sigelphoenix

Title: Don't Speak
Characters: Sae and Gunnar
Warmakers Adventure: 16
Word Count: ~500
Summary: An alternate version of events in Tampa Bay.
Notes: For the Valentine's Day kiss drabbles. (Yes, I realize I kind of ignored the "drabble" part.)

When Sae and Gunnar emerge from the ocean, still panting from the exertion of their race, they see that most of their companions are huddled around a bonfire on the beach, laughing as they wield either marshmallows on sticks or bottles of beer. Reika and Ichiro are huddled together in an isolated part of the beach, and Sae can't hear any yelling, so she figures things are going well.

Sae doesn't want to interrupt either group, so she heads towards their beach umbrella - now obsolete in the cool starlight - where their belongings lie unattended. Wordlessly, Gunnar follows her. She's surprised - she thought he might go patrolling or something, either because he doesn't trust Chuck and Laser as their bodyguards, or just to isolate himself again. But she's glad he isn't leaving her just yet.

As they settle onto the beach blankets, Gunnar's persistent silence starts to make Sae nervous. "Reika and Ichiro seem to be doing well," she says, just to say something. Gunnar doesn't reply, just nods. "Um ... that bonfire sure looks warm."

The sentence hangs, stupid and obvious, in the air between them.

Before Sae can think of anything else to fill the silence, the evening breeze hits her, drying the last of the ocean water from her skin, along with the excess heat that her body generated during their race. She shivers as she reaches for her clothing. Gunnar turns his head toward her - just because her sudden movement caught his attention, she's sure, but it doesn't keep her from feeling embarrassed that he's watching her put on her clothes.

Gunnar frowns at her, and Sae realizes she must be looking at him strangely, so she wipes whatever weird expression she has off of her face, and tries gamely to smile at him.

"I think it's good that ... you know, we - I mean you ... had fun. I mean, if you ... well, it's good to do something that might be fun. You know. Before we go. Up to the moon, where - well, who knows what'll happen up there ..."

Gunnar doesn't say anything, just looks at her intently, with an expression she can't quite name. It looks familiar, but it's not how he normally looks when he's talking to her, or anyone else that she's seen. She just can't remember, in her half-panicked state, where she's seen that expression before.

Flustered, Sae starts talking faster, even though she doesn't quite pay attention to the words coming out of her mouth. She doesn't know if she's talking about swimming or bonfires or the moon. Neither does Gunnar, apparently, because for all his intentness, it doesn't look like he's listening. In fact -

Wait, that's what he looks like when he's about to attack -

His hand is on her shoulder and his lips are on hers - sort of off-center - he's almost kissing her cheek instead of her mouth -

But it doesn't matter, because Gunnar is kissing -

Gunnar. Kissing.

There were more words, somewhere in her head, but Sae has lost them.