Nightshade: A SimLit | Chapter 77: Paradise

Lately, the house always seemed so empty. Perhaps at first Onyx and Amelia thought they'd enjoy the peace and quiet of finally having it all to themselves, but time crawled by painfully slowly, and the sweltering summer heat only served to make them more miserable than the boredom did. Their days fell into the same dull routine: wake up, do all the things they had to do, and stare mindlessly at the living room walls as they lounged on the couch and wallowed in their self-pity. Especially on days that they didn't have anything to do, such as today.

"Do you think there's something good to watch on TV?" Onyx sighed, side-glancing at Amelia, who was so spaced out that it took her a moment to acknowledge reality.

"Onyx, there's never anything good to watch on TV," she lazily responded, "and I don't want to watch it anyway. I want to do something."

Onyx's lips curled into a slight smirk. "Oh, you want to do something? Well--" He laughed as she cut him off with a sharp jab of her elbow. 

Amelia playfully glared. "Whatever ideas you just got aren't what I meant."

"Well... how do you know I don't have any ideas you'd like?" Onyx raised an eyebrow. "I've been thinking about some things to do."

She sighed softly and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Okay, I'll humor you. What kind of things?"

"Things like..." he paused, averting his gaze and reaching up to idly play with loose strands of her hair as he spoke, "...wait, if I tell you exactly what it is, it wouldn't be as fun."

"I'm not in the mood for surprises," Amelia murmured.

"No, really. I was thinking... since I don't have any novels to write and you don't have any art commissions to finish for a while, maybe we should get away and relax for once. Just the two of us," Onyx smiled slightly. "If we're going to be alone, we might as well make it fun, right?"

She glanced up at him, interested in his proposition. "I do like the sound of that, but... where exactly do you plan to get away to?"

He met her gaze and his smile widened. "You'll see."

---

Neither of them had ever breathed air this fresh before. The island seemed so undamaged by the outside world, teeming with color and abundant with life, and there was beauty as far as the eye could see. It was just as hot here as it was at home, but there was a cool breeze that lightly rustled the leaves, gently swaying the palm trees as it blew. The harsh rays of sunlight that beamed down seemed intimidating at first, but they'd grown to be powerful enough vampires that even sun exposure this intense would do little more than sunburn them quickly, and the slight sting that still lingered was nothing that generously applied sunscreen couldn't fix. Sulani truly felt like a tropical paradise.

"Sulani is even more beautiful than I imagined it would be," Amelia said softly, leaning against Onyx as she stared in wonder at the world beyond them from their hotel balcony. "This was a great idea. Even though I still can't help feeling like we--"

"Forgot to pack something, I know," Onyx interrupted. "You must have told me a hundred times on the flight. I'm sure we brought everything we needed, okay? Don't worry so much and take this chance to relax, Amelia. Honestly, I was tired of watching us both moping around. I thought fresh air and blue skies were just the thing we needed." Onyx grinned. "...although the sun here still stings a little more than I thought it would."

Amelia turned to look up at him, tugging his arm toward the sliding doors. "Then put on your swim trunks and some more sunscreen and let's hit the beach!"

"The beach? Honey, we've had a really long day and a long flight... the sun's going to be setting in a while anyway. Shouldn't we get some rest and wait until tomorrow? We have a whole week to--"

"Please? Just for a little while?"

There was a pleading look in her eyes that they both knew he was unable to resist.

"...fine, you win," Onyx chuckled. "As usual. Let's change into our swimwear and we'll head out, but not for too long, okay? I'm starting to get tired."

Amelia flashed him a triumphant grin and placed a quick kiss to his cheek before turning to head into their room. "You're the best."

---

Considering Amelia's prior enthusiasm, Onyx didn't expect to be the one dragging her behind him as they approached the shoreline, where there were a few other people enjoying the beach. "Come on, I thought you wanted to go on the beach! You better not have made me put on all that sunscreen for nothing."

"I'm coming!" Amelia chuckled nervously as she stumbled along behind him. "I'm just... not used to showing so much skin in front of other people. Why did I let you convince me I should buy this bikini?"

"I didn't convince you. You asked me if you looked "hot" in it and I was just being honest," Onyx grinned. "It looks great on you."

She furrowed her eyebrows, but there was a playful tone to her voice. "You just wanted to make sure you had something to stare at for the whole vacation." 

"Fine, you caught me," he laughed. "I won't be able to take my eyes off of you."

Amelia smirked. "I could say the same to you."

Silence fell between them as their focus shifted to the other people on the beach, who were being quite loud, but gave the place a cheerful and bright atmosphere. Even at first glance, you could tell that they were Sulani residents rather than other tourists. One of them, using her hand to block the sun out of her eyes, glanced in their direction and turned to face them. "Hey, guys! Looks like we have some visitors," she called to her friends.

The three strangers enthusiastically approached, and they all exchanged a wave in greeting. The brunette was the first to speak. "Welcome to Sulani. It's always great to see new friendly faces around!"

"Aloha," Amelia replied with a bright smile. "It's nice to meet you. Sulani is absolutely beautiful... I guess you get a lot of tourists, huh?" 

