Cruising (Natalie)

[William Blake]

Right at this moment, Will was actually thankful for one thing that he Dad had done in his life, and that was dragging him on board a sailing boat for a function back when he was fourteen. He'd spent the entire party asking the crew of the ship questions about how the boat worked, the sails, the rigging, how it was steered, what he needed to do to change direction, etc. etc. Because, if he hadn't, he and Natalie would have had to go sailing with an instructor, and that wouldn't have been nearly as fun.

After that early morning chat that he and Natalie had a couple of weeks ago now, Will had made sure not to forget about it, or her, not that he could have wanted to if he'd tried. Their doziness at the time had allowed them to get strangely close, and he hadn't forgotten about it, or been embarrassed. Usually, something like that would have made Will run for the hills, it was dangerous terrority for him to be beginning with, yet, he hadn't opened up to her that night, she was the one person who knew about his past, and he didn't want her to go away. He wanted to have someone there to talk to if he needed it.

The fact that she was blonde and beautiful might have helped matters.

The sailing boat was a fair size, large enough for more than just the two of them if other people wanted to come out on it too. It was a couple of years old, and a spectacular vessel. It cruised through the open water easily, a gentle breeze blowing about the deck, lightly ruffling his now close cut hair. They'd snatched some food and drink from the beach house kitchen before they'd left.

Will looked out over towards the front of the boat, seeing where Natalie had got to. "How you doing?" he asked.

[Natalie Blake]

Ever since their early morning talk about a fortnight ago, Natalie had been wanting to spend some more time with Will. So far all she'd managed to get in were brief hellos and shared smiles as they passed one another in engineering, but now that they were on shore-leave they had the chance to actually share a full conversation. In fact, they were going to be spending most of the day together as they'd agreed to go sailing.

Never even having been on a boat of any kind before, she hadn't been sure what to expect when they went out on the water. Thankfully Will knew how to sail, and so they didn't have to have some instructor along. Not that instructors were bad, they just tended to make things a little less fun, and that would sort of ruin the experience--not to mention make spending time with Will seem a little less personal.

The wind played with her loose hair, and she tried to remember if she'd brought something to pull it back with or not. Not that she minded having it tossed about--in fact, it was sort of nice. The sunlight pouring down and warming her face and the smell of saltwater all added up to the perfection of it all.

Will's voice pulled Natalie back to reality and she glanced back at him, noting with a little smile that his blue eyes resembled the water lapping the sides of the boat, gorgeous blue sparkling in the sunlight. She'd noticed it before, and stood by it now, that he had amazing eyes. Hell, she thought Will was amazing in general. Not that she was quite willing to say that out loud just yet.

"This is amazing!" she answered his question, beaming. Pushing her hair back so she could see, she got up and wandered over to where he was. She was still a little wobbly, but was starting to get used to the fairly gentle rocking of the water. That said, she still sat down almost as soon as she'd reached him.

"How'd you learn to work a sailing boat, anyway?" she asked curiously. He made it look easy, which probably meant that she'd find it damn near impossible if she tried.

[William Blake]

Natalie looked gorgeous standing at the front of the boat like that, her hair blowing and rippling in the breeze. It was almost like a fantasy, except it was real. He'd never been a fan of the government, but they'd effectively given him this week away from work for free, so for the week at least, he wouldn't have anything bad to say about them, especially if it meant spending more time with Natalie.

Keeping the wheel steady, making sure they were sailing in a straight line, he smiled as she made her way over to him. Never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined actually being able to do something like this. It was amusing watching her stagger a little, obviously she hadn't found her sea legs yet, but she was getting there. He'd been on ships before when he'd seen people weaving pratically from one side of the ship to other - it was hilarious.

Will grinned at her when she said it was amazing. "It is pretty spectacular out here," he said, looking out across the ocean which they were sailing into, the island a good few miles behind them now. He planned on straying away from the island, but not too far, he wanted to keep the boat in safe waters so that if a storm suddenly hit, it wouldn't be too hard to turn back and head for land where it was safe.

"My Dad forced me to go to a UGAP function once, and I made it my personal mission to find out whatever I could about the boat instead of milling around with the guests making small talk. The ship's crew showed me how to work everything, even let me steer for a bit. It felt good knowing I had power over all of those dignitaries for once," he said with a smile, choosing not to remember anything terrible from that trip.

"Once you know how, it's fairly easy." It took a fair amount of upper body strength, it wasn't like he was lacking there, "come on," he kept one hand on the wheel, offering her his other hand, "you can steer for a bit while I check all the stuff up front." He nodded encouragingly.

