oh…” And with that, Nozel’s face turned bright red from embarrassment, and that was when Vanessa lost her entire composure.

Just the thought of Nozel being at a nude beach amused her, but him thinking that all beaches were like that tickled her even more!

No wonder he didn’t like the nudity at beaches!

Vanessa reached out, linked their arms together, and began to drag him down the street towards a swimsuit shop.

“ C’mon, let’s get you a swimsuit and take you to a… less nude beach.” She told him with a chuckle.

She heard Nozel grumble behind her, but ignored it and led him into the shop.

For the next hour and a half Vanessa made him try on multiple different types of swim trunks, until he finally settled on a pair of silver and white shorts that reached his knees and a white, long sleeved rash-guard.

“ Do you want some socks to wear with your sandals so you don’t get sand on your feet?” She asked, her tone partially teasing but also partially genuine because he had mentioned not liking the grittiness of sand.

Nozel quickly shook his head.

“ I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” He replied before clearing his throat as he subtly gestured towards his outfit. “ But what do you think?”

He watched her place a hand under her chin as she hummed.

“ I think…you look really cute!” She finally said with a warm smile, her gaze approving as she looked her boyfriend up and down.

Nozel smiled a bit at her words, happy to hear that she liked his outfit and that she thought he was cute.

“ What about mine? Do you like it?” Vanessa asked as she removed her swimsuit cover.

He felt his heart start to race as his face heated up as he stared at her; she was wearing a wine red, two piece swimsuit that left little to the imagination, but it was totally her style. She looked beautiful in it, and apparently he wasn’t the only one who thought so, given how the other men in the store stared at her.

He was tempted to wrap her up in his arms and use his body to obscure her from the other mens view, but he stopped himself since he didn’t want to embarrass her.

“ I…like it. You look really good in it.” Nozel told her as his gaze shifted away slightly.

Vanessa smirked, knowing full well that what he meant was that she looked really, really good in her swimsuit.

She walked over to him, ripped off the price tags, and proceeded to walk over to the cashier to pay for their swimsuits.

As she stood at the counter her smirk widened; Nozel had secretly moved to stand behind her, using his body to try and hide her’s from the other men in the store.

“ Aw, he’s so cute when he’s jealous and protective.”

After the couple left the store they immediately headed for the beach, where the two walked along the shore and talked about the latest missions they had been on, how their squads were doing, and other such things.

As they walked, Vanessa noticed that Nozel kept staring at the sand when she wasn’t speaking, and at first she was a bit confused, but then it dawned on her: he was looking for seashells!

“ Want some help?” She suddenly asked, making his head snap up and turn in her direction.

“ What?”

“ Looking for seashells, do you want some help?” She repeated, a warm smile appearing on her face as she looked at him.

Nozel blinked in surprise before nodding, and they began to look for seashells together.

However, every time Vanessa picked one up and showed it to him he would just shake his head; it happened over and over again, until eventually she began to grow annoyed with him.

He’s even picky with seashells!

“ Is there a particular one you’re looking for, or…?” She trailed off as she turned around to face him, and when she did she saw him crouched down on the ground.

“ I was looking for a matching set.” He explained as he began to dig something up out of the sand.

“ A matching set? Why?” Vanessa repeated with a frown as he stood back up and began to walk over to her with something in his hands.

“ Because…there was an old tale my mother used to tell me when I was young; it said that if you find a matching set of seashells, and you give one to your lover while keeping one for yourself then you’ll be together forever and you’ll be able to weather any storm that comes your way.” He explained as he opened his hand to reveal a pair of matching seashells.

Vanessa felt her heart fill with warmth at his story and at seeing the shells in his hand; it meant so much to her that he would tell her this story, and it meant even more that he wanted to give her the other shell.

“ Nozel…” She trailed off as he placed it into the palm over her hand, her words failing her as she stared down at the precious item.

“ It’s just a story, but I thought since we’re at the beach…it couldn’t hurt to look.” He muttered, his eyes shifting away from her in embarrassment.

It was silly, very silly, but he just…couldn’t help himself.

Vanessa walked up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him into a sweet and tender kiss, which Nozel gladly reciprocated.

When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against his and smiled.

“ Thank you, Nozel, I love it.”

Nozel smiled softly, and wrapped his arms gently around her waist.

“ I should be the one thanking you,” He told her. “ For choosing me, for being with me, for loving me and all of my flaws.”

