Cruising (Natalie)

[William Blake]

Natalie was right, just, he probably wouldn't drown her. He wasn't that cruel, and hey, her being alive was probably a good thing too. That being an understatement. He huffed again, pretending to be overly hurt by the fact that she was beating him with her words, and that his brain was unable to come up with suitable retorts. "I shall," he said with a nod, "because it's true," he turned his chin up at her, folding his arms across his chest.

Pulling her under again had been the only thing he could think at the time, and while it certainly brought about more laughter, once it was gone, he wasn't exactly sure what he was doing. The logical part of his brain, and the slightly panicked look on Natalie's face told him that he should probably let go, but his arms just weren't doing as they were told. They liked having her there, having her close, having someone close, in more ways than just physically.

Will looked down at her hands on his chest, before looking back up into her eyes. Once again, he told himself to let go, and he did begin to loosen his grip, while his mind immediately ran to something else he could do. Would that be too forward? Was it just innocent fun they were having here as friends, and not something more? It was hard to tell, the line between them sufficiently blurred.

One of his hands found her waist, the other cupping as her cheek as he made the decision to go for it. He did it slowly, so as not to startle her, giving her the chance to pull away if this wasn't what she wanted. His lips connected with hers, and he kissed her softly, waiting to see if their was any reaction from her side.

[Natalie Blake]

It seemed like time had stopped there in Will's arms; the rest of the world had lost all meaning, just a blur surrounding them. Natalie's heart was thundering away like a trapped bird, and she tried to think of what she could say that wouldn't make things completely awkward for the both of them.

Sadly, after that momentary visit earlier during the day, her sensible side had vanished. No words of wisdom sprang into her head. Everything she could think of to break the moment would either raise questions or insult Will, and she didn't want either. Especially not the latter. She didn't want to ruin the way things were between them, now that he trusted her.

It took a while, but finally Natalie noticed that Will hadn't moved either. In fact, he was a little too still. Her breath hitching a little, she swallowed and looked back up at him. Those eyes again, gods... blue stared into brown for a prolonged moment. His arms began to loosen, and at first she assumed he was going to let her go, but then a hand drifted to her waist and the other came up to hold her face.

And then he kissed her.

At first Natalie was completely still, barely daring to believe this was real. But Will's hands on her skin and his soft, warm lips against hers were too real to just be a dream. She pulled away for a second, searching his eyes for any signs that said he hadn't meant to kiss her, but from what she found it was entirely deliberate.

"Will..." she whispered breathlessly, her hands sliding behind his neck. Leaning up she returned his kiss, knitting her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer to her. They might realize what they were doing later and be appalled at themselves. They might regret it. But right now, there was nothing Natalie wanted more than to stay there in that blissful moment for as long as she possibly could.

[William Blake]

Will swore he could almost hear her heart pounding in the silence, then it turned out that his was practically river dancing in his chest, it was beating so erratically and hard. Her sweet face was looking into his, searching his eyes, as unsure as he was about all this, not knowing whether this boundary was meant to be crossed, and whether now was the time to cross it.

His touch seemed to turn her to stone, and it took her what felt like forever to react and say his name, then she returned the kiss. All the uncertainty that had been swirling around in his mind lifted suddenly, making him feel light as he deepened the kiss. He liked the way her fingers were now pressed against his head through his hair, and as she tugged him closer, he ran his hand down under her thigh, hitching her up, pulling her legs around him as they stood there in the water, kissing.

Eventually, he broke the kiss, taking the chance to take a deep breath, replenishing his lungs with oxygen. He ran his hand further up into her hair with a smile, brushing it out of her face. He felt like he should say something, but nothing came to mind. His mind had completely tuned everything out, it was just him and Natalie there alone, nothing else. It was so peaceful.

"Let's do that again some time," he said, realising how damn cheesy that line was. He chuckled a little, looking at her, his blue eyes sparkling. This peaceful feeling was new to him, and he didn't want to let it go.

[Natalie Blake]

Will, Will, Will, Will, Will... Natalie's brain was like a stuck record, playing his name over and over again in her head. The fluttering panic in her chest was replaced with such an elated feeling that she became practically dizzy with it. His lips, searing against her own, tasted of saltwater, and his hands were gentle as they trailed down her legs.

