plausible invincibility || s.hyde ✓

five ✿ down by the seaside

EVANGELINE TAKES THE STAIRS to the basement two at a time and swings the door open with gusto, her canvas shorts flapping wildly around her thighs. The door creaks open in the dark, slamming unceremoniously against the wall. Evangeline cringes and prays that Mr. and Mrs. Forman didn't hear. As much as she feels the couple like her, she didn't know how they'd take to her being in their house basically uninvited and slamming doors, however unintentionally.

She sets her flower-power print tote bag on the couch and pads to the back room where a sleeping Hyde lies in his bed oblivious to the world around him. With a grin, she kneels down near his head and hovers two inches over his peaceful face. "Steven," she coos, running a hand gently through his hair, tugging on a few strands. Then she slaps his cheeks for good measure. "Wakey-wakey, time to shakey."

Hyde rolls over onto his side, swatting at her hands and mumbling something Evangeline can't understand. One side of his beard is flat from sleeping on it. Evangeline smiles when she spots a line of drool dribbling down his chin. "Ste-ven, wake u-up."

"Five more minutes," he says into his pillow, curling up into a ball and waving her away with his hand.

"Steven," Evangeline pulls at his hand and shakes his shoulder in a desperate attempt to get him to cooperate. "It's almost eleven. We had plans today, remember? I snuck out of the house for this."

Hyde spins around and Hyde's his head under his arms. "Evie, I'm tired."

"Don't you want to spend this hot day soaking up some sun and cooling off in the cold water?" Evie shakes his body with both hands. Hyde peers one eye open, narrowed into a glare. He grumbles for her to leave him alone. "C'mon, Stevie, it's the perfect beach day!"

Hyde eyes fly open to meet laughing blue ones and he frowns deeply wondering if he's just heard her correctly. "What did you just call me?"

"What? Rhymes with Evie!" When Hyde's expression says he's anything but impressed, Evangeline roles her eyes and tugs in his sleeve. "Steven, you promised!" Evie's puppy dog eyes are something Hyde could never resist, even if it was a matter of life or death.

"Evie, you're such a baby." Evie's pout deepens and Hyde groans, unable to do anything except say yes. "Fine. But only 'cause I want to see you in a bikini," Hyde says, a lazy smirk turning up the corners of his mouth. Evie beams at him and plants a kiss on his cheek as he pulls himself up into sitting and rubs the sleep out of his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Like eleven," Evie says, tugging on his hand to bring him onto his feet. She bounces up and down on her toes as Steven slowly sheds his shirt and scours through his drawers for the one he wants to wear today. "I haven't been this excited since—well, I can't remember when I've ever been this excited."

"Yeah, I didn't even know you could move this much." Hyde chuckles as he pulls on a white tee, ruffling his hair and he searches for the only pair of swim trunks he had come which are somewhere among his possessions. "You're usually more—mellow."

Evie turns around when Hyde begins to remove his pants, a light blush rising to her already flushed cheeks. "Man, it's been, like, over a year since I've gone to the beach. We used to go all the time before—my brother and cousin and I—well, at least, you know, before he died. I can't remember the last time I saw my cousin though. They moved away shortly after we moved to South Carolina." Hyde frowns at her tone, which is optimistic despite the somber subject. "I used to go to the boardwalk at home by myself 'cause no one ever wanted to go."

"Did you slip extra sugar in your cornflakes this morning?" Hyde asks, tugging her arms so she turns to face him again, that lovely smile ever-present on her lips. "You're extra chatty."