acontritemess | Crossing Paths

[Freya laughs, her fingers lacing through her hair as she pushes the blond mass over her shoulder. As she moves the humming bird tattoo behind her ear comes into view.]

Don't you mean that you don't have plans to?

[Her voice is light, teasing and maybe a little bit flirty.]

[He laughs, self-deprecating this time, and looks down.]

Yeah, of course. That one.

[The bell above the door chimes and Kevin looks up, smiling when he sees it's Nick come to relieve him.

Nick is an unassuming man with a graying beard and wearing a frown now that he takes a look around.]

Something came up, huh?

[Kevin has nothing but smiles for the guy.] Absolutely, man!

I thought your brother was in town.

[Kevin nods, looking to Freya for a moment.] Give me just a second. [Before joining Nick behind the counter.] Look, man. I never skip out on work and I wanna show her around town. Don't give me shit about this, alright?

[Nick shakes his head but waves him away.] Yeah yeah, but you owe me.

I totally owe you.

[And he rejoins Freya.] Ready to get out of here?

[Freya's head turns at the sound of the bell, her lips forming into a warm smile. She waits for Kevin to finish up before speaking.]

Of course. Where to first?

[She follows at his side, her shoulder brushing lightly against his.]

[Once they leave the shop, he looks around.]

Well, there's the lake.

[Freya looks up where the sun has slowly begins to make it's way away from the apex of the bright blue sky.]

Sure! It's a good time of day for it.

[They'd be able to see it in the light and if they were lucky, as the sun set. Though Freya doesn't know when the sunsets around here. It could be 6pm but it could also be 8pm.]

Which way?

[Now that they are out of the store she slips up next to him, not bothered by the fact that she's a foot shorter than him.]

[There's something about the way she moves and the way she smells that makes him have a difficult time taking his eyes off of her, but as they walk down the sidewalk in the direction of the pier, he finally forces his gaze forward again.]

Right this way. It's not far.

Not far as in a 5 to 10 min walk or not far as in we need to find a way to stash our clothes?

[She gives Kevin a smile, her voice remaining light and teasing. She's used to talk to males who were uncomfortable around her. It's a male thing but this is the first time someone has had as much trouble as Kevin.

She wonders if this is what her mother describe. It's sort of cute, the way he's acting.]

[His breath caught for a moment at the mention of their clothes and he swallows in order to find his voice again.]

Uh...five or ten minutes.

[A bright musical laugh issues from Freya's lips.]

So where are you taking me?

[He smiles, both at the sound of her laugh, which he's sure he'll never forget, and at the question.]

The beach. I bet you've never seen anything like it.

Are you sure?

[She teased lightly.]

I've seen a lot of beaches. In fact, I've been to a lot of places. I bet you can't name my favorite beach. [Mostly because they just met and Freya hasn't told him that she's left the country.]

[He laughs.]

I can tell you what your favorite beach is going to be.

[Freya can't help but smile at him.]

Oh? Why so confident?

[That confidence is hot...]

[He smiles.]

Because I've seen postcards, and I can say with certainty that my beach is the best damned beach in the world.

[Freya just stares at him, her lips tugging into a wider smile.]

You're setting my expectations pretty high. This is your last chance to correct that.

[He's adorable and she's finding that she might want to stay longer than just a week.]

[He continues to smile.]

I don't think it needs correcting. When you see the lighthouse, I'll let you decide.

[Freya is a little excited, she feels electricity at her finger tips as a little hop is added to her step.]

I can't wait.

[Her stormy gray eyes turn away from Kevin and gaze out in front of them. She looks for the light house, perhaps a little too eager.]

[As they round a winding corner, the scent of fresh water becomes much more apparent and the lighthouse in question can be seen on a small island off in the distance.

Smiling at how adorable she is, he looks over to her.]

So?

[Freya's eyes widens at the sight that spans before them. Thousands of colorful rocks line the shore while clear water curls lovingly against the coast. The light house is old and with it rings a sort of history that is usually experienced in books.

Her lips parted as she inhaled the sweet crisp scent of the water. She is smiling but nothing compares to the wonder reflected in her gaze.]

I might have to concede defeat.

[Her voice is breathless as she tears her eyes away from the scene and towards Kevin.]

I love it.

[It's just as amazing as he said but with the smell and the sting of the cold air it feels even more perfect. It reminds her a little bit of home and while the memory stings with it also comes warmth and comfort. That notion alone terrifies Freya and she quickly pushes the thought away.]

[He continues to smile, though proudly now. She likes his beach. The thrill is short-lived, at least on the inside, though. The female loves his beach, sure, but it's a female he's wronged more than she even realizes.

He takes a deep breath.]

Ever seen anything like it?

[This beach was honestly why he'd ended up claiming the region. He wasn't exactly Mister Outdoors, but nature was an instinctual part of him. He'd fallen in love with the place as much as Freya had, as soon as he'd seen it.]

No, not exactly like it.

[She laughs sheepishly, her fingers running through long locks of blonde hair. She pulls her eyes from Kevin and stares at the scene as if to memorize it.]

It's odd really... [It's such a nostalgic feeling.]

I've seen [She smiles at the memory.] beautiful beaches. My favorite was in France but... [Freya takes a step onto the rocks, making her way to the shore like.] I think I like this best.

These rocks... do you know what they are?

[She has an interest in material science engineering and judging by the colors and texture it might be a type of sand rock though she can't say for sure.]

[She smiles, glad she likes it. He lets her move closer to the beach, lagging behind as he watches her. He wants to follow her, but a small voice tells him this is impossible. How could she accept what he'd done, what they'd done?]

They're agate. I looked it up.

[Freya crouches down and picks up one of the smooth round stones. She looks up at Kevin, blonde hair spilling over her shoulder as she beams up at him.]

They're beautiful. Can I have one?

[She holds up the small rock to show him what she's planning to take with her.]

[Kevin blinks for a moment, looking from her to the stone she held.

Oh. She asked a question.]

You can have as many as you want.

[This is what being alone forever feels like, he's sure of it. And he's also sure, no matter what she asked, he'd never be able to tell her no.]

[She laughs softly.]

Just this one.

[Freya shrugs her back from her shoulder and slips the rock inside. Leaving her backpack on the pebbly beach she stands looking over at a small island to their left.]

Want to go for a swim? We can go out to that cute little island?

[She starts slipping of her shoes and socks to prep for the trip into the water.]

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