She felt herself being lifted closer to him, her knees hitching up over his hips, and she locked her ankles together behind his back to keep herself there. The rest of the world could have gone up in flames and they most likely wouldn't have noticed. After what might have been a lifetime or merely a millisecond they pulled apart, both breathing harder than usual.

Natalie smiled a little when Will brushed her hair away from her face and bit her lip to prevent it from turning into a full-fledged grin. After his next comment, however, she was unable to stop it. "Let's," she agreed, butterflying her lips across his. "I guess I should get down now, huh?" she chuckled, noticing her legs were still hooked around him. She made easy work of detaching herself and landing back in the water.

"I wonder if UGAP has rules against fraternization?" she wondered aloud, playing her fingers idly across Will's chest. "I mean, I didn't think they do usually, but you're kind of my superior and all that..." She trailed off, not really caring too much. But just because she didn't care didn't mean Will wouldn't, and she wanted to be sure of his opinion of the matter.

[William Blake]

As she pulled away, he felt his peaceful aura break, but only a little. He was still content, but the world was coming back into focus around them, the sound of the waves lapping against the boat, the smell of the ocean, the breese rustling the leaves in the trees. Time had slowed to a trickle, passing by at a glacial pace, a relaxed one, one that matched his mood.

Will grinned when she agreed that they should do it again sometime, he imagined it would happen sooner rather than later. He snorted when she wondered out loud about the UGAP and their rules. "Who cares about their rules?" he said, once again, his disdain for the UGAP surfacing, "when we're not working, titles don't matter," he continued, "and besides," a finger twirled a strand of her hair, "they're not going to want to lose two of their best engineers, we're not exactly easy to replace." That he was sure of.

Gently, he took her hand, leading her back to the shore where their clothes were waiting for them. They'd lost track of time, and he could see the sun slowly making it's descent towards the horizon. It'd be better to get the boat back before it went dark, so they didn't get lost on the way back to the marina. Plus, sailing into the sunset had a certain cliched appeal to it, one that Will couldn't refuse.

Just picking up his clothes, feeling comfortable enough around her in his own skin for the moment, he nodded towards the ship, "we'd better be getting back," he said, although he would have been quite content to stay on the beach with her all night, he didn't know how cold it got here at night. It might not be pleasant. "We can crack open another couple of beers on deck, take the long way back," he said with a smile.

[Natalie Blake]

It made Natalie's heart soar to hear Will say that he didn't care about UGAP's regulations, and she smiled as he twirled some of her hair around his finger. "True," she said, chuckling, "We're pretty damn irreplaceable, aren't we?" We. Huh. She'd never really appreciated how wonderful that word could sound before.

He took her hand then and led the way back onto the beach, the sand sticking to their wet feet. She only bothered with putting her shorts back on, shoving her shirt haphazardly into the bag with their food. The sun was starting to set now, sending streams of pink, red and orange across the ocean. Never before had she seen a sunset so beautiful.

At Will's voice Natalie turned her eyes back to him and nodded. The sunset, while beautiful it may be, marked the end of the day, and if they stayed out much longer finding their way back could prove to be challenging. "That sounds good," she told him. At his offer of more beer and a scenic route, she grinned widely. "And that sounds even better."

[William Blake]

"That we are," he said with the nod, putting his own clothes in the bag before taking it from her, carrying it back over to the boat, expecting her to follow now that the plan had been laid out. It was probably one of the most romantic things he'd suggested doing, it was Natalie's effect on him, putting him at ease, letting his softer side show. That, and the sense of calm that came with the island and it's atmosphere.

Once they were both back on board, he set about pulling up the anchor, turning on the engine to get them back out into open waters before hoisting the sails, letting the wind do all the work as far as powering the ship was concerned - it was nicer that way, without the sound of the engine rumbling in the background, just the sails lightly flapping in the breeze.

Now that they were on their way, he took the wheel leaning lightly against the wheel as he looked round at Natalie, a smile across his face. The breeze would dry them off soon enough, it was still warm considering the setting sun. "This is the life," he mused, glancing across at the horizon where the colours were slowly becoming richer, the lower the sun dipped through the atmosphere. "If I could retire and just do this, I would."