[Natalie Blake]

Natalie listened more to the sound of Will's voice when he explained how he learned to sail rather than to the words. The tenor folds of his voice were entrancing and soothing at the same time, pulling her in so far that she got lost in them just as his eyes tended to do whenever she looked into them.

Next thing she knew Will was holding out a hand to her, saying that she could steer while he went to check of things. She bit her lip, but couldn't stop herself from grinning around it as she took his hand. It was warm and comforting as it closed around hers, pulling her to her feet. Nervously she placed her hands on the wheel.

"So like this?" she asked, trying to grip the wheel the same way as Will had been. It didn't seem like it would be too hard, but then again he was still holding onto the wheel as well. She laughed--a little shakily due to nerves--and said, "If I crash us into some rocks, just remember that having me steer was your idea!"

Once she hoped she was holding the wheel more or less correctly, she glanced over her shoulder at Will. His face was a little closer than she'd expected, but she didn't particularly mind. "So what exactly am I supposed to do?" she queried, flexing her fingers against the wood.

[William Blake]

Natalie's hand felt so small in comparison to his, her long slender fingers holding onto his hand as he lifted her lightly onto her feet, pulling her gently towards the wheel. She took a hold of it, one of Will's hands still there to make sure the wheel didn't jerk across and throw her off balance.

"Yeah, you got it," he said, smiling a little, "I'll take full responsibility for anything you happen to do with this boat," he said, then added with a smirk, "and when your back is turned, I'll tell them it was all your fault." He chuckled, teasing her a little.

"All you have to do is hold her steady," he said, most boats were referred to a females, they had been for centuries, "keep a tight hold on the wheel, and try not to turn too sharply. We don't want me being flung off the boat, now, do we?"

Will placed a hand on her waist, "got it?" he asked, before slowly removing his hand from the wheel, laying his other hand on her waist to keep her upright as she took the full force of the boat under her control. Once he was sure she was okay, he said, "see? Easy." He inhaled the scent of her hair for a moment before letting his hands leave her waist, moving up the front of the boat to tighten the ropes, keeping an eye on her the whole time. "You're sailing," he called back to her with a grin.

[Natalie Blake]

"Oh, I don't think that would work," she snickered in response to Will's teasing quip, "I can pull a pretty convincing puppy-dog pout when I want to, and then they'll be eating out of my hand and you'll be all alone to take the blame!" Not that she'd actually do that, of course, but it was fun to joke with him.

He told her to hold the ship steady, and so she gripped the wheel a little tighter to make sure it wouldn't move when he let go. "I don't know," she teased, "Watching someone else stumble around on this thing might make me feel a little less goofy."

He let go then, and the strength it took to keep the wheel steady made her wobble a little. If it hadn't been for his hands on her waist--wait. She looked down. Yup, those were definitely Will's hands on her waist, warm against her skin through the fabric of her shirt. A silly little smile tugged at her lips, but she kept it hidden so she wouldn't look overly disappointed when he let go.

Natalie watched as he walked easily up to the front of the boat to mess with the ropes and riggings. He looked so at ease out here on the water, like he was in his element. She'd noticed that same aura about him when he worked on something in engineering, and she found it endearing. She'd seen enough men who were uncertain about everything that confidence was sort of a turn-on.

"I guess I am," she laughed when Will called back to her, "Fancy that."

Looking around, she was mesmerized by the beauty of their surroundings. She found, however, that her eyes kept flicking back to Will, just as awed by the sight of him working as she was by the shimmering waters and distant island. The way his muscles moved under her shirt as he pulled at the different ropes caught her eye, and she giggled foolishly. She was glad he was too far away to hear her.

"So, Mister Blake," she mocked playfully as he came back towards her, "Do we have a specific destination in mind?"

[William Blake]

Will enjoyed the way Natalie didn't let him get away with stuff. He was so used to women being weak and giving no interesting conversation, wanting to get right down to it. Natalie, however, was a great conversationalist, took his quips under her belt and threw new ones right back. It kept him on his toes, it kept things interesting and fun.

"Are you kidding? With these baby blues?" he quipped back, "you don't stand a chance if the owner is a female, I'd win hands down." He chuckled, then thought out loud, "not that it matters. We could probably just put it on the UGAP's tab anyway and make them pay for the damage." He'd probably enjoy that a lot more.

Will laughed, "stumbling about the ship and being thrown overboard are two completely different things." He was beginning to wonder whether she'd just try it to mess with him, or whether she'd be too scared of breaking the boat in the process, and maybe some of his limbs if he landed badly. "I'd prefer to do neither, if you please, madam."

