Where are you now? //Tristan//

[Keara Sonnet]

Sulking was never a good look for a vampire, and Keara was most definitely included on that list. She should be happy, considering her work duties had been nearly eliminated with the return of her partner-in-crime to Der Keller. However, one thing still plagued her mind. She was lonely. Her meeting with Damien had been more than enough to keep her happy for a few hours afterwards, but she still was missing something. “What the hell is wrong with me?” she questioned herself before falling back onto the sand. She had decided to visit Ilfracombe, a place where she had only been possibly twice in her past. The beach was a new thing for her, however. She was never one for getting sand in between her toes but on this occasion, it was nice to get out into the fresh air. Her sunglasses rim glinted in the sun, the only accessory to her black and white striped bikini. Though vampires did not go into the sun with fear of burning to a crisp, Keara was one of the few with access to the secret to sunbathing. She took full advantage of it though no matter how hard she tried, she was still pale as a ghost.

Thank Merlin for the power of magic, however. She was able to give herself a slight tan with a spell, making it so she didn’t actually look dead on the beach. However, despite how hot she knew she looked and how the few men that walked by couldn’t keep their eyes off her, nothing could clear her mind. “He’s just a man. Not even a vampire. Just a human.” That didn’t help either. Letting out a frustrated groan, Keara sat up and curled her legs into her chest, sand covering her back, legs and arms. Ever since she met Tristan that one night, she couldn’t get him off her mind. There was literally no human in the world that affected her this much. “Okay, that’s a lie,” she muttered to herself. Damien had been the only other human in history who had ensnared her senses enough to keep her mind on him for weeks. However, their relationship was much different than the one she was hoping to have with Tristan. She and Damien were an exception in any way possible and that was what made their relationship work so well. A grin crept across her lips as she thought of their meeting only a few days before. She loved the bloke no matter what people said about vampires having no feelings. She could act human all she wanted and if she acted human, she could act like she loved someone. Damien was the closest she would get.

Keara was one of the oddest vampires a person could ever meet and that was the truth. Being born from two vampires was a near impossibility and in turn, everything else about her was an exception. She was not as evil as other vampires and actually only enjoyed killing because that was her only way to survive. If she had her way, she wouldn’t kill anyone but the hunger for the hunt made her into what she was. She also wanted to feel like a human would so she would pretend that she actually did. That included pretending she knew what love was. In her mind, she wasn’t really pretending but she knew that without a living organ in her body, it was impossible for her to actually love. That didn’t mean she couldn’t try. The other odd thing about her, when she set her mind to something, she became obsessed. That could be part of the reason she couldn’t get Tristan off her mind. At the bar she had all intentions of meeting him again and since it hadn’t happened, maybe she was just obsessing over finishing what she had started?

Becoming fed up with sitting there on her own, she stood up from where she sat, grains of sand falling off of her as she jogged into the water, diving underneath and staying there for a few minutes. The waves crashed down on top of the water but she was safe underneath. She let the air from her mouth escape, not needing it to survive under the water. The salt water filled her mouth but she tasted nothing. After about two minutes of being underwater, she surfaced and made her way back to the beach, pushing her hair back. The water ran down her back as she casted an enchantment on the sand, ensuring that she wouldn’t get anymore stuck to her after she just washed it all off. She laid down, her back to the sun and her head on her hands. “Get your mind off him, damnit…” she muttered, trying to think about something else. He said he would get back to her when he wasn’t busy and she had yet to hear anything so did that mean he didn’t want anything to do with her? Or was he just busy? She hoped it was the latter. Her hope was that she would hear something from him soon, just saying that he got tied up.

[Deleted]

Thank Merlin the week was nearly over. Since arriving in Ilfracombe at the beginning of it, what seemed like twenty hours out of the day was spent at the Barberus Bragge Quidditch Pitch. Tristan had been sent to the island to scout for recruits for Austria’s national Quidditch team in the World Cup. It was up to him and four others to select which males or females had what it took to make the cut. Austria had a notable reputation for having some of the best Quidditch players in the world. However, he had yet to see any of them out on the practice field. Out of the several hundred that had come to tryout, he had selected three that had been the only ones to show signs of actual potential. Everyone else lacked the ability to notice their surroundings. Forty five had already been sent to St. Everdines for bludger related injuries. Seventeen for fighting with fellow candidates. Two in critical condition from falling several hundred feet out of the sky. The event was shaping out to be more of a disaster then it was beneficial. Tristan had only spoken to his fellow scouters a few times, but they had all agreed that foreign help might be needed if things didn’t turn around by the next two days.

The itch to be up in the sky had returned. Coincidentally, this day was Keeper tryouts. Tristan longed to be up in the air alongside the candidates. He could have cared less if he was the one being judged for the team. He just wanted to fly. It had been so long since he had gotten to join in on a pick-up game. The Ministry had been taking up all of his time. This year in particular it seemed like he couldn’t even have a day off. Owls would flood his apartment at Brixton Courts with posts mainly related to the World Cup. When he had taken the job, Tristan had assumed there would be a separation of work and play. The Ministry apparently hadn’t been aware of that. Countless times he had found himself sitting in his makeshift office in his dining room going over contracts that could have undoubtedly been saved for his next work day. The officials in Bulgaria were particularly annoying. They had to know everything he was doing and where he was in his in the tasks they had sent for him that day. He recalled one day in which they had sent him ten separate messages asking if he had reviewed their team robe colors and if he approved. This job was the bane of his existence sometimes.

As his eyes focused back into the sky, Tristan felt a pang of disappointment. He wanted nothing more than to drop his clipboard, steal a broom and go soaring through air. He wanted to yell, “Let’s just play!” And have everyone drop what they were doing to start one big Quidditch game. He knew that would never happen. Tristan had frequently wallowed himself in his own self-pity. He had chosen this life for himself. He wasn’t stupid. However, if he could go about doing things differently, he may have. It could have been possible to be a world renowned Quidditch keeper and an Auror, couldn’t it? Tristan had pondered the thought for many years now. Unfortunately, the work at the Ministry never quite allowed him the chance to go out and do it. In these times, he couldn’t afford to be jobless while he went after his goal. Tristan was the type who couldn’t just sit around and not do anything. As much as he complained about all the paperwork, at least it gave him something to do.

