intwo

To both Mele and Fali’s immense relief, the photos never showed up the next day. Nor the day after that. Or even the one after, when Mele finally took a deep breath and set down her cutlery after breakfast.

“Okay,” she said quietly. “Let’s try the beach again.”

Fali looked up in surprise.
“The beach? Are you sure?”

She nodded, clenching and unclenching her fists as if psyching herself up.
“I have to. Otherwise I’ll never leave this house again.”

He nodded slowly, catching the iron beneath her fragile tone.
“Alright. Then as soon as you’re ready, we’ll hit the village again and finish our shopping. What do we still need?”

She swallowed, her voice wavering slightly.
“A picnic rug, an umbrella… and swimsuits.”

He nodded again, pretending not to notice the way she averted her eyes at the last item.
“That should be easy enough. Again though, are you-”

She cut him off sharply.
“Don’t say it. Or I might change my mind, and I don’t want that to happen. Okay?”

He raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Roger that.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile.
“Thank you. And sorry. I’m such a mess.”

He shook his head firmly.
“No, you’re perfectly normal for someone who’s not only constantly on the verge of being hounded, but also recently recovered from an intentional injury that was meant to kill. What I’m saying is, don’t worry about it. I love you anyway.”

Her eyes softened, the gratitude in them edged with guilt.
“Thank you. And… I’m sorry you have to keep telling me that.”

“I don’t mind at all.” He grinned.
“Besides, you’d do the same for me.”

She smiled back, the warmth in her expression outweighing the hesitation in her voice.
“Yeah.”

He returned the smile, hope flickering in his chest.
Maybe this time, they’d actually make it to the beach.

The clothing store, despite being tucked into a quiet village corner, was surprisingly large. Mele paused outside its glass doors, taking a slow, steadying breath before she finally nodded.
“Okay. Let’s go.”

Fali pushed her inside, his eyes flicking left and right, scanning the space with the precision of a man trained to find danger in the vast blue sky. Compared to spotting an enemy jet, spotting trouble here was child’s play.

They reached the swimwear aisle, and Fali’s pulse quickened. Rows upon rows of women’s swimsuits lined the walls - from modest one-pieces to designs that could only exist to tempt wandering eyes. He felt out of place, as though every rack were staring back at him. Luckily, Mele knew exactly what she wanted - she’d glimpsed it the last time they were here.

“Keep going,” she said quietly. “It’s towards the end.”

He did as told, head down, focusing very intently on the linoleum floor.

“There it is.”

He looked up. She was pointing toward a two-piece bikini: a soft pink number with a flounced, off-shoulder short-sleeved top and ruffled bottoms. Cute and playful - but undeniably flattering. One look at it told him everything. She wanted something sweet, something bright… something that would make him look twice.

She plucked it from the rack, gave the size tag a quick check, then nodded.
“Okay, let’s get out of here.”

He didn’t argue. There was only so long a man could survive in the women’s swimwear section before spontaneous combustion set in.

The stop at the counter was brief but awkward. The cashier - one of the few sworn to secrecy about Mele’s presence in town - raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Moments later, they escaped into the sunlight.

Fali exhaled hard.
“That was way more stressful than it needed to be.”

Mele laughed, glancing back at him upside-down from her chair.
“You reckon?”

He grinned.
“Yeah. Let’s never do that again.”

She giggled softly.
“We’d have to move houses first.”

“Got any ideas?”

She shrugged.
“Anywhere with a hangar for Freyla II.”

He smiled at that.
“Good point. Alright, shall we?”

She nodded, and before long they were back in the car, the tension easing as the countryside rolled past.

Half an hour later, they pulled into the drive. Mele smiled as she wheeled herself toward her room.
“Back in a bit.”

Fali nodded and made for the kitchen. Lunch was simple - roast beef sandwiches, light and easy for the beach - but she’d insisted that was all she wanted. He didn’t mind one bit.

When she reappeared, she was dressed in a flowing summer dress, the pink bikini hidden beneath. Her hair was tied loosely over one shoulder, and she looked radiant - calm, determined, and a little nervous.

Fali finished packing the last of the sandwiches and looked up with a smile.
“Ready to go?”

She nodded, eyes bright.
“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The drive to the beach took about an hour, leading them away from the village to a small coastal community that lived entirely off solar power. It was backed by a steep incline, a scattering of fragile-looking bachs clinging to its base. Separated from the sand by only a narrow chip-seal road, the place looked like a single storm could erase it. Yet the houses stood firm - proof of the unusually gentle weather this stretch of coast received.

It was quiet. Peaceful. The beach stretched for kilometers, and only a handful of people were there to enjoy it. Fali pulled the car onto the grass off the roadside, stepped out, and unfolded Mele’s wheelchair. He helped her into it, hung their bags over the handlebars, and started pushing her down the soft incline toward the sand.

The sun hung high, just past noon, a few white clouds drifting lazily through the blue. There was barely a breeze, and the tang of salt filled the air. The moment the wheelchair’s wheels met the sand, they sank deep and stopped.

Fali exhaled.
“Alright,” he said, hands on his hips, “I’ll put down the mat and bring you over.”

Mele nodded. He laid the rug out just above the wet-dry line, then carried her gently to it before going back for the chair. Sitting beside her, he let out a long breath.
“I haven’t been to the beach in… what, seventeen years?”

She smiled softly.
“I think it’s been about the same for me. Maybe a little less. But it’s good to be here.”

He nodded. For a while they just sat, watching the waves roll in. The sun beat down, warm and steady. After a moment, Fali, overheating, pulled off his shirt - hesitantly at first. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Mele staring. His chest tightened; he’d expected laughter or teasing, but instead she was gazing with parted lips.

“Wow,” she said, almost under her breath. “You’re hot.”

Fali froze.

From her view, he was a tall man with the kind of body that looked both real and strong - nothing exaggerated, just the toned lines of someone who’d lived a disciplined life. His skin held a soft tan, lighter now after weeks indoors, but it suited him. He was, in short, exactly what an air force recruitment poster would dream up.

She let out a mock gasp, pretending to fan herself.
“I’m going to need some ice after seeing that.”

He flushed and turned away, his voice stumbling.
“Uh… th-thank you…”

Her smile turned sly.
“I guess now it’s my turn.”

His head snapped back just as she tugged her dress free from underneath her and pulled it over her head. The grin she gave him said go ahead, look all you want - and yet he didn’t. Not quite. He only allowed himself a brief glance, but it was enough to make his heart stumble.

The bikini was even cuter than he’d imagined - the flounced off-shoulder top flowing lightly with her movements, showing just enough without giving too much away. The ruffled trim of the bottoms framed her hips perfectly, the soft pink fabric gleaming in the sunlight. Her long, bare thighs caught the light, smooth and warm-toned against the golden sand.

He tried to find words, his voice a little hoarse.
“You… you’re…”

He wanted to say sexy, but somehow it didn’t feel right. Not for her. So instead, he said, softly:
“You’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Mele tilted her head, her smile deepening.
“Thank you,” she said, “but I know what you really meant was how sexy I am.”