[Natalie Blake]

Will shoved his own clothes into the bag, taking it from Natalie before turning to lead the way back onto the boat. She followed, examining the scars across his back surreptitiously. There were far more on his back than on his chest, showing all the suffering he'd gone through. And yet, to turn out so sweet and gentle proved just how strong he truly was.

She ignored her shoes once she'd gotten back onto the boat, more comfortable walking around barefoot. Will went about pulling up the anchor and preparing the ship for their return trip, and meanwhile she went digging through the bag for a couple more beers. She then seated herself adjacent to the wheel as Will leaned against it, joining him in watching the sunset.

"You can say that again," she sighed happily, handing Will one of the beers. Considerately she took the lid off hers with her hands this time, grinning a little as she did so. Her eyes found the horizon again, the sun dipping into the ocean reflected in her bright eyes.

"It's so perfect here," she said, her tone almost rueful. The fact that they'd have to leave was an unavoidable one, she knew, but that didn't make it any less upsetting. To lighten her mood, Natalie turned her attention back to Will and the day they'd just shared. Grinning at him she added, "And I have not a single complaint about the company, either."

[William Blake]

"This is the life," he said again with the same gusto, before looking across at her smirking. "Sorry, couldn't resist." He took the beer from her with a grateful nod, and twisted the cap off with his hand, watching her do the same this time instead of using her teeth, that was for his benefit no doubt after the fuss he'd kicked up about it on the beach. He was pretty sure she'd look better with all of her teeth.

Will completely agreed. Having to leave here in a week was going to be difficult, but no doubt work would pull him back in as soon as he got back to the ship. He'd just have to hold on to this week as a memory, one that he'd remind himself to repeat in the near future. This place could definitely encourage him to take more time off, especially if Natalie was with him. She was the cherry on top of the cake.

He smiled across at her, not having a 'single complaint' about the company. "Can't say I have any complaints either," he said, idly picking at the label on his beer bottle, pretending to act coy. He looked at her again and smirked. Then, one hand still on the wheel, he put the bottle of beer down, and edged round the side to the computer panel, setting the boat to auto-steer back to the marina, then he put some music on - John Mayer, a 21st Century musician. "That's better," he said, releasing the wheel.

[Natalie Blake]

Not able to help herself, Natalie giggled a little when Will actually repeated himself. "Cute," she laughed, kicking his leg softly with her bare foot. Before, on the ride out here, she'd been seeing the joking, playful side of Will. Now she was seeing his peaceful, relaxed side. She found that she equally fond of both.

It was odd that they'd only known one another for a little while, considering how close they were now. And while making fun of UGAP had its perks--especially in regards to the faulty biosythesizers--it was also true that if they hadn't started the Venia mission, the chances of the two of them having met elsewhere was slim to none. At least the government had done some things right.

"Good to hear," Natalie returned when Will agreed with her, smirking a little at his sudden change in demeanor. She watched curiously as he went to the computer panel, modifying something. Next she knew they were surrounded by music, and she couldn't stop the grin that split across her face.

"Oh, no way," she said, beaming at Will. "This is 21st century music, isn't it?" She thought for a moment, tempted to snap her fingers--not that she really understood why people did that when they were trying to think of something. It's not like it actually helped. "It's... oh, what's his name... John Mayer, right? I think that's it."

Since her mother had absolutely hated the new age music companies were pumping out these days, she'd often play music from a few centuries ago. Elaine had always claimed that that had been the time when music had actually been good. While Natalie agreed with her mother, Bill, her father, had not. Maybe that was why he had always spent so much time in the garage--to get away from the music? Natalie snorted a little at the thought.

Setting her own beer down she got to her feet and took Will's hand again, weaving her fingers through his securely. To her, that action in itself spoke of how comfortable she was with Will. Any of the other guys she'd been with had all been after the same thing, and once they'd achieved their goal she meant nothing to them. Will was different. He actually cared, actually wanted to get to know her as a person. She'd never had that before, and it meant a lot to her.