The ref’s whistle sounded, indicating that it was time for the morning break. This meant that he would at least have two hours to himself to sort out his thoughts. He would need it to get back in the scouting state of mind. Locking his clipboard in the temporary safe that had been resurrected Tristan rolled up the sleeves of his long, black plaid shirt and began walking out of the stadium. Another good thing about the scouting had been that it was in Ilfracombe. From the time he was in school, he had always enjoyed coming to the island. The resort offered him everything he was looking to do and there was always something going on the island period. It was during his recent time here that Tristan had noticed the newly constructed condominiums for anyone who sought the better things in life. He had decided to look into it. His home at Brixton Courts was beginning to get a bit stifling and he had been there since graduating Galaxia. It was time for a change. The previous day he had filled out an application. The cost of living there was high, but thankfully his job would be able to cover the rent. He eagerly anticipated hearing back from the office. The condominiums seemed like the place he needed to be at right now. As much as he would have loved to be back at home, he figured that if he kept his residence in Austria it would show his dedication to his job, both of them.

Shoving his hands into his pockets Tristan let his feet carry him to the waterfront. He had explored nearly every nook and cranny of the island except for the beach. He reached the coastline within a few minutes. He was thankful he had chosen to go casual and wear his flip-flops today given that the sand kept flying with every step he took. He walked along the waterline for a few minutes, taking in the sight of the scantily clad beauties laying out for a tan. He grinned as several of them propped themselves up to look at him as he walked by. Tristan had never been an arrogant man, but he couldn’t deny the satisfaction he got from the interest that attractive women showed him. It took several more minutes, but as his eyes scanned the water, he saw her. Tristan stopped in his tracks as the witch he had met nearly two weeks ago wading out of the tide, water dripping from the most eye-catching places. He felt his mouth drop open. It could have been due to the tiny black and white bikini, but she looked more beautiful then when he had seen her last. He watched as she pushed her hair back and made her way to her towel on the sand.

Guilt overcame him. The last time he had spoken to her, Tristan had promised to send a post for them to meet again. The post had never been written. It was after that meeting that Wentworth had shown up and ruined his life. He had been given a week’s suspension without pay. Somehow, the world cup contracts still managed to find their way to his apartment. No matter how many letters he ripped up and threw into his fireplace, they kept coming. When his suspension had been lifted Tristan had returned to work for even more paperwork and disarray within the magical sports and games department that needed his attention. In the midst of everything that had happened, he had completely forgotten about his promise that he had made to Keara. Tristan was a man of his word, so the fact that he had forgotten about what he had promised to the sultry witch cut him deep. Hopefully she wouldn’t hold it against him. He wouldn’t be able to blame her if she didn’t though.

Taking the steps to close the distance between them Tristan was nervous as he finally approached her. He had dealt with the wrath of many witches before her. He had no idea what to expect from the one laying down. As he finally reached her side, he took one hand from his pocket and ran it through his hair. “How’s the water today?”

[Keara Sonnet]

Keara’s eyes closed as she laid her head down sideways, smelling the salty air around her. She had to figure something out to get her mind off of Tristan. Damien had done a spectacular job of doing that the other day, but he wasn’t here now. Granted, she could always call him. He was really good with showing up when she was half naked. As she began to think of the other night, an image of Tristan popped in her mind. If she had been human, she was sure she would be feeling awfully guilty right about now. She had met Tristan and even agreed to have a future interaction with him only to have a public display of affection with Damien days later? I shouldn’t feel bad, she thought to herself. It’s not like we’re together or anything. Drinks doesn’t mean a relationship. It means the start to one. Her thoughts put her at ease. She began to listen to the things happening around her. Kids were playing down at the waterside, their parents not too far away, warning them not to go in too deep. There were plenty of groups of teenagers around the beach, gossiping about recent events. With school out, she wasn’t surprised most of them were here. It was where she would be if she were still at Hogwarts. Plenty of footsteps were around her, and even some right next to her.

“How’s the water today?” Keara’s heart would have skipped a beat if it had ever had a heartbeat in the first place. Her eyes shot open. Did she honestly hear that or was it just her hallucinating? For a second, she thought about it before turning her head towards the direction of the voice and looking up. Through her shades she could see Tristan’s figure. He was nowhere near dressed for the beach, making her wonder what the hell he was doing here. Was he stalking her? Please don’t tell me I’ve been wanting to see a stalker this whole time, she thought to herself once more. He wasn’t that type of guy, though. She would have figured that out the first time they met. It just happened to be some odd coincidence.

A smile tried to creep across her face but she wouldn’t let it. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing she was happy to see him. “Just the same as it usually is,” she commented, pushing herself up and into a sitting position. “And who might you be? Because I swear I’ve seen your face before. However, it’s been so long I’m not quite sure if I remember you correctly.” There was no way Keara was going to let him off easy with this one. He had kept her waiting for him and that was just not acceptable. If it had been any other guy, she was pretty sure she would kill them on the spot for not contacting her when they said they would. Why was Tristan so different? She began to wonder if maybe he was actually a vampire and she just didn’t know it. That was the only way she could even think to justify the attraction. Though there was no way he would be able to be around her without giving off some sort of vampire scent.

“So tell me, what’s the excuse? And it better be pretty good because I’ve heard all of them in the past. I’m not one to just let a guy off of his word for any old story.”

[Deleted]

Tristan smiled down at Keara as she noticed him. Merlin she looked beautiful. Inappropriate thoughts raced through his mind as he saw the muscles in her toned physique ripple as she got up. He preferred looking at her in this way. He kept his eyes fixated on her face as she propped herself up to a sitting position. Her expression hadn’t changed in the slightest. His smile turned to a frown. She looked pissed. Sighing, he scratched at the back of his head. He had hoped their next meeting wouldn’t be awkward, but he was sorely mistaken. Keara was clearly upset about him leaving her hanging. Tristan felt ashamed of himself. He should have known better. Attractive witches like her never took kindly to males stringing them along. To them, it should have been the opposite. Keara hadn’t seemed the type to be full of herself around him. During their first meeting, she had been warm and kind to him. Even offering to pay for a portion of his drinks. Girls with too much self-confidence didn’t even dream of doing that. It was all about them or nothing at all. Tristan had dated enough of them to know their in and outs. Maybe she was different to other blokes, but to him she had been perfect.