Moving about on a ship like this was a breeze for him, no pun intended, and most of the stuff was ship shape anyway, and didn't need much tampering with. He stood back for a moment, just watching Natalie as she sailed the boat like a pro, a smile across his face. He could see her gaze shifting between the ocean and him, which made him smile harder, smirk almost.

"Fancy that," he repeated, noting that it sounded more like something he would say that her. He made his way back over to her, addressing her question. "Well, my fair lady," he said, "I had a couple of options in mind, let's see which you would prefer." He paused for effect, "one, we sail out, drop anchor, and chill out on deck with the food and music. Or, two, we sail around the other side of the island, see if we can find a beach, and relax there."

[Natalie Blake]

Natalie graciously admitted defeat at Will's jest about his eyes winning over any woman, nodding. "All right, I can't argue that point," she chortled, shaking her head a little. His next offer made her grin. "Now there's a good idea," she agreed. "Payback for the biosynthesizers."

He pointed out then that stumbling and falling were entirely different things, and told her he'd prefer if he had to do neither. I doubt I'll be able to uncurl my fingers properly for about fifteen minutes after I let go of this wheel I'm holding it so tight," she laughed, "You've got nothing to worry about, trust me."

She found that he was smirking when her eyes rose from the rippling muscles of his abdomen to his face, and she blushed furiously when she realized it was because he knew she was looking at him. Whoops. She tried to keep some of her dignity by looking past him at the island, keeping her jaw firmly shut to stop from giggling hysterically out of embarrassment.

Will's options for their destinations were to either stay on the boat, or to head onto the beach. Natalie didn't mind the swaying motion of the boat, but getting her feet back on solid ground would be nice, especially if they were going to be eating. She didn't think she'd get sea-sick, but she didn't exactly want Will to be there when she tested it just in case she did. Besides, then they could go swimming together too, and that might be fun.

"I vote for the beach, if we can find it," she told him, grinning. Now that it had popped into her mind, she couldn't get the image of him without his shirt on out of her head. She laughed at herself internally, blaming low blood-sugar for her wandering thoughts. Food would be a good idea, too.

[William Blake]

Will laughed out loud, "hadn't thought of that. Now I'm tempted to crash the boat on purpose, just so the UGAP can feel the burn." He got a feeling his non-appreciation for the government was coming through quite strongly now. It was no secret that he didn't like them, but turning into a ranting loony wasn't exactly what he had in mind. Time and a place.

"We'll have to sort that out," Will said with a chuckle, back over by her now, he put a hand back on the wheel, taking some of the weight off her so she wouldn't have to grip on so tightly. "We don't want you walking round with claws for hands, now, do we?" he smirked, standing fairly close to her again while he held the wheel.

The blush in her cheeks was endearing, Will was enjoying himself ever more with each passing moment, and it was all because of her. He couldn't exactly be sure, but he believed it was actually her that put him at ease. Sure, the sailing helped, it felt natural for him to be out here, but being around her and being himself around her felt natural as well. He didn't feel like he had to hide anything.

"The beach it is," he said, adjusting the wheel so that the boat slowly curved round so it was heading back towards the coast line. From the brochure, it didn't sound like it was going to be hard to find an empty beach. He could see that she was getting all sort of ideas in her mind about what they could, but he couldn't be sure exactly what.

Eventually, he spotted one which looked deserted, "I think we found our beach," he said, pointing towards it with his arm over her shoulder, "think you can keep us sailing steady while I prepare to drop the sails? After all, you're a natural at this."

[Natalie Blake]

"Ha, that would be interesting, that's for sure. But we might get hurt in the process, and that would probably take the shine off things," she commented, her sensible side popping in for a brief visit. Will was standing behind her, sharing the control of the wheel so she could slacken her grip. The proximity wasn't awkward; in fact, it was comfortable.

"I suppose I'd blend in with the crabs if my hands got stuck like that," she laughed, stretching her fingers as best she could without actually taking her hands off the wheel at Will's comment about "claw hands".

Just spending time with Will like this was nice. Aside from Luke, Will was the first person she'd actually really talked to since she'd come on board the Venia, and what with the way they'd opened up to one another (well, more like he'd opened up to her) she felt closer to him than most of the rest of the crew.

Natalie nodded when Will asked if she could keep them steady while he prepared the boat, her fingers tightening again. "Sure," she said lightly, smiling a little, "No problem. I just gotta hold tight and stay still. Easy enough."