[William Blake]

A grin spread across Will's face at the comments she made about him being cheeky and repeating his line, then saying he had no complaints about the company. To be honest, he would probably take offense to anybody saying that Natalie wasn't good company - once she got talking, she didn't really stop, and he was happy to let her go on. The only two other girls who talked to him this much were his Goddaughters, and it was largely gibberish about their toys or kindergarden, which, of course, he patiently listened to - he only got to see them once in a blue moon so he would listen to anything they had to say.

Will watched her as she tried to guess what the music was, "ding! We have a winner!" he chuckled. He was kind of suprised she knew it, actually. There were some songs that had managed to survive over the centuries because they were timeless - their attraction never seemed to wane. Albums like this though were now collectors items. Will had inherited stacks of old CDs and records along with a lot of other things when he father had died, and he had been slowly going through them, this was his favourite so far, "good isn't it?" he said with a smile. A lot of the music from way back when was tonnes better than the new stuff they had today anyway.

When Natalie linked her hand with his, Will felt his fingers tingle, the hairs on his arms stood on end. He enjoyed the feelingg of her skin on his. Standing still for a moment, he merely smiled across at her, then gently, he pulled her into him, placing his free hand on her waist, as they began to sway back and forth to the music. "Ahh autopilot," Will said, "making flirting so much easier," he smiled down at Natalie, enjoying having her this close - well, any woman this close, but Natalie especially.

[Natalie Blake]

Natalie snorted at Will's game-show-host-like response to her guess at the artist they were listening too. If it hadn't been for the fact that she couldn't sing, she probably would have sung along with the chorus just to prove to him that she knew it. It wasn't like she had a bad voice, just a terrible sense of pitch.

"Excellent," she agreed, smiling. His reaction to her weaving her fingers through his was to pull her close and start to dance. Well, it was more swaying than dancing, really. If they were actually dancing, there was a chance she would have stepped on his foot by now. She noted idly as they moved back and forth that his bare stomach was pressed against her own and the his hand was resting on her waist.

Will's next statement made her giggle. "That's why it was invented, no doubt," she joked, bringing her free hand up to settle on his upper-arm. With a soft sigh she rested her head on his shoulder his and closed her eyes, a small smile curving her lips as she drank in the smell of his skin.

It seemed almost odd to Natalie, to feel so content, and yet at the same time it didn't. It was like being with Will was bringing out the side of her she'd thought she lost when she'd left for university--a sense of safety and belonging. She knew that the threats of the world were still real--the rifts and fluxes, the terrorists, all of it--but there, with him, it all seemed so far away. To find something so beautiful in times like this... well, it was sort of magical.

And you've just tripped a ten on the mush-meter, Nate, she laughed at herself, straightening up again as the song ended. "So..." she began, knowing she should probably say something but not being able to find the words or caring enough to try. Just being there with him was enough for her.

((Sorry, my muse is still dead. I just put up what I could think of. If you can think of somewhere to take this, then by all means take control!))

[William Blake]

Will decided that swaying was the safest thing. He had no idea if Natalie could dance or not, and he'd rather keep the fact that he knew how to himself for the moment. When you're forced to attend functions as a child, you begin to pick those sort of things up. He'd often heard it said that with a strong male lead, even the sketchiest of dancers could be led around the floor. But, for now, he was quite content to just sway there, humming quietly.

Time passed smoothly as they both moved silently on the deck. Will had been wanting to do this for years, just take the time to enjoy a woman's company (as apposed to them trying to jump his bones). And Natalie certainly was good company. She seemed to be going along with what he did, taking it in her stride, completely relaxed. This, in turn, made him feel so relaxed, the most he had been in a long while.

"So," he replied, looking down at her with a smile on his face. He could see that they were approaching the dock, and in a moment he'd have to take the wheel again in order to steer them in, but for now, he remained right where he was, running a hand across her cheek, he pressed his lips against hers in a kiss. He smiled through it, unable to believe the warmth inside of him right now.

The panel beeped, and he unfortunately had to pull away, running a hand down her arm until he reached her hand, kissing it gently before letting it go. He turned off the autopilot and grabbed the wheel. The sun was almost down now, the colours fading. He felt like he should say something, but part of him felt like it would spoil the moment if he did. He was content enough to just sail the boat home, take Natalie by the hand, and head off back to the house.

[~ ADMIN]

~~ CLOSED ~~