The tone in her voice confirmed his thoughts. Running the same hand down his face Tristan shrugged his shoulders. Even though she sounded upset, there didn’t appear to be any tension in the air. He briefly wondered if she was just playing around with him. He dared not to question her. Tristan had been victim to plenty of female mind games. They had sounded like they were just messing with him, so he called them out on it, then he got something thrown or hit in his face. He had enough stress on his plate with the Austria Quidditch team tryouts to worry about nursing a bruised cheekbone for the duration of his stay on Ilfracombe. Plus he wasn’t up to answering questions about what had caused the sudden discoloration. “Haven’t been down here in awhile,” he responded, trying his best to keep the mood from deteriorating, “so I don’t know what the temperature usually is. Looks like it’s not too bad though if you’ve jumped in.” She said nothing in response. This was going to be worse than he expected.

She took the liberty of calling him out for his lack of communication. Tristan knew he deserved it. It wouldn’t have killed him to send her a post to let her know how busy his schedule had been lately. Then again, he would have had to remember doing it in the first place. Merlin that job managed to get the best of him. How it continuously did it he had no idea. It was becoming quite the disruption in his life, but he had no choice to endure it. It wasn’t like he had anything else going on. The Ministry still hadn’t sent him any word of his Auror status. No surprise fieldwork missions had been waiting for him on his desk in the mornings. Whether he liked it or not, Tristan was stuck. If Keara let him get any word in, he would have to inform her again of his time-consuming job. If she wished to progress whatever relationship he thought they had, she would have to accept that he couldn’t always be there when she called. One thing was for sure though. If she accepted his inevitable apology, he would do everything within his power to make time for her when she asked for it. It would be the least he could do for disappointing her. Tristan hated disappointing women.

“Yeah,” he finally started, pushing his hand back into his right jean pocket, “that was my fault. I’m really sorry. The Ministry forces its workers to keep their social time on the back burner. Remember how I told you that I barely had a day off? In the past couple of weeks, I’ve had one full day where I wasn’t bothered by this one or forced to do something for that one.” He paused for a minute, letting everything he said sink in. Maybe forcing her to have pity on him would ease her irritation. “I am genuinely sorry for not posting you when I told you I would Keara. I wish I could tell you that I’ve been busy saving lives or the world, but I’ve just been stuck behind my desk signing my name to any paper thrown in my way.” Looking out towards the direction of the Quidditch pitch, he nodded at it. “This is the first time they’ve let me out to stretch my legs. I’ve been here all week.” Lowering himself down to her level Tristan kept himself balanced from his ankles. “Hope I haven’t done enough damage for you to accept my apology.” He really hoped he hadn’t.

[Keara Sonnet]

Keara turned her head slightly to the side as she looked up at him through her dark shades. He towered over her, but that was not hard to do. The vampire only stood at five feet, three inches. Though she obviously had a petite frame, very few people knew what actually existed beneath that layer of skin. Most men found it odd that she could easily overpower her and when she was a kid, she didn’t know any better. On multiple occasions, boys that happened to be on the receiving end of her brute strength often though she was using a spell to make herself stronger. Either that or they believed she was on some type of steroids. If only they knew. As she got older, she understood how to hold herself back but there was nothing that could hide them from being able to feel her muscles. However, that she didn’t mind so much. As long as she didn’t show them her actual abilities, she let them believe whatever they wanted about how she obtained her muscle structure. The possibilities were endless.

The features on Tristan’s face as she spoke were all she really needed to know that he felt terrible about everything. He began by trying to make small talk, but it had become obvious that he knew that wasn’t going to work. Talking about the ocean was not going to get him off the hook and he knew it. Her eyes narrowed behind her sunglasses as he changed the conversation to his reason for not contacting her. That was exactly what she was looking for and she was not going to accept an answer that was not even relatively believable. However, by the time he got his point across, Keara allowed her smile to be visible on her face. He came down to her level, making it all the more interesting. A man was always more sincere when he came down face to face with the female he was talking to. It showed that he actually cared about what she thought. He actually gave a damn.

“I’m pretty sure the damage done isn’t something that can’t be reversed,” she commented. Scooting to the side of her towel, she patted the spot next to her. “Take a seat.” She grinned before leaning back and propping herself up with her hands in the sand. Her eyes scanned the clear blue sky. “If there’s anyone in the world that can even remotely understand what you’re going through, I’m pretty sure that’d be me,” she added, turning her attention back to him. “So, with that, apology accepted.” One of her playful smiles flashed across her face as turned her attention back to the sky. The day was bright and the warmth of the sun on her skin was a change from the normal coldness she usually felt. She welcomed it with open arms, glad that now it wasn’t the only thing to keep her company. Somehow, her hopes had not been dashed for once. He had found her somehow someway.

“Now the question is what do we do before you have to go back up to that pitch?” She grinned slyly before taking her eyes off of the sky and sitting up, turning her body to face him as her legs were crossed Indian style. “Because honestly, I don’t think sitting on the beach with me is the best way to spend your momentary time off. I’m quite sure we can find other options.”

[Deleted]

As he awaited her response Tristan rocked on his heels and looked out across the water. If she accepted his apology, she was going to make his break more enjoyable that he could have imagined. Even if all they did was sit together on the beach watching the waves roll back and forth, he’d be content. Tristan wasn’t a man who needed bedroom escapades to make him happy. While they made time more pleasurable, he was just as satisfied spending time with a girl he was interested in. He was curious what she was like when it came to spending time with a man. She didn’t seem to be overly aggressive. However, that strut she had in her step when she had entered Mirage Lounge oozed confidence. She was probably very domineering. Tristan didn’t have a problem with a woman like that. As long as he was able to get some time to do what he was good at, then he was golden. He realized he was getting ahead of himself. He was anticipating an outcome that may not even happen. The next few seconds would be crucial in knowing whether or not to stay or get up and find some other way to amuse himself for two hours. Tristan hoped for the former. A beautiful witch was better than looking like a lonely man walking on the beach.

He smiled as she scooted over to allow him space on her towel. His apology had been accepted. He figured that she was probably playing around with him this whole time. He wouldn’t hold it against her. Lowering himself to the towel Tristan took his seat next to Keara, nudging her playfully with his shoulder once he was settled in. He had forgotten that Keara had her own work demons she dealt with. When she mentioned them, he knew that all had been forgiven and a clean slate was in front of them. “Regardless, I’m much happier now that you’ve accepted my apology. You’ve made my day better in a matter of seconds.” Tristan was grateful her quick acceptance. Even more so for the smile perched on her face. Her smile was his favorite part about her, well what he knew of anyway. Hopefully the day would bring more insight into the mysterious woman who intrigued him. Bringing his knees up to her chest, he folded his forearms across the tops of them.