While he worked, she examined the empty beach. The sand was bathed in sunlight, and it looked like it would be nice to stretch out on, and there were palm trees looming up that cast shadows further back if the sun proved to be too uncomfortable. The perfect place to eat and relax for a bit.

She glanced as best she could without moving over the edge of the boat and frowned. The distance down hadn't seemed too bad when there'd been a dock she could use to get on, but now that they were stopping by a beach she wondered how exactly she was supposed to get off. Or better yet, back on again afterwards.

"Uh, is there a ladder or something I'll be able to use?" she asked a little sheepishly, looking back up at Will with a chagrined smile.

[William Blake]

"The wise noggin strikes again," he said with a chuckle, tapping her lightly on the head with a finger, smirking. "Don't worry, I don't plan on actually carrying out said plan. Definitely don't want you getting hurt." It had been fun joking about it in the mean time though. Joking was always fun.

Will laughed again, "we'll have to find a rock pool to leave you in a bit later, see if the crabs and lobsters adopt you into their fold, making you a part of their family," he teased, highly amused by the turn this conversation had taken. Technically it was his fault, him and his unique sense of humour.

He smiled at her before going off to sort the boat out for their adventure onto the land. He dropped the sails so that the boat slowed, coasting towards the shore line, then when the water seemed to be about the right depth, he dropped the anchor, the boat coming to a full and complete stop. It would stay here until they needed it again.

When she asked about a ladder, he looked round at her, a serious expression on his face. "A ladder?" he raised a brow, "are you kidding? We have to jump," he said, "then walk back." He waited a moment to see what her reaction would be before a grin spread across his face, and he started laughing, "I'm teasing, of course there is."

He opened up a compartment in the ship's deck, pulling out a rope ladder, tossing the end over the edge of the boat. "Ladies first," he said, while he went to grab the bag full of food. Will waiting for Natalie to climb down into the water before he started his descent, slinging the bag over his shoulder so it wouldn't fall.

It was a nice beach they'd chosen, quite small, very secluded, surrounded mostly by a cliff face and trees. The water was a nice temperature as well, should they feel the need to paddle later on. That was going to bring up a whole raft of issues which Will pushed to the back of his mind for now. They'd eat, then he would worry about it.

Falling back into the sand, he put the bag of food out between them, "not exactly sure what I grabbed from the fridge, but I'm sure there must be something edible in here."

[Natalie Blake]

Natalie released a short burst of laughter when he tapped her head and then said that he wouldn't want her getting hurt. "Good to hear. I'm no fragile doll, don't get me wrong, but even this thick-skulled noggin"--she mimicked the tap against her head--"will crack if I hit it hard enough."

She laughed appreciatively when he suggested ditching her with some crabs or lobsters just to see if they'd adopt her. "Well, it would be one hell of a family reunion," she joked, elbowing him lightly.

Her eyes followed him as he went off to set things up so that they could get down onto the beach, watching his actions. She didn't understand half of what he was doing, but she didn't mind. Just watching him at all was enough. His hands were sure in every movement, his arms flexing and relaxing with every rope he pulled. It was oddly fascinating.

When Natalie asked about a ladder Will turned to her with a very serious expression that told her before the words were out of his mouth that he was going to say no. He explained that they'd have to jump, and she didn't mind that too much, but it would make getting back on the boat again afterwards hell.

She opened her mouth to tell him that but then a huge grin cracked across his face and he told her he was joking. She scowled playfully, shaking her head at him. "William Blake, you bad man you," she teased back, smiling. Once the anchor was dropped he rolled out the ladder and indicated that she should go first.

Kicking off her shoes Natalie swung her leg over the edge of the boat and climbed down quickly, the warm sand that met her feet extremely pleasant. She waited for Will to join her and then followed him a little ways up the beach before plopping down next to him on the sand. The comment he made when he dropped the bag of food between them made her snort.

"Well, if there's nothing edible we could always crack open some of my adoptive family," she joked, nodding towards a small collection of rocks where there were no doubt a couple of crabs milling around. "But then they'll label me as a cannibal, and I think that that might take me off the Christmas card list."

[William Blake]

Will let out a hearty laugh when she said about the family reunion, the elbow to his ribs as light as a feather. "I don't doubt it," he said, "they'll probably throw a party in honour. All you can eat sea urchins." He grinned a boyish grin, pretty much unable to wipe a smile off his face now that they were in the full swing of their teasing conversation.

He could feel her eyes on him all the while he'd been sorting out the boat, which was half the reason he had chosen to wind her up in the first place. He smirked at her, finding it amusing that she'd called him a bad man, rather than a bad boy. "I'll just put my dunce hat on, and go sit over in the corner then, shall I? Maybe I can write some lines in the sand."