She nodded. "We do meet a lot of people that visit here. I'm sure we'll get along just fine as long as you don't litter... or eat any fish."

Amelia opened her mouth to question the bizarre food standards, but she was interrupted.

"Oh, um, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Leilani," she nervously added. "These two are my friends Kai and Waiola."

"Nice to meet you!" Kai grinned.

Waiola nodded slightly. "It's a pleasure."

"Oh, and..." Leilani paused, turning her head in the direction of the rest of her group a short distance away. "Over there on the lounge chairs are my brother and sister, Kalani and Noelani. The other guy is Kai's big brother, Ahe."

"It's nice to meet you all," Onyx said.

"I know you guys pretty obviously want to enjoy your time together alone," she said with a wink, "but if you ever want to hang out and learn more about the local culture while you're here, feel free to come find us. We're pretty much always at the beach."

A small smile tugged on Amelia's lips. "You're right, we'd definitely love to spend a little time together. But we'll be sure to swing by again really soon and get to know you all and the island better."

"Sounds great to me. Now get out in the ocean and have some fun. There's no water more perfect for swimming than what you'll find here!" Leilani stepped out of their path forward, motioning encouragingly to the shoreline. "If you've been looking for paradise, you picked the right place."

Amelia quickly glanced at Onyx, a mischievous grin already forming. "I'll race you there!"

Without any further warning, she took off running, leaving him to desperately fall into pace behind her. "Hey, you're no fair!"

Amelia was the first to touch the water, cheering triumphantly as soon as she did. "I win!"

"Yeah? We'll see about that!"

She let out something between a squeal and a laugh as he sent a splash of water crashing toward her. "Cut that out or you're gonna regret it!"

"You can't make me," he teased.

Time seemed to slow down as the pair went deeper into the water, laughing and splashing at each other the whole way. The only sound that could be heard above their voices was the call of the seagulls flying above. Perhaps Leilani was onto something: Sulani was certainly a paradise, and it was exactly what they needed. The past years of their lives had been filled with one chaotic mess after another, and especially after the most recent events, there were no doubts that it would do them some good to escape reality and just enjoy themselves -- and each other -- even if only for a while.

Their playfulness continued on for a while as they swam in the shallow water just off of the shore, relentless with their mischievous splashing. It had been so long since it was just the two of them together, free to let loose and have some fun. For now, they didn't have to have a single care in the world, and they were going to make the most of it until they returned home.

"Okay, okay, that's enough!" Onyx laughed. There was a pleading tone evident in his voice. "No more splashing me!"

Amelia grinned before taunting him. "You can't make me!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Face it, Onyx, you won't do any--"

He quickly silenced her with a kiss. She immediately wrapped her arms around his torso to guide him closer rather than continuing to splash him, smiling slightly when she felt one of his hands entangling itself in her hair, and the other sliding further down her waist...

Onyx innocently positioned his hand to rest on her hip as she pulled away from the kiss, laughing lightly. 

"Someone's feeling feisty."

"What? I wasn't doing anything." Onyx grinned.

"Sure you weren't," she retorted. 

"In fact, I was just thinking," he continued, trying to change the subject before any further accusations, "we should go check out more of the beach before the sun goes down."

Amelia sighed. "I guess you're right, but I don't really want to get out of the water. It's so nice here, and the temperature is perfect..."

"Don't you want to take a walk along the beach and watch the sunset? That's way more romantic than splashing around."

"Oh, I see, you're trying to set the mood." She playfully smirked. "Is that what this whole vacation is about?"

He smiled. "No, this whole vacation is about finally getting to spend some quality time with you."

Amelia returned the smile, feeling her heart melt a little at the sentiment, but he quickly waded further to the shore and pulled her along with him, suddenly standing up from the water and lifting her over his shoulder. "Am I going to have to carry you myself?"

She laughed loudly and squirmed in his grip as he started heading back onto the sand. "Put me down! I mean it!"

He smirked, glancing back at her as he walked. "Why should I?"

Her laughter ceased and was replaced with a glare. "Because all the other ladies at the beach are going to see how strong you are and start foaming at the mouth over your muscles."

Leilani chuckled as she watched the two of them from a distance, hearing their banter loud and clear. 'They're really something,' she thought. 'I can't put my finger on it, but something definitely seems... different. Like there's more to them than meets the eye...'

---

"I see land up ahead!"

"Onyx, we got into the canoe specifically to sail to that part of the island. We've seen it the whole time."

The two of them didn't expect for their walk on the beach to land them in a canoe, but when they reached the edge of the water only to see even more of the island to explore just beyond a very narrow stretch of ocean, they decided to try out their sailing skills. 

"...Right. Well, we're here." The boat came to a stop as it ran into the island. "Great job with the rowing."

Amelia just laughed and started to stand up, teasing him as she got out of the boat. "Great job getting us across the treacherous sea."

"Are you trying to make fun of my captaining skills?" Onyx raised an eyebrow and hopped down onto the sand. "I'll have you know lots of things could have gone wrong."

"In five minutes?"

"It was six minutes, Amelia."

