prettydamngood | (no subject)

(no subject)

Steve loves the beach. He loves it in all weathers but he particularly loves it when it's hot, when he can spend the whole day there, with a magazine, with soda. He spends most of the day sprawled out on a blanket on the sand reading or napping but, when he wakes up, he feels hot and sweaty, hectic, and it's definitely time for a swim. He leaves the majority of his stuff on the sand and he plunges into the water, submerging and swimming until he starts to feel comfortable in his skin again.

He wades out, shaking water from his hair as he goes, only realising after he's done it that that's potentially antisocial. He pushes the heavy weight of his hair back from his face and grins at whoever he just splashed.

"Shit, man," he says. "Sorry."

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"Oh my God," I laughed. "You're insane, you know that? The good kind of insane, but still."

"You love me," says Steve, and he's confident in that fact, no matter what else is going on with them. "And I would love to throw you a birthday party. Down here on the beach?"

"Well, it would definitely fit a bouncy castle," I said. "And I guess people would just have to pick appropriate costumes."

It was like every kind of birthday party rolled into one. I thought, why not?

"Yeah," says Steve, nodding. "I mean, if you want to do something more chill, we can totally do that too."

"No, no." I lifted my hands up in playful mock surrender, like I had nothing to do with this.

"This is totally in your court, Harrington. I trust you. Whatever you think is good, goes."

"Dangerous," says Steve, but they both know he'll do his best for her. They both know he'll figure it out, because she's too damn important to him for him to not. "What else are we doing today? You got anything planned?"

"Today is just you and mean and the sea," I said, leaning back to lay down completely on my towel, pillowing my head with my arms folded behind me.

"I'm taking a break from intrepid girl reporter. Unless you've got something in mind."

"I'm good here," he says, lying back beside her. "If you come in the water with me for a little while. And then dinner?"

"Totally will do," I assured him. "And dinner sounds awesome. Let's do sushi and make it a whole ocean-themed day."

Steve had been really dubious about sushi, but he's starting to get used to it. And he knows Lois likes it so, sometimes, he takes one for the team.

"Is it my turn to buy or yours?"

"I'll buy," I said magnanimously. "You've got my birthday to plan. It's only fair I buy you food, right?"

"You know I know you're only saying that so we can go to that place you like best, right?" says Steve, lowering his shades so that he can look over them. "I am totally wise to you, Lane."

I smirked, but didn't move under his gaze.

"Even more reason that I should treat then, huh?"

"Yeah, definitely," says Steve, lying back again and closing his eyes. "I'm not going to argue with you, Lane. It never gets me anywhere, anyway."

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