“Now the question is what do we do before you have to go back up to that pitch?” Tristan raised a brow. “Ahh, that is the question isn’t it? What do we do with the time you’ve so graciously allotted us?” Frankly, he didn’t care what it was she chose. He would be appeased no matter what it was. The only thing that he hoped she wouldn’t decide to do was go clothes shopping. Tristan hated it. His idea of shopping was going into a store, buying whatever caught his eyes and leaving. He didn’t walk around and explore. He certainly didn’t waste time trying it on. He wouldn’t bother picking up clothing he didn’t think he would look good in. He also knew what size he was. Trying on clothes was the most pointless thing imaginable. How girls managed to do it for hours was beyond him. “I don’t care what we do, honestly. I imagine we can have a good time whatever it is that we decide to do, don’t you?” Looking over at her, he grinned. “I don’t mind at all if we stay here and people watch. Though, if I have to be honest, you would probably be the only one I’d keep my eyes on. That bikini of yours is very distracting you know.”

[Keara Sonnet]

The sound of the waves crashing onto the beaches drowned out all the other sounds but her and Tristan. Keara allowed her eyes to scan his body quickly before returning back to his face, getting awfully upset that he had so much clothing covering his body. She had yet to see him even partially unclothed. Each time she had met up with him, he had been dressed for a work occasion and it was starting to get slightly upsetting. She was sure hidden underneath those clothes were muscles that she could wash her clothes on. Well, that was if she did laundry, but that was beside the point. She was sure in time she would get to see his abs. Her only hope was that when she did, he didn’t end up being one of those men that were completely unfit. Considering he had mentioned one of his interests was weight lifting, she was sure that wouldn’t be the case. It took all she had not to reach over and rip off his shirt just so she could check and be sure but she wouldn’t do that. That would just be rude.

When he mentioned not caring what they were to do, Keara grinned. She had always seemed to be able to distract men without even trying. First Damien the other day and now Tristan. It was the curse of a vampire to be attractive no matter what situation. Hell, she could probably be covered in mud and a guy wouldn’t care. Actually, that would probably make things only that much worse. “I could always put some clothes on if you think it might be too distracting,” she mentioned with a bit of a grin. She was such a tease. “Well, you’re obviously not dressed to get into the water and I’m quite sure your co-workers would not appreciate you coming back in wet clothes,” she pointed out, running her fingers through her wet hair. If he had been in a swimsuit, that would at least give her some eye candy to look at during their visit, however at this moment, he was the only one that had a treat. She didn’t mind, however. Imagination ruled the world in most scenarios and hers was quite good.

“We always do have the option of just staying right here but I’m not very good at the small talk so I’m sure you might get very bored of me quickly. There also is the boardwalk but I’m not really in the mood to battle the crowds that I’m sure are up there. So your options are, get absolutely soaked with me in the water, or sit here and enjoy my boring company.” She kind of hoped for the first option, knowing full well since he was a wizard, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to change into a more… revealing outfit. Yeah, she was terrible, but what female wouldn’t want to see him without a shirt on? “I vote,” she stood up quickly, “that we go into the water. Who knows, maybe they’ll not want you there in your wet clothes enough to give you the rest of the day off to spend with me!” Her enthusiasm dripped off of every word as she took off her sunglasses and threw them onto the towel, holding out her hand to help him up. She hoped he would take it, giving the two an excuse to get much closer than they already have been. “What do you say?”

[Deleted]

Tristan always enjoyed when a girl could keep up with him. From their first meeting, he knew that Keara would be able to without any real problem. She reassured him of this with her comment about her bathing suit. The last thing he wanted was her to cover up that petite little figure of hers. Shaking his head, he grinned. “That won’t be necessary,” he told her, “I like the look you’ve got going on now.” There was truth in every word. So much, in fact, that Tristan wondered if he could talk her into being bikini-clad every time they managed to meet up. It would make for a much more satisfying experience for him at least. Not that he minded her company in whatever she wore. It was just for his own selfishness. As she referred to his clothes Tristan looked down at them. She was right. He wasn’t dressed very appropriately for the beach. His black paid shirt was like a magnet to the sun. He could feel sweat beads gathering underneath the cloth. He had worn khaki shorts that day so he had that much going for him. Altogether, his outfit wasn’t really appropriate for either occasion. His superiors had come to tryouts in business casual clothing. Tristan had shown up in what he thought was comfortable. Nothing had been said to him, but he had heard the snickering of being unprofessional. He didn’t see what the matter was. He was there, he was doing his job, which he was damn good at if he said so himself, and he wasn’t causing a distraction to the talent. Unlike the Wels bloke who had shown up in neon green robes.

“I don’t think they’re too happy with what I’m wearing anyway,” Tristan told her honestly. “I’m not dressed to the nines in business wear. Heard someone say I’m not representing the Ministry in a colorful light due to my casual dress. I disagree with them though. I feel like an official who looks more like the citizens they’re representing, regardless of the department, is more well liked and trusted by their citizens.” Tristan could only speak from his personal experiences and opinion, but he had noticed how he had a more considerable amount of talent come up to him then his fellow officials. They seemed more interested in his advice then the others who had come with him. Then again, it could have been because he was the only other man who had played Quidditch before in his life. McCullen had played for Ravenclaw’s house team years ago, but had mostly been a reserve. Tristan was fairly certain that the man had played a total of thirty minutes on his team throughout his years at the school. He acted like it anyway. Just the other day he had asked Tristan why so many people were going after the snitch. Tristan had to inform McCullen that they were actually chasing after the quaffle. The man chose to ignore him for the rest of the time afterward.

As Keara begin listing off things to do, Tristan listened patiently. Honestly, none of those things sounded very appealing to him. Small talk was an option, but it didn’t seem very favorable to her. He had told her that it was her choice so he would respect whatever decision she made. He was also particularly happy that she had no desire to venture down to the Boardwalk area. Tristan had attempted the walk earlier in the week, but had been unsuccessful. A minute after stepping foot on the busy strip he had instantly turned around and headed back to the resort. Summertime in Ilfracombe always brought tourists galore. No matter what time of day it was it always seemed packed. He wasn’t a fan of large crowds either. Being shoulder to shoulder with strangers didn’t appeal to him. When she finally decided on the water, he laughed as she excitedly sprung up from her towel and threw her glasses down next to him. Her eyes were so intriguing. Tristan could swear he detected faint traces of red in her irises. He could stare into them all day if she permitted him to. Keara was such a mysterious creature and he wanted to learn everything he could about her.