"Good to know you kept track of time." She gave him a playful shove before continuing forward. "Wow, this part of the island is so beautiful. Especially now that the sun's setting..."

Onyx fell into step beside of her, admiring the soft, orange glow that lit up the world around them. "You're right. It is beautiful here..."

"I'm really glad you got the idea to come to Sulani. I never would have thought of a vacation," Amelia said. "I really needed this..."

"We needed this," Onyx corrected. "Honestly? I get that we've been feeling pretty lonely lately now that the house is empty aside from us, but maybe it's going to be good for us. We've dealt with one thing after another since... well, as long as I can remember. Now we can just enjoy life together, without all of the other burdens to worry about."

Amelia smiled. "You're right, and... you know what?"

"What?"

Gingerly, she brought a hand up to caress his cheek and their gazes met. "There's no one else I'd rather enjoy my life with. I'm so lucky to have you by my side..."

Onyx smiled warmly, his arm wrapping around her waist. "I feel the same way about you. But I'm the lucky one. I can't imagine my life without you, Amelia... and I'd never want to."

"Neither would I..." Silence fell between them, but finally, she looked ahead and spoke. "Hey, just up ahead looks like a good place to watch the sunset..."

Hand in hand, they approached the edge of the golden-tinted ocean.

Serenity like this hadn't been felt by them in ages. The sound of the sea was peaceful, maybe even melodious in a way. It was as if this was all that existed in the world: the endless beauty that stretched ahead of them, the feeling of being in each other's arms...

If this was just the beginning of their experience in Sulani, they couldn't wait for the rest of it.

---

Amelia watched through the sliding doors in the hotel room as the sun finally started to disappear into the ocean, causing the sky to begin darkening. "Today was amazing... I hope the rest of our vacation is like this."

Onyx slowly approached behind her, mesmerized by the way she was glowing underneath the light coming through the glass panes. "Yeah, me too..."

Her breath hitched when she felt warm hands on her bare skin, slowly -- perhaps teasingly -- ghosting down her sides. Without a word, she turned around to face the culprit, her lips already curling into a smirk.

"Is something on your mind?" Amelia asked, bringing her hand up to rest on Onyx's cheek. She lightly traced her thumb along his lower lip, her eyes wandering across his body for a moment before returning to meet his piercing stare.

"Just you," he quietly replied, moving even closer than he was before and playing with the sash wrapped around her waist as though he planned to untie it.

"Really? Why bother to only think about me when I'm right here in front of you?" Amelia's free hand moved to slide up his torso and toward his chest. The smirk she had only widened at the sensation of his muscles tensing in anticipation underneath her touch, and she stood on her tiptoes to close the gap between their lips in a kiss that began delicately, but slowly grew into something far more heated.

Onyx's hands wandered down to her thighs, hoisting her up until her legs were securely wrapped around his waist. She quickly moved to grip the back of his neck, pulling him desperately closer to deepen their heated passion, beginning to lose her senses underneath his touch.

"I love you so much, darling," Onyx murmured as he finally parted from the kiss, already breathless. His flushed cheeks burned nearly as much as his heart did.

"I love you too..."

Amelia clung desperately to him as his kisses moved down to her neck. Her hand was entangled in his hair; she could hear her heart pounding loudly in her own ears every time she felt the tips of his fangs brushing against her skin. In the moment, she was entirely convinced that the real paradise was here and now, and all of Sulani itself dulled in comparison.

She hadn't even noticed them moving until her back hit the bed and Onyx was climbing on top of her. The world was nothing but a pleasant haze as he laced his fingers together with hers, beginning to lean in for a kiss once again...

And that's when her mind wandered to what she had forgotten to pack. One would assume it was the most ridiculous time to be thinking about it, but upon the realization of what it was, she tensed up and her eyes went wide. "Onyx, wait."

He pushed himself up to give her some space, frowning as he looked down at her. He couldn't help feel a pang of guilt when he saw her worried expression, assuming that he'd somehow messed up. "What's wrong...?"

"...I-I, um... I just now realized what I forgot to pack."

Onyx went quiet for a moment before his face contorted into something between surprise and amusement. "Is that really what you're thinking about right now?"

Amelia frowned. "I-I'm serious, it's important!"

"Alright, what was it?" Onyx sighed. "If it's that important, I guess I probably should know about it."

"We forgot protection."

There was an awkward silence after she bluntly blurted out their dilemma. 

"Is... that a big deal to you? I mean, if it is and you want to stop, I completely understand that," Onyx awkwardly began, "but I'm not really worried. I mean, we're only going to be here for a week. What would realistically happen that fast, right?"

She managed a small smile and reached up to pull him closer to her. "I guess you're right... I'm worried over nothing. Honestly, it isn't even a big deal either way to me if I think about it. Whatever happens happens... but nothing's going to happen."

Onyx smiled in return. "Yeah, whatever happens is fine with me. But you're right. There's no way anything's going to happen."

Amelia nodded. "...well, then, what are you waiting for? Come here and kiss me."

Onyx grinned and leaned down to close the gap between them once again. "Gladly."