mary. [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xxxix. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

~*~
warning: mature language, smut
June 5, 1985

     The sunlight was pretty blinding. That was the only thing that Mary didn't really like about California. Plus the traffic. Otherwise, it really was what Billy had hyped it up to be. They were sat on the beach together, Billy examining the place around him. He took a deep breath, shutting his eyes as he took in the familiar ocean air. Mary opened one of her eyes to look at him, watching as he breathed in and out deeply. 

     "What are you thinking about?" Mary asked.  

     "Stuff," Billy answered. Mary sat up, placing a hand against his upper arm. He looked at her, kissing the side of her head lightly. 

     "What kind of stuff?" Mary asked, leaning her head against his shoulder. Billy sighed, his eyes going to the waves again as he could feel Mary's hand rubbing soft circle on his forearm. 

     "Just... us," he told her. "Our future." His head dropped, Mary furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "Do you think we'll get married?" Mary's head picked up at his words, Billy looking to her in fear of what she could tell him. 

     "Why?" she asked, confused. 

     "I don't know," Billy said, looking to the sand at his toes. "I don't... I'm not okay with seeing a future besides this." He brought his arm back, intertwining their fingers together. "I only want you, Mary." She looked up at him to see he was serious, and his eyes were soft with compassion. "I don't want anyone else besides you." 

     "Billy..." Mary whispered. He leaned down and pressed a soft but loving kiss to her lips, pulling away slowly to savor the moment. "If I ever leave you, which I probably won't, then it'll be the stupidest mistake of my entire life. And you can tell me that. You can also make many other people tell me that." 

     "You don't want to leave me?" Billy asked, his voice timid and scared as he didn't know what she would answer. 

     "I don't," Mary told him. "I want to have a life with you. Where we can be happy, and just lay in the sand like we are now." Billy smiled lightly at her words, leaning his head against hers. "But, right now, I'm pretty sure that the tide is about to get at its highest today." 

     "Shit, it is," Billy said, pushing himself off the ground. 

     "Strike 'em dead, surfer dude!" Mary called to him. Billy waved at her, turning and walking to the water again. Mary smiled lightly as she watched him, pushing herself off the ground. She grabbed her sandals and her hat, brushing the sand off of her dress. She stood at the shore, watching as Billy began to surf with the waves. She cheered him on as he stood on the surfboard, maintaining his balance better than the others times that day. After a good minute, he fell into the water when the wave died down. He began to swim back to shore, holding the surfboard in his right hand. "You did it!"

     "Did you see that?!" Billy called, pointing towards the water. 

     "Hell yeah, I did," Mary told him. 

     "That had to be at least seven feet," he said, beginning to jog towards her. 

     "I don't know what it was, but I was completely terrified that you'd get hurt," Mary said, stopping in front of him. 

     "Ten more minutes?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her. 

    "We have dinner reservations at six-thirty," Mary told him, not sure of the time. 

    "We'll make them, I promise. Just ten minutes," Billy said, taking one of her hands in his. Mary looked at him, a smile breaking out on her face.