Using the excuse to feel her skin against his, Tristan took her hand firmly. He was surprised with how easily she seemed to help lift him up. “You’ve got a concealment charm for your muscles I don’t know about?” he asked her playfully. His eyes examined the toned biceps of her arm. Tristan was by no means a light man, but she had made no struggle of indicating that he wasn’t. Dropping her hand from his, his hands went for the buttons of his plaid shirt. He slowly began to unbutton it one button at a time. He hadn’t taken in the water since he had been here. Now was a better time than any to do so. Besides, he was sure Keara probably had a drying spell that he could use on his pants. As he undid the last button, Tristan slid his arms through the shirt and dropped it on top of her glasses. He was thankful he had hit the gym for an hour before practices had started this morning. He enjoyed having women admire his physique. “I think we could play in the water for a bit,” he responded, stepping ahead of her. Extending his hand in her direction, Tristan smiled and motioned for her to take it. “I won’t bite.”

[Keara Sonnet]

The objection to her covering up was what Keara figured would happen. Most men despised when she put on more clothes rather than just taking them off. However, she was definitely not fond of his. He was going to have to take some clothes off to even the playing field. At the mention of the officials at the Quidditch pitch not enjoying the way he was dressing anyways, that gave her all the more reason to want to get him wet. If he made an even worse impression when he returned from his lunch, she could possibly get him kicked out of the tryouts. Then she could have the rest of the day with him. That idea sounded amazing to her. Now it was time to put her plan into motion. When he agreed to take her hand, her grin only got wider. However, she almost let it falter when he mentioned her muscles. Her mind hadn’t even gone that route, thinking of how easily she could give herself away with just one slip up. He was a Ministry worker. She had to keep her calm about her if she was going to keep from getting registered.

At that moment, she regretted even seeing him again. She had done everything possible to keep herself separated from the Ministry after all of this time so she wouldn’t get registered and eventually dissected to find out what made her tick. And here she was, about to go into the water with someone who was directly tied with upper management in the Ministry. She might as well sign the papers stating they can cut her open into a million pieces. However, this wasn’t the first time she had received that comment and she knew in some way she could play it off. “Oh believe me, there’s plenty you don’t know about me. I’ve always been a fitness nut. Just managed to keep my figure at the same time,” she replied, hoping that the explanation would be good enough for now. She would have to play things more carefully from now on. There was no telling if he was the type to turn her in or not so she would have to play it safe until she was sure she could tell him.

The next second, Kea’s eyes were fixed on his abs, being exposed inch by inch as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Damn,” she muttered, biting down on the bottom of her lip. When his shirt hit the towel, she couldn’t help herself. A moment later, her hands were on his abs, taking in every ripple. He made the comment about her muscles but his own were something to be marveled. She was sure that he knew this because most men with his sort of physique knew exactly what they had and they knew how to use it. Damien was probably the most prime example. How did she manage to find probably the two most chiseled men in all of Austria and to have them both wrapped around her finger at that? They made their way up to his neck before she planted her lips directly on top of his.

“I think we could play in the water for a bit.” Keara’s eyes blinked for a second as she came back to reality, the red that had been growing in her iris’ dying back down until they became the black abyss she forced in the presence of those who didn’t know her bloodtrait. For a brief second she had given into a daydream, and one that she actually wished would become reality in the near future. She hoped he didn’t notice her momentary glossy eyes, changing her focus from his abs up to his crystal blue eyes. She could get lost in those eyes. His next comment made her chuckle as she took his outstretched hand. “I’m not sure I would mind if you did.” She grinned at him, the image of her daydream popping back into her head. Merlin, he was going to make it very difficult for her to resist the seductress side of her. A reality check was going to be needed every few minutes to be sure she didn’t nearly attack his lips with her own. Why does he have to be so damn hot?

[Deleted]

Tristan was pleased to hear her comment about being a fitness nut. If it was true, perhaps he’d finally have a companion to join him on his gym outings. Plus it didn’t hurt his image of her at all. Some men didn’t, but he liked a woman who went to the gym. It showed she liked to keep up an appearance and was proud of her body. He couldn’t understand how she wouldn’t be. Her petite frame and china-like skin was assumedly enviably by women. Keara looked like a porcelain doll, which could be broken with the simplest of touch. Tristan was sure that the strength hidden behind those features surprised any who had been exposed to it. He had. “Clearly,” he complimented her, roaming his eyes up and down her figure. Merlin he loved the way she looked in a bathing suit. Though the suit left little to his imagination, he had a sudden urge to pick her up and carry her to the nearest secluded location to see what was underneath himself. His sister’s would have killed him if they were here. ”Be classy about it Tristan. Don’t make a girl feel like the only reason you want her is to see how she is in bed.” It had been an awkward lecture to say the least, but he had managed to listen to their advice. They had been right. Tristan could recall several times in which his interaction with a beautiful witch turned into a relationship.

He was by no means thinking of starting a relationship with Keara, yet. They still had much to learn about the other. Tristan felt like there was more to the pretty witch then she let on. He was curious to know what secrets laid behind that black and white bikini. He saw her eyes fixated on his chest. Smirking, he moved his arms out of the way so that she could get a better look at him. Arrogance radiating from him, he waited to see what she would do next. She did nothing but accept the hand he had offered to her. It would suffice. The skin of her hand was soft. He wouldn’t expect any less from a woman of her caliber though. Tristan tugged at her arm lightly to indicate he was ready to begin moving them down to waves. The sun felt good against his bare skin. The removal of his shirt made him feel less suffocated. This was the least amount of constriction he had felt since arriving at the island earlier in the week. Tristan was used to Quidditch being entertaining, not a job. To see it on the business side was unappealing. As much as he enjoyed the chance to further someone’s career, he didn’t know if scouting was for him. He got irritated easily by people constantly coming up for him and asking him if he liked what he saw. To him, a Quidditch player shouldn’t have been playing entirely for the attention of others. They should be playing for the love of it. Tristan had seen hundreds of players this week, but only a select few of them looked to actually be enjoying what they were doing.

He held her hand tighter as the sand dampened, they were only a few inches away from their feet being lapped up by the water. When the water finally managed to reach them, Tristan was pleased that it wasn’t all that cold. He’d be able to actually have some fun with the witch next to him. Putting one hand over her shoulders he began walking them into the water. “So, let’s not make this all about me Miss. Sonnet,” he told her. The water was up to their ankles now. “What have you been doing in the time we’ve been apart? Not straining yourself with work still I hope. I think one of us is enough to carry the brunt of an immense workload.”