The sand was a nice temperature as well, warm and soft beneath his feet, only scratching very slightly against his wet skin. He had been going to delve straight into the bag when she made the comment about cracking open her adoptive family. It was his turn to snort with laughter, which progressed to thigh slapping laughter when she said about being taking off the Christmas card list.

He rolled back in the sand a little, his hand on his stomach as it ached from laughing. His brain lagged in coming up with a good comment in return. "They'd have to get a restraining order against you," he said, "not being allowed to come within twenty feet of their rock pool, otherwise you'll be tied up with seaweed and tossed in the ocean." They were takin this joke way too far now, but it was hilarious none-the-less.

Managing to calm down somewhat, he peered into the bag, pulling out the food that he'd managed to snag. There was some fresh fruit, bread, a couple of types of meat he didn't particurly recognise, and beer. "Hey, not too bad," he commented, picking up a beer first, using hands to twist the top off. "Want one?" he asked, offering her the already open bottle.

[Natalie Blake]

At Will's comment about all you can eat sea urchins, Natalie pulled a face that was somewhere between disgusted and considering. Then, realizing how hysterical she must look, she broke into laughter. "Well, wouldn't that be a tale for the history books," she snickered, grinning widely at him.

He smirked after she called him a bad man, and she had her suspicions why. Calling him a "bad boy" would imply too much, though. At least, she thought it might. She really needed food. "No, the lines won't be necessary," she assured him facetiously, "Though admittedly the dunce hat might be worthwhile." She stuck her tongue out playfully--and childishly--at him to let him know she was joking.

When he broke into gales of laughter at her Christmas card jest, she smiled broadly and enjoyed the sound. How many other people have heard him laugh like this? she wondered, leaning back next to him as he fell over and rested a hand on his stomach.

At his rejoinder she stifled a snort and giggled. "Imagine reading about that in the papers: Crab-woman, disowned by adoptive crab family, was tied up and drowned for ignoring the restraining order put out against her after she proved to be cannibalistic." She shook her head. They were really dragging this one out now.

When Will opened the bag of food, she propped herself up on her elbow and peered into it, humming appreciatively at their selection. He pulled out one of the beers and opened it, offering it to her. She cocked an eyebrow at him, smirking coyly. "It's hard to come by a gentleman who'll open your bottle for you. But if you'll recall, Will, I grew up in a saloon."

With that, Natalie winked at him and pulled out the other bottle of beer, popping the lid off expertly with her teeth just as her father had taught her. She then took a swig, the warm taste familiar against her tongue. After a minute she pushed her bottle down into the sand so it wouldn't fall over and with a contented sigh, she settled back against the sand and closed her eyes, simply enjoying the moment... and then her stomach growled.

[William Blake]

Will poked his tongue out at her in return, indulging her childishness. "Somehow, I just can't imagine it'll suit me," he said, "and you know how I feel about things that mess up my hair." The first night they'd talked in engineering, she'd messed up his hair and he'd jokingly protested. There probably wasn't much she'd be able to do to it right now, but she could try.

He felt her hand rest against his stomach, and raised an eyebrow surreptitiously. He didn't move it, it felt nice it being there, the fabric beneath her hand tickling his skin, but he wondered if she'd realised what she doing. Maybe she was doing it absentmindedly, or maybe she was sneakily trying to cop a feel. He smirked slightly.

Will laughed again when she reviewed all of what they'd just said, to anyone else that would have sounded completely nuts, but to them it was hilarious. "I'd love to see that newspaper headline in the Pincer Times," he pulled a face, "bad joke, bad, bad joke." He wouldn't be trying that again, but the terribleness made him chuckle anyway.

"Oh, my bad," he said with a smirk, pulling his beer back towards him, taking a swig while she acquired her own. They didn't serve any proper alcohol on the Venia, just the biosynthesised stuff which never tasted as good. This stuff was great though, everything about this resort was great, the location, the sun, the sailing, the beer, the company... He grimaced as Natalie opened the bottle with her teeth. "If you're not careful, you're going to be wishing for your two front teeth all over again," he said, half serious, half teasingly. He never understood why anyone would want to open a bottle with their hands.

Another long gulp, and Will did the same as Natalie, making sure his beer was safe before laying back. The sound of her stomach broke the silence, and he held back a sort. "Was that... thunder I just heard?" trying ever so hard to not let another smirk cross his face. He looked across at her with a smile, letting her know he was teasing.