Love Is Flower Like

Chapter 36

Edited 05/31/21

Meadow was just getting off from patrol when Paul stopped by her house. She was a bit annoyed, seeing as how she wanted to sit down and relax for a little bit, but she was happy to see him. She'd been so busy meeting with the Elders and figuring out the patrol schedule that she hadn't gotten a chance to see him in a few days. He was wearing a black tank top and a pair of swim trunks. Hanging from his wrist was a bag filled with what she assumed was beach towels.

She gave him a look and walked into the house. He made a noise of indignation and followed her. Meadow heard the door slam shut behind her and sighed. She turned to him and said, "I just got off of patrol. Give me half an hour to rest and get ready."

"Take all the time you need," Paul said. He set the bag down in the hallway and walked into the living room to sit on the couch. Meadow quickly washed up in the bathroom before she sat on the couch next to him. She curled her legs underneath her body and leaned against him. He threw his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

The TV was on and showing the news. Meadow mused her dad must have left recently. Neither one of them attempted to change the channel. Instead, they basked in the comfortable atmosphere and each other's presence. After 10 minutes passed, Meadow got up to change into a red bikini. Leah made her buy it during one of their rare shopping trips to Port Angeles.

She looked through her clothes for a cover-up and found an old maxi dress from freshman year. Thankfully, it still fit due to its stretchiness; however, it was short and ended a few inches below her butt. She shrugged and kept it on.

"Did you pack any food or drinks?" she asked as she entered the kitchen.

"Um...," she heard Paul say.

"It's a wonder how you did," Meadow said sarcastically.

"I wanted to catch you before you fell asleep," he whined. She shook her head and made them sandwiches. She packed away some fruit, grabbed a bag of barbeque chips for Paul, and the rest of the 6-pack of Coke bottles in the fridge. After stuffing the items in her own beach bag, she stepped into the living room and asked him if he was ready to go.

Paul stared at her in silence before he stood up and approached her. He slipped his hands over her waist and pulled her closer to him so he could give her a searing kiss. Meadow smiled into the kiss and pushed him away. He groaned and kissed her again. When she pushed him away once more, he sucked his teeth playfully and pouted.

"Don't you have patrol in a few hours?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I think we can put aside some time," Paul said lustfully.

"Not interested," Meadow said shortly. "Let's go before I change my mind and go to sleep."

They left the house and started their trek to the beach. They walked side-by-side and their hands brushed every time their arms swung. Meadow grabbed his hand in hers and swung their arms back and forth. Paul smiled down at her and helped her swing their arms.

The beach came into view and, surprisingly, there weren't many people there. It was a nice day and the temperature was pretty high for a spring day. They laid out the towels and undressed so they were in their bathing suits. Although she'd rather sit on the beach towel and watch the waves, Paul was adamant she swim with him. She gave in and followed him into the cold water. It was freezing, but her high-running temperature made it so she barely felt it.

Meadow floated in the water and allowed the sun's rays to penetrate her skin. She basked in the calmness of the ocean and the weightless, relaxed feeling. Running a pack was no joke. There were so many responsibilities she had now, and while she was used to carrying responsibility on her shoulders, the expectations the Elders had were huge. She breathed in the salty air and exhaled happily.