[Keara Sonnet]

Keara followed suit as Tristan tugged at her hand, leading her down towards the water’s edge. As they got closer, she could feel his grip tighten on her hand. A moment later, the water washed up upon her feet and washed off the sand on her skin, leaving a sand line as it retreated back to the ocean. When he turned the conversation to her, she looked up from the ground and over to him. She hated talking about herself. She was one of the few girls a person could find who did not like to talk about herself but she put on a smile just to keep the conversation friendly. “Actually, I took this week and half of next week off. Decided my coworker can take care of her own club now.” Centara hadn’t taken that news quite as well as Keara had hoped, but it was all working out as far as she knew. After all, she had opened the club, why wouldn’t she be able to run it? “I’ve been trying to enjoy my time off as much as possible, including meeting up with some old friends of mine.” Now if only she could get the other half of the quartet to come back to Austria, her reunion would be complete.

“I am, however, finding myself running out of ideas of what to do with the rest of my time off. I’ve found out that plenty of the people I used to talk to have fled Austria after the Masquerade incident.” The thought of the event, made her spine crawl as she remembered that the war wasn’t over. It had just been the beginning. The disaster that had been the masquerade ball was now going to look miniscule compared to what was going to be coming. She was not looking forward to the day when the Dark Lord decides to rear his ugly, or possibly hot, face again. Everyone she knew was going to be pinned against one another and it killed her to know that. “However, I’m sure somehow I will find a way to entertain myself.” If anything, she would call up Damien and see what he was up to and if he was busy? She’d just head to the Ministry and demand they let Tristan out of work so she would have someone to talk to. Maybe even if she just sat in his office to hang out with him.

By the time they were thigh deep, Keara decided she was through with talking about herself and had to come up with some other plan that would keep her from having to come up with small talk. So in order to do that, she grinned over at him before releasing his hand and diving into the water. Underneath, she could see all of the fish and creatures that were hiding in the crystal clear water, as long as feel the heartbeats of every single person that was in the water, no matter how far away. It was amazing how a human heartbeat was so different from one another; some faster and some slower than others. The sound always made her hungry, knowing that all it was doing was moving blood from one part of a human’s body to another. However, given she had just eaten not too long ago, the craving for a hunt was not nearly as strong as it would have been.

She stayed under the water for a moment, swimming just a few feet away before coming back to the surface. When she came up, she moved her hair out of her face and attempted to catch her balance. Her shoulders barely peeked out of the water, her feet trying to keep a grip on the sand beneath her in order to not be washed away by the slightly choppy water. “The water only gets better when you come out to the deeper end,” she commented, wiping some beads of water from her face unsuccessfully. It didn’t work considering her hand was more wet than her face was. “So tell me, Tristan. Can you swim?” Keara asked playfully, raising an eyebrow as she beckoned him towards her. She was sure he wouldn’t have a problem, and in fact, at this depth, he could just walk towards her if he really pleased.

[Deleted]

Tristan always took on the male provider and stress endurer role in any relationship. It wasn’t that he thought the male should be more dominant, he believed that both should play an equal part. However, he did feel that it was the man who needed to be able to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. Looking at Keara’s small frame, it looked like she wouldn’t be able to handle it. The pressure would make her tiny legs collapse. He knew differently. From what she had told him, she was used to having to do other’s dirty work. It upset him. It infuriated him when people were too lazy to do what they had chosen to accept. Tristan could never understand how individuals like that made their way up in the workforce. He was relieved to hear that she seemed to have finally put her foot down though. Sometimes that’s all it took to make a situation better. Tristan could vouch for that much. Several weeks ago he had been so swarmed with paperwork that he had almost had a nervous breakdown. Not only did he have World Cup contracts and player profiles to go over, but several divisions had decided that their simple rule requests were too much for them to handle and had turned them over to him for his own looking over. After finding another folder that shouldn’t have been on his desk Tristan snapped. He stood up from his desk, grabbed the massive pile of folders and walked out of his office. Dropping the folders on his secretary’s desk, he demanded that she go through them and return back all the papers that did not require his actual attention. For once, he had actually been able to leave work on time.

“Good, that’s what you have to do you know. You’ve got to say no, I’ve done my half, now you have to do yours. And if they don’t like it, tough. People never truly get anywhere in life by riding on the backs of others. It’s the ones who do the carrying that get what’s rightfully theirs.” He hadn’t meant to lecture, but this was one subject he hated that he could relate to all too well. Fortunately for him, after his last temper tantrum at having an increased workload, his inferiors finally seemed to have gotten the message. The only time their problems crossed his desk was when they had absolutely no choice but to ask for him, personally, to look over and see what advice he could offer. Since accepting his department head title, Tristan had finally begun to see the rewards of doing what he did. “I am glad you’re going to have some more free time for yourself,” he told her, truth in every word, “maybe if I can play my own cards right we won’t be such strangers anymore.” He gave her a wink. He wasn’t able to promise anything since any Ministry job was time-consuming, but he’d sure try his damndest to not be so antisocial anymore. It’d be good to get away from the place more often anyway.

Tristan finally stopped them when the water was at his thighs and her waist. The waves had started to speed up and he wanted to make sure she wasn’t going to get knocked down. Though it would be a good chance to play lifeguard. At the mention of friends, he couldn’t help but to feel a bit of sadness. His job had been such a hindrance on his social life. Any friends he had attempted to keep contact with after school had been lost. The only friends he had now were back in Greece. He often considered returning home to be with the people he missed, but he knew that the opportunities he had here may not be available to him over there. Tristan was grateful for everything he had earned during his stay in Austria and was anxious to see what else the country had in store for him. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t have to be homesick. “Lucky you still have some people you can make time for. Not always easy for the rest of us.” He wasn’t trying to make himself sound depressing, but he knew it came off that way. Merlin he really needed to stop wallowing in his self-pity. He had just been the one to tell Keara that if you ever wanted anything done, you had to go and do it yourself. Tristan hated sounding like a hypocrite.