Vanessa’s smile widened slightly before she leaned forward and kissed him again.

“ Likewise.”

—————

“My friend said it was quite the riot,” Vanessa giggled. 

She was just finishing telling Nozel a little piece of gossip she had heard recently. They were walking together in a forest far removed from any patrol routes. It would be unlikely that anyone would come looking for them here or stumble across them. They had specifically even avoided the forest path to not be seen. 

“You could say so,” Nozel said coldly.

He never was one for gossip, so Vanessa couldn’t blame him for seeming disinterested. The gossip itself had to do with a pair of nobles that had entered in their drunken stupor a tavern inhabited by commoners, and made quite a scene. The Knights had had to intervene. As always, Nozel detested any nobles that made a ruckus like that, and his distaste for the story showed itself very plainly. There was no helping that. She still knew he listened, and he never interrupted her when they were together like this. He was almost always patient with her stories, even if they didn’t interest him. It was very sweet. 

“Come now, sugar. It’s a little bit funny, at least,” Vanessa coaxed him. 

He gave her a wry look, but there was no disapprovement in it. 

“The fact that nobles have sullied their names doesn’t bring me joy,” he simply stated. 

“You say that, but I saw you smile when I told you about the incident at the Bulls–”

“No,” Nozel interrupted, but Vanessa could see the faint signs of embarrassment on his face. 

He was not a very expressive man, but it made it even more fun to decipher the small miniscule expressions he did make. He was so guarded and so vulnerable at the same time.

“Your smile is very handsome, sweetheart,” Vanessa teased him. “I’d like to see it again.”

Nozel’s gaze upon her might have seemed cold, but there was something indescribable in it. It was not a flustered expression, it was not a challenge. Perhaps the best word for it was ‘passion’. It was sweet, just like the faint twitch of the corner of his mouth.

Suddenly, a branch cracked somewhere. They both turned around, surprised, trying to figure out where the sound had come from. They were wary about being seen together. It would bring so much trouble. It would be embarrassing for Vanessa to try to explain this to everyone. Especially if it was Noelle…

“It was probably an animal,” she suggested, but she had almost subconsciously lowered her voice to almost a whisper.

Nozel hushed her, his eyes scanning the area. They both fell completely quiet. The birds continued their songs, the wind gently hummed amongst the trees. Then, they could hear it again. Steps. Yes, they both could definitely hear steps from ahead of them. 

“Behind the tree,” Nozel whispered, grasping her wrist.

Vanessa followed as he pulled her gently behind a large tree nearby, pressing her back against the bark. Nozel didn’t let go of her wrist, but leaned closer to hide behind the tree himself. The situation was a little amusing to Vanessa - if someone found them like this, they’d definitely know that the two of them were in a relationship. There was no other reason for a man like Nozel to push her against a tree. Finding the thought hilarious, Vanessa suppressed the giggle and instead wrapped her arms around Nozel, pulling him - if possible - even closer. He seemed to resist it at first, but as the steps became louder, that resistance melted away. She smiled with satisfaction. She could clearly see the slight flush on Nozel’s cheeks as they were closer to each other. Even in this situation, he couldn’t help but try to be ‘proper’. She could smell his perfume, strong and alluring. She winked at Nozel as he looked at her for a moment, but that gaze was quickly redirected at the woods. Buzzkill. Vanessa turned a little to try to peek behind her. She wanted to also know who their mystery visitor was. Nozel pressed his hand gently on her shoulder, trying to keep her still. Still, she got a glimpse of the short figure. Enough to recognize their unfortunate intruder. 

“Oh, it’s–” Vanessa started, but suddenly a rough hand passed over her mouth, muffling her words.

Nozel’s eyes were wide with alarm, and he pressed even closer to her. They both held their breath, as if that would remove the words that Vanessa had begun to say. After a momentary silence, a voice called out from between the trees. 

“Is there someone there?”

Vanessa would have wanted to answer, but the alarm in Nozel’s eyes stopped her. Well, so did his hand on her mouth. She once more smiled a little. The steps started coming closer. This would be the end. Their intruder was Charmy, of all people, and she’d definitely tell everyone at the base. Perhaps she could be persuaded with food to not speak? Still, even one slip-up would mean everyone would know. The Bulls were all good people and wouldn’t make a fuss about it, but she wasn’t ready for them to know. Nozel wasn’t ready for them to know. Well, maybe he’d never be ready for the Bulls to know. 