He lowered his hand into the water in attempts to get the rest of his body used to the temperature. The water wasn’t cold by any means, just not as warm as it was back home. Tristan was half-tempted to splash her, and doubted that she would be upset by it, but he wasn’t ready to take any chances. Not yet. Thankfully, his thoughts were distracted as she brought up the Masquerade ball that had put the entire country on hold for nearly three years after it had happened. Talking about the events always gave Tristan mixed feelings. He had been interning for his department when it had happened. Freshly out of school, he wasn’t trained to handle a fight of such caliber that had taken place that night. He remembered fighting with Wentworth, fully convinced he was battling with a member of the Dark Lord’s army. Then out of nowhere a werewolf advanced on them. Tristan would never forget those golden eyes for the rest of his life. He had been told that him and Ashton’s extent of injuries by the wolf had just been a bit of shaking up. They had inflicted the rest of the physical injuries themselves. Still, that night had inspired him to take the initiative to finally sign up for what he had been thinking about his whole life, being an Auror. While he was grateful for what the battle had done for him, he had lost an acquaintance or two in the whole ordeal. And she was right about people fleeing the country. Several of his old schoolmates had fled as early as that night. Tristan couldn’t blame them though. A new fear had been instilled in the wizarding world that night. The worst part was the uncertain future.

“I remember that night,” Tristan confided, continuing to play with the rippling tides, “I was an intern so I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. I just remembered some old school spells from Defense Against the Dark Arts and just cast them around.” He chuckled. “I doubt they even did any good, but I had no choice. Had to do something, ya know?” He gazed off into the distance, memories flooding back to him like a levee in his brain had been released. Tristan was thankful that he had only escaped with a few broken bones that had been lovingly mended by the beautiful healers at Everdines. Things could have ended much worse for him especially if that werewolf hadn’t been distracted by everything else going on. It had been a learning experience for him and he made sure to do everything he could to be better prepared for it’s inevitable sequel. He had a feeling that it would only be a matter of time before destruction found its way into Austria again. He only hoped that like him, others had prepared themselves for a battle that was sure to be much more intense than its precessor.

Keara seemed tired of talking about it and he was relieved. He hadn’t come to the beach to reflect on past times. He had come to relax and upon seeing the witch next to him, relax a bit more. Grinning, as she dove under the water, he waited for her to come up. It was the protective nature of him, wanting to make sure his companion was safe. She reappeared a few seconds later except further down then where he was. Her playful teasing was a challenge that he would accept. “We’ll see I guess,” Tristan called out to her, getting ready to take his own plunge. Taking a deep breath, he followed the dive she had shown off earlier and began swimming underneath. This time, however, he chose a different way to swim. He went out a bit further than she had, but doubled back and came up behind her. Grabbing her by the legs, he pushed himself up and with every ounce of strength he had, which was a lot, sent her sailing through the air and a good several feet away from them. He laughed and quickly swam after her, just to be there for support when she came back up. He may have been in store for a verbal lashing, but he figured he could handle it.

[Keara Sonnet]

Tristan’s recollection of the Masquerade Ball made Keara think back to that night. She had very little to no involvement in the actions of that night and she had, in fact, gotten out of there as quickly as she could after ensuring those she cared about were safe. Everything had happened so quickly and without any sort of warning. Of course, all of the DeathEaters knew what was about to happen but within her circle of friends, none of them happened to inform her of what was about to happen. The moment the first spark had been sent from the Dark Lord’s wand, Keara had been on high alert. There hadn’t just been witches and wizards fighting, but also werewolves. Though she could hold her own against some of the best werewolves, she had no interest in taking the chance of being bitten. She appreciated her 86 year old life at that moment and was nowhere near willing to waste it. With that mentality in mind, she had dodged behind a pillar, choosing to stay there as long as possible. The wands of her friends clashed with those of Ministry wizards, people who she knew were getting harmed, and she was just standing there. Guess that was the way things worked when a person was neutral.

When Tristan mentioned that he had actually participated in the battle, she felt even worse. However, he had been an intern. She just a vampire without an idea of what she wanted in her life. For so long she never cared about taking sides. Life was about surviving and enjoying herself, not choosing who to take sides with. That was the way she thought of it at the time and she still stood by it. However, it was not going to be so easy this time around. It didn’t help that now Tristan was going to be on her mind during the next war. She looked at his gorgeous body, wondering how she could be on another side than him. A moment later, her eyes were on the sand rather than him. He had taken what she said and decided to come right on after her. She grinned, waiting to find him coming up next to her but instead, his shadow went past her. Before she had a chance to try and figure out where he had gone, it was like a shark had bit her.

His hands wrapped around her legs before projecting her into the air. Her eyes widened slightly as she soared through the air for a few feet. Being the vampire she was, she decided to make her splash as elegant as possible. After all, cats landed on their feet, right? She changed her form just in time to slide into the water. When she came up out of the water, she wiped the water from her face and couldn’t help but laugh. Tristan was there by her side in a moment and she couldn’t help but grin ear to ear. “I must admit, I have never had a person do that to me before.” Her feet kicked underneath her to keep her afloat in the water. They had made their way into the deeper part of the ocean where she lost all ability to touch the sand on the floor. “So now I know, if I want to fly, just get in contact with you to make it happen,” Keara joked, splashing Tristan lightly. “Now warn me next time so I don’t go flying off into the middle of nowhere.” Of course, she still had her joking tone about her because she wasn’t in the vicinity of being mad. How could she be? That was probably the most fun thing she had done in quite some time.

Deciding it was time for some payback, Keara quickly dove under the water, swimming straight down. She wasn’t going to give him enough of a chance to react, however she was going to have to keep herself in check to ensure she didn’t do what she had done previously and give herself away. Rather than pushing him out of the water as he had done, her hands wrapped around his ankles and she pulled him down into the water with a little tug. Kea made sure not to pull him down too far but just far enough so his head came under the top of the water. She smirked at him before swimming a few feet away from him to the surface. There was no way she would be that close to him. That would just be asking for him to try something again.

[Deleted]

Tristan had been impressed to see the amount of grace Keara displayed while landing in the water. She always seemed to do something that surprised him. She was a mystery and he wanted to know all of her secrets. ”I must admit, I have never had a person do that to me before.” He laughed heartily. He would have been surprised if she had said anything different. There weren’t too many blokes like him wandering around this part of the country and for that he was thankful. Tristan liked having an edge over other men. For example, he always wound up getting the best and most attentive treatment possible whenever he found himself in St. Everdines or a few weeks ago in the Ministry’s medical ward. On both occasions, he had found himself with that prat Wentworth receiving care for the injuries they had sustained from one another. He had gotten the better looking care-givers in both instances, though the Ministry nurse was nowhere near as attractive as the witches at Everdines. At the hospital, he had received the more delectable dessert of pudding cups rather than the jell-o Wentworth was given that seemed to be a living entity. He even had witches fight over who would stay and take care of him while the other was forced to attend to Ashton. It was the little things in life that gave him satisfaction.

“I’ve got plenty of more tricks to show you if you’d let me,” he teased, turning his head away as she splashed water into his direction. “If you’d like to, we can keep at it to see how high I can get you up into the air. That way I don’t have to give you any warning.” Tristan wouldn’t mind at all if she agreed. Seeing the delight it had given her made him crave to bestow even more happiness upon her. Plus any extra excuse to touch her was welcome. Even though it had been under interesting circumstances a funny feeling came over him as their skin made contact. There was something about Keara that was begging to come to the surface and he wanted it to be given free reign. There had to be a reason why she was so alluring to him and why he wanted nothing more than to pull her close and capture her lips with his own. No other girl had ever had this type of hold on him before. It was intimidating, but not unwelcome. Tristan’s sisters had always told him that he would just know it when the right girl came into his life. He was by no means saying that his future wife had just disappeared under the surface of the water, but it was possible that fate had brought them together for some reason. It was up to Tristan to figure out exactly what that reason may be.

When her head didn’t pop up from the water, Tristan grew concerned. Moving his body back and forth, he did his best to look into the nearly crystal clear water engulfing his body. Conveniently, they were further away from the shore which meant that the depth out here was deeper and caused the water to look darker. Inhaling as deep as he could Tristan lowered his head, ready to dive down to save Keara if needed. Just then, he felt hands grab around his ankles and pull him down. Needless to say, he hadn’t been expecting it. As he floated back up to the surface, he began coughing heavily as oxygen filled his lungs again. What it was about people depraving him of sweet air was beyond him. His eyes stung as beads of saltwater ran down his brow and into them. Rubbing at his eyes, he finally managed to stop coughing. Once the pain had subsided slightly, Tristan opened his eyes to see Keara waiting for him. She had swum a little closer to the shore which he eagerly began swimming towards. He needed to get his footing on sand before he drowned out here. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he stood and placed all of his weight on his legs. The water was still up to his neck, but at least he could recuperate here peacefully. “That wasn’t nice,” he told her, exhaling deeply. “I was unprepared trying to save you, you know.” He wasn’t lying. Maybe just trying to make the situation a little more dramatic then it was.

It took him another minute but he was soon able to regain his composure. Allowing a grin to flood onto his features Tristan swam up to Keara until their chests were pressed up against each other. It was a bold move, but he felt a magnetic attraction to the beautiful witch he was looking down at. “Now what do we suppose needs to be done to rectify this predicament we find ourselves in?” He had an idea, but he didn’t want her to feel as if he were overstepping boundaries. Keara hadn’t acted timid towards him but she was a woman. Tristan had been with enough of them to know their uncanny ability to tease and then act revolted when he made a move. He still needed to get a feel for her before taking any other steps.

[Keara Sonnet]

Kea found her footing on shore, turning back to wait for Tristan to surface. The sand beneath her feet was a welcome change from the depths they had just been in. She favored not having to tread water. Oh, please don’t tell me I just killed him, she thought to herself when after a few seconds he hadn’t come up from the bottom yet. It wouldn’t surprise her that the one time a guy even remotely appealing expressed interest in her she would go and kill him on the first time they get to enjoy the fresh air. It had been a miracle she hadn’t killed either male from the quartet at this point if this was the way her life was going to pan out. She bit her bottom lip slightly, deciding it would be best to go out and check on what had happened to him and see if he was just teasing her. The moment she had been about ready to swim back out to where she had just been, a movement from a shadow came from under the water and she couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief, even though she didn’t breathe. At least she didn’t kill him. There was still movement so that meant he was alive and she would not have to worry about action from the Ministry for killing one of their workers that actually did something.

When Tristan had rose from the water coughing, she realized that she had probably pulled him down at quite an inconvenient time. It didn’t help that she forgot he actually had to breathe in order to stay under the water, unlike her who didn’t have to breathe ever. However, when his coughing ceased, she knew he was okay. She figured she had caught him by surprise possibly at a point where he had been trying to breathe in air. The simultaneous pull underwater would not be beneficial for getting air into a humans lungs. A moment after he had begun coughing, he was making his way in her direction. She felt like giving him a hand, hoping that his anger towards her for that moment would not be so bad if she assisted. However, he was fully capable of swimming over himself and made it there faster than what she imagined he would. For a moment, she felt slightly bad when he informed her of her mean actions. However, rather than giving into his words and accepting the anger, she used her innocent smile to try and weasel her way back into his good side. “Sorry, I swear I wasn’t trying to kill you for trying to save me,” she said, shaking her head side to side to assure him she meant no harm. “However, I do appreciate the effort on your part to save little, ol’ me.” She played around in the water with her hands, moving them slowly back and forth to create small waves under the water, hoping he would believe her and forgive her for the actions she had just committed. After all, could someone honestly believe that Keara would actually mean to do them harm? Probably not the best question to ask anyone that knew who she really was...

“If it would make you feel better, you can toss me in the air anytime. I cross my heart I’ll stay away from dragging you under afterwards.” She made a motion of an x across her heart under the water but she was unsure if he could even see. Granted, the pledge was not guaranteed on anything because she had no heart. In fact, she literally did not have one. It had been removed so long back that she couldn’t even remember when. The method was used to ensure that a vampire could not be staked with a piece of wood which would, effectively, kill them on the spot. In that time, and even currently, she had no interest in being turned into a pile of ash. When she had been informed of the possibility of having the process done, it hadn’t taken her long to accept the idea. A simple procedure to cut the heart from the body and it was burned the moment it left the vampires dead body. Of course, the process was painful because no known painkiller can affect a vampire, and there was no way to put one under. She had been awake the entire time up until the wound finally healed about 20 minutes later. It had been painful, but for how many years ago the procedure had taken place, she figured it was well worth it to ensure herself that she would not die of that cause.

Kea was unsure if Tristan was even going to forgive her for her actions, but he had begun to swim over to her and she was very interested to see what was going to come out of this. For a moment, she had a feeling he was going to walk back up on shore and inform her that he was done dealing with her after that act. However, his direction was straight for her. It was a moment later that his skin was touching hers. The act put her into a moment of disbelief, realizing that he had most likely accepted her apology. The moment he spoke, she knew he had. Looking down at his chest, she place her hand against it and looked back up in his eyes. “There is something about you…” Her voice trailed off as she moved her hand up to his neck, turning her head to the side as she looked in his eyes to try and understand what exactly it was. A moment later, her lips reached his. The taste of salt water was on his lips but she didn’t care. For a moment, she felt like she was in a dream, but when she pulled away and realized they were standing right up against each other still, she knew it was real.