“Hello?” Charmy’s voice called again, full of doubt.

It was very close now, and Nozel pressed even closer to her. He really could’ve taken that hand from her mouth already. It was a little uncomfortable. The seconds felt like minutes as they waited. Then, the steps moved again. There was a sigh. Perhaps Charmy had given up, but neither Vanessa or Nozel dared to move yet. They waited patiently for the sounds to disappear completely.

After a good while had passed from Charmy’s disappearance, Vanessa dared to breathe a sigh of relief. She looked thoughtfully at Nozel. He was still tense and wary, his gaze fixed to the direction Charmy had disappeared to. He wasn’t still certain she had disappeared, clearly. His hand over her mouth started to be a little too stuffy and uncomfortable.

“Nozel,” Vanessa muttered through the hand.

“Shh,” he only whispered, still jumpy.

Alright, that was too much for her. It was really his fault by now. She could only do what she knew would make Nozel take off his hand: Vanessa stuck out her tongue and licked it. Just like she had thought, Nozel immediately withdrew his hand, going as far as to step away from her. 

“What–?” he whispered angrily. 

Vanessa smiled innocently to him and simply put a finger to her lips.

“Shh.”

She loved how his eyes narrowed at her display, how it was clear that his attention had shifted back to her. His thoughts were no longer fully in Charmy’s appearance.

“She’s gone already,” Vanessa said finally. “It’s just us.”

“You shouldn’t lick people’s–my–you shouldn’t have done that.”

There was a slight tremble in his voice, speaking of the agitation inside him. She loved to agitate him. For a man that had such perfect control of his facial expressions, it was sometimes frightfully easy to make him flustered. She walked closer to him.

“I’m so sorry, milord,” she said with a wicked smile that didn’t have a drop of regret in it. “I couldn’t speak with your hand over my mouth, so it was the only way.”

Nozel sighed and looked away. 

“Don’t call me that in private,” he said silently.

“I’m just teasing you,” Vanessa laughed, taking hold of Nozel’s hands.

He allowed it easily, stepping a bit closer to her as well. 

“Kiss me, and let’s continue our walk,” she suggested, looking up to his handsome eyes.

Nozel, still trying to compose himself, simply grunted. It wasn’t very romantic, but it was adorable to Vanessa. Perhaps it was because he was often so in control, that she loved to see him a little agitated. She leaned in, and he kissed her softly. His hand left hers to cup her cheek ever so slightly.  

“Let’s go,” he whispered against her lips.

She stole one more kiss, before turning back towards the forest.

• Nozel would be pretty nervous for his first date with Vanessa, but he wouldn’t let anyone else see or sense it. Instead he would be the perfect picture of “calmness”.

• Vanessa, on the other hand, would be very calm. But she would also be very excited since she was looking forward to this all week!

• Nozel and Vanessa would both agree to meet at the restaurant so that way they could avoid any awkwardness from the Black Bulls or the Silver Eagles.

• Nozel would either be early or on time, while Vanessa would be on time to maybe 5 minutes late!

• The restaurant they would decide on would be something that would suit both their tastes; it would have a nice wine selection and be cozy for Vanessa, but it would also be high quality and suited for a royal for Nozel.

• The two would be in a private area, and at first Nozel would be a bit awkward since he doesn’t really date or go out much. Meanwhile Vanessa would be relaxed, and would naturally guide the conversation to topics that interested both of them throughout the evening.

• As the night would go on Nozel would gradually become more and more at ease, and would find himself enjoying the night a lot more than he first thought he would. Especially getting to know about Vanessa.

• Vanessa would also find herself enjoying the evening, she would be pleasantly surprised to see Nozel loosening up and showing more of his true and more relaxed side. But she would really enjoy getting to know him, and loved to see that he wasn’t always a “stick in the mud”!

• As the night came to a close and the two would go to part, they would both find that they didn’t want the evening to end. But due to them both having missions the next day, they had no choice but to end it early.

• Nozel would offer to take Vanessa back to the Hideout, but she would politely decline, saying that she was a “big girl” and could watch out for herself. Instead, she would suggest that they meet at this same restaurant again next weekend, and maybe then he could walk her home. Nozel would be surprised that she would want to see him again, but would also